第23章 好久不见,克莉

...devoured countless planets, belongs to powerful deities.

"Or take the Vishanti, for instance. Because of the Trinity's special makeup, they are also powerful deities."

Hearing The Ancient One's description, Richard looked thoughtful. "In other words, my Divine Power is teetering on the edge of evolution, making it the strongest among the lesser ones... Uh, calling it Divine Power sounds really awkward."

The Ancient One chuckled, teasing, "You could also call it mana."

Richard's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands in approval. "Right! Let's call it mana! Mage, mana, now that sounds like a proper match!"

The Ancient One shook her head with a smile, though inwardly she grew even more pleased with Richard. "Evolving from a mere mortal into a deity is something countless mortals dream of, yet you treat it as a burden."

"I'm just an ordinary guy~" Richard shrugged, nonplussed. "Even with magical power now, I'm still just an ordinary guy."

The Ancient One nodded silently, sighing inwardly.

Richard's clear self-awareness was precisely what pleased her most.

By comparison, the future Doctor Strange, Stephen Strange, although decent enough, possessed an excessive curiosity and innate arrogance that always caused him to unconsciously transform into a high and mighty 'deity'.

After finishing her chat with The Ancient One, Richard returned to his dorm to start packing.

He was getting ready to head back to New York, because if he didn't go back soon, an increasingly testy Christine was going to fly out in person to settle accounts with him.

Early the next morning, Richard directly opened a Portal to the Brooks Greenpoint Apartments in New York.

Carrying his suitcase out of the Portal, he paused slightly at the sight of the spotless floor.

Could it be...

"Clea?" Richard called out tentatively.

"Richard?!" A cautious, familiar voice drifted from the bedroom.

Richard: "It's me, darling!"

Bang~

The bedroom door was jerked open, and Christine gazed at her long-missed lover, her eyes gradually growing moist.

"Long time no see, Clea~" Richard bared his teeth, smiling exceptionally brightly.

Clang~

The baseball bat she had been holding dropped straight to the floor.

"Richard!" That trembling voice was laden with the endless longing Christine had accumulated over the past dozen days or so. No longer able to restrain herself, she sprinted toward Richard.

"Whoa! Careful!" Richard hurriedly set down his suitcase, opened his arms, and caught the leaping girl, pulling her tightly against his chest.

Her slender legs locked tightly around Richard's waist, and the girl hooked her arms around his neck, tilting her head back with tear-filled eyes to look at Richard's face.

"Darling, I missed you so much~" The spoiled, lingering tone instantly maxed out its charm, combined with the hot, soft, and fragrant body in his arms, instantly triggering a physical reaction in Richard.

One hour later, the storm had passed.

Nourished by the rain and dew, Christine's skin was tender and as vibrant as a flower.

She lay lazily against her lover's chest, asking with curiosity.

"How come you suddenly came back?"

Richard stroked the girl's smooth back, inhaling the orchid-scented fragrance of her hair, and replied, "My master said my training has come to a temporary end, so I came back."

"Then did you get your emotional issues sorted out?" Christine lifted her gaze, asking with a worried tone.

Richard lowered his head, seeing the concern in his girlfriend's grey-blue eyes, and winked playfully. "Of course I got them sorted out, otherwise my master wouldn't have let me come back~"

"Then are you going out again this time you're back?" Christine wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing for an answer.

"Uh, not going out for now." Richard smiled awkwardly, speaking haltingly. "But afterwards, I probably might go out again."

"Hmph~ Well, fine." Christine gave a soft huff, unhappily pouting her small lips.

That aggrieved little look made Richard's heart ache terribly. He lowered his head to kiss the girl's smooth forehead, quickly comforting her. "The next time I go out, I promise I'll stay in touch with you promptly, okay?"

"You still say that!" Christine angrily reached out a small hand and pinched the tender flesh at Richard's waist. "You promised last time to call me every day! And you ended up waiting three whole days after leaving just to send me an email!"

Richard deliberately put on a grimacing expression of pain, while still managing to softly defend himself. "Aww, communications aren't convenient out in the deep mountains and old forests, you know!"

"I don't care!" Christine wriggled her warm, slippery body with dissatisfaction, wantonly displaying her little wilfulness before her lover.

Yet she failed to notice just how great a stimulus her movements at that moment were to the hot-blooded Richard.

"Clea~" Richard's breathing instantly grew heavy. The arm he had around Christine slowly tightened, and the gaze he fixed on her was scorching hot.

By the time she was flipped over and pinned beneath Richard, Christine belatedly realized that she had carelessly stirred up his desires once again.

"Ah, don't..."

The refusal hadn't even left her lips before Richard lowered his head and sealed them.

Soon, Christine's eyes grew hazy, her nostrils fluttering slightly as she let out a comfortable, soft moan.

Her half-refusing, half-welcoming arms unconsciously wrapped around Richard's neck once more.

When she woke up again, the sun was already high in the sky.

Christine crawled out of bed, her whole body aching and limp. Completely unconcerned about her exposed chest, she instinctively searched for Richard.

Discovering she was alone in the bedroom, she touched the bed beside her. The cold sensation coming from the palms of her hands made her heart instantly ache.

"Richard?" Christine called out aggrievedly, her voice carrying a distinct note of tears.

Far away in the kitchen, Richard heard the sound coming from the bedroom, immediately dropped his cleaver, and hurried back to the bedroom. "What's wrong, Clea?"

Christine remained silent, simply opening her arms and looking at Richard with an aggrieved little expression.

"..."

Infinite tenderness instantly welled up in Richard's heart. He walked over quickly, gently gathering the girl into his arms, and patted her smooth back while softly comforting her.

"There, there, don't cry, be good~ I'm right here."

Christine rubbed her tender cheek against Richard's neck, let out a couple of whimpering snorts, and then said coquettishly.

"I'm hungry~"

Richard patted her perky bottom and said, "Go take a shower first. By the time you're done, the sparerib soup I'm simmering will be ready."

"Okay~" Having finished acting spoiled, Christine's mood returned to normal, and only then did she realize she was completely stark naked without a stitch on.

"Ah, get out first, hurry up and get out!"

The girl bashfully shoved Richard, chasing him out of the bedroom.

Sitting at the dining table, Christine stared with her mouth slightly open in astonishment at a table full of Chinese dishes.

"Did you make all of these?!"

"Mmhmm~" Richard arched his brows smugly. "Your boyfriend is pretty awesome, right? I'm an all-around peerless good guy who can handle the living room and the kitchen alike!"

"Giggles giggles giggles~" The girl laughed until she was convulsing with mirth.

"Alright, alright, hurry up and eat, or it'll get cold in a minute."

Richard scooped a bowl of sparerib soup for the girl, and then continued.

"Oh right, you don't need to rush to the hospital this afternoon. I already took a whole day off for you~"

Christine gave him a disapproving roll of her eyes.

Go to work? Work my ass!

This jerk had tossed her around twice all morning, and her body was still weak right now.