Chapter 22: Standing Up to Fury! Shattering the Repulsor with a Single Palm! S.H.I.E.L.D. — — You're Overstepping Your Bounds!
Over the ruins of Brooklyn, five dedicated S.H.I.E.L.D. Black Hawk helicopters hovered, the fierce wind whipped up by their propellers churning the rubble and dust on the ground into swirling vortices.
Dozens of high-intensity searchlight beams intersected and locked onto Li Heng, the blinding white light illuminating the ruins—which had just witnessed a Progenitor-level battle—as bright as day.
"This is your final warning — — Drop your weapons immediately — — Hands behind your head — — Get on the ground — —"
The mechanical voice from the megaphone was cold and repetitive.
Li Heng stood in the center of the ruins, holding the unconscious Wanda in his arms, his dark golden slit pupils narrowing slightly against the backlight of the searchlights.
Beside him, Albion, Blood Baron, Lucian, and two vampireguards—five vampires with different identities but the same disheveled look at the moment—stood or knelt behind him.
The scene was extremely bizarre — —
A young man in a wrinkled hoodie was holding a red-haired girl, followed by five old and young vampires who clearly looked like bad news, surrounded tightly by a fully armed S.H.I.E.L.D. special operations team.
If someone were to take a photo at this moment and post it online, the title would probably be: Brooklyn Witnesses the Emergence of a Non-Mainstream Gothic Society, S.H.I.E.L.D. Dispatched to Suppress It".
"Drop your weapons?" Li Heng looked down at his hands — — completely empty, with only a bit of residual dark golden and scarlet energy debris between his fingers.
"I didn't have any weapons to begin with. You guys, on the other hand — —"
He looked up at the nearest helicopter, a trace of impatience flashing through his dark golden slit pupils.
"Pointing guns at someone holding an injured girl — — Is that how S.H.I.E.L.D. trains its rules?"
"Injured girl?" The voice in the megaphone paused for a moment, then became even colder and harder, "Our thermal imaging shows — — the energy reading inside that girl's body is three hundred times that of an ordinary person — — She is not some injured girl — — She is — —"
"What she is — — Is not for you to define."
Li Heng's voice plummeted in temperature abruptly.
It wasn't an angry roar — — but rather an extreme calmness, a statement devoid of any emotional coloring.
It was as if he were stating an indisputable fact.
"She is my person."
"Whoever dares to touch a single hair on her head — — Whether you are S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers, or the Celestials — —"
"I will wipe out your entire clan."
The moment those words were spoken — —
"Hum — —"
The residual pressure of the Progenitors Willuncontrollably overflowed from Li Heng's body — —
Although the Soul Resonance had ended, and his combat power had fallen back from the A-Rank threshold to the peak of B+-Rank — — the essence of the Progenitors Willhad not changed!
That was the source of fear engraved in the deepest depths of the vampire genes!
"Gulp — —"
The S.H.I.E.L.D. special operations team member closest to Li Heng subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva, his hand holding the gun trembling slightly — —
He was not a coward — — No one who could enter the S.H.I.E.L.D. field team was a coward — —
But at that very instant, he felt like an ant stared at by a prehistoric behemoth — —
Every single hair on his body was screaming 'Run'!
"Whoosh — —!"
A black shadow darted out from the shadows on the periphery of the ruins — — Its speed was so fast that the searchlights could barely capture it — —
"Bang — —!"
Blade Eric landed beside Li Heng, the dark golden stud on his left ear glittering slightly under the lights.
"My Lord — — I am late." He knelt on one knee, his voice steady.
"You've come just in time." Li Heng carefully handed Wanda to him, "Take her away — — To a safe place — — Whoever stops you — — Kill them."
"As you command."
Eric picked up Wanda, his figure flashing — —
"Open fire — — Stop them — —!"
A hurried command came from the megaphone — —
"Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat — —!"
More than a dozen special operations team members pulled their triggers simultaneously — — The muzzles spewed tongues of fire — —
But — —
"Hum — —!"
A dark golden Blood Domain suddenly expanded beneath Li Heng's feet — — A scaled-down version — — covering only a radius of ten meters — — but its strength was enough to cover him and Eric!
The bullets struck the boundary of the Blood Domain — — like hitting an invisible steel plate — —
"Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang — —!"
Sparks flew in all directions — — Not a single bullet could penetrate!
Eric's figure holding Wanda disappeared into the night — —
"Damn it — — Pursue — —!"
"No need to pursue."
Li Heng's voice made everyone halt their steps.
He slowly straightened his body — — His dark golden slit pupils looked towards the helicopter overhead — —
"Your target is me — — Not her."
"If you want to talk to me — — Let your boss come down — — Don't hide in the helicopter like a turtle hiding its head."
These words were extremely arrogant — —
But what was even more arrogant was — — After saying this, he directly found a relatively intact brick in the ruins and sat down, hands in his pockets, looking up at the sky with an expression of 'I'm waiting for you to come down'.
A lying-flat style negotiation — — Had begun.
[Ding! S.H.I.E.L.D. faction information scan — —]
[Leader: Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., S-Rank threat assessment (faction bonus), no personal superpowers, but his intelligence, strategy, and resource integration abilities rank at the forefront of Marvel humans!]
[Current forces: 5 Black Hawk helicopters, about 40 special operations team members, 1 anti-armor weapon system — — And — —]
[Special reinforcement — — Called — — Expected to arrive within 3 minutes!]
[System reminder — — Host, Fury called Iron Man! Tony Stark is on the way! Given the host's current combat power state (Soul Resonance cooling down), going head-to-head one-on-one against Stark's armor carries a certain risk — — But the win rate is still 72%! Recommendation — — Talk it out if you can instead of fighting! Repairing houses is expensive!]
Li Heng's mouth twitched — — The system was understanding him more and more.
Three seconds later — —
The cabin door of the lead helicopter opened — —
A black, one-eyed man in a black leather jacket slid down from a rope — —
Nick Fury.
His steps were steady and powerful, and his remaining eye swept over every detail in the ruins — — craters, rubble, residual dark golden and purple-black energy traces, and Lucian and the two guards kneeling on the ground — —
Finally — —
That eye locked onto Li Heng sitting on the brick.
"vampire." Fury's voice had no emotional fluctuations, as if stating a file number, "Last night, an A-Rank superhuman energy reaction appeared over Brooklyn — — The sensors all over New York blew up — — How do you plan to explain this?"
