"Master, I have little interest in guarding Earth. After this, the great responsibility should still fall to you and Kamar-Taj," Jason Kin said, his tone probing. "But my power of life may be useful to you."
What he wanted most on Earth were followers. As for defending the planet, if someone else could handle it, he had no reason to exhaust himself. And the sanctum of the Sorcerer Supreme was clearly the best candidate. If he could preserve the Ancient One's life, there would be no harm in it.
But the Ancient One only shook her head.
"My life ended long ago. I have been clinging on by drawing strength from the Dark Dimension. I have already broken the balance of heaven. If I continue, I will only stray further. Now that you have appeared, and I have found a successor for my mantle, it is time for me to go. I am tired.
"As for Earth, if you will not guard it, then my not-so-promising disciple will take on the task. When he faces dangers he cannot overcome, I only hope that you will step in to save him."
Her voice was calm. She had long since looked past life and death. For her, death was not a terror but a release.
Since she had made up her mind, Jason could not press further. He nodded. "I understand. I may not wish to be Earth's protector, but anything that threatens my interests will be destroyed."
"That is enough. Then, Mr. Phils, farewell."
The Ancient One smiled gently, her body fading into a phantom before disappearing entirely.
Jason sighed. From her look, he knew she had only a few days left before she completely departed. He lifted his gaze to the sky. His gemstone-like eyes shone with divine light, and a cold smile tugged at his lips.
"As long as I am here, the heavens will not change," he murmured.
He had no interest in being humanity's guardian. But if anyone dared reach for what belonged to him, he would crush them without mercy. And this time, it was also a golden opportunity to harvest astronomical levels of faith. A chance to temper his Church of Holy Light. One strike, two gains.
Northern Poland, inside a secret Hydra base.
"Fuck!"
A middle-aged man slammed his palm on the table, face twisted in rage.
"Our base that took decades to build is gone, and Pierce is dead too? What were you all doing, standing there as decorations?"
His agents in Hydra uniforms lowered their heads in silence.
After a long pause, one finally spoke.
"Sir, you weren't there. You don't know how terrifying that woman was. Her power is beyond imagination. She was not human. She was more like a god."
The man sneered. "Are you out of your mind? What gods could exist in this world?"
"But sir… the data shows the base was discovered and destroyed in under five minutes. No normal person could accomplish that. It cannot be explained so simply," another officer added.
The commander fell silent. He knew they were right. Not even the superheroes appearing in the newspapers these days could wipe out a massive base so quickly. Yet such impossible power had emerged from the Roland family. How? How could a mere business family produce such a monster? Unless… unless it truly was divine power.
If the Rolands had gained a way to create gods, then others might be able to seize it too. If Hydra could grasp this strength, their deep foundation would allow them to cultivate even greater warriors. Then world domination would not just be a dream.
Greed and fear burned together in his eyes. But for now, survival came first. The Roland family was clearly retaliating, striking their other strongholds already. To be hunted by a family with just thirty years of history was humiliating beyond words.
"Pierce is dead. The World Security Council did not react? SHIELD did not retaliate?" he asked sharply.
"Normally they would, but Nick Fury interfered. He suppressed everything. For now, there is no movement from above," one man reported.
"Fuck! That bald bastard Fury! He must be eliminated immediately!" the commander roared.
Another agent spoke anxiously, "Sir, what about us? The Rolands are clearly coming for us. Our Hong Kong and Berlin bases are destroyed already. That woman will find us soon!"
"This place is remote and has little outside contact. We should be safe. But stay alert. Is the defense system fully active?"
"Yes sir, everything is on maximum alert. Even our secret weapon is armed."
"Good." The man exhaled slightly.
But then, the red alarms began to wail.
Everyone froze, dread gripping their hearts. Their eyes turned to the surveillance monitors. A small girl, looking no older than a grade-schooler, appeared on the screen. Before they could make out her face, the feed went black.
"Who was that?" the commander asked, baffled. But his men only shook their heads.
"Useless trash," he cursed.
A thunderous explosion rocked the walls. The building shook violently. Screams, gunfire, and detonations blended into a symphony of death. Then silence.
The men inside the command room felt no relief. Their instincts screamed that the storm was about to break upon them.
"You, go check," the commander barked, kicking a soldier.
The man stammered, "Sir, I have family, I—"
A gunshot cut him off. The commander shot him dead. "Save your sob story for hell." He pressed his gun against another soldier's head. "You, go."
The terrified man had no choice. He shouted "Hail Hydra!" and moved to open the door. But before he touched the handle, a blast erupted. The shockwave hurled him across the room, his organs crushed. Everyone near the door collapsed with him.
The survivors lifted their guns, trembling.
Footsteps echoed.
"Is it that monster woman?" someone whispered.
"No matter who it is, shoot!" the commander howled, pulling the trigger first.
Gunfire thundered, bullets pouring like rain.
"Die, you bitch!" the commander screamed, hatred consuming him.
But when the shooting stopped, the answer was clear. She wasn't dead.
A young, sleepy voice rang out, chilling their bones.
"Is that all you've got?"
The room froze. Cold dread pierced them to the core.
"This… this can't be… she's still alive!"
"It's over. We're finished."
The footsteps grew louder. A white-haired girl in a frilly dress walked in, looking like an ordinary schoolgirl. In any other place, they would have dismissed her as harmless. But here, she was a nightmare.
"Out of bullets? Then I'll give you some," Laffey muttered lazily. She flicked her wrist, sending a handful of bullets flying like knives. They tore through the Hydra agents with ease. Half of them fell instantly.
The survivors trembled, drenched in cold sweat.
"Any last words?" Laffey asked, her tone flat and merciless.
The commander panicked. "Don't kill me! This was all Pierce's fault. We had nothing to do with it! He's already dead. We can cooperate! Hydra's resources can make the Roland family stronger. Killing me gains you nothing!"
Laffey sneered. "We don't need gains. Commander said killing you is just for fun."
"You'll regret this! Our superiors won't let you live. Every power will unite against you!" he raged.
"Fool. You dare threaten my commander? You're asking to die."
A beam of light flashed from the cannon on Laffey's forehead. The man's head was gone before he hit the floor.
Screams erupted as the rest tried to flee. But Laffey raised her hand. A blast of energy turned the chamber into a sea of fire. When the flames cleared, she was gone, vanished into the glow of divine light.
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