[Frog] Chapter 449-457

Chapter 449: What If He Can’t Come Back?

"Uh, pardon my rudeness, Master Ancient One, but with Stephen’s current ability, I’m afraid he won’t be able to open a portal. And given his physical condition, he might even die out there!"

Karl Mordo was deeply worried that Stephen wouldn't be able to open the portal and would freeze to death on the snowy mountain. He had been observing Stephen’s progress over the past few days.

Just like the Ancient One had said, Stephen was indeed very gifted—he could absorb the theoretical knowledge in the magical texts with remarkable speed, almost as if he had a photographic memory.

But even so, Strange still hadn't successfully opened a portal, and now the Ancient One had left him alone on that snowy mountain.

What if he couldn't come back?

Alan noticed that the Ancient One was actually worried about Strange too, and he spoke up to comfort her: "Let’s wait a bit longer. Believe in Stephen—he can do it."

Mordo didn’t dare refute Alan. Since he spoke in such a way, and the Ancient One didn’t show any displeasure, that meant she agreed with Alan’s judgment.

Time passed slowly. The Ancient One furrowed her brow. It seemed she had acted too hastily. Stephen might really fail both her and Alan’s expectations.

Just as the Ancient One was about to open a portal herself to retrieve Stephen Strange, something unexpected happened—

A portal opened!

Karl Mordo was even happier than he had been when he first learned how to open one himself.

They saw Stephen, trembling violently, dragging his stiff legs forward through the portal. The moment he laid eyes on Alan and the Ancient One, his whole body collapsed to the ground.

"Stephen!" Mordo rushed over and checked Stephen’s pulse. "Stephen, how do you feel?"

The Ancient One revealed a gratified smile. "Strange did it. Master Mordo, take him back to his room and let him rest."

Alan had actually been gambling too—gambling on whether Strange could pull this off. And Strange proved it with his actions.

…

Strange suddenly shot up from the bed. He had dreamed of that car crash again, and now stared blankly at the ceiling.

"You’re awake. Are you alright?" Alan had remained in Stephen’s room ever since briefly speaking with the Ancient One, waiting for him to wake up.

"Alan!" Stephen Strange finally came to his senses. The accident was in the past now. He was currently studying under a sorcerer called the Ancient One.

"I... I’m not dead, am I?" Strange hadn’t forgotten the snowy mountain—he’d almost frozen into an icicle out there.

As for how he got back, Strange’s memory was a little fuzzy.

"Of course not. You learned how to open a portal. Congratulations." Alan smiled and softly offered his congratulations.

Strange was stunned at first. He thought the Ancient One had brought him back. But Alan said he came back on his own?

"If you don’t believe it, you can try again," Alan said, pushing the Sling Ring toward Strange. Rather than say more, it was better for Strange to try again himself.

With trembling hands, Strange put on the Sling Ring and recalled how he’d opened the portal back on the mountain. He set the destination to his own room.

The glowing outline of a portal slowly began to appear before him. Through the portal, he saw that messy, disorganized room.

"I... I did it!" Strange murmured, staring at the room. He had really done it.

"See? You must be completely focused to reach the state you desire," Alan continued. "It has nothing to do with whether your hands are injured."

Chapter 450: Fusing Two Stones

Strange had a sudden realization. He finally understood why he had been failing all along—he kept blaming everything on his injured hands.

Even Master Hamir, who was missing a hand, had managed to successfully learn magic and put it into practice.

Everything the Ancient One and Alan had done was to help him truly comprehend this: no matter what part of the body is damaged or incomplete, it is not an obstacle that blocks the path to success.

“If you can understand what I mean, then work even harder moving forward,” Alan said, calculating the time. He had already accelerated Strange’s journey of learning magic.

The librarian had also been replaced by that sorcerer named Wong. With him around, no one could dream of stealing any magical texts.

Kaecilius's plans had to be completely stopped.

But Alan was well aware—he couldn’t actively seek out his targets. He had to wait for them to appear on their own, or else he might disrupt the storyline and trigger unexpected consequences.

“I will, Alan.” Strange was determined not to let Alan down again. If not for Alan, he might have remained nothing more than a useless wreck.

