The only player in the Marvel universe.

Chapter 422 I hate it most when people talk badly about me behind my back

Du Mu had already had the Hydra intelligence network thoroughly investigate Strange's background.

To put it bluntly, this person's personality is like Tony Stark in the medical world—equally genius, equally arrogant, the kind of person whose blood pressure can spike just by saying a few words to someone.

Du Mu knew he didn't have the patience and good temper of Gu Yi; he was a humble person.

This doesn't refer to his own humility, but rather to the humility of others. If the other party isn't humble enough, they can easily be defeated by him.

Therefore, for Strange's sake, Du Mu decided to strip away all of the arrogant shell on this guy before they officially met.

Therefore, instead of following the Ancient One's example and directly leading Strange into the gates of Kamar-Taj, he let Strange search for the entrance to Kamar-Taj on his own, like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Isn't that how it's written in movies and novels?

The protagonist went through countless hardships and overcame eighty-one tribulations before finally being able to enter the mountain gate; otherwise, how could the high status of the mountain gate be highlighted?

If you open the door wide and eagerly invite people to join right away, they might suspect that this is some kind of pyramid scheme.

However, simply having Strange search for a needle in a haystack is far from enough; it won't achieve a good training effect.

To this end, Du Mu specially arranged for a group of Hydra members to infiltrate Strange's journey to Kamar-Taj, trying to create all sorts of trouble for him, enough to make up eighty-one tribulations.

After all, most of the eighty-one tribulations in Journey to the West were created by the gods sending their own mounts or attendants.

He asked Hydra to give Strange the eighty-one tribulations; this is a classic tribute, and perfectly reasonable.

Of course, the necessary guidance should still be given.

Otherwise, if Strange were to wander around aimlessly like a headless fly, given the secrecy surrounding Kamar-Taj, he probably wouldn't even be able to reach the doorframe of Kamar-Taj in decades.

So whenever Strange gets stuck in a dead end, Hydra members will act as guiding NPCs, disguising themselves as various passersby and casually handing out bits and pieces of information, gradually leading him towards Kamar-Taj.

It can be said that from the moment Strange received his first clue from Christine, his every move was part of the script written by Du Mu.

And the entire process will be recorded live.

On the large screen TV in the Sorcerer Supreme's entertainment room, Strange's live footage was playing 24/7 with clear picture quality and multiple camera angles.

Du Mu gave it a special name: Strange's World.

That's why Mordo knew what Strange had gone through and felt sympathy for the guy with the horse face.

Actually, he initially had some interest in the position of Master Supreme.

After all, he was the Ancient One's eldest disciple, and in terms of seniority and strength, he was among the top in Kamar-Taj. If Du Mu hadn't become the Sorcerer Supreme, then by all accounts, that position should have been his.

But now, having witnessed Strange's tragic fate firsthand, Mordo's thoughts had completely vanished.

Whoever wants to be the Supreme Master can be, he certainly doesn't want to be.

It was such a miserable experience!

And this is just a beginner's guide; the real journey begins after Strange joins Kamar-Taj.

Thinking of this, Mordo observed two seconds of silence for Strange.

Despite the need for training and practice, Du Mu actually had high hopes for Strange.

After all, in the comics, Strange was originally the candidate to succeed the Sorcerer Supreme.

His aptitude goes without saying; in a cultivation novel, he would definitely be considered a seedling with a heavenly spiritual root, a figure on par with the holy sons of sects.

Although Du Mu became the Sorcerer Supreme, he didn't want to work himself to death like the Ancient One.

Not only do they take out loans to work, but they also work year-round without a break, constantly caught up in the realities of life and longing for retirement every day.

So he needs to find a chosen worker.

As for strength, it certainly can't be too weak, otherwise one day when he goes out to run some errands, he'll come back to find that his home has been completely transformed into a 5A scenic spot of a certain dimension's demon god, and he'll have to pay for a ticket to enter.

Strange is undoubtedly the chosen worker.

With enough talent, as long as they are properly trained, they will be able to stand on their own in no time.

At that time, Du Mu could dump all the work of the Sorcerer Supreme on Strange, then offer him some sweet words and promises to make Strange willingly stay in Kamar-Taj as free labor, while he himself could enjoy a carefree life outside.

Just thinking about it makes me feel wonderful.

Du Mu suddenly paused: "Wait a minute, why does this tactic feel a little familiar?"

Find a top-notch successor, bribe them to get them involved, then dump all the work on them and leave to enjoy life.

Isn't this exactly the same trick that the Ancient One used on me back then?

The chosen one for working life is actually myself!?

