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"Found it! The entrance to Hell's Border!"
Wong stopped abruptly, a look of pleasant surprise on his face.
Driven by his powerful Mystic Energy, space began to tremble. A turbulence imperceptible to ordinary people was slowly building, growing more intense by the second.
Only a Sorcerer like him or Constantine could perceive the change in space. Professor X felt a slight sensation, but everyone else was completely baffled, staring blankly as Wong gestured and muttered at the empty air.
"This whole Magic thing... it's ridiculous." Logan lit his fourth cigar of the day. It was from his treasured commemorative collection—smoke one, and there's one less. He was usually frugal with them, but today he'd chain-smoked several.
It couldn't be helped. The thought of facing a Monster that could devour planets was bound to cause a subtle shift in one's mood, especially since they were the ones who had uncovered the truth from scratch, piece by piece.
"I only care if my sister is really at Hell's Border. She disappeared when she was seven." As a student, Colossus, along with Wanda, was one of the two youngest members of this temporary team, and his heart was filled with anxiety.
Even though Tony had repeatedly promised the X-Men, it was still hard to believe.
A little girl who disappeared at seven is now the queen of this Alternate Dimension, Hell's Border? It's unbelievable!
"Since Tony is so confident, it must be true," Storm (Ororo) said comfortingly.
"I don't even know him..." Colossus mumbled, his voice lacking conviction.
The spatial tremors grew stronger, so intense that they began to make the others feel dizzy.
"Don't worry. It's just an adverse reaction from the spatial displacement. It'll pass quickly." As Wong spoke, the Magic in his hands never ceased. Under his control, the Spatial Rift that had existed here continuously expanded until it formed a complete Portal.
"I can't sense what's inside. The severe spatial distortion is interfering with my Psychic Abilities," Professor X said with a serious expression, seated in his wheelchair.
Wong cautiously sized up the interior. Just as he was about to step in, he suddenly paused. To everyone's confusion, he looked over at Wolverine.
"That guy Tony said you're an unkillable freak. For anything dangerous, shoving you to the front is absolutely the right choice." Wong was not good at lying; he spoke with a frankness that was so blunt it left people speechless.
Logan's face twitched violently. "Why does it seem like he knows every single one of us so well?"
Despite saying this, Logan strode in without a moment's hesitation.
The light dimmed in an instant. Before Logan could get a clear look, a powerful blast of Dark Magic hurtled toward him. This sudden Dark Magic was highly corrosive, thick with Dark Energy, and it instantly enveloped Logan's front.
Sizzle!
A portion of Logan's body was corroded away. His shirt was reduced to tatters, revealing a large, equally festering patch of flesh beneath.
"Logan!" the others exclaimed.
On Logan's chest, blood and flesh mingled. Looking closely, one could see scattered buds of flesh rapidly blackening and withering under the effect of the Dark Magic.
Logan let out a wolf-like growl, low and furious, filled with the rage of a Beast. He reached out and ripped away a piece of flesh from his chest, leaving a bloody mess.
His powerful Healing Factor began to work. In just two seconds, the wound was mostly healed. By the end of the third second, he was fully recovered.
"Oh? You're not dead?" A crisp female voice, tinged with deep surprise, came from the darkness.
"I can't die, but you're fucking dead," Logan snarled, his expression ferocious. He tensed his arms, veins bulging, and with a *snikt*, three metal Talons extended from each hand.
Even in the dim light, the cold glint of the Talons was visible, as if echoing Wolverine's fury.
"Everyone, stop! Illyana Rasputin, we are not enemies!" Wong's portly frame squeezed through the Portal as he yelled.
The others flooded in, on high alert and ready to fight at any moment. Only Constantine, with a cunning look on his face, paused to deliberate. After glancing pointedly at Colossus and sensing the strong fluctuations of Bloodline Magic, his eyes lit up. His previously hesitant posture straightened, and he charged in with a yell.
"That's right! I've brought your long-lost brother!" Constantine shouted.
"Ridiculous. The same trick as that old thing. You think I'd believe you..." Illyana sneered. She slowly walked out of the darkness. The face of this new queen of Hell's Border was young, yet it carried a bone-chilling coldness and deep anger. An even more terrifying Dark Magic energy, shocking to behold, pulsed around her.
