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Chapter 277: An Enraged Tony and the Interdimensional Visitor
With a bang, the dilapidated wooden door slammed shut, as if the gate between two worlds had closed, severing the last shred of hope.
No matter how desperately Stephen pounded on it, the wooden door never responded again.
In the main hall of Kamar-Taj, Tony held the Eye of Agamotto, casually toying with it as he quietly contemplated something.
Above his head, a model of the Earth was slowly rotating, brilliant golden lights occasionally flaring up on its surface.
Each golden area represented the location of a Kamar-Taj magical formation, and this dazzling gold covered the entire globe.
To be in charge of Kamar-Taj, in a sense, was to be in charge of Earth.
The energy a Sorcerer Supreme could unleash was immeasurably vast. To say their call would be answered by all would be an understatement.
On Earth, the Sorcerer Supreme was the natural ruler of the magical world, the very symbol of righteousness.
"You're treating the Eye of Agamotto like a toy again?" Mordo said furiously the moment he entered.
"Don't say that. I'm familiarizing myself with the Time Stone," Tony bluffed. "As the Sorcerer Supreme, it would be too embarrassing if I knew nothing about it."
It was impossible to say Tony wasn't tempted by the Time Stone, but it was also a very dangerous item. At least, until his Time Mastery reached a certain level, using it rashly would trigger many troublesome problems.
For instance, the creation of new parallel universes was extremely troublesome. Tony had become even more cautious about using and studying the Time Stone, especially after the Vishanti told him that his reckless use of Time Manipulation had freed that fellow, Savitar.
Although Tony still couldn't figure out how his meager skills had managed to affect the Speed Force Prison, which was built by the Speed Force Wall.
Still, it was never wrong to be cautious. He worried that Savitar might come looking for him one day, but then figured that a being sweeping across the Multiverse wouldn't have time to bother with him, so he let it go.
Worrying was useless. What was meant to come, would come.
"How do you plan to deal with Strange? He's been pounding on the door outside for five hours and still refuses to leave," Mordo said, glaring irritably at Tony.
He actually had a pretty good impression of Stephen.
"Stubbornness, arrogance, ambition—he possesses all these 'excellent' qualities. I have to make him understand how precious this opportunity is, or he'll become the next Kaecilius." Tony tossed the Eye of Agamotto into the air, easily catching it under Mordo's twitching gaze, and repeated the motion.
"So you're just going to leave him out there?" Mordo asked.
"Wait another hour, then bring him in. You'll be personally responsible for his initiation. Oh, and find an opportunity to take him to the New York Sanctum. The Cloak of Levitation might have a new master," Tony instructed.
Mordo looked astonished. "What did you say? That guy can gain the Cloak of Levitation's approval? How is that possible? For centuries, the Cloak of Levitation has refused to acknowledge anyone other than the Ancient One."
"That was in the past. Times have changed, Mordo." Tony placed the Eye of Agamotto around his neck as if it were a beautiful ornament.
The golden, eye-shaped orb now hung on Tony's chest.
"That flashy cloak needs a master who can bring out its full potential. It will take a liking to Stephen Strange."
"What about you? Don't you want it anymore?"
"I don't need it anymore. The Cloak of Levitation never liked me in the first place; it only compromised because I'm the Sorcerer Supreme." A faint smile appeared on Tony's lips as he recalled excitedly rushing to the New York Sanctum after taking up the mantle, only to see the Cloak act like a sulking child.
He, too, could create souls. New civilizations would be born by his hand. There was no need to get hung up over a mere Cloak of Levitation.
After all, he was bound to leave Earth sooner or later...
He would take Cybertron with him, transcend, break through the Speed Force Wall, charge into the Sphere of the Gods, and become one of the supreme realms.
Mordo shook his head helplessly. Although he was skeptical about the Cloak of Levitation accepting Stephen, he knew he just had to follow Tony's arrangements.
"Wait, Mordo." Tony stopped him just as he was turning to leave.
"Mordo, have you ever considered learning powerful Dark Magic?" Tony asked after a moment of thought. "If you're willing, I can open the Dark Dimension to you and even have Dormammu personally teach you."
