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Ch. 243 The Cloak of Levitation vs Hulk
🕑 Added 2024-01-01 16:00:10 +0000 UTC"Since the Cloak of Levitation has already recognized you, then treat it well and don't betray its trust."
Although the way Russell gained the recognition of the Cloak of Levitation was different from what he had imagined, the cloak had made its choice, and the Ancient One would naturally not continue to reject Russell.
Just because Russell was a student she had decided to accept on a whim, she wouldn't mistreat him with magical artifacts.
Apart from the Eye of Agamotto, which contained the Time Stone, as long as Russell could gain the recognition of magical artifacts, she could entrust all of Kamar-Taj's magical artifacts to him.
However, magical artifacts were different from intercontinental missiles. More wasn't necessarily better; what mattered was appropriateness.
"Don't worry, I won't mistreat the Cloak of Levitation," Russell said with a smile.
Afterward, he began to perform magic that was written in the spellbook but had been beyond his grasp for a long time.
Transformation!
When he silently recited the incantation in his mind and used his magical power to cast the transformation spell, the Cloak of Levitation on him transformed in the blink of an eye.
With a flash of golden light, the ancient-looking Cloak of Levitation changed into a modern-style black trench coat.
Although the Cloak of Levitation was a very nice magical cloak, it didn't match his usual style at all. If he didn't use the transformation magic on the cloak, he would look out of place, affecting his current image as a successful businessman.
After gaining the cloak's recognition, Russell didn't plan to stay in the Sanctum Sanctorum any longer. After bidding farewell to the Ancient One, he left the sanctuary with the Cloak of Levitation and flew towards the headquarters of the Octopus Monster.
This time, he didn't use the flight ability granted by his Kryptonian physiology but let the Cloak of Levitation carry him.
Although both were forms of flight, relying on one's superhuman abilities to fly and being carried by a magical cloak were two completely different experiences.
While both methods of flight were agile, and the speed and direction of flight were under his control, Russell still preferred flying using his Kryptonian physiology.
Flying with the Cloak of Levitation gave him a similar feeling to flying in the Endosymbiotic Battle Armor.
Upon returning to his office, he pondered for a few seconds. Then, he lifted the transformation effect from the Cloak of Levitation, returning it to its original appearance.
After releasing the transformation effect, he didn't continue wearing the Cloak of Levitation but let it move freely.
Although he hadn't spent much time with the Cloak of Levitation, he was well aware of its abilities.
First and foremost, it had the obvious ability of flight.
Secondly, it possessed strong physical and magical defense capabilities.
Lastly, it had abilities like transformation, shrinking, and extending that required a mage's cooperation.
Apart from not looking like a normal living being, the Cloak of Levitation could be treated as if it were a living creature.
The Ancient One had described the Cloak of Levitation as "tsundere" for this reason.
Realizing this, he immediately knew how to treat the Cloak of Levitation.
In simple terms, he would treat the Cloak of Levitation as a pet.
Compared to real pets, the Cloak of Levitation was not only more obedient but also didn't require food, drink, or rest. It could even gather energy to sustain itself without the need for external magical replenishment.
Although taking Doctor Strange's Cloak of Levitation felt a bit unscrupulous, Russell didn't see any problem with it. If becoming the Sorcerer Supreme required having the Cloak of Levitation, then Stephen Strange wasn't qualified to be the Sorcerer Supreme.
The fact that the Ancient One allowed him to take the Cloak of Levitation meant that she shared a similar viewpoint.
After letting the Cloak of Levitation move freely, he sat down at his desk, picked up a game controller, and started playing a game.
Due to the emergence of the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order, he had stopped playing Assassin's Creed. Instead, he had switched to playing Assassin's Creed: Black Flag.
Speaking of Assassin's Creed, after arranging for a private detective to investigate the game developer, No. 3 had indeed found something.
Someone had provided information about the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order to the game developer.
However, the identity of this person was still under investigation by No. 3.
Perhaps when he was initially interested in the Apples of Eden, Russell would have urged No. 3 to find out the results quickly. But now, he didn't particularly care about this.
Even though he didn't know who had provided the information to the game developer, now that he had reached an agreement with Callum, he didn't need to continue worrying about these matters.
The ones who needed to worry about these matters now were the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order.
Just like Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed: Black Flag was also an excellent action-adventure game.
After suppressing his reaction time and operational skills to the level of an ordinary person, Russell began to enjoy the pleasure the game brought him.
However, he didn't expect that while he was playing the game, the Cloak of Levitation had silently approached him and was curiously "watching" the screen.
"What's wrong, do you want to play too?" Russell paused the game and asked the Cloak of Levitation.
