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Chapter 264: Me, Level 5, Screwing You Over (2)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
Dormammu opened his cavernous, bloody maw, looking extremely pleased with himself.
He, a Universe-level Archmage, thought devouring a mere Reptile couldn't be simpler. He was a being of soul to begin with and had studied souls in great depth.
Dormammu laughed, and Tony laughed too.
Tony's laughter was unrestrained. Even in his soul form, he made no effort to hide his mockery.
To replace Dormammu and take control of the Dark Dimension, simply destroying his soul wasn't enough. That would only cause the core of the Dark Dimension to be exiled. Given the vastness of the Dark Dimension, Tony suspected it would take tens or even hundreds of thousands of years to find it again.
Back then, when Dormammu found the Core and subsequently controlled the Dark Dimension, there was a considerable element of sheer luck involved.
"Reptile, what are you laughing at?" Dormammu was annoyed.
"I'm laughing at what an idiot you are."
"Go to hell!" Dormammu snarled, his Avatar gradually dissipating into the purest Dark Energy. In its place, a solid figure appeared.
This was Dormammu's true soul—tall, burly, and substantial. Before him, Tony was like a small child.
The difference in Life Tier created a chasm in the quality of their souls.
The colossal Dormammu grabbed Tony with both hands, opened his cavernous maw, and stuffed Tony inside, swallowing him in one gulp.
This was a Devour of the soul, which didn't involve factors like genes or genetic factors. Those things are largely tied to the physical body. A soul, however, is a collection of collective consciousness.
Only life forms capable of self-awareness are qualified to possess a soul. Something like a paramecium is alive, but it clearly has no soul.
When two completely different souls come into contact, it's like throwing water into boiling oil, sparking a violent collision. When two different consciousness bodies touch, they either separate immediately or wear each other down until the weaker one is completely eroded away.
Combat on the soul level is far more cruel and perilous than people understand. Even beings of soul are accustomed to fighting with Psychic Power rather than directly binding an enemy's soul to their own. That method of fighting is just too foolish.
This was precisely why Dormammu coveted Tony's Allspark, especially an object like this in a Psychic State that didn't exist in the Current Realm. What if he accidentally slapped Tony to death and the Allspark just ran off? Perhaps the Allspark had a built-in spatial jump mechanism. He wouldn't even have time to cry. He was willing to choose a safer method.
This single move led him straight into a pit. And from this day forward, the great Dormammu would toss and turn countless nights, filled with regret—so much regret his guts turned green.
Like Mars crashing into Earth, Tony's tiny soul and Dormammu's massive soul engaged in a brutal battle and collision.
Although it was excruciatingly painful, Tony revealed a vicious smile. "As expected, Dormammu, you're an idiot whose IQ is in arrears. To so casually expose your own soul..."
Dormammu roared with laughter. "So what? Do you think you can kill me in return? With that pathetic soul of yours that could be scattered with a single breath?"
He greedily stared at Tony's soul, clearly seeing a radiant, flame-like object within Tony's head. He didn't need any confirmation; the moment Dormammu saw it, he knew it was the Allspark.
Tony sighed, his smile gradually fading. He said, "I thought of many ways, and even secretly discussed with the Ancient One how to get rid of you and perfectly inherit the Dark Dimension."
"Unfortunately, even the Ancient One didn't know much about it, so I could only take a risk and choose the method with the highest probability... to Enslave your soul."
"I suspect you've stored the Core of the Dark Dimension within your own soul. You wouldn't feel safe leaving something so important outside. Only by carrying it with you, fused with your soul, can you control everything in the Dark Dimension so freely."
Tony stared at Dormammu as if looking at a precious treasure.
Whether he could reach Level 5 and obtain the Dark Dimension all depended on this gamble.
"You're not wrong. The Core is indeed in my soul." Dormammu pointed to his own head, his eyes flashing. "But what was that you said? Enslave me? You, a foolish insect, dare to boast about enslaving the great Dormammu?! It seems the Ancient One has taught you to be a fool!"
"Even the Ancient One herself wouldn't dare speak to me like that!"
Tony said, "The Ancient One doesn't do that, not because she doesn't want to, but because she doesn't dare. She has no successor. If something happened to her, no one could inherit the position of Sorcerer Supreme and continue to protect Earth. But I'm different. I... can kill you."
