Chapter 1389: Call of the Stars (24) (Patreon)

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JARVIS and Shang-Chi put their heads together, looking at the front-page headline featuring a massive photo of the Ancient One. She appeared to be running or flying, with a little girl in her arms.

"Monster?" JARVIS was the first to read out the word, furrowing his brow as he examined the Ancient One's photo, but he didn't notice anything unusual. The Ancient One's face didn't even have those black tattoos.

As he continued to read, he saw the date of the newspaper, which was 11 days ago, exactly 29 days after the Ancient One arrived in this world, and the day the incident occurred.

Shang-Chi called out to someone upstairs, and Wanda and Reilly came down to take a look at the newspaper. They also expressed confusion over the word "monster," as the Ancient One didn't seem to have anything unusual about her, and her pose with the little girl didn't look like a kidnapping.

"Maybe the Ancient One can fly and do magic, which scared people?" Wanda speculated.

"You guys look at this, 'upright four-limbed monster.'" Reilly said with a frown, "This description is too weird. Who isn't four-limbed?"

"Those monsters aren't," JARVIS suddenly said, his expression serious. As a non-human, he could take a more objective view of the situation.

"Do you guys think I'm a monster?" JARVIS suddenly asked.

"Don't joke around," Wanda thought he was kidding and made a more serious face, saying, "We're discussing serious business."

"But what if it's like this?" JARVIS stretched out a hand, and under Reilly and Shang-Chi's terrified gaze, his skin gradually disappeared, revealing a palm full of mechanical structures.

"You're actually a..."

Shang-Chi hadn't even finished shouting when Reilly covered his mouth, clearly having anticipated this with his Spider-Sense. He gestured to Wanda, and Shang-Chi froze, trying to hold back his shocked cry.

JARVIS looked seriously at Reilly's eyes and said, "Since entering this world, you guys have been acting especially strange. I can't understand why you can't control yourselves. From this perspective, I think you guys are also like monsters who have gone crazy."

"In other words, if we think those monsters are monsters, then those monsters might think we're monsters too. In their eyes, being upright, having four limbs, and not having tentacles or slime is extremely terrifying."

The few people simultaneously gasped, shocked by JARVIS's speculation. JARVIS looked at the photo on the newspaper and said, "The Ancient One might have been attacked by monsters after arriving in this world, which is why she destroyed New York."

"No, that's not right," Reilly denied JARVIS's speculation, saying, "I understand the Ancient One. They're not easily angered or violent people. Although I also think that people who practice magic can seem a bit cold and unfeeling, they rarely go on a killing spree, even against their enemies."

Reilly thought for a moment before saying, "Or maybe they're more inclined to eliminate powerful enemies, and they usually ignore weaklings who can't even touch them."

"Maybe it's related to that little girl," Wanda said, pursing her lips. "The Sorcerer Supreme wouldn't do something without a reason. She didn't need to kidnap a little girl, and that little girl must have something special about her."

JARVIS put down the newspaper and said, "Let's go to the TV station. They should have more detailed reports."

The few people didn't hesitate, and after discovering an important clue, they quickly packed up and drove to the New York TV station.

In the station's archives, they found a large number of files related to the kidnapping, but most of them were just talking about how monstrous the monsters were and how pitiful the little girl was. The atmosphere was very sensationalized, but there wasn't much factual information.

"This is such a big deal, the Federal Bureau of Investigation must have gotten involved," Reilly speculated. "I think that's where we'll find the truth."

The few people drove to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. For ordinary people, the base might be a bit hard to find, but these few were old customers, and because of the strict security measures, almost no one would get close to the base. However, after almost all the native residents disappeared, the few people easily entered the base.

It took some time to retrieve the materials, but JARVIS was exceptionally skilled in this area, so they quickly sorted out the sequence of events.

"Jennifer Mavi, that's the little girl's name. She's 7 years old, has brown eyes and golden hair, and her parents are a lawyer couple living in Queens with a car, a house, and insurance. They have a pretty good family situation."

"The only problem is that the materials say this little girl is 'disabled'."

The few people flipped through all the photos in the materials but couldn't find any signs of disability in the little girl.

A video that JARVIS found deep in the materials library further confirmed this. The 7-year-old's birthday commemoration video clearly showed the little girl, who had normal limbs, vision, hearing, and language abilities.

JARVIS's medical knowledge also told him that, based on Jennifer's breathing rate, skin color, and limb movement, she shouldn't have any congenital heart disease or respiratory diseases.

The few people originally thought she might have a mental disability, but later they found a victim assessment report that described Jennifer's disability as "terrifying" and "unacceptable."

"Since Jennifer's incident, her parents have been keeping her locked up at home because her appearance is too ugly and terrifying. The terrifying mutation makes her scare people around her, so the Mavi couple has been avoiding her appearing in public."

