Chapter 765 "The Ancient Forces"
"Seriously, do you really have no money at all?" Wong, clad in the robes of a Kamar-Taj wizard, said incredulously to Stephen as they descended the stairs.
Stephen, hands in his pockets, paused and shrugged. "Being bound to material things is a betrayal of the spirit."
"I'll pass on your words to the guy at the food store and ask him to prepare spirit for you. Food is enough," Wong retorted, rolling his eyes at Stephen's response. He then reached into his pocket, a smile creeping onto his face. "Fortunately, I still have two hundred."
"Dollars?" Stephen halted.
"No, it's rupees," Wong replied, examining a coin in his palm.
Stephen pondered for a moment. "Two hundred rupees, how many dollars is that?"
"Uh, one dollar and five," Wong admitted, flashing an awkward smile.
Stephen's lips twitched slightly. "I'll treat you both to whatever you want to eat."
"Yeah, we could be getting a banquet worth with that much money," Wong replied sarcastically as despair slowly came on his face.
Before Stephen even had the chance to reply to Wong, something had happened before them.
At that moment, the sanctuary door swung open, revealing a handsome figure with a smile. Stephen and Wong's faces lit up with surprise at the sight.
"Then how about I treat you instead?" The figure's gentle voice asked toward them.
"Jerry, it's been a while. I didn't expect you to come visit us," Stephen greeted with a smile.
Since the last battle with Thanos in the Void, Stephen had returned to Kamar-Taj and resumed his role as the Supreme Mage.
Unlike Tony and the others who often stayed in the Land of Couldn't Be Shouldn't Be, Stephen, as the Supreme Mage, was required to remain at Kamar-Taj or other major sanctuaries unless there was a serious emergency. This was to ensure he could swiftly respond to any dimensional threats or invasions.
As the nexus of this universe, Earth attracted various beings from other worlds and dimensions, including ancient gods and Dimensional Gods. Kamar-Taj's duty was to promptly deal with these interlopers to safeguard Earth.
"I'll have a tuna sandwich then please! I've been craving some protein for quite a while now," Stephen declared, knowing Jerry's reputation for wealth and generosity.
"No problem!" Jerry waved his hand, conjuring a top-notch tuna sandwich.
Wong glanced at the sandwich in Jerry's hand and couldn't help but sigh.
"Ah, the transfiguration spell, indeed a useful magic. It's just a shame I struggle to master it," Wong remarked with a hint of frustration.
"Well, why don't I made you one as well?" Jerry asked toward Wong.
"Just cook me something delicious. I am not a picky eater. I will gladly devour a whole banquet as long as you made it," Wong replied.
Jerry then conjured a luxurious food in a plating before them, handing it toward Wong with a hint of teasing, "If you eat this, perhaps you could master the transfiguration spell soon enough."
Hearing Jerry's words made them speculate whether the food before Wong was something special that would enable them to learn the transfiguration, but it was simply a normal food.
While Wong was consuming his food with gusto, Stephen could only look at him with envy.
In Kamar-Taj's library lay a tome left by Jerry, containing a plethora of spells learned from the world of Harry Potter, including the transfiguration spell.
However, mastering such systematic magic proved challenging for Wong. While he possessed good magical aptitude, the complexities of this type of magic, which was so different from Kamar-Taj's principles, eluded him.
Unlike the supremely talented Stephen, most mystic mages at Kamar-Taj specialized in only a few magics, predominantly combat-oriented. Furthermore, they were obliged to repay the magical energy they borrowed for their spells.
"I've delved into it myself, but for some reason, the food I conjure doesn't always taste quite right. Oddly enough, the beer turns out fine," Stephen added, sharing Wong's sentiment.
Though Stephen had studied most of Jerry's magical tomes and could transmute one type of food into another, conjuring food from thin air presented its own challenges.
Moreover, with Kamar-Taj's extensive library, there was little incentive to invest significant effort into mastering non-combat magics.
"You just need a bit of practice; I can help with that," Jerry offered, conjuring a table laden with various foods and drinks from far and wide.
"Let's sit down and chat leisurely. I also have a favor to ask of you," he continued, inviting Stephen to join him.
Over drinks and food, Jerry disclosed his reason for seeking out Stephen at the New York Sanctuary.
Similar to his previous encounter with Peter, Jerry intended to leverage Stephen's abilities as a conduit to access other dimensions. However, this time, his aim wasn't to pilfer worlds but to locate Professor X.
Professor X, the mutant headmaster with telepathic powers, was Jerry's target. His mission? To journey to the universe governed by the X-Men and seek out the Phoenix Force, one of Marvel's three ancient powers.
Marvel's universe harbors many immensely potent ancient forces, and with the arrangement of the arsenal provided in this universe, Jerry wants one to be chosen so that he can harness his power.
The Force of Chaos, which underpins Wanda's abilities, originates from the same source as the multiverse-spanning dimensional demon Chthon, who previously clashed with Jerry.
Jerry's current abilities fell short of challenging Chthon, and while defeating Dormammu might be possible, preventing his escape seemed unlikely. The Goblin's immense power and unique consciousness made confronting it a perilous proposition; Jerry would likely need to flee upon encountering it.
Amidst these formidable adversaries, the Phoenix Force emerged as a feasible target. As an ancient power dating back to the universe's inception, it represented a pinnacle of multiverse-level power.
However, its essence resided within hosts across diverse universes, often manifesting in mutants like Jean Grey.
Thus, Jerry's quest led him not to Professor X, but to the Omega-level mutant Jean Grey. Yet, she eluded him in his universe and across the Spider-Man realms he traversed. Across the vast expanse of the Marvel multiverse, locating Jean Grey, a host of the Phoenix Force, was akin to searching for a needle in a haystack without a guiding light.
With a plan forming in his mind, Jerry turned to Doctor Strange, Stephen.In the universe where Doctor Strange resided, there existed a parallel reality housing the Illuminati, a group of elders led by Professor X. This connection gave Jerry hope, as the presence of Professor X often indicated the existence of Jean Grey.
Even if fortune frowned upon him and Jean Grey had met her demise in that universe, he could utilize Professor X's abilities to traverse into alternate realities where Jean Grey still drew breath. With Professor X's aid, locating a living Jean Grey across the multiverse became a feasible task.
Jerry harbored no illusions of capturing the entirety of the Phoenix Force; even acquiring a fraction would suffice to fuel significant growth and transformation within his ringworld.
Initially, his thoughts drifted to Wanda's brother, Quicksilver, prompting him to seek out the speedster. However, his investigations revealed discrepancies: Wanda's sibling and Magneto's son shared the same moniker but belonged to distinct realities.