"Nothing to explain." Li Heng shrugged, "Someone came to my house to smash the place — — I defended myself in counterattack — — It's as simple as that."
"Someone?" Fury looked at Lucian kneeling on the ground, "Who is he?"
"A madman brainwashed by the Old Gods — — Now he has been educated well by me."
"Old Gods?" Fury's single eye narrowed slightly, "The Old Gods you mentioned — — Is his name Chthon?"
Li Heng was slightly stunned — — Fury knew Chthon?
"Don't be so surprised." Fury snorted coldly, "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s archive has a lot of things — — Including record fragments from before the sinking of Atlantis. I know the origin of vampires — — I know the darkhold — — And I know Chthon is the source of Black Magic."
"I even know — — The first vampire was Varna, the high wizard of Atlantis — — He used the magic in the darkholdto transform himself into a vampire."
"And you — —" He stared at Li Heng's dark golden slit pupils, "Your eyes are exactly the same as the description of Varna — — The dark golden Progenitor pupils."
"You are the new Progenitor."
Li Heng raised his eyebrows — — Fury's intelligence-gathering capability was indeed top-notch.
"Since you know everything — — Then I have nothing to hide." He stood up, patted the dust off his butt, "That's right — — I am the new Progenitor of vampires. But let me give you a heads-up — — I have no interest whatsoever in things like ruling the world or destroying humanity."
"I just want to stay quietly in Brooklyn — — Keep the vampires under my command from making trouble — — And by the way — —"
He pointed in the direction where Wanda had disappeared.
"Protect the people I care about."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that."
Fury was silent for a few seconds — — Then let out a meaningful sneer.
"You think things will be this simple?"
"A Progenitor-level vampire appearing in New York — — The entire underground supernatural circle will be shaken — — Hydra, AIM, the Hand, and even Dormammu's cultists will target you — —"
"Do you think you can hide in a broken house in Brooklynand play the ostrich?"
"I — —"
"Besides — —" Fury interrupted him, "The energy you released in that battle just now has hit worldwide radars — — The intelligence agencies of Russia, China, and Wakanda have all intercepted the signal — — Within three days, everyone will know there is a new Progenitor in New York."
"By that time — — You won't even have the chance to lie flat."
Li Heng: '...'
He suddenly really wanted to curse.
But he had to admit — — Fury was right.
From the moment the Progenitors Will was activated, he was destined to never quietly be an ordinary person — —
This was not his choice — — But the rules of this world.
"Hum — —!"
A low roar of thrusters came from the horizon — —
Li Heng looked up — —
A red and golden shadow was flying at full speed from the direction of Manhattan — —
The thrusters spewed blue-and-white flames — — The light of the chest reactor was particularly eye-catching in the night — —
Armor Mark VII.
Iron Man — — Tony Stark — —
Has arrived.
"Hey — — Fury — — Heard you need me — —"
Stark's voice came from the external speaker of the armor, lazy and carrying a naturally irritating, punch-me vibe — —
He landed beside Fury, the faceplate opening to reveal his iconic playboy face — —
"So I flew over before I even had time to pick up chicks — — It better be worth my — —"
His gaze swept across the ruins — — Swept across the vampires kneeling on the ground — — And finally landed on Li Heng — —
"Oh — — Wow — —"
Stark's eyes lit up.
"You're a vampire? A real vampire? Fangs, bats, the kind that isn't afraid of the sun? Wait — — You really aren't afraid of the sun — — It's the middle of the night right now — — I can't tell — —"
"Shut up, Stark." Fury was expressionless.
"Fine, fine, fine — — Let me scan first — —"
"Beep-beep-beep — —"
The eye lenses of the armor flashed a few times — — Jarvis's scanning program started working — —
Three seconds later — —
"Sir — — The scan results are out." Jarvis's voice came from inside the armor, carrying a hint of rare hesitation, "The target's energy reading — — Exceeds the upper limit of the system range."
"Based on existing data calculations — — This individual's energy level is on the same magnitude as Thor's baseline value — — With a margin of error not exceeding 15%."
"What?!" Stark's expression changed.
Thor magnitude?!
This young man wearing a hoodie, hands in his pockets, with an expression of 'I want to sleep' — — Is on the same level as that Nordic big guy holding a hammer?!
"Sir — — In addition — —" Jarvis continued, "There are two types of abnormal energy residues in the ruins surrounding this individual — — One is the dark golden vampire energy — — And the other is... a purple-black dimensional energy that I cannot identify. The collision traces of the two energies show that a clash no lower than an A-Rank superhuman event once occurred here."
"In layman's terms — —" Stark swallowed a mouthful of saliva, "A god-level brawl just took place here?"
"Yes, sir — — And the scale was not small."
Stark was silent for three seconds — — Then the faceplate closed with a 'click' — —
"Fury — — When you called me over — — You didn't say there was such a big battle array — —"
"I didn't expect it either." Fury's expression remained calm, but a trace of solemnity flashed in his single eye, "Now you know — — This is not an ordinary vampire incident — — This is an event concerning the entire supernatural landscape of Earth."
"So — — What do you mean?"
"We need to assess his threat level — — And take control measures when necessary."
"Control?" Stark looked at Li Heng, then at Fury, "Are you sure? A Thor-magnitude vampire — — How do you plan to control him? Put a collar on him?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D. has ways to deal with any threat — —"
"Enough."
Li Heng's voice interrupted their conversation.
He stood up from the brick — — His dark golden slit pupils swept across Fury and Stark — —
"I've heard enough of your discussion — — As if I were some hazardous material that needs to be 'controlled'."
"I'll say it again — — I don't want to cause trouble — — Nor do I want to go against you — — But if you insist on treating me as an enemy — —"
He reached out his hand — —
Dark golden light condensed in his palm — —
"I can let you know right now — — What happens when you offend a Progenitor."
"Beep beep—Sir—his energy readings are rising—very fast!" Jarvis alerted.
"I know—" Stark's arm weapon system automatically entered combat mode—the repulsors charging—
"Are you sure you want to fight?" He looked at Li Heng, with a rare seriousness in his tone, "You just fought a battle—the consumption was not small—I am at full status right now—are you sure you can win?"
"We'll only know after trying."
Li Heng stepped forward—
"Boom—!"
The ground shattered—his figure shot out like a dark golden lightning bolt—
Headed straight for Stark!
"Damn it—!"
Stark's repulsors fired—
"Bzzzz—!"
The blue-white energy beam shot straight at Li Heng's face—
But Li Heng didn't even dodge—he raised his right hand—
"Bang—!"
