Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics-Chapter 4345 - 3440: Midnight Sons (Part 2)

While Shiller and Danny were talking, Strange walked out. Shiller turned his head and saw him in Doctor Strange's outfit, probably figuring out what was going on.

"You two continue," Shiller said. "I'm here on behalf of the S.H.I.E.L.D Director to check on the operational status of The Sanctum. Don't mind me."

After finishing his words, he walked to the back of the hall to wait for the elevator, while Strange took Danny up the stairs on the other side.

Over the years, the structure of The Sanctum underwent some changes. Although it still looked very much like a bank, many of the rooms inside had changed functions.

Shiller found someone in the second-floor office area to show him the way. Fortunately, the office staff here had not changed much, and they all recognized Shiller. A woman with a work badge came over.

"Long time no see, Doctor. How have you been lately?"

"Not too bad, ma'am. Could you take me to Doctor Strange's office?"

"Of course, right this way."

On the way to Doctor Strange's office, Shiller listened to the woman recount the developments at The Sanctum in recent years. In general, there was no significant progress; it was still the same old business.

However, there had been some recent changes. Due to huge shifts in cosmic affairs, some magical races were involved, and many came to The Sanctum for help. Strange planned to set up branches in the Andromeda Galaxy. It was probably only a matter of such importance that he would take several days off from surgery.

Amid the light talk, they arrived at the corridor where Strange's office was located. Upon entering the corridor, the entire place had transformed completely. It was no longer a modern-style office but had become more primitive, resembling part of Kamar-Taj.

"Stephen's aesthetic is so similar to that arrogant antique." Shiller sighed as he examined the décor, shaking his head.

Deep red carpets with enigmatic patterns, obsidian ceilings paired with golden chandeliers, the flickering of candlelight could be seen. Shiller reached the door and saw that each wooden doorknob was inlaid with a glowing magic gem.

"How could he forget, the Supreme Magician is even wealthier than the arrogant one. Now he has really embellished it."

Although Shiller reached the door, he did not push it open; instead, he stood at the entrance, listening to the sounds inside. Since he could hear, it was naturally with Strange's consent.

"I fully understand you, Danny. But rules are rules. If I make an exception for you, then no one will abide by the rules. If you really wish to establish a supernatural group, then first find enough people, secure enough investment, and then write a clear statement of your goals..."

"Yes, I know. You might have had some disagreements with your brother, but the conflicts are not severe enough to need a superhero organization for resolution. If you really think so, seeking help from The Avengers is also an option..."

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"Alright. If that's the case, I won't stop you. But I must remind you, if any problems arise under your leadership in this organization, you must take responsibility."

Hearing the coldness in Strange's voice, Shiller knocked on the door at the right moment. After hearing the response from inside, Shiller went in.

"I see you're still talking," Shiller said with feigned surprise. Then he took out a file, placed it on the table, and said, "I need to talk to you about the management issues of The Sanctum, Doctor. When might you have some time?"

"Now," Strange said, his intention to dismiss the guest couldn't be more obvious, but Danny seemed to have a lot more to say.

At this moment, Shiller asked, "Are you having some trouble, Mr. Danny? Why not seek help from S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Fury said it's not his business!" Danny raised his voice saying, "But it's really important. Johnny has been working for that devil, and it's getting out of hand lately. We need to take precautions against this..."

"Is this your own opinion? Or is it that entity inside you..." Shiller trailed off, then said, "I'll try to persuade Nick for you. You can also try contacting The Avengers. If you really are facing difficulties, everyone will help you."

Shiller tried his best to calm Danny down and then sent him away. He sat across from Strange and noticed Strange massaging his temples while lighting incense for concentration.

Shiller surveyed Strange's office and said, "When did you turn The Sanctum into this?"

"A long time ago, rare visitor." Strange said irritatedly, "I needed some things to reflect my identity as the Supreme Magician, to silence those who come in asking all sorts of questions."

Shiller looked at the office décor and thought to himself, indeed, a person's aesthetic taste doesn't change easily. The Sanctum's office now looked very much like The Sanctum in the comics, with a strong magical ambiance.

But considering Strange, the Supreme Magician, had a rather social disposition, turning it into a bank manager's office wouldn't seem quite right. Shiller didn't say much but shared his excitement about the renovation plans of the sanatorium with Strange and expressed hope that magic could play a role in the renovation process.

Strange was anxious, listening with half an ear, prompting Shiller to ask, "What's the matter? Did that kid Danny really cause you so much trouble?"

"The problem is he hasn't caused trouble yet, so I'm wondering just how much trouble he can cause me."

"Alright. Considering your decent performance in the last game, I won't charge you a consultation fee. What is really going on?"

"Is there such thing as paranoid delusional disorder in psychology?"

"That's not a disease; it's a symptom," Shiller said, "Many emotionally triggered psychological issues could lead to the development of this symptom, such as anxiety disorder. It often occurs in conjunction with symptoms like obsessive-compulsive disorder. Why do you suddenly bring this up?"

