Chapter 202: The Perfect Serum

To Clark's surprise, there truly was a way to completely eliminate the mark of Dormammu! Eagerly, he asked, "What is the method?"

"The only way to completely erase the dark mark on you is to enhance your own strength. Once you possess absolute powerful light energy, erasing the mark left by Dormammu is not impossible," the Ancient One explained.

Nodding in understanding, Clark inquired further, "You mean, the light power from my aunt's blood?"

The Ancient One smiled and nodded: "The reason I hadn't mentioned this to you before is that you didn't have the prerequisite conditions or necessity to pursue this path. In fact, regardless of the path you choose, as long as you can reach a level comparable to Dormammu, his mark will no longer pose any threat to you."

She added, "But now, not only have you grasped the seed of light, but you have also understood a lot from it. This path will allow you to erase the dark mark within you in a shorter distance."

Clark nodded seriously and asked, "What level of cultivation do I need to achieve to erase Dormammu's mark on me?"

"Just close to Odin's level," the Ancient One answered with a light smile.

Close to Odin's level? That's Sky-Father level! No, if it's Sky-Father level, it would be equivalent to Odin's level. To advance beyond him...

It should be... Pseudo-Sky-Father level! Pseudo-Sky-Father level is a tier between Universal level and Sky-Father level. Among those Clark knew, there were a few, each a dominator in the universe.

For example, Thanos in his normal state, Hela who was Odin's great-niece, or perhaps Captain Marvel was at this level?

Clark wasn't sure about the last one, but each of them was far stronger than he was at present.

The difficulty of reaching their level, especially under certain conditions, was unimaginable.

But no matter how arduous the path, he had to walk it.

Clark silently memorized the Ancient One's words and changed the subject: "Sorcerer Supreme, is there anything I can do to help with your injury?"

"Yes!" the Ancient One said calmly, "I was waiting for you to come for this very reason."

"Please tell me!"

Nodding, the Ancient One said, "Many beings from other dimensions covet our Earth, especially Dormammu from the Dark Dimension."

"My injury has weakened the sanctums' power unprecedentedly, and he will not miss this rare opportunity."

Clark knew his limits. Although he could now be considered unbeatable on Earth, he stood no chance against beings like Dormammu. The indelible dark mark within him was proof enough.

The Ancient One wouldn't expect him to confront Dormammu now. Listening silently, Clark waited for her to continue.

"The Earth is protected by three sanctums. Ambitious beings from other dimensions can only attempt to reach us through natural spatial rifts. Half a month from now, a rift connecting Earth will appear."

"I've used the Eye of Agamotto to predict the future. The enemy is from the Dark Dimension, Dormammu's sister, Oma."

Dormammu has a sister?

Clark, not deeply knowledgeable about Marvel's more obscure characters, had never heard of her: "How powerful is she?"

"If she were to use all her power, of course, you wouldn't stand a chance against her. However, the spatial rift has a limit to the power it can accommodate, so she can only cross through it in the form of an avatar."

"Moreover, the rift's location is closer to the Light Dimension, and its rules are more aligned with it, which weakens her further. This time, with you involved, the odds of victory are even greater than if I were to face her now."

Clark nodded slightly.

The Ancient One relied on absorbing dark energy to sustain her life, so the light's power was a significant weakness for her, just as it was for Oma.

Plus, her current injury made the situation even more unfavorable for her.

On the other hand, Clark, in prime condition and possessing some light power, would find the rules within this spatial rift not just unrestrictive but actually enhancing.

This imbalance could indeed tip the odds in his favor.

In the Marvel world, it's not about "a thin camel being bigger than a horse" but more about "a featherless phoenix being inferior to a chicken."

There are numerous instances of powerful beings being overthrown by those considered weaker.

For example, Laufey, whom Clark had previously killed. If Laufey were at his peak, he would be a formidable force crushing Clark without discussion.

Another well-known example is Galactus, the Planet Eater. At his peak, he's nearly invincible, but when weakened, even the Hulk might dare to kick him around.

From this perspective, Clark's chances of success were quite good.

Having received so much kindness from the Ancient One since their acquaintance, how could Clark stand idly by when she faced difficulty? He nodded and asked, "How do I get to the spatial rift?"

"In half a month, I will send Mordo to find you, and then I will personally take you there."

...

Upon returning from Kamar-Taj, Clark immediately sought out Mindy.

Since he was heading to a space near the Light Dimension to fight, it was best to have as little dark energy in him as possible. He planned to use Mindy's abilities to dissipate as much accumulated dark energy as possible during this time.

Mindy readily agreed to help Clark.

Over the next five days, a harrowing series of screams constantly surrounded Clark's seaside villa in Los Angeles.

"Ah!..."

"Ugh!..."

"Ah!..."

"Clark, it must hurt a lot, right? Should I stop and let you rest?"

"No need! I can bear it, give it more power!"

"Alright, Clark, here I come!"

"Ah!..."

...

Amid the unbearable screams, Clark was in agony.

Although the Ancient One had warned him that dissipating dark energy would be a painful process, he hadn't imagined it would be this excruciating! Normally, the seal within him could completely isolate the dark energy, making Mindy's light treatment no issue. However, that would not diminish the dark energy. To do so, he had to release the dark energy throughout his body, then under Mindy's holy light, allow the two energies to battle.

It was a sensation indescribable to others.

Fortunately, this torment lasted only five days.

This wasn't because five days were enough to dissipate all the dark energy within him. The dark energy was too vast, and Mindy's power too weak compared to his, barely making a dent in less than one percent of it.

He stopped because Dr. Bruce Banner sent news that the perfect serum had finally been developed!

This news provided Clark with an excuse to pause, and he immediately opened a portal to Dr. Banner's office, eager to learn more.

Upon seeing Clark, Dr. Banner was shocked: "Clark, you look terrible. Are you sick?"

Clark smiled bitterly inside. In reality, his body was in perfect condition, and any damage from the internal battle of energies was already healed by his formidable regenerative abilities.

The pallor was purely from pain!

Shaking his head, Clark didn't bother explaining this beyond Dr. Banner's comprehension and went straight to the point: "You said the perfect serum was successfully developed, right?"

Confident, Dr. Banner responded: "After more than a hundred calculations, there's absolutely no mistake. The trials on mice were all successful. With that special ingredient, we can almost guarantee success."

Clark shook his head, "I'm looking for absolute certainty, not almost. You haven't done human trials yet, have you?"

Dr. Banner shook his head, aware of his inner "other guy" making him an unsuitable test subject.

Clark nodded, "I understand. Prepare for human trials. I'll find the subjects."

With this decision, New York's criminals were in for a tough time.

Using the Hand, controlled by Matt Murdock, Clark obtained first-hand data on all fugitives, ranking them by the severity of their crimes. In five days, a hundred deserving criminals vanished.

These criminals were taken by Clark for human trials.

Initially, Dr. Banner was hesitant about such actions. However, after seeing their criminal records provided by Clark, the genius scientist no longer felt any moral burden.

For the criminals, these inhumane trials were a rare opportunity.

Success would grant them power far beyond ordinary humans.

But how could Clark allow super-criminals of that caliber to emerge from his hands? After a hundred trials, all were successful, but the criminals were swiftly killed by Clark before they could even revel in their newfound power.

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