Ch: 21-30
Chapter 21 The Truth Torn
In the scene, Sorcerer Ancient One seemed to want to explain something to Wong and Mordo, who was on the verge of collapse:
"I draw power from the Dark Dimension, not for selfish desires, but for..."
But Mordo couldn't hear it at all. He was immersed in the pain of immense betrayal and shattered faith, only repeating, "Why... why..."
Kaecilius watched this dramatic scene from the room. Although Sorcerer Ancient One's direct admission was beyond his expectation, the effect was even better than he had anticipated!
The time has come!
He suddenly rushed out of the room and entered a silent hall:
Taking advantage of everyone present being overwhelmed by the sudden news, all in shock and confusion, he jumped onto a table, amplified his voice with magic, and shouted hoarsely:
"You all saw it! You all heard it! She admitted it herself! The one we respected and regarded as our mentor! Is the biggest traitor! He deceived all of us! He stole Dark Dimension power to prolong his life, yet told us it was forbidden!"
"She is Kamar-Taj's biggest hypocrite! Can we still believe such a liar?!"
"Go! Find her! Find Ancient One! Let her give us all an explanation!"
Kaecilius's words were highly inflammatory, instantly igniting the anger in the hearts of the sorcerers present. The anger instantly devoured their confusion and grew stronger with it as fuel!
Even many staunch sorcerers wavered at this moment!
"Yes! Go find her!"
"Give us an explanation!"
"Why did you deceive us?!"
The crowd was furious! Led by Kaecilius, a large group of sorcerers, like an angry torrent, rushed towards Ancient One's tea room!
Outside the tea room, the soundproof barrier set up by Wong was easily broken by the angry crowd and Kaecilius, a strong individual second only to Ancient One!
Boom!
The tea room door was violently thrown open!
The astonished Ancient One, the bewildered Wong, and the disconsolate Mordo watched the large group of angry sorcerers pour in through the doorway!
Ancient One's face instantly turned pale.
She looked at the agitated disciples before her, at the madness on the face of Kaecilius, who was leading them, and her heart felt cold.
Her original plan... just to hold on for a while longer, smoothly pass the title of Sorcerer Supreme to the destined successor, Stephen Strange, and then pass away peacefully, taking her secret to the grave... It's over.
It's all over.
The future... has become chaotic and unfamiliar.
"Ancient One!" Kaecilius stepped forward, pointed at Ancient One, and sharply questioned,
"Why did you betray Kamar-Taj's beliefs! Why did you deceive all of us?! You draw Dark Dimensionpower, are you worthy of Vishanti, are you worthy of the successive Sorcerers Supreme?!"
Facing the angry questions from the crowd and Kaecilius's sharp accusations, Ancient One was filled with mixed emotions. Her state of mind, which was already not entirely stable due to resisting Dark Dimension power, instantly experienced violent fluctuations!
The vast power from the Dark Dimension within her, due to the intense emotional upheaval and the Impact of the many sorcerers' angry thoughts, suddenly—lost control!
Boom!!!
A visible, ink-dark surge of Dark Dimension energy suddenly erupted from Ancient One's body, sweeping outwards like an Impact!
Wong, Mordo, Kaecilius, and the other sorcerers at the forefront, who bore the brunt, had no time to react and were instantly sent flying by this powerful Dark Dimension energy! They fell to the ground in a chaotic mess!
The tea room was in disarray!
Everyone was stunned by this sudden terrifying power!
However, Kaecilius, who was sent flying, did not get angry. Instead, after landing, he let out a crazy and triumphant laugh!
He pointed at Ancient One, who was still entwined with wisps of black energy and whose face was pale, and yelled at all the startled sorcerers:
"Look! Have you all seen it clearly?!"
"Dark Dimension energy!"
"This is the power she has been using! This is the source of her longevity!"
"Caught red-handed! The evidence is overwhelming!!"
At this moment, Sorcerer Ancient One's prestige, built over hundreds of years, and her image as a Guardian, completely collapsed and shattered.
The sky of Kamar-Taj... has changed.
Kaecilius's roar was like an attacking horn, awakening the sorcerers who were in immense shock and a sense of betrayal.
Looking at Ancient One, still surrounded by ominous Dark Dimension energy, the anger of betrayal and deception finally overwhelmed their long-standing reverence for her.
"Seize her!"
"Make her pay for her deception!"
"For the purity of Kamar-Taj!"
Under Kaecilius's instigation and leadership, except for Wong and a very few sorcerers who still couldn't bring themselves to attack their mentor and chose to silently retreat to a corner.
Most of the other sorcerers brandished their Rings of Raggadorr or more powerful magic weapons, shouting as they attacked Ancient One!
For a moment, magic light flashed wildly in the tea room, and energy roared!
However, Ancient One did not become so powerful only after becoming Sorcerer Supreme; in fact, it was precisely because she was so powerful that she became Sorcerer Supreme!
Even with her mind agitated and her power briefly out of control, and even holding back because she didn't want to hurt anyone, Ancient One's strength was far beyond what these 'ordinary' sorcerers could contend with.
She didn't even use aggressive spells, merely relying on her extraordinary magic control and combat skills, her hands tracing profound trajectories, moving through the crowd like a dancing butterfly.
Each wave of her hand precisely dispersed incoming magic;
Each dodge cleverly avoided fatal attacks;
Every simple grapple or Impact inevitably sent a sorcerer flying with a cry, crashing into a wall or pillar, but without exception, none suffered serious injury, only having their mobility temporarily restrained by magic and being somewhat exhausted from the shock.
In a flash, the only sorcerers still standing in the tea room were Kaecilius and a few others who were relatively strong, but even they were suppressed by Ancient One, making it difficult to breathe.
Ancient One forced everyone back, took a deep breath, suppressed the restless Dark Dimension energy within her, and tried to speak again:
"Everyone listen to me! I draw Dark Dimension power to better protect..."
However, her words were interrupted again!
Boom—!!!
A loud bang came from outside the Sanctum! Followed by the piercing shriek of a defensive barrier being violently torn apart!
A figure, like a cannonball, smashed through the wall on the other side of the tea room, rushing in with a cloud of dust!
The newcomer was none other than the enormous Black Dwarf, carrying a chain-axe!
And behind him, Rosen strolled in unhurriedly, his gaze calmly sweeping over the chaotic scene, finally settling on Ancient One.
"Who is it?!"
"Enemy attack!"
Chapter 22 Are you the Dimensional Demon? ! !
The surviving sorcerers were aghast! Black Dwarf's clearly non-human appearance and violent entrance immediately made them classify him as an invading alien!
The Ancient One's face instantly sank, and her heart was in turmoil!
Not because of Black Dwarf's strength (which she didn't perceive as a top-tier threat), but because Black Dwarf's appearance signified a loss of control!
In the countless timelines she had observed, this subordinate of Thanos absolutely should not have appeared in Kamar-Taj at this point in time!
What made her even more apprehensive was the black-haired young man following behind him, whose aura was as unfathomable as an abyss!
In all the futures she had observed, there was no trace of this person!
He seemed to have appeared out of thin air!
Moreover, as the Sorcerer Supreme, her perception of energy was extremely acute.
She could clearly 'see' that the young man's body contained a terrifying Source of Magic as vast as the cosmic sea of stars!
Its total quantity and quality even made her feel that it surpassed Agamotto, one of the members of Vishanti and the first Sorcerer Supreme!
An Earthling? How could he possess such magic that even deities struggled to achieve? And how did he avoid observation across all timelines?
A huge doubt enveloped the Ancient One, bringing with it an unprecedented sense of crisis.
She stared intently at Rosen, her voice more solemn than ever: "Who... exactly are you?"
Rosen, however, had no intention of answering her. He merely tilted his head slightly and briefly ordered the eager Black Dwarf beside him:
"Act."
