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After making the decision, Darian directly promoted Emma and the two other Hellfire Club interns to full members of the Hellfire Club, and at the same time, recruited all X-Academy students into the Hellfire Club as a reserve force.
At the top of the Hellfire Club now were Charles and Erik, two future Mutant leaders.
The middle layer consisted of outstanding core members like Emma, Red Devil, Riptide, and Logan, each capable of standing alone.
Coupled with a group of young Mutants with great potential and the vast resources of the Hellfire Club as a backing.
The Hellfire Club had now become the largest Mutant organization in the entire World.
Of course, it was probably the only official Mutant organization in the entire World.
Moreover, the Hellfire Club's influence was not low; they had already garnered significant attention internationally during the Dam Ancient Crisis and were now listed as a key focus by various countries around the World.
If it weren't for the presence of Charles and Erik, there would be at least dozens of spies and hundreds of pounds of cameras lurking around the manor, providing a live broadcast every day.
However, if Darian continued to stay in the instance, he could recruit more Mutants into the Hellfire Club and enhance its influence, thus earning more rewards when the instance mission was settled.
But that wouldn't be very cost-effective; he might as well return to the main server to grind quests with that time.
After completing all this, the system's prompt sounded in Darian's mind.
[Instance Mission 'Mutant Rise' Completed]
[Starting instance reward settlement.]
[Rewards are as follows: 30000 Experience Points, Free Attribute Points * 10, Skill 'Old Driver's Soul', Equipment 'Grappling Hook', Item 'Bone Meal', Item 'Hundred-Ton King', Item 'Disco Light Ball']
[Skill: Old Driver's Soul (You are already a seasoned driver, capable of skillfully operating any known or unknown vehicle.)]
[Equipment: Grappling Hook (Retractable high-strength grappling hook, with automatic aiming and powerful suction functions, maximum range of two hundred meters. As long as there's a building, you're Spider-Man; without a building, you're Spider-Man with Uncle Ben.)]
[Item: Bone Meal (When sprinkled, it can rapidly catalyze plant growth.)]
[Item: Hundred-Ton King (National Highway War God, dare to challenge me on the national highway. Enhanced with exclusive blind spot vision and excess insurance, it slays gods and Buddhas.)]
[Item: Disco Light Ball (Forces all targets within range into a dancing state, which is interrupted upon taking damage. Let's dance together, fighting is not as good as dancing.)]
No anchor fragments.
Darian was a little disappointed; it seemed he would only have a chance to return to this instance World later.
However, his disappointment was brief, and he quickly turned his attention to the instance rewards.
The skill 'Old Driver's Soul' was quite good. With this skill, he could freely pilot helicopters and tanks, and even spaceships, just by pressing 'F' and controlling the directional keys, which was very convenient.
As for the grappling hook equipment, Darian was no stranger to it; it was a classic piece of equipment in various games, a boon for non-flying individuals. Even Batman always carried it, so its practicality was self-evident.
He skipped over Bone Meal and Hundred-Ton King.
The former could only be used under specific conditions, and the latter didn't even have the most basic traversal function; at best, it could only show off on the national highway, with limited combat value.
Compared to these, Darian was more interested in the Disco Light Ball.
From the effect description, this was clearly another powerful crowd-control item, similar to the one-Dollarcoin.
He had already experienced how strong the effects of such items were; even powerful Mutants like Sebastian couldn't resist them. Not to mention, the Disco Light Ball had a group crowd-control effect, so even an entire team of Sebastians would be overturned!
Even setting aside its practicality, the item's effect was awesome, forcing people to dance on the spot.
Darian couldn't imagine what it would be like if this item were used on Ancient One, and she suddenly started awkwardly dancing on the spot.
"Hehehe!"
A mischievous smile appeared on Darian's face.
Although such items were rare, if it could be exchanged for a video of the Sorcerer Ancient One dancing awkwardly in public, it seemed like a worthwhile trade!
Subsequently, Darian allocated 4 free attribute points to Strength, 2 to Agility, 2 to Constitution, and 2 to Spirit.
[Attributes: Strength 84, Agility 42, Constitution 55, Spirit 32]
The Strength attribute was gradually approaching the hundred-point mark; one punch, one kid was not a problem.
At the same time, the system's voice sounded again.
[Instance mission completed. Players can stay in the instance for a maximum of 24 hours. During this period, you can choose to teleport out early at any time.]
