chapter 200 part 1
Chapter 199: Doctor Strange
Author: Yue Shang Xintou
"Doctor Strange?!"
If Colin were here, he would have recognized the man calling himself Doctor Strange as Stephen Strange.
In just a few short months, the man seemed to have undergone a drastic transformation.
He had changed from a once-spirited neurosurgeon into the mysterious and cryptic Doctor Strange now standing before Banner.
"So, you're the one who saved me?"
Recalling the last image in his mind, Banner looked at Doctor Strange and asked.
"No, it was fate. Fate guided me to meet you."
Shaking his head, Doctor Strange, or Stephen, spoke to Banner with profound meaning.
"Fate?"
Hearing Stephen's reply, Banner frowned at the man before him, feeling that he was hiding something he didn't know.
Without offering much of an explanation, Stephen spared a glance at the astonished Banner and turned his attention back to the task at hand.
Under Banner's watchful eye, the man calling himself Stephen seemed to be searching for something among the dazzling array of statues and ritual items in the room.
"...Mephisto's parchment? No, not this one. I have no desire to become a fallen soul..."
"Anubis's feather, a complete fake. Who knows what kind of creature it would summon..."
"This one... let's see, not too familiar with Yama... Satan, hmm, this probably isn't His jurisdiction..."
Taking a completely black parchment from among the statues, Stephen opened it and examined its contents closely before closing it again and placing it back in the box.
Standing to the side, Banner caught a glimpse of the parchment's contents from an angle past Stephen's arm. Just one look sent a sharp pain through his brain, as if countless voices were whispering inside his head. His vision blurred, and in a state between dreaming and waking, a twisted, illusory world appeared before him.
He saw a massive figure seated high upon a throne of skeletons, surrounded by vast flames and a sea of blood. Agonizing screams continuously echoed from the hands of the figure on the throne, yet it only responded with deafening, wild laughter.
Then, the scene shifted, and Banner seemed to be back in the room.
He stood behind Stephen, watching as the once-calm text on the parchment began to dance, twisting and breaking free from the page. It constantly issued a tempting voice, suggesting that if he just snatched the parchment, he would gain unparalleled, immense power. Under the influence of the parchment's whispering, Banner's expression began to change, and he took a step toward Stephen.
Snap—
However, before he could get any closer, the man had already locked the box shut again.
At the same time, the illusion before Banner's eyes vanished completely.
Blinking, having snapped out of the parchment's temptation, Banner glanced down at the step he had taken, a look of bewilderment flashing in his eyes.
For that brief moment, he didn't know why, but it was as if he had completely lost his will, single-mindedly wanting to snatch that strange parchment from Doctor Strange's hands.
While Banner was still shaken by what had just happened.
Stephen, on the other side, seemed completely unconcerned with the events behind him. From a pile of various statues and summoning ritual items, he selected a rather ugly-looking small dog and casually picked up a head that was placed to the side. Only then did he nod and say, "Found it, Legba..."
Holding the small dog statue in one hand, Stephen tossed the skull to Banner behind him, who instinctively reached out and caught it.
"What is this?!"
When he got a clear look at what Doctor Strange had thrown him—an ugly, shrunken, and dried head—he couldn't help but cry out, about to throw it away.
"If I were you, I wouldn't do that..."
Just then, Stephen's hoarse voice rang out, causing Banner to freeze his actions.
"This is a Vodou Shrunken Head. It's usually made from the heads of enemies taken by the victors in tribal wars and undergoes a series of special treatments. For example, the eyes and teeth are removed, the skull bones, brain, and muscle tissue are smashed and taken out, leaving a complete skin scalp. Hot stones are then poured into the skin to shrink and dry it. The eyelids and mouth are sewn shut, the scalp is filled with stones or plants, and the remaining hair is tied up to be hung on a door or around the victor's neck as a trophy or medal, symbolizing that 'the soul of the vanquished belongs to him.' It has the power of Evil Warding and Spiritual Communication."
"If you don't want what happened just now to occur again, then hold on to it tightly. This is a fine item I paid a hefty price for from a gypsy."
Stephen's explanation only deepened Banner's discomfort with the Shrunken Head. He looked down at the fist-sized head in his arms, at the clearly visible stitches on its eyelids and mouth. Banner struggled to suppress the unease and revulsion in his heart, gripping it tightly.
The strange incident with the parchment had left a deep impression on him.
Who knew what other dangers might arise in this room? For now, he could only trust Stephen's words and believe in the power of the Shrunken Head.
Although its appearance was a bit ugly and the process of its creation was horrifying, he wasn't sure if it was just a psychological effect, but Banner felt that after he gripped it, the originally sinister atmosphere of the room seemed to dissipate somewhat.
After tossing the Shrunken Head to Banner, Doctor Strange said nothing more. He grabbed the small dog statue and walked out.
Watching his departing back, Banner glanced left and right at the bizarre statues around him. Perhaps it was the influence of the parchment earlier, but he now felt as if every statue in the room was watching him with a greedy expression.
Driven by his inner anxiety and fear, Banner followed Doctor Strange's steps without hesitation.
Upon leaving the room, Banner realized that the room he had just been in was actually the most intact part of the entire house.
In the corridor, the dilapidated hallway was covered on both sides with graffiti and bloodstains, giving him the illusion of being on the set of a Horror Film.
Following the direction of the hallway, Banner saw Stephen's figure disappear around a corner. Just as he was about to step forward and chase after him, the Shrunken Head in his hand suddenly began to shake.
"Where are you going?"
At the same time, Doctor Strange's voice came from behind him.
"What?"
Hearing the question, a look of astonishment appeared on Banner's face.