In the blink of an eye, Alan disappeared from his sight once more. Stephen Strange, shocked, gently raised a hand and patted his own cheek.

“Stephen, this isn’t the time to daydream or admire others. If you don’t speed up, you’ll never advance from novice to master!”

Strange had ambition. If he was going to do something, he had to do it to the best of his ability!

He quickly got up and changed his clothes. Now that he had learned how to open a portal, he wanted to master the Ancient One’s technique of astral projection next. The bleak wind stirred up fallen leaves scattered across the ground.

Strange felt that after going through this experience, his confidence had returned once more.

He hurried into the library. Wong was stunned at first—he had never seen Stephen smile before. This whole time, Strange had always looked like he was chewing bitter herbs.

“Stephen?” Wong asked cautiously. Could it be that someone else’s soul had taken over his body?

“Hi, Wong. Please help me find a book on the soul,” Strange said, thinking to himself that in his current state, he was ready for something big.

Wong looked at Stephen Strange with a puzzled expression. Books on the soul required someone with an exceptionally clear and focused mind.

“I don’t think you’re ready yet, Stephen,” Wong said gently, trying to offer a tactful warning. He knew full well that the man before him had always been headstrong.

“I am ready. Just give it to me,” Stephen Strange replied, his voice resolute. He had made up his mind—that would be the next book he would master.

However, the answer he got was a firm “No.” Wong believed Strange was just acting on a whim.

“I must refuse. It’s clear you’re still not ready,” he said.

Meanwhile, Alan had just returned home and could see that Stephen Strange was gradually entering the right mindset. Now, all he had to do was wait for Kaecilius to show up.

Once Kaecilius was dealt with, Alan planned to set off again for the boundless sea of stars.

The Red Queen walked up to Alan with light, joyful steps, looking as excited as a child.

“Master, I’ve successfully fused two of the Stones—2.1 to be precise. The Soul Stone and Reality Stone ended up working together surprisingly well. It didn’t take much time at all.”

Originally, the Red Queen had planned to fuse the Soul Stone first.

But unexpectedly, the Aether particles from the Reality Stone burst out with an intense glow, almost as if they were guiding her.

The moment she touched them, the Aether particles merged together with the Soul Stone.

When Alan returned, the Red Queen couldn’t wait to share the news with him.

Chapter 451: Shocked Speechless

When Alan heard the Red Queen say this, he was completely stunned—his eyes widened, and he was left speechless. He had thought fusing the stones would take much more time.

Recently, he hadn’t taken the Red Queen out much, considering that she needed a quiet and undisturbed space to fuse the stones.

Wanda and the others were the same; they wouldn’t disturb the Red Queen easily. Yet unexpectedly, she had already successfully fused two of the stones!

Alan was so excited he grabbed the Red Queen by the shoulders. He didn’t even notice that she gently averted her gaze, blushing slightly as she looked at his hand resting on her shoulder.

“Can they be seen in physical form?” Alan asked curiously. At this point, the Red Queen had already fused two stones. The Mind Stone was inside her body.

There was no way Thanos would be able to take it. With the Time Stone secured in the Sanctum Sanctorum, all the other stones were already in Alan’s possession. Thanos wouldn’t stand a chance!

“Yes, do you want to see them, Master?” Red Queen shyly lowered her head. It had been a long time since she had spent time alone with Alan like this.

More than enjoying the solitude, Red Queen wanted to quickly complete the fusion of the stones for Alan. That way, she could fulfill the task he had given her.

Alan’s brows were filled with excitement. He had never seen what the stones looked like when fused together.

“Of course. But...” Alan’s smile faded slightly. “We can’t do it here. If the house gets destroyed, it’ll definitely draw the media’s attention.”

He remembered clearly how the media worked—they were like human sewage pumps: always ready to spew nonsense. If an explosion occurred because of the stone fusion...

It would just bring more trouble for the superheroes, and Alan really didn’t feel like explaining anything.

“We need to go somewhere spacious, preferably uninhabited,” the Red Queen agreed with Alan’s suggestion. “I think... either the Moon or a dimensional space would be best.”