"Dark Magic? Why would I learn something like that!" Mordo refused without a second thought. He held immense hostility towards Dark Power and utterly loathed Dark Magic, which required drawing upon the Power of Darkness to be used.
To say nothing of being taught by Dormammu, an archenemy of Earth.
"Times have changed, Mordo. Dormammu is now my servant, and the Dark Dimension is temporarily under my control. The Source of Evil is gone. As long as you don't devour planets like Dormammu did, there will be no repercussions. Constantine knows Dark Magic, and Magik is the master of Hell's borderlands. Her use of the Power of Darkness is even more skilled than mine, and I haven't seen them become irredeemable villains," Tony explained, exasperated.
"I know what you're trying to say. I won't be hostile toward them just because they use Dark Magic," Mordo said decisively. "But I will keep a constant watch on them. If they are ever corrupted by the Power of Darkness, I will kill them without hesitation." With that, he turned and left.
Only after Mordo was far away did Tony nod in satisfaction, muttering to himself, "That's enough. This way, when the Ancient One returns from Hell, Mordo won't be hostile toward her for drawing on the Power of Darkness to extend her life."
Tony rubbed his forehead and sighed. Only by holding this position could one truly understand how difficult it had been for the Ancient One. Not only did she have to manage Kamar-Taj's internal affairs, but she also had to guard against threats from across the Universe.
Tony stood up and strode toward the Library.
The Library was the most important place in all of Kamar-Taj. It housed many of Earth's lost tomes of Arcane Magic, both sacred and profane.
Having the serious and reclusive Wong guard the place was the most fitting arrangement.
However, this time, Wong was inexplicably gone.
The moment Tony stepped into the Library, a prickling sensation made him instinctively raise his guard.
"Wong?"
Tony called out, but there was no response. Frowning deeply, he walked cautiously inside.
A power that ignored space-time was quietly fluctuating not far away.
Tony's expression turned cold, and the Time Stone on his chest glowed faintly. As he ventured deeper into the Library, a voice, deliberately isolated and muffled, reached his ears.
Tony snorted coldly and launched a blast of magic, shattering some kind of restraint.
To his shock, the spell traveled a short distance before abruptly vanishing. If his senses were correct, the magic seemed to have been shunted directly into another dimension.
A voice, full of deep affection and flamboyant charm, drifted over. "Wanda, my love for you is undeniable! I would do anything for you. Please, marry me!"
Wanda's flustered and angry voice responded, "Who on earth are you?! I've never seen you in Kamar-Taj before!"
"Marry me first, and I'll tell you. Or how about this: I'll tell you, and then you'll marry me." The person cleared his throat and said with mock seriousness, "Listen closely. I am from..."
"I'm not listening! Just get out of here!" Wanda shrieked, covering her ears.
Tony's expression grew even darker. He was certain that no such person existed in Kamar-Taj, let alone someone with such terrifying magical skill!
To divert his attack so silently, without any magical fluctuations... even Wanda hadn't noticed a thing!
Moreover, the voice struck Tony as familiar, filling him with an instinctive sense of disgust and revulsion.
"I don't care who you are. Enter Kamar-Taj without my permission, and you'd better be prepared to die!" Tony's face was a cold mask as his mind raced to identify the intruder.
An Interdimensional Being was the most likely possibility.
Tony forcefully blasted aside a row of wide bookshelves and made a menacing entrance, only to be stunned by the scene before him: a handsome young man was kneeling on one knee, holding a large bouquet of roses.
The most cringe-worthy part was the large, glowing pink words "Marry Me" floating in the air.
Seeing Tony, Wanda was at a complete loss. She wrung her hands, a wave of inexplicable panic washing over her as she hurriedly tried to explain, "Tony, I don't know this person! He..."
Before Wanda could finish, the young man and Tony locked eyes. After a fraction of a second, they both reacted simultaneously.
The handsome youth roared in anger, "It's you!"
Hearing that familiar yet strange voice, Tony grew even more furious. "Damn it, it really is you!"