Tony's last sentence was spoken with extreme seriousness, his expression grave.
Dormammu sensed the fluctuations in Tony's soul and knew he was telling the truth; Tony was genuinely confident. He watched as Tony's soul was continuously worn down. In such a short time, a third of it had already been eroded, and another portion had been corroded by Dark Power.
Until now, the Allspark hadn't reacted in the slightest, which allowed Dormammu to breathe a sigh of relief.
Just as he was about to say something, Tony interrupted him.
"You've probably long forgotten, Dormammu, that your true strength is, after all, only that of a Level Six Demigod... The Dark Dimension gave you Universe-level power, but it also became your inescapable fetter and shackle. As long as the Dark Dimension exists, your true tier will only ever be infinitely close to the Level Seven Universe-level."
"The limit of Level Six is the highest you can reach, unless you abandon the Dark Dimension. But you know very well that the moment you leave this place, countless people will be watching you, waiting for a chance to kill you! In the Outside World, even Universe-level beings can die. But in the Dark Dimension, even if your true strength is Level Six, you are virtually immortal and can even suppress the vast majority of Level Seven Powerhouses..."
"External power can be deceptive, but the soul, which represents life itself, cannot lie." Tony grinned, but it wasn't a smile. His bared teeth looked as if they were about to sink into a delicious meal.
"So what? With that feeble soul of yours, you still think you can Enslave me?" A bad premonition arose in Dormammu's heart, but he still refused to believe it.
Although he didn't understand where Tony's classification method of 'Level Six' and 'Level Seven' came from, it didn't stop him from understanding Tony's meaning.
He, an Archmage, was going to be devoured by a feeble reptile? That was as ridiculous as an ant proclaiming it could eat a dinosaur!
As their souls clashed and tore at each other, their projected Psychic Power erupted continuously.
Tony's Allspark finally began to exert its power, resisting Dormammu's gnawing, but no matter how one looked at it, it seemed to be dwarfed by comparison.
A surge of Dark Energy, buffeted by the impact, washed over and struck Tony's physical body. Whether by coincidence or something else, from within Tony's clothes, a... Parchment Scroll was revealed.
A Parchment Scroll exuding the Aura of Hell.
(end of chapter)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
Dormammu opened his cavernous, bloody maw, looking extremely pleased with himself.
He, a Universe-level Archmage, thought devouring a mere Reptile couldn't be simpler. He was a being of soul to begin with and had studied souls in great depth.
Dormammu laughed, and Tony laughed too.
Tony's laughter was unrestrained. Even in his soul form, he made no effort to hide his mockery.
To replace Dormammu and take control of the Dark Dimension, simply destroying his soul wasn't enough. That would only cause the core of the Dark Dimension to be exiled. Given the vastness of the Dark Dimension, Tony suspected it would take tens or even hundreds of thousands of years to find it again.
Back then, when Dormammu found the Core and subsequently controlled the Dark Dimension, there was a considerable element of sheer luck involved.
"Reptile, what are you laughing at?" Dormammu was annoyed.
"I'm laughing at what an idiot you are."
"Go to hell!" Dormammu snarled, his Avatar gradually dissipating into the purest Dark Energy. In its place, a solid figure appeared.
This was Dormammu's true soul—tall, burly, and substantial. Before him, Tony was like a small child.
The difference in Life Tier created a chasm in the quality of their souls.
The colossal Dormammu grabbed Tony with both hands, opened his cavernous maw, and stuffed Tony inside, swallowing him in one gulp.
This was a Devour of the soul, which didn't involve factors like genes or genetic factors. Those things are largely tied to the physical body. A soul, however, is a collection of collective consciousness.
Only life forms capable of self-awareness are qualified to possess a soul. Something like a paramecium is alive, but it clearly has no soul.
When two completely different souls come into contact, it's like throwing water into boiling oil, sparking a violent collision. When two different consciousness bodies touch, they either separate immediately or wear each other down until the weaker one is completely eroded away.
Combat on the soul level is far more cruel and perilous than people understand. Even beings of soul are accustomed to fighting with Psychic Power rather than directly binding an enemy's soul to their own. That method of fighting is just too foolish.
This was precisely why Dormammu coveted Tony's Allspark, especially an object like this in a Psychic State that didn't exist in the Current Realm. What if he accidentally slapped Tony to death and the Allspark just ran off? Perhaps the Allspark had a built-in spatial jump mechanism. He wouldn't even have time to cry. He was willing to choose a safer method.
