"Come on, let me see how strong you are?"
In the temple, Alaric told Clea that he wanted to test her strength.
"Ahhh… Well, um…"
Faced with Alaric's invitation to spar, Clea shyly pulled back a little.
"What's wrong? Don't you know magic?"
"I do! Then I… should start?"
Clea pulled herself together.
"Go ahead."
"Yikes!"
Clea took a deep breath, activated magic with both hands, condensed a dark red magic ring, and swung her fist at Alaric with it.
But just as she swung, the magic ring on her hand, as if it had short-circuited, sparked a few times and shut off.
Then Alaric simply felt Clea's soft fist tap against his chest.
"That's it?"
Alaric couldn't help but speak.
This was way too weak!
Literally apprentice-level Kamar-Taj magic!
You were born in the Dark Dimension after all, no matter how weak you are, you shouldn't be this bad, right?
Don't they have sorceresses there?
Didn't you study magic seriously?
Of course, the reason Clea becomes strong later is due to "unlocking", so Alaric just shook his head helplessly.
"It's not just me, my magic weakened because of Earth's environment…"
Clea blushed with shame, and her voice grew quieter.
"Weakened, huh." Alaric thought.
He remembered that Clea's strength in the original story returned thanks to Stonehenge.
But what the exact principle of Stonehenge was, Alaric didn't really know.
Still, even though he didn't know that, he could still give her power.
"Your magic source is the Dark Dimension, right?" Alaric asked.
"Yes, that's why I'm a bit stronger in the Dark Dimension than I am now."
Clea felt that since she arrived on Earth, her connection to the Dark Dimension had been almost completely severed.
Because of that, she could no longer replenish energy that way.
That surprised her too, and now she even wondered whether the magic she learns here would work normally in the Dark Dimension; if after returning she gets suppressed again, she'll really want to cry.
"Alright, I understand, but I can help you."
Alaric nodded.
"Really!?" Clea looked up, surprised.
"Yes. I'll let you use my power."
"Huh!? Your power…" Clea paused.
As far as she knew, Alaric used "white magic." If she used Alaric's power, wouldn't it conflict with hers?
"Give me your hand."
"Oh!"
Clea extended her hand and looked on in confusion as Alaric placed his on hers.
Then Clea felt a familiar wave of energy, it was dark power!
Clea looked up at Alaric in surprise!
Wasn't he a white mage!?
Why did he have such powerful dark energy!?
This familiar feeling of dark power reminded Clea of Dormammu!
Yes, this dark energy, the same type as Dormammu's, made Clea suspect whether Alaric was from the Dark Dimension!?
Or…
"Alaric!? Aren't you with Dormammu?! Or did you make a pact with Dormammu!?"
Clea looked at Alaric in disbelief.
So, maybe she walked straight into a trap!!
Alaric deceived her?!
It's over!
If Dormammu finds out, she's finished!
At this moment, Alaric's image as a "white mage" in her mind completely transformed into the figure of a black mage!
And the worst kind: a traitor to white magic and humanity!
Clea started to regret!
Why didn't she ask around more before coming!
But last time Dormammu clearly shouted that Alaric was a mage from Kamar-Taj!!
"What are you saying? Just because I have dark power, I serve Dormammu?"
Alaric helplessly withdrew his hand.
"Then you…"
Clea looked down and saw a black crescent engraved in the palm of her left hand.
Through that mark, she felt dark energy continuously flowing into her body.
As if she were still in the Dark Dimension.
"I have my own dimension, similar to the Dark Dimension, just a bit smaller."
Alaric explained.
"Impossible! The Dark Dimension is unique!"
Clea replied loudly, completely convinced.
How could there possibly be two identical dimensions?
That means you must be serving Dormammu, right?
Or he's already deceived you!
"You don't believe me?"
"I don't believe you!!"
"Alright, I'll show you."
"Huh?"
Clea was confused, wait, what do you mean you'll show me!?
I just arrived on Earth! Do I have to go back to the Dark Dimension already!?
Yes! Liar! I won't!!
Clea tried to escape, but couldn't.
Alaric grabbed her hand and directly entered the World of Eternal Night with her.
"Ah! I don't want to go back to the Dark Dimension!"
Clea screamed.
"Look closely, this isn't your Dark Dimension."
Alaric sighed and let go of her hand.
"You're lying! The energy is the same as the Dark Dimension… huh!?"
Clea spoke, then suddenly fell silent, stunned as she looked around!
She saw a powerful figure sitting at the center of this world!
Clea looked up and realized that the figure had Alaric's appearance.
And she felt a powerful dark force emanating from him!
Almost the same type as Dormammu's!
In addition, Clea noticed differences in this world.
Although Alaric had made the environment here similar to the Dark Dimension, Clea was born there, and very quickly realized something was different.
"This really isn't the Dark Dimension?!" Clea asked, dazed.
"That's right. This is my dimension, the World of Eternal Night. The foundation of this dimension is the power taken from Dormammu, the power of the Dark Dimension, which is why it has the same attributes." Alaric said.
"You're actually able to create a dimension… then you're just as strong as Dormammu!?"
Clea shouted in shock!
"Well… although I can create a dimension, I'm still not equal to Dormammu."
Alaric was a little embarrassed.
Besides, Dormammu is practically eternal; Alaric has no way to kill him, except by banishment or sealing.
That's a level of power on the multiverse scale.
"What's that up there?"
"That's my god of black magic and the source of power you're connected to; relying on it, you can use magic normally."
"That's really… incredible!"
Clea was completely amazed by Alaric's power.
If he hadn't personally told her that he couldn't defeat Dormammu, Clea would really have suspected that he had already surpassed him!!
Master of a dimension, god of dark magic… a full 'big boss' package!
"I'm sorry, I misunderstood you earlier!" Clea sincerely apologized.
"It's fine, it's normal to think that way." said Alaric calmly.
"So… can we go outside now?"
"We can, let's go out… Crap!"
Alaric said, and suddenly remembered one thing!
And that is, once he enters the World of Eternal Night, he can't go directly back to Earth!!
His status as master of the World of Eternal Night means that he, from Earth's perspective, is also a dimensional demon.