The Cloak of Levitation couldn't speak, but it gave its answer by nodding as if it were a human.
"Do you have a way to operate the game controller?" Russell looked at the Cloak of Levitation in surprise and then asked.
The Cloak of Levitation continued to nod.
"Alright, here you go. Let me see how you play!"
After speaking, Russell handed the game controller to the Cloak of Levitation .
Although the Cloak of Levitation didn't have human hands, it clearly had no trouble with this.
The corners of the cloak on both sides flew up, as if they were holding the game controller just like hands.
Then, it manipulated the controller by pressing and moving the fabric.
Impressive!
Watching the cloak's movements, Russell felt more and more convinced that taking the cloak was a wise decision.
He made some space for the cloak to better operate the controller and view the game screen.
Even though the Cloak of Levitation hadn't played games before, it was undeniably a very smart magical cloak.
In just a short two to three minutes, it became familiar with the game controls, and its performance improved steadily.
Seeing the cloak's skills, Russell furrowed his brow slightly.
This guy is playing too well!
After the cloak completed a mission, Russell temporarily interrupted it.
"Wait a moment, try some other games."
With that, he took the game controller back from the cloak, exited the secret sea area, and started playing "Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice," a game that had given him a hard time before.
"You should try this one!"
Russell found the game save file for the boss fight against Sword Saint Isshin Ashina and handed the controller to the Cloak of Levitation.
Although the Cloak of Levitation couldn't speak, it knew what Russell had in mind.
Don't underestimate the magical cloak!
After taking the game controller, the Cloak of Levitation began the final boss battle in "Sekiro."
And, without a doubt, it "saw" the familiar "You Died" screen.
"Keep going!"
Russell said with a smile.
The Cloak of Levitation shook itself unhappily, then started the second round of the boss fight.
The result was no different, and the Cloak of Levitation once again "saw" the big red "You Died" screen.
"Do you want to continue?" Russell asked with a smile.
Though it might be a bit of a tease to keep pushing the cloak, it was undeniably satisfying to watch the cloak fail to complete the boss fight.
The Cloak of Levitation nodded emphatically.
"Well, you can keep playing. I'm going to soak up some sun!"
With that, Russell stood up, patted the cloak's shoulder, and headed to the lounge area to bask in the sun.
The warm sunlight and the gradually strengthening feeling of rejuvenation lulled Russell to sleep with his eyes closed.
He didn't know how long he had been sleeping when he was suddenly awakened by someone.
Opening his eyes, he saw the Cloak of Levitation hovering in front of him.
"What's going on?" Russell asked groggily.
The Cloak of Levitation couldn't speak, so it raised its hem and pointed in the direction of the desk.
Seeing the cloak's movements, Russell immediately understood.
Could it be that the Cloak of Levitation had completed the boss fight against Sword Saint Isshin Ashina?
Russell got up and approached the desk, where he saw the cutscene for completing the game.
It had actually succeeded?
Russell was somewhat incredulous as he looked at the Cloak of Levitation, then checked the current time.
Half an hour!
The Cloak of Levitation had completed the boss fight against Sword Saint Isshin Ashina in just half an hour!
If Russell hadn't been sure that the Cloak of Levitation had never played console games before, he would have suspected that it had secretly practiced in the Supreme Sanctum.
How was this possible?
Although Russell himself had managed to defeat Sword Saint Isshin Ashina, it had taken him a long time to do so, and he had faced countless challenges before finally succeeding.
"Give me a moment to digest this," Russell said, his brow furrowing.
While he wasn't too keen on the idea, he had to admit that compared to the Cloak of Levitation without hands, he with his hands seemed more like a clumsy player.
With a complex expression, he looked at the Cloak of Levitation and asked, "Do you enjoy playing these games?"
The Cloak of Levitation nodded.
"I'll have a new gaming console prepared for you. You can buy whatever games you want to play."
Though it seemed a bit odd to prepare a gaming console for a magical cloak, Russell decided to indulge the cloak's small hobby to avoid further embarrassment from losing to it. However, he wouldn't let the cloak play on his own account to avoid further frustration.
Upon hearing his words, the Cloak of Levitation happily circled around him a few times and then hovered in front of him again.
Seeing the cloak's actions, Russell shook his head in resignation.
Then, he gave the cloak a meaningful look.
The next moment, the cloak voluntarily draped itself over him.
With the cloak on, Russell left the office and flew towards the headquarters of the Justice League.
Neither the office at the Octopus Monster headquarters nor his apartment were suitable places for housing the Cloak of Levitation.
As for the System Space, he hadn't even considered it.
However, he couldn't help but be a little curious.
Could the System Space, which couldn't store living things, accommodate the Cloak of Levitation?
