Nolan found himself considerably happier and more satisfied because of the unexpected surprise gift from the simulator's harmful substance detection.
He slowly drove his Terminator armor back and forth across the battlefield in a methodical patrol pattern, carefully examining the area while waiting patiently for the arrival of reinforcements and other support personnel.
And the speed of the reinforcements dispatched from Kamar-Taj proved to be much, much faster than he had initially imagined or anticipated.
Near the location of the portal that Wong had left open when he departed to sound the alarm, reality began rippling with mystical energy.
One after another, new portals ringed with flying golden sparks quickly appeared and manifested in the air. The dimensional gateways opened in rapid succession, creating multiple access points.
Then, dozens upon dozens of formal master sorcerers with solemn, focused expressions filed through in organized groups. They moved with military precision despite being academic mystical practitioners.
The reinforcing mages appeared within Nolan's field of vision, filling the damaged corridor with orange-robed figures.
However, when these hurried sorcerers who had been pulled from other duties saw something completely unexpected, their professional composure wavered.
They caught sight of the huge and burly six-armed Terminator armor at first glance, the massive figure dominating the visual space. Then their eyes tracked to the surrounding Scyllax-class Guardian-automata with their serpentine lower bodies, and finally to the hovering reconnaissance drones.
The Kamar-Taj mages were obviously and understandably confused by what they were seeing. Profound shock registered on their faces as they tried to process armed combat robots in their Supreme Sanctum.
Then, operating on training and assuming hostile intrusion, handfuls of melee magical weapons still stained with fresh blood from recent combat were quickly raised defensively. The distinctive orange energy shields of the Rings of Raggador manifested before multiple sorcerers simultaneously.
"Put down your weapons and dismiss your spells immediately!" A commanding voice cut through the building tension before violence could erupt.
"This six-armed warrior is our distinguished guest of Kamar-Taj! He personally helped us defend the New York Sanctum against catastrophic attack! He saved this place!"
The speaker's tone shifted to sharp reprimand.
"What are you all standing around gaping for? Move! Hurry up and begin repair procedures on the magical nodes that have been severely contaminated by black magic! We're on a deadline here!"
At this moment, Master Mordo, who had just stepped through his own portal with characteristic stern efficiency, immediately deployed his characteristically expressionless dark face. His features were set in lines of severe authority.
He scolded the assembled sorcerers around him without hesitation or softening, his voice carrying the weight of senior leadership.
Then, gathering up the flowing sleeves of his dark green master's robes with sharp, irritated movements, Mordo quickened his pace. He walked directly toward where Nolan stood in his imposing armor.
With absolutely serious expression showing proper deference, Mordo came to a stop before the huge six-armed Terminator and bowed deeply from the waist without the slightest hesitation.
"Mr. Nolan, Master Wong has already informed all of us about what transpired here, about the invasion and your intervention." Mordo's voice carried genuine gratitude beneath its formal delivery. "As the eldest disciple of Kamar-Taj and representative of our order in the Master's absence, I thank you sincerely for your generous help on behalf of the Ancient One herself."
He straightened from the bow, meeting the helmet's eyepiece directly.
"When our teacher returns from wherever her duties have taken her, I will ensure she knows of your assistance. You will definitely be repaid appropriately for this service."
"Forget the polite diplomatic words, Mordo." Nolan's response was immediate and slightly amused. "I didn't receive so much as a hair's worth of compensation from the last time I assisted Kamar-Taj with a supernatural problem. Empty promises mean nothing."
His tone shifted, becoming more pointed and observant.
"Tell me something useful instead. Mordo, did you and your people just finish a significant battle yourselves? You look like you've been through combat."
Nolan, staring through his diamond-shaped helmet's targeting eyepiece with enhanced visual systems active, had accurately identified several fresh traces of damage and dark red bloodstains on Mordo's usually immaculate wizard robes.
The fabric was torn in places, scorched in others, definitely recently damaged.
He shifted his gaze slightly, tracking across the chamber. He looked at the noticeably damaged magical weapons being carried by the various sorcerers who were now running urgently toward the corrupted magical node's location.
A low voice mixed with genuine curiosity and tactical concern slowly emerged from the helmet's vox-speakers.