"Roar!" Black Dwarf had long been impatient. Upon receiving the command, he immediately let out a roar, and his massive chain-axe, carrying a fierce wind that tore through the air, smashed down on the Ancient One!
Once the fight started, he didn't care who the opponent was; he just smashed!
The Ancient One's eyes turned cold. She could show mercy to her disciples, but she would not be polite to this savage creature, which was clearly an external invader!
She merely raised a hand and casually drew a circle in front of her.
A huge, sparkling ring of fire instantly appeared in Black Dwarf's path of charge!
Black Dwarf, unable to stop, crashed right into it!
The next second, the wall on the other side of the tea room exploded!
Black Dwarf's massive body was 'spat' out from another suddenly appearing light circle, like a projectile from a catapult, violently smashing down a large section of the wall and being buried under bricks and rubble, silent for a moment.
Killed in one hit?
Rosen's heart skipped a beat. Was this big guy really that weak?
No.
In the smoke and dust, Black Dwarf shook his massive head, somewhat dazed, and crawled out of the ruins.
He shook his head again. Aside from being a little dazed and covered in dust, he didn't seem to have suffered any serious injuries?
He looked at Rosen in confusion.
Rosen's expression remained unchanged, and he calmly encouraged (and coaxed) him: "Don't be afraid, see? You're fine, aren't you? She can't break your defense. Continue, go for him."
Black Dwarf's simple mind couldn't handle overly complex problems. He thought Rosen was right!
He was thick-skinned. That last blow looked scary, but it didn't hurt at all!
And being knocked away, he had gotten fired up!
"Roar!" Black Dwarf roared again, stubbornly launching another savage charge at the Ancient One!
The Ancient One frowned. She could feel that this big guy's defense was astonishing, and ordinary spatial transfers and energy impacts seemed to have limited effect.
She had no choice but to use more sophisticated magic or stronger energy to deal with him.
And so, the scene became:
Black Dwarf roars and charges -> gets knocked back/flung/teleported by the Ancient One with various spells -> shakes himself off, unharmed, continues to charge!
Once, twice, thrice... Black Dwarf was like an indestructible, unyielding piece of taffy, clinging tightly to the Ancient One.
And the Ancient One, who had previously suffered a backlash from dark power due to emotional fluctuations, now had to deal with this thick-skinned brute. Each spell she cast exacerbated her exhaustion and the disorder of the power within her body.
Her aura began to wane at a visible speed, and her face grew increasingly pale.
The tea room and even the outer areas became a mess from these repeated impacts and clashes, with walls collapsing and runes dimming.
The Ancient One looked at her disciples, who were confined to the ground, their eyes filled with anger and confusion. She looked at Kaecilius, who was frantically inciting emotions, then at the black-haired young man who remained a cold observer, and the gigantic monster who kept getting up, seemingly unkillable... A deep sadness and determination flashed in her eyes.
This cannot continue.
The Sanctum cannot be destroyed, and these disciples... even though they misunderstood her and attacked her, they were still the Guardians of the future.
And this sudden 'variable' and his monstrous subordinate must be eliminated!
She finally made up her mind.
To use her last strength for one final struggle.
To use her life to seal these invaders, to preserve the last spark for Kamar-Taj...
Her eyes instantly became incredibly calm, and her body began to emit a light that indicated she would spare no effort, burning her very essence, mixed with the uncontrollable dark energy, forming an extremely dangerous and unstable balance!
"In the name of Vishanti... by the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak as a lock... by all my remaining life and soul as a sacrifice..."
Ancient and powerful incantations flowed from her lips, and the energy of the entire London Sanctumbegan to converge madly towards her!
"No! She's going for a mutual destruction!" Kaecilius was the first to react, his face changing drastically. He tried to retreat, but found that the surrounding space had been completely locked down!
Rosen also raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly not expecting the Ancient One to be so decisive.
'But to want mutual destruction? Has she asked him yet?'
If it's about precise control, I'm certainly not good, but if it's about sheer quantity... Just as the Ancient One resolved to burn her life, using her last trump card to completely seal Black Dwarf and the rebellious sorcerers—
An immense magic, so vast that the entire London Sanctum trembled, erupted from Rosen's body like a volcano that had been dormant for billions of years!
This power was unlike any known magical energy; it had no specific characteristics, or rather, no particular traits. It was pure magical energy, so pure that even the Ancient One couldn't help but sigh in awe, and in a daze—'Whose Source of Magic has become a spirit?'
Such a thought abruptly emerged in the Ancient One's mind.
This pure energy instantly suppressed the Ancient One's impending life energy explosion and the turmoil of the Dark Dimension!
The Ancient One's resolute and calm expression instantly shattered, replaced by shock and... disbelief!
She had previously sensed that Rosen's magic was as vast as an abyss, but she thought it might be some special magical item or inheritance, just a large quantity.
But now, when this power truly revealed its might, she realized how terribly wrong she had been!
This was not a matter of 'large quantity' at all! This was... a fundamental difference in essence!
This characteristic, seemingly endless, requiring no borrowing from any dimension, self-circulating, self-contained as a Universe... This was something only a Dimensional Demon God could possess while within its own dimension!
"This is impossible!!!" The Ancient One almost screamed, her Dao heart suffering another heavy blow. "How can a Dimensional Demon God be born in the main material Universe, on Earth?!"
Chapter 23 Rosen, I'm here to negotiate terms
The power of a Dimensional Demon God is rooted in its corresponding dimension; leaving its own dimension would significantly reduce its power.
There's no way a Dimensional Demon God could appear on Earth in the main Universe in such a complete, 'infinite' form!
However, the facts before his eyes were more eloquent than words! No matter how unreasonable, it was happening!
Right now, there was such a guy, as if he were in his own dimension, continuously exuding energy.
In a flash, Ancient One's mind raced.
Regardless of what this 'human' truly was, the level of threat he now presented far exceeded Kaecilius, the Black Order, and even Dormammu!
The ultimate means must be employed!
Without any hesitation, the eye-shaped pendant on Ancient One's chest—the eye of agamotto—which had always seemed like a mere ornament, suddenly lit up!
Brilliant green light burst forth, and incredibly complex runes flowed within it, activating the power of Time.
"Whatever you are... we must talk!"
Ancient One's voice carried an unprecedented solemnity; she manipulated the power of the Time Stone, not for attack, but to try and pull Rosen into a Time loop that belonged only to the two of them!
This was the Sorcerer Supreme's last resort and most powerful ability—using the power of the Infinity Stones to pull a being into an eternal loop until an agreement was reached or one side collapsed.
However, facing the mighty power of Time, Rosen merely raised an eyebrow, even looking somewhat eager to try.
The Time Stone, huh... interesting. Want to negotiate with me? Trying to trap me with this?
But can the Time Stone trap the Space Stone? Good, good, I also want to 'talk' with you.
And so, in the perception of everyone around (Wong, the remaining sorcerers), Time seemed to plunge into a sticky mire at that moment, then abruptly jumped!
Green light enveloped Ancient One and Rosen.
The next moment—
...Scene: Still the shattered tearoom.
Time: Back to the moment just before Ancient One decided to activate the eye of agamotto.
Ancient One, with surging energy, stared at Rosen and spoke quickly:
"Stop your power! What exactly are you..."
Before she could finish, her face suddenly went White, and a mouthful of blood containing dark energy spewed out. Her body swayed, and the energy around her instantly became extremely unstable—her life and soul were already at their end, and she couldn't hold on much longer.
"...Tsk." Ancient One seemed extremely displeased with her dilapidated body, but she had no Time to heal or lament.
The eye of agamotto flashed green again!
Time... reset!
...Scene: The shattered tearoom.
Time: Once again back to the moment just before Ancient One decided to activate the eye of agamotto.
Ancient One (more quickly): "Rosen! I have no ill will! I just want to..."
Another mouthful of blood spewed out, her aura rapidly declined, and her eyes began to lose focus.
