Authors Note-
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Ivan and the Red Devil found themselves in a vast underground cave, surrounded by gigantic beasts, and Skullcrawlers, all of which were several meters long. These creatures had grotesque, skull-like heads, but they were currently in a deep slumber. No external disturbance could rouse them from their peaceful sleep.
An hour before Ivan's arrival, the nano-robots had administered potent anesthetics to these Skullcrawlers, rendering them helpless against Ivan's intentions. These beasts, even in their slumber, were no match for Ivan's careful preparations.
Among them, the largest Skullcrawler lay atop the Star Whale egg, a testament to its role as the king of the Skullcrawlers. It occupied the most coveted spot, benefiting from the Star Whale's magnetic field.
With a wave of his hand, Ivan levitated the king of the Skullcrawlers, gently moving it aside. Red Devil proceeded to assemble the instruments that Ivan had prepared beforehand. As Ivan directed, a large circular machine, roughly seven or eight meters in diameter, quickly took shape. In the center, the Red Devil positioned himself on a chair with two handles, ready to commence the task at hand.
The machine was designed by Ivan to open a space wormhole. While the Red Devil was usually limited to a 30-meter diameter, this machine allowed the wormhole to reach a size of 150 meters, sufficiently large for the task of transporting the Star Whale eggs.
As the Red Devil began using his spatial abilities, the machine's circuitry began to illuminate, and a bright blue beam emerged, creating a space wormhole several dozen meters in diameter. On the other side of the wormhole was the initial base that had been established on the island.
As the wormhole expanded, it reached a diameter of 130 meters. Ivan carefully lifted the immense Star Whale egg with his power, guiding it through the space wormhole to land on the other side. The Red Devil promptly shut down the wormhole after the transfer was complete.
Once the wormhole had completely vanished, Ivan breathed a sigh of relief. He addressed the Red Devil, "Excellent, everything went smoothly. The powerful anesthetic's effects will last for another hour. When they awaken and discover the Star Whale eggs are gone, they will undoubtedly go into a frenzy. We should return and prepare for what's to come."
The Red Devil swiftly took Ivan's hand, using his spatial abilities to transport them back outside. There, they met with Arnold, who was part of the group awaiting the forthcoming threat.
Arnold passed along the news to the rest of the team, explaining that the monstrous creatures would appear in approximately an hour. As a result, the soldiers positioned themselves for an ambush.
Arnold found an opportunity to speak with Ivan, asking, "Master Ivan, is this monster called the Skullcrawler truly as powerful as it's said to be? Could it overpower the gorilla known as King Kong?"
Ivan responded, "Certainly, these monsters are natural enemies of King Kong. While King Kong is more agile and faster, enabling him to avoid confrontations, the Skullcrawler would likely overpower King Kong in a head-to-head fight. The king of the Skullcrawlers is especially formidable, with many loyal subjects under its command."
Arnold was different from most individuals, harboring a deep fascination with power. "It's genuinely powerful. If only I had such power," he remarked.
This remark gave Ivan an intriguing idea. He recalled reading about a magical potion known as a shape-shifting biological agent in Rasputin's magic books. When a person imbibes this potion, it grants them some of the weak biological characteristics of another creature. It doesn't make them as powerful, but it provides certain abilities. What intrigued Ivan was whether this potion could be used to modify an individual's genetics at a fundamental level.
If this was possible, he could create a biological potion using the Skullcrawler's properties and have Arnold consume it. However, Ivan didn't want to see Arnold turn into a monster like the ones on Skull Island.
But beyond that, this line of thinking led him to contemplate the differences between mutants and ordinary humans. Mutants typically had only a 0.01% genetic variation from regular humans, which granted them various superhuman abilities. So if genetic modification technology were combined with the magic of the shape-shifting biological agent, what extraordinary outcomes could be achieved? This was an exciting avenue of research, and Ivan could hardly contain his enthusiasm for such a novel and challenging experiment.
Ivan contemplated the fascinating possibilities of transformation in the world of magic. The concept of Animagi intrigued him – the ability to transform into a specific animal, retaining that form for extended periods. He thought of Wormtail's transformation into a rat, where he lived incognito for over a decade in Ron's home. The idea of shape-shifting across species intrigued him further.
However, the magic books he had, particularly Rasputin's, were not comprehensive enough. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in England was the primary source of such knowledge. After finishing his current mission, Ivan made up his mind to find a way to visit Hogwarts, copy all the books on magic knowledge, and study them in depth.
But Ivan also knew that, at the moment, he couldn't afford to be distracted by such thoughts. The imminent threat of the Skullcrawler required his complete focus.
While waiting, the soldiers remained hidden, their weapons at the ready, and their collective breath held. The surrounding quietude was eventually disrupted by the distant roar of wild beasts. Rare birds took flight, sensing the impending danger.
Shortly thereafter, the lake's surface rippled, and an immense skeletal head emerged from the water, followed by thick forelimbs, a slender body, and a lengthy tail. It was the Skullcrawler King, furious and determined to find the thieves who had stolen its treasures. It was a grand appearance, but it approached too rapidly, unaware of the underwater mines, and the ensuing explosion caused it to crash back into the water.
A series of mines detonated, and the Skullcrawler King's head bore the brunt of the blasts. The ensuing pain drove it into a frenzy. But the preparations on the shore had been meticulous. When the soldiers saw their target, they shouted, "Shoot"
Rockets were launched in quick succession, their warheads trailing fiery tails. The Skullcrawler King was hit hard again and let out a thunderous roar as it was forced back into the water.
While the king was suffering, several other Skullcrawlers emerged and appeared to be preparing for an assault on the shore.
However, the Skullcrawlers exhibited high levels of intelligence. They deduced that their attackers must be formidable foes to have prepared an ambush of this scale. The thief who had stolen their treasure must be well-prepared. These monsters were determined to recover their stolen loot.
The Skullcrawler King, with assistance from the other crawlers, managed to withstand the ambush, albeit with severe injuries. Their attackers suffered several casualties, leaving the water's edge slick with blood.
The King, despite his injuries, managed to strike a few soldiers who had ventured too close. These soldiers were propelled a great distance, landing on rocks. The rockets they had carried on their shoulders detonated, leaving no trace of their existence.
Enraged by this, Arnold aimed with a laser cannon and fired at the king. The red laser hurtled toward the creature with a deadly force.
However, the Skullcrawler King possessed a keen sense of danger. It twisted its body just in time to evade the laser's path, though not unscathed. A portion of its limb was blown away.
Faced with this newfound and deadly weapon, the king felt a genuine fear he had never experienced before. It struggled to decide whether to advance or retreat. But when more Skullcrawlers came ashore and began attacking the soldiers, Arnold fired again. Several of them were decapitated.
The Skullcrawler King watched its companions fall, fear and the instinct for self-preservation eventually prevailing. It could no longer pursue the stolen treasure. With its future in jeopardy, it turned and fled, diving back into the water and retreating to its lair.
The other Skullcrawlers followed their King's lead, disappearing into the water. What remained on the shore were the lifeless bodies of the Skullcrawlers who had dared to approach the intruders.