The doctor had to admit that at this Young Mage's age, he couldn't have remained so calm.
"Are all Mages as special as you?"
The Young Mage glanced at him, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and a subtle arrogance flashed in his black eyes: "Those who can't think calmly are already dead. You've seen their corpses before, haven't you?"
Dr. Holloway paused with the needle in his hand upon hearing this, then nodded.
Seeing him nod in acknowledgment, the Young Mage continued, "These insects are experiments, monsters modified by magic. Although they lack a Lord's command, the accumulated experiments have granted them high magic resistance, making them the arch-enemies of Mages."
"Why would Mages enhance these creatures' magic resistance? Isn't that creating their own doom?" The doctor shook his head, flicking the blood from his hands. The area was dark and damp, requiring him to get very close to see the wound.
The Young Mage's response was expected, "Of course, it's for power. Ordinary people create bigger bombs and stronger weapons, so besides researching stronger spells, Mages naturally need stronger servants."
Dr. Holloway opened his mouth but didn't say much. Ordinary people's enemies were other ordinary people, while the enemies of Mages were naturally other Mages, so researching higher magic resistance beings made sense.
Although he had virtually no understanding of the Magic Realm, he labeled Mages as dangerous.
"These insects aren't the origin of the crisis; they're just a group of lucky escapees." The Mage lowered his head, watching the needle move through his skin, his tone carrying the composure of a victor: "So when I discovered they escaped, I chose to leave immediately to find a place to hold my ground. Because I thought calmly, I waited for you, survival of the fittest."
"But your companions are all dead."
"Former companions, to correct you. After their deaths, they were no longer my companions." The Mage replied emotionlessly, his words devoid of any sentiment making the doctor's heart tighten: "Mages shoulder the responsibility of protecting Earth, and those who died, their capabilities destined them for no future."
Dr. Holloway cut the thread, pulled out a bandage, and started to dress the Mage's wound.
"But if we hadn't arrived in time, you would have died too."
"I already used every method I could think of, outrunning everyone else. Even the Great Mage died before me; I watched as the insects devoured him. So if death were my destiny, I would accept it calmly." For the first time, the Mage genuinely smiled, a pure expression on his face that nonetheless sent chills down the spine: "Death indicates my lack of strength; the weak dying is only natural."
The doctor couldn't comprehend how the Mage Realm worked, but it didn't sound like a friendly environment, where everyone seemed to live like beasts in a jungle?
"I can't understand your Mages' way of thinking, but strength isn't everything in this world."
The Young Mage gave him a half-smiling glance but didn't retort: "I used to be an ordinary person, and back then I thought the same as you..."
But he clearly recalled something, and his face turned icily indifferent, reverting to a calm deadpan: "But now, strength is all I can pursue."
He directed his gaze back to Su Ming's figure. The black and yellow intermixed armor stood firm at the cave entrance, and the insects outside shattered into pieces upon impact, no longer appearing as terrifying as before.
That's the benefit of strength.
Dr. Holloway sighed. This child's thoughts seemed problematic; it was as if he had become indifferent to everything in his life but the thirst for power.
The doctor couldn't imagine what the young Mage had experienced before. After bandaging the wound, he removed his rubber gloves and wiped his small mustache.
"Alright, what's your name, young man?"
The Young Mage leaned against the rock wall and stood up. He chanted a short spell, and a complex pattern emitting golden light and formed by magic appeared in his hand.
But like unstable voltage, it flickered and then extinguished.
He twitched his mouth, sighed, and looked up to answer the much taller Holloway.
"I am Kaecilius, a personal disciple of the Supreme Mage."
...............
Su Ming at the doorway had been multitasking all along. After implementing the tactic, the insects weren't that difficult to deal with, so he had been aware of the two people's actions in the cave from the start.
Hearing the Young Mage introduce himself, relevant data flashed through Su Ming's mind.
Kaecilius wasn't a comic character but a creation of the film universe. Su Ming wasn't particularly knowledgeable about his life trajectory.
He only knew that in the film universe, Kaecilius later switched sides and worked for Dormammu, and didn't seem particularly clever.
But his current performance certainly counted as precocious—despite the cruelty in his actions and views, the fact that he survived to the end remains.
Perhaps his presence changed history, or rather pushed the world line towards a more familiar cinematic worldview.
As he pondered, Su Ming's hand wielded the Great Sword without hesitation, slicing an insect in two, its dark blood splattering all over him.
Anyway, this world was strange enough already; more debt was not distressing, his traversal point was much earlier than expected, but the goal remained unchanged. There were several things he must acquire from the Marvel World.
And from a certain perspective, Kaecilius was destined for greatness, was he not? A bigwig like Dormammu picking him as an enforcer among billions on Earth speaks volumes.
For now, he and the doctor saved his life. Although he didn't expect any immediate repayment, the future was uncertain.
Dormammu's Dark Dimension power, even the Ancient One praised it; perhaps in the future, if Kaecilius joins that side, maybe Su Ming could leverage today's favor to get some energy for an experiment.
Su Ming himself was immortal, but not the people around him. Gin and his crew had been with him for many years, and he'd grown accustomed to them, so he needed to find a way to extend their lifespans.
He had stolen the Super Soldier Serum with that intention—not to turn subordinates into Captain America, just to extend their lives.
But Dr. Erskine likely wouldn't cooperate, and who to give that last vial of serum would be an issue. This required Howard's coffin-like radiation chamber, a massive power supply, and professional operation.....
So he'd deal with it once he was past this busy period.
While his mind was occupied, his hands were no less swift, left a sword, right a sword, and soon the world quieted down.
"Splat, splat."
Looking at the pile of insect bodies forming a small mountain, Su Ming inverted his two weapons into the stone beneath his feet, viscous insect fluids trailing down the sword edges.
"Alright, you can come out now, it's safe."
Su Ming crossed his arms over his chest, speaking to the two inside the cave as he turned around.
The cloak was the fastest to react, flying out first, circling in the air like stretching its body.
But it still clutched a corner tightly, with the gemstone Su Ming gave it securely wrapped inside.
Kaecilius was the second to walk out of the cave. Looking at the corpse mountains and seas of blood before him, a glint flashed in his eyes but quickly subsided.
After giving Su Ming a Mage's greeting, he knew that this unknown strong figure didn't save him for no reason. Perhaps there were questions to ask, so he waited patiently.