The figure standing at the door slightly turned their head, their eyes still blinking with inexplicable light. Upon seeing Wanda, they seemed very surprised. Meanwhile, Wanda had already rushed over and thrown herself into their embrace.
Regardless of whether Wanda became a mother or not, she was still quite a steady person, but at this moment she was like a little girl, throwing herself into her teacher's arms and hugging them tightly.
"Long time no see, Teacher Hanix." Wanda gave her teacher a strong hug and then said, "How have you been lately?"
"Alright, Wanda." Hanix patted Wanda's arm, signaling her to let go, "You're not a little girl anymore. First, tell me why you came here."
Hanix's gaze surpassed her, looking at those behind Wanda. Wanda looked back at her companions and then said, "We came to look for a ghost, her name is Sarah."
"How did you get involved with her?" Hanix evidently wasn't someone who spoke halfway; she directly stated her connection with Sarah and Hampton in the most concise words.
"I needed money to keep Salem running, and someone here was willing to provide it. But on my first night here, I heard this poor girl's cries and learned the evil truth of South Fork from her mouth. So, I deceived these people and took their money."
"So you really didn't solve Hampton's issue." Arrogant emerged from the shadows. Up close, Hanix's features could be better seen; she was a middle-aged woman with a determined face, some weathering and white hair added to her charm. Her most striking feature was her slightly wrinkled eyes, which seemed as if they understood all the philosophies of the world, making her appear full of sage-like demeanor.
And compared to the image Wanda spoke of regarding Hanix, she didn't appear as passionate or aggressive, but rather she was very calm and deep, making it hard to see what she was thinking, yet it was possible to sense the alarming power accumulating beneath this calm exterior.
Steve had only seen such a temperament in one person, which was the former Supreme Magician, The Ancient One. Even compared to Stephen Strange, they had more than enough tenacity but lacked their aura.
Hanix did not shy away from the things she had done, she didn't elaborate on how wicked the people here were, and she outright used the word "deceive." It didn't sound like she was testing them, but rather she was overlooking everything from some higher perspective, making her even more akin to The Ancient One.
"So you knew all along," Wanda said, "but why didn't you take Sarah away at that time? By Salem's standards, she's also a witch."
Hanix turned her head to look at her student and then said, "Of course that's because, within the weaving of Christ's Crown, before all evil meets their retribution, I can't take away this obsessed soul."
Wanda seemed to realize something. Just then, she saw a semi-transparent shadow float up from the basement. The shadow was very hazy, completely indistinct in detail, and even appeared like an illusion, disappearing quickly with no clue where it went.
Blake seemed to have seen something, he shouted, "Sarah! Sarah! Wait for me!"
He ran towards an unknown direction. Greed looked over there and then said, "Quick, follow him."
Everyone followed Blake. He ran all the way out of the shopping mall and along the road outside the mall a good distance until he reached a park. Now others could no longer see that phantom, but Blake had his eyes fixed straight towards the fountain in the park.
"What do you want to do? How can I help you?" Blake looked at her, as if he had lost his mind, "I will help you. I will help you..."
Steve thought Blake was having an illusion, so he stepped forward to calm him down, but Arrogant held him back and said, "The part of the infant within him has awakened, growing rapidly. He's destined to be reborn by his mother, breaking free from the identity of an embodiment of evil into a true human being."
Steve was about to ask something when he noticed Blake painfully kneeling on the ground and then collapsing. Wanting to go forward but fearing to disrupt things, he turned instead to look at Hanix, hoping this seemingly revered witch would do something.
Hanix seemed to have anticipated this: "So it wasn't revenge she was fixated on; she was waiting for her child."
She paused for a moment and then muttered to herself, "Then the culprit in that slaughter back then, could it be someone else?"
Arrogant seemed to know what she was thinking, she said, "The people at Violet Resort Village were killed by the repercussions of Blake's birth. That wasn't Sarah's wish, she was a victim too."
"I see." Hanix sighed softly, "No wonder I can't sense resentment or hatred from her, she didn't want to eliminate the people of this area, she just wanted to wait for her child to return."
Just then, a fierce wind rose. Hampton seemed to have incited a storm. Those without mystical skills could only hear the wind, but in the eyes of those who could gaze directly upon magic power, the supernatural power in this area was constantly swirling and gathering, with the center of the whirlpool being this park.
Stark's eyes flickered with magical light, he said, "The supernatural power of the material world is condensing; what will birth out of this?"
