Art of War

In the vast Dark Dimension, countless lifeless planets floated through the void.

Over billions of years, no one knew how many living planets Dormammu had devoured, only for them to become dead worlds, ornaments scattered throughout the Dark Dimension.

The invincible and towering Dormammu angrily turned over, thoroughly enraged.

This vast universe did have a few troublesome gods and planets, but none had ever lodged in His throat like Earth.

Look at this—just moments ago, He had sensed another individual on that tiny planet Earth attempting to steal Black Magic.

Though the amount was tiny, roughly equivalent to the share He granted Kaecilius's subordinates, that was no reason for these Earthly ants to openly provoke Him!! One Ancient One was enough already, considering how powerful she was!

"Let me see who did this..."

Dormammu opened His terrifying, planet-sized eyes. Within His field of vision, endless magical particles surged like rivers, available for Him to command at will. Through Black Magic, His sight extended all the way to a Black Magic User on Earth.

And He saw the one stealing His power... a Deviant?

No, not a Deviant. It merely looked somewhat similar in appearance.

Dormammu had nearly thought the Celestials had created an entirely new variety of Deviant. If that were the case, He would have to exercise some caution. After all, the Celestials were a terrifying pantheon of gods who started at the Skyfather Level, and their strength was simply too great.

"Hm? This little thing is interesting. Is it using genetic replacement to take on power?" Dormammu took another look, and his interest was immediately piqued.

Even as an ancient god, it was His first time seeing such a peculiar species.

He had seen many lifeforms that grew stronger by devouring enemies. Typical examples were certain Deviants and the infamous Annihilation Insect Clan of the cosmos.

But a lifeform that seized another's power through parasitism was something He had never seen before.

"This thing is called a Xenomorph? It can even use this method to inherit the authority over Black Magic I bestowed upon Earth's magicians..." Dormammu's eyes lit up, brighter than stars.

If He could analyze this lifeform's essential nature, then use it as a foundation to create a vessel that could perfectly inherit His power, while on a higher level preventing certain troublesome beings from recognizing it as His body...

Honestly, that had far more potential than endlessly raising His debt limit and granting Black Magic to Kaecilius and that group of third-rate magicians.

If He had any chance of personally infiltrating Earth, Dormammu would have to be insane to keep cultivating agents to contend with Ancient One as He did now!

It caused Dormammu to endure ever-increasing pain each time He paid the price for using Black Magic.

Very quickly, Dormammu first cut off the Xenomorph's ability to steal Black Magic power. At the same time, He used Black Magic to transmit a message and issued an important directive regarding the matter:

Seize these creatures called Xenomorphs at all costs!

Kaecilius soon received Dormammu's order. His eyes sharpened as he stared directly at Duva, unable to hide his surprise.

"It seems your master has given you a new order. At the very least, I don't think you're surprised because of my Xenomorphs," Duva said.

"That's right. Your performance seems to have greatly pleased my master. Pleased Him beyond all expectation." Kaecilius spoke candidly as he kept surveying the Xenomorphs around him, clearly considering what means he should use to swiftly eliminate them.

Duva remained prepared at all times. At that moment, the Abomination Xenomorph stepped out from behind him.

He might question Kaecilius's ideals, but he would never doubt the man's strength. Kaecilius had once been Ancient One's foremost disciple. Now, he wielded both the White Magic of Vishanti and the Black Magic of Dormammu, making him exceptionally terrifying.

Mirror Dimension Magic alone would put Duva in an extremely passive position if Kaecilius successfully cast it.

"This venture was necessary, otherwise I couldn't have confirmed certain things. But fighting you under these circumstances is beyond my expectations... I won't give you the chance to use Mirror Dimension Magic," Duva said.

He had already confirmed that the Chestburster Xenomorph had failed to wield Black Magic. Combined with Kaecilius's reaction, Dormammu had likely intervened and denied the Xenomorph "access privileges."

That was only normal. There was nothing to be disappointed about.

"For some reason, I feel as though you know me very well. You also know Black Magic very well, and you know my master, Dormammu, very well... Whatever the reason, you'll soon become one of us."

Kaecilius raised a hand toward Duva. "Truth belongs to Dormammu. Offer up the Xenomorphs and become one of our glorious brethren, and I will spare your life."

Duva did not hesitate. He displayed extraordinary decisiveness and attacked without reservation.

Mirror Dimension Magic was not invincible. Its conditions of use were extremely restrictive, and Duva would never passively wait.

In an instant, Duva charged out first, and the Xenomorphs scattered around them attacked at the same time.

Under ordinary circumstances, Duva would not personally act, because there was no need. He knew exactly where his strength lay. As long as he did not die, even if only one Xenomorph remained hidden somewhere in the world after all the others had been killed, that lone survivor could evolve into a Queen on the spot, and the entire Xenomorph species would not perish.

But under the current circumstances, facing such a dangerous enemy, Duva took the lead.

Whoosh! He moved so fast that, in the eyes of ordinary people, he even left afterimages. His merely muscular arms swung as every muscle fiber seemed to activate, erupting with overloaded power and visibly swelling his muscles by a slight degree.

Kaecilius's eyelid twitched, but he still attacked at once.

A large number of slender red magical threads grew from his hands, forming a dense net that reached toward the Xenomorphs pouncing from every direction.

"This is Kamar-Taj magic. How ironic." Duva sneered, mentally informing every Xenomorph of the spell's details.

The many Xenomorphs bound by those slender whips immediately began repeatedly leaping and shifting across the surrounding walls. Some of them unhesitatingly tore open their own bodies, using their Strong Acid blood to clear a path and corrode the slender Energy Whips, creating opportunities for the other Xenomorphs.

The Abomination Xenomorph was naturally the most ferocious attacker. Its powerful regenerative ability and incomparable body let it smash about violently and yank with brute force through the space enclosed by the interwoven golden-red Energy Whips.

Several Deviant Xenomorphs were especially active as well. They possessed the superior genes of the Deviants and already had the ability to absorb energy. At once, strips of flesh extended from their bodies and latched onto the Energy Whips, forcibly draining their energy to sever the whips.

The force Duva had painstakingly built through countless methods began to reveal its ferocity at this moment.