In Duval’s view, no matter what kind of matter it was, as long as mutants got involved, they would inevitably turn something simple into an overcomplicated mess.
Political and social issues were only part of it.
Judging purely by power, there were also several frustratingly unpredictable figures among the mutant population.
The classic examples were Omega-level mutants, who possessed infinite potential.
What made it interesting, though, was that the exact same mutant could be Omega-level in one universe, while their counterpart in another universe might end up mediocre and incompetent, with mundane potential at best.
The X-gene, originating from the Deviants, was always full of variables.
And Juggernaut was precisely one of those who required close attention—though strictly speaking, Juggernaut wasn’t even a mutant.
In most universes, Juggernaut’s power stemmed from an ancient and overwhelmingly powerful terror—the greatest demon in the multiverse, residing beyond the multiverse dimensions in the Crimson Cosmos: Cyttorak!
Many of the powerful spells used by Kamar-Taj drew upon Cyttorak’s power.
Whether out of a peculiar obsession with the Infinity Gemstones or sheer sadistic amusement, Cyttorak generally didn’t care if others borrowed a fraction of his power.
Instead, he loved scattering his hand-crafted Crimson Gemstones across the multiverse.
Each Crimson Gemstone acted like an anchor coordinate, capable of establishing a direct connection with Cyttorak and receiving the immense power he transmitted.
And in the vast majority of universes, the person who bore the power of the Crimson Gemstone was none other than…
Juggernaut!
“Deviants have the ability to absorb the vitality and genes of various lifeforms and alter their own physical structure based on what they consume.
You know this, right?
I’d bet quite a few of your fellow mutants have already been absorbed by them,” Duval said.
Raven sneered.
“And what does that prove?
It’s a despicable trait, but it still pales in comparison to you.” Duval shrugged.
“Just keep an eye on the Deviant leader who captured Juggernaut.
Care to guess why that leader targeted Juggernaut specifically instead of anyone else?
If you’re unlucky, it won’t be long before you have to face an enemy so powerful it defies imagination.” “A Deviant that absorbed Juggernaut?” Magneto clearly sounded skeptical.
He knew Juggernaut’s power inside and out.
At most, it would make the Deviant leader’s physical body invulnerable—hardly something impossible to deal with.
Skeptical or not, Magneto was a veteran of countless battles who possessed full confidence in his own strength.
Still, since the mysterious Duval had emphasized it, he raised his guard internally.
“Let’s begin the transaction,” Duval said.
“You asked a question, and I answered.
Now deliver ten—no, five Deviants to me.
I still have some faith in the credit of one of the twin pillars of mutantkind.” “What exactly happened to the Eternals and Deviants twenty thousand years ago?” Magneto asked.
“The two sides fought for control of Earth.” “And the outcome?” “That’s another question.
Deliver the down payment first, then we’ll talk.” “?” “Don’t give me that look.
Even if I told you who won and who lost, you’d definitely press on to ask about their ultimate fate and why they disappeared from Earth.
The value of this intelligence far exceeds your imagination,” Duval replied.
Considering this involved the Celestials—beings whose strength started at high Skyfather level—such intelligence was well worth several more batches of Deviants.
…
The exchange drew to a close.
As for Raven, Magneto hadn’t uttered a word about asking Duval to release her.
Both sides knew full well that anyone with a brain wouldn’t dismantle their own communication line right as preliminary cooperation began.
Alive, Raven served as Duval’s messenger while allowing her to observe him up close; if she uncovered any valuable secrets, she could report back to Magneto immediately.
Duval stood up, stretched his arms, and gestured for the Xenomorphs to release Raven.
“Find a way to bandage that yourself,” Duval remarked offhandedly, glancing at the puncture wound on her shoulder.
Her expression didn’t flicker.
By manipulating her surrounding muscle cells, her flesh shifted and squirmed into place, performing an initial repair of the injury.
“You look a bit anxious.
I doubt it’s because of Erik, but rather Juggernaut,” Raven remarked, her sharp eyes studying his expression closely.
Duval paused briefly, then admitted frankly, “Anxious?
Perhaps for a moment.
Just as I said, you know nothing about Juggernaut, nor do you understand what might happen in the future.” “Only if we’re unlucky, and you brought up the luck factor yourself.
What I’m more curious about is what exactly Juggernaut has that warrants your concern.” An invincible body?
That ability was trivial in front of Magneto.
All he had to do was shove Juggernaut deep underground, pile a mountain of metal over him, and no matter how indestructible his physique was, it would be utterly useless.
Duval smiled faintly without answering.
He simply pulled out an Ovomorph and set it down before Raven.
“I’ve been wanting to head underground to inspect things, but your Xenomorphs kept blocking me.
I assume I can now?” Raven spoke, forcing an unfazed facade while her heart thumped at the sight of the opening egg.
It wasn’t until the Facehugger lunged onto her face that Raven, experiencing this for the first time, finally lost her composure.
She reflexively raised her hand to knock the creature off.
*Bang!* Duval raised his hand and punched her square in the stomach.
That single blow was enough for the Facehugger to clamp fully onto her face and complete the implantation process.
A while later, when Raven awoke, the first thing she did was check her body.
“So, it seems I’ve become your slave, just like that little woman over there.” Raven maintained an elegant composure as she moved toward Duval, but before she could take a step, he cut her off.
“If you’re planning to slip away, find a spot, and perform open-chest surgery to remove the Xenomorph embryo, give up now.
I won’t give you that opportunity.” Raven’s expression stiffened.
The smile faded from her face, replaced by a surge of malice in her eyes.
Yet there was nothing she could do.
Every move she intended to make had already been blocked by Duval.
*I need to increase my strength as quickly as possible…
Not just my personal power, but I also need to build a sizable army in a short time.* Duval pondered.
To rapidly expand the Xenomorph army, he first relied on the Queen’s egg-laying speed.
Currently, she laid roughly five to ten Ovomorphs a day, though the rate was rising over time.
Duval guessed this was because the Queen had metamorphosed from an ordinary Xenomorph mid-way, leaving her naturally disadvantaged in reproductive capacity.
Second, he needed a stable, reliable source of hosts.
Implanting ordinary animals wasn’t ideal; the resulting Runner Xenomorphs were too weak.
What about host-implanting humans in large numbers?
Setting aside that Duval himself was human, doing such a thing at this stage would draw hostility from the entire world.
Relying solely on death row inmates wouldn’t yield enough volume either.
Therefore, the truly cost-effective target was a group whose base locations and population distribution Duval had already uncovered…
Vampires!