"...Damn it!" Ancient One cursed under her breath, having no choice but to reset Time again... And so, the loop began.
But this Time, the endless loop was extremely bizarre and... frustrating.
The reason for the loop wasn't that Rosen had killed Ancient One; he hadn't even made a move. It was Ancient One's own failing body, simply unable to sustain her through a complete conversation!
She was like a phone with only one bar of battery, trying to run a demanding game; every Time she opened the game interface, it would automatically shut down, forcing a restart, over and over again.
In these fleeting loops, lasting only a few sentences or even a few words, Ancient One tried various opening lines:
"Negotiate!"
"Who are you?"
"What exactly do you want..."
"By the Vishanti..."
"#%@&*! (Interrupted by spitting blood)"
She tried to threaten, tried to question, tried to reason... but without exception, she was forced to reset Time within a few sentences due to her body collapsing.
Rosen, meanwhile, stood calmly in the center of the loop, like a patient audience member, watching Ancient One's repeated 'opening -> spitting blood -> resetting,' with even a hint of... helplessness? on his face.
Finally, in one loop, while Ancient One had just started speaking and hadn't yet spat blood, he slowly said:
"How about... you take a breath first? Or, more directly, tell me what you want to exchange for the Time Stone?"
Ancient One: "???"
She was almost so infuriated by this remark that she nearly spat blood prematurely!
What kind of monster is this?! So calm in a Time loop?! He even has Time to care about my body?! And Time to haggle?!
Ancient One felt that her lifelong understanding and reverence for the Time Stone were being trampled by this guy.
Frustrating, so frustrating!
But no matter how frustrating, she had to continue; she still bore the mission of protecting and saving Earth.
In the fleeting fragments of Time, forced to restart over and over, Ancient One raced against Time to try and persuade Rosen.
"Stop! You possess such immense power, you should understand that the meaning of power lies in protection, not destruction!"
Ancient One said urgently as another loop began, bloodstains still on the corner of her mouth.
Rosen looked at her disheveled but still duty-bound appearance, a faint hint of... disappointment in his eyes.
"Protection?" Rosen's voice calmly pierced through the ripples of Time,
"Ancient One, this is what disappoints me. You possess power and longevity far beyond any previous Sorcerer Supreme, yet your gaze, like your predecessors, is forever confined to this small plot of land called Earth, only wishing to live in peace and passively 'protect.'"
He paused, his tone carrying an indescribably grand perspective:
"Except for ancient Times, previous Sorcerer Supremes protected Earth because their abilities were limited; they could only do so much."
"But what about you? For hundreds of years, besides guarding the Sanctum Sanctorum against dimensional invasions, have you ever thought of leading humanity, leading Kamar-Taj, to venture out? To see the broader Universe, to actively confront threats, and even... to define a new order?"
Ancient One, while struggling to suppress the turbulent power within her, retorted:
"Desire is endless! Too aggressive a pursuit of progress will only lead to loss of control and ultimate destruction! Balance and stability are..."
"Sophistry!" Rosen interrupted her unceremoniously,
"A scale of 10, even if 100% safe, will always only be 10. But a scale of 10,000, even after 99% destruction, can still have 100 left! Which has more future? Retreating 'stability,' or 'survival' after experiencing risks? The law of the Universe is inherently survival of the fittest, expansion!"
"You're changing the subject!" Ancient One's breath became even more unstable, "The value of life cannot be simply measured by numbers!"
"Then let's talk about reality!" Rosen pressed on, "All of Earth's current defensive power essentially rests on you alone! You believe Strange is the destined heir, and he can take over your burden. Fine, then I ask you—"
Rosen's gaze was as sharp as a knife, piercing directly into Ancient One's deepest fear:
"What if right now, in this window period where you depart and Strange has not yet matured, a cosmic-level force, such as... Thanos's main fleet, were to directly destroy Earth? Without you, could that rookie Strange stop it? Is such a possibility in the future you've seen?"
Chapter 24 Rosen, I hope you can successfully create a new future
This was Rosen's biggest point of dissatisfaction with Ancient One all along. Ancient One's talent and temperament were among the top in the Universe.
In fact, without involving the multiverse, Odin and Ancient One were already the ceiling of this World, yet Earth remained at a point where anyone dared to poke at it.
No, you were so fierce when fighting the dimensional demons; some minor dimensional demons had their power borrowed by Ancient One, and all who dared to collect the debt vanished without a trace.
I'm not asking you to turn Earth into Asgard, but at least let Earth have contact with extraterrestrial civilizations, right?
Even Black Nick Fury is better than you in this regard; at least he's not content with the status quo and is always seeking change… Upon hearing Rosen's words, Ancient One's mind was greatly shaken, and her face grew even paler.
She indeed hadn't seen Earth being directly destroyed in the timeline, but… that was because all previous futures were based on her or a smoothly developing Strange's existence!
"I… I didn't see such a future…" Her voice carried a hint of imperceptible wavering.
"You also didn't see a future with me in it," Rosen's voice was like a final judgment, heavily striking Ancient One's heart.
"I am the biggest variable. Now, tell me, if I were to lead the Black Order to destroy Earth right now, who could stop me? You? With this body of yours that is about to collapse?"
Ancient One was completely flustered; time was again on the verge of collapse, and she had no choice but to restart immediately!
In the new cycle, she almost used her last strength to shout:
"No! You cannot! Listen to your inner…"
"Enough!" Rosen waved his hand, interrupting her, his tone carrying a hint of impatience.
"Don't try to frame me with your theories of 'inner peace' and 'curbing desires.' I am not your disciple; my path is defined by myself."
He looked at Ancient One's anxious and desperate eyes, and finally softened his tone slightly:
"I can promise you that I will protect human civilization. Not because of your request, but because—I am also human."
However, this promise did not reassure Ancient One; instead, it made her even more worried.
She didn't believe that someone with such power, acting so unpredictably, and even associating with a madman like Thanos, would genuinely protect anything.
Such uncontrolled power was itself the greatest unstable factor.
"I… cannot believe…" Ancient One gasped with difficulty.
Rosen shook his head helplessly, as if mocking her naivety and stubbornness.
"Sorcerer Ancient One," his voice suddenly became incredibly indifferent and distant,
"When did you get the… illusion that you could control me, or even negotiate with me as an equal?"
Before he finished speaking, Rosen raised his hand.
Buzz—!!!
A dazzling blue light suddenly erupted from his hand! The light was so pure, containing incredibly terrifying power of spatial laws!
The Tesseract (Space Stone) appeared!
Rosen unreservedly unleashed the full power of the Tesseract, combined with the infinite Source of Magic within him!
At this moment, he seemed to transform into the master of space!
The entire cyclical space, enveloped by the power of the Time Stone, began to tremble and distort violently, as if it could be forcibly torn apart at any moment by this more fundamental power of the Infinity Stones!
The Time Stone and the Space Stone were equal existences, but Ancient One's magic was clearly not on par with Rosen's.
Ancient One's pupils constricted to pinpricks! She felt it! It was a cosmic power of the same level, in no way inferior to the Time Stone!
"My promise to you," Rosen's voice echoed amidst the interwoven blue and green light, carrying a divine majesty and pity,
"Is merely out of a bit of pity for your dutiful guardianship over hundreds of years, and the last shred of respect for the 'Guardian of Earth.'"
"And not… any form of transaction with you."
These words completely shattered Ancient One's last resistance and illusion.
In the final moments of her life, feeling the opponent's truly "infinite" power and the might of the Space Stone, Ancient One strangely calmed down instead.
She gave up all resistance, burning all her remaining vitality and soul power, not for battle, but—to once again peer into time!
This time, she no longer searched for a future "without Rosen," but tried to observe… the chaotic, entirely new possibilities that emerged with this "variable" joining!
