American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

223. Seeing with Your Eyes.

The fear toxin was a chemical concoction created by Scarecrow, Dr. Jonathan Crane, after a lifetime of studying psychology. By leveraging his profound understanding of human fears, he finally developed this gas that could amplify terror. This insidious gas, which seeped into every crevice and was impossible to defend against, was the key to making Scarecrow a formidable threat.

However, after undergoing modifications by Batman, the fear toxin acquired a broader range of uses. It not only became the decisive weapon against General Zod and the Kryptonian army but also served as one of Alex's secret trump cards.

While the effect of this substance might not be the best in every situation, when used at the right moment, it could deliver remarkable results every time. Take the current situation, for example. With all the villagers under Baron Mordo's control through magic, the fear toxin could be deployed to its maximum potential.

When Baron Mordo's spell took control of the villagers' minds, the fear toxin would awaken the deepest fears within them, a result that no magic could prevent. At the same time, this fear, originating from within, would overlay a new veil on the magically controlled minds.

This veil was named Fear.

It was akin to introducing a virus into a programmed computer. The puppets, controlled by Baron Mordo's magic and acting according to pre-set instructions, instantly entered a shutdown state under the influence of the fear toxin.

In a flash, the psychic magic lost its grip, and the villagers lost consciousness.

The bad news was that under the combined effects of magic and the toxin, these innocent villagers would be trapped in nightmares, endlessly cycling through their fears. But there was good news as well: at least these people would no longer have to watch, in terrified first-person view, as something else controlled their bodies. Moreover, the moment they woke from their nightmares would also be the moment they regained control of their bodies.

Surveying the scene, once Alex saw that everyone was affected by the fear toxin, he quietly nodded. It was evident that, in this town filled with countless eerie and sinister elements, using fear to conquer fear was a very effective approach. Now, Alex also had a clear idea of where the source material for the first season of the American TV show 'WandaVision' came from.

Just as the Scarlet Witch Wanda trapped an entire town after studying the Darkhold, it was obvious that Baron Mordo on the wasteland was the true mastermind behind this scenario. Moreover, whether by coincidence or not, both situations involved Agatha, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. Given the outcome, this old witch was certainly quite unlucky.

Refocusing on Agatha, Alex extended his hand once more. This time, he planned to use even more brute force, combined with the fear toxin, to awaken this poor old woman.

As Baron Mordo's source of magic power and the tool used to weave his entire veil of control, if Alex could free her from Mordo's influence, the chances of defeating Mordo would significantly increase. But Baron Mordo was no fool. The fact that he placed such a significant weakness in plain sight was not due to a lapse in intelligence. On the contrary, it was a deliberate trap.

According to his design, these villagers were essentially disposable pawns. The most important presence in the town was the very same Agatha, who was openly displayed as a weakness.

If an intruder had the ability to awaken Agatha's consciousness, Baron Mordo would have plenty of time to close the door and sink his castle into a dimension beneath reality, evading the intruder's attack.

And if the intruder couldn't break his psychic magic, then letting them in wouldn't matter. After all, whoever they were, if they couldn't break his psychic magic, they couldn't penetrate the defensive magic that Agatha had woven for him.

This alone was enough to keep Baron Mordo invincible, though clearly, he hadn't accounted for the existence of someone capable of forcibly breaching dimensional boundaries.

A raging storm of telepathy surged through Agatha's mindscape, with waves crashing and roaring in her ears. Her visionless, clouded eyes gradually cleared.

"Welcome back, Agatha," Alex nodded slightly, offering a casual greeting.

After a brief moment of terror, Agatha quickly regained her composure and sighed in relief. She spoke, "I owe you one, sir."

"No need to owe me anything—you can repay me right now. I need your help to fight Baron Mordo. I imagine that's something you're very keen to do at the moment, isn't it?" Alex said calmly.

Hearing this, Agatha's expression didn't change much. She merely shook her head quietly. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. I'm no match for him, especially now that he wields the power of the Darkhold. He has become an unbeatable force."

"Are you sure about that?" Alex paused, then continued, "I know the magic in the Darkhold is powerful, but is it really something to be so afraid of?"

"You don't understand. The Darkhold is not just a source of magical knowledge. It's called the origin of dark magic for a reason. This artifact is constantly creating darker and more profound dark magic. Anyone can be consumed by that power."

Agatha shakily stood up, frowning as she gazed in the direction of Mordo's castle.

"Every person who reads the Darkhold experiences a different result. It always provides the reader with the most suitable dark magic. If it doesn't find something, it will refill the blank pages with forbidden knowledge, creating new dark magic."

Alex silently listened to Agatha's explanation, feeling a strong sense of déjà vu from the Darkhold. In a way, wasn't this just another version of 'making good people better and bad people worse'?

Both amplified the darkness and negativity within. After all, magic and spells themselves have no inherent moral alignment. How was this different from the Super-Soldier Serum? Perhaps it's just that magic is a bit more mysterious.

"That's not your concern. I'll deal with Baron Mordo, but I need you to help me find him," Alex said, waving his hand dismissively.

After a moment of silence, Agatha sighed deeply.

"You shouldn't have saved me, at least not now. Mordo already knows what's happened here. He's hiding in the cracks of reality, making it impossible to track him down—it's like searching for a needle in a haystack."

"What if we could see him?" Alex suddenly suggested.

"See him? That's impossible."

Agatha thought Alex's idea was absurd.

"You're a sorcerer too; you should know what it means to be hidden in the cracks of reality. Mordo could be hiding in the shadow of a speck of dust. How would you see him?"

"With your eyes," Alex replied with a slight smile.

Without another word, he waved his hand, and a green curtain slowly drew open, revealing a magical space belonging solely to Alex. Simultaneously, a bizarrely enormous eyeball appeared in front of Agatha.

....

📢30 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
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224. Clearing the Memory.
225. Formatting.
226. The Vessel for the Watcher's Eye.
227. The Death Omen Bird.
228. The Stagnation of Magic.