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...
Contrary to what Silvija and Ava might have believed, Dante wasn't actually sleeping at all—he had entrusted his physical safety to Null, allowing his consciousness to descend into the labyrinth of Doctor Stephen Strange's mind. A journey that proved far more distressing than he could have possibly anticipated.
Hyperion's lifetime of isolation and suffering, as devastating as those experiences had been to witness and feel secondhand through the connection, paled in comparison to what Dante encountered in the fractured psyche of Doctor Stephen Strange. His mind resembled a vast ocean composed entirely of shattered mirrors, each fragment distorting different moments of triumph and failure, each shard reflecting a choice made and a price paid. It was a kaleidoscope of suffering and sacrifice stretching across dimensions and timelines.
Dante went through them one by one, a necessary precaution to avoid losing his mind in the process.
First was Stephen Strange at the absolute peak of his career. He was wealthy, celebrated, and unchallengeable in his field, filled with pride and the arrogance that he was better than everyone else. That perfection crumbled after the car crash.
Despair.
The sensation was absolute. Dante understood, for the first time, what it meant to lose yourself, not through death but through everything that made you who you were. What it meant to be consumed by despair.
The man who'd defined himself by precision could no longer hold a coffee cup without spilling it.
He felt Strange's desperation as he went from one doctor to another, accumulating more and more debt, only to realize that money couldn't buy back what was lost. That was the moment when a brilliant man became desperate enough to chase rumors and legends, grasping at anything to return to his former glory.
One moment, Strange was broken and hopeless on the streets of New York. Next, he stood in Tibet, face to face with an old man with long, white hair and a beard, wearing traditional mystical robes.
The Ancient One.
The training under the Ancient One was brutal. Strange couldn't meditate, couldn't focus, and couldn't wrap his head around the mystical training. Each failure chipped away at his remaining confidence, grinding him down through repetition and frustration.
Then came the breakthrough that changed everything. The moment when Strange finally understood. When he stopped trying to force magic and let it work through him instead. His consciousness expanded outward, touching the world and reality in ways his previous worldview could never accommodate.
The sensation was transcendent, even for Dante, who had experienced the cosmos through his deep-dive into Death's memories.
'I can replicate it.'
Then, through the eyes of Strange, Dante saw, or rather lived, the encounter with none other than Death. The Test of Death, where Stephen had to confront Death in an astral duel in order to prove that he could confront mortality without fear.
She was the same death who gave Dante a lap pillow, except here, she was cold, regal, and utterly emotionless. This version of Death only made him sad.
Stephen passed the test without flinching, and as a mark of this victory, an ankh-shaped sigil manifested on his forehead whenever his life force was in danger.
Then came Strange's first battle with Dormammu, the defeat, and the narrow escape.
More helplessness from the Ancient One's death. A death brought upon by corruption. The Ancient One was being possessed by Shuma-Gorath—the Many-Angled One, a being so ancient that looking at it too long invited madness. And Stephen had to kill him.
Then came Mordo's betrayal.
The experiences only grew darker from that point forward, with only rare moments of levity brought by his wife Clea, Dormammu's niece who had chosen love over power and family loyalty.
Strange died multiple times after that. Dante felt each one, the sensation of his soul being ripped from his body and the sensation of existing in the space between life and death, and the unique experience of bargaining with entities that should never be bargained with. He'd sold his soul, bought it back, only to sell it again. Each transaction left him a little more hollow, a little less the Stephen Strange who'd started this journey.
The Empirikul arrived in Stephen's life like an apocalypse. The science-worshipping army hunted magic across the multiverse, seeking to erase every trace of the mystic arts. Stephen watched the Sanctum Sanctorum crumble, and his fellow sorcerers being slaughtered.
Everything he'd sacrificed for was being erased.
Despite watching friends die and lovers leave, Strange continued to fight. He still tried to protect people who would never know his name. He still believed magic should be used to help rather than conquer. The contradiction was almost beautiful.
The fragments shattered suddenly, and Dante's consciousness was violently ejected from Strange's mind. He came back to reality with a gasp, feeling as if he'd been holding his breath underwater for hours.
[Critical Alert: Administrator consciousness experiencing severe fragmentation. Neural pathways overloaded. Data Resonation has been terminated as per Administrator's previous command.]
[Advised not to attempt data resonation while Administrator's mind recovers.]
"Thanks… that was intense."
[Character Doctor Strange data resonation has reached 47.1%]
[Achieved Level 3 Resonance with Character Doctor Strange]
[New abilities can be acquired through Resonance Link (4)]
The 47.1% progress came mostly from understanding the man's mind rather than understanding his abilities because he had barely started Stephen Strange's story. It was good enough progress for the day.
"They said a woman's mind is a maze. No, this guy is a hundred times more complicated than Sue Storm."
Gradually his awareness of his physical surroundings returned. Dante suddenly became aware of the soft pillow under his head, and very aware of the weight on his chest.
'So it's like this.'
He was in Silvija's apartment in her NYC branch, apparently here by Her Majesty herself, who was currently curled up against him like a content cat. Her silver hair spilled across his shoulder, and her left arm draped possessively over his chest.