A dark blue phantom was gradually solidifying. It was that of a young girl with a charming face, appearing no older than 18. Steve immediately recognized her as the girl wearing a waiter uniform who he saw in the mirror at Rodrix Manor. Could this be Sarah?
"She is absorbing those supernatural powers," Stark said. "Will she become a powerful ghost, or..."
"A witch," Hanix replied, "just like Wanda. They're both composed of some special power."
The gathering energy grew more and more rampant. Now, even ordinary people who don't understand magic can sense some danger approaching. The wind reached typhoon levels, and Natasha had to raise her arms to shield herself.
"Meditate with me! Sarah!" Hanix was like an immovable stabilizer in the storm, "I'll teach you how to control your power! Don't resist them, transform yourself into them..."
As for Wanda, she used the power of Scarlet to envelop the others, protecting them from the rampaging force. Hanix flew up, guiding these uncontrolled supernatural powers with her own strength. Wanda, watching her from behind, said, "It reminds me of the years my teacher taught me. She also faced chaos magic directly, eventually helping me control this formidable power."
"Swimming in chaos magic? Isn't that a bit too strong?" Coulson remarked.
"The teacher had an unimaginable affinity for all energies; she could harmonize several violent forces and use them perfectly. She is the most powerful witch in this world."
If the Scarlet Witch was born strong, then Hanix was as divine in a mortal guise. No one here could imagine how to help Wanda control her mutant ability. Even the Big Shadow wouldn't dare make such a promise, but Hanix did it.
As the wind gradually weakened, the power also began to subside. However, Blake, who was painfully collapsed on the ground, began emitting a glow. Sarah, nearly solidified and emitting a faint blue light, descended from mid-air, walked over, and gently embraced Blake. When the glow faded, she didn't hold the dark-haired adult male but a baby.
Sarah looked at him with loving eyes, gently stroking his cheek. The baby's sharp cries should have sounded piercing, but the suddenly shattered light of day made the sound like the thunder of spring renewal.
The perpetual pale clouds and swirling fog above Hampton finally cracked open. The dawn's light spilled down, showering the baby, as if wrapping him in a swaddling cloth.
"Jesus is born," Stark marveled. This wasn't a joke, as the scene indeed resembled the birth of Jesus. Especially with the knowledge that Hampton used to be called Crown of Christ, it felt even more fated.
"It's increasingly like a movie," Greed observed.
"Only the protagonists aren't us, but ghosts, demons, and witches," Arrogant continued.
Once everything settled, everyone returned to the manor, including Sarah and Hanix holding the baby. Hanix was explaining the turmoil in New Salem.
"Nicholas isn't the key," Hanix's tone was somewhat somber, "The key is the nobles centered around him in New Salem, who have occupied too many resources of that barren land. Many lower-class witches can no longer endure it."
"His seven wives, the Salem Seven he fathered, and all related personnel form a vested interest group, depleting the already scarce resources. The basic living of the lower class can't be guaranteed, and they know they can't fight against them with their own strength. So, they called out to me."
"When I returned to New Salem, Nicholas and the Salem Seven set a trap, attempting to burn me to death. But they weren't my match. I expelled Nicholas from the city, chasing him all the way to here. He should be in the hands of the Supreme Magician by now, shouldn't he?"
"Hold on a second," Stark couldn't help but interrupt after holding back for a long time, "Seven wives? He married seven wives?"
"He is the king of New Salem," Hanix seemed unsure how to explain, "Since ancient times, emperors could marry many wives."
Everyone was at a loss for words, a poor little town on the Colorado Plateau with only a few hundred residents, yet they managed to produce an emperor. And this emperor shamelessly had a harem of wives and even fathered a full seven children!
The Avengers, living in the modern era, didn't quite know how to comment. But Hanix explained, "My bloodline has special powers. Nicholas and his Salem Seven all possess strong powers as well."
"Are they superpower users?" Steve asked incredulously.
Hanix nodded, "Yes, my power can be transmitted through the bloodline."
"My God, if you knew this, you should have been more cautious," Stark said. "That guy is trying to use his offspring to create a super villain army!"
Everyone else also wore solemn expressions. Mutants can't even guarantee all their children are mutants, yet Hanix's powers could be transmitted from mother to child and not just for one generation. This means that eventually, there could be a new group emerging within the human race.
Even more frightening is that Nicholas, the origin of these people, is clearly not a good person. If he hides away, keeps procreating, and one day leads this army of superpower users into chaos, it would definitely create a huge mess.