"What happened? Where were you deployed?"
Hearing Nolan's direct question and recognizing that deception would be both pointless and counterproductive, Mordo's characteristically stern dark face seemed to reveal a fleeting bitter smile. The expression was there and gone in a moment.
He took a deep breath, composing his thoughts, and responded in a deliberately calm tone that barely concealed exhaustion.
"The Hong Kong Sanctum was besieged by a terrifying zombie tide caused by supernatural creatures called 'Iron Corpses' in Chinese folklore. The walking dead, essentially, but far more dangerous than typical reanimated corpses." Mordo's explanation was clinical, professional. "Fortunately, the Asian organization S.P.E.A.R sent several of their elite combat teams to cooperate with our forces and help us systematically eliminate this particular disaster."
He continued without pause, delivering a comprehensive situation report.
"And simultaneously, the London Sanctum faced its own crisis. Because of the exceptional keenness and paranoid vigilance of the local guardian sorcerer Sol Rama, he managed to catch a group of black magic puppets who were attempting to sneak into the Sanctum to destroy it. He detected and intercepted them in advance before they could penetrate our defenses."
Mordo's expression darkened.
"However, the manipulator hidden behind those puppets, whoever sent them, did not leave any identifying traces or signatures. They chose to immediately disappear and abort the mission after the initial infiltration failed rather than risk exposure. We learned nothing about their identity or allegiances."
His voice took on a more analytical quality.
"It's obvious that all these simultaneous events are interrelated, coordinated rather than coincidental. The only unified purpose behind these multi-pronged attacks should be reaching and destroying the magical nodes of the Supreme Sanctums! A coordinated strike at our entire defensive network!"
Mordo's voice carried the weight of terrible realization.
"This time, if you hadn't intervened to help the New York Sanctum, which had already suffered absolutely catastrophic losses in available sorcerers, then the magical defense system covering Earth might have developed far bigger, potentially irreparable problems. Instead of being merely contaminated by black magic as the situation currently stands, we might be facing complete systemic failure..."
The moment Mordo's voice trailed off into troubled silence, Nolan, still encased within his diamond-shaped helmet, fell quiet as well.
He seemed to be processing this information, running tactical analysis, considering strategic implications.
After a long moment of contemplative silence, he looked down at Mordo through his targeting eyepiece and continued questioning with pointed directness.
"Your enemies, whoever is coordinating this, have already launched a coordinated, sophisticated attack against all three Sanctums simultaneously. Major operation, carefully planned." Nolan's tone sharpened. "So what about Master Ancient One? Facing such a major supernatural disaster that may even endanger the entire world, that threatens the very foundations of Earth's mystical defenses, she should definitely know about it by now, correct?"
He paused deliberately.
"And where exactly is she? Why hasn't the Sorcerer Supreme responded to this crisis?"
However, at precisely this moment, Mordo's characteristically stern dark eyebrows seemed to display just a trace of hesitation. Uncertainty flickered across his normally confident features.
He clearly didn't want to answer that particular question. The topic made him profoundly uncomfortable.
But in the end, after a moment of internal struggle, he took another deep breath and made the decision to tell Nolan the uncomfortable truth rather than maintain comfortable fiction.
"Mr. Nolan, this is actually the crux of absolutely all our current problems. The central issue around which everything else revolves."
Mordo's voice dropped lower, more serious.
"The backbone of Kamar-Taj, the ancient and incredibly powerful Supreme Sorcerer known as Master Ancient One, is currently and inexplicably missing from this dimension..."
"This situation is not at all common or expected. At least, since I first followed my teacher to learn the way of the sorcerer years ago, I have basically not witnessed her unexplained absence more than a handful of times. She's always been available, always responded to genuine crises."
Facing Mordo's troubling words and the implications they carried, Nolan's response was immediate and physical.
He moved within his Terminator armor and leaned his massive armored bulk forward slightly, the gesture subtly threatening despite appearing merely attentive. The motion brought his considerable mass closer.
The subtle hum and vibration from countless electro-fiber bundles tensing and servo devices adjusting throughout the armor resounded noticeably all around them. The sound was mechanical, slightly ominous.
Nolan's eyes behind the helmet stared through the targeting eyepiece with laser focus, looking straight at Mordo's increasingly uncomfortable dark face. The attention was unblinking, intense.
