Deep within the Hong Kong Sanctum, at the core of the magical temple.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Staring at the sixteen-prismatic pillar of light shimmering with iridescent hues, especially the dark yellow orb floating at its center, David's breath quickened. His eyes blazed with fervor and excitement.
A heaven-sent opportunity.
This was a heaven-sent opportunity.
Outside, Loki was leading an alien army in an invasion; inside, the Twilight God was breaking free from its seal. Even Mephisto was involved, completely drawing the attention of Kamar-Taj and the Sorcerer Supreme.
As for himself, leveraging his identity as a Kamar-Taj sorcerer, he had successfully taken control of the Hong Kong Sanctum without much resistance.
And he hadn't aroused any suspicion.
After all, their current contract with Vishanti hadn't dissipated, leaving almost no flaws detectable in any aspect.
Thoughts raced through his mind as David took several deep breaths to steady himself. Fixing his gaze on the dark yellow origin core floating within the light pillar, he turned to his equally eager companions—more than ten sorcerers whose faces mirrored his own excitement.
"Spread out, form the array, and begin absorbing the origin core!" David commanded loudly. "Our success or failure hinges on this moment."
At his words, the sorcerers swiftly moved into positions around the magic circle etched into the ground, standing at its critical nodes.
One by one, they drew out long bronze staves engraved with intricate patterns.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With resonant thuds, more than ten anti-magic staves struck the core points of the circle.
Immediately, magic surged wildly.
The staves flickered with a green-yellow light that grew ever brighter. The energy fluctuations intensified, emanating a mysterious aura of destruction and decay.
Simultaneously, a red glow ignited within the magic circle on the ground, as if resisting their efforts.
The sorcerers' faces grew solemn; beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads, revealing the strain they were under.
At that moment, the red and green-yellow lights intertwined, each refusing to yield.
David extended his Sling Ring-clad hand toward the increasingly dim sixteen-sided light pillar—in particular, the dark yellow origin core at its center.
With precise movements, he channeled crimson, flame-like ripples from the Sling Ring into the light pillar.
Then—
Pouring in magic power, he consumed it ravenously.
The dark yellow origin core began to tremble slightly.
Around him, the sorcerers intensified their magic, suppressing the circle's defenses.
Visible to the naked eye, the origin core started inching toward David.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Winds whipped around them, energies spiraled chaotically. All present gave their utmost, gritting their teeth to persevere.
Finally.
Buzz!
In a last burst of resistance, a massive energy ripple exploded from the pillar's core.
David and the other sorcerers trembled, nearly losing their grip. But in the blink of an eye, the origin core broke free from the light pillar.
The fluorescence dimmed; the once-potent energy fluctuations of the magic circle dissipated.
Before everyone's eyes, the dark yellow orb now floated above David's hand.
"David, we did it!"
"It worked—we've finally succeeded!"
Exhilaration washed over the sorcerers as they shouted with joy.
David gazed, entranced, at the origin core before him. Nodding slowly, he couldn't hide his excitement. "Yes, we've succeeded!"
Quickly, he retrieved a special wooden box adorned with purple patterns and placed the dark yellow core inside.
Turning to his companions, he said, "Let's head to our safe house. Now, we can sit back and enjoy the chaos that's about to unfold."
The others nodded in unison. With practiced coordination, they each activated their Sling Rings, conjuring portals and stepping through.
Buzz!
As the last fiery portal vanished, the chamber plunged into darkness.
Only David's lingering words echoed:
"Next time, I'll return as the Sorcerer Supreme."
Beyond Earth, in the nearby dimensional void.
Disorder and chaos defined this realm—a turbulent sea beneath a deceptively calm surface.
At this moment, immense chaotic energies clashed in the void near Earth, sporadically giving birth to energy disasters potent enough to annihilate planets.
Boom!
Once again, multicolored energies collided. With a thunderous roar, a vortex of swirling hues surged upward, then swiftly collapsed, stirring massive turbulent currents.
Though it collapsed quickly, the aftermath intensified. The turbulent energy spread for thousands of miles, continuing outward.
But—
When this colossal energy turbulence touched a certain light blue bubble, golden light flashed. A multitude of pale golden stripes manifested on the bubble's surface, forming a slightly larger pale golden sphere that enveloped it—like armor added to a shield.
This pale golden sphere remained unmoved amidst the raging energy turbulence, flickering as if absorbing the chaotic energy to replenish itself.
"Mephisto, how are things progressing?" asked Dormammu's avatar, clad in a black robe, his expression impassive as he regarded the massive magical defense encasing Earth.
Around them, other dimensional evil gods—embodiments of chaos, slaughter, hell, and more—also turned their attention to Mephisto, awaiting his response.
After all, Mephisto had initiated this invasion alliance.
"Rest assured, everyone—the plan is unfolding smoothly. Please be patient," Mephisto replied, a hint of satisfaction in his tone as he sensed updates from his clone.
The evil gods nodded slightly. None wished to leave empty-handed; rumors promised a high chance of success this time. Many had come in their true forms to secure an advantage.
"Allow me to reiterate," Mephisto continued. "If we don't eliminate the Ancient One, we'll achieve nothing. So let's unite to confront the Sorcerer Supreme first. We'll discuss the division of spoils afterward."
"Of course, Mephisto. You're correct—I support you," Dormammu agreed.
"Yes, without defeating the Ancient One, how can we peacefully carve up Earth?" echoed the chaos deity.
Others voiced their agreement.
Satisfied, Mephisto nodded and said no more. His gaze returned to the pale golden defensive barrier enveloping Earth.
Suddenly—
Buzz!
Before their eyes, the shield that had been gleaming with pale golden light dimmed on its western side. A black spot appeared, rapidly expanding. It was as if the barrier had suffered a heavy blow.
Quickly, the shield began to contract, with surrounding energy rushing to repair it.
But the moment the black spot emerged, the dimensional evil gods acted in unison without a word.
Destructive, chaotic, and murderous energies surged toward the vulnerable point.
Then—
Crack!
A faint sound of shattering echoed.
Ecstatic grins spread across Mephisto and the evil gods' faces as they simultaneously charged toward the breach.
Only a lingering echo remained:
"Onward—Conquer Earth and eliminate the Ancient One!"
At the London Sanctum, the heart of the magical barrier.
The Sorcerer Supreme sat cross-legged before the radiant, multicolored pillar of light, eyes closed in meditation.
However, the moment David extracted the origin core, she sensed the disturbance.
Opening her eyes, she sighed softly. "So, it's finally begun."
Her tone shifted, imbued with a hint of cold determination.
"Since you've come, none of you shall leave!"
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