Countless fragmented, bizarre images flooded her fading consciousness… She saw… completely different possibilities… not all destruction… even… a complex expression of relief yet hope finally appeared on her face.
"Perhaps… I really… was wrong…"
She used her last ounce of strength, with difficulty, actively removed the eye of agamotto from her chest, and with a gentle wave of magic, tossed it towards Rosen.
The eye-shaped artifact slowly rotated in the air, its outer shell quietly opening, revealing the Time Stone within, emitting a soft green light and containing the ultimate mystery of time.
"This… is the last… I can do…" Ancient One's voice was like a flickering candle in the wind, barely audible,
"I hope… you can… succeed…"
Her body began to gradually transform into brilliant specks of light, slowly dissipating like stars.
Rosen caught the gem containing the power of time, looked at Ancient One, who was about to completely disappear, shook his head, his tone calm yet containing absolute confidence:
"Not hope."
"It is certainty."
The light faded.
Sorcerer Supreme Gu Yi completely dissipated.
The time loop was lifted.
In the shattered tea room, only Rosen remained, holding the Tesseract and the Time Stone, amidst a scene of chaos and silence.
The eye of agamotto lay quietly in his palm, its green light intermingling with the blue light.
Two great Infinity Stones were now in his hands.
The path ahead was now different.
The moment the time loop ended, the flow of real time returned to normal.
To the outside World, Ancient One and Rosen's long confrontation and negotiation, which took place in fragments of time, lasted almost only an instant.
In Wong's eyes, he only saw a green light erupt from Ancient One's body, and then in the next moment, Ancient One's figure began to dissipate like a sandcastle in the wind. And just as she completely dissipated—
"Pfft!"
Black Dwarf's huge chain-axe, which had been smashing empty air, finally hit its target due to inertia—accurately piercing the almost completely dissipated phantom where Ancient One's heart would have been!
Although it didn't actually cause any harm (Ancient One had self-dissipated), the scene made it look as if Black Dwarf's final blow delivered the finishing strike to Ancient One!
"Roar!!!" Black Dwarf didn't care about any of that; he felt his weapon hit an "entity" (albeit a phantom), and immediately let out an incredibly excited roar!
Chapter 25: Remember, everyone, we must strive for self-improvement
He pulled out his chain-axe, watched the Ancient One completely disappear into specks of light, and triumphantly looked around (mainly for Rosen), his huge face filled with an expression that screamed, 'Praise me!'
"Rosen! Look! I killed the Ancient One! Holy shit! I killed the Sorcerer Supreme!" Black Dwarf excitedly gesticulated, shouting with his limited vocabulary.
"I am the strongest! I am indestructible! Hahahaha!"
He was completely immersed in the immense sense of accomplishment from 'killing the Ancient One,' bouncing in place like a child, not even noticing the strange change in the surrounding atmosphere.
Rosen didn't even bother to glance at this clown, quietly putting away the Tesseract and the Time Stone.
At this moment, inside and outside the tea room, all the surviving sorcerers—whether those who had resisted the Ancient One before, or those like Wong who had chosen to observe—were plunged into immense confusion and helplessness.
Their leader was dead, and died as a 'traitor' at that. How should they proceed in the future?
What would become of Kamar-Taj? Could the path of the Vishanti's White magic still continue?
Just then, Rosen stepped forward.
His gaze swept across the entire hall, his voice calm yet authoritative, clearly reaching the ears of every sorcerer:
"The Ancient One is dead. She died from her own shortsightedness and ignorance, from her fear of powerful magic and her self-imposed limitations."
He paused, then his voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable force:
"But we humans, why should we always rely on the whims of others? Why should we always nervously 'borrow' power from so-called gods and dangerous dimensions?!"
"Humanity is self-reliant and strives for improvement! Our power should originate from within ourselves!"
These words were like a clap of thunder, exploding in the hearts of all the sorcerers! Self-reliance? Humanity itself? How could this be possible?
Immediately, a sorcerer subconsciously retorted: "But... humanity's own magic source is limited and weak, completely insufficient to sustain powerful magic! Without borrowing from dimension lords like the Vishanti or Dormammu, how can we protect..."
"That was before!" Rosen interrupted him, his tone carrying a sigh that seemed to herald the arrival of a new era,
"But not... now!"
Before he finished speaking—
Boom!!!
A vast, utterly pure, seemingly Universe-originating infinite magic, like a awakened primordial beast, suddenly erupted from Rosen's body!
This magic was warm and immense, carrying an all-encompassing will, instantly enveloping the entire London Sanctum, and even spreading further!
All the sorcerers could clearly feel the vastness of this magic!
It seemed inexhaustible, boundless!
In the face of this magic, the power of the Vishanti they had previously sensed, or the temptation of the Dark Dimension, all seemed so... 'narrow'!
Rosen stood at the center of the magic, like a newborn deity, making his proclamation:
"From today onwards, the Vishanti, Dormammu, and all dimension lords, shall become a thing of the past!"
"All sorcerers, no longer need to beg from external sources!"
"The one you believe in, is me!"
"The source of your power, is also me!"
"All disciples of Kamar-Taj can borrow magic from me!"
His gaze was like a torch, sweeping over every shocked and fervent face:
"And the price you need to pay is not your soul, not your faith, but—"
"Your efforts! Your sweat! Your tireless pursuit of magic truth!"
"The harder you cultivate, and the deeper your understanding of magic, the more magic you can borrow from me, and the stronger you will become!"
"This is a clear, straightforward path of self-improvement, not a rope over a cliff where your fate depends on the whims of others!"
The sorcerers looked at each other, and in their eyes, flames were completely ignited!
A path to becoming stronger without paying the price of one's soul, only requiring effort?
A nearly infinite source of magic?
A magical era belonging to humanity itself?
Immense surprise and hope dispelled the previous confusion and sense of betrayal!
"My Lord Rosen!"
"A new source!"
"Humanity is self-reliant!"
Someone shouted first, then, more and more sorcerers began to shout excitedly, their gazes towards Rosen filled with unprecedented fervor and reverence!
Meanwhile, Black Dwarf was still happily clutching his axe, giggling: "Hehehe, I killed the Ancient One, I'm so amazing, hehehe..."
He was completely unaware that no one present cared about him, one of the Black Order's highest-ranking officers, anymore. Everyone's gaze was focused on the man who had declared the dawn of a new era.
The sorcerers, with hope rekindled in their eyes, looked at Rosen on the high platform... He slowly spoke, his voice seemingly etched into the depths of everyone's soul:
"Remember this day, everyone, for from this day forward, hope has appeared."
"In the future, humanity will surely stand at the pinnacle of all races!"
"Before us, there are no rivals!"
A new era, in his hands, had begun... Everyone thought so, except Dormammu.
Dimension lords are a very peculiar existence; they do not exist in the main Universe, but rather within a specific dimension that each dimension lord completely controls.
This dimension is like a combination of their private kingdom, body, and source of power. Within this dimension, they are almost omniscient and omnipotent, able to arbitrarily modify physical laws, timelines, and reality itself.
Their lifelong goal is to expand their own dimension.
And Earth is an extremely special 'reality intersection point,' possessing infinite energy potential and importance.
For dimension lords, Earth is like the most succulent, most tempting 'fat meat'; devouring it can cause their power to undergo a qualitative leap.
Countless dimension lords drool over him.
Previous Sorcerer Supremes have all borne the responsibility of protecting Earth, and by the Ancient One's generation, it was even more exaggerated.
The sorcerers' power comes from borrowing from dimension lords; one is to cultivate believers and agents, and the other is to gain power, so it's a win-win situation.
Loans always have to be repaid; once a sorcerer cannot repay the power, they will be corrupted by the dimension lord and used by them.
But the Ancient One was different; not only did she borrow money without repaying it, but if you dared to come asking for repayment, she would kill the creditor.
Who knows how many minor dimension lords died at the Ancient One's hands.
