400

[Doctor Strange in Time]

For Kalulu, the elderly man whose throat was strangled, the young man clearly lacked vigilance and failed to react in time, but instead hesitated for a moment.

Instantly, Kalulu's fingertips flickered, and several magical spikes pierced into the boy's neck like the sharp fangs of a venomous snake or the proboscis of a leech.

"Ah!" The boy cried out in pain, attempting to retreat in horror, but it was too late.

Gritting his teeth, Kalulu tightened his grip on the boy's throat. The faint light on his fingertips surged, and with each pulse of the light, the youth's smooth, plump skin rapidly withered and sagged.

Kalulu's complexion visibly improved, allowing him to straighten his stooped posture from the ground once more.

By this time, the young man's companions began arriving one after another, alarmed and furious. "Old man, what have you done?" they demanded.

Kalulu waved his free hand, and magical chains shot forth, binding the several merchants who rushed to the scene, while he continued draining energy from the boy's body.

These merchants were mere ordinary folk, no match for a powerful mage like Kalulu. Before long, every member of the caravan would meet their end at his hands.

"Boom."

Kalulu released his grip, and the last desiccated corpse crumpled into the sand, quickly covered by the blowing dunes, much like the dozens of other mummified bodies strewn about.

These lives had successfully restored some of his youth. Though he still appeared as a white-haired elder, his complexion had greatly improved. He no longer felt weary, nor did he walk with a stoop.

Kalulu closed his eyes, his expression one of slight intoxication.

After pausing for a prolonged moment, he reopened his eyes, surveyed the surroundings, and murmured, "I need more..."

From the moment he seized the boy's throat, all the conscience and principles he once adhered to had vanished, no longer existing.

Kalulu embarked on a journey of slaughter, driven by new principles: self-sustenance and strength.

Amidst ceaseless carnage, he grew younger, stronger, and more depraved, even beginning to relish in sin.

For the longest time, Kalulu had considered himself of noble and steadfast character, but he adapted to the fall remarkably swiftly.

North America.

"The Blood Clan will never let you escape!" the young man, now fallen to the ground, shouted at his deceased companion, his voice a mix of fear and anger.

"The Blood Clan? What nonsense," Kalulu scoffed disdainfully, then seized the opponent by the throat, deftly transforming him into another mummified corpse.

With each successive killing, his body reverted to a youthful state, his mastery of magic advancing, further cementing his current way of life.

However, just as Kalulu prepared to depart the scene, the surrounding space abruptly distorted, folding in on itself.

Upon witnessing this, his expression turned to one of great shock. "Nierdi!"

Immediately thereafter, Nierdi emerged from the portal. She cast a glance at the nearby corpses, her face a mixture of astonishment and rage. "It was you, Kalulu!"

"Surprised to find me?" Kalulu retorted with a smile, though inwardly his fists clenched nervously.

Nierdi remarked, "You've killed countless innocents, men, women, and children alike. You've lost all sense of conscience!"

"Conscience?" Kalulu sneered. "In this world, there is no good or evil, only power! You have taught me this lesson"

At these words, Nierdi's expression became complex. She stared at him, then spoke after a long pause. "I should have seen this coming..."

Kalulu raised an eyebrow. "What are you trying to say?"

"You never truly understood your actions," Nierdi continued. "You once stood for justice and purity, but you never grasped them—you merely upheld the doctrines established by others. Your continued existence was not out of a profound understanding of life, but out of fear of death and the imbalance you felt upon my return to youth..." Her voice trailed off.

"All your pursuits were blind, and all your convictions mere fanaticism. To you, there was no distinction between righteousness and downfall."

Kalulu grew increasingly agitated. "Do you claim to know me so well?"

Nierdi sighed deeply. "Who knows you better than I? I remember when we were once lovers, scaling the Himalayas together. Alas, those two grimoires tore us apart."

With that, she fell silent.

It was clear that conversing with today's Kalulu, a demon entirely fallen and given to wanton slaughter, was futile.

Nierdi drew in a deep breath, her hands trembling.

In response to her movements, two massive shards of magic shot forth from her palm, akin to golden-red lightning bolts, aimed at Kalulu.

Aware of her formidable power, Kalulu had been on guard for some time. He reacted swiftly, conjuring a magic shield with both hands.

"Boom!" The shield erupted under the impact of the magic bolts, resonating with a thunderous roar.

Nierdi swiftly maneuvered her hands, causing the surrounding space to twist once more, flipping Kalulu nearly off balance.

Unwilling to be outmatched, Kalulu also manipulated the space around him, restoring its stability and conjuring a black magic arrow with a flick of his wrist, sending it hurtling toward Nierdi.

Nierdi unfolded a fan in both hands, sweeping it up and down to deflect every black magic arrow.

She then clenched both hands, her figure blurring suddenly. While evading the next barrage of attacks, hundreds of clones materialized around her, encircling Kalulu.

"Shape of Aiken!" Kalulu gasped in astonishment at the sight of her numerous clones, involuntarily retreating.

The Shape of Aiken—a profoundly challenging black magic—originated from the ancient dimension lord Aiken, allowing the caster to create countless clones, each endowed with unrivaled power.

With her myriad clones in formation, hundreds of Nierdis waved their hands in unison, unleashing countless strands of magic that left Kalulu no avenue of escape, ensnaring him layer by layer within moments.

Kalulu struggled valiantly, endeavoring to break free from the entanglement of these magical threads. However, at that critical juncture, Nierdi hurled a magical artifact in the form of armor.

The artifact spun through the air before unfurling suddenly, enveloping Kalulu in iron armor, immobilizing his entire body.

"Farewell," Nierdi intoned as she regarded him.

"No, Nierdi, please—" Kalulu's voice trembled with terror.

Nierdi closed her fingers into a grip, causing the myriad magic threads to constrict tightly, resembling thousands of razors that sliced through Kalulu in an instant, blood splattering across the ground.

Staring at the pool of blood, she lapsed into a lengthy stupor before finally silently opening a portal and departing the scene.

Returning to her chambers at Kamar-Taj, Nierdi sat in silence for a time before recalling something and retrieving the Eye of Agamotto.

Gazing upon this ancient and potent artifact, she soon began casting spells with both hands, activating the Eye of Agamotto. A faint green light, representing the law of time, enveloped her.

Nierdi closed her eyes and immersed herself in the River of Time.

She had ventured into the River of Time on numerous occasions, but always with caution, never delving into its turbulent currents—until now.

This time, with a mind filled with bewilderment, Nierdi journeyed ceaselessly, wandering aimlessly through visions of the future.

She traversed decades, centuries, and myriad branches of time... glimpsing the evolution of humanity in the ages to come.

Nierdi roamed through time until she encountered a long-faced man cloaked in red, who approached her and bowed deferentially, like a pupil before a mentor.

"Who are you?" Nierdi regarded the long-faced man suspiciously.

The man's visage, elongated and bearing some semblance of a beard, broke into a smile. "Stephen Strange, your student."

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