Salomon dreamed of an immense tree growing in a tranquil ocean, entwined with two enormous snakes.
He saw a vast crystal ring embedded at the base of the trunk, shimmering with four colors: orange, olive, reddish-brown, and black.
Furthermore, as he ascended, the rings on either side of the trunk began to glow with various hues, though his vision blurred as he climbed higher. He could barely make out the highest ring, forged of diamond, surrounded by feathered wings and shimmering with white light.
He lowered his gaze and saw the reflection of the giant tree buried deep in the mist. Salomon couldn't make out the reflection clearly, only vaguely discerning that the rings of the tree looked quite different. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the rings, along with their branches, formed five sections corresponding to the pentagram created by the rings and branches on the tree itself.
He heard a whisper in his ear, a voice offering him the key to the Kingdom of Spirits.
But before he could listen, he found himself far away from the ocean.
"Are you awake? But you need to rest now," a calm voice reached him, and Salomon realized he had finally awakened from his dream.
Weary, Salomon forced his eyes open to see the Supreme sitting beside him. The magical flames were gone, and his lips were no longer chapped.
He only remembered donning all the rings and unleashing a tremendous burst of magical power, but he had no memory of what happened afterward.
He turned his eyes and found himself in his bedroom at Kamar-Taj headquarters. After all, he was the only otaku in Kamar-Taj, and otaku bedrooms were always a little different; other people's rooms didn't have game consoles.
He tried to raise his hand but found he had no strength to do so. He tried to speak, but couldn't.
"You were too reckless this time, but the result was good. You finally tamed the ring of Vishanti. Don't worry, Wong is fine. He didn't tell anyone about this. Everyone else thought you were attacked by a dark wizard." Seeing Salomon about to speak, the Supreme tapped him on the head with his folding fan.
"I had intended to wait until your soul was stronger before letting you wear the ring, but I didn't expect you to do it first. But it's good. Now you can practice Vishanti's magic properly," the Supreme said. "Alright, I've even fed the snake for you. I hope you can rest assured. You can rest for a while."
Salomon blinked rapidly and struggled to speak, but the Ancient One ignored him. Instead, he used magic to secure the blanket, ensuring that only Salomon's head was exposed.
Seeing this, Salomon gave up his struggle and closed his eyes in resignation. The quilt was quite warm anyway. Never mind—let it be. The seal on the quilt monster was too strong. He would sleep a little longer.
Shortly after the Sorcerer Supreme left Salomon's bedroom, another figure stealthily opened the carved wooden door and entered, as softly as a dancing bear.
His weight betrayed his identity as he stepped on the creaking wooden floor.
"Hey, Junior Brother Salomon, you scared me to death! You've been asleep for days without even a drink of water." A chubby figure appeared before Salomon, waking him from his slumber.
He continued, "I just saw the Supreme leave, and I knew you were okay. Tell me, what happened? Doesn't the Supreme want to talk about this?"
Salomon opened his eyes and looked at Wong, his eyes filled with joy. He blinked twice rapidly, only to see Wong nod. He patted his chest. "I understand what you mean. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
"What do you understand? That's not what I meant!"
Salomon blinked twice more, mumbling incoherently.
"Let me go..."
Wong leaned closer, ignoring Salomon and rambling on. Through his mumbling, Salomon finally understood what had happened since he put on the ring.
As the magical storm ripped the ghosts apart, knocking Wong several ways, the Trinity of Vishanti appeared before Salomon.
Towering above them, three powerful magical entities surrounded Salomon, enveloping him in layers of magical energy like a surging wave.
Immediately, a fiery orange-red flame of magical energy spread outward, like the wrath of Vishanti. The asphalt softened and bubbled, and the trees along the roadside instantly ignited. The expanding hot air whipped up a fierce wind, carrying dust and burning ash. The immense force shattered the stone walls of the abandoned buildings, and everything around him melted into an unknown, sticky mass under the flames.
The young Wong had already collapsed. As a member of Kamar-Taj, how could he not recognize the Trinity of Vishanti?
Damn it! Damn it! What mission had the Supreme given Salomon? What were those rings? Why were they connected to Vishanti? It seemed that those rings must have blasphemed Vishanti! The young Wong cursed inwardly.
He had already believed that Salomon was doomed. In such heat, if he didn't cast protective magic, the only fate would be to be consumed by the flames.
He thought that, in the end, he would only see Salomon's charred, brittle bones.
He had always loved Salomon. Unlike the other children in Kamar-Taj, Salomon had never been noisy. But now that Salomon was dead—he didn't care to grieve; he just wanted to find a safe place to hide.
Kamar-Taj's planetary defense system would undoubtedly detect the magical fluctuations here. He could only wait for his fellow disciples to finish the job. He had also decided how to shoulder responsibility for this disaster.
But when the holy shroud covering Salomon was torn off, the overwhelming and uncontrollable magical power suddenly subsided.
Wong struggled to describe what he saw. Amidst the blazing flames, Salomon's body shone with an extremely dazzling light. When Wong saw that light, he felt as if he were witnessing an endless stream of profound and complex knowledge.
It was as if the Trinity of Vishanti had begun communicating. Wong could not understand their words at all, only vaguely discerning a few terms: "angel" and "demon," two common mystical words. When he heard the other words, it felt like a flood of unfiltered information was overwhelming his brain, making him dizzy.
"In the end, I didn't remember anything, just two words," Wong said later, with lingering fear. "Next time you do something this terrible, be sure to tell me beforehand. Don't look at me like that; I'll definitely run first."
"His soul is powerful enough." Compared to the other two magical entities whose gender and form were not fixed, Agamotto, who served as the first generation of Sorcerer Supreme, had a much better attitude toward humans.
When Salomon put on the ring, the former Sorcerer Supreme took the initiative to excuse Salomon: "And he is the disciple of the current Sorcerer Supreme. You know what that means!"
"But he is a thief!" roared Hoggoth, with a tiger's head. "If it weren't for the Ancient One, he would not have found the ring!"
Agamotto looked at his mother, Oshtur, the source of white magic, but Oshtur said nothing. Agamotto then said, "Someone has to use our ring, doesn't he?"
"Then why didn't he sign the contract?"
"You know the restrictions of our contract. Moreover, if he removes the ring, he will lose our magic. Perhaps this is a good thing. We can..."
Suddenly, the immense magical power vanished, and so did the shadowy figures of Vishanti. Wong raised his head with trepidation. If it weren't for the lingering heat, the burning buildings, and the melted, scorched pavement, he would have thought what he had just experienced was an illusion.
He wiped away tears and sweat and, under a protective spell, walked on the softened ground toward Salomon, at the center of the disaster. He wanted only to take Salomon back.
But as he approached, he saw a faint movement on Salomon's dry, charred chest.
Exultation washed over him.
As long as he wasn't dead, the Sorcerer Supreme would surely be able to save him! If not, there was the Eye of Agamotto! It was a magical artifact that could reverse time!
"Then the Supreme opened a portal and brought us back. No one else saw you the whole time," Wong whispered. "the Supreme used magic to repair your body. Don't worry. Tell me; I promise I won't tell anyone."
Salomon blinked, trying hard to make himself understood, barely uttering a few vague words. But Wong couldn't understand at all.
"Out... out..."
"Why do you keep blinking?" he asked.
-End Chapter-
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