Reilly read out this report, while JARVIS found another lead. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's assessment report on the suspect's motive was written like this: "The suspect has the same degree of mutation and disability as Jennifer, which might be the motive for kidnapping someone with the same characteristics."

"So, in the monster's world, growing up like us is abnormal?" Reilly exclaimed with some shock: "The monster's society is still functioning, but we've been kicked out of society and become disabled mutations in their eyes?"

The few people present fell silent, but they all acknowledged this point. Later, they discovered other files that further confirmed their speculation, as all the suspects and victims had bodies covered in mucus and tentacles, just like the monsters.

"Why didn't that little girl mutate?" JARVIS asked, pursing his lips: "We're afraid we need to go to Jennifer's home and take a look. There's an address here."

The few people drove to Queens and easily found Mavi's house, where JARVIS saw several police cars parked outside, with caution tape still intact.

After entering the house, Reilly was familiar with the layout, as the single-family homes in Queens were all similar, so he quickly found Jennifer's room.

The room was nothing special, filled with the fantasies and warmth of a child's room. JARVIS summarized: "It seems Jennifer's parents, although they locked her up, didn't abuse her. They should still love their daughter."

"What's this?" Reilly suddenly pulled out a small medical box, and JARVIS hurried over to take a look. He softly read out the names of the medications: "Fluoxetine..."

Then he looked at the prescription label on the box, which indicated a dosage that was too low. JARVIS whispered: "Childhood depression."

"Jennifer has childhood depression."

JARVIS then flipped through the medications in the box and made a judgment: "She probably also has symptoms of mania and insomnia."

The few people gathered around, staring at the medical box, while JARVIS turned to Shang-Chi and said: "Do you remember your speculation? Dreams."

"Jennifer didn't mutate because she didn't sleep or dream, so she didn't become a monster? But what about all the insomnia patients in this world? Wouldn't they..."

"Oh, wait." Reilly interrupted his own train of thought: "If these monsters have reason and are still living in an orderly society, then they would only treat people who didn't mutate, like Jennifer, as severely disabled, and wouldn't kill them."

"I think I can guess what happened." JARVIS let out a soft sigh: "When the Ancient One came to this world, she saw a city full of monsters and thought this world was occupied by monsters."

"But at first, she didn't attack these monsters because there was no need. These monsters weren't worth her effort. When she flew over New York, she saw Jennifer sunbathing in the courtyard."

"If it were you, seeing a normal little girl living among monsters, what would you think?"

"That little girl is a survivor, and I need to rescue her." Wanda said without hesitation: "And as soon as possible, who knows when the monsters nearby might eat her?"

JARVIS nodded and continued: "Maybe the little girl's actions attracted the Ancient One's attention, making her think the girl was seeking help, so she went down to pick her up and leave."

"But at that time, the monster parents saw their child being taken away, and of course, they wouldn't tolerate it. They loved their child and wouldn't allow a flying monster to take her away."

"In the parents' eyes, the Ancient One was a terrifying flying monster trying to take away their child, but in the Ancient One's eyes, the parents who rushed out were monsters trying to attack the child, so she might..."

"...have waved her hand and eliminated them." Wanda's tone dropped.

"The Ancient One feels guilty towards Jennifer." Reilly let out a soft sigh: "Maybe not long after, the Ancient One understood the situation in this world from Jennifer's words."

"Children's adaptability is very strong. With everyone around her turning into monsters, she might have felt short-term terror, but her parents could still communicate with her, take care of her, and love her, so she might have already accepted reality, and the monster society had domesticated this little girl."

"So, in Jennifer's eyes, even if the Ancient One looked like her, the Ancient One was still a monster who killed her parents, and she wouldn't be grateful to the Ancient One, but would hate her, and maybe the Ancient One felt guilty about this."

The room fell silent until the few people had digested this cruel fact. Reilly then asked: "So why did the Ancient One want to eliminate all the monsters in New York? She knew they were still living in an orderly society..."

The few people shook their heads, clearly unable to guess the Sorcerer Supreme's thoughts.

In front of the circular meditation window, Stark finished his last sip of tea and looked at Strange: "If one day, humans became monsters like ignorant lambs, without knowledge or awareness, but still lived normally, what would you do?"

"Eliminate them."

Stark's finger froze.

"I know they might be powerless to resist, but I would still be filled with anger." Strange's expression was cold and cruel, and he stared into Stark's eyes: "Human greatness lies in not surrendering to weakness."

"Every Sorcerer Supreme bears all the pain, exhausts all their power, just to not kneel to God. We are like this, and humans should be too."

"If they really have no chance to resist and can only walk the path God has chosen for them, then at least the Sorcerer Supreme has the power to give everyone a grand funeral... just to give God a slap in the face."

"Not to give God a slap in the face, but to eliminate them first, and then give God a physical slap."

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and thanks for the invaluable support!]

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Next Chapter ->Chapter 1390: Call of the Stars (25)