Chapter 470: Silas vs. Parallel Ancient One
"I'll do it." Professor Hulk readily agreed; he was the only one present capable of shouldering such a responsibility.
Steve nodded solemnly. "Be careful."
"Don't worry, Hulk's body is built like a tank," Professor Hulk chuckled, reaching out to touch the gauntlet.
Unknown World
"Halt, traveler." A familiar yellow-robed sorcerer appeared before Silas, blocking his path.
"Ancient One?!" Silas couldn't help but widen his eyes. Standing before him was the Sorcerer Supreme, who—in his original timeline—had long since passed away.
The Ancient One was slightly surprised that the stranger recognized her. With a flick of her right hand, a sparkling portal opened in mid-air. "All who come are guests. Why don't you join me at Kamar-Taj for a seat?"
"Fair enough. I could use some tea," Silas shrugged. It had been quite a while since he'd tasted the Ancient One's brew.
Kamar-Taj
"The decor is exactly the same..." Silas noted, glancing at the surrounding pavilions and courtyards. The layout was identical to the world he knew, without a single change.
The Ancient One sat at a tea table and began the ceremony. "It seems you've visited this place more than once. Let's re-introduce ourselves: I am the Ancient One, Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar-Taj. And you?"
"Silas Parker." He sat opposite her, realizing this journey through the multiverse was becoming far more complex than a simple detour.
"Silas? A familiar name. Let me see..." The Ancient One closed her eyes and pressed her palms together. Intricate, chaotic orange magical lines spiraled around her hands, crackling with sparks.
She snapped her eyes open and pushed her hands forward. The magic lines rapidly sketched out a mirror-like surface in the air. Inside the transparent pane, a young boy sat on a chair, looking somewhat out of place among his laughing peers.
"He is also named Silas Parker. Do the two of you have a connection?" the Ancient One asked with a faint smile.
"That's me. He just hasn't grown up yet," Silas replied, watching his younger self in the magical mirror as childhood memories flooded back.
The Ancient One waved the mirror away. By then, the teacups were emitting curls of hot white steam.
"Yours." She lightly placed a cup in front of Silas, picking up her own to take a sip.
Silas took a sip of the steaming tea. Mmh—the flavor is the same, but the feeling is different.
"How is the tea?" she asked.
"It's good. It just tastes a little different from my memory." Silas shook his head with a smile. It was like a dish from your hometown; even if the recipe was identical, the context had changed.
The Ancient One sat cross-legged, staring intently at him. "You come from another universe, don't you?"
"I do." Silas's eyes brightened. He was impressed she identified him as a multiversal traveler rather than just a time traveler.
"Why have you come here?" she asked, cutting to the chase. Her kind smile hid a sharp edge; if his intentions were hostile, her methods would be anything but gentle.
"I didn't come here for a specific reason. I stumbled in by accident." Silas truly hadn't planned this. If Peter and the others were snapping the fingers back home, he was wasting valuable time here.
"By accident? You survived the impact of the multiversal barrier?" The Ancient One finally looked at him with true gravity.
The multiversal barrier was the reason beings couldn't simply hop between realities. Even she couldn't traverse it; the cosmic will would tear her body apart if she tried. Unless one's power originated from outside the universe, such an impact should be fatal.
"Did something happen in your world?" she inquired.
"Indeed..." Silas gave her a brief rundown of the events in his universe. Since she had no jurisdiction there, it didn't hurt to share.
She nodded slowly. The events there mirrored what was beginning to unfold here, though Silas was the ultimate variable.
"How do you plan to return?" she asked. She had an idea—using her magic to send him to the barrier—but whether he could cross it would be up to him.
"I'm not sure. Actually, if it's alright, I might stay here for a while," Silas said, his mind shifting gears. He had the Rabbit Talisman to traverse time, so he didn't need to panic. Seeing his younger self in this universe gave him an idea—if a Silas in another universe could merge with the Stones, why couldn't he?
"Stay here? You should know, I welcome temporary guests. But if an outsider wishes for permanent residency..." She let the sentence hang. The implication was clear: stay too long, and she would resort to force.
"Is that so? Well, I think I'd like to stay." Silas wasn't intimidated. He laid his cards on the table.
The Ancient One's lips curled into a slight smirk. Suddenly, before anyone could react, her right hand blurred, striking Silas in the chest with an open palm.
It was her most efficient method: knock the soul out of the body and leave the intruder helpless.
However, Silas didn't budge. He remained seated, perfectly anchored.
"What is this?" She withdrew her hand. Her palm stung slightly; it felt as though she had struck solid steel.
"One of my abilities," Silas grinned. Thanks to the power of the Sheep Talisman, his soul was locked in place. No one could force him out unless he chose to leave.
The Ancient One narrowed her eyes. Realizing Silas was a formidable opponent, she stood up, keeping one hand behind her back and waving the other to the right.
The tea room warped and folded. They were now in the Mirror Dimension.
"The Mirror Dimension? I can do that too," Silas said, watching the chairs and tables shift around them.
"You can?" She was genuinely surprised. This was her specialty. While many high-level sorcerers could enter it, she was the undisputed master of its manipulation.
Silas mirrored her gesture, waving his hands. The scenery flipped once more, and both of them suddenly landed on the ceiling. What was once the ceiling was now the floor, and the tea set fell toward them.
The Ancient One opened a portal above her head to redirect the falling objects outside. Silas, meanwhile, used his telekinetic power to keep the tea set hovering above him.
"Your abilities are impressive." Magical shields erupted from her hands as she rushed toward him with incredible speed.
But to Silas, she was moving in slow motion. He blurred, appearing behind her instantly. His own magic surged as he threw out a whip of glowing energy.
"What?!" She sensed him vanish and whipped around. A strand of the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak was flying straight at her.
Isn't this Kamar-Taj magic?
Despite her confusion, her reflexes were sharp. She tilted her body to the right, letting the dangerous magic lash past her. She caught the whip with her shield and, planting her feet, gave it a violent yank.
"Testing my strength?" Silas chuckled. He might be outmatched in pure sorcery, but in physical power, he was a god.
He pulled back on the whip with one hand. The Ancient One lost her balance and was yanked through the air toward him.
"I haven't used this in a while. Electro-Blast!" Silas's eyes crackled with electricity. As his mana focused, a bolt of lightning surged toward her.
The Ancient One hurriedly expanded her magical shields. When the current hit the shield—
BOOM!
The powerful shockwave blasted her back, while Silas remained as steady as a mountain. She performed a mid-air somersault, her robes fluttering, and landed gracefully.
"Where did you learn the magic of Kamar-Taj?" she asked, her voice stern.
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