Alan rubbed his chin thoughtfully over her suggestion. Then, with a flash of inspiration, he snapped his fingers. “Let’s go to the Moon. It’s more convenient than entering a dimensional space.”

He unconsciously walked up to the Red Queen and, using the Space Stone’s energy, prepared to teleport freely. He wrapped an arm around her to avoid the possibility of accidentally leaving her behind in some distant dimension during the process.

That would be disastrous. The Red Queen was just as irreplaceable in his life.

“That’s strange. Your face... and your ears... why are they so red?” Alan looked down, wanting to check if she was ready.

The moment his eyes fell on her, he immediately noticed her cheeks were like ripe peaches blushing with a soft red hue, and even her ears had turned rosy.

“I don’t know... maybe fusing the stones made me feel tired?” Red Queen couldn’t explain the fluttering in her heart. Even searching the entire internet, she couldn’t come up with a reason.

“There’s no need to rush. Hold on tight. We're heading out.” Alan figured she must’ve been putting too much pressure on herself. It looked like she needed a proper break.

The two of them used the teleportation power of the Space Stone and quickly arrived on the Moon. They had already equipped oxygen masks, so there was no need to worry about suffocation.

The Red Queen brought her hands together and began reciting a chant-like string of words. It was actually a program she had set up—to prevent anyone from snatching the stones from her in a confrontation.

Unless Alan told her to release them, even if someone killed her, the stones would remain unreachable!

Alan stared intently at the Red Queen’s palms.

Chapter 452: Successful Fusion

From the Red Queen’s palm, a mesmerizing and radiant light bloomed. As the Infinity Stones fused, they emitted dazzling, multicolored brilliance that made it nearly impossible for Alan to look away.

He could see the turbulent energy surging within the stones. Without sufficient strength, anyone who dared to touch them would be devoured by their power.

Just like the collector's maid in the Knowhere sector—she had no ability to control the power of the stone. Foolishly thinking that just holding the stone gave her the power to resist the Collector, she ended up being consumed by it, her body torn apart until not even a trace remained.

“Red Queen, when you were fusing the stones… did you feel like… they were hard to control?” Alan asked with concern. He was worried whether the remaining stones could still be fused successfully.

If not, he’d have to consider alternatives—perhaps a trip to Nidavellir. The weapons forged there were recognized across the universe as the finest.

He didn’t need to go the Thanos route with an Infinity Gauntlet. Instead, he could ask the dwarves to forge a belt into which the stones could be embedded.

That way, he could completely wield the power of the stones. Though even now, without relying on them, Alan was already strong enough to be unrivaled.

But as long as the stones existed, there was always the risk of a second Thanos—a madman who might try to use them. However, if the stones remained in Alan’s possession, then no one would be able to take them.

Hearing Alan’s concern, the Red Queen lifted her eyes, full of gratitude. “Don’t worry, Master, I can handle it!”

Alan suddenly felt her response was a little... off. Especially when facing the Red Queen’s Alice-like, youthful face—it gave him the odd illusion…

As if he were some strange uncle feeding weird ideas to a little girl.

“Then… as long as you can handle it. But don’t force yourself if you can’t,” Alan said, motioning for her to put the stones away.

He had only wanted to see what the fused stones looked like.

The moment the Red Queen took them out, a wave of energy burst forth, stirring up a layer of moon dust into the air.

Luckily, they were on the Moon. Otherwise, Alan could already imagine—his house would’ve been completely shaken apart by the radiant energy of the stones!

Once the Red Queen retracted the fused stones, Alan again pulled her close, as if afraid of losing her, clutching her wrist tightly.

In a flash, their lunar journey was over—they had returned to Earth.

As Alan let go, his sharp eyes immediately noticed the Red Queen’s slender wrist had been gripped so hard it turned red and even slightly swollen.

“My god, why didn’t you say anything?!” Alan panicked and rushed to the cupboard. He remembered Wanda kept ointments and such there.

“What?” the Red Queen looked at him blankly, not understanding why he was suddenly flustered.

“Master, judging by your heart rate, you need to take a deep breath and calm down,” she advised sweetly.