"So, tell me something, Mordo." Nolan's voice carried an edge now. "What exactly are Kamar-Taj's contingency plans and emergency procedures for events precisely like this? For when the Supreme Sorcerer is unavailable?"
He pressed harder.
"Don't tell me that your ancient mystical order is completely unprepared for this scenario. That you just learn spell knowledge and engage in combat training during normal peacetime operations without any actual institutional structure or chain of command protocols."
Hearing this pointed questioning and recognizing that deflection would be both impossible and unwise, Mordo gathered his thoughts.
"The single most important responsibility of Kamar-Taj is protecting the three Supreme Sanctums and ensuring the magical nodes are never destroyed by evil forces or corrupted entities." Mordo's explanation was thorough but increasingly troubled. "In addition to the dedicated master sorcerers responsible for physically guarding each location, we have also prepared several specialized combat teams designed to deploy rapidly and deal with various sudden supernatural events that arise."
His expression grew more troubled, more resigned.
"But over the years and decades, every single time a significant supernatural event occurs that requires combat team deployment, the master sorcerers on those teams suffer truly heavy casualties. The mortality rate is staggering, honestly. And the training process for new apprentices is extremely slow and resource-intensive. After all, knowledge such as advanced spells and mystical theory is not simple material that can be learned overnight through rote memorization."
Mordo's voice carried bitter frustration now.
"So the total number of capable master sorcerers in Kamar-Taj has never actually increased over time despite our recruitment efforts. We lose people faster than we can train replacements. The organization is slowly bleeding out."
He met Nolan's gaze squarely, acknowledging hard truths.
"In the past, whenever we faced supernatural threats beyond our tactical or mystical ability to handle, Master Ancient One would usually intervene personally to resolve them through direct action. The reputation of the Sorcerer Supreme was never accumulated merely through age and accumulated fame. It was built on killing, on defeating enemies too powerful for anyone else to face!"
Mordo's tone shifted, becoming more personal.
"Of course, when I was younger and more idealistic, I raised similar structural concerns to my teacher. I questioned this over-reliance on her personal power. But Master Ancient One always told me the same thing: that fate has its own inscrutable arrangements that we cannot and should not try to resist. And she said the same applies to Kamar-Taj's organizational structure and methods."
He spread his hands in a gesture of helpless acceptance.
"Mr. Nolan, if you're asking me how we should deal with this current crisis given all these systemic problems, then my honest suggestion and only recommendation is that I desperately hope Master Ancient One can return as soon as possible. We have no other viable plan."
It seemed that Nolan's persistent, pointed questioning had somehow stimulated Mordo's long-suppressed desire to complain about institutional problems, to voice frustrations he'd been holding for years.
The normally reserved and controlled master sorcerer actually changed his characteristic old-fashioned and overly serious attitude completely.
He began telling Nolan uncomfortable truths about Kamar-Taj's deep structural problems, airing grievances he would never normally voice.
After listening carefully to Mordo's entire series of revealing words, absorbing every complaint and admission, Nolan suddenly released a long sigh from inside his sealed diamond helmet.
The sound emerged filtered through vox-speakers, carrying weight and disappointment.
He muttered in a low voice, almost to himself but still audible.
"A collection of incompetent trash, honestly. No wonder the Ancient One is absolutely tired of shouldering everything herself..."
Then, before Mordo could react to that harsh assessment or formulate any response, Nolan moved decisively within his Terminator armor. He stepped forward with ground-shaking impacts.
He lowered his helmeted head slightly, positioned himself to loom directly over Mordo who stood close at hand, and spoke with absolute authority and finality.
"Mordo, listen carefully because I won't repeat this. Before Master Ancient One returns from wherever she's gone, I am taking over operational command of your entire Kamar-Taj organization!"
He let that sink in for a heartbeat.
"As the eldest disciple of Kamar-Taj and the ranking sorcerer present, do you have any objection whatsoever to this arrangement?"
At this moment, Mordo appeared slightly stunned when he fully processed what Nolan's direct words actually meant. His eyes widened fractionally.
His dark eyebrows subconsciously wrinkled together in confusion and concern. His gaze was absolutely full of visible internal struggle and profound hesitation.
