Through this unique method, Dormammu's energy—or rather, the energy of the Dark Dimension—could be temporarily channeled into Kaecilius, achieving the effect of greatly enhancing his strength.
Now that Kaecilius had gained power, shouldn't it be the Ancient One's turn to counterattack? Then the scene Blaine wanted to see would finally appear. Even if that did not happen, at the very least, Blaine wanted to watch an evenly matched battle and enjoy the spectacle.
Sure enough, with Dormammu backing him from behind, Kaecilius became far braver, as if he were a completely different person from before.
Eh...
For some reason, Blaine actually saw Kaecilius stab through the Ancient One's magical shield with a sharp blade made of dark energy, shattering it into pieces.
Good heavens. Having someone backing you up really was different. Just now, Kaecilius and his followers had resisted the Ancient One together, and even then, they had still been completely outmatched. But now, Kaecilius had pierced the Ancient One's magical shield by himself.
Just as Blaine thought the Ancient One was about to be forced back step by step, suddenly, another similar aura descended. Looking at the Ancient One, her presence seemed to have changed.
What was going on? Was the Ancient One also using this ritual to draw energy from the Dark Dimension?
Blaine stared at the Ancient One without blinking. All at once, the Ancient One suddenly opened her eyes, and the yellow cloak draped over her body instantly stirred, as if an unseen wind were blowing around her, making it flutter.
However, aside from the change in the Ancient One's aura, what drew even more attention was the symbol on her forehead. Thin black lines outlined the pattern, and it looked as if he had seen it somewhere before.
The Book of Cagliostro. If his memory was correct, this was the symbol inscribed on the pages related to Dormammu.
According to the book, this was a representation of dark energy, the evil embodiment of Dormammu. In any case, it was a bad omen.
Of course, Blaine was not surprised when he saw this. After all, Blaine had known about it long ago. It was only a matter of time before the Ancient One's secret was revealed.
Blaine did not care, but that did not mean the others were the same as him.
Turning his head to look at the black magician and Stephen Strange, who had been watching the battle, Blaine saw that both of them were frowning, as if they were thinking about something.
Among them, the black magician's reaction was even worse. Blaine knew that this man had been suspicious of the Ancient One for a long time. From certain rumors, he also seemed to know that the Ancient One had secretly been absorbing energy from the Dark Dimension, but he had no direct evidence to prove it. Moreover, the Ancient One could also be considered his savior, which had made him bury this suspicion deep in his heart.
But now, the Ancient One's actions had truly confirmed the doubts in the black magician's mind. For a moment, he felt deceived.
Back then, when he had been entangled by dark energy, all of the black magician's family members had died because of Kaecilius, a scum of the sorcerers who abused magic and stole dark energy.
And at that critical moment, it was the Ancient One who had rescued the black magician and provided him with a place to live, allowing him to recover safely and begin his life again.
For so many years, the black magician had been studying magic under the Ancient One so that he could help her one day completely wipe out the dark energy and thoroughly eliminate sorcerer scum like Kaecilius.
Therefore, all this time, the black magician had been conscientious and diligent, practicing magic every day without interruption, all for this very day. Moreover, in the black magician's heart, he had always regarded the Ancient One as a good teacher and helpful friend, someone even greater than a benefactor. He had even buried other people's rumors deep in his heart and never complained. This showed just how important the Ancient One was to him.
But now, in the end, the Ancient One had personally proven through her own actions that the black magician's belief had been wrong. The person he worshipped was not as noble as he had imagined. This feeling of being deceived almost made him so furious that he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
At this moment, the Ancient One's image in the black magician's mind changed from a bright, majestic mountain like Mount Tai into the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, filled with terrifying beasts. This was enough to show just how deeply the black magician had been shaken.
After seeing the Ancient One reveal the same symbol as Dormammu, he even concluded that the Ancient One was Dormammu's accomplice, and it was very likely that the deaths of his family had an inseparable connection to her.
It could be estimated that after the Ancient One's revelation, the black magician would not only abandon the light and turn toward darkness, but it was also very likely that even his entire understanding of the world would be shattered, causing him to embark on a road of no return.
Compared with the black magician, Stephen Strange was much quieter. Although he was confused, he did not experience the same emotional turmoil as the black magician.
That was because Stephen Strange had spoken with Kaecilius in the Sanctum not long ago. Kaecilius had also mentioned this matter, so after seeing it with his own eyes, Stephen Strange was only shocked and conflicted. It was not enough to make him lose himself.
Of course, perhaps it was also because the Ancient One had been guiding Stephen Strange all along, allowing him to go through so much. Without the Ancient One, there would be no Stephen Strange today. Therefore, the sense of contrast and hatred depended entirely on his own state of mind.
Besides, Stephen Strange was a highly educated man who had received advanced training. He still had the ability to distinguish right from wrong, good from bad, and good from evil. These things were not determined by what kind of energy one used.
Could it be said that anyone who possessed dark energy had to be vicious and cruel? At the very least, the Ancient One did not count, and her founding and leadership of Kamar-Taj was enough to prove that.
There was also Blaine. As a bounty hunter, he had killed countless people, but in unseen ways, he had also saved Earth several times. Although Blaine himself could not define his own position—good person? Evil person?—even Blaine himself could not judge. Perhaps, to Blaine, as long as the price was right, money determined who was good and who was bad. Hm? To be precise, Blaine's good and evil depended on his own heart. As the ancient bounty hunters said, follow your heart and do whatever you want.
Conversely, did possessing white magic necessarily make someone a good person? There was no need to even think about it. Anyone with a brain knew the answer. In other words, the black magician simply could not accept the gap in his heart, and people who were easily swayed by emotion would be blinded by the illusion before them.
**************************************************
You can get access to early chapters on patr*on
If you like my work and you want to support me then you can become my patron on patre*n.
My patr*on account is Lord_Immortal_0170