'We didn't have sex, right?' He dismissed the thought immediately. His tactical gear was still on. He wouldn't fuck someone in these clothes even if he was drunk.
He lifted the blanket to check Silvija's state just in case and almost laughed. Silvija's clothes were just that unexpected—a loose grey tee and simple white cotton pajama pants. Apparently, Silvija Sablinova owned pajamas and also wore them to bed. The revelation was almost as shocking as finding a pink plushy somewhere in her closet.
'She's so cute. Almost as cute as Death.'
He pecked her cheeks without realizing, wishing he could see her like this more often. Just relaxed, happy, unburdened. However, he knew for certain that such moments would rarely happen in her life. She was the Queen of Symkaria and the leader of an international mercenary enterprise. She was also the provider and protector of Symkaria.
Still, if she wanted to carry those burdens, he didn't mind helping support that weight. Taking care of a nation would become a child's play if he continued growing at this pace.
He carefully shifted his weight. Silvija grabbed onto his arm instead, hugging it against her chest with surprising strength for someone deeply asleep.
'Mother, let me go. I have to train.'
Although he enjoyed the cuddles, right now, he was a man on a mission.
He could only sigh helplessly when she refused to let go. "Null, show me my Resonance Links."
The familiar blue text materialized in his mind.
[Administrator's current Resonance Links]
Death - 4.9%, Level 1 (Echo)
Hyperion - 52.3%, Level 4 (Convergence)
Doctor Strange - 47.1%, Level 3 (Surge)
Sue Storm - 50.9%, Level 4 (Convergence)
He hadn't slept at all after taking care of the Maggia maggots. Every moment had been spent diving through the mind of Sue Storm and then Doctor Strange. Like Hyperion, both seemed to be their 616 versions. In other words, this Resonance Link linked him to a multiversal and sometimes cosmic-level sorcerer in Dr. Strange and potentially universal-level defense in Sue Storm.
Of course, he couldn't unleash anywhere close to 50.9% of Sue Storm's actual power output with his current endurance and mental fortitude. Attempting such a thing would probably burn out his brain. But what he could achieve even with current limitations was still mind-boggling.
Doctor Strange's case might be even worse. All of Doctor Strange's strongest spells relied on his Artifacts like Eye of Agamotto or required permission from Mystic Principalities such as Watoomb, the trio of Vishanti, and Agamotto.
"Null, show me my core attributes."
[Core Attributes (Non-Resonance State)]
Intelligence: 32 (+5)
Class: Gifted
Effects: Above average creativity and adaptability. Intuitively comprehends death manipulation, solar energy mechanics, mystical arts, dimensional energy, eldritch energy, divine energy. Accelerated pattern recognition of magical formulas,
dimensional geometry intuition, ancient language comprehension, and mystical texts.
Vitality: 19 (+5)
Class: Near Peak Human
Effects: Sustained activity…
Strength: 15 (+3)
Class: Near Peak Human
Effects: Maximum lifting...
Speed: 12 (+2)
Class: Peak Normal
Effects: Speed is..
Durability: 19 (+7)
Class: Enhanced
Effects: Skin and bone density 40% above human baseline. Helio Reactor reinforces cellular integrity, granting resistance to physical attacks. Body structure neutralizes toxins and poisons at a quicker rate. The body can withstand up to 75°C without impairment.
Willpower: 30 (+4)
Class: Iron Will
Effects: As a byproduct…
Energy Capacity: Cannot be measured
Class: Unknown
Effects: Helio Reactor...
[All physical attributes can be further amplified through solar radiation. Maximum enhancement potential unknown.]
[Core Abilities]
Solar radiation absorption
Helio Reactor
Mystic Awareness
The intelligence boost alone made the agony worth enduring, not to mention the new Mystic Awareness ability. He could learn Astral Project, master all kinds of eldritch and divine sorceries, and eventually create his own Dimensional Pocket. All of that without accessing Doctor Strange's link because all that knowledge existed in his mind, waiting to be accessed and applied.
More importantly, mastering mysticism was the key to bringing Magik, Piotr's younger sister Illyana, back from Limbo or wherever she'd gotten lost. The man was willing to take a bullet for him. Finding Illyana was the least he could do in return.
He wasn't heartless, after all.
'Maybe next month.'
Maybe a little bit heartless. His current absolute priority had to be mastering the Helio Core, learning to channel that power safely to enhance his base physical form so he wouldn't remain dependent on Death's Resonance Link for every battle. He absolutely didn't want to bestowed the two minute champ title.
Silvija's face softened further into sleep. He stilled, waiting for her breathing to settle back into the rhythm of sleep. When it did, he carefully extracted his arm from her grip. The process took three minutes of patience and more calculation than the Maggia assault.
Finally free, he silently walked to the window. The city sprawled below in the bright light of afternoon. Busy and chaotic, but still peaceful. It wouldn't stay that way for long. The discoveries he'd made using Sue Storm's invisibility were horrifying. Norman's research far exceeded his wildest imaginations.
