Lucci's terrifying intellect was like a supercomputer beyond the limits of the universe, desperately deducing and calculating this infinite temporal information.
He used the Time Stone itself as a "reference point," his own "Grand Cosmic Meditation Method" and insights into the origin of the universe as the "theoretical framework." He began to deduce a foundation theory sufficient to explain all the laws of time and space in this universe, and answer the ultimate paradoxes of time and fate—
"I see… Time isn't a line, it's a body."
"So-called changes to the past aren't really returning to the past, but creating new, parallel time-bodies."
"The essence of the grandfather paradox lies in the interference of information between two different time-bodies…"
"Destiny isn't unchangeable; it's just a weighted event point. To remove it, you must strike directly, not go around…"
Countless flashes of inspiration and enlightenment erupted in Lucci's mind, converging into a grand, complete, logically self-consistent ultimate theory.
Lucci named it—
"The True Solution of the Temporal Paradox!"
This true solution was neither a spell nor a practice—it was an "instruction manual" for the universe's most fundamental, core, and precise machine: time itself.
To master it was to thoroughly understand the essence of time. Time would no longer be a mysterious law, but something to be comprehended, calculated, and even… modified!
"Haaa—"
Lucci slowly opened his eyes, his consciousness returning from the vast river of time.
From the outside world's perspective, not even a second had passed since he touched the Time Stone and displayed the "True Solution of the Temporal Paradox." But to him, it felt like he had experienced hundreds of millions of years.
He released his grip.
The Time Stone, once radiant and brimming with energy, now felt warm as jade, its light extinguished, returning to the state of an amulet. Like a beast utterly tamed, in front of its true master, all the rebelliousness was gone—only obedience and submission remained.
Standing before it, Lucci's entire aura had undergone an earth-shaking transformation. His appearance, clothing, and even his indifferent facial expression remained unchanged—but to Ancient One, standing across from him, Lucci's presence seemed to "blur."
Not visually, but in a higher-dimensional, conceptual way—he became "unobservable." His existence seemed to transcend the single time node of "now." Ancient One sensed that Lucci's past, present, and future—countless versions of him across many timelines—overlapped, merging into an eternal, immovable "being."
A breath of transcendence, immortality, and eternity emanated from him.
Ancient One, simply standing nearby and feeling the touch of that breath, found her soul trembling uncontrollably. In her perception, the endless, vast river of time—without beginning or end—was laid out before her. And Lucci stood at its source; in other words, he was the river itself!
Every wave of that river was the birth and death of worlds; the ebb and flow, the rise and fall of eras. Her own centuries-long life, her countless glimpses into the future, were but insignificant grains of sand before this river.
A bitter feeling welled up from the depths of Ancient One's heart.
Her face reflected a complicated smile, mixed with self-deprecation, relief, and endless respect.
She recalled her life—becoming a slave to time to guard Earth, repeatedly diving into futures full of destruction, seeking the only path to survival among thousands. Every peek exacted a heavy causal toll. Her soul was repeatedly washed, torn by the power of time, the pain beyond words.
She thought she was the guardian of time, a warrior of fate. She believed her understanding of time far surpassed all beings in the Nine Realms.
But only today, at this moment, did she truly understand what a great being really was—how pitifully small she was by comparison.
She was like a fisherman who had spent centuries picking shells on the shore, imagining she understood the entire sea. Yet Lucci, before her, simply walked down to the shore, glanced at the sea—and became the sea itself.
The difference was incalculable!
When Ancient One opened her eyes again, all emotion had faded from her gaze, leaving only pure admiration.
"I… did my best to guard endless years… Ultimately, I am nothing compared to your single thought."
That single sentence summed up her centuries of life, and was the highest praise for Lucci, the true "master of time."
Lucci heard her sigh, but his expression remained calm—because he knew Ancient One spoke the truth.
After deducing the "True Solution of the Temporal Paradox," time was no longer a secret to him. The dimension of his worldview had fundamentally diverged from all other beings in this universe.
But just as Lucci was about to respond, his expression changed slightly. He looked outside the hall.
The next moment—
BUZZ—
An indescribably evil will descended unexpectedly from the higher dimensions!
Above Kamar-Taj, the once-clear sky instantly turned pitch black—like ink. No—this was no ordinary darkness. It was a living darkness that devoured all light and hope, filled with greed, chaos, hunger, thirst, and the desire for destruction!