Five fingers closed—forcefully grabbing the repulsor energy beam!
The blue-white energy twisted and compressed between his fingers—like a snake grabbed by its vital spot—
"Wh—what?!" Stark's pupils dilated abruptly—
The repulsor energy beam—was caught barehanded?!
What the hell kind of move is this?!
"Your cannon—" Li Heng slowly tightened his grip—
"Crack—!"
The energy beam was forcefully shattered in his palm—turning into countless blue fragments scattering and splashing around—
"Not quite good enough."
He appeared in front of Stark—his dark golden slit pupils gazed closely at the pair of brown eyes behind the armor mask—
"Got any other tricks?"
Stark's breathing suddenly accelerated—
On the HUD display inside the mask—warning messages scrolled frantically—
"Sir—suggest retreat—the opponent's combat power far exceeds expectations—"
"I know—" Stark gritted his teeth, "But—"
He suddenly smiled.
"You're quite interesting—did you know that?"
"Most people start fighting directly when they see me—but you—you clearly could have smashed my armor with one punch—yet you only shattered my repulsor—"
"You're controlling your strength."
"You're not here to fight—you're here to negotiate."
Li Heng looked at him—then let go of his hand.
"You're much smarter than that cyclops."
"Hey—" Nick Fury in the distance twitched the corner of his mouth.
Stark's mask opened—revealing a sincere smile—
"Fine—I admit—you indeed have the qualifications to negotiate—and—"
He glanced at Nick Fury—
"I don't think he's a bad guy."
"On what grounds?"
"A real bad guy—wouldn't still think about protecting a girl while fighting—nor would he control his strength so as not to kill me—and even less—"
He pointed at Lucian and the others kneeling on the ground—
"Make his subordinates kneel instead of letting them attack us."
"He is showing goodwill to us—though the method is a bit—crude."
Nick Fury was silent for ten seconds—
Then—
He made a gesture—
All the special operations team members lowered their muzzles simultaneously—
"Speak—what do you want?"
A trace of satisfaction flashed in Li Heng's dark golden slit pupils—
"Very simple—three things—"
"First—S.H.I.E.L.D. does not actively interfere with my life—nor do I interfere with yours."
"Second—the vampires in New York belong under my jurisdiction—if any human is harmed by a vampire—I will handle it—you don't need to intervene."
"Third—"
He looked at Nick Fury—
"That girl—Wanda Maximoff—she is my bottom line—anyone, any organization—including S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers—is not allowed to touch her—"
"If this rule is violated—"
"The previous two rules—will automatically become void."
Nick Fury and Stark looked at each other—
"Deal." Nick Fury nodded, "But there is an additional condition—if a supernatural threat beyond your control capacity appears in New York—you must notify us."
"Sure." Li Heng agreed readily, "Anyway, I don't want to be a savior—I'll push away troublesome matters whenever I can."
"...You are the least ambitious super-human I've ever seen." Stark muttered.
"Thanks for the compliment."
"That wasn't a compliment—"
"I'll take it as one."
Li Heng turned around and walked towards Albion and the others—
"Let's go—time to go home."
"My Lord Ancestor—the Villa was blown up—there is no 'home' anymore." Blood Baron reminded weakly.
"..."
Li Heng stopped—looked back at the completely razed Villa ruins—
Silenced for three seconds—
"Blood Baron—what did you say just now—monthly salary—"
"Yes—set by My Lord Ancestor—Brooklyn's minimum wage standard—"
"Doubled. House repairs will be deducted from your salaries."
Blood Baron: "..."
Two guards: "..."
Albion: "...This old man is twenty thousand years old, do I still need a salary?"
"No salary and you expect to repair the house?"
"...This old man will go move bricks right now."
[Ding! S.H.I.E.L.D. standoff event—successfully resolved!]
[The host demonstrated strength + reasonable negotiation—successfully reached a tacit agreement with S.H.I.E.L.D.! Avoided a direct conflict with the Avengers!]
[Prestige +1000! The host's threat level in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files has been adjusted from "Eliminate Immediately" to "Continuous Observation"!]
[Iron Man Tony Stark favorability unlocked—Initial value: Neutral leaning towards curious (40/100)! This person is full of curiosity about technology and unknown things—the host's performance stimulated his research desire—he might proactively seek exchanges with the host in the future!]
[Nick Fury favorability—Vigilant (20/100)—this person maintains suspicion towards any superhuman—but he is a pragmatist—as long as the host doesn't cross the line, he won't actively provoke!]
[System evaluation—Host, tonight's gains are extremely bountiful! Not only solved the vampire pilgrimage crisis, subdued the Blood Baron and Blood God Cult, but also reached a balance with S.H.I.E.L.D.—one night's operations compare to ten chapters of plot for others!]
[Bloodline awakening degree stabilized at 0.9%—just one kick away from a major breakthrough to 1.0%!]
[The most important thing—hurry and go check on Wanda! She overextended herself too much for you!]
Li Heng finished reading the system panel—accelerated his pace.
...
Half an hour later.
Another safe house in Brooklyn—this was Blade's backup stronghold, a simple yet sturdy room located in the Underground Room.
Wanda lay on the only bed, her face pale but breathing steady.
Pietro, having somehow received the news, had already arrived—currently standing by the bed, looking at his sister's face, beneath his silver hair was a pair of eyes full of worry.
"How is she?" Li Heng pushed the door open and entered.
"Physiological indicators are normal—but the Chaos Magicin her body is in an extremely fatigued state—like it was overused." Pietro looked back at him, his blue eyes full of questioning, "Did you let her use Soul Resonance?"
"It was her own choice."
"I know—but you shouldn't have let her have the chance to make that kind of choice!"
"Pietro—" Wanda's weak voice came from the bed—
"Don't blame him—it was my insistence—"
"Wanda—!" Li Heng and Pietro approached simultaneously—
Wanda slowly opened her eyes—her green eyes carrying deep fatigue—but a faint smile hung at the corners of her mouth—
"We won, right?"
"We won." Li Heng held her hand, "We won everything—Lucian was subdued, the Blood Baron surrendered, and S.H.I.E.L.D. won't bother us temporarily—"
"You did very well."
"That's good—" Wanda's eyes closed again—but the corners of her mouth didn't drop—
"Li Heng—"
"Hmm?"
"You said the money for repairing the house would be deducted from the Blood Baron's salary—is that true?"
"...How did you even hear that? Weren't you unconscious?"