This was asking him to betray his teacher's trust, to surrender authority to an outsider, to abandon centuries of tradition.
However, when Mordo's eyes accidentally swept downward and registered the power fist that Nolan had clenched tightly at some point during their conversation, when he saw that massive armored hand balled into a fist capable of pulverizing stone, something shifted.
And then his peripheral vision caught the Scyllax-class Guardian-automata and hovering reconnaissance drones surrounding them that occasionally made subtle but ominous metal collision sounds. The armed robots were everywhere, completely surrounding the position.
The implicit threat was unmistakable. This wasn't really a request or negotiation.
Mordo suddenly took a deep breath, filling his lungs completely. His racing thoughts crystallized into decision.
His eyes became instantly firm, resolute, burning with sudden conviction. He stared directly at Nolan's targeting eyepiece with absolutely serious expression etched across every feature.
Gritting his teeth with visible determination, Mordo spoke clearly.
"Mr. Nolan, I am willing to take complete responsibility for this decision! All the consequences, whatever they may be, will fall on me!"
His voice gained strength, conviction overriding doubt.
"Besides, I genuinely think Kamar-Taj, which has not changed its methods or structure significantly for thousands of years, desperately needs to make some fundamental reforms! This organization has been stagnant too long!"
"Very good. A wise choice, Mordo." Nolan's response carried satisfaction and perhaps a note of respect. He nodded his diamond-shaped helmet slightly in acknowledgment.
He slowly loosened the power fist that had been clenched threateningly into a fist, opening the armored hand in a gesture of acceptance and alliance.
Then he raised his other massive metal palm, the one covered with ceramite steel shell plating, in a more friendly gesture.
He brought the huge armored hand down and gently patted Mordo's muscular broad shoulders in a gesture that somehow managed to be both reassuring and possessive.
"You won't regret this decision. I promise you that."
Looking down from the cold, airless void of space far beyond Earth's atmosphere, past the orbital lanes and satellite shells, perspective shifted to show a life-bearing planet with predominantly blue appearance.
The world was slowly rotating on its axis, turning with stately grace. Clouds swirled across the surface in beautiful, chaotic patterns. Continents were visible as brown and green masses surrounded by vast oceans.
This was the only home of native baseline humanity throughout the universe: Earth.
At this moment, in the silence of space where no sound could travel, Master Ancient One sat cross-legged in lotus position. She was suspended in the cold void without any visible means of support, simply floating through raw mystical power.
The Sorcerer Supreme slowly opened her previously closed eyes, awareness returning from wherever her consciousness had traveled.
A strand of brilliant mystical energy seemed to flash visibly from within her deep, knowing pupils. Power danced behind her gaze.
Then, a subtle smile appeared gradually between the corners of her mouth. The expression was satisfied, pleased, carrying the look of someone whose careful plan was unfolding exactly as intended.
Then, Master Ancient One suddenly spoke aloud to someone else present, addressing an illusory figure standing not far away in the void. Her voice carried clearly despite the vacuum.
"My eldest disciple Mordo's predetermined fate of ultimate failure and corruption has completely changed trajectory. The timeline has shifted." Ancient One's tone carried genuine satisfaction. "He even now possesses the initial qualification necessary to potentially compete for the position of Supreme Sorcerer when I'm gone. Real potential rather than empty promise."
She continued with philosophical reflection.
"Perhaps I took on far too many responsibilities personally in the past, shouldered too many burdens that should have been shared. By doing so, I completely robbed them of opportunities to grow, to develop, to become what they needed to be. I was too protective, too controlling."
"Zzzzzt... The fate of mankind must ultimately remain in their own hands. This is an iron law that cannot be changed or circumvented by anything in this universe, no matter how powerful... Zzzzzt."
At this moment, the distinctly noisy and distorted sound emitted by the illusory figure wearing golden power armor seemed clearer and more coherent than it had been previously. The static was reducing.
At a glance, even his massive power claw appeared considerably more real and solid, less translucent, as though his connection to this reality was strengthening.
"Zzzzzt... So many times throughout history, the human species needs to face external pressure and genuine threat to continue evolving and growing stronger... Zzzzzzzt."
