Chapter 108 The Trouble That Came
In the moment Finney saw this figure, he had a guess about her identity.
If he wasn't mistaken, this black panther was the guardian deity of Wakanda, the 'poor little country' he had seen on television a while ago—the black panther goddess Bastet.
Thinking that the panther in front of him might also be a god, Finney felt a little uneasy.
Don't let Loki's seemingly weak appearance fool you; after all, he was adopted.
Bastet was different. She could control a dimension. Although he didn't know how she compared to Dormammu, that slap from her earlier attack showed she was definitely not weak.
"Hello,"
Finney said, his heart pounding as he looked at Bastet, who was staring at him intently. Trying to calm himself, he said, "I accidentally wandered into this place. I'm very sorry if I've disturbed you. I'll leave immediately."
The black panther ignored Finney's words, sniffed, and suddenly said, "You smell like Earth!"
Looking at Bastet's actions, Finney couldn't help but mentally complain, "Is this a dog or a panther? Panthers are felines!"
"Yes, I come from Earth!"
Finney replied cautiously. Since Bastet was the guardian deity of Wakanda, he must have some connection to Earth.
"Hmm…"
Bastet circled Finney once, then said, "Since you're from Earth, not one of my followers, and yet you've come here, it seems you're one of those arcane sorcerers?"
Finney's heart tightened at these words. He tried hard to glean something from the leopard's face, but unfortunately, Bastet's face was much darker than Nick Fury's, and he couldn't discern anything.
"May I ask who you are?"
Finney responded calmly, neither immediately admitting nor denying.
Before knowing her attitude towards Kamar-Taj, it was better to be safe. As he spoke, Finney also considered a way to escape.
As long as he could return to Kamar-Taj, he would be fearless.
Although he was already quite fast at opening the portal thanks to the 'Golden Grand Evolution Technique,' he did
n't know just how fast Bastet was or how powerful her attacks could be. From the moment the voice was emitted to the moment he was sent flying, it took almost a second; he had no idea if this was Bastet's maximum speed.
Regardless of whether she was a god or not, the explosive power of an animal like a leopard was immense, and Finney worried that if the first retreat failed, the second would be troublesome.
"I am the master here!"
Bastet approached Finney with graceful steps, saying, "Apart from my followers, no one has been here for a long time."
"I am truly sorry."
Finney retreated little by little, determined to maintain his distance from Bastet.
Seeing Finney's wariness, Bastet stopped approaching, maintaining a distance of about two meters, and asked again, "Who sent you?"
"It was truly an accident; no one sent me."
Finney hurriedly explained, inwardly regretting not thinking before entering.
This is similar to walking down the street and seeing a particularly prominent leaf beside you. Even though you don't consciously intend to pluck it, your hand will inevitably reach out. It
's probably just inertia!
Bastet's pale blue, glowing eyes stared intently at Finney, seemingly assessing the truth of his words. After a few seconds, he replied calmly, "This isn't a place for you. You should leave!"
"I understand, I'll leave right now!"
Finney couldn't wait to go.
Although he had considered grinding experience with Black Panther, he never imagined leaping to the level of their god. His current strength was far from being able to contend with these powerful figures.
Just that casual swipe of his claw had left three marks on 'Demon Possession,' even after evolving 'Physical Resistance.' Before, it would likely have been damaged.
Finney quickly opened a portal in mid-air. In truth, each dimensional lord possessed strong control over their own dimension; if Bastet truly wanted to stop him, his portal might not have opened successfully.
But just as Finney was about to cross the portal, Bastet's eerie voice came again: "Go back and tell the Sorcerer Supreme that it was your sorcerer who broke the agreement first, so I also have a chance to return."
Finney's face stiffened. He didn't know what agreement it was, but he understood why Bastet had let him leave so easily; it was probably for this reason.
Although Bastet had followers in Wakanda on Earth, she was, after all, a dimensional lord. If she descended to Earth, she would inevitably face the Ancient One's obstruction.
However, this doesn't mean that Bastet can openly invade Earth. If that were the case, Finney would be happy, and see if the Ancient One wouldn't kill her.
Bastet is the guardian deity of Wakanda, and has a deep connection with Earth. In fact, the continued existence of this dimension is due to these followers.
That's why she has the opportunity to negotiate with the Ancient One.
If it were Dormammu, no matter how much he talked, he would still be sent back to the Dark Dimension.
Leaving Bastet's dimensional space, Finney frowned. He had returned to Kamar-Taj, so he didn't hesitate and immediately found the Ancient One and told her what had happened.
"This is trouble you caused, Finney."
Although the Ancient One was kind, she wouldn't always show favoritism. As the Sorcerer Supreme, she understood the importance of fairness.
"You must take responsibility for your actions, so I require you to solve this problem yourself."
Over the years, Kamar-Taj had been teaching and giving to Finney, almost never asking for anything in return. This was the first time the Ancient One had made a request of Finney.
"If Bastet descends to Earth, I will inform you. You must ensure she does not harm Earth and then expel her as soon as possible, understand?"
Looking at the Ancient One's serious face, Finney nodded heavily. He hadn't expected that simply opening a door would cause such trouble.
Seemingly sensing Finney's seriousness, the Ancient One's expression relaxed slightly, comforting him, "Once she leaves her dimension, her strength will decrease significantly, so you don't need to worry so much."
"I understand."
Although the Ancient One said this, Finney wasn't truly at ease. After all, Bastet was the Black Panther Goddess, having lived for an unknown amount of time.
If she decided to stay on Earth and refused to leave, Finney would definitely have to fight her.
Although this had caused considerable trouble, Finney hadn't come away empty-handed. Bastet's dimensional space was unlike the sealed dimensional space he had encountered before.
It was also different from the 'Mirror Space' the Ancient One had demonstrated to him; it was a very special dimensional space, maintained by faith.
The reason Bastet's dimensional space has been able to exist is mainly due to the Wakanda royal family and their followers, who established a special connection with Bastet through the heart-shaped herb.
After death, they would come to this dimension to maintain its existence.
The followers believe in this ancestral land, where ancestors return to the embrace of the Black Panther God after death, thus the power of faith makes this dimensional space more stable.
This exploration also gave Finney a deeper understanding of dimensional space, unlocking the necessary prerequisites for learning 'Mirror Space'.
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(End of Chapter)