"The Soul Resonance link hasn't completely severed yet—I can hear a little bit of whatever you're thinking in your head—"
"..."
"Also—you told Nick Fury just now'she is my person'—"
"That—was a negotiation strategy—"
"Oh—just a negotiation strategy, huh—"
Wanda's tone clearly carried a trace of disappointment.
"Wait—wait a minute—my meaning is—not just—damn it—can you wait until you're fully awake to settle accounts with me—"
"Heh—" chuckled Wanda softly, and fell into a deep sleep once more—but her hand never released Li Heng's hand.
[Ding! Wanda Maximoff's 'heartbeat' value +1! Current: 98/100! Only 2 points away from full score!]
[System sighed—Host—your romance—your favorability increases even while unconscious—are you a cheater?!]
Pietro watched this scene from the side—the corners of his mouth twitching—
Then silently turned around and walked out of the room—
"I'm going out for a run—ten kilometers—no—one hundred kilometers—you guys continue—don't treat me as existing—"
"Bang—" The door closed.
Li Heng looked at Wanda's serene sleeping face—a warmth welled up in his heart—but immediately—
His expression sank again.
Because—
He hadn't had time to deal with a matter yet—
That dark golden crystal generated after Wanda rewrote Chthon's beacon—
Was quietly lying in his pocket at this moment—
But it—
Was glowing.
Moreover—
The light was getting brighter and brighter—
"Hum hum hum—"
A strange resonance emanated from the crystal—not a resonance with the Progenitor Bloodline—but—
With something in the outside world—
Resonating!
Li Heng stood up abruptly—took out the crystal—
The crystal's light pointed in a direction—
East-northeast—
Atlantic Ocean direction—
Seabed—
Atlantis!
And the moment he perceived the direction of resonance—
A line of Atlantis text surfaced on the crystal's surface—
That line of text slowly deformed and reorganized—finally transforming into modern English that he could read—
"Beacon has been rewritten—dimensional barrier has been established—Chthon cannot perceive—but—"
"He already knows—the beacon has been tampered with—"
"His anger—is crossing dimensions—"
"And you—new Progenitor—"
"You only have seven days."
"Within seven days—find the original manuscript—"
"Otherwise—"
"Chthon will bypass the beacon—and descend directly."
"By then—no power—can stop him."
Seven days?!
Li Heng's pupils suddenly constricted—
Descend directly?!
Chthon—an Old God from three billion years ago—a terrifying entity that hid in other dimensions after escaping the devour of the sun God Atum—
If he descends directly—
Let alone his current self—
Even if the awakening degree reaches 10%—he might not necessarily be able to contend against him!
And the road to Atlantis—must cross Namo's territory—facing a submarine king who hates vampires—
Seven days—
He only has seven days!
And right at this moment—
"Hum—"
His cell phone rang.
An unknown number.
He hesitated for a second—still answered it—
"Hello?"
On the other end of the phone—
An aged and calm female voice—
Carrying a profoundness and compassion that traversed millennia of time—
"Li Heng—I am Ancient One."
"The Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar-Taj."
"I perceived Chthon's wrath—and also saw your situation—"
"You need the white moon scroll—and I—can give it to you."
"But the premise is—"
"You must pass my test."
"Before sunrise tomorrow—come to Greenwich Village—177A Bleecker Street—"
"Late by one minute—the test is canceled—"
"And you—will face the doomsday seven days later alone."
"Beep—beep—beep—"
The phone hung up.
Li Heng looked at "Call Ended" on the phone screen—
Took a deep breath—
Ancient One—the most powerful white magician in the Marvel Universe—Sorcerer Supreme—
She actively contacted him.
Is this a good thing—or—
The beginning of another chess game?
He looked back at the sleeping Wanda—
A flash of resolve flickered in his dark golden slit pupils—
Whether it is a chess game or a trap—
As long as he can protect her—
He will go.
"Seven days—"
"Enough."
Chapter 23: Stepping into Kamar-Taj! Ancient One's Trial — Mirror Dimension, Facing Old Fears Directly!
4:17 AM.
The night in Brooklyn was as thick as ink, and the streets were completely deserted.
Li Heng stood at the doorway of the safe house, his dark golden slit pupils looking toward the east — the direction of Manhattan — where an extremely faint trace of white magic fluctuation was quietly pulsing.
Kamar-Taj.
The domain of Sorcerer Supreme Ancient One.
"Are you sure you want to go?"
Wanda's voice came from behind — weak, but conscious.
Li Heng turned back — Wanda was standing there leaning against the door frame, her face still pale, but her green eyes were filled with stubbornness and worry.
"You should sleep for a few more hours." He frowned.
"I can't sleep." Wanda walked up to him, "Although the link of Soul Resonance is broken, I can still feel a bit of your emotion — you are nervous."
"I am not —"
"Liar." Wanda looked straight into his eyes, "You are afraid that Ancient One's trial is not an ordinary trial — you are afraid that she will make you do multiple-choice questions — just like the multiple-choice questions in the blood moon prophecy."
Li Heng was silent for three seconds —
Then he chuckled softly.
"You know me better and better."
"Of course —" Wanda reached out and straightened the collar of his hoodie, her movement natural and intimate, "I can now read about five percent of the things in your mind — although it's not much — it's enough to judge your emotions."
"Five percent?" Li Heng raised an eyebrow, "Then what did you read?"
"I read that —" The corners of Wanda's mouth raised slightly, "Before you went out just now, you stood by my bed for a full two minutes — hesitating whether to wake me up — and in the end you still didn't — because you didn't want to let me take risks."
"..."
"But you overlooked —" Wanda's tone suddenly became serious, "I am not your appendage — I am your partner — the partner of Soul Resonance."
"You are going to face Ancient One — a Sorcerer Supremewho has lived for eight hundred years — you can't carry it all by yourself."
"So —"
She raised her left hand — the dark golden ring on her ring finger flashed slightly —
"Take me with you."
Li Heng looked into her eyes — in those green eyes, there was no hesitation, no fear, only the determination to stand side by side with him.
He suddenly remembered the words Varna left on the back of the final page —
"The new Progenitor can choose to refuse the oneness — the soul solitary walker, the blood moon will never rise — but the price is — the Progenitor will forever lose what they love."
If he refused the oneness — he would lose her.
If he embraced the oneness — he and she would jointly face the risks of Chthon.
No matter which path — they were bound together.
In that case —
Let's go together.