Although he was curious, he had no intention of testing it.
Who knew if it would harm the cloak in any way? If the cloak were injured or destroyed, he wouldn't be able to repair it.
Before long, he arrived above the Justice League headquarters.
Just as he was about to head straight to the residential area to have No. 3 arrange a room for the cloak, he suddenly had an idea.
While the Cloak of Levitation didn't have many offensive capabilities, its defensive capabilities were outstanding.
Whether it was physical or magical attacks, the Cloak of Levitation had excellent resistance.
Even the Hulk, who could take on the Hulk Buster in hand-to-hand combat, couldn't tear the Cloak of Levitation apart.
Although the Hulk was not currently at the Justice League headquarters, the Hulk was.
Since he had some free time, why not let the Hulk spar with the Cloak of Levitation and see just how strong the cloak's defense was?
Russell flew directly to the Hulk's bedroom and brought the Hulk, who was drinking, to the training area.
The Hulk initially thought Russell was itching for a fight again and wore a reluctant expression on his face.
However, when he realized that his sparring partner was not Russell but a cloak hanging from Russell, the Hulk's face showed a bewildered expression.
The Hulk might not be very intelligent, but he wasn't stupid!
"Don't look at me like that," Russell said to the Hulk.
Then, with a thought, he made the Cloak of Levitation hover in front of the Hulk.
"It's called the Cloak of Levitation, a magical cloak with its own consciousness. It can not only fly but also has its own intentions."
"You can spar with it, and I want to see if you can hurt it."
Russell's tone was calm, though the Hulk's expression was complicated.
As he stared at the Cloak of Levitation hovering quietly in front of him, the Hulk suddenly felt a bit wronged.
When he first joined the Justice League, his sparring partner was Russell.
At that time, Russell hadn't obtained the Kryptonian physique yet, and their sparring was barely fair.
After Russell acquired the Kryptonian physique, their sparring ceased to be fair.
Once he couldn't spar with Russell, his sparring partners became Big White and Little White.
Although Big White and Little White were extraterrestrial symbiotes, they were still living beings.
Now, Russell was making him spar with a cloak.
Even if it was a magical cloak, it didn't change the fact that it was just a piece of cloth.
'I'm the superhero known as the Hulk!'
The more the Hulk thought about it, the angrier he became!
Though the Hulk wore a reluctant expression, he didn't have the right to refuse.
With a fierce glare at the Cloak of Levitation, the Hulk roared loudly.
Then, he swung a powerful punch at the Cloak of Levitation with all his might.
Perhaps knowing that Russell wanted to test his defense and combat abilities, the Cloak of Levitation didn't dodge; instead, it faced the Hulk head-on and caught the punch with its "body."
A punch with the force to send a heavy truck flying hit the Cloak of Levitation with incredible strength.
And then, nothing happened.
Not only that, but the Cloak of Levitation also took the opportunity to wrap itself around the Hulk's fist and pulled forcefully.
Caught off guard, the Hulk lost his balance and fell to the ground.
However, the Cloak of Levitation attack was far from over.
At the moment the Hulk fell to the ground, the Cloak of Levitation once again flew towards him, wrapping itself around the Hulk's massive head.
Then, with the Hulk's head firmly secured, the Cloak of Levitation slammed it hard into the ground.
Boom!
The Hulk's head created a large dent in the floor upon impact.
While the Cloak of Levitation unexpected attack surprised the Hulk, it was clear that he wasn't one to give up easily.
The Hulk extended his hands, attempting to free himself from the cloak's grip on his head.
But the results weren't as good as he had hoped.
Furthermore, as the Cloak of Levitation continued to tighten its hold, the Hulk began to feel short of breath.
This was bad news for someone who couldn't see anything at the moment and whose breathing was starting to be affected.
Seeing this, Russell knew that the sparring match between the Hulk and the Cloak of Levitation had already determined the winner.
Although the Hulk was still struggling desperately, being unable to see anything and having his breathing compromised would only deplete his remaining oxygen faster.
In terms of raw strength, the Cloak of Levitation was far inferior to the Hulk.
However, once the Cloak of Levitation found an opportunity, even a physically strong Hulk couldn't withstand its onslaught.
Russell stopped the Cloak of Levitation from taking the Hulk into the air for an extreme bungee jumping experience.
It was just a sparring match; there was no need to take it to such extremes.
Moreover, Russell noticed that the Hulk, who hadn't truly lost his temper in a long time, was starting to show signs of going berserk.
If the Cloak of Levitation continued its attack, the Hulk would likely enter a uncontrollable rage state.
Even though Russell could calm the Hulk down if he went berserk, he didn't want to further damage the Hulk's confidence.
