Bang! Boom!
The shattered glass turned into a sky full of stardust. The Mirror Dimension instantly collapsed, and everyone fell into the void. A powerful sensation of weightlessness washed over them.
The next second, their surroundings changed in an instant. Everyone was back in the Sanctum. Kaecilius had been leaping, and when he landed, his head started buzzing. He was completely dazed.
What just happened?! He turned his head to look. The moment he saw Cassius, fear, like a climbing vine, spread up his back. If he hadn't been mistaken, Cassius had shattered the entire Mirror Dimension with a single punch!
"What kind of monster is this?! How is that possible?!" Although the inside of the Mirror Dimension was determined by the caster, to destroy it from within, the power exerted had to be at least several dozen times that of the caster! So, it was basically impossible to destroy!
He had thought that this man named Cassius simply had great magical talent. But he had never imagined that his physical strength was far beyond his wildest dreams.
And now, he finally understood. This man had been toying with him the entire time. He hadn't killed him from the start because he saw him as nothing more than a bug. No matter how he struggled, he couldn't hurt him in the slightest!
He lowered his head in despair, his eyes incredibly dim.
Wong's eye twitched uncontrollably. His expression was no longer one of shock, but of sheer terror! He had been standing nearby and could vaguely feel the power of that punch. The power within that single punch could have destroyed the sky and the earth. And that was just his physical strength; he hadn't even used his other powers.
Baron Mordo's expression was alternating between green and white. In the end, he didn't say anything. He understood that he had been nothing but a clown from the very beginning.
With this man's power, the Book of Vishanti was no longer important. The book focused on defensive and white magic, and this man clearly didn't need that kind of power! The only reason he wanted to study it was out of curiosity. And with his talent, he could learn any spell just by watching it once. Unless all sorcerers stopped using spells forever, it was only a matter of time before Cassius learned them all.
"Cough, cough, cough..." A disheveled Kaecilius turned to face Cassius, his mouth slightly agape. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Who exactly are you?"
He had always known he couldn't beat the Ancient One, but in his eyes, she was one of the most powerful beings on Earth. Cassius's appearance shattered that belief. He couldn't understand why he had to face such a powerful person, a person he had never even heard of.
"Are you that curious?" Cassius's expression was gentle, and he continued in a soft voice, "I am simply a person you can never hope to become."
A smirk appeared on Kaecilius's face.
"So that's how it is. I guess my defeat was not in vain." Kaecilius knew there was no escape. He simply raised his head and stared at Cassius. He wanted to brand Cassius's face into his mind forever. He never wanted to offend such a powerful being again, not in this life or the next.
"I suppose so." Cassius put his hands together, then pulled them apart, and a transparent magical sword appeared in his hands.
Unlike the magical swords of the other sorcerers, his was even more transparent. If you didn't look closely, you wouldn't even see the five-foot blade in Cassius's hand.
He approached Kaecilius at an unhurried pace, each step carrying the ease of a man strolling through his own garden. But the closer he got, the more Kaecilius felt a terrifying pressure. This pressure made his body tremble uncontrollably, but he didn't retreat or run. He knew that no matter how hard he ran, he could never escape.
"By the way, is there anything else you want to say?" Cassius slowly placed the magical sword against his neck, his tone as casual as if he were asking if he wanted to eat.
"..." Kaecilius opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, then said, "I hope there really is another world after death."
He looked up at the ceiling as if he could see the sky. He hadn't sought power for eternal life, but because Dormammu had promised him that if he could bring him back, he would bring his wife and daughter back to him. But now, it seemed the only way to see them was to die.
Sizzle... With a cold sound, blood gushed out like a fountain. In an instant, the walls and floor were soaked with blood. Kaecilius fell to the ground, but the fear was gone from his face, replaced by a smile. It was as if he had truly seen his loved ones in another world.
"Be a better person in your next life." Cassius shook his head, and the magical sword slowly disappeared. He turned back with a smile. "My apologies, but it seems you have a mess to clean up."
"It's fine. Thank you." Stephen had no time for pleasantries. He quickly drew a circle with his right hand, and a golden Inter-Dimensional Portal opened. They could clearly see the hospital on the other side. As soon as the portal opened, Stephen rushed into the hospital with the Ancient One in his arms.
"Master! You have to hold on!" When Stephen arrived at the hospital, he pushed a doctor aside. "Where's the emergency room?"
The doctors were stunned by the sight of people coming out of a portal, but they quickly snapped out of it and led Stephen to the emergency room.
The three of them stood outside the emergency room, but in less than ten minutes, the light went out. A doctor in a white coat came out with a somber look. "The patient lost too much blood... she's gone..."
"..." Stephen stood frozen, the weight of her passing pressing into his chest. His eyes glistened, but no tears fell. He drew in a slow, unsteady breath, shoulders tight, as if holding himself together by sheer will. Only the faint clench of his jaw betrayed the fracture beneath his composure.
"Your teacher is over there." Cassius walked over and stood next to Stephen, patting him on the back. The next second, both of their souls left their bodies.
At this sight, Stephen was stunned for a moment, then something clicked. He quickly turned his head, and through the hospital's floor-to-ceiling window, he saw the Ancient One in her yellow robes, her hands behind her back, looking out at the bustling city.
"You still haven't changed your mind." Cassius sighed, shaking his head. He could have saved the Ancient One, but he knew she didn't want him to. Otherwise, she wouldn't have created a gust of wind to block his path. She didn't want to be saved, likely because of the Dormammu mark on her forehead.
"Death is not the end for me, but a salvation." The Ancient One slowly turned and looked at the two of them. For the first time in a long time, a smile appeared on her face. She had completed her final task. She knew that this would be a great blow to Stephen, but this could not go on forever.