"I knew it! Why was the Ancient One so quick to let me learn magic, without even setting any restrictions? It was the Sorcerer Supreme's prerogative!"

Du Mu's lips twitched. He finally understood the whole story and realized that he had been set up.

Even so, if he were given another chance, he would probably still jump right in.

Because that's what players are all about.

Even knowing there's a pit ahead, they'll still willingly jump in.

Of course, if you've already gotten soaked in the rain, don't expect others to hold an umbrella for you.

"Strange, don't blame me, blame the Ancient One. I'm just trying to maintain the fine tradition of the Sorcerer Supreme, hehehehe..."

""

On the other hand, Strange felt like the whole world was against him.

Since stepping into this city, bad luck seems to have never stopped.

First, he was ripped off by locals, his bus took a longer route, and then a passerby, annoyed by him, beat him up. Then another passerby, equally annoyed by him, beat him up again.

In addition, his belongings also suffered many misfortunes. First, his wallet was stolen, then his ID and mobile phone were stolen, and finally even his clothes were stolen.

If he hadn't been so vigilant, he probably wouldn't have even been able to keep his underwear.

Strange was so angry he wanted to curse.

Are these thieves trying to boost their year-end performance?

With so many people on the street, why are they all targeting him and fleecing him relentlessly?

Now penniless, Strange has to sleep on the streets. He hasn't taken care of himself for several days, his hair is a mess, his face is covered in stubble, and he looks no different from a homeless person on the street.

Starving and freezing, he sat on the roadside steps, muttering to himself, "Almost there, we should be finding Kamar-Taj soon. Just hang in there a little longer."

Persistence pays off; after inquiring around for days, he finally managed to find some clues.

If those passersby weren't lying to him, Kamar-Taj should be nearby.

"Poor beggar, take this and buy something to eat."

Strange watched the kind passerby walk away and the loose change left in front of him, feeling his pride had been insulted.

"Are you kidding me! I'm not a beggar!"

He cursed as he quickly gathered up the loose change on the ground, afraid that someone else would snatch it away.

Since things have come to this, filling our stomachs is the most important thing.

Strange leaned against the wall to stand up, turned into an alley, and tried to go around to the street corner to buy some food to fill his stomach.

As soon as they stepped inside, they bumped into a few shady-looking guys, as if they had suddenly appeared out of the alley.

The group of men scanned him up and down a few times, exchanged glances, and then surrounded him with ill intentions.

Strange's heart tightened; he immediately sensed that something terrible was about to happen.

He quickly opened his palm, revealing the few coins he had just put away, and said rapidly, "My wallet was stolen a long time ago, and this is all the money I have left. You've got the wrong target."

The leader glanced at the few pitiful coins in his palm, his face full of disdain.

"Turns out he's a penniless wretch."

They thought they had stumbled upon a foreign fat sheep with whom they could make a fortune, but little did they know that this guy's pockets were even emptier than theirs.

The leader was unwilling to give up. He lowered his gaze and suddenly fixed his eyes on the watch on Strange's wrist, narrowing his eyes.

"Hand over your watch."

Strange's heart skipped a beat; he knew he was in trouble.

This watch was a gift from Chrisjan and it held great significance for him, which is why he wore it close to his body to prevent it from being stolen by thieves who were always around.

To my utter surprise, instead of encountering thieves, I ran into a group of robbers.

"This watch is a fake, it's worthless..."

""

Strange forced a smile, trying to brush it off.

The leader of the robbers interrupted him directly: "Stop talking nonsense and hand it over now, or you'll be sorry. Seeing your delicate skin, it'll be perfect for us brothers to have some fun."

As they spoke, the robbers licked their lips and gave Strange a sinister smile.

Strange looked desperate.

These guys not only wanted to rob us of our money, but they also wanted to assault us!

"asshole!"

Strange was enraged. He believed that a man could be killed but not humiliated, and immediately punched the leader of the robbers in the face.

However, his hands were severely damaged and he couldn't exert any force. This punch not only failed to injure the opponent, but also injured himself.

He was then pushed to the ground by the angry robbers and then subjected to a beating.

Strange was powerless to fight back and could only curl up, clutching his watch tightly to his chest and gripping his waistband with his other hand.

As his consciousness began to fade, he vaguely heard a series of dull thuds, followed by several screams and the sound of someone falling to the ground.

A strange voice drifted down from above, its tone tinged with confusion: "Which department are these guys from? Are they really that into their roles?"

"Uh, they don't seem to be one of our people, but rather real robbers."

"6

""

Goodness, a few genuine items actually managed to sneak in from a bunch of fakes.

