184

Supreme Sanctuary

"It's quite all right," Forseti replied vaguely.

Despite having spent a considerable sum on talent potions and spell learning earlier, he still had several thousand runes in savings.

Before arriving on Earth, he had intentionally exchanged part of his runes for gold, a universally accepted currency across many civilizations in the universe.

Currently, there were about five tons of gold stored in the Sanctum space.

"How much do you need?" Forseti inquired.

"Well... how much do you have?" Agamotto asked.

Forseti brought out several gold ingots from the Sanctum, totaling about a hundred pounds. "Will this suffice?"

Agamotto shook his head. "Not quite."

Khonshu interjected, "Agamotto, you're truly disappointing. I thought you weren't interested in wealth!"

Agamotto coughed awkwardly. "The main issue is that I may face financial shortages in the future."

"What are you planning?" Khonshu inquired.

Agamotto hesitated briefly before confessing, "I intend to establish a mage organization, attracting members globally to study magic and safeguard the human world."

Khonshu remarked, "Isn't that akin to the Brotherhood of the Shield? Are you planning to leave them?"

"Aristotle and Menehmos aren't particularly enthusiastic about magic," Agamotto explained. "I foresee the Brotherhood may soon splinter due to their differing views. Aristotle favors involvement in politics and supports strong monarchy, while Menehmos despises politics and monarchies, focusing instead on mathematics—an area that Aristotle loathes."

"Given their differences, a split within the Brotherhood is inevitable. I prefer not to get embroiled in their internal conflicts. Besides, neither of them shares my passion for magic, so I've decided to establish my own mage organization."

"It will require substantial funding," Agamotto added.

Forseti understood the implications. It appeared that the future Supreme Sanctuary was taking shape.

"Where do you plan to establish it?" Forseti inquired.

Agamotto replied, "The plan is to identify three suitable locations and connect them using teleportation magic circles. The sites have been selected, primarily in the southern regions of the British Isles."

Forseti pondered for a moment, then gestured towards the piles of gold. "How about ten times this amount?"

Agamotto appeared pleasantly surprised. "Really? Thank you very much."

Forseti nodded. "Of course. Additionally, if you encounter any challenges while establishing the Supreme Sanctum, I'll do my best to assist."

Agamotto beamed with gratitude, then hesitated. "Supreme Sanctum?"

Forseti struggled to explain, "Um... what do you think of the name I've chosen?"

Agamotto considered for a moment. "Well, it sounds rather fitting. Let's go with that—the Supreme Sanctum."

"In that case, you shall be known as the Socceror Supreme , the first of many to come," Forseti proposed.

"Heh."

The two shared a chuckle.

At that moment, a student entered the room. "Mr. Agamotto, someone is seeking the Sun God outside."

"The Sun God?" Khonshu exclaimed.

Agamotto smiled and clarified, "It's Forseti. His role in the Battle of Ellefontaine has earned him the people's reverence as the new Sun God. Coincidentally, Khonshu, you're known as the Moon God—quite the celestial alignment here."

Khonshu remained silent.

Forseti asked, "Who's looking for me?"

"It's the individual who accompanied you back yesterday," the student replied.

Forseti realized it was Howlett. "Let him in."

Howlett entered with a hesitant expression, took a deep breath, and knelt before Forseti. "Mr. Forseti, I beseech you to teleport me to Serbentus... My son is still there, and I must retrieve him."

With Apocalypse's demise, Egypt was bound to face frequent conflicts, prompting Howlett's urgency to evacuate his son from the region.

Forseti responded, "I don't possess teleportation magic. It's Agamotto who can open portals."

Howlett turned to Agamotto. "Master Agamotto, please."

Before Agamotto could respond, Khonshu interjected, "You should prepare yourself. Your son may not be alive."

Howlett recoiled in shock and anger. "Impossible! I witnessed Apocalypse heal him with my own eyes!"

Khonshu affirmed. "But what Apocalypse did was employ a trick that exchanged short-term health for rapid vitality depletion, deceiving the patient's family into believing the condition was cured."

"Even if your son survived initially, the rapid vitality depletion means his time is limited," Khonshu added solemnly.

"This... can't be..." Howlett gasped for breath.

Agamotto decided, "Let's go and see."

"Howlett, thank you, Master Agamotto!" Howlett exclaimed gratefully.

Agamotto moved to an open space and began casting his spell.

His teleportation magic, newly developed, wasn't as flawless as later versions by Doctor Strange. It took nearly a minute to open the portal to Serbentus through his incantations alone.

Forseti, Agamotto, and Howlett passed through the portal and emerged in an inconspicuous corner of Serbentus City.

Guided by Howlett, Forseti followed to a courtyard. A few guards stood nearby, ordinary humans unworthy of mention.

Entering the courtyard, they found a young boy seated on a stone.

"Father!" Howlett rushed over and scooped up his surprised son. The boy stared at his father, bewildered by his sudden arrival.

"It's odd. This child shows no signs of significant vitality loss," Khonshu remarked through the demon statue. Pausing, he inquired, "Howlett, does your son share your immortality?"

"Yes," Howlett confirmed with a sigh. "But he contracted an illness when he gained immortality, so I sought Apocalypse's aid."

Agamotto approached, examined the boy closely, and gently prodded his forehead.

Black lines resembling a spider's web spread across the boy's forehead and body.

Howlett's expression shifted. "What is this?"

"This is Apocalypse's doing," Khonshu explained. "If not for your son's regeneration, he likely wouldn't have survived. You were deceived into thinking Apocalypse had cured him."

Agamotto extended his hand, fingers splayed. With a swift motion, he plucked the entire web of black lines from the boy's forehead, causing them to dissipate into the air.

As the lines vanished, the boy's once-healthy complexion turned purple, spreading rapidly. The boy cried out in pain.