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*****
After dissipating the titanium alloy frying pan in his hand, Fini considered that if he ever got the chance to get his hands on some Vibranium, he'd definitely try upgrading to a Vibranium-brand model. He glanced down at the Red Skull, who was sprawled on the ground and struggling to get up, and began checking the experience points he had gained.
It was much as he had expected. The experience from Red Skull wasn't quite as much as what he got from Mordo, but the gap wasn't massive. If he had to calculate it precisely, it was roughly units of a "Mordo."
Fini was satisfied with this level of gain. After all, the Red Skull was just a soldier injected with serum, and he hadn't fought in many years. Furthermore, his current form wasn't even a true physical body. This haul confirmed Fini's plan to stay here and farm experience for a while before leaving.
His sixth skill, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, had not yet fully matured. It wouldn't be of much help against the impending alien invasion and the Battle of New York. Therefore, if possible, Fini desperately hoped to draw his seventh skill or at least finish raising the Blue-Eyes White Dragon before then.
"Are you alright?" Fini asked with a look of feigned concern as he watched the Red Skull finally scramble to his feet after a long silence.
The Red Skull shook his head, looking utterly dejected. "I lost," he muttered.
"Don't sweat it. Plenty of people have lost to me; there's no shame in it."
Fini's "consolation" clearly did nothing to cheer the Red Skull up. However, having anticipated this outcome before the fight even began, the guardian of the Soul Stone wasn't too devastated.
---
And so, Fini temporarily settled down on the planet Vormir.
Though he lacked building materials, he bored a large hole into the side of a mountain and fashioned a bed out of stone. It was a meager dwelling, but by using Ars Magna to create simple, easily maintainable items, his living conditions weren't entirely torturous.
While the housing was manageable, daily life was a different kind of ordeal. The entire planet of Vormir contained only one creature that could even loosely be called a living being—the Red Skull. Aside from him, there was almost nothing else to interact with.
Even a powerhouse like Fini couldn't spend twenty-four hours a day fighting. After only a week, having explored the entire planet, he began to feel the crushing weight of boredom.
"How do you usually stand this life all by yourself?" Fini couldn't help but ask as he watched the Red Skull staring blankly into space by the altar. He had been here for seventy years; Fini couldn't fathom how he had endured it.
"When no one comes, I spend most of my time in a deep slumber," the Red Skull replied.
Fini rolled his eyes. Clearly, that solution wouldn't work for his current situation.
"Want to go hiking? I'll take your picture!" Fini pulled out his phone out of boredom, opening the camera to snap a few photos of the distant landscape as souvenirs.
Thanks to the creative power of Ars Magna, he didn't have to worry about the battery running out. However, even with his magic, he couldn't conjure a signal strong enough to reach Earth.
"No need," the Red Skull shook his head in refusal. "I have walked every mountain on this planet."
The Red Skull was far too familiar with Vormir to care about the view. Moreover, over the past two days, Fini had made it clear that the Red Skull was to serve as his sparring partner for the foreseeable future. So, while he appeared to be staring blankly, he was actually trying to figure out a way to defeat Fini.
"Sigh!" Fini let out a long breath. He was just too bored. Only an hour had passed since their last battle, and the Red Skull didn't seem to have recovered from his latest defeat.
With nothing else to do, Fini summoned the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and began feeding it. Since its body had been disrupted by energy last time, the second star on its form had become very distinct. It wasn't far from a successful evolution.
---
Meanwhile, back on Earth.
Skye hung up her phone after another unanswered call, her face etched with worry. Fini had almost never gone this long without contacting her, let alone being completely unreachable.
Before leaving, Fini had mentioned he would be gone for about a week. During that time, she had called him more than once, but the calls never went through. Now that the week had finally passed and he still wasn't picking up, his vague parting words made her incredibly anxious.
After a moment's thought, Skye called Pepper Potts to check in.
"Fini? I haven't seen him. Tony has been with me these past few days, and Dr. Banner has been in the lab. He hasn't come looking for us," Pepper answered.
Hearing this, Skye's concern only deepened. After thinking it over, she headed to the New York Sanctum alone that evening.
"Hello, I'm looking for Master Daniel. I have something important to discuss."
Although everyone in Kamar-Taj knew Fini, they didn't necessarily know Skye, even though she had stayed there for a short time previously.
"Please wait a moment," the sorcerer guarding the temple said, glancing at Skye before going inside to report.
Soon, Daniel came downstairs. Seeing Skye, he asked with some surprise, "Miss Halsey, why are you here?"
"Fini has been missing for a week. This is the first time he's disappeared like this. I want to ask the Sorcerer Supreme about him. Could you help me?"
At Skye's words, Daniel's expression turned serious. As sorcerers, they understood the dangers of the world far better than ordinary people.
"Follow me!" he said immediately.
Daniel led Skye straight to Kamar-Taj. On the way, they ran into Mordo, who was in the middle of training.
"Miss Halsey? Where is Fini? Why didn't he come with you?" Mordo asked, surprised to see her alone.
"He's missing. I haven't been able to contact him for a week." Deep worry was visible on Skye's face.
"He told me before that he had something to take care of and that it might take a week," Mordo said, frowning slightly.
"I know, but a week has passed, and this has never happened before. I can't reach him at all," Skye said. She knew Fini wasn't the type to get so caught up in work that he would ignore everything else, unless something had happened that made it impossible for him to communicate.
"She wants to ask the Sorcerer Supreme if she knows anything," Daniel explained to Mordo.
"I'll take her there," Mordo nodded to Daniel.
---
Mordo led the way and brought Skye before the Ancient One. After listening to their account, even the Ancient One seemed slightly surprised. "He's missing?"
"Do even you not know where he went?" Skye's voice grew frantic. She had hoped the Ancient One had sent Fini on some secret mission, but the Sorcerer Supreme's reaction suggested otherwise.
"Do not worry, Miss Halsey," the Ancient One comforted her. "Fini possesses great power; it is not so easy for something to happen to him. Perhaps some unexpected event has delayed his return."
Hearing the Ancient One's words and remembering Fini's mysterious, unpredictable powers, Skye finally calmed down a little.
"Master Mordo, please take Miss Halsey to rest for a while. If I find Fini, I will let you know immediately."
"Yes!" Mordo bowed respectfully and led the worried Skye away.
After they left, the Ancient One looked at the closed door. After a moment of hesitation, she began to use a spell to locate Fini. As she did, a strange symbol began to glow faintly on her forehead.
She was a sorcerer, after all. When it came to energy—if you were skilled enough to "borrow" it, why would you ever give it back?
Feeling his energy being plundered once again, Dormammu roared in impotent rage within the Dark Dimension:
*"ANCIENT ONE!!!"*
(End of Chapter)