Maier, feeling uneasy, immediately asked Shion, "What time is it now? What major organizations and corporations exist in the world? Are there any special individuals of note?"
Shion was momentarily stunned before he began to report everything he knew.
After listening, Maier was utterly bewildered—this world was truly chaotic!
The current year was 1943, right in the middle of World War II. Across the ocean, a new national hero known as "Captain America" had emerged in the Beautiful Country, while on the side of the Third Reich, an organization called "HYDRA" was attempting to dominate the world. In order to sustain the basic expenses of the Sanctuary, Shion had broadened his vision and invested in several companies, even holding shares in some of them. While most of the names were unfamiliar to Maier, one stood out like thunder in his ears—
Stark Industries!
That's right! A few years ago, while searching for orphans with the potential to become Saints, Shion happened to encounter the destitute Howard Stark. Feeling the small cosmos within him, undeveloped but radiating a strong aura of kindness, and recognizing his genius, Shion decided to invest a small sum of money.
To repay Shion's kindness, after founding Stark Industries, Howard Stark gifted him 30% of the company's original shares, making Shion its largest shareholder.
Apart from this, there were two renowned assassin organizations: one called the High Table and the other the Assassin Brotherhood.
Maier immediately recalled two faces from his mind—one was a cold-faced man who had killed three people with a pencil, and the other a tragic figure capable of bending bullets mid-air.
"Is there a race called mutants in this world?" Maier asked further.
"Your wisdom is unparalleled, my lord. Even after your slumber, you can still discern the current state of the world."
"Indeed, they exist. During your sleep, a new race called mutants emerged in the Latin regions. Their leader enslaved the local people and even proclaimed himself a god, intending to rule the earth. However, fearing interference with the Holy War, the Pope did not send Saints to intervene directly but secretly assisted the local people in overthrowing his rule."
"Heh… haha…" Maier could only let out a bitter laugh to express his frustration.
This was just perfect! Not only did this world have Marvel elements, but also the High Table, the Assassin Brotherhood, and mutants. More importantly, the gods were set to awaken in just a few decades, heralding a new Holy War.
In such a chaotic world teeming with gods and demons, how was the Sanctuary supposed to survive and develop? That was the most pressing question.
However, there was also good news—the Sanctuary had not isolated itself from the outside world, unlike in the original timeline. Under Shion's leadership, the Sanctuary had already begun to establish initial connections with the modern world.
This meant there was a lot of room to maneuver.
Take Howard Stark, for example—since they already had a good foundation, it would be wise to develop their relationship further. In the future, their interactions with the Avengers could be carefully orchestrated.
As for the High Table and the Assassin Brotherhood? They were insignificant problems. For ordinary people, they were terrifying, but for the Sanctuary, bullets were no more than an itch, and even bombs wouldn't have much of an impact.
Especially for the Gold Saints—since the requirement to become one was to awaken the Seventh Sense, abilities like light-speed punches, psychokinesis, and superluminal flight were just the standard.
There were only four forces that truly made Maier cautious:
1. Kamar-Taj – He was uncertain about their stance toward the Sanctuary and himself. Although they had cooperated before, Kamar-Taj's sorcerers tended to be inflexible in their thinking.
2. Asgard – Maier didn't know if the Asgard in Marvel was related to the mythical Asgard of the past. Were they completely separate, or had they merged into one entity?
3. Thanos, aka the Mad Titan – Maier wasn't concerned about Thanos himself; no matter how large his army was, they would be bullied upon reaching Earth. What he truly feared was the Six Infinity Stones. These represented the six fundamental laws of the universe, and unless one could achieve the legendary Tenth Sense and transcend the universe, they would likely be affected.
4. The One Above All (OAA) and the Four Cosmic Entities – This was the biggest uncertainty. Was this world merely one among infinite multiverses, or a completely new grand universe? If it was the latter, then OAA and the cosmic entities might not even exist. Even during the Mythological Era, when gods fought each other so fiercely that the sky collapsed and the earth shattered, OAA never appeared. So whether he truly existed was still an open question.
Shion and the others knelt below, their foreheads dripping with cold sweat as they listened to Maier rhythmically tap his fingers on the armrest of his chair.
"Forget it. One step at a time. I've only just awakened, and many things are still unclear. We need more information. I need to restore my strength, and the Sanctuary needs to rebuild its power. Right now, we are too weak. Only with great strength can we face all these threats."
With this resolution in mind, Maier issued an order—
"Shion, inform the Ancient One that I will grant her an audience tomorrow."
"Yes, my lord! I will inform her immediately."
"Good. After that, come to the back mountain. It is time for you all to learn about certain things."
"Understood!"
Shion departed while Maier led the rest toward the Sacred Grounds of the Back Mountain.
"My lord, why have you brought us here?" Kanon asked curiously.
"Kanon! Show some respect. Lord Maier has his reasons," Saga reprimanded.
"It's fine," Maier said with a gentle smile. "Kanon's nature is inquisitive. Saints derive their power from Cosmos, and Cosmos requires a free spirit. Suppressing oneself too much will only weaken that power."
"Thank you for your wisdom, my lord."
"Wait for Shion to return. I will explain everything then."
Not long after, a golden light streaked through the sky—Shion had returned.
"My lord, I have relayed your message. The Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One, will visit us tomorrow morning."
"Good. When she arrives, you all will accompany me. Do not let her underestimate us."
"We swear to protect the Sanctuary!"
"Rise. The reason I brought you here is to reveal certain ancient secrets and the existence of sealed artifacts."
"Artifacts?!"
The Saints were stunned—they had never heard of such things before!
Maier continued, "You all know Athena dislikes weapons, so Saints primarily fight with their fists. However, in the Mythological Era, the battles were so fierce that weapons became necessary. Even Gold Saints, who could fight Primordial Gods, did so with the aid of powerful artifacts."
He then looked at Kanon and added, "Among the sealed relics is the Dark Gemini Cloth, the Silver Cloth of the Altair Constellation, and… my Divine Cloth."
"MY SAINT CLOTH?!" Kanon gasped, eyes burning with excitement.
"Yes. I have awakened, and so the seals must be lifted."
With that, Maier stretched out his hands, his Cosmos spreading. A massive golden seal appeared before them, gradually dissolving into stardust.
A brilliant burst of light erupted—two golden, one silver, one black, and one rainbow-colored.
The Divine Cloth of Maier, standing tall like a godly statue, gazed down upon the cosmos. As Maier gently touched it, it emitted a resonating hum.
"Old friend, it's been a long time. When I regain my strength, we shall stand together once more—to challenge the gods!"