When Kaecilius saw Isaac Leclerc's sinister expression, he asked nervously:
"What do you want to do?"
Isaac smiled and handed him a small note.
"Here! Read this passage… with emotion!"
Kaecilius: "???"
He glanced at the words written on the note, puzzled, then looked back at Isaac with a face that clearly said, "Are you kidding me?"
"Boom!"
Faora, who was standing next to him, slapped the back of his head impatiently and said:
"When the boss tells you to read, you read. Or are you looking to die?"
"I'll endure…"
After mentally consoling himself, Kaecilius looked back at the note, tears brimming in his eyes, and began reading:
"Dormammu is a big fool who constantly gets schooled by the Sorcerer Supreme. If I hadn't seen it myself, I never would've believed it!"
After finishing, he looked up at Isaac with a gaze that asked, "Now what?"
"Read it again!"
Isaac pulled out a camera and pointed it at him.
Kaecilius read it a second time... then a third.
Only then did Isaac put the camera aside, satisfied. Of course, he didn't do it for fun.
Kaecilius hadn't fully submitted to Dormammu yet, but Isaac knew that this "recorded humiliation" would be a powerful bargaining chip for later.
In Isaac's eyes, Kaecilius was nothing more than a temporary, uninsured worker — no salary, no protection — just a disposable tool.
Born with a rebellious nature, Kaecilius's attitude added no value to the Celestial Dome. If anything, it undermined its authority.
Isaac had two clear objectives for subduing him:
First: Having a magician within the organization would surely boost Marvel List rewards.
Second: Studying magic in this world — which draws power from borrowed dimensions — was both dangerous and fragile at once.
He had no intention of learning it himself, but such spells could be used to feed his system and expand its knowledge base.
Isaac said coldly as he put away the camera:
"I won't interfere with your work for now. But within seven days, you must copy down everything you learned in Kamar-Taj. I'll come back for it."
Kaecilius, feeling a bit of freedom, secretly sighed in relief. Little did he know, Isaac was well aware of his secret communications with Dormammu — who had promised him freedom in exchange for cooperation.
"No problem, Dome Leader. I'll write down everything within seven days!"
Isaac nodded. "Let's hope you act more rationally... or else."
With that brief warning, Isaac left with Faora.
"Where are we going now?"
Faora asked as she flew beside him, her eyes filled with anticipation.
"How about... working on expanding the Kryptonian bloodline?"
Isaac smiled, clearly catching on to what she was thinking.
[Avoided turning this into an explicit scene… something better is coming!]
The next morning...
Isaac gently pushed Faora, who lay naked on his chest, aside and got up to shower, stretch, and do some light relaxation exercises. After that, he opened the Marvel Channel to check for any new updates, whether public or in his private messages.
There were dozens of DMs — some from Hydra, some from minor characters — but only one caught his eye:
[Dormammu: You mortal! I heard you're trying to steal my host?]
Isaac squinted as he read the message. It was obvious Kaecilius had leaked the info.
[Isaac: And what if I am? If you have guts, punch me through the network cable!]
"Thor has a Bifrost Bridge! And you? You've got nothing! What are you bragging about?"
[Dormammu: Are you provoking me? I am the Lord of the Dark Dimension!]
Isaac replied mockingly:
[Isaac: No, no… You misunderstood. I'm not provoking you. I just... despise you.]
Dormammu first thought Isaac had backed down, but that last line shattered his pride.
[Dormammu: Congratulations, mortal. You're now the second human I hate the most — right after the Ancient One! I'll rip your soul apart and make it suffer in my dimension forever. You wait!]
Isaac: "..."He often wondered if someone had tweaked the universe's settings and maxed out ego and arrogance to the highest level.
Officially acknowledged!Looks like this pathetic Dormammu is better at trash-talking than he is at controlling the Dark Dimension.
[Isaac: I'll be waiting for the day your Dark Dimension crawls at my feet!]
"Let's play the game of pride and humiliation... just like the rest of them!"
After sending the message, he left the channel without a care.
He had no time for petty insults... the announcement of Marvel List Rank #3 was drawing near.
A verbal battle with the Lord of the Dark Dimension?No thanks — knowing his rank on the list was far more important.