“Doesn’t your hand hurt? Next time, if I’m holding too tight, you have to speak up!” Alan blurted out, then immediately realized how weird that sounded. What on earth was he saying?

He grabbed a jar of ointment and gently took her wrist again to apply it to the swollen area. The Red Queen’s cheeks flushed even redder, but she didn’t pull her hand away.

She simply let Alan carefully apply the ointment, his touch gentle and cautious.

Chapter 453: The Dangerous Five

Wanda had just returned from shopping for essentials when she walked in on this scene—but surprisingly, she didn’t feel a shred of jealousy.

“What happened to Red Queen’s hand?” Before Wanda even finished her question, the Red Queen was already blushing furiously. Now that Wanda had brought it up, her shyness only deepened.

“Just a small accident,” Alan replied, not intending to go into detail. The curvature-engine spaceship hadn’t been taken by Quill and his team yet.

After the issue with Stephen Strange was dealt with, Alan planned to set off again for the stars and seas. That day might come sooner than expected, so he needed Wanda to prepare more food reserves.

Returning to space meant checking in with Quill and the others again. Considering Groot and Rocket’s appetites, the onboard food supplies could run out very quickly.

Hopefully, Asgard would go according to his plans—though he still didn’t know whether Hela and Thor could get along peacefully.

Thinking of all this, Alan sighed helplessly. Among all the women in this plotline, the two biggest headaches were Hela and the overly theatrical High Priestess Ayesha.

To this day, he still couldn’t understand what exactly was wrong with Ayesha’s brain—why she was so insistent on him becoming part of the Sovereign.

Alan had no interest in operating drones like a video game in Sovereign space. If that were the case, he might as well go to an internet café—at least then, his in-game level would improve.

“Alan, is something wrong with Mr. Strange again?” Wanda asked out of concern, noticing his sigh.

Recently, Alan had been focusing all his attention on Stephen Strange. Wanda thought to herself: good thing it wasn’t a particular woman he was so focused on—otherwise, she might actually go crazy.

At this point, she could just barely accept Gwen and Hela. If one more girl were added to the mix, she felt she might become unrecognizably jealous.

“No, he’s actually doing a lot better—gradually adapting to life as a sorcerer.” Alan began recounting Stephen Strange’s progress that day to Wanda and the Red Queen.

Unexpectedly, the two women listened with full attention, their serious expressions making Alan feel like he was some kind of mentor sharing wisdom.

In reality, all he had done was talk about Strange’s reactions that day and how he finally managed to open a portal.

“From what you’re saying, it sounds like he’s beginning to let go of his arrogance and preconceived knowledge—starting to embrace new ideas,” Wanda said thoughtfully, pressing a finger to her chin.

Meanwhile, Gwen, bored out of her mind, was swinging between skyscrapers with her spiderwebs. The symbiote had become unusually quiet lately—no longer whining about chocolate every now and then.

Maybe Alan had said something to it that made it calm down.

“Danger!”

The symbiote’s voice suddenly echoed in Gwen’s mind. Just as she was about to swing to another building, she halted abruptly.

The symbiote’s danger sense was rarely ever wrong!

Gwen glanced down, surveying the area for any potential threats—determined to identify and eliminate them before they could act. She figured this would count as her doing some of the hero work—maybe give Alan a little breathing room.

After all, she’d often heard Alan muttering about wanting a break, and Gwen just wanted to lighten the load for him.

“There!” the symbiote’s voice rang out again.

Following its direction, Gwen’s eyes landed on five individuals wearing sorcerer robes.

Their movements were anything but chaotic—on the contrary, they advanced in a calm, orderly formation. Their destination was clear, and even when people crossed their path, they made no attempt to dodge.

Chapter 454: The Trap

They were absolutely dangerous individuals!

That was Gwen’s first instinct. She could tell these people were a threat—but she couldn’t make a move right now. Acting in this situation would involve innocent bystanders, and once things got out of hand, the blame for destruction would again fall on the heroes.

Gwen pulled on her Spider-Man mask, raised her left hand, and shot out a webline, silently trailing behind the five individuals to see what tricks they were up to.

“Lord Kaecilius, it seems someone is following us,” said one of the followers walking behind Kaecilius, lowering his voice as he stepped closer.