It was happening again. The same tricks as the former ruler of Hell's Border, the Demonic Creature named Belasco—deceit, cold-bloodedness, and toying with people's hearts.
She had killed Belasco with her own hands, and now another group had come, playing the same disgusting games.
Professor X, sitting in his wheelchair, lowered his hand from his forehead in pain. "A terrifying child. My Psychic Abilities are completely ineffective against her!"
"Even the Professor's Psychic Abilities can't affect her?" Jean, who was standing guard beside Professor X, was shocked. She wanted to try using her own Mental Power, but Professor X stopped her.
"It's useless. This child's mental defenses are simply impenetrable. I've never met a child like this before. She's terrifyingly strong. In some ways, her power and Potential are even more astounding than Tony's." Professor X's expression was grave, but his eyes held an undisguised mix of amazement and joy.
Anger brewed within the newly crowned young queen. The Rage from the queen surged, and her Killing Intent intensified.
"I am immune to all Telepaths." The queen raised the sharp blade in her hand, ready to begin a slaughter.
But in the next moment, she froze.
Constantine opportunely tossed out a drop of blood. The droplet floated in the air, emitting a dazzling light. As if sentient, the light scanned the area before pointing directly at Illyana.
Colossus slowly walked out from the crowd. Despite his tall and burly frame, he was trembling like a child, tears streaming down his face.
"Illyana... my sister..." Colossus murmured. He opened his arms and walked out from the group, completely defenseless, toward the familiar yet strange face ahead.
"It's you. I can feel it. You have a tiny mole on your face, you can't even notice it if you don't look closely, but I saw it at first glance..." Colossus walked forward, staring foolishly at the small figure.
Illyana was also stunned. This resourceful queen was frozen just like a Mortal, her alluring, blood-red lips slightly parted. A look of incredulous joy appeared on her youthful face.
"Piotr? How are you here?"
The moment the queen spoke, Wong finally breathed a sigh of relief internally.
Hell's Border was the most critical link. It was a unique space, the closest one to the Dark Dimension, serving as the best staging ground to connect Earth and the Dark Dimension, as well as the perfect rear base for deploying countless troops.
As long as they could win over this young queen on an emotional level, everything would be fine. They would even gain another formidable Combat Power.
(end of chapter)
Wong stopped abruptly, a look of pleasant surprise on his face.
Driven by his powerful Mystic Energy, space began to tremble. A turbulence imperceptible to ordinary people was slowly building, growing more intense by the second.
Only a Sorcerer like him or Constantine could perceive the change in space. Professor X felt a slight sensation, but everyone else was completely baffled, staring blankly as Wong gestured and muttered at the empty air.
"This whole Magic thing... it's ridiculous." Logan lit his fourth cigar of the day. It was from his treasured commemorative collection—smoke one, and there's one less. He was usually frugal with them, but today he'd chain-smoked several.
It couldn't be helped. The thought of facing a Monster that could devour planets was bound to cause a subtle shift in one's mood, especially since they were the ones who had uncovered the truth from scratch, piece by piece.
"I only care if my sister is really at Hell's Border. She disappeared when she was seven." As a student, Colossus, along with Wanda, was one of the two youngest members of this temporary team, and his heart was filled with anxiety.
Even though Tony had repeatedly promised the X-Men, it was still hard to believe.
A little girl who disappeared at seven is now the queen of this Alternate Dimension, Hell's Border? It's unbelievable!
"Since Tony is so confident, it must be true," Storm (Ororo) said comfortingly.
"I don't even know him..." Colossus mumbled, his voice lacking conviction.
The spatial tremors grew stronger, so intense that they began to make the others feel dizzy.
"Don't worry. It's just an adverse reaction from the spatial displacement. It'll pass quickly." As Wong spoke, the Magic in his hands never ceased. Under his control, the Spatial Rift that had existed here continuously expanded until it formed a complete Portal.
"I can't sense what's inside. The severe spatial distortion is interfering with my Psychic Abilities," Professor X said with a serious expression, seated in his wheelchair.
Wong cautiously sized up the interior. Just as he was about to step in, he suddenly paused. To everyone's confusion, he looked over at Wolverine.
"That guy Tony said you're an unkillable freak. For anything dangerous, shoving you to the front is absolutely the right choice." Wong was not good at lying; he spoke with a frankness that was so blunt it left people speechless.
Logan's face twitched violently. "Why does it seem like he knows every single one of us so well?"
