"Ancient One!"
The Poison Demon God Moros's angry voice thundered through the void, even as vast clouds of dark green gas materialized above his continent. From a distance, one could see only an overwhelming emerald radiance obscuring everything else.
What seemed strange was that despite the enormous landmass being clearly visible just moments before, it now appeared to be shrinking rapidly.
Escape! The Poison Demon Moros was fleeing.
Despite the rage in his voice, his true intent was clear.
The Ancient One and Lockhart observed this quietly, making no comment. It seemed almost routine to them.
Soon, the green mist gradually dissipated, and a voice filled with anger and hatred echoed through the void.
"Ancient One, I will return!" Moros vowed. "If I don't avenge this indignity, I am unworthy of the title 'god'!"
As the green mist completely faded, the once-massive continent had vanished, leaving behind only small land fragments scattered through the emptiness.
Gazing into the vacant void, Lockhart couldn't help but sigh with amazement.
The Ancient One truly deserved her title as Supreme Sorcerer. Her terrible reputation, cultivated over thousands of years, was clearly not mere boasting. Indeed, none of the gods they had encountered could stand against her.
With just three strikes, the Poison Demon had been forced to abandon dimensional fragments and flee desperately, losing a significant portion of his original power in the process. He dared only to threaten retaliation but not to offer resistance. Even his harsh words were only spoken after his successful escape.
"Lockhart, put this away," the Ancient One instructed, waving her hand. The once-enormous dimensional fragment began to shrink into a green sphere of light that floated before Lockhart.
He secured it with practiced skill—hardly surprising, as the Ancient One had led him to plunder several dimensional gods in succession.
After watching Lockhart store the artifact, the Ancient One gazed into the void, seemingly observing or sensing something distant. She began flying eastward, her voice reaching Lockhart's ears:
"Let's go meet our next guest!"
Well, "guest" might as well be "fat sheep" ready for slaughter, Lockhart silently commented to himself before hurrying after her, fearing he might be left behind.
As they traveled, the Ancient One spoke casually: "Lockhart, don't be too impressed by these dimensional demons. Strip away their power, and they differ little from mortals. They feel anger, they harbor resentment. Some love, some hate. Don't take them too seriously."
The Ancient One continued to share her experience while Lockhart listened quietly, his mind racing with thoughts.
He would never underestimate these dimensional demons. Even the Poison Demon God who had just fled in such fury—if he had chosen to attack Lockhart directly, Lockhart would have had no power to resist.
Who was the Ancient One, after all? She was the chosen of Eternity, who would accompany her in the future. In other words, she was his right hand. And Eternity was one of the five cosmic entities who had created the universe—the ultimate power.
Could someone favored by such a cosmic force possibly be weak? Just look at the Ancient One's performance thus far. Until now, which evil god had dared to cause trouble when confronting her alone? At most, they would send incarnations. When they truly decided to take action, they gathered numerous evil gods to surround her.
And the result? All became generous gifts handed to Lockhart.
This was the Ancient One. This was the Supreme Sorcerer. This was why Kamar-Taj could guard Earth's very core.
However...
"Sorcerer Supreme, based on your understanding of these evil gods, most will choose revenge," Lockhart said solemnly.
Despite the Ancient One's current fearsome reputation among the gods, Lockhart felt uneasy holding these "gifts"—treasures forcibly extracted from their owners by the Ancient One herself. What appeared to be gifts were actually trophies of conquest.
While the Ancient One lived, these evil gods wouldn't dare invade Earth. But what if they learned she was gone? Then...
Lockhart's reasoning was simple. If someone treated him this way, he would certainly seek vengeance for vengeance, injustice for injustice. These evil gods would never leave Kamar-Taj in peace.
"It should last for a while," the Ancient One replied after a moment's reflection. "A year should present no problems. However, I fear various temptations will arise by then."
Lockhart nodded slightly to show his understanding.
They shared an unspoken comprehension, and Lockhart didn't need to ask why she deliberately brought him to provoke these evil gods. Wasn't this just inviting hatred?