Kaecilius slightly slowed his pace upon hearing that. He recalled that the book containing the spell to summon Dormammu was locked away in the library of Kamar-Taj.

The security there had grown tighter. He’d tried to open a portal into the Sanctum Sanctorum’s domain but found he couldn’t get through to any of them.

Given that, Kaecilius figured he needed to find another way. He had tried probing into the Ancient One’s secret of immortality, attempting to get information from her indirectly.

But instead, he had been fiercely reprimanded. The Ancient One had never spoken so harshly before—and this, despite once calling him the most gifted among her disciples.

Kaecilius deeply resented the Ancient One. He hated how she hoarded her secrets and refused to reveal the source of her seemingly endless power.

“Head somewhere isolated. If that person following us is one of the Ancient One’s, they’ll definitely avoid involving these ignorant civilians.”

A cruel smile crept across Kaecilius’s lips. The last few sorcerers sent to capture him had already died by his hand.

He had thought the Ancient One would finally stop trying—that she wouldn’t send more of her half-baked apprentices to pursue him.

And if the person wasn’t from the Ancient One’s faction? Then maybe he’d be merciful enough to let them go.

Right now, Kaecilius’s mind was entirely preoccupied with one thing—how to steal the book that contained the ritual for summoning Dormammu!

He even regretted not stealing it back when he first fled the Sanctum.

“Over there.” Kaecilius turned down a narrow alley. The move was so deliberate, there was a good chance their pursuer would notice.

Gwen noticed the sudden change in their direction. She intended to follow them and see exactly what kind of scheme they were plotting.

...

“Wait! Gwen—it’s a trap!” Female Venom emerged from Gwen’s shoulder, her voice sharp with urgency. She could sense the danger clearly, and it was obvious that the group had realized they were being tailed.

“I know it’s a trap! But doesn’t that just prove they’re the bad guys?” Gwen replied, surprised that the symbiote had chosen this moment to show up. From the look of things, it was trying to stop her.

Gwen was fully aware that their sudden change of course meant they had discovered her and were now luring her in.

“We have to tell Alan,” Female Venom urged more seriously. Compared to taking down a few shady individuals, Alan would absolutely prioritize Gwen’s safety.

After all, her very existence was for the sake of protecting Gwen!

“I will—but I can’t just sit back and let those guys do whatever they want!” Gwen said as she hurriedly pulled out her phone, typing a quick text message and sending it to Alan’s number.

She didn’t know if Alan would actually receive it. If she couldn’t handle the situation within ten minutes, she’d call for his help.

Hopefully, this time Alan hadn’t forgotten to charge his phone.

As soon as the message was sent, Gwen launched a web and swung determinedly toward the corner where the five had disappeared.

Chapter 455: Doesn’t Look Like a Good Guy

Gwen didn’t hesitate—those guys didn’t look like good people at all. If she was lucky, she might even run into Kaecilius, the very person who’d been giving Alan a headache lately!

As she swung around the corner with the momentum of her webline, Gwen suddenly realized she had entered a strange dimension.

The five men were standing motionless in the corner, arms hanging naturally at their sides, their eyes filled with malice as they stared at her. Each wore a strange, unreadable smile.

“Oh?” Kaecilius let out a cold sneer. “I thought it was one of the Ancient One’s lackeys. Turns out it’s just an insect.”

The moment Kaecilius had led his group into this corner, he had already activated a spell—so the instant Gwen entered, she stepped into the Mirror Dimension.

Inside the Mirror Dimension, nothing that happened affected the real world. No one outside would notice the battle taking place within.

Because Kaecilius had made up his mind—he was going to kill whoever dared step in.

“Insect?” If Gwen weren’t wearing a mask, Kaecilius would have seen the look on her face—and it wouldn’t have been pleasant.

But...

Even in her anger, Gwen didn’t overlook the fact that he had mentioned the Ancient One. He knew her.

“Kaecilius. Never expected to run into you in New York,” Gwen said, instantly recognizing him.

She remembered what Alan had said: Kaecilius, in his obsession with power, had gone mad—killing fellow disciples just to curry favor with the Dark Elves.

