Chapter 112: Meeting Kaecilius Again

"Your physical condition is impressive; you're fully recovered now," Daniel Davis said after examining Krauser's state in his company's laboratory. Krauser had undergone significant healing, and Daniel took a moment to consider his next steps.

Initially, Daniel had considered recruiting Krauser as a subordinate, but after further thought, he decided against it. There was no pressing need for a personal bodyguard, and his company already had robust security measures in place.

He had also thought about sending Krauser to acquire the Ouroboros Virus and the Plaga Parasite, but there was no longer any need. Leon and Chris had already secured those samples, which were stored in the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA) base. Daniel could obtain them anytime he wanted.

Due to his early elimination of Wesker and preventing Leon and Ada Wong from meeting, the spread of T-Virus had been curtailed, significantly reducing the number of bioweapons. However, the Plaga Virus seemed to have encountered some issues and had been leaked, despite Leon's efforts.

Daniel was quite familiar with the Plaga Virus, a parasitic pathogen. After dealing with Wesker, he had obtained various parasite-based viruses from Umbrella Corporation, including Alpha and Beta strains used to control creatures like Tyrants and Lickers.

During the civil war in the Eastern Slav Republic, both sides employed bioweapons controlled by these parasites. In the past, Daniel might have been interested, but after discovering that even the Veronica Virus had no effect on him, his interest waned. Since these viruses couldn't enhance his own abilities and he had no intention of selling bioweapons, there was no point in further research. In the Marvel Universe, only Wakanda's technology still fascinated him. Unfortunately, Wakanda was extremely isolationist, and accessing their technology would only be possible if they opened up to the world.

"It's astonishing, isn't it? Truly remarkable," Tony Stark exclaimed, his face a mask of shock as he observed the quantum state of the Ghost in Daniel's lab. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed that a human could enter a quantum state at will.

After conducting some preliminary research on the Ghost's cells and blood, Daniel had immediately invited Stark over. While Daniel's research skills, bolstered by the Ope Ope no Mi, were considerable, he knew he couldn't match Stark's genius. Introducing Stark to the concept of the quantum state early on might hasten the development of a quantum tunnel for accessing the Quantum Realm.

Beyond the Quantum Realm, there was also the field of nanotechnology. Though Helen Zhao was sure to make breakthroughs in this area, Stark's involvement could accelerate progress significantly.

Tony Stark was undoubtedly brilliant, but he was also notoriously unfocused unless under pressure. This tendency was a Stark family trait. However, when faced with a challenge, Stark could perform wonders. The colossal arc reactor had seen no progress for years, but Stark built a miniaturized version from scratch in a cave in mere days, also crafting the first Iron Man suit.

Similarly, Stark had already completed the Hulkbuster armor. Under the right motivation, Stark's output was phenomenal. He even managed to build a version of the Infinity Gauntlet later on, albeit a one-time-use version.

For Daniel, the advent of nanotechnology would be incredibly beneficial. It would allow for the storage of standalone AI systems within the armor, maintaining combat capabilities without relying on satellites, much like Stark's suit during the battle against Thanos on Titan. The added convenience of portability was a significant advantage.

"This is adamantium alloy? It's incredibly tough," Daniel said as he examined Captain America's shield. Stark had temporarily borrowed it from Steve Rogers. Stark was deeply curious about the shield his father had unintentionally created. 

Daniel had intentionally let slip about the shield to pique Stark's interest. Stark believed that with JARVIS's help, he could replicate the shield's structure, considering his father had managed to create it in a less technologically advanced era. However, despite JARVIS's assistance, Stark was unable to fully decode the shield's composition.

After several fruitless days of exhaustive research, Stark abandoned the project, and the shield ended up in Daniel's possession.

"It looks like I won't be traveling anytime soon," Daniel muttered. The shield was only a temporary loan. Carter and Rogers were currently on a trip arranged by Stark. Once they returned, the shield would have to be given back.

Despite S.H.I.E.L.D.'s significant issues, Carter had been retired for years and couldn't interfere too deeply in its affairs. As for Rogers, he excelled in combat but struggled with administrative matters. Thus, they had gone on a vacation, or rather, a romantic getaway, which, in truth, was a trio.

During Rogers' years in the ice, Carter had developed a close bond with Dottie Underwood, a former operative from the Red Room, making their relationship rather complex. Dottie, still youthful thanks to a weakened version of the Super Soldier Serum, had no visible aging signs, unlike the older Carter.

A love triangle involving Captain America, Peggy Carter, and Dottie Underwood—it was a scenario that would make any fan of romance novels thrilled. Unfortunately for Steve, he wasn't the center of this love triangle; Peggy was.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"The kinetic absorption of this shield is astonishing. No wonder Cap can go toe-to-toe with Thor," Daniel concluded after several tests on the shield. If an Iron Man suit could be made of adamantium, it could withstand a punch from the Hulk without severe damage. The main challenge was replicating the material.

"It's far too difficult to mass-produce," Daniel sighed. Howard Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D. had poured immense resources into studying the shield, hoping to unlock its secrets and create indomitable weapons, but their efforts had been in vain.

"To replicate adamantium, I need a significant supply of vibranium," Daniel realized after thoroughly analyzing the shield with the powers of the Ope Ope no Mi. Howard, Stark, and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attempts had failed due to the scarcity of vibranium. Only Wakanda had enough resources to experiment freely with vibranium alloys.