Ordinary people might think so, but Lockhart was not foolish. He understood that Earth without its Supreme Sorcerer would be like a piece of fat meat—irresistible. Whether they attracted hatred or not, once the evil gods confirmed the Ancient One's departure, they would invade.
Therefore, it was better to rob them now, strengthening oneself while intimidating the enemy. Buy precious time.
Time, time, time! For Lockhart, he believed that given enough time, these dimensional demons would ultimately fall. Thus, he never complained. His present concern was how to extract as much as possible from these evil gods without making them so desperate they would act recklessly.
Weaken the enemy and strengthen oneself—no strategy could be more correct.
"Lockhart, is there anything else you wish to know?" The Ancient One's voice roused Lockhart from his thoughts.
"Supreme Sorcerer, which of these evil gods would be the most suitable target?"
"Hahaha," the Ancient One laughed heartily after hearing Lockhart's question. "As expected from someone I favor—that's an excellent question."
"As a target, you can't choose one too weak, nor one too powerful. Ideally, someone with a far-reaching reputation."
The Ancient One smiled. "As it happens, two old acquaintances perfectly meet your requirements."
"Mephisto and Dormammu?" Lockhart immediately responded, identifying the pair.
"Yes, those two," she confirmed. "They've been quite active lately, though they've also suffered the most. Their reputation is considerable, but their strength..." She made a dismissive sound.
Either way, Lockhart was precisely the type of disciple she favored. He wasn't blinded by immediate victories but clearly understood the crisis looming ahead. And without complaint, he had already begun thinking of solutions—preparing to identify suitable dimensional demon gods whose defeat would serve as an example to others, buying them more time.
Lockhart nodded slightly. The Supreme Sorcerer's answer aligned with his own thoughts. He was most familiar with these two entities, and both had detected traces of the system, albeit indirectly. This was enough to put Lockhart on alert.
Given the opportunity, he would never allow these two evil gods to survive for long. However, they were veteran evil gods who had lived for eons and possessed countless methods that astonished even Lockhart.
Just the conversation between the Ancient One and Lockhart about the gods' escape techniques had been immensely informative. Not to mention all the evil and bizarre methods Lockhart had witnessed in Mephisto's memories—even using the power derived from a creation god's death to resurrect himself.
This made Lockhart quite fearful. It was truly like being bitten by a snake that couldn't be killed with a single strike.
They have truly lived too long and have acquired too many resources, Lockhart thought, his admiration for the Ancient One growing. This Supreme Sorcerer had forcibly killed many dimensional demons and countless evil god incarnations. As a result, these evil gods had developed and refined their techniques through many iterations.
As these thoughts flashed through Lockhart's mind, he couldn't help but feel concerned.
Suddenly...
"Lockhart, we're here!"
Hearing the Ancient One's voice, Lockhart looked up.
Dazzling rivers of stars filled the sky and earth, with eternal flowing streams surrounding an enormous continent. Above, a slender rainbow bridge floated majestically.
In the distance, exotic creatures roamed across verdant grasslands. Atop towering mountains stood magnificent castles and splendid palaces. Vaguely, Lockhart thought he glimpsed an enormous tree, its branches spreading outward, connecting to other worlds.
This was... Asgard!
Asgard, Thor's Palace
"My dear brother, what has you so upset?"
Loki, the second prince of Asgard, asked with a smile while enjoying grapes fed to him by a nearby maid.
Thor's displeasure brought Loki joy. Now Loki was filled with curiosity—who had caused this recent mood? To be honest, he truly wanted to learn their technique.
In Loki's eyes, his brother was a born optimist, perhaps even somewhat simple-minded. Despite suffering countless pranks, Thor remained cheerful nearly all the time. No matter how painful or difficult things became, his troubles would vanish after some wine and a bit of commotion.
It was truly rare to see him so glum.
Must learn this skill! Loki thought. Perhaps it was a matter of the heart? Women were said to be the most effective at disturbing one's peace of mind—even fools could be affected. And his "stupid big brother" was certainly not immune.