He had even attempted to kill the Ancient One and take her place as Sorcerer Supreme.

“You know me?” Kaecilius slowly withdrew his smile. Could this woman be one of the Ancient One’s people?

If so, he had a better idea: use her as a bargaining chip to negotiate with the Ancient One.

“Heh...” Gwen let out a few cold chuckles. “Look at you. So damn ugly. Even if I wanted to forget you, I probably couldn’t.”

And he’d brought his disciples with him—traitors just like him who had turned on the Ancient One. Gwen figured she was pretty lucky to run into this crew.

“I was going to kill you here in the Mirror Dimension. But...” Kaecilius narrowed his eyes, “there’s a strange energy radiating from you... something powerful...”

His change of plans wasn’t just about using her to negotiate with the Ancient One.

More importantly, the aura she emitted was strikingly similar to one he’d seen from afar—belonging to the Emperor. It was possible this girl was connected to him!

Mirror Dimension?

Gwen’s eyes darted around. It was clear she’d stepped into the sorcerers’ domain. If she wanted to escape, she had to defeat them first!

Kaecilius raised his right hand slightly. “Capture her. Break her arms or legs—I don’t care. Just don’t let her die. She’ll make a valuable hostage.”

“Yes, sir!” the disciples behind Kaecilius responded in unison. Pressing their palms together, dark energy erupted from their hands, forming weapons out of thin air.

No matter how many times Gwen saw this kind of sorcery, she couldn’t help but be amazed. But this wasn’t the time for awe!

The sorcerers charged straight at her. Gwen fired a web to get herself to higher ground—but as she launched upward, she watched the buildings split like they’d been sliced by blades. The pavement beneath her extended infinitely, forcing her toward Kaecilius.

“Run first!” Female Venom’s voice rang out again in Gwen’s mind, urging her to escape.

Chapter 456: Run First, Talk Later

Now wasn’t the time for Gwen to overthink—she followed Female Venom’s advice and ran. Behind her, countless sharp blades flew toward her like they had eyes, relentlessly aiming for her body.

Kaecilius watched Gwen flee in panic, schadenfreude written all over his face. He was already waiting for his disciples to capture her. Maybe, just maybe, he could even extract some information about the Emperor’s abilities from her.

If he could obtain the Emperor’s power and the Dark Elves’ immortality, then Kaecilius would be able to rule Earth—dominate it completely!

Behind Gwen, Kaecilius’s disciples were in hot pursuit. The tall buildings and familiar streets she once knew were now completely distorted and unrecognizable.

The warped space, the endlessly stretching floors and stairways—it was obvious that the terrain worked against her.

But for the sorcerers chasing behind her, it was a huge advantage. All of this was under Kaecilius’s control. Escaping the Mirror Dimension wouldn't be easy.

Still, she couldn’t let herself be captured. Gwen had to find a way to break them up and defeat them one by one.

“I’m starving. Can I eat them?” Female Venom emerged from Gwen’s back. Just as the blades approached, she opened her mouth and swallowed them whole.

She didn’t mind snacking on sharp objects. Consider it dental exercise.

“Stop swallowing every piece of trash! You’re inside my body, you know? That feeling is just... ugh...” Gwen grumbled, still trying to find favorable terrain while bickering with Female Venom.

It felt too much like she was the one eating those sorcerers—and they didn’t exactly look appetizing.

“I can separate from you if you want. I’ll eat them up and come back later,” said Female Venom, sizing up the numbers. Clearly, Gwen was at a disadvantage.

“Can you possess one of them?” Gwen suddenly came up with a plan—have Female Venom take control of one of the disciples.

If infighting broke out, it would raise Kaecilius’s suspicion, giving Gwen the chance to take down his minions one by one. Deal with the small fry first, then take on Kaecilius.

“Of course I can.” Female Venom immediately detached from Gwen’s foot and quietly waited for one of the sorcerers to get close, ready to possess them.

Meanwhile, in another place, a glass slipped from Red Queen’s hand and shattered on the floor. The moment she received Gwen’s text message, she rushed out of the room.