"I suspect this Danny has an anxiety disorder," Strange said, "His paranoid delusions are too severe."

"What happened to him?"

"You should know about Johnny working for Mephisto, right?"

Shiller nodded. Although Mephisto had many Angel Envoys, the Ghost Rider was his most handy tool. Even though the Ghost Rider couldn't be entirely considered his contractor, among all the representatives of the Demon Gods, he was the most stylish. Mephisto valued this a lot, usually sending the Ghost Rider to handle his affairs.

"Johnny himself doesn't resist it." Strange stood up from behind the desk and began pacing in front of the window, saying, "The Spirit of Revenge, Zatanos that's attached to him, is extremely violent, and carrying out the duties of the Ghost Rider, which are vengeance and judgment, makes it more active and powerful."

"Johnny doesn't like being consumed by thoughts of vengeance, nor does he wish to be controlled by Zatanos, so he tries his best to avoid judging people on the streets at random. S.H.I.E.L.D., The Avengers, and the New York Temple don't want him to do so either, as it would cause enormous panic."

"Although the jobs Mephisto assigns him are boring and trivial, and always require overtime, for the sake of work efficiency, he also doesn't want Johnny to spend all his time on judgment, so he helps suppress Zatanos," Strange continued.

"What's the background of this Zatanos?" asked Shiller. He had some impression of it but couldn't remember the details.

"A demon that wanted to rule the world," Strange replied, spinning the pen in his hand, then said, "He's the enemy of the Spirit of Revenge, defeated by Mephisto's scheme, and eventually, under the manipulation of Mephisto and Randkiel, he was put inside Johnny's body."

Strange sighed and said, "Mephisto is the source of all of Johnny's tragedies, and also the chief culprit of the Cage family's tragedies. Danny is aware of this, so he cannot understand why his brother would work for such a cunning and cruel Devil."

"Does he think he should resist Mephisto?"

"Exactly. He wants to cut the ties between Mephisto and the Cage family and put an end to the curse that has been passed down for years. His greatest hatred lies in Johnny working for Mephisto because this might strengthen that Devil."

"Did he come to you for this matter?"

Strange nodded, worry seeping from his eyes as he said, "I admit, any cooperation with Mephisto is akin to seeking skin from a tiger. Opposing and restraining this Devil is the right choice. Danny's perspective isn't wrong."

"However, he oversimplifies things. He thinks that by forming a superhero squad like The Avengers, he can completely defeat Mephisto and free his family from the curse forever."

After pondering for a moment, Shiller said, "He seems to be very concerned about the curse."

"That's why I said he has a paranoid delusion. Though his family indeed has been cursed, his situation is much better than his brother's. Because attached to him is actually Noble Kael from the Cage ancestor, a true righteous man. He was saved from Mephisto by the angel Uriel for his righteousness and self-sacrifice."

"Ancestor Kael isn't that hot-tempered. He has the ability to discern good from evil and can judge real villains. If Danny doesn't oppose him, he could take on some of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s responsibilities and judge those sinners the law cannot touch."

"But because he's always fixated on the curse, he can't wholeheartedly accept his identity as a judge; instead, he's preoccupied with thoughts of his brother being harmed by Mephisto, his sister being harmed by Mephisto, everyone being harmed by Mephisto."

"His concerns are not unfounded, as Mephisto really would do such things. He always excels at targeting families," Shiller said, "Have you tried to reason with him?"

"I've tried many times, but his paranoia has reached a somewhat morbid level. That's why I suspect he may have some mental issues. What do you think, Doctor?"

"Good heavens, don't call me that," Shiller shuddered, "I haven't felt he's ill; his mental state seems relatively normal. Besides, wanting to form a superhero squad isn't really such an extreme action, is it?"

"That's true, but we really can't let him do this," Strange said, reaching into the cabinet next to him for a piece of paper and then saying, "Take a look at the members he's chosen."

When Shiller took it, the first thing he saw wasn't a name, but a PhD title.

"Dr. Morbius..." Shiller quietly read out the name, recalling in his mind that it should be the vampire Morbius. A biochemical expert, and more importantly, a Nobel Prize winner.

"Dr. Morbius is now working at the New York Blood Research Institute," Strange said, "Doctor Connors' Cure serum is effective for his rare blood disorder. He spends most of his time free from the illness now, focusing on his scientific research."

"His current project is artificial intervention in the X-genes. Simply put, it's about modifying the traits of a fertilized egg to eliminate low-tier X-genes, thereby reducing the production of lower-tier Mutants."

"There has been significant progress in genetic screening, with Epsilon Class X-genes already identifiable, just a step away from accurate exclusion. He expects to compete for the Nobel Prize in five years. Even with Connors as his rival, his chances of winning again are not small."

"God," Shiller said, covering his face with the list, "If the professors knew Danny wanted such a scientist to take up fists against Mephisto, they would go mad."