After an unknown amount of time, Strange groggily opened his eyes.

In my line of sight was an unfamiliar ceiling, with wooden beams appearing and disappearing in the dim light, and a faint scent of tea mixed with the smell of old books wafting in the air.

He sat up abruptly and immediately checked his sphincter, finding no signs of loosening, before finally breathing a sigh of relief.

"You're awake."

Strange looked in the direction of the sound and saw a fat man in a long robe sitting not far away, watching him.

"Who are you? Where is this place?"

Strange stared at the other man warily, instinctively shrinking back.

"Don't be afraid. My name is Wang. I saw you lying on the ground when I passed by the alley, so I brought you back."

The fat man stood up, a gentle smile on his face: "As for this place, it's Kamar-Taj, a sacred training ground for mages."

"Karmar-Taj?"

Strange was taken aback at first, then a look of surprise appeared on his face.

After so many days, he has suffered so much and endured so much hardship, but he has finally found a place.

Thinking about the hardships he had endured during this period, and how he almost lost both his money and his lover in the end, Strange suddenly felt like crying.

It was really too difficult!

Strange eagerly threw off the covers, put his feet on the ground, and said urgently, "Master Wang, I've come for help. I've heard that you have the ability to heal others. Please, please help me heal these hands. I'm willing to pay any price."

Wang coughed and raised his hand to signal him not to get agitated: "I have no authority to decide this matter; I need to ask the Supreme Master."

Strange paused for a moment.

Seeing Wang's Eastern face and his manner of making his entrance, he assumed that the other party was the master that Nachi had mentioned.

The Sorcerer Supreme—that title alone sounds impressive; he might just be the person in charge of Kamar-Taj.

Strange had made up his mind and cautiously asked, "Master Wang, could you perhaps allow me to meet the Sorcerer Supreme?"

In the past, he would never have spoken to anyone in this tone.

But his experiences these past few days have taught him one thing: one must be humble enough, especially when facing people he cannot defeat.

The king looked him up and down, his gaze lingering on his disheveled appearance, then at his still slightly trembling hands, and sighed.

"Wait here, I'll go and inform them."

After saying that, he turned and left the room, his footsteps fading away down the corridor.

The room fell silent, and Strange began to have wild thoughts: what should he do if the Sorcerer Supreme disagreed?

After a while, the door was pushed open.

Wang Chong beckoned to him: "The Supreme Master has agreed to see you. Come with me."

Strange was overjoyed, his heart easing halfway, and he quickly got up and followed.

The corridor outside was long, surrounded by buildings in an oriental style, just like the cultivation grounds of reclusive masters in movies.

Looking into the distance, I was surprised to see a majestic mountain range covered with snow.

"This is... the Himalayas?"

Strange was dumbfounded.

Where did he get all this mess?

As he walked, he faintly heard a crackling sound in the distance, which gave Strange a familiar feeling of returning home, but he also felt that it was unlikely.

Thinking of Eastern traditions, he asked curiously, "Master Wang, is there some joyous occasion at Kamar-Taj? I heard firecrackers going off."

Wang calmly replied, "That's because the mages are cultivating; the noise is a little loud, but you'll get used to it."

Strange was very confused.

What kind of cultivation could cause such a commotion? Could it be the legendary "Kick Niss" technique?

The two turned a corner at the end of the corridor and stopped in front of a wooden door.

"arrive."

Wang turned to look at Strange and said seriously, "This is the Sorcerer Supreme's meditation place. Once you go in, remember one thing: show respect to the Sorcerer Supreme. You must not show the slightest disrespect."

"If you feel there's a problem, it's definitely not the Sorcerer Supreme's problem, it's your problem, understand?"

Strange, seeing the king's solemn expression, swallowed hard and tentatively asked, "Why does this Sorcerer Supreme sound so terrifying?"

The king's expression was very complicated: "It's not scary, but..."

He reached out and placed his hand on his left chest, making a gesture with his index finger and thumb.

Strange was a smart man, quick-witted, and immediately guessed the meaning of the gesture.

"You mean the Sorcerer Supreme is petty?"

"Holy crap!?"

The king's face turned pale instantly, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

Before he could even speak, a slap suddenly burst through the door and landed heavily on the king.

Before Wang Lian could even let out a complete scream, his body arced through the air, flying more than ten meters away before crashing into a house in the distance, scattering splinters of wood and dust everywhere.

Strange stood frozen in place, and through the hole, one of the king's legs could be vaguely seen sticking out. It twitched twice and then remained still.

The newcomer clapped his hands and snorted coldly, "I hate it most when people talk badly about me behind my back."

Strange:

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