At this moment, Greed, standing behind Strange, widened his eyes, for he remembered the last time he saw such a look of Morbid was when Morbid first met Batman.
Morbid rarely stares at anyone. Most of the time he doesn't care, and the rest of the time he knows that seeing and remembering them has no significance. Most people in this world have no effect on the progression of Shiller's individual life stages, so naturally, there is no need to look at them.
This indifference is one of the manifestations of autistic patients like Morbid. Their scattered state often exhibited during childhood is not complete mental derangement, nor is it due to auditory or visual illusions caused by schizophrenia. They know that someone is calling them, and they know that someone needs a response.
They do not respond because they find it boring or meaningless. This is why some people call Autism, Indifference Syndrome.
As for Morbid of Shiller, the people Morbid focuses on and intends to see clearly are naturally those he thinks might be meaningful to Shiller or those he is particularly interested in. In other words, they can be summarized as tools that are useful to him and toys that he finds interesting.
Batman is the former, and Constantine is the latter, but obviously, Morbid's use or research process of anyone would not be pleasant, the same goes for Shiller himself.
The moment Strange blurted out those words, Greed knew something was wrong. He had witnessed the whole process of how Batman had been chosen by Morbid and then mutually tormented with Arrogant for four years.
Greed rushed over in a few strides, grabbed Strange's arm and tried to pull him away, but Strange was as immovable as if he had been planted in the ground, no matter how greed tug at him or made eye signals, he didn't budge an inch.
Greed was falling apart. If you were to ask who was crazier, Batman or Doctor Strange, the answer would obviously be Batman, but it would have to be the mature Batman of the popular stereotype.
The Arrogant was only dealing with a college newbie Batman at the beginning. His worldview was not yet mature and easily shaken. The logic of fighting criminals had many loopholes, which was easily spotted and exploited.
However, Strange has fully evolved into a Doctor Strange, or rather, an ultimate evolution form. His worldview has completely matured, and the entire logic is highly consistent. More importantly, he doesn't have Batman's moral bottom line.
Most Stephen Stranges in the world are hardly the righteous in traditional sense. The infamous and blood-boiling misdeeds concocted by the Illuminati, and Strange's flexible moral bottom line, is second only to the troublesome King Reed.
Even when he was a top surgeon, the arrogance and superiority ingrained in his bones had not diminished much after he became a Mage, accompanied by inevitable petty-mindedness and bearing grudges.
Thinking of this, Greed remembered the sweet time when he was chased dozens or hundreds of rounds over New York City by superheros because of an umbrella, led by the Arrogant. Not everyone has the willpower of DC's parental love like Batman to endure mutual torture with the Arrogant for so long.
"All Shillers are the same person." Morbid speak up saying, "We are nothing more than different personality traits. The pursuit of infinite possibilities by individual traits alone is meaningless. We all need to strive for the development of the individual Shiller."
"So why strive?" Strange asked a question, but his tone didn't sound like he was expecting an answer. Sure enough, he quickly answered it himself: " The so-called acceptance of emotions through greed and imitation is nothing more than trying to become like the vast majority of ordinary people."
"I'm also a doctor, so I know that the vast majority of patients in this world are pursuing normality. Some patients even ask me in the last second before anaesthesia takes effect whether they can live like normal people after surgery."
"Those who can lie on my operation table are not worried about whether their self-care ability after the surgery can cope with daily life. They are so afraid of defects because they are afraid of anomalies."
"Even normal people are constantly worrying about being the black sheep. Even geniuses far beyond ordinary people always seek a sense of belonging in the crowd." The breath in Strange's tone sounded like another story blown into what he was saying by the wind.
"So why not to imitate?" Morbid asked. Looking into Strange's eyes, he continued, "You know how pale and powerless those so-called discourses of not fearing worldly looks are. Since you have the power to disguise yourself as them and blend into them, why bother to explain your anomaly?"
Strange's expression suddenly relaxed. He looked at Morbid and said, "This is actually a compromise, isn't it? You still love them, so you choose to cover up your anomalies and join them."
"I don't know how you understand love. I don't care about them."
"If you really don't care, and if you really don't love at all, as you say, detest them and tired of explanations, why not do it once and for all?"
Morbid's eyebrows furrowed in a rare occurrence. Strange stared into his eyes, stepped back two steps, turned around and said to Adam behind him.
"I threw the amputated arm through the portal to the Great World into the barrier of the Great World. It is now existing on the body of some Stephen Strange in the Great World who has just lost his arm.