At his signal, the Cloak of Levitation released its hold on the Hulk and returned to Russell's side.
Although the Cloak of Levitation had stopped on its own, the Hulk seemed fired up now.
Seeing the Cloak of Levitation fly back to Russell, the Hulk, with an angry expression, was about to charge at it when Russell's voice rang out.
"Alright, it's over, calm down."
Russell began to pacify the Hulk.
"Hulk wants to continue!"
The Hulk grumbled.
"No need, it's just a cloak, even if you beat it, it's not something worth celebrating."
Russell continued.
"But Hulk's not happy now!"
The Hulk clearly wasn't planning to let it end like this.
"Three bottles of 1962 Macallan Laleggy."
Russell calmly said.
"Hulk wants six bottles!" The Hulk started to raise the bid.
"Maximum of four!"
"No, Hulk wants at least five!"
"Only four, or I'll drink them myself."
"Deal, four bottles it is!"
The Hulk's anger turned into a smile.
Seeing the smile on the Hulk's face, Russell shook his head helplessly.
Although four bottles of 1962 Macallan Laleggy were quite valuable, what concerned him more now was that the Hulk seemed to have developed a liking for alcohol.
Was this still the Hulk known for his anger and rage?
Sigh!
Russell sighed helplessly.
After soothing the Hulk, he took the Cloak of Levitation with him to the residential area and had No. 3 arrange a room for it.
Although the Cloak of Levitation wasn't a real living being, Russell still intended to treat it as one.
If needed, he wouldn't even mind having the Cloak of Levitation join the Justice League as a separate entity.
After all, the current Justice League weren't just a pure team of human heroes. If beings like Grendel, extraterrestrial symbiotes, and titanic monsters like Godzilla could join the Justice League, it wouldn't be too strange for the Cloak of Levitation to join.
He could even create a backstory for the Cloak of Levitation, such as it being a magical being that had existed since ancient times.
After settling the Cloak of Levitation, Russell originally planned to leave the Justice League headquarters directly.
However, as he was about to fly towards the Octopus Monster headquarters, he suddenly remembered something.
The collective dormitories of the White Zetsu.
Or rather, the White Zetsu Camp.
After dividing Grendel into two hundred second-generation symbiotes, the number of White Zetsu at the Justice League headquarters had increased to 215.
White Zetsu 15 and 22, who had been sent to the Temple of the Deep Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, had already returned.
Currently, the only White Zetsu still outside were White Zetsu 20, who was attached to Baskhi, White Zetsu 16, who was attached to Peter, White Zetsu 9, who was attached to Perkins, and White Zetsu 10 to 13, who were attached to the four Callum.
Out of the 215 White Zetsu in the White Zetsu Legion, only about 30 had hosts.
Looking at these symbiotes attached to animals and the ones stored in specially made glass containers, Russell gave it some serious thought.
He liked animals, which was why he had initially arranged for the White Zetsu to attach to animals.
But with the increase in the number of White Zetsu, he couldn't continue to let them bond with animals.
It wasn't because he couldn't afford these wild animals; it was because there were already enough animals at the Justice League headquarters.
Continuing to have White Zetsu attach to wild animals would make the Justice League headquarters look like a zoo.
Although the White Zetsu attached to animals followed the rules and wouldn't defecate or howl at night, having too many animals was still a hassle.
After giving it some thought, he made a decision.
Except for the White Zetsu attached to the jaguars, North American gray wolves, North American grizzlies, and hawk, he decided to move the other White Zetsu onto human hosts.
"No. 3, contact Bakshi and have him prepare a group of people as hosts for the White Zetsu."
"Very well, sir!" No. 3's voice immediately responded.
While Bakshi was currently busy with the other members of the High Table at the High Table's headquarters, only a few special operations teams were with him.
After giving the orders to No. 3, Russell left the Justice League headquarters and flew to the Octopus Monster headquarters.
Not long after, he returned to the office at the Octopus Monster headquarters.
Just as he was about to inquire about the progress of the first Kara film shoot, his phone suddenly rang.
It was a call from Tony!
Seeing Tony's name displayed on his phone screen, he pressed the answer button.
"Do you have time now? I've researched the new element you mentioned last time, and I've succeeded in creating it!"
Tony's voice immediately came through the phone.
"Really? Congratulations!"
Russell wasn't surprised that Tony could synthesize the new element, as he had already discovered it, but his technology at the time couldn't actually synthesize the new element.
"Why don't you come over to congratulate me in person? I have a little gift for you."
Tony spoke again.
"A little gift? What kind of gift?"
Russell asked.
"You'll find out when you get here. I'm at my house in the suburbs."
After saying that, Tony directly hung up the phone.