As expected, he had to leave the instance after completing the mission.
Fortunately, the system was quite user-friendly, at least giving Darian 24 hours.
Darian stroked his chin, pondering how to efficiently use these last 24 hours.
Should he bid farewell to Charles and the others one by one, then hold a touching farewell party, and finally depart elegantly amidst everyone's tears?
Of course not!
He decisively called Emma to the room, stating that he had important matters to discuss, the situation was very urgent, and she should remember to bring more equipment for contingencies.
"I'm back!"
Darian's vision blurred, and in the blink of an eye, he had returned to the main server.
He glanced at the time; indeed, it was unchanged from when he left.
"This instance run was truly fruitful!"
Looking at the fully stocked ghost suits and Whiplash robots in his game inventory, Darian nodded with satisfaction.
Putting everything else aside, just unlocking all of Emma's skins and CG animations before leaving the instance had already made it worth the price.
"However, I can finally take this thing off."
Darian removed the 'Dumbass Ring' from his finger.
Because there were telepaths in the instance World, he had been wearing this ring all these days, never taking it off.
This wasn't because he didn't trust Charles, but simply because he felt insecure. Just look at Erik; ever since he got Sebastian's helmet, he wished he could wear it even when showering.
As for Emma, that was indeed a lack of trust.
That woman was incredibly competitive, always wanting to take the lead and hoping he would beg for mercy, but she always had her stamina depleted.
If her telepathic abilities were to succeed, she might just give him an adult version of the Infinite Tsukuyomi on the spot, with hundreds of Emmas taking turns leading the charge. Just thinking about it was thrilling—no, terrifying!
After taking off the Dumbass Ring, Darian felt the 'Super Smart' BUFF fade, and he recalled his actions in the instance.
"Forget it, it's better not to overthink it, lest I annoy myself."
Darian realized he had to find a replacement for the Dumbass Ring as soon as possible, or learn a skill that could resist mental control, otherwise, constantly wearing a Dumbass Ring wasn't a solution.
He opened the game map and teleported back to Kamar-Taj.
As soon as he landed, he immediately went to the meditation hall Ancient One often used and shouted loudly, "Sorcerer Ancient One, come out quickly, I need to talk to you!"
However, Darian called several times without any response.
Just then, a black Mage walked towards him; it was Mordo, who had guided him before.
"Master Ancient One has gone to deal with matters in the Multiverse and will not return to Kamar-Taj for the time being."
Hearing Mordo's words, Darian suddenly remembered that Ancient One had indeed bid him farewell before he entered the instance, and had even specifically instructed him that her return date was uncertain and he needn't look for her.
He had been too excited just now and had forgotten about it.
Darian was greatly disappointed, his shoulders even slumping.
If Ancient One wasn't here, wouldn't he be unable to record her awkward dance video?
But it was a strange coincidence; Ancient One had left precisely when he returned with the Disco Light Ball.
Darian couldn't help but suspect that she might have sensed something and deliberately avoided him.
"However, Master Ancient One has temporarily entrusted Kamar-Taj to my management. You can come to me with anything you need," Mordo said with a smile.
Darian nodded, "Then can you tell me where Sorcerer Ancient One's treasures are hidden?"
Mordo: "..."
"Just kidding. I was wondering if there's any way to defend against others' mental powers?"
Darian asked Mordo.
As Ancient One's disciple and a top Mage of Kamar-Taj, Mordo might possess many related methods.
Mordo pondered for a moment and replied, "There are mainly a few ways to counter mental intrusion. One is to use powerful magic items, but such magic items are often very rare."
"Second is to cultivate specific protective magic, building a mental fortress around one's consciousness, but this requires extremely profound magical knowledge and control."
"Third is to strengthen one's mind, or what you call mental power, through continuous meditation to resist external erosion."
Darian was thoughtful.
He did have items, but it was better not to mention them. The second method was also beyond the reach of a magic novice like him.
That left only the third method.
"You mean, as long as one's mental power is strong enough, they can resist others' mental intrusion?"
"Exactly."
Darian glanced at his Spirit attribute, wondering if it counted as strong.
If he had known, he should have let Charles probe him a little back then.
Just then, a golden portal suddenly appeared before them, and a chubby Mage walked out, covered in injuries.