(end of chapter)
With a bang, the dilapidated wooden door slammed shut, as if the gate between two worlds had closed, severing the last shred of hope.
No matter how desperately Stephen pounded on it, the wooden door never responded again.
In the main hall of Kamar-Taj, Tony held the Eye of Agamotto, casually toying with it as he quietly contemplated something.
Above his head, a model of the Earth was slowly rotating, brilliant golden lights occasionally flaring up on its surface.
Each golden area represented the location of a Kamar-Taj magical formation, and this dazzling gold covered the entire globe.
To be in charge of Kamar-Taj, in a sense, was to be in charge of Earth.
The energy a Sorcerer Supreme could unleash was immeasurably vast. To say their call would be answered by all would be an understatement.
On Earth, the Sorcerer Supreme was the natural ruler of the magical world, the very symbol of righteousness.
"You're treating the Eye of Agamotto like a toy again?" Mordo said furiously the moment he entered.
"Don't say that. I'm familiarizing myself with the Time Stone," Tony bluffed. "As the Sorcerer Supreme, it would be too embarrassing if I knew nothing about it."
It was impossible to say Tony wasn't tempted by the Time Stone, but it was also a very dangerous item. At least, until his Time Mastery reached a certain level, using it rashly would trigger many troublesome problems.
For instance, the creation of new parallel universes was extremely troublesome. Tony had become even more cautious about using and studying the Time Stone, especially after the Vishanti told him that his reckless use of Time Manipulation had freed that fellow, Savitar.
Although Tony still couldn't figure out how his meager skills had managed to affect the Speed Force Prison, which was built by the Speed Force Wall.
Still, it was never wrong to be cautious. He worried that Savitar might come looking for him one day, but then figured that a being sweeping across the Multiverse wouldn't have time to bother with him, so he let it go.
Worrying was useless. What was meant to come, would come.
"How do you plan to deal with Strange? He's been pounding on the door outside for five hours and still refuses to leave," Mordo said, glaring irritably at Tony.
He actually had a pretty good impression of Stephen.
"Stubbornness, arrogance, ambition—he possesses all these 'excellent' qualities. I have to make him understand how precious this opportunity is, or he'll become the next Kaecilius." Tony tossed the Eye of Agamotto into the air, easily catching it under Mordo's twitching gaze, and repeated the motion.
"So you're just going to leave him out there?" Mordo asked.
"Wait another hour, then bring him in. You'll be personally responsible for his initiation. Oh, and find an opportunity to take him to the New York Sanctum. The Cloak of Levitation might have a new master," Tony instructed.
Mordo looked astonished. "What did you say? That guy can gain the Cloak of Levitation's approval? How is that possible? For centuries, the Cloak of Levitation has refused to acknowledge anyone other than the Ancient One."
"That was in the past. Times have changed, Mordo." Tony placed the Eye of Agamotto around his neck as if it were a beautiful ornament.
The golden, eye-shaped orb now hung on Tony's chest.
"That flashy cloak needs a master who can bring out its full potential. It will take a liking to Stephen Strange."
"What about you? Don't you want it anymore?"
"I don't need it anymore. The Cloak of Levitation never liked me in the first place; it only compromised because I'm the Sorcerer Supreme." A faint smile appeared on Tony's lips as he recalled excitedly rushing to the New York Sanctum after taking up the mantle, only to see the Cloak act like a sulking child.
He, too, could create souls. New civilizations would be born by his hand. There was no need to get hung up over a mere Cloak of Levitation.
After all, he was bound to leave Earth sooner or later...
He would take Cybertron with him, transcend, break through the Speed Force Wall, charge into the Sphere of the Gods, and become one of the supreme realms.
Mordo shook his head helplessly. Although he was skeptical about the Cloak of Levitation accepting Stephen, he knew he just had to follow Tony's arrangements.
"Wait, Mordo." Tony stopped him just as he was turning to leave.
"Mordo, have you ever considered learning powerful Dark Magic?" Tony asked after a moment of thought. "If you're willing, I can open the Dark Dimension to you and even have Dormammu personally teach you."