"Alright." He held her hand, "But first things first — when we arrive at Kamar-Taj, all actions will follow my command. No overexertion, no reckless rushing, no —"
"Got it, got it — you are even more naggy than Pietro." Wanda rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth couldn't stop curling up.
[Ding! Wanda Maximoff's 'Heartbeat' value + 1! Current: 99 / 100! Only 1 point away from full score!]
[System sighs — Host, you two... what are you acting all all-over-each-other at the doorway in the middle of the night? Hurry up and set off! Ancient One said before sunrise! Don't be late!]
Greenwich Village, 177A Bleecker Street.
From the outside, this was just an unpretentious three-story old apartment building — red brick exterior walls, iron art balconies, and a dim street lamp hanging at the doorway.
But Li Heng's dimensional perception went wild with alarms at this moment —
"Buzz buzz buzz buzz —!"
The blood pact ring mark on his left chest was also slightly warming up — not because of Wanda's emotions — but because the dark golden crystal resonated with a certain existence nearby!
"Here —" He looked up at the window on the third floor, his dark golden slit pupils slightly contracting, "The spatial structure is wrong."
"What do you mean?" Wanda also sensed something, and scarlet energy beat restlessly at her fingertips.
"This building — from the outside it looks like three floors — but my dimensional perception shows — its internal space is far more than three floors." Li Heng lowered his voice, "At least seven floors — no — more — the dimensional coordinates of some spaces even overlap —"
"Dimensional folding." Wanda said softly, "Multi-dimensional space compressed on the same three-dimensional coordinate — this is the space manipulation technology of white magic."
"That's right." Li Heng pushed open the door —
"Creak —"
The door opened.
Inside the door was a narrow hallway — strange magical instruments and Chinese-style ink paintings hung on the walls — at the end of the hallway was a circular wooden door — engraved with a complex rune on it —
The Seal of the Vishanti.
The joint symbol of the trinity source of white magic — Oshtur, Agamotto, Hogarth.
"Who goes there?"
A voice came from the shadows of the hallway —
A young man with an Asian face walked out — wearing a dark blue wizard robe, with the Seal of the Vishantihanging on his chest —
It was his face — Li Heng recognized him —
Wong.
The librarian of Kamar-Taj — one of Ancient One's most trusted disciples — the future Sorcerer Supreme candidate.
"My name is Li Heng — Ancient One asked me to come."
"I know." Wong's expression was cold, his gaze sweeping over Li Heng and Wanda, lingering for an extra second on the dark golden ring on Wanda's body and the scarlet energy remaining at her fingertips.
"The holder of Chaos Magic — and a vampire Progenitor — Master Ancient One said you would come."
He stepped aside to make way —
"Follow me — she is waiting for you."
At the end of the hallway — the circular wooden door opened —
The pupils of Li Heng and Wanda dilated at the same time —
Behind the door was a huge circular hall — the dome was tens of meters high — exquisitely painted star maps on the ceiling — not Earth's starry sky, but some kind of multi-dimensional Universe atlas — Nebula, dimensional rifts, timeline branches — everything was flowing slowly, as if alive.
Countless bookshelves were lined up on the walls around the hall — every shelf was packed with ancient books, scrolls, and stone tablets — the air was filled with the smell of parchment and potions —
This was — the library of Kamar-Taj — the largest white magic knowledge base in the Marvel Universe!
[Ding! Entering the core area of Kamar-Taj — dimensional protection level — S-Rank! The white magic barrier here can cause continuous suppression to any Black Magic user! As a vampire Progenitor, the host's dark attribute energy will be weakened by about 20%! But the Progenitor Bloodline does not belong to pure Black Magic — the actual weakening is about 12%! The impact on combat effectiveness is limited!]
[System reminder — the book collection here exceeds 100,000 volumes! Covering all white magic branches from the Vishanti lineage to the Kali lineage! If you can acquire the knowledge within — the success rate of reversing the seal will be greatly increased! But — now is not the time to read books! See Ancient One first!]
In the center of the hall —
A bald woman with her back to them was floating cross-legged in mid-air.
She wore an orange-yellow monk robe, with her hands forming mudras, surrounded by a faint layer of golden light around her body — that light was gentle and powerful, like the rising sun —
Ancient One.
Sorcerer Supreme.
The most powerful white magic Guardian of the Earthdimension — protecting Earth from multi-dimensional threats for over eight hundred years.
She slowly opened her eyes —
Those eyes — were not ordinary colors —
But starlight dotted in deep purple —
That was the mark of multi-dimensional travel — Ancient One had traveled through different dimensions countless times, and her eyes had long been accustomed to observing the essence of the multiverse —
"You have come."
Her voice was calm and distant, as if coming from a very distant place.
She turned around — her face young — looking only in her thirties — but eight hundred years of vicissitudes were precipitated in those purple eyes.
"Younger than I imagined —" She looked at Li Heng and smiled slightly, "And more interesting."
"Interesting?"
"A Progenitor who is unwilling to be a savior — a vampirepatriarch who only wants to slack off — yet within two days, subdued the Blood Baron, defeated the Blood God Cult, and reached a balance with S.H.I.E.L.D. —"
A trace of appreciation flashed in Ancient One's golden eyes —
"Your'slacking off' efficiency — is higher than most heroes''struggling'."
"... That was forced." Li Heng was expressionless.
"All great people in the world — are forced." Ancient Onesaid calmly, "People who volunteer to become heroes — are often the most dangerous — because they enjoy the feeling of being worshipped."
"While those forced to shoulder responsibilities — are instead more reliable — because they know the weight of power."
Her gaze shifted to Wanda —
"Wanda Maximoff — the vessel of Chaos Magic — the target marked by Chthon —"
Wanda instinctively clenched Li Heng's hand — Ancient One's gaze made her feel an invisible pressure — not malice — but —
Being seen through.
Just as Ancient One's eyes could directly see through her soul — seeing every corner deep inside her heart —
"Don't be afraid." Ancient One smiled, "I won't hurt you — quite the contrary — I am here to help you."
She slowly descended from mid-air, her two feet stepping on the ground —
"But — help comes with a price."
"The white moon scroll — the supreme secret classic of the Vishanti lineage — records the only white magic spell that can stabilize the dimensional seal —" Ancient One's voice was calm, "It can help you reverse the blood moon prophecy — turning Chthon's passage into a permanent seal."
"But it is not a simple thing — you cannot 'get' it — you can only 'comprehend' it."
"And the premise of comprehension — is a trial."