"Hmm?" One day, just as Daniel had finished his research and was relaxing with a video game, he sensed a change in his surroundings and sprang up. He was now facing seven people who had suddenly appeared before him.

"Mirror Dimension, and Kaecilius," Daniel remarked, recognizing the man leading the group. Kaecilius looked at him coldly, clearly intending to confront him.

"I've finally found you," Kaecilius said, his gaze icy and filled with resolve.

"What does he want with me? Shouldn't he be busy fighting the Ancient One?" Daniel was annoyed by Kaecilius's appearance. He couldn't simply kill Kaecilius, as he was a pawn in the Ancient One's plans. Killing him could have unpredictable consequences. 

If it were someone like Odin or Thanos, Daniel could simply escape to the worlds of Harry Potter or Attack on Titan and hide indefinitely. But the Ancient One was different. After all, she had taught him Dimensional Magic.

"What do you want, Kaecilius?" Daniel asked, masking his irritation with a calm tone.

"Servant of the hypocrite," Kaecilius spat, not interested in talking. He and his six companions immediately conjured various magical weapons. Three of them summoned golden chains, while the other four wielded translucent blades.

"I've left Kamar-Taj. Your grudge with them doesn't involve me," Daniel said, not drawing his Sling Ring yet. He didn't need to flee this time.

Kaecilius merely sneered, ignoring Daniel's words. The six sorcerers formed a semicircle and charged at Daniel.

"Kaecilius, if you leave now, I'll pretend this never happened. Otherwise, don't blame me for what happens next," Daniel warned, his right hand moving behind his back to retrieve his Desert Eagle.

Kaecilius, of course, ignored the warning. One of his followers lunged forward, swinging the golden chain at Daniel's head.

Bang!

Daniel leaped back and fired a shot from his Desert Eagle, sending the sorcerer flying. His chest was deeply indented by the impact.

"Times have changed, people," Daniel thought silently.

Despite the impressive durability of sorcerers compared to ordinary humans, the power of the Desert Eagle still left the man's chest concave, a testament to the strength of his magic-enhanced physique.

Seeing their comrade fall, the remaining five sorcerers halted and retreated a few steps. Though Kamar-Taj wasn't isolated from the world and had access to the internet, the sorcerers were unaccustomed to using firearms. Daniel's use of a gun had them momentarily bewildered.

Kaecilius glared at Daniel's gun, his expression darkening. He hadn't anticipated this unorthodox approach in what he expected to be a classic magical duel. Did Daniel not know that true sorcerers settled conflicts through close combat, weapon to weapon?

"Leave now, and I will spare you," Daniel said, pulling out a second Desert Eagle with his left hand, preparing for a showdown.

Ignoring Daniel's threat, Kaecilius clasped his hands together, manipulating the Mirror Dimension's gravity. Daniel felt himself being pulled to one side but quickly adapted, leaping to the side and firing another shot at one of the remaining five sorcerers.

Bang!

The bullet didn't find its mark this time, as a sudden earth wall conjured by Kaecilius intercepted it.

"As expected from Kamar-Taj's top sorcerer after the Ancient One. His control over the Mirror Dimension is formidable. But let's see how many of them he can save," Daniel thought, navigating the shifting terrain

. He holstered his left-hand gun and used his left hand to grasp onto the environment for stability, while continuing to fire with his right.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Despite Kaecilius's desperate efforts to protect his followers, Daniel managed to kill two more with rapid gunfire. His shooting speed far outpaced Kaecilius's ability to use magic.

"Damn, if I had my web shooters, this wouldn't be such a hassle," Daniel grumbled inwardly, activating the power of the Ope Ope no Mi fruit. He created a "Room" and swapped places with one of the fallen sorcerers to grab a Sling Ring.

Kaecilius, realizing the dire situation, abandoned his control over the Mirror Dimension and opened a portal to evacuate the remaining survivors. With a snarl, he conjured two magical shields and charged at Daniel himself.

"Shouldn't kill him, right?" Daniel wondered as he shot at the approaching Kaecilius. The bullet struck Kaecilius's shield, halting his advance.

"Not bad, Kaecilius. Guess I don't have to worry about killing you," Daniel thought, noting Kaecilius's ability to deflect his shots. Though his Desert Eagles slowed Kaecilius, they didn't stop him.

"So this is why the Ancient One chose Strange to succeed her as Sorcerer Supreme," Daniel reflected, comparing Kaecilius's magic to the future feats of Doctor Strange against Thanos. Despite years more experience, Kaecilius couldn't match the raw potential of Strange.

"You think I'm afraid of a magical duel?" Daniel scoffed, putting away his guns and summoning two golden magical shields of his own. He charged at Kaecilius, engaging in close combat.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The shields clashed repeatedly as Daniel's superior strength forced Kaecilius back with each blow. Kaecilius's frustration was evident, but it did nothing to change the outcome. Daniel's physical prowess outmatched his own by far.

"Get lost! I'll spare you this time. But if there's a next time, you won't be so lucky," Daniel growled, kicking Kaecilius hard. The impact sent him flying.

Due to the Ancient One's plans, Daniel couldn't kill Kaecilius, nor could he interrogate him. This left Daniel deeply frustrated.

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