"Dark Magic? Why would I learn something like that!" Mordo refused without a second thought. He held immense hostility towards Dark Power and utterly loathed Dark Magic, which required drawing upon the Power of Darkness to be used.
To say nothing of being taught by Dormammu, an archenemy of Earth.
"Times have changed, Mordo. Dormammu is now my servant, and the Dark Dimension is temporarily under my control. The Source of Evil is gone. As long as you don't devour planets like Dormammu did, there will be no repercussions. Constantine knows Dark Magic, and Magik is the master of Hell's borderlands. Her use of the Power of Darkness is even more skilled than mine, and I haven't seen them become irredeemable villains," Tony explained, exasperated.
"I know what you're trying to say. I won't be hostile toward them just because they use Dark Magic," Mordo said decisively. "But I will keep a constant watch on them. If they are ever corrupted by the Power of Darkness, I will kill them without hesitation." With that, he turned and left.
Only after Mordo was far away did Tony nod in satisfaction, muttering to himself, "That's enough. This way, when the Ancient One returns from Hell, Mordo won't be hostile toward her for drawing on the Power of Darkness to extend her life."
Tony rubbed his forehead and sighed. Only by holding this position could one truly understand how difficult it had been for the Ancient One. Not only did she have to manage Kamar-Taj's internal affairs, but she also had to guard against threats from across the Universe.
Tony stood up and strode toward the Library.
The Library was the most important place in all of Kamar-Taj. It housed many of Earth's lost tomes of Arcane Magic, both sacred and profane.
Having the serious and reclusive Wong guard the place was the most fitting arrangement.
However, this time, Wong was inexplicably gone.
The moment Tony stepped into the Library, a prickling sensation made him instinctively raise his guard.
"Wong?"
Tony called out, but there was no response. Frowning deeply, he walked cautiously inside.
A power that ignored space-time was quietly fluctuating not far away.
Tony's expression turned cold, and the Time Stone on his chest glowed faintly. As he ventured deeper into the Library, a voice, deliberately isolated and muffled, reached his ears.
Tony snorted coldly and launched a blast of magic, shattering some kind of restraint.
To his shock, the spell traveled a short distance before abruptly vanishing. If his senses were correct, the magic seemed to have been shunted directly into another dimension.
A voice, full of deep affection and flamboyant charm, drifted over. "Wanda, my love for you is undeniable! I would do anything for you. Please, marry me!"
Wanda's flustered and angry voice responded, "Who on earth are you?! I've never seen you in Kamar-Taj before!"
"Marry me first, and I'll tell you. Or how about this: I'll tell you, and then you'll marry me." The person cleared his throat and said with mock seriousness, "Listen closely. I am from..."
"I'm not listening! Just get out of here!" Wanda shrieked, covering her ears.
Tony's expression grew even darker. He was certain that no such person existed in Kamar-Taj, let alone someone with such terrifying magical skill!
To divert his attack so silently, without any magical fluctuations... even Wanda hadn't noticed a thing!
Moreover, the voice struck Tony as familiar, filling him with an instinctive sense of disgust and revulsion.
"I don't care who you are. Enter Kamar-Taj without my permission, and you'd better be prepared to die!" Tony's face was a cold mask as his mind raced to identify the intruder.
An Interdimensional Being was the most likely possibility.
Tony forcefully blasted aside a row of wide bookshelves and made a menacing entrance, only to be stunned by the scene before him: a handsome young man was kneeling on one knee, holding a large bouquet of roses.
The most cringe-worthy part was the large, glowing pink words "Marry Me" floating in the air.
Seeing Tony, Wanda was at a complete loss. She wrung her hands, a wave of inexplicable panic washing over her as she hurriedly tried to explain, "Tony, I don't know this person! He..."
Before Wanda could finish, the young man and Tony locked eyes. After a fraction of a second, they both reacted simultaneously.
The handsome youth roared in anger, "It's you!"
Hearing that familiar yet strange voice, Tony grew even more furious. "Damn it, it really is you!"
(end of chapter)