"But you..." Stephen's jaw tightened, wanting to say something, his face full of unwillingness. But the Ancient One interrupted him.
"I have lived long enough, and I have seen enough. That is enough." To be honest, she hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time. The long years of carrying a heavy burden had made her weary.
"It is time." The Ancient One looked at the sky as if she remembered something. She looked at Cassius with a pleading expression. "Cassius, I ask you to become Stephen's godfather."
She knew that Cassius's power was far beyond her imagination. It would take a long time for Stephen to grow strong enough. But with Cassius by his side, none of this would be a problem.
"What?! No! Absolutely not!" A heartbroken Stephen suddenly looked up, his voice filled with indignation. "I will never let a man younger than me be my godfather!"
For a person like this to be his godfather was simply... preposterous!
"Stephen. Do you not understand what I am saying?" The Ancient One's voice was low and filled with displeasure. Her tone made Stephen freeze. This was the first time he had ever seen the Ancient One so angry.
"I beg you, Cassius." The Ancient One turned to Cassius again, her eyes filled with a glimmer of pleading. Although she had finally let go of her heavy burden, she still felt a sense of attachment. After all, this was what she had spent her whole life protecting. It could only be protected if Stephen grew strong enough, and that required a lot of time.
"I..." Stephen wanted to object, but seeing the Ancient One's stern expression, he finally shut his mouth.
"Hmm, I think that sounds kind of interesting. I accept!" A mischievous smile appeared on Cassius's face. He had initially thought this would be a hassle, having to protect an old man. And this man was also arrogant, which made him feel annoyed just thinking about it. But then he thought about how great it would feel to have Stephen call him "godfather."
Stephen saw the playful look on Cassius's face. How could he not know what Cassius was thinking? He clearly wanted to hear him call him "godfather." He was already outclassed by Cassius in every way, and now he was going to be his godfather. Who could accept that?
But he saw the Ancient One's expression and remembered this was her final wish. He finally nodded helplessly.
When the Ancient One saw this, she smiled. She slowly turned and became a golden light that flew up into the sky. Stephen looked at the disappearing golden light and sighed helplessly.
Cassius returned Stephen to his body and said, "It's time to go!"
"Go where?" Stephen looked up, his grief lessened. He realized that this was the Ancient One's wish. If that were the case, he had no reason to stop her.
"We're going to play with Dormammu and tell him to stop harassing Earth," Cassius shrugged and spread his hands, speaking as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Dormammu was definitely still trying to find ways to get to Earth. He didn't want to have to rush back here every other day. Just the thought of it was exhausting. It was better to solve the problem directly and avoid being harassed by a dimensional demon.
"Huh?" Stephen was dumbfounded. He couldn't believe Cassius had just said that. That was a dimensional demon! What was the difference between asking him to stop harassing Earth and telling a dog not to pee everywhere?!
"Why are you so surprised? Do you want to come?" Cassius said, his eyes shifting. "Oh, and I'm your godfather!"
Seeing the look on Stephen's face, a look that was more painful than if he had just eaten feces, Cassius smiled even more.
"You guys just..." Just then, a sorrowful Mordo and Wong walked over. They had also noticed that Cassius and Stephen had gone into their astral forms.
"What about the Ancient One?"
Stephen told them everything that had just happened. Then he added, "And Cassius said he's going to play with the dimensional demon."
At this, both men were stunned. What in the world was he talking about? Going to see a dimensional demon? What was the difference between that and a suicide mission?
"I absolutely disagree!" Wong was the first to object. Going to see a dimensional demon was not something a human being could do.
"Although I know you are very strong, the dimensional demon is an incredibly powerful being." Just mentioning the name sent shivers down Mordo's spine. He had never imagined that he would ever see someone so reckless in his life.
"You're sure you're not coming? Then I'll go!" Cassius's lips curled into a smirk. He was looking forward to it. He had only heard of the dimensional demon but had never seen him before. This was a great opportunity to go and see him. It was still up in the air who was more dangerous!
He finished his sentence and with a wave of his right hand, opened a door to a dimension outside of their reality.
A dark world lay beyond. Inside, there were all kinds of strange lights and floating planets. A gloomy black fog permeated the place, making everything look bizarre and grotesque!
This was the first time the three of them had ever seen the Dark Dimension. But when they felt the evil aura coming from inside, their expressions became incredibly grim.
"If you're not going, that's fine; I'm going!" Cassius didn't waste any time and walked straight into the Inter-Dimensional Portal. The three of them looked at each other for a moment before gritting their teeth and following him.
When they entered the Dark Dimension, the first thing they felt was the darkness. Next, they saw countless small planets floating around, glowing with a brilliant light. But this light was dizzying, and they could vaguely see tentacle-like things floating in the air!
In contrast to the three of them, who were on high alert, Cassius looked as if he were on a spring outing. Not only did he show no fear, but his face was completely relaxed. He was fearless because the Phoenix Force he possessed was enough to make Dormammu wary.
"I'm betting my life on this; you better know what you're doing!" Stephen gritted his teeth, speaking in a whisper. He didn't want to come here and be stuck forever.
"I'm already regretting coming to this godforsaken place!" Wong gritted his teeth, the fat on his face trembling slightly. He truly regretted it. Why had he followed them in?
As for Mordo, he was already filled with despair. "We're going to die!" After all, once they were in, they could all clearly feel the oppressive aura of this dimension.
"Don't worry," Cassius spread his hands, speaking in a reassuring tone. "We're just going to warn Dormammu. We're not going to kill him!"
"..." Stephen and the others were speechless. Was there even a difference?! Either way, they were all going to die!
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