The figure's words carried the weight of millennia of observation.
"Can you please stop lecturing me about these supposedly profound but actually specious philosophical truths!" Another voice suddenly interrupted the conversation between Ancient One and the golden-armored figure, cutting through with irritation and impatience. "I just want to know one damn thing: when exactly will that cursed Elder God Chthon arrive?!"
Odin, the All-Father and God-King of Asgard, shifted his considerable attention. He gripped the legendary spear Gungnir tightly in his thick, scarred knuckles.
The Asgardian slowly opened his single remaining eye, the other socket covered by a golden patch. That one eye blazed with divine power and poorly concealed frustration.
He stared with barely suppressed irritation at Ancient One's smooth, bald head and asked in a tone that was distinctly undiplomatic and borderline hostile.
"Ancient One, are you absolutely certain that Chthon will actually fall for this transparently obvious trap? We've invested considerable time and resources into this ambush." His voice carried genuine doubt. "Also, and this is more important to me personally, are you completely sure that consuming its divine energy source can actually extend my already dangerously short remaining lifespan?"
The questions were pointed, urgent, carrying the desperation of someone confronting their own mortality.
Master Ancient One, who had maintained her characteristic subtle smile throughout this interrogation, raised her eyebrows slightly at Odin's impatient tone.
She responded without even bothering to turn and look at him, her gaze remaining fixed on Earth below.
"Maybe it will work exactly as theorized. Maybe the attempt will fail completely and accomplish nothing." Her tone was maddeningly serene, accepting. "But if we don't actually try this, if we don't take the risk, you will never know the result with certainty. Inaction guarantees nothing."
Ancient One's voice took on more conviction.
"Moreover, everything has proceeded exactly according to our carefully laid plans so far. Our new friend here—" she gestured vaguely toward the golden figure "—used his special power called 'psychic manipulation' to subtly infiltrate the minds of some of the most devout believers of Chthon. He gradually and carefully guided them psychically to attack the Sanctum system. They sent out bright beacons of corrupted black magic exactly as we needed, completely unaware they were being manipulated."
She continued with absolute confidence.
"And according to my extensive understanding of Chthon's psychology and obsessions, returning to the mortal realm of Earth is what that Elder God has been thinking about most intensely ever since he was expelled by Agamotto millennia ago. It has become his single most consuming and crazy obsession, an all-encompassing need that drives every action..."
Ancient One's smile widened, becoming almost predatory.
"Ha... Odin, look. See for yourself. It's here. Our trap worked perfectly!"
The very instant Ancient One's declaration concluded, something changed in the distant cosmos.
In the bright, star-filled void approximately one hundred light-years away from their current position, past countless stellar formations and nebulae, reality itself seemed to twist.
A dark demonic shadow that appeared to cover and eclipse countless stars manifested. The entity was incomprehensibly vast, operating on a scale that defied normal perception.
The huge, invisible but definitely present body was slowly crawling and rushing directly toward Earth's location with terrible purpose. Each movement displaced space itself.
Chthon was coming.
In an instant, the previously stern-looking God-King Odin's expression shifted completely. His features hardened into battle readiness.
He subconsciously tightened his powerful grip on the sure-hit spear Gungnir held firmly in his palm. The legendary weapon began glowing with building power, responding to its wielder's intent.
Master Ancient One, with her characteristic half-smile playing across her features and a look of absolute confidence in her eyes, raised one slender hand. Her fingers moved through precise mystical gestures a few times, each motion carrying specific meaning.
The Eye of Agamotto hanging suspended on her chest by its chain was quickly opened through her will. The artifact began emitting brilliant, crystal-clear green light that pulsed with temporal power.
The Time Stone activated, ready to bend causality itself.
Even the illusure figure wearing the golden power armor, the projection of something far away but watching intently, slowly raised its incomparably huge power claw into combat position.
The next second, responding to unspoken command, a long sword burning with golden flames slowly manifested in the figure's other hand. The weapon appeared from nothing, psychic fire made solid.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writing takes time, coffee, and a lot of love.If you'd like to support my work, join me at [email protected]/GoldenGaruda
You'll get early access to over 50 chapters, selection on new series, and the satisfaction of knowing your support directly fuels more stories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~