Li Heng's dark golden slit pupils narrowed slightly —
"What trial?"
Ancient One raised her right hand — golden light condensed at her fingertips —
"Mirror Dimension."
"Hum —!"
Golden light spread from her fingertips, condensing into a huge mirror in the center of the hall — the mirror surface rippled like lake water — but the reflection in the mirror was not reality —
But an endless void.
Countless fragments floated in the void — every fragment mapped different scenes — laughter, tears, anger, despair —
"The Mirror Dimension is the oldest testing place in Kamar-Taj — it exists in the crevice between reality and dimensions — it is a projection space of the mind."
"In the Mirror Dimension — what you will face is not an external enemy — but yourself."
"Your deepest fear — your darkest desire — your most vulnerable weakness — will all turn into entities and appear before you."
"You must survive within it — and find the exit —"
"Time limit — two hours."
"If you fail to find the exit within the specified time — your soul will be devoured by the Mirror Dimension — trapped inside forever."
Ancient One looked at Li Heng — her purple eyes as calm as water —
"Do you — accept?"
Li Heng looked at the golden mirror — the void in the mirror seemed to have a certain gravity, summoning him —
"If he fails —" Wanda suddenly spoke, her voice trembling slightly but firm, "What will happen to me?"
"You will be fine." Ancient One said, "After his soul is devoured, the blood pact ring will automatically lift — you will lose your soul link with him — but you won't suffer any other harm."
"Merely losing the soul link —" Wanda bit her lip, "is enough."
She looked at Li Heng — in her green eyes there was worry, unwillingness, but more importantly — trust.
"Go — I believe in you."
Li Heng glanced at her — the corner of his mouth hooked into a smile —
"Wait for me to come back."
He turned around — facing the golden mirror —
"I accept."
The moment the voice fell —
"Boom —!"
Golden light engulfed him — the world spinning rapidly before his eyes —
Dark golden slit pupils, Wanda's face, Ancient One's purple eyes, the star map of the hall dome — everything turned into fragments in the spin —
And then —
Everything returned to darkness.
"..."
Li Heng opened his eyes.
He was standing on a street —
A familiar street —
Not the streets of Brooklyn — but —
The street where he lived in his past life.
Skyscrapers, bustling traffic, the smell of jianbingguozi from roadside stalls, the sound of bus stop broadcasts —
This was — Earth — the Earth before he time-traveled —
"What is going on —" He looked around — his dark golden slit pupils slightly contracted in the sunlight —
Wait — sunlight?
He looked down at his hands —
Not the pale hands of a vampire — but — human hands — with temperature, veins visible in cyan, ordinary human hands.
His Progenitor Bloodline — had disappeared.
His dark golden slit pupils — had disappeared.
The system panel —
"Ding —"
Still there.
[Ding! Mirror Dimension detection completed — Environment: Earth - Modern City (Host's past life memory projection) — Host Status: Human Form (vampire abilities completely suppressed) — System functions retained — but all combat bonuses invalidated!]
[System reminder — This is the trial rule of the Mirror Dimension! It deprives you of your superpowers — making you face the trial as an ordinary human! Because — the real trial is not a contest of strength — but a choice of the heart!]
Ordinary human — no Progenitor Bloodline — no dark golden slit pupils — no Blood Domain — no dimensional perception —
Only the body of an ordinary person and the heart of a time-traveler.
"Hoo —" Li Heng took a deep breath —
He probably understood —
What Ancient One called "facing yourself" — was not facing a mirror enemy that looked just like him —
But facing his truest inner heart — under the condition of having no superpowers — would he still be able to make the same choice?
Would he still — protect only Wanda?
Would he still — not back down in desperate situations?
Would he still — be a "slacking off" but reliable person?
"Beep beep beep —"
The phone in his pocket rang —
He took it out and took a look —
A text message displayed on the screen —
"Li Heng — save me — Chthon — he is coming —"
Sender — Wanda.
Li Heng's pupils suddenly S-Rank —
He looked up at the sky —
The sky —
Was turning red.
Not the red of the sunset — but —
The red of blood.
A blood moon was slowly rising from the eastern horizon —
And beneath the blood moon —
A purple-black rift was tearing open in the middle of the sky —
Deep inside the rift —
A pair of ancient eyes full of malice and hunger —
Were watching this world —
Chthon.
Old Gods.
He was coming.
Li Heng clenched his fists —
No Progenitor Bloodline — no dark golden slit pupils — only the body of an ordinary person —
But he stepped forward —
Toward the direction of the blood moon —
Toward the direction of Wanda —
"So what if I have no power —"
"The person who should be protected — I will still protect."
Chapter 24 Blood Moon in the Mirror! A Mortal Body Shakes the Old Gods —— The Ancestor Soul is Undying!
The blood moon hung in the air.
Li Heng stood on the street of his past life's city, looking up at the rising crimson full moon ——
Without Progenitor Bloodline, without dark gold slit pupils, without Blood Domain, without dimensional perception ——
There was only an ordinary human heart beating "thump, thump, thump" in his chest.
"Hum ——"
The purple-black dimensional rift in the center of the sky expanded by another circle —— Chthon cast his gaze from it —— That gaze was as heavy as substance, and merely by making eye contact with it, Li Heng felt a chill deep into his bones ——
This was the coercion of the Old Gods.
Three billion years ago, the Old Gods Chthon fled Earthunder the pursuit of Atum the sun god, hiding in other dimensions.
Before that, he recorded his Black Magic on a set of indestructible parchment, binding them into the darkhold—— This book had caused countless sins in the billions of years thereafter ——
And the first vampire, Varna, was transformed by the high wizard of Atlantis using the magic in the darkhold.
Now —— Chthon wanted to come back.
And what he needed to return —— a key, a door —— was in the real world outside this mirror.
"Li Heng —— Save me ——"
Wanda's text message still remained on the phone screen —— only eight short words, but every single word pierced into his heart like a nail.
He clenched his phone —— an ordinary human hand, without the dark golden light, without the sharp claws that could tear space, just five most ordinary fingers ——
"So what if I have no power ——"
He took steps and ran towards the direction where Wanda's text message was sent in his memory ——
"The person who should be protected —— will still be protected!"
The street was deserted.
No —— not deserted —— but everyone was frozen at the exact same instant ——
Pedestrians solidified on the sidewalk maintaining their walking posture, drivers sat stiffly in cars holding steering wheels, and even the stray cats by the roadside remained motionless in the arc of stretching ——
The entire world was like a picture pressed with a pause button ——
Only Li Heng was moving.