“Alan, bad news—Gwen’s in danger!” Red Queen, connected to every network in the house—including Alan’s messages and calls—alerted him right away to avoid any missed critical info.

“What?!” Alan and Wanda exclaimed in unison.

“There’s not much detail in the message, but Gwen said she ran into some guys wearing sorcerer robes,” Red Queen said with deep concern.

Damn it!

Alan jumped to his feet. His first instinct told him Gwen had likely encountered Kaecilius. But why would they show up in New York?

“Red Queen, can you locate Gwen’s position?” He couldn’t just stand by—those were sorcerers, and Gwen was a close-range fighter. She’d be at a huge disadvantage at range.

More importantly, he couldn’t let Gwen get hurt!

“Yes!” Red Queen’s eyes lit up faintly. Very quickly, she locked onto Gwen’s position.

“Wanda, can you open a portal? There’s a high chance Kaecilius has activated a Mirror Dimension.” Alan figured that if he was right, Gwen was already trapped inside it.

Wanda nodded. As soon as Red Queen provided the coordinates, she immediately began tracing a glowing circle—ready to step into Kaecilius’s Mirror Dimension.

As long as her magic was stronger, she could break through it.

Chapter 457: Feast Time

Female Venom instantly latched onto another sorcerer, stopping in her tracks and tilting her head back with a cold laugh. Using this guy’s body to devour the others—Gwen probably wouldn’t mind.

Her feast time had arrived!

“Hey, why are you just standing there? Lord Kaecilius is watching us from behind!” the male sorcerer shouted at his companion, who had suddenly halted and wasn’t continuing the chase.

They were so close to catching the target—if he just activated his magic, they could seize her. Yet his teammate remained rooted in place.

“What do you think... you taste like?” the possessed sorcerer asked.

He showed no signs of being abnormal—none of the others noticed he had been taken over by a cosmic symbiote.

Just as the confused sorcerer was about to respond, a black mass emerged from his companion’s shoulder and swallowed him whole.

Meanwhile, Gwen swung to the other side using her webs. Kaecilius had already cast a protective barrier around himself—getting close to him wouldn’t be easy.

She was trying to think up a strategy, a way to take him down. Gwen didn’t understand any of this bizarre magic stuff.

But one thing she did know—if Kaecilius managed to trap her in this Mirror Dimension, she might never get out. After all, she had no knowledge of sorcery at all!

Kaecilius frowned as he looked at his disciple, who now acted as if possessed by some demon. Why else would he attack his own comrades with gaping jaws? And that Spider-Woman had vanished entirely.

Female Venom turned and prepared to rush toward Kaecilius. If she could swallow him, Gwen could escape from this strange dimension!

“Gwen!” Alan descended into the Mirror Dimension like a god from the heavens. The moment he arrived, he spotted the possessed sorcerer.

But Gwen was nowhere to be seen, and Alan immediately panicked. Why was Female Venom attached to one of Kaecilius’s disciples? Where had Gwen gone?

Inside the Mirror Dimension, everything was an illusion—but still real in its own way. It was connected to the outside world, yet wouldn’t disturb it.

People on the outside had no idea that the world Gwen and the others were in was undergoing a cataclysmic shift.

Though inside, buildings twisted like braided ropes, tiles endlessly extended or sank inward, none of it affected the outside.

The closer Gwen tried to get to Kaecilius, the farther away he seemed to drift.

“Crap… did he figure out my intention?” Gwen realized just how difficult it was to get close to someone here.

Everything twisted and spun, transforming into bizarre shapes. Would she need to pretend to be captured just to get near him?

That was when she saw the figure in golden armor.

“Emperor!” Gwen hadn’t expected him to show up so quickly. He had already discovered her location!

Female Venom passed through layers of warped space and returned to Gwen’s body. She still preferred staying inside Gwen.

On the other side, as Kaecilius noticed from the corner of his eye that Emperor had entered the Mirror Dimension, he immediately made a decision: he would trap all of them in here.

He raised his hands and began drawing in the air, chanting dark incantations he had learned.

Kaecilius realized that if Emperor could enter the Mirror Dimension so easily, it meant he could also leave just as freely. Kaecilius decided to use a new spell—to bind him here forever.

...