When the last trace of magical fluctuations faded into the air, everything around them quietly returned to how it had been.
The buildings destroyed in the battle rose again under the effects of the Mending Charm.
The walls were smooth as new, the doors and windows fit perfectly, and even the stone slabs of the street regained their former flatness without a single crack in sight.
If not for a few patches of dried blood still left behind, and several corpses lying sprawled not far away, people might truly have believed that the horrifying tragedy from moments ago had been nothing more than a fake stage play—something that would leave no trace once the curtain fell.
When everyone finally snapped out of their daze and looked back toward the battlefield, both sides of the fight were already gone, as if they'd been silently swallowed by the night.
The lively night, with their departure, finally began to settle back into calm.
A light breeze swept by, lifting dust from the ground. Streetlights flickered back to life, as if announcing the end of the accident—everything slowly returning to the proper track.
But beneath this calm surface, undercurrents churned.
The moment Harry's final, miraculous magic entered the world's sight, countless factions instantly shifted all their attention onto him.
The most excited of them all was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director, Nick Fury.
After seeing that last spell, it was as if he could already smell the sweet scent of money.
In an instant, dozens of clever schemes to scam budget appropriations with the Mending Charm flashed through his mind!
This was magic he absolutely could not miss—worth even more than that super electromagnetic railgun!
——————
By then, Harry and the others had already stepped through a portal, arriving in the blink of an eye at the sacred Kamar-Taj.
Kamar-Taj lay hidden deep within the majestic Himalayas, nearly ten hours apart from New York.
While New York was still drowning in thick night, the city asleep beneath neon glow, distant Kamar-Taj had already been gently awakened by dawn.
At daybreak, sunlight filtered through the Himalayan clouds and spilled softly over Kamar-Taj.
Ancient stone walls, towering spires, and carved window frames were all brushed by the morning light, draped in a thin veil of gold.
The entire Kamar-Taj soaked in that warm tone—quiet and beautiful, like an oil painting that would never fade.
Harry led Peter, Hulk, and Abomination into Kamar-Taj's great hall with long strides.
The Sorcerer Supreme was already seated on a simple, timeworn cushion, her expression serene and composed.
As if she'd known they were coming, a low table before her had five cups of tea prepared.
Outside the window, the breeze stirred. Leaves swayed gently, whispering in soft rustles. Harry's face overflowed with a joy he couldn't suppress as he shared his gains with his teacher.
He pointed proudly at Abomination. "Teacher, I've recruited a powerful borrower. His strength is enough to rival a demon lord. A lot of missions can be handed to him in the future!"
In truth, Harry really wanted to show off how clever he'd been. With enough borrowers under him, once he became Sorcerer Supreme, he'd never end up exhausted like his teacher.
He could work one day and rest six, and still have time to flirt with pretty sorceresses now and then—now that was the life a Sorcerer Supreme was supposed to have!
Harry had only just slipped into that daydream when a sharp pain exploded in his head, like someone had smacked him hard across the skull.
He looked utterly wronged, clutching his head as he turned to his teacher.
His teacher's face was calm, as if nothing had happened—she was even sipping her tea unhurriedly.
But Harry knew perfectly well: that vicious slap had definitely been her doing.
Unable to help himself, he complained with a bit of indignation, "Teacher, you read my mind again! I'm already grown up—I need my own privacy!"
His protest had absolutely no effect on the Sorcerer Supreme.
She set her teacup down gracefully, glanced at Harry with lazy amusement, and the corner of her mouth lifted in faint teasing. "Oh? And your 'privacy' is planning to keep slacking off forever, and occasionally go flirt with female sorcerers?"
Beside him, Peter stared at Harry in stunned disbelief, the look in his eyes screaming: Harry, so this is who you really are? I misjudged you!
But deep down, Peter was just jealous to the point of despair. Harry's life was his dream—he wanted to flirt with pretty sorceresses too!
Smack!
Peter clutched his head as well. His powerful body didn't lessen the pain at all—it was a blow to the soul, pain that stabbed straight into the deepest part of him.
The Sorcerer Supreme sat upright on her old-fashioned seat, utterly exasperated, and said with a sharper tone, "The Sorcerer Supreme bears the responsibility of protecting Earth. Do you think I'm making you Sorcerer Supreme so you can indulge yourself?"
Isn't that exactly why? Harry muttered internally.
Harry knew his teacher far too well. Years ago, when she found him, it wasn't only because he was unbelievably gifted—she also wanted to retire earlier.
Don't be fooled by her righteous, solemn demeanor. Harry understood perfectly: she envied him like crazy!
"Ow!"
Harry got smacked again—harder this time. He didn't dare think nonsense anymore and immediately pulled his thoughts tight, locking them down.
Nearby, Hulk and Abomination watched the master-and-student interaction and didn't move.
They didn't dare move. Not even a little.
After borrowing part of Harry's magic, Abomination now had a sharp sense for magical power. He could clearly feel what kind of terrifying "colossus" the beautiful, seemingly slender woman in front of him truly was!
And even though Hulk was simple-minded, he also keenly sensed danger.
But the biggest reason he didn't dare budge was that he kept feeling like this woman was familiar.
As if Hulk had been beaten senseless by her many times before.
Like she could knock Hulk out with just a casual palm.
Hulk was deeply confused. He didn't think he'd ever seen this woman before, so why did he feel like that?
At this moment, the Sorcerer Supreme finally turned her attention to them and asked Harry, "How do you plan to arrange them?"
Harry had prepared for this. He answered at once, "Let Abomination take part in operations and help wipe out demons invading Earth. As for Hulk, let him stay at Kamar-Taj. He's too lonely—he needs to make some friends."
The Sorcerer Supreme nodded. "Then we'll do that. In parallel universes, both of them have ties to Kamar-Taj anyway. Putting them on the roster isn't a bad thing."
——————
After settling Hulk and Abomination for the time being, Harry and Peter returned home and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
The long night was finally over.
The next day, it was the weekend. Harry was still asleep when a sharp, repeated honking sounded from downstairs—beep, beep, beep.
Annoyed, Harry yanked the curtains open and looked down helplessly.
Tony was down there in an outrageously flashy suit, sitting in a burgundy sports car, laying on the horn like his life depended on it and disturbing the whole neighborhood.
The moment he saw Harry open the window, Tony—who had been anxiously craning his neck—lit up. Excitement practically overflowed from his face as he shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Hey, Harry! Finally! Time's tight—move it! We're heading to Asgard right now!"
//Check out my P@tre0n for 20 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[email protected]/Razeil0810.