Some dimension lords were scared away, but some, tsk, became even more greedy, and Dormammuwas one of them.
While the Ancient One was alive, he couldn't do anything to Earth, but now, that annoying bald woman was dead!
The sky above the Sanctum, without warning, suddenly darkened!
Not like the usual arrival of night, but as if the entire space was infiltrated and assimilated by some kind of darkness!
The sturdy Sanctum walls began to twist and soften, like melting candles, with countless anguished, wailing soul phantoms emerging on them!
A chillingly evil aura instantly permeated the air, almost suffocating all the sorcerers!
The Dark Dimension, using Kamar-Taj as an Anchor Point, squeezed its way in!
Chapter 26: Fishing in the Fire
"Ugh!"
The weaker sorcerers immediately clutched their heads and screamed, feeling as if their consciousness was about to be devoured by the pure darkness!
"It's the Dark Dimension! Dormammu!"
Wang was the first to react, his face instantly turning deathly pale, and he screamed in despair,
"He sensed it! He sensed that Sorcerer Ancient One is gone! So he came!"
All the fervor and hope were extinguished as if by ice water, and immense fear gripped everyone's hearts!
Would the dawn they had just seen immediately be swallowed by eternal darkness?
Even Black Dwarf, who was still foolishly happy, sensed that something was wrong. He gripped his battle-axe warily, looking at the nauseating dark energy that was constantly seeping in, and let out an uneasy growl.
However, there was only one person present who, far from being afraid, had eyes that blazed with excitement!
Rosen!
He looked up at the power that was forcibly dragging the Sanctum and even the surrounding reality into the Dark Dimension, his expression solemn.
"Finally… I thought you, this 'mantis stalking the cicada', weren't going to show up."
He muttered to himself, as if he had been waiting for a long time.
The dark energy in the sky churned violently, coalescing into an enormous, terrifying face made of stars and twisted souls—it was Dormammu!
His booming voice echoed throughout the space, filled with endless greed and triumph:
"Ancient One!!! You finally died!!! You thief! Liar! You can finally no longer stop me!!!"
"Do you feel it? Earth! Your Guardian is gone! You will merge into my Dimension, become a part of me! Hahaha—huh?"
Dormammu's wild laughter came to an abrupt halt.
Because he discovered that among the ruins of the Sanctum below, those tiny ants had not collapsed and fled as expected.
Instead, a black-haired young man was staring at him with a… an extremely uncomfortable gaze, like one would look at prey.
"Who are you?" Dormammu's voice carried a hint of offended anger.
Rosen did not answer him, because at this moment, the system prompt in his mind sounded again:
"Ding! Detecting a super-dimensional invasion event! Triggering an emergency choice!"
"Option One: Resolve Dormammu's invasion, and convert a portion of the Dark Dimension into your own possession. Reward: System Space gains growth potential (create a World in your body, 'my' World!), Anchor Point (after shouting a specific slogan, you can record the current state and set an Anchor Point; activating a second time allows you to return to the recorded state), Skill - Cause and Effect Reversal (literal meaning; if you are illiterate, it is recommended not to use this ability)."
"Option Two: Strategic transfer, escape with core personnel. Reward: Title - Ninja Turtle (equipping it greatly enhances defense and stealth capabilities)."
This multiple-choice question… the system was getting better at complaining.
"I choose One," Rosen said without hesitation.
This choice was different from the previous two; besides some additional skills, there were no clear sensory changes.
But he didn't care.
"Dormammu," Rosen said calmly, his voice even,
"You're right. Ancient One is dead, but Earth… does not belong to you."
He raised his hand, pointing at Dormammu's giant face, at the "gap" where the Dark Dimensionconnected to Earth, constantly eroding reality!
"Earth is under my control now. And you…" Rosen's hand made a sudden tearing motion!
"Don't leave once you've come!"
Matter Transfer MAX! Infinite Mana driven! Eternity's power blessed!
"Roar!!! No—!!!"
Amidst Dormammu's roar of shock and fury, a scene that all sorcerers, including Wang and Black Dwarf, would never forget occurred!
The space eroded by the Dark Dimension, like a giant, black "curtain," was forcibly torn off in a large chunk by Rosen with his bare hands!
Yes, torn off! Like breaking a cookie!
That torn-off piece of the Dark Dimension space, containing pure dark energy and partial dimensional rules, was now out of Dormammu's control.
It calmly stayed in Rosen's hand, then quickly transformed into a fist-sized, continuously rotating dark singularity, which merged into Rosen's body, becoming the cornerstone of his Pocket Space!
"Ugh!" With his Dimension damaged, Dormammu let out a painful grunt, his giant face twisting and blurring for a moment!
He felt it!
The level of power the other party used was extremely bizarre; he could directly plunder the rules and energy of his dimensional origin!
This was fundamentally not a method of Earth sorcerers! This didn't even resemble the methods of any known dimensional demon gods!
Fear, for the first time in billions of years, surged into Dormammu's (consciousness) heart.
This juicy piece of meat, Earth… had grown fangs that could kill!
"Scram," Rosen said only one word.
Dormammu's giant dark face looked at Rosen with a mix of surprise and uncertainty, then at the dimensional scar that had just been torn open and was slowly healing.
Ultimately, greed was overridden by a stronger survival instinct.
"You… very well… I will remember you…" Dormammu's voice carried suppressed anger and a hint of imperceptible fear,
"Until your aura disappears from this land… I… will never set foot on Earth again!"
After delivering this not-so-harsh threat, the pervasive darkness receded like a tide, and the sky returned to clarity, as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.
Only the even more dilapidated ruins of the Sanctum, and the nascent space within Rosen's body containing fragments of the Dark Dimension, proved the astonishing conflict that had just occurred.
Silence.
Dead silence.
All the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, including Wang, were petrified, staring blankly at Rosen, who stood with his hands behind his back, as if he had just done something insignificant.
With bare hands… shattered… the Dark Dimension… scared away… Dormammu?!
Is this something a human can do?!
The next second, a fervor and awe ten times stronger than before erupted like a volcano from the eyes of all the sorcerers!
"My Lord Rosen!!!"
Rosen nodded in satisfaction, looking at everyone's reaction.
'Good thing I didn't mess it up,' he couldn't help but think.
Dormammu's appearance was within his calculations from the very beginning, because the question he raised was not sophistry but an objective fact… Ancient One was dead, Strange hadn't grown up yet. Once this situation arose, Earth truly had no power to resist, like a child appearing in a bustling market with a treasure.
Don't look at how relaxed he seemed just now; that was purely to bluff the opponent. With his current strength, if Dormammu truly wanted to devour Earth, he really couldn't stop him.
So he could only strike at the opponent's origin, forcibly scaring him away.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly…
Chapter 27 The Dark Cult's Shock
The message was relayed back to Sanctuary I through special channels at the fastest possible speed.
When Thanos listened to his subordinate's report and heard "Rosen tore apart the Dark Dimensionwith his bare hands, forcing Dormammu to retreat," even he fell into a long silence.
Corvus Glaive and Black Dwarf were even more shocked beyond belief!
They understood better than those Earth sorcerers what Dormammu and the Dark Dimension meant!
That Rosen... what exactly was the upper limit of his strength?!
In Thanos's single eye, there flickered an unprecedented solemnity and... a rare hint of an emotion called "apprehension."
Just as the London Sanctum was being invaded by the Dark Dimension and Rosen was tearing open the void with his bare hands, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Triskelion Headquarters in Washington D.C. also fell into a state of high alert.
A piercing alarm sounded in a specific monitoring department.
"Officer! Large-scale anomalous spatial fluctuations detected in London! Energy readings... unidentifiable! Level... far exceeds records!"
A technician reported in a panicked voice.
"Exact location!" Deputy Commander Maria Hill, in charge of the area, immediately asked.