Only the blood moon was moving.
Only the dimensional rift was continuously expanding under Chthon's will ——
"This is the mirror world —— The flow rate of time is determined by the challenger's inner sense of urgency ——"
Ancient One's voice echoed in his mind, as if separated by a layer of frosted glass, vague and distant, "The more you fear —— the faster the rift expands —— the more determined you are —— the slower time becomes ——"
"The true meaning of the trial —— is not to let you defeat anything —— but to let you see your own heart clearly after losing all external power ——"
Ancient One's voice grew further and further away —— finally disappearing in the noise of the dimensional crevice.
Li Heng did not stop to think about Ancient One's words —— he only had one thought now ——
Find Wanda.
He ran across three streets —— his memories of his past life guided him precisely —— crossing a square, bypassing an overpass —— and finally stopped in front of an office building.
This office building —— he would pass by every day going to work in his past life —— but now ——
The door of the office building was wide open, and inside the door was endless darkness —— deep in the darkness, a crimson light was pulsating slightly ——
That was the light of Chaos Magic.
Wanda was inside.
Li Heng took a deep breath —— and stepped into the darkness ——
"Hum ——!"
The darkness swallowed everything in an instant —— vision, hearing, touch —— all disappeared ——
He could see nothing, hear nothing, feel nothing ——
Only consciousness remained —— naked consciousness —— floating in a state of absolute nothingness ——
Then ——
A voice came from the nothingness ——
Not Chthon's voice —— not Ancient One's voice ——
But ——
His own voice.
"What are you afraid of?"
Li Heng's consciousness shook violently ——
A shadow appeared in the nothingness —— a shadow identical to him —— wearing the same hoodie, the same face —— but those eyes were not dark golden —— instead, they were hollow, gray, and lifeless ——
That was —— the most fragile self deep in his heart.
"What are you afraid of?" The shadow repeated, its voice flat and cruel, "Without Progenitor Bloodline —— you are nothing. Without a system —— you are just an ordinary person who time-traveled. Without superpowers —— you can't even protect a girl."
"Who do you think you are? A hero? An ancestor? A savior?"
"You are just a —— deserter."
"Before time-traveled you escaped reality —— after time-traveled you escaped responsibility —— you call this 'lying flat' —— but the truth is ——"
"You are afraid."
"You are afraid of failing after taking something seriously —— so you are not serious from the very beginning —— that way even if you lose —— you can comfort yourself —— 'I wasn't trying hard to begin with' ——"
"You are not lying flat —— you are —— running away."
"Shut up ——!"
Li Heng's consciousness suddenly erupted —— a mental storm whipped up in the nothingness ——
"You are right —— I am afraid —— I am afraid of failing, afraid of losing, afraid of finding out after being serious that the things I care about cannot be kept at all ——"
"But so what?"
"Fear does not mean retreating —— terror does not mean giving up ——"
"I am afraid of losing Wanda —— so I must go save her even more!"
"I am afraid of not being able to beat Chthon —— that's why I must become stronger!"
"I am afraid of facing the blood moon prophecy —— that's why I must find a way to reverse it!"
"Fear is not my weakness —— fear is my —— driving force!"
His consciousness surged wildly in the nothingness —— that power did not come from the Progenitor Bloodline, nor from system bonuses ——
But came from —— the most primitive will of an ordinary human!
The will to refuse to admit defeat!
"Boom ——!"
Nothingness shattered —— darkness crumbled —— light poured in ——
Li Heng stood in front of that office building again —— but this time —— in front of him was no longer darkness ——
But a mirror ——
A golden mirror —— exactly the same as the one Ancient One created in the hall ——
What was reflected in the mirror was not his reflection —— but ——
Wanda.
She was kneeling in the center of a purple-Black Magiccircle —— her hands bound by dimensional chains —— her green eyes filled with tears and fear —— but she didn't cry out loud —— she just bit her lips ——
Biting them tightly ——
Because she knew ——
As long as she made no sound —— Chthon could not fully activate her Chaos Magic ——
She was using her last bit of will —— to resist the erosion of the Old Gods ——
Waiting for him to come.
"Wanda ——!"
Li Heng rushed towards the mirror —— but his hand was bounced back the moment it touched the mirror surface ——
"Hum ——"
A line of golden text appeared on the surface of the mirror ——
"This door can only be opened by the Ancestor."
Ancestor ——
He was not the Ancestor now —— his Progenitor Bloodline was suppressed by the mirror world —— he was just an ordinary person ——
An ordinary person —— could not open this door ——
"Damn it ——!"
Li Heng smashed a punch on the mirror surface —— the skin on his fist cracked, and fresh blood flowed down the mirror surface ——
An ordinary person's punch —— had no effect on the golden mirror ——
"Progenitor Bloodline —— Blood Domain —— dark gold slit pupils ——" He frantically tried to activate every ability —— but all failed ——
The mirror world suppressed all supernatural powers ——
Here —— he was just a —— mortal.
"Hahahaha ——"
An old and evil laughter came from the sky —— Chthon's voice ——
"Mortal —— you are just a mortal —— no matter how powerful you are outside —— deep inside your heart —— you are always a powerless child ——"
"You think the Progenitor Bloodline changed you? No —— it just covered up your weakness —— now —— without that outer shell —— you ——"
"Have nothing."
"Get away ——!" Li Heng roared ——
But Chthon's laughter grew louder and louder ——
"Look at her —— look at your woman —— she is suffering for you —— and you —— can't do anything ——"
Wanda in the mirror —— the dimensional chains began to tighten —— Chaos Magic was extracted from her body trace by trace —— her complexion grew paler and paler —— the blood stains on her lips grew deeper and deeper ——
But she still didn't make a sound—
She just looked at Li Heng outside the mirror—
In those green eyes—
There was no blame—
No disappointment—
Only—
Heartache.
She felt heartache for him.
She felt heartache for—the him standing outside the door, powerless.
"Don't—don't look at me—" Li Heng's hands pressed against the mirror surface, his forehead pressed against the mirror surface, his whole body trembling—
Not out of fear—
But—
Anger.
Anger at himself.
Anger at his powerlessness.
Anger at this fucking world within the mirror.
"I promised you—I said I would protect you—I said whoever touches a single hair on your head, I will wipe out their entire family—"
"I cannot—stop—here—!"
