232

Dormammu

Cagliostro seemed to have found something in an ancient book. His eyes lit up despite his dark circles, and he quickly focused on it.

"The spell of Tracing the Source..."

After a while, he cast a spell on the dark creature's remnant in the wooden box, and the golden-red magic light flashed in his hand.

Despite his young age, Cagliostro was the youngest mage in the Supreme Sanctuary, with magical talent far beyond ordinary people. He even surpassed most mages in some aspects, which was why Agamotto accepted him as a disciple.

Referring to the ancient books, he cast the spell on the dark creature's remnant again. This time, a little light flashed from it.

Surprised, Cagliostro repeated the spell, but nothing happened. Just as he frowned, a faint sound came to his ears.

"Who?" Cagliostro was surprised.

The voice didn't respond but repeated something mechanically. It seemed to come from a distant place or was like a whisper in his ear when he was half asleep.

"What are you saying? Can you speak louder?" Cagliostro asked, listening intently.

The voice grew louder, allowing Cagliostro to hear it clearly. "This is... a spell?" he realized, listening several times and gradually memorizing the unknown spell.

As the voice repeated, he slowly recited it. The more he chanted, the louder and clearer the sound in his ears became, shortening the distance between him and the unknown existence.

For a wizard with extraordinary talent, this was a strong, intuitive feeling: the spell was bringing him closer to an unknown entity. Most people would be worried, but Cagliostro was eager to know what would happen when the distance was reduced to zero.

So he continued chanting the spell. The echoes in his ears grew louder and louder until it seemed someone was standing next to him, speaking.

"What a lovely child," the voice said with a smile, no longer repeating the spell.

"Who are you?" Cagliostro asked.

"I?" The voice responded as a cold wind blew through the room. A faint purple radiance lit up from the void, revealing a half-length figure with eyes ablaze in purple flames. "I am Dormammu, the lord of the Dark Dimension. You've found such an extraordinary planet for me. If you become my servant, I will grant you mighty power, allowing you to transcend time and become eternal."

"Dormammu? I've never heard of you," Cagliostro said, unimpressed. "Are you more powerful than the Hive?"

Dormammu remained silent.

As Dormammu appeared, two people in the Supreme Sanctuary sensed it.

Forseti was pouring holy light into the Terrigan crystal when the holy light pointer emerged from his holy deed, thickening and lengthening as if stimulated.

"This is—" he began.

Agamotto, who had been meditating, quickly got up and went straight to a location within the sanctuary.

"Supreme Mage?" several mages and craftsmen, who were restoring the sanctuary, called out.

Agamotto didn't explain. He cast spells, and magic threads poured out, merging into the broken wall to be repaired.

Forseti, holding the Sword of Rivendell, kicked open the door and saw Cagliostro and the half-length figure suspended before him. The Holy Light pointer pointed directly at the figure.

"Mortal, you possess a power that disgusts me," Dormammu said.

"Who are you?" Forseti asked warily.

"He said his name is Dormammu, the Lord of the Dark Dimension. But I've never heard of him," Cagliostro explained.

Forseti's forehead was instantly drenched in cold sweat.

Fighting Dormammu? This idea was quickly dismissed. Forseti planned a tactical retreat.

But Dormammu chose to act. His image solidified, and a purple beam shot from his mouth, shattering Forseti's Shield of Light. Forseti quickly prepared his defenses again, realizing that Dormammu's strength here was far less than expected.

However, as soon as Forseti had this thought, reality gave him a harsh reminder. Dormammu's figure became more solid and complete, and a terrifying pressure filled the air.

At this moment, golden-red patterns lit up from the room's walls, spreading throughout the entire Supreme Sanctuary. The three Sanctuaries lit up almost simultaneously, linking into a protective net covering the earth.

The protection circle suppressed Dormammu's momentum. Startled, Dormammu attempted to return to the Dark Dimension but was too late. The circle severed the connection between the real world and the Dark Dimension.

Dormammu's projection dissipated, and Forseti breathed a sigh of relief. They had narrowly avoided disaster.