"The center of the fluctuation is locked on to... a street in the Bloomsbury district! Energy pattern analysis... shows strong negative entropy and... reality-distorting characteristics?! This is impossible!"
The technician's voice was filled with disbelief.
Hill immediately reported the situation to Nick Fury, who was in his office dealing with endless documents.
"London? Reality distortion?" Fury's single eye narrowed sharply, and he instantly thought of the strange abilities Rosen had displayed at the hospital earlier, as well as the stolen Tesseract, whose function was unknown.
"Immediately call up satellite images! Notify field Agents lurking in London to maintain a safe distance and observe, strictly forbidding them from approaching!"
However, both satellite and remote probes transmitted severely interfered images, showing only a blurry area of energy distortion, making it impossible to see what was happening inside.
This unknown made Fury feel extremely uneasy.
Just as he was considering whether to risk sending higher-level Agents (such as rapid response teams or even preparing to call the Avengers), an unexpected report came in.
"Officer! There's a... man in strange robes who broke through the outer cordon! He claims to be from something called 'Kamar-Taj' and has extremely important intelligence that he must report to you personally!"
"He... he seems to have used some kind of supernatural power, possibly magic, and our guards couldn't stop him at all!"
Kamar-Taj? magic?
Fury's brows furrowed. He seemed to recall this term in the corners of some top-secret files, where the records were very vague, only mentioning its connection to certain supernatural events.
"Bring him in! Highest alert level!"
Fury pressed a button, and the office's hidden weapon system quietly activated.
Soon, a visibly tired Wong, his monastic robes still bearing dust and scorch marks, was brought into Fury's office under the high alert of several armed Agents.
Wong looked at the one-eyed Black Officer before him with some surprise, but then immediately and urgently spoke:
"Are you in charge here? Listen, time is short! I am Wong, the Guardian Sorcerer of the London Sanctum! We have just suffered a large-scale invasion from the Dark Dimension!"
Fury's single eye stared at him sharply: "Dark Dimension? Invasion? Aren't you... specifically in charge of dealing with such matters?"
As the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., he knew more secrets than ordinary people. He was aware that a group of "sorcerers" had always existed on Earth, protecting it from invasions by special forces.
Wong's face was almost overflowing with pain and despair:
"Yes! We were! But... just now, Sorcerer Ancient One... the Sorcerer Supreme, died! The London Sanctum fell! Kamar-Taj... except for me and a handful of others who escaped, all the other sorcerers... defected! Kamar-Taj is already a name in name only!"
Boom!
These words were like a bombshell, exploding in Fury's mind!
Even with his composure, he couldn't help but stand up abruptly from his chair, his single eye filled with shock and disbelief!
"What?! Kamar-Taj is gone?! The Sorcerer Supreme... is dead?!" Fury's voice rose several octaves,
"What exactly happened?! Who did it?! What kind of attack could destroy you?!"
He couldn't imagine how an organization that could handle "dimensional invasions" and had been hidden for hundreds of years could collapse overnight? And its leader even died directly?
Wong took a deep breath, his eyes filled with anger and lingering fear, and gritted his teeth as he uttered the name:
"Not an attack... it was a conspiracy! A thorough conspiracy that started from within!"
"All of this was orchestrated and led by a man named Rosen!"
"Rosen?!"
This time, Fury's shock far exceeded before!
He even wondered if he had misheard!
The man he had listed as the number one suspect, who had stolen the Tesseract and the bank, who had just displayed extraordinary power at the hospital, and whom he considered an extremely dangerous super-powered potential traitor... not only was he capable of causing those previous incidents, but now he had actually... single-handedly brought down a mysterious magic organization that had protected Earth for hundreds of years?! And possibly... killed their leader?!
A shared name? As the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury obviously wouldn't rule out any possibility, even if that possibility seemed so absurd to him... How could this be?! That young man's file was as clean as a blank slate! How could he possess such power and means?!
Fury felt his worldview being impacted like never before.
He had originally thought Rosen was just a troublesome criminal who had fortunately gained superpowers, but now it seemed... he might have greatly underestimated the target's danger and the secrets hidden behind him!
"Tell me in detail! Tell me everything you know, from beginning to end, word for word!"
Fury's voice became extremely solemn. He realized that the crisis facing Earth might far exceed any of his previous imaginings.
New York, Avengers temporary Base (a floor of Stark Tower).
A small gathering was taking place.
Tony Stark, holding a wine glass, was discussing a profound technical problem with Bruce Banner;
Captain America Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff were chatting nearby;
Clint Barton (Hawkeye) was at the bar trying to mix a new flavor of drink; War Machine Colonel Rhodes had just arrived and joined the conversation.
The atmosphere was quite harmonious.
Just then, Steve's encrypted communicator emitted an urgent, high-priority buzzing sound.
"Fury?" Steve frowned, walked to the side, and answered, "What's going on?"
Nick Fury's unprecedentedly solemn voice came from the other end of the line, speaking very quickly:
"Captain, immediately cease all non-essential activities and enter the highest state of readiness. Something big has happened."
Steve's heart immediately tightened: "Another alien invasion? Or HYDRA?"
"Worse than that." Fury's voice suppressed shock and a hint of almost imperceptible... regret.
Tony and the others immediately stopped talking and looked at him in confusion.
Chapter 28 Who is Rosen?
"Do you remember Rosen? The reservist traitor we discussed before."
"I remember. What did he do now? Robbed the Federal Bank vault?"
Steve's tone was somewhat displeased at the mention of that name.
"He just..." Fury paused, as if digesting the incredible fact, "...single-handedly planned and led the downfall of Kamar-Taj, an Earth protection organization. Their leader, Sorcerer Supreme Gu Yi, is confirmed dead. The London Sanctum has fallen. Now, except for a very few escapees, the entire organization is basically under Rosen's control."
"What?!"
Steve Rogers exclaimed in shock, his voice so loud it instantly attracted everyone's attention in the room!
"Captain, what's wrong?" Natasha keenly noticed the drastic change in Steve's expression.
Steve didn't answer Natasha immediately, but instead questioned the communicator in disbelief:
"How is this possible?!"
"Fury, are you sure the source of the information is reliable? Kamar-Taj... that's an organization of Guardian! Rosen? How could he possibly have the power to do such a thing?!"
In his limited understanding and based on their previous encounter... Rosen was nothing more than a cunning thief who had gained the upper hand by relying on the Tesseract!
He himself was just an ordinary reservist! How could such a person wipe out a mysterious magicorganization that had been passed down for countless years? It was simply preposterous!
Fury didn't explain much, just said in a deep voice:
"Accept reality, Captain, the news is basically confirmed. The specific situation is still being verified, but the collapse of Kamar-Taj and the Death of the Sorcerer Supreme are facts. Remain vigilant, Rosen's threat level has been raised to the highest. Be ready at any time."
"According to the only survivor who escaped, a Guardian named 'Wang,' yes. The specific situation is complex, return to headquarters briefing room immediately!"
Fury hung up the communication after speaking.
"What's wrong, Captain?" Sam Wilson, the Falcon, walked over and asked with concern, "What happened? You look terrible."
Steve took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions, but his voice still carried an uncontrollable tremor:
"Just got news from Fury... Kamar-Taj... has been destroyed."
As soon as these words came out, Natasha and Clint, who knew what Kamar-Taj meant, instantly changed their expressions!
"What?!"
"This... this is impossible!" Clint exclaimed.
Meanwhile, Agents like Sam, who were unaware of the secrets of the magic world, looked bewildered:
"Kamar-Taj? What's that? Some foreign organization? Why are you reacting so strongly?"
Natasha, who knew the inside story, explained in a dry, low voice:
"It's not an ordinary organization... It's an ancient Guardian organization that protects Earth and resists invasions from other dimensions. Their leader, Sorcerer Ancient One, is said to have lived for hundreds of years, and her power is unfathomable..." She briefly explained a few sentences.