Mordo quickly stepped forward to support him, asking, "Wong, what happened? Didn't you go to track that artifact?"
The chubby Mage named Wong coughed a few times, gasping for breath as he replied, "Master Mordo, that artifact is now in the hands of a mysterious woman. She defeated me with it. The energy contained in that artifact is extremely powerful, completely beyond my expectations."
"What artifact?"
Darian's interest was immediately piqued upon hearing this.
Mordo hesitated slightly, but remembering Sorcerer Ancient One's instructions before she left—that he could answer any questions except where her treasures were hidden—
So he truthfully explained, "It is an ancient magic item that can absorb light energy from the surrounding environment, and even draw the light from people's hearts, thereby amplifying the doubts and fears within the enemy's heart."
"But this artifact also tempts its wielder, constantly stimulating their inner darkness. All in all, it is extremely dangerous, and as Mages of Kamar-Taj, we have a responsibility to seal away such evil objects."
Darian suddenly understood.
No wonder Ancient One was attracted to him when he first put on the magic mask.
Wong said anxiously, "Exactly. Now that the artifact has fallen into the hands of that mysterious woman, she is drawing energy from all over the World. We must stop her quickly! Go to the temple and summon Master Ancient One!"
Mordo shook his head, "Master Ancient One has already gone to the Multiverse. This matter can only be handled by us. It's crucial. Go and gather Kaecilius."
"Understood."
Wong nodded, disregarding his injuries, and raised his left hand to draw circles in the air. A golden portal then unfolded.
On the other side of the golden portal sat a man who looked very worldly. He was gazing sadly at a photograph, and as his emotions ran deep, a few small tears couldn't help but fall from the corners of his eyes.
Suddenly, Kaecilius heard the sound and looked up, meeting the gaze of the three of them.
Darian and the other two: ⊙_⊙
Kaecilius: "..."
Darian snapped back to reality and said considerately, "Don't worry, we didn't see anything. We can wait for you to finish crying before we talk."
Kaecilius: "..."
This was even more awkward!
Mordo looked at Wong speechlessly. This guy's personality was as unstable as ever, actually opening a portal directly into someone's room.
And to make matters worse, by sheer coincidence, they happened to witness a tough man shedding tears. How awkward was that?
"Cough, cough!"
Mordo coughed to cover his embarrassment, "Kaecilius, there's an urgent matter that requires your help."
"What is it?"
Kaecilius put away the photo, straightened his face, and walked out of the portal to stand before them, as if nothing had happened.
Of course, it would have been better if there were no traces of small tears on his face.
Mordo said in a deep voice, "A dangerous artifact has fallen into the wrong hands, taken by a mysterious woman. She defeated Wong with it, and I need your strength to help bring it back to Kamar-Taj."
"Hmph, useless fellow!"
Kaecilius glanced at Wong and snorted, not knowing if he was truly mocking him or venting his dissatisfaction about the portal being opened in his room.
Darian looked at Kaecilius's information.
[NPC: Kaecilius]
[Favorability: -10]
[Evaluation: Ancient One's disciple, Dormammu's number one fanboy, painstakingly acquired two panda eyes, the Mage who eliminated Ancient One, his record can be checked.]
"My goodness!"
Darian was instantly dumbfounded; this guy in front of him could actually eliminate Ancient One!?
As he delved deeper into the knowledge of magic, he increasingly felt that Ancient One's power was unfathomable.
At his current level, even with the help of all items and equipment, he had no confidence in being able to eliminate Ancient One, after all, she was someone who contended with numerous Dimensional Demon Gods.
And Kaecilius, however, had the astonishing record of eliminating Ancient One.
How incredibly powerful must that be!
However, according to the comments, Kaecilius seemed to be a follower of Dormammu.
It should be known that Dormammu was Ancient One's sworn enemy. According to Ancient One, this Dimensional Demon God had coveted Earth for a long time, constantly trying to mark his territory like a dog wanting to pee on Earth every day.
He wasn't making this up; it was Ancient One's exact words.
Darian was already accustomed to this.
As early as the first day he met her, Ancient One's image as a wise and lofty figure had already shattered in his mind, so these words were actually very consistent with her style.
And Kaecilius, as Ancient One's disciple, was Dormammu's number one fanboy, and even eliminated Ancient One, his own master. This was truly a grand display of filial piety—no, it was outrageous!