"It's a part of my body and soul. If I want to, I can merge with it right away, replace some Strange in some universe, and then tell your colleagues in the Great World about the good things you've done in this universe."
Adam's eyes widened instantly. He stared at Strange and said incredulously, "Are you crazy? Have I offended you? Supreme Magician!!!"
"Not before, but if you refuse me next, then yes." The muscles on the lower lid of Strange's eyes twitched slightly, looking even more morbid than Morbid.
"Turn everyone in the universe into autistic patients, I know you can do it. If everyone is abnormal, then everyone is normal."
Greed also stared wide-eyed at Strange, the sentence that almost slipped out of his mouth was "Aren't you being a bit too extreme?!"
"Are you trying to make me choose?" Morbid, with a rare squint, stared at Strange with a perverse intensity.
"If, as you said, you created Greed solely to be a normal person, then what I've done could completely fulfil your wish." Strange turned again, this time waiting closer to Morbid, unafraid to meet his gaze.
"But if I choose such a path for the life of the entire cosmos, then Shiller's goal of enabling all life in the cosmos to have infinite potential, I fear, will never be achievable."
"If I end up being the perpetrator who seals the fate of humanity, all the efforts Shiller has put in so far would be in vain, wars would still happen, everything would reset, and the morbid society of mankind would have no future."
"So, are you hoping that the Greed you created will faithfully fulfil his mission, keeping Shiller's anomalies unnoticed, or do you want him to give up his excessive emotional cravings, dissuading me from taking such drastic measures to cure him, causing him to feel sorrow and disappointment because he cannot achieve his goals?"
Strange kept staring into Morbid's eyes while Morbid watched him closely. After a moment of silence, Morbid lowered his head and laughed bitterly.
"Very well." Morbid nodded, "Amazing."
But Strange did not relax, seeming determined to get an answer from Morbid. Morbid, grinning, said,
"But what made you believe that it's me controlling and manipulating Greed, making him uncontrollably gluttonous and rejecting treatment?"
Stephen Strange was taken aback, then looked unbelievably at Morbid. Morbid laughed, sighed, and said, "I apologize, it was all in fairness. I also once set a similar trap for the arrogantly proud student."
Greed at the side covered his eyes and sighed deeply. Strange turned to look at him, apparently wanting an explanation. Greed snorted, "As simple as linguistic suggestion, demonstrating his specialty as soon as he arrives to grab your attention. Then, using me as a reference, placing himself in a superior position..."
"Stephen Strange, have you ever received a scam phone call from someone claiming to be a shareholder of Stark Group?"
Strange gaped at Morbid. Greed jumped in, "So it's not him controlling you..."
"When did I say I controlled him?" Morbid was still smiling. He added emphasis and said, "I just said what compelled me to create him; I never said anything about his mission, nor any changes he isn't allowed to make."
Greed walked over and put a hand on Strange's shoulder, "Forget it. Don't blame yourself. My other student is not much better. At best, it is a draw."
But when Greed looked up, he saw Morbid's faintly malicious smile, and Morbid spoke,
"What personality traits turn into has long ceased to have anything to do with me, it's entirely their own will. Since you're stubborn enough to destroy the world for Greed's sake, what can't you change?"
Greed immediately turned to look at Morbid in shock, but Morbid jerked his chin at Strange and said, "I like your determination. You guys chat, I'll go first."
After that, he walked out of the theatre without looking back, leaving Strange and Greed in a staring contest.
Quickly, Greed realized that the malicious expression on Strange's face was likely not a misperception.
Meanwhile, Morbid, who had arrived on the first floor via elevator, looked over to the second floor railing. Arrogant was standing there, signaling Morbid that someone was at the front door.
The door to the Tower of Thought was being knocked at. A familiar voice called from outside: "Shiller, open the door! Shiller! Are you there? Open the door quick!"
When Morbid opened the door, standing outside was Tony Stark. Stark, slightly taken aback at the sight of this different Shiller, frowned and asked, "Who are you? Is Shiller here?"
"I am also Shiller," replied Morbid.
"Okay, I know you guys. What I meant to ask was, is the Shiller I know here? ...Wait, what is your relationship?"
Stark's animal instinct kicked in, giving him a chill as he looked at this unfamiliar Shiller. Morbid broke into a smile and said, "I am Morbid, What are you looking for Greed for?"
"'Little fellow'??!!"
Standing by the railing on the second floor, Arrogant looked at Stark's stunned expression and gave a triumphant smile.
A draw? Greed got crushed! Isn't it because he's got too many friends?