He glanced back at sleeping Silvija and sighed. He'd need her help, probably Felicia's too. Because Norman's project wasn't something he could fight on his own. Not unless he used Hyperion Resonance Link, but doing so would guarantee his own death and collateral damage of multiple city blocks.
Because Norman had most likely bred an entire army of Symbiote soldiers at the first research site.
***
Later, Dante sat cross-legged in the center of the training area's lower floor, specifically choosing the exact spot where he had pinned Silvija during their sparring match and claimed her first kiss. Of course he wasn't here to relive that moment. He sat in complete meditation, his breathing deep and regular, another boon gained from Doctor Strange's experience.
Feeling the solar radiation within the Helio Core would have been difficult without having any experience with mystical energy. Regardless of class and nature, both of them were types of energy at the end of day. However, perceiving the energy was only the first step, and then manipulating it, making it course throughout his body to strengthen every cell systematically was a different matter entirely.
Well, not that hard with his enhanced intelligence.
The breakthrough came within twenty minutes. The solution was quite simple, really. He just had to focus his willpower like a spear and use that concentrated willpower to dominate the solar radiation contained within the Helio Reactor.
He deliberately started small, choosing a controlled release rather than allowing the energy to overflow immediately. Starting small carried significantly less risk of catastrophic failure like the last attempt.
'Humans learn from failures. Wait, am I even human anymore?'
[Administrator's DNA has been altered by Death's cosmic power and then further modified by solar radiation. Currently, Administrator and Homo Sapien are 24.2% identical in DNA structure.]
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." He sighed. "Can I still have kids?"
[It is entirely dependent on the female.]
"I can, surely."
He focused back on the solar radiation. And despite his caution, he felt an endless surge of power flooding through his muscles and bones. The sensation closely mirrored Hyperion's Resonance Link activation albeit on a much smaller, manageable scale.
He clenched his fist, feeling the raw strength contained within. The equipment here, even the Upper Area designed for Piotr's superhuman strength, couldn't stress-test his body. The heaviest weights only reached 600 pounds, which he lifted without breaking a sweat.
Even though he couldn't test the upper limits of his strength, he could make an approximate guess based on how easily he lifted the weights.
'At least one and a half tons of lifting capacity. I'm officially a superhuman now.'
To test his enhanced speed, he marked a hundred-meter line on the floor with chalk and timed his sprint using his smartphone's stopwatch. A crude method, but sufficient enough for a rough estimate.
The conclusion made him burst into laughter. His strength and speed were amplified by approximately five times their baseline values while channeling solar radiation. By his rough estimations, he could maintain this state for at least an hour. He could also amplify further by burning through stamina faster, but that would leave him completely vulnerable in the aftermath.
But he had the option to go 'Plus Ultra' in a short fight because extreme strength was sometimes necessary. Sometimes fights just came down to who had the bigger fist.
'Strengthening my base form is absolutely necessary.'
So he hit the upper area gym and worked up a sweat for an hour. When he came down, he found a young lady leaning against the door with her arms crossed.
Her brown skin, black hair, and green eyes—along with the emerald tiger-head pendant at her neck—revealed her identity beyond doubt.
"It's Ava, right?"
He gave his best friendly smile to the girl who might become his sister-in-law. Silvija's bond with Ava was just like sisters in a way.
"How can you leave the sparring arena without having a bit of spar?"
Her cocky smirk and raised chin ticked him off. Apparently, Ava wasn't very fond of him. From an outsider's viewpoint, it might seem Silvija had elevated her boyfriend into Wild Pack and made him Vice Commander without merit. Silvija truly went overboard with the promotion.
"I don't fight girls," he replied simply, which wasn't technically a lie. Silvija was a woman. Ava, however, still carried that rebellious teenage nature. She didn't quite qualify as a real woman in his assessment.
"Oh, you don't? Then why did I hear about your match with Sis?"
"You got lied to." He shook his head. "Can you stop blocking the exit? I'm starving."
She stepped away and pushed the door with one hand with a toothy grin. "Por favor (please)."
He moved past her, but she threw out a passing comment just as he crossed the threshold. "Sis said you would destroy me in a one-on-one fight. Love is truly blind."
He stopped and turned around, looking at her with a piercing gaze. "Are you provoking me into a fight?"
After experiencing solar radiation power, his hands were itching to let loose in a fight.
She smirked confidently. "Well, you're just too scared to accept it."
"Are you sure?"
She tugged the White Tiger Amulet. A green glow wrapped the pendant before extending to cover Ava. She transformed into her White Tiger form in an instant.
The pure white suit clung in every way to showcase her strong, lean physique. A white mask covered her face, shaped with the clean lines of a tiger's head.
The suit itself was smooth and slightly reflective, with faint silver stripes running along her arms and sides. The material was dense and protective as one would expect from a mystical amulet.
Dante couldn't deny that the suit made her extremely attractive, especially with that long, lush ponytail contrasting against the pure white of her suit.
She beckoned him provocatively as her eyes glowed green through the narrow slits of her mask. "Let's fight."