chapter 39

"Oh, strange ceiling..."

Wong slowly woke up in the hospital bed, his gaze falling on the white ceiling. He instinctively turned his head to look around, only to be shocked to see Doctor Strange lying in the bed beside him. He shouted in disbelief, "Strange, what's wrong with you? How did you get hurt?"

Wong's voice was filled with panic and worry, and he couldn't ignore the severity of Doctor Strange's injuries. The left side of Strange's face was heavily wrapped in bandages, and he appeared to be in excruciating pain. What frightened Wong even more was that the Sorcerer Supreme's left hand and left leg were missing.

Faced with this harsh reality, Wong felt a deep sense of helplessness and fear. He couldn't comprehend how Doctor Strange had been hurt so gravely. What kind of enemy could inflict such damage on the powerful Sorcerer Supreme?

Doctor Strange felt a pang of embarrassment and shame upon hearing Wong's words. He hesitated, trying to find the right words, which proved difficult.

It's easy to admit mistakes to others, but to confess them to his closest friend and most loyal ally was much harder.

"I... I…" Doctor Strange said haltingly, his voice tinged with regret and guilt.

He paused, searching for the right words, knowing that he had to be honest with Wong, no matter how hard it was.

Finally, Doctor Strange explained everything. As he looked at the silent Wong, he touched the bandage on his face and sighed. "It's… it's embarrassing to let anyone see me like this."

Wong nodded, attempting to reassure him. "Strange, you don't need to blame yourself so much."

"Bang!"

Suddenly, a loud noise disturbed the silence of the ward, as if something hard had hit the door. Both Wong and Doctor Strange quickly turned toward the sound.

The impact caused the door to shake as if some external force was trying to break in.

"Wong, you reached the ship before me. How's the quality of the nurses here?"

"Pretty good, but they shouldn't be waking patients like this."

The two looked at each other and jumped out of bed. Wong landed lightly on the ground, while Strange hovered due to his missing leg.

Doctor Strange sealed his right hand, a purple energy orb swirling within it, emanating a powerful magical aura. He shouted toward the door, "Whoever you are, stop immediately and identify yourself!"

His voice echoed throughout the ward. After a moment of silence, the door shook even more violently.

Narrowing his eyes, Doctor Strange intensified the purple energy, which soon shifted to a red hue as he chanted, "In the name of the Eternal Emperor Vishanti, release the depths of Cytorak. Crimson Bands of Cyttorak!"

The words resonated like a spell, amplifying the magic's power.

As he spoke, the red energy ribbon whipped toward the door, shattering it into pieces, debris scattering everywhere. The figure who had been pounding on the door was now suspended mid-air, bound by the red energy bands.

Doctor Strange and Wong stared at the captive in shock, realizing that it was a nurse—or had once been. His jaw was shattered, blood dripping from his wounds, revealing a ghastly sight. His eyes were blank and cloudy, and even while restrained, he continued to snap his jaws as if trying to bite.

Wong gritted his teeth, exclaiming, "How can this be? Isn't the aerospace carrier supposed to be safe?"

But Doctor Strange sighed, the red energy tightening around the nurse's head. With a sickening crack, the nurse's head was crushed, splattering red and white matter on the floor.

"We need to get out of here, Wong," Doctor Strange whispered. They hurried toward the nurses' station, where they found it eerily empty, save for pools of blood on the floor.

Wong looked around, feeling a growing unease. The empty nurse's station was unsettling.

Doctor Strange noticed a security camera on the wall, reaching out and waving at it. The camera responded by swiveling back to him, as if alive.

A moment later, Hill's voice came through the camera: "Mr. Strange, please remain still. A team is on the way to secure the area."

Wong was surprised to hear Hill's voice.

Moments later, a squad of heavily armed soldiers arrived, clad in bulletproof suits and carrying an array of weapons. The lead soldier scanned Doctor Strange and Wong, confirming that they were uninfected.

Other soldiers split into teams, kicking open the doors of nearby rooms and scanning each corner to ensure no hidden threats remained.

After a thorough search, the lead soldier approached Doctor Strange and Wong, saluted, and reported, "Mr. Strange, the medical ward is secure. Please come with us. The Director is gathering the survivors."

Wong, eager to understand the situation, asked, "What happened on the aerospace carrier? Why are there zombies?"

The soldier hesitated, replying, "I'll explain as we go; time is of the essence. For your safety, please follow us."

Nodding, Doctor Strange and Wong followed the soldiers. Along the way, they passed numerous decapitated corpses in pools of blood, while gunfire echoed faintly in the distance.

Turning a corner, the lead soldier announced, "We're here. The Director is inside." The soldiers quickly moved on, leaving Strange and Wong in front of a closed metal door.

The Sorcerer Supreme took a deep breath, gripped the doorknob firmly, and opened the door with determination. The door creaked open slowly.

🛡️Ronin 🛡️

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