"Even without the Progenitor Bloodline—even without the dark gold slit pupils—even if I am just an ordinary person—"
"I will also—"
He suddenly raised his head—
In those ordinary brown eyes—
There was no dark gold—
But there was something fiercer than dark gold—
Determination.
"I will never—leave you behind!"
"Boom————!!!!!"
His fist smashed toward the mirror surface again—
This time—without the dark gold light—without the blessing of the Progenitor Bloodline—
There was only—
The bright red blood on a human fist—
"Bang—!"
The mirror surface—
Cracked.
A hair-thin crack extended from his fist imprint—
"What?!" Chthon's laughter came to an abrupt halt—
"Impossible—you are just a mortal—how could a mortal—"
"You don't understand—" Li Heng threw his fist again—
"Bang—!"
The crack expanded—
"The biggest difference between mortals and gods—is not power—"
"Bang—!"
The cracks spread—
"It is that mortals—are willing to burn everything—for the people they care about—"
"Bang—!"
The mirror surface—shattered!
The golden fragments scattered and danced like stars—
And behind the fragments—
Was Wanda—
The real Wanda—not a projection in the mirror, but the true end of the trial arranged by the Ancient One deep within the world within the mirror—
The dimensional chains on her body turned into nothingness the moment the mirror shattered—Chaos Magic returned to her body—
She threw herself into Li Heng's arms—
"Idiot—you big idiot—"
"Yeah—I know—"
"Your hands—are covered in blood—does it hurt—"
"It hurts—but it doesn't matter—"
He tightly hugged her—
An ordinary human heart beat frantically in his chest—without the blessing of the Progenitor Bloodline—this heart still beat faster than ever—
Because—
He cared.
[Ding!!!!! The world within the mirror trial—passed!!!!!]
[Trial Evaluation—SSS-Rank (Highest Level)!]
[Evaluation Details—The host shattered the mirror seal with a mortal body—demonstrating willpower that transcends bloodlines and dimensions! This is precisely the core essence of the Progenitor Bloodline—not the Black Magic of the darkhold—not Chthon's blessing—but—free will! Just as the host comprehended during Soul Resonance—Varna used his will to rewrite the rules of the darkhold—and the host used his will to prove—that the progenitor's power originates from within—rather than externally!]
[Bloodline Awakening Degree Breakthrough—0.9% → 1.0%!!! Major Breakthrough!!!]
[All Attributes Increased—300%!!!!]
[New Ability Unlocked—'Ancestor Soul' (Passive): The host's willpower transforms into a permanent mental shield! Immune to all mental attacks, soul erosion, and dimensional manipulation! Chthon's mental intrusion is completely ineffective against the host!]
[New Ability Unlocked—'Mortal Punch' (Active): When the host voluntarily renounces all supernatural bonuses—all willpower can be condensed into a single strike! The damage of this strike is proportional to the bloodline awakening degree—current awakening degree 1.0%—the power of this strike can reach the peak of S-Rank! Cooldown time 72 hours!]
[System Shock—Host—Do you know what this means? 'Ancestor Soul' makes you immune to Chthon's mental intrusion—'Mortal Punch' allows you to have the ability to kill across ranks under the most extreme circumstances—you—no longer rely solely on your bloodline to get by—you have a heart of a powerhouse that truly belongs to yourself!]
Li Heng looked at the densely packed new abilities on the system interface—
A trace of a smile finally curved up the corners of his mouth.
Then—
"Hum—"
Golden light enveloped him and Wanda—the world within the mirror shattered and dissolved beneath their feet—
Consciousness flipped—heaven and Earth spun—
The two of them opened their eyes at the same time—
The Kamar-Taj library.
They returned to the real world.
Li Heng lowered his head to look at his hands—the dark gold Ancestor Power flowed through his blood vessels once more—the dark gold slit pupils lit up again in the depths of his eyes—
And in his palms—
There still remained the scars left by those few punches in the world within the mirror—ordinary human scars—which slowly healed under the resilience of the Progenitor Bloodline—
But the memory of that pain—he would never forget.
"You passed."
The Ancient One's voice came from above—she was still levitating mid-air, a trace of unprecedented seriousness appearing in her purple eyes—
"No—to be exact—you surpassed the trial."
"I have set up the world within the mirror for eight hundred years—you are the first person to shatter the mirror and emerge with a mortal body."
"Even Strange—if he were in your position—might not be able to do it."
"Strange?" Li Heng was slightly stunned.
"The future Sorcerer Supreme." The Ancient One said calmly, "Right now, he is still just a surgeon who only knows how to make money—but the threads of fate already point toward him—sooner or later—he will come here."
She descended from mid-air—extending her right hand—
Golden light condensed in her palm—turning into a rustic white moon scroll—
"white moon scroll—the supreme grimoire of the Vishantimagic system—recording the white magic spell array that can solely stabilize the dimensional seal—"
"It is not a book that can be 'read'—but a magic that requires 'comprehension'—"
"Your Ancestor Soul has already proved your willpower—therefore—you are qualified to comprehend it."
She handed the white moon scroll to Li Heng—
But the moment Li Heng reached out to touch it—
The Ancient One's hand suddenly stopped.
Her purple eyes suddenly looked out the window—
Looking toward the east—
In the direction of the Atlantic Ocean—
"Not good—"
Her expression changed for the first time—
"Atlantis—something has happened."
"What?!" Li Heng and Wanda's expressions changed simultaneously!
"Namo—King of Atlantis—he just activated the deep-sea seal left by Varna—"
The Ancient One's voice was urgent and solemn—
"But that seal is not used to release Dracula—"
"That is—"
She looked at Li Heng—her purple eyes filled with ominousness—
"The mechanism used by Varna to seal the darkholdoriginal manuscript—Namo opened it—not to release—but to—"
"Offer the original manuscript to Chthon."
"Namo—has defected to Chthon?!"
Li Heng's dark gold slit pupils suddenly contracted—
"Why—Namo is the King of Atlantis—how could he—"
"Because Chthon promised him one thing—" The Ancient One took a deep breath, her voice as heavy as lead—
"Use the Black Magic in the darkhold original manuscript—to make Atlantis—resurface."
"The continent that sank ten thousand years ago—rising once more—"
"This is Namo's obsession—in order to revive Atlantis—he is willing to make a deal with the Old Gods."
"And once the original manuscript falls into Chthon's hands—"
"The seven-day countdown—"
"Will reach zero."
Li Heng clenched his fists—
His palms still retained the pain from the world within the mirror—
"I must go to Atlantis."
"Now—at once—immediately."