Loki himself remained effectively imprisoned. Initially confined to a dungeon, his good behavior had earned him some freedoms. He could return to his former chambers, as well as visit his elder brother's palace and his mother's quarters. But these few locations marked the extent of his permitted movement—travel beyond remained restricted.
He had, after all, nearly destroyed Jotunheim. Such punishment was deserved.
Nevertheless, Loki's heart harbored only resentment. Even as he smiled now, the bitterness within him remained undiminished. But what could he do? At most, he could mock Thor, making his brother unhappy—his only source of joy at present.
Thor did not answer Loki's question. He simply continued drinking his wine glumly.
Reflecting on his time on Earth made him increasingly depressed. The mission had technically been completed successfully—his father had made no complaint and had even rewarded him for his accomplishment. But recalling what had transpired on Earth left Thor deeply uncomfortable.
Lockhart's actions especially troubled him. After finally establishing trade relations between everyone and the World of All Things, Thor had brought his allies to his father and friends. The result? They had parted on bad terms, becoming enemies who fought to the death.
Was Lockhart at fault? In truth, duty was duty—it was difficult to violate one's obligations and betray one's origins. Thor could understand Lockhart's predicament. In the end, Lockhart had tried his best to help ease the conflict, helping Thor complete his mission and achieve peace by other means.
But...
Lockhart's behavior remained like a thorn in Thor's heart. It constantly made him uncomfortable, though he couldn't articulate why. If their positions had been reversed, Thor doubted he would have handled it as well as Lockhart. The most he might have done was leave in anger—that would have been his limit.
Therefore, in his heart, Thor still held some admiration for Lockhart. In short, Thor's feelings were deeply complicated.
At that moment...
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A bell sounded, immediately capturing Thor's attention.
"Thor, are there any special events scheduled in Asgard recently?" Loki asked thoughtfully, narrowing his eyes at the slightly familiar bell. "Why haven't I heard about the arrival of distinguished guests?"
The bell rang nine times in succession, signifying that a most honored guest had arrived in Asgard and would be welcomed with the noblest ceremony. Typically, such news would have spread throughout the realm. Why had he received no word of this?
Thor shook his head, indicating he knew nothing about it. Then he casually picked up Mjolnir and walked outside.
And Loki? His face darkened as he stared at everything before him. He was grounded! How could he possibly leave? Did he wish to be returned to the dungeon?
But... he truly wanted to know what was happening. Although Loki knew full well that accurate news would reach him tomorrow, his restless heart kept pounding.
Indeed, if he could contain his curiosity, he wouldn't be called the God of Mischief.
He glanced at the guard standing by the door, then dismissed the maid beside him and began slowly tasting fruit by himself. The door guard glanced over, seemed to find nothing amiss, and continued his duty of guarding—or rather, supervising.
However, the guard failed to notice a very weak green light that flashed momentarily before quietly disappearing.
Meanwhile, the ceremonial bells echoed high in the sky, and flowers seemed to bloom across the heavens. Along both sides of the grand avenue, Asgardian soldiers stood at attention, wearing golden armor and bearing great swords.
Eight white Pegasi with magnificent wings slowly descended from the distant skies. The chariot they pulled carried God-King Odin holding the Eternal Spear, and Queen Frigga wearing her crown.
The arrival of the God-King and Heaven's Queen immediately aroused thunderous cheers.
The Pegasi landed on the avenue, drawing the royal couple forward. The Golden Palace guards followed closely behind and alongside. At the front, warriors held high the flag symbolizing Asgard, forming an honor guard that demonstrated Asgard's power. They were less bodyguards than ceremonial escorts—after all, how could Odin, the god-king who embodied Asgard's supreme fighting power, need protection?
Soon, the eight Pegasi traveled along the route and arrived at the Rainbow Bridge. As he stepped onto the Bridge, Odin gazed into the distance, seeming to catch sight of a certain friend. A glimmer of expectation flashed in his eyes.
Before long, God-King Odin and his honor guard reached the Rainbow Bridge's end. There, two familiar figures stood—one male, one female.
It was the Ancient One and Lockhart.
"Ancient One, you have finally arrived!" Odin proclaimed.