"Astonishingly perceptiveness." Shiller stands at the fork in the delivery channel in the kitchen, running his hand over the wall, "So, use your sharp sense to guess where the deer we are going to visit would hide in the forest?"
Pamela lifts her face in the darkness, her eyes flickering faintly, but she doesn't utilize her special ability. She just focuses on hearing the subtle sounds of the blood pumping from her heart, pounding faster than ever. Undoubtedly, a deer's heart rate would be just as frantic.
"The warehouse, in the cold storage of the warehouse."
Without any hesitation, Shiller strides in that direction. Pamela blurts out, "I have dealt with these magicians. They are not completely ignorant of the common people's world. At least they know that the door of the cold storage is the strongest, and they are not as afraid of the cold as common people. If they can block the mob for a while, they would have the opportunity to escape using magic."
"A splendid deduction."
"Are we going to capture the smartest deer?" Pamela licks her lips again, rubs the sweat in her palm with her thumb, and begins to feel her heart rate stabilising.
"Feeling it?" Shiller's smile is still visible in the dark, "This is what true tranquillity feels like."
"You shouldn't be inciting me." Pamela's voice has a hint of hoarseness, "It would be more dangerous than you think."
"I'm just offering you rescuing tactics after social failures, but don't actually implement them, else you'll become so relaxed that you forget how to socialise, hiding back in the forest, turning yourself into that deer."
Pamela understood what Shiller meant, isn't this the tragic tale of the magicians in the magical realm?
They isolate themselves from the majority of ordinary people, believing they are unique and talented. Distaining to socialize with ordinary people, almost devoid of any social relationship, they hide in the forest called the magic realm, degrading themselves into animals only with strong muscles.
That's why the mob can kill them without hesitation because the mages have nothing of value backing them up. So what about the Master of Dark Night, Jim? Would he avenge these mages by slaughtering the entire human race? Who would dare to do such a thing?
"It's the society of common people, either mix in or stay away." Shiller's low voice echoed in the hallway, "If you want to enjoy the prosperity of a civilized society, communicate by its rules. This is a necessary price to pay."
"So you chose psychology?"
"Yes, in instances where I could have killed them."
Shiller and Pamela stop in front of the door to the warehouse. Shiller looks briefly at the water-stained footprint at the door, Pamela's reasoning is accurate to the point of no doubt. The person apparently entered a short while ago, and the vault keypad inside obviously caused him some problems. The door was closed just a few seconds ago.
"Take me inside."
The next second, a green light blink, green tendrils disappear, Shiller briefly sees a tall thin figure in the waning light, but it's not whom he expected to see there.
"Stephen Strange."
Strange turns around and sees the barren grey eyes. He suppresses the name he was about to blurt out, his facial expression becoming colder.
When he turns back, Pamela realises that there's a person in Strange's arms, or rather the exact deer they were looking for. Only three seconds ago, its rapidly beating heart had stopped functioning.
Strange loosens his grip, a thin chain drops from his hand, the body slid to the floor, making a thud. The cloak slips from his forehead, Pamela recognises that familiar face, she exclaims: "Master Andrew!"
"An idiot." Strange lowers his eyes, looking at the body on the floor, "He believed that I couldn't use magic in this world, so his threats were of no consequence. He made a trade with a foolish goat and left a backdoor for him in the Earth's Magical Defense Network."
"If I say he was not always like this, would you believe me?"
"Of course. He did step up in the war that happened here, but it's hard to term his deed as virtuous or evil. Are you here to defend him?"
"I need his corpse."
Strange frowns, and in the next second, a powerful force blasted him to the ground, a thud following. Painful moaning leaking from Strange's mouth.
Shiller throws him aside effortlessly as if tossing a tiny doll, feeling the impact of crashing into the steel food racks.
Pamela finally understands what Shiller meant when he said 'having some experience in fighting humanoids'.
Shiller once again stands upright before Master Andrew's body, he glances over the entrance of the warehouse, the chaos caused by the mob is getting closer, they don't have much time left.
Strange lying on the floor, struggling to breathe. He attempts to roll over, extending his shaking arm, a whip brimming with dark energy shoots out from his hand, sparking against the smooth metal surface.
"Snap!"
A green shield blocks the attack, not in front of Shiller but positioned in front of Master Andrew's corpse.
Shiller turns his head towards Strange, who is bleeding from his mouth. Shiller walks towards him and opens his breathing passage by placing his hand on the side of his shoulder.
Laying flat on the ground, Strange's eyes start blur out, he feels like he was hoisted up by Shiller and then he loses consciousness.
When he wakes up, he sees a strange ceiling, Shiller is standing in front of his bed against the light, his face remains unseen.
"I don't see why you must fight me, sir." Shiller speaks with a lilt as if reciting a poem.
Despite the pain in his chest, Strange chuckles, "Isn't it possible for me to just not like you?"
"Could you give me a reason?" Shiller sits by the bed, resting his arms on his legs, looking at Strange, his tone not carrying the slightest hint of irritation, only a gentle curiosity.
Strange closes his eyes and says in a husky voice, "You are not human, you're just a monster disguising in a human skin. You should get out of this body and return it to Shiller."
"Completely fair, Mr. Strange."
Opening his eyes, Strange looks incredulously at Shiller who just stood back up.
Did he just detect joy in the monster's tone? Why isn't he angry?
"Miss Pamela will be arriving shortly to treat your injuries. But as an apology, I must invite you to the banquet tomorrow night, you will enjoy it."
"I'm not interested in the barbaric feasts of beasts." Strange closes his eyes.
"Fortunately, the theme of this party is 'human'". Shiller looks down at Strange and says, "We hope you would honour us with your presence, Honorable Supreme Mage."