The Agents who didn't know the situation gasped in unison after hearing her!
A Guardian who lived for hundreds of years? Resisting dimensional invasions? Such an organization... was destroyed?!
"Who did it?" Sam hurriedly asked, "Another alien invasion?"
Steve Rogers's face became even uglier, and he squeezed out the name through gritted teeth:
"Rosen."
"Rosen?" This time, even the Agents who didn't know about Kamar-Taj were puzzled,
"Who is that?"
Everyone's eyes focused on Steve, waiting for his introduction.
However, Steve's understanding of Rosen clearly remained in the past.
Undisguised disgust and contempt appeared on his face, and he said excitedly:
"That's a coward! A wimp! A thief! A traitor who betrayed his oath and the U.S. spirit!"
"He was originally just a S.H.I.E.L.D. reservist! He robbed banks for money and even stole important S.H.I.E.L.D. assets!"
He completely denied and attacked Rosen from a moral and positional standpoint, but he did not provide any specific information about Rosen's actual abilities.
Although everyone understood from the Captain's attitude that this person was an enemy, they were still vague about his strength.
How did a "traitor reservist" wipe out an "ancient Guardian organization"? This logic doesn't make sense.
Someone couldn't help but ask: "Captain, if that Rosen... is as worthless as you say, then how did he destroy Kamar-Taj? This sounds..."
Steve immediately interrupted him, his tone resolute: "He himself has no such power! Last time, he only relied on the power of the Tesseract!"
"This operation, too, must be no exception; it relied on some external force or colluded with a more powerful enemy! He himself? Not worth mentioning!"
At this moment, Hawkeye Clint added:
"Although S.H.I.E.L.D. has not been able to fully decipher the energy application of the Tesseractbefore, we have made progress on how to block its energy output."
Upon hearing this, Steve nodded heavily, his face regaining its confidence and sternness. He clenched his fists, as if he had already seen the scene of victory:
"That's right! Next time! Next time we meet, as long as his stolen power is blocked..."
His gaze was sharp, filled with determination.
"I will personally take action and completely put an end to this menace!"
His words were full of a warrior's resolve, but they caused a flicker of worry in Natasha's eyes.
If the power to stop the shield with his bare hands was given by the Tesseract.
Then how could Rosen's calm and composed attitude at that time be explained?
Even if it could be forcibly explained, what about the heartbreaking words about Tony's parents?
She vaguely felt that the Captain... might have underestimated that man too much.
Next time they met, it probably... wouldn't be as easy as the Captain thought.
Sanctuary I, Main Hall.
Rosen returned to the spaceship, weary from completing his mission.
Prying off a piece from the Dark Dimension in front of Dormammu was more tiring than expected.
He did not linger, merely nodded slightly to Thanos on the throne, then headed directly to the resting cabin arranged for him; he needed time to recover his energy.
As soon as he left, the atmosphere in the hall instantly became subtle and lively.
The Black Order (excluding Ebony Maw) and the surrounding Chitauri senior generals immediately surrounded Black Dwarf, who had just returned from Earth and still had an "I'm so awesome" expression.
"Hey! Big guy! Tell us! How did you take down that Ancient One?" Corvus Glaive rarely spoke first, his tone filled with curiosity.
The name of the Sorcerer Supreme was known even in the Universe.
Proxima Midnight also stood with her arms crossed, looking at him with interest:
"Yeah, I heard that old bald head lived for hundreds of years and was very powerful in magic. How did you do it?"
Chapter 29: Ebony Maw's Awakening
Black Dwarf grew even more pleased at the question, thumping his massive chest with booming sounds, and replied in a deep, rumbling voice:
"Rosen! Told me to go! So I went!"
He mimed a charge and a cleaving motion.
"I went! Ancient One! Died!"
Concise and to the point, full of his unique style.
Everyone: "..."
Listening to him speak, was like listening to him speak.
Corvus Glaive frowned: "...That's it? What about before? What arrangements did Rosen make? Did Ancient One not resist?"
He pressed on, trying to dig out more details.
Black Dwarf tilted his huge head, thought hard for a moment, then shook his head, the fierce expression on his face fading to reveal a simple, honest look:
"Before? Before Rosen... and Ancient One... stood there, glowing, then... gone."
A single Infinity Stone was already transcendent.
"What happened after that?" Thanos's deep voice resonated, he was more concerned about the even more astonishing event that followed, "Tearing open the Dark Dimension, forcing Dormammu to retreat, what was that about? What did you see?"
Black Dwarf again shook his head blankly: "Darkness... came... Rosen... grabbed... Darkness gone... Dormammu... ran... couldn't understand."
He perfectly fulfilled the role of a qualified henchman — only concerned with output, not reasons.
His teammates had the opponent's big daddy controlled, and he wouldn't go? Not going would mean he had a problem with his brain; he was just slow-witted, not stupid.
Everyone fell silent once more.
Asking him was like not asking at all.
Just as everyone was deep in thought, trying to piece together the truth from Black Dwarf's limited vocabulary, an extremely weak voice, as if on the verge of expiring, came from the entrance of the hall:
"Father... everyone... no need to worry..."
Everyone looked over at the sound, and all were startled.
Ebony Maw was seen floating in, trembling, supported by two medical personnel.
His already ashen skin was now even paler, like a corpse in a tomb, his eyes sunken, his breath so faint it seemed he might pass away any second.
The medical officer behind him apologized to Thanos in a panic:
"Great Thanos, Ebony Maw My Lord just woke up. Upon hearing of Black Dwarf My Lord and Rosen My Lord's return, he insisted on coming immediately. We... we truly couldn't stop him..."
Ebony Maw waved his hand with difficulty, signaling the medical officer to retreat.
He floated there, as if he might fall apart at any moment, but his eyes gleamed with the light of a sage.
"Father," Ebony Maw's voice was hoarse and weak, yet firm,
"Although I don't know exactly how Rosen did it... I can almost certainly say that it was not his own power."
He paused, took a breath, and continued:
"Through previous contact and observation, I found this person... is extremely good at leveraging power. He knows very well how to use existing conflicts and resources to leverage power far beyond his own capabilities to achieve his goals."
Everyone showed thoughtful expressions upon hearing this. Proxima Midnight even asked curiously:
"Leveraging power? Whose power? And Ebony Maw, what exactly happened to your injuries?"
A glint flashed in Thanos's eye, as if he had thought of something: "Ebony Maw, your severe injuries, were they also caused by Rosen?"
"Precisely, Father." Ebony Maw nodded affirmatively, pondering slightly as if recalling the situation at the time,
"On Earth, Rosen... in some inexplicable way, called upon the true name of a Supreme Being, and conversed with Her."
"I... I was curious for a moment, and tried to eavesdrop with my psychic power... The result..." He gave a bitter smile, looking at his miserable state,
"Became like this. Merely the act of peeking almost killed me."
Everyone gasped! They knew Ebony Maw's strength; he almost died just from trying to eavesdrop on a conversation?!
What a terrifying level must that conversational entity be?!
Ebony Maw's voice carried a hint of lingering fear:
"Moreover, according to the Supreme Being's whisper before She left... I should have been directly granted Death for that offensive peek. The reason I'm alive... is entirely because Rosen interceded for me. She spared my life 'out of respect for Rosen.'"
These words once again plunged the hall into a dead silence. Rosen's influence was so great that it could make a being of that level change Her mind?!
Corvus Glaive couldn't help but raise a question similar to Thanos's: "If Rosen knew a being of that caliber, he should have been able to call the winds and summon the rains on Earth long ago. How could he have fallen to the point where he needed our protection?"
This was also the great doubt in everyone's hearts.
Ebony Maw had clearly pondered this question long ago. He slowly analyzed: "Although I couldn't hear the specific content of their conversation, judging from Rosen's reaction afterward and fragmented information... Rosen and that Supreme Being were likely establishing contact for the first time."