Despite saying this, Logan strode in without a moment's hesitation.
The light dimmed in an instant. Before Logan could get a clear look, a powerful blast of Dark Magic hurtled toward him. This sudden Dark Magic was highly corrosive, thick with Dark Energy, and it instantly enveloped Logan's front.
Sizzle!
A portion of Logan's body was corroded away. His shirt was reduced to tatters, revealing a large, equally festering patch of flesh beneath.
"Logan!" the others exclaimed.
On Logan's chest, blood and flesh mingled. Looking closely, one could see scattered buds of flesh rapidly blackening and withering under the effect of the Dark Magic.
Logan let out a wolf-like growl, low and furious, filled with the rage of a Beast. He reached out and ripped away a piece of flesh from his chest, leaving a bloody mess.
His powerful Healing Factor began to work. In just two seconds, the wound was mostly healed. By the end of the third second, he was fully recovered.
"Oh? You're not dead?" A crisp female voice, tinged with deep surprise, came from the darkness.
"I can't die, but you're fucking dead," Logan snarled, his expression ferocious. He tensed his arms, veins bulging, and with a *snikt*, three metal Talons extended from each hand.
Even in the dim light, the cold glint of the Talons was visible, as if echoing Wolverine's fury.
"Everyone, stop! Illyana Rasputin, we are not enemies!" Wong's portly frame squeezed through the Portal as he yelled.
The others flooded in, on high alert and ready to fight at any moment. Only Constantine, with a cunning look on his face, paused to deliberate. After glancing pointedly at Colossus and sensing the strong fluctuations of Bloodline Magic, his eyes lit up. His previously hesitant posture straightened, and he charged in with a yell.
"That's right! I've brought your long-lost brother!" Constantine shouted.
"Ridiculous. The same trick as that old thing. You think I'd believe you..." Illyana sneered. She slowly walked out of the darkness. The face of this new queen of Hell's Border was young, yet it carried a bone-chilling coldness and deep anger. An even more terrifying Dark Magic energy, shocking to behold, pulsed around her.
It was happening again. The same tricks as the former ruler of Hell's Border, the Demonic Creature named Belasco—deceit, cold-bloodedness, and toying with people's hearts.
She had killed Belasco with her own hands, and now another group had come, playing the same disgusting games.
Professor X, sitting in his wheelchair, lowered his hand from his forehead in pain. "A terrifying child. My Psychic Abilities are completely ineffective against her!"
"Even the Professor's Psychic Abilities can't affect her?" Jean, who was standing guard beside Professor X, was shocked. She wanted to try using her own Mental Power, but Professor X stopped her.
"It's useless. This child's mental defenses are simply impenetrable. I've never met a child like this before. She's terrifyingly strong. In some ways, her power and Potential are even more astounding than Tony's." Professor X's expression was grave, but his eyes held an undisguised mix of amazement and joy.
Anger brewed within the newly crowned young queen. The Rage from the queen surged, and her Killing Intent intensified.
"I am immune to all Telepaths." The queen raised the sharp blade in her hand, ready to begin a slaughter.
But in the next moment, she froze.
Constantine opportunely tossed out a drop of blood. The droplet floated in the air, emitting a dazzling light. As if sentient, the light scanned the area before pointing directly at Illyana.
Colossus slowly walked out from the crowd. Despite his tall and burly frame, he was trembling like a child, tears streaming down his face.
"Illyana... my sister..." Colossus murmured. He opened his arms and walked out from the group, completely defenseless, toward the familiar yet strange face ahead.
"It's you. I can feel it. You have a tiny mole on your face, you can't even notice it if you don't look closely, but I saw it at first glance..." Colossus walked forward, staring foolishly at the small figure.
Illyana was also stunned. This resourceful queen was frozen just like a Mortal, her alluring, blood-red lips slightly parted. A look of incredulous joy appeared on her youthful face.
"Piotr? How are you here?"
The moment the queen spoke, Wong finally breathed a sigh of relief internally.
Hell's Border was the most critical link. It was a unique space, the closest one to the Dark Dimension, serving as the best staging ground to connect Earth and the Dark Dimension, as well as the perfect rear base for deploying countless troops.
As long as they could win over this young queen on an emotional level, everything would be fine. They would even gain another formidable Combat Power.
(end of chapter)