This single move led him straight into a pit. And from this day forward, the great Dormammu would toss and turn countless nights, filled with regret—so much regret his guts turned green.
Like Mars crashing into Earth, Tony's tiny soul and Dormammu's massive soul engaged in a brutal battle and collision.
Although it was excruciatingly painful, Tony revealed a vicious smile. "As expected, Dormammu, you're an idiot whose IQ is in arrears. To so casually expose your own soul..."
Dormammu roared with laughter. "So what? Do you think you can kill me in return? With that pathetic soul of yours that could be scattered with a single breath?"
He greedily stared at Tony's soul, clearly seeing a radiant, flame-like object within Tony's head. He didn't need any confirmation; the moment Dormammu saw it, he knew it was the Allspark.
Tony sighed, his smile gradually fading. He said, "I thought of many ways, and even secretly discussed with the Ancient One how to get rid of you and perfectly inherit the Dark Dimension."
"Unfortunately, even the Ancient One didn't know much about it, so I could only take a risk and choose the method with the highest probability... to Enslave your soul."
"I suspect you've stored the Core of the Dark Dimension within your own soul. You wouldn't feel safe leaving something so important outside. Only by carrying it with you, fused with your soul, can you control everything in the Dark Dimension so freely."
Tony stared at Dormammu as if looking at a precious treasure.
Whether he could reach Level 5 and obtain the Dark Dimension all depended on this gamble.
"You're not wrong. The Core is indeed in my soul." Dormammu pointed to his own head, his eyes flashing. "But what was that you said? Enslave me? You, a foolish insect, dare to boast about enslaving the great Dormammu?! It seems the Ancient One has taught you to be a fool!"
"Even the Ancient One herself wouldn't dare speak to me like that!"
Tony said, "The Ancient One doesn't do that, not because she doesn't want to, but because she doesn't dare. She has no successor. If something happened to her, no one could inherit the position of Sorcerer Supreme and continue to protect Earth. But I'm different. I... can kill you."
Tony's last sentence was spoken with extreme seriousness, his expression grave.
Dormammu sensed the fluctuations in Tony's soul and knew he was telling the truth; Tony was genuinely confident. He watched as Tony's soul was continuously worn down. In such a short time, a third of it had already been eroded, and another portion had been corroded by Dark Power.
Until now, the Allspark hadn't reacted in the slightest, which allowed Dormammu to breathe a sigh of relief.
Just as he was about to say something, Tony interrupted him.
"You've probably long forgotten, Dormammu, that your true strength is, after all, only that of a Level Six Demigod... The Dark Dimension gave you Universe-level power, but it also became your inescapable fetter and shackle. As long as the Dark Dimension exists, your true tier will only ever be infinitely close to the Level Seven Universe-level."
"The limit of Level Six is the highest you can reach, unless you abandon the Dark Dimension. But you know very well that the moment you leave this place, countless people will be watching you, waiting for a chance to kill you! In the Outside World, even Universe-level beings can die. But in the Dark Dimension, even if your true strength is Level Six, you are virtually immortal and can even suppress the vast majority of Level Seven Powerhouses..."
"External power can be deceptive, but the soul, which represents life itself, cannot lie." Tony grinned, but it wasn't a smile. His bared teeth looked as if they were about to sink into a delicious meal.
"So what? With that feeble soul of yours, you still think you can Enslave me?" A bad premonition arose in Dormammu's heart, but he still refused to believe it.
Although he didn't understand where Tony's classification method of 'Level Six' and 'Level Seven' came from, it didn't stop him from understanding Tony's meaning.
He, an Archmage, was going to be devoured by a feeble reptile? That was as ridiculous as an ant proclaiming it could eat a dinosaur!
As their souls clashed and tore at each other, their projected Psychic Power erupted continuously.
Tony's Allspark finally began to exert its power, resisting Dormammu's gnawing, but no matter how one looked at it, it seemed to be dwarfed by comparison.
A surge of Dark Energy, buffeted by the impact, washed over and struck Tony's physical body. Whether by coincidence or something else, from within Tony's clothes, a... Parchment Scroll was revealed.
A Parchment Scroll exuding the Aura of Hell.
(end of chapter)