"The success of that summoning and conversation, as well as the subsequent developments, likely also exceeded Rosen's own expectations. He might know the method, but cannot fully control the outcome and the reaction of the summoned entity. My injury is accidental proof of this."
His reasoning, based on incorrect information (he didn't know the specific content of Rosen's conversation with Death), sounded exceptionally logical, perfectly explaining all contradictions!
Thanos slowly nodded, a look of understanding appearing in his single eye. He finally "understood."
Rosen was not absurdly powerful himself, but an extremely dangerous, incredibly lucky "opportunist" and "adventurer" skilled at utilizing rules and leveraging higher-level powers.
He possessed some special knowledge or talent that allowed him to occasionally connect with the great beings of the Universe, and thereby achieve seemingly impossible things. But this process itself was full of uncertainty and risk.
This conclusion significantly dispelled Thanos's inexplicable apprehension and doubts about Rosen, replacing them with a more complex scrutiny — this was a variable that needed careful utilization, but also strict prevention.
Ebony Maw watched as everyone accepted his analysis, coughed weakly a few times, and finally concluded:
"Therefore, tearing open the Dark Dimension, forcing Dormammu to retreat... is probably also him successfully 'borrowing' the power of some unimaginable Great Being who just happens to restrain or counter Dormammu. It's not that he himself possesses power beyond the Skyfather level."
"He himself is still fragile. His knowledge is the most dangerous weapon."
In the main hall of Sanctuary I, everyone, including Thanos, basically accepted Ebony Maw's self-consistent deduction.
They positioned Rosen as a clever "leverager of power," rather than a true "strongman."
Correspondingly, Thanos's vigilance towards him also decreased significantly.
Chapter 30 I can see a future that is farther than his
Marvel Universe Power Introduction:
Tier One: Street Level
Iconic Characters: Black Widow, Hawkeye, Daredevil. (Named cannon fodder)
Tier Two: City Level
Iconic Characters: Black Panther, Captain America (Elite cannon fodder, but can be forcibly leveled up in their own storylines.)
Tier Three: Continental Level
Iconic Characters: None yet. (Cannon fodder that can also establish themselves in the Universe)
Tier Four: Planetary Level
Iconic Characters: MK85 Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Vision.
Tier Five: Skyfather Level
Iconic Characters: Odin, Ancient One, Thanos, Axe Thor
Tier Six: Universal Level
Iconic Characters: Infinity Stones
Sanctuary I, in a luxurious room.
Rosen was closing his eyes in concentration, his consciousness sinking into his body, carefully studying the newly acquired abilities—[Anchor Point], [Cause and Effect Reversal], [Personal Space].
Ever since the reward for choosing to confront the Dormammu system arrived, the system space had become independent, appearing in his mental World.
Moreover, it not only expanded from the size of a backpack to one cubic meter... but the fragment of the Dark Dimension pried from Dormammu's body was now suspended in the center of the newly formed Personal Space, continuously emitting pure dark energy, which was slowly absorbed and transformed by the space, expanding its boundaries.
It even came with infinite growth!
Regarding [Cause and Effect Reversal], in his previous life, he was considered 'well-read,' so he was not unfamiliar with this ability, but at present, this ability involves the primary application of the time dimension, which he has not yet fully mastered.
And [Anchor Point] was much more interesting. When he uttered a mysterious incantation, he himself would be anchored, fixing his state and location at that very moment. When activated a second time, he would return to the moment of the Anchor Point.
In layman's terms, it was time reversal, it was just that the mysterious incantation was a bit difficult to say... but compared to this powerful skill, it was completely insignificant.
Just then, his room's Black Order encrypted communicator rang.
Caller ID—Thanos.
Rosen opened his eyes, a flicker of understanding in them, and answered the call.
"Rosen." Thanos's deep voice came through, without much emotion.
"I've learned about the details of this operation from Black Dwarf. You did very well."
First, the routine affirmation.
"Mm." Rosen responded indifferently.
After a brief silence, Thanos's voice rang out again:
"But I'm very curious. How did you do it? Ancient One and Kamar-Taj were obstacles I had plotted against for a long time but could never truly shake."
His tone carried a rare hint of confusion.
"I admit your talent, it even far exceeds my expectations. But I, Thanos, consider myself no mediocrity."
"The difference in power might change over time, but the difference in our wisdom... shouldn't be so vast. Why were you able to so easily destroy Kamar-Taj, while all the methods I tried were casually resolved by Ancient One..."
This was almost Thanos's rare display of doubt about his own intelligence.
Ancient One was like a thorn stuck in his throat that he could never pull out, yet now Rosen had seemingly effortlessly dealt with her, which forced him to re-evaluate Rosen's worth.
Listening to Thanos's question, Rosen's lips curved into a barely perceptible arc.
He had long expected Thanos to ask this question.
"Thanos," Rosen's voice came through the communicator, calm yet with a sense of condescension,
"Our difference has never been in the calculations and strategies of our brains."
"Oh?" Thanos's voice was questioning, "Then what is it in?"
"In the eyes." Rosen slowly said.
"Eyes?" Thanos was even more confused.
"Exactly." Rosen's tone was as if stating a simple fact,
"Ancient One can glimpse countless possibilities in the future. Therefore, all your plans, all your conspiracies, all your alliances, in her eyes, might seem as childish and ridiculous as a child's. She can always be one step ahead, making the optimal solution. This is the fundamental reason why you have repeatedly failed."
Thanos fell silent. This explanation was reasonable. He had heard of Ancient One's abilities.
"However," Rosen's tone shifted, carrying a transcendent indifference,
"I was able to do it because..."
"My eyes can see a future even further than hers."
"So, in the 'optimal solution' she saw, my existence was not there. And when I saw through her trump card, and could even interfere with her observation, her failure was destined."
On the other end of the communicator, there was a long silence.
Thanos was utterly speechless.
To be able to see a future further than the wielder of the Time Stone?
What arrogance!
If this were true, then Rosen's value and danger had escalated to an inestimable degree.
Were all his plans also transparent in front of this person?
Thanos felt a moment of trance, as if, from beginning to end, he had never hidden his goal, it was just that he knew it was too crazy and didn't go around proclaiming it.
After a long while, Thanos slowly spoke, his voice betraying no emotion: "...I understand."
The call was disconnected.
Rosen put down the communicator, chuckled, and continued his research.
He knew that this half-truth, half-lie would be enough to keep the suspicious Thanos quiet for a while and rely on him even more... Meanwhile, Thanos, far away in Sanctuary I, sat on his throne, his single eye flickering with uncertain light. Rosen's words had stirred huge waves in his heart.
"A further future..." He repeated the phrase in a low voice, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest of the throne.
Just then, footsteps interrupted his contemplation.
Corvus Glaive entered, pushing a man who was tightly bound by energy restraint chains, wearing ornate Asgardian armor, with slightly disheveled black hair, yet still attempting to maintain a certain haughty demeanor.
"Great Thanos," Corvus Glaive bowed respectfully,
"While clearing out a resistance stronghold on the edge of the Nine Realms, we captured this man who claims to be an Asgardian Prince. He says... he has important information he wishes to trade with you in person."
The bound man raised his head. Though disheveled, his green eyes glinted with cunning and defiance. He forced a characteristic, somewhat mischievous smile:
"Greetings, esteemed Lord of Titan. I am Loki Laufeyson, Prince of Asgard, and the rightful heir of Jotunheim."
"I bring you a gift... concerning the Infinity Stones you covet, and all of Asgard... and even the entire Nine Realms."
Thanos's gaze slowly focused on Loki. His previous thoughts were temporarily suppressed, and an interested expression appeared on his face.
The God of Mischief stepped onto the stage.
And his arrival would further muddy the Waters of the future.
More chapters available on WTR-Lab (Captain America Doesn't Want Me? I'll Teach Thanos How to Do the Snapping Finger)