Chapter 22: The Character Possession Card

Mei Mumu, the instigator of all this, naturally wished that the “League of Sorrowful Fathers” could deal with the menace of Casillas. In reality, that was simply impossible, for in the Marvel universe at this point in 2016, the Avengers were all but shattered.

They had just endured the events of “Captain America: Civil War,” and, in opposition to the superhero restriction act, a group led by Captain America had left the Avengers. Coincidentally, Thor and the Hulk were absent from Earth, and the once overwhelmingly powerful Avengers had been reduced to a mere handful. The only real heavy hitters left were Iron Man and Vision. As for Spider-Man, his offensive and destructive capabilities were always limited; he was little more than an auxiliary.

Mei Mumu’s scheme against Blackwater this time was purely accidental. He had merely gone with the flow. If Blackwater, with its close ties to the American military, really ended up facing Casillas, they’d likely be crushed, and once the matter escalated to the United Nations, it would surely attract the Avengers’ attention.

Even if America and the UN no longer favored the Avengers, they would still fret and yet continue to rely on these superheroes.

After all, just Iron Man and Vision would be enough to give Casillas a run for his money.

This time, it seemed Mei Mumu had indeed succeeded.

Just as he obtained three points of fate deviation, he was notified by a mechanical voice: “Regrettably, Host, due to the inability to determine your development path, directional lottery is temporarily unavailable. Would you like to specify the lottery category?”

“Directional lottery? My goal is simply to become a great mage!” Mei Mumu was puzzled.

At that moment, the voice of Miss Balance chimed in: “Fool, there are countless types of mages in the world. The way different powers are wielded determines the mage’s category. You can draw randomly, but if you obtain an unsuitable magic or item, it could cause tremendous waste or even irreversible consequences.”

Eh? Was it his imagination, or did this girl sound not quite as fierce as before?

Mei Mumu kept his composure. “Oh, can you give me an example?”

“For instance, there are mages who transform mental power into magical winds. There are those who use soul and life energy from otherworldly beings, like demons, as their source—your kind might call them demon hunters or warlocks. Then there are divine spellcasters who rely on blessings from deities, with a limited number of uses each day. Are you sure you want to draw randomly?”

“Uh, best to specify, then.”

“Excellent, the price is one deviation point per lottery.” Miss Balance sounded genuinely cheerful.

“Hey, are you messing with me? Why are you suddenly so enthusiastic today? This isn’t like you!”

The next second, Mei Mumu heard the sound of grinding teeth, then the girl exploded: “You bastard! Just because you’ve shown a bit of cleverness and started to alter the timeline of ‘Doctor Strange,’ I’m being nice to you, and you’re still complaining? Must you really only respond to harshness, not kindness? Listen, even if you’ve passed the initial trial and become a fate envoy, I still… I still… Hmph!”

With that, it seemed she ran off.

At least, in Mei Mumu’s perception, he could no longer sense her presence.

This… this… leaving mid-sentence, what was that supposed to mean?

“Miss Balance? Hey! Hey!” He called several times, but received no answer. Instead, the mechanical voice returned.

“Greetings, Host. Would you like to conduct a directional lottery?”

“Uh, any suggestions?”

“After comparing your current situation, the Balance System strongly recommends drawing for mage skills or items from ‘World of Warcraft.’”

Mei Mumu was stunned; there was no Warcraft game in the Marvel universe.

However, mages from Warcraft did share considerable similarities with the magic of the Ancient One—for example, spatial magic. Though he hadn’t truly studied it and didn’t understand the casting mechanics of the Ancient One’s mages, portals and such were most akin to Warcraft mages, who could open gateways to various capital cities.

Mei Mumu began to ponder.

He could certainly wait until the Ancient One began mentoring him to draw the lottery, since the Balance System hadn’t forbidden him from saving luck and points.

On the other hand, he had to consider the situation with the Ancient One. Casillas was her most formidable subordinate—should he turn villainous, no one but the Ancient One could match him. Even though Mei Mumu had tricked Casillas with the Avengers, no one knew how badly that guy had actually been injured.

Mei Mumu remembered clearly that, in the original story, Casillas attacked the sanctums protecting the world in London, New York, and Hong Kong, which ultimately led to the arrival of the Dark Lord Dormammu.

Right now, Kamar-Taj desperately needed immediate combat strength.

If Mei Mumu’s own talent appeared too lackluster, no matter how benevolent the Ancient One was, she simply couldn’t afford to spend much time on him.

It was just like the NBA—teams often tank to secure the top rookie pick. Like the Cavaliers selecting LeBron James. LeBron’s speed, agility, physique, and touch were clearly exceptional talents. Any team would pour all their resources into such a first overall pick, hoping he’d quickly grow into their leader.

The reasoning was the same.

In the original, Doctor Strange possessed astonishing mage talent. He relied on his phenomenal memory to earn two doctorates, and his magical aptitude was a once-in-a-millennium occurrence.

He mastered forbidden time magic with the ease of eating or drinking, leaving Baron Mordo and Wong utterly dumbfounded.

Mei Mumu knew well that he was absolutely not a prodigy in the mystical arts, nor did he possess that remarkable memory. The gap was not something mere diligence could bridge.

Gritting his teeth, Mei Mumu spoke: “Fine! I’ll specify mage items or skills from ‘World of Warcraft’!”

“A specified draw will consume three fate deviation points. Do you confirm?”

“Confirm!”

The lottery that would determine Mei Mumu’s fate began. A massive roulette wheel spun before his eyes, accelerating from slow to fast.

Mei Mumu glimpsed not only skills like ‘Intellect Boost’ and ‘Fireball,’ but also grand items like ‘High Elf Mage Apprentice’s Handbook.’ Then, he seemed to see some cards with figures drawn on them.

Damn!

No matter!

“Stop!” Mei Mumu shouted in his mental world.

The wheel’s speed rapidly slowed, eventually crawling along.

The pointer swept past several magic-related spaces before finally landing on a character card.

“Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the possession card: ‘Dalaran Mage Apprentice!’”