The entire Kamar-Taj was enveloped in this evil will. All magicians felt their souls plunged into a frigid abyss, primal terror chilling their bodies, their teeth chattering.
"W-what is that?"
"Oh no… such a terrifying will! My magic… my magic is out of control!"
In the courtyard, the magicians who had just been rejoicing over their newfound power now turned pale in horror. Under the oppression of this evil will, they found their "Multiversal Energy Guidance Technique" growing muddled and chaotic!
Mordo and Wong rushed out from their quarters, faces instantly turning grim as they sensed the familiar, hateful aura in the sky.
"Dormammu!" Mordo's voice was filled with fear and disbelief. "The lord of the Dark Dimension! How did he suddenly cross over?!"
Wong's face was equally stern.
"Has he lost his mind? Is he really going to devour the dimension at any cost?"
Even inside the hall, Ancient One's face grew solemn. She knew better than anyone how terrifying Dormammu was—a cancer of the universe, one of Earth's greatest threats!
Once, she had barely kept him at bay with the help of the Time Stone. Now, his will had projected itself so mercilessly and directly—proof that he was truly enraged. He had paid a terrible price to do this!
"No…!"
Ancient One's heart sank, the reason becoming clear—because the advent of the "Multiversal Energy Guidance Technique" had disrupted the act of drawing power from the Dark Dimension, completely infuriating the dark lord!
"Mordo! Wong!"
Ancient One strode out of the hall, her voice suddenly sharp and resolute.
"Gather all sorcerers immediately! Bring the important tomes! Begin evacuation through the secret passage! Hurry!"
"Supreme One! What about you?" Mordo shouted anxiously.
"I'll stop him! I'll buy you time!"
Ancient One's eyes glowed with the light of one who sees death as home.
Before the magicians could act—
RUMBLE—
Above Kamar-Taj, the dark curtain transformed by Dormammu's will rolled and churned violently, as if alive. In its center, a gigantic, hideous face formed from countless twisted lights and shadows slowly appeared, its eyes burning purple with evil flames, greed, and destruction.
A sense of pure, unrestrained greed, chaos, and tyranny pressed upon every soul like a tsunami.
"Ancient One…!"
The booming voice, echoing with evil, resounded directly in everyone's minds.
"Today, I descend in person to drag you, your world, and your souls into my eternal kingdom of darkness!"
Dormammu's will roared its judgment.
At the sound alone, countless lesser apprentices were overwhelmed, fainting on the spot. Even great magicians like Mordo and Wong, operating their new "Multiversal Energy Conduction Technique" with all their might, could barely resist the spiritual shock.
So powerful! Was this the true might of a dimensional ruler?
Once, they had only known Dormammu's terror from old texts. Now, facing him in person, they felt the true, hopeless, overwhelming despair of standing before such a being!
"Go!" Ancient One's face was grim. Bright magical light flared from her body as she drew countless mysterious circles in the air, erecting a thin protective barrier under Dormammu's will to shield the magicians of Kamar-Taj.
She bellowed her last command at the still-hesitant Mordo and Wong.
"That's an order! Take them and go! The legacy of Kamar-Taj must not be lost in my hands!"
Her eyes were full of resolve and tragedy. She was ready to burn her last life and soul to buy even a second for her disciples to escape.
Mordo and Wong's eyes instantly reddened. They knew what this decision meant—it was goodbye.
"Supreme One!"
They cried, but dared not defy her final order. All of Kamar-Taj was shrouded in tragedy, despair, and the atmosphere of apocalypse. The magicians began preparations to evacuate.
Ancient One burned her life, determined to die without regret. Dormammu loomed above, laughing wildly at the ants' last stand.
But then, he suddenly noticed one person—someone who seemed completely out of place in this chaos: Lucci.
From beginning to end, Lucci stood calmly at Ancient One's side, raising his head to meet Dormammu's gaze—never once showing fear or solemnity.
That unsettled Dormammu greatly. For on Lucci's face, he saw not a trace of fear or tension—just the expression one gives a fly: crawling, buzzing, and annoying.
A fly?
When Dormammu realized the meaning behind Lucci's gaze, he was furious. The terrifying, oppressive stare of the dimensional lord fell upon Lucci.
He wanted to crush this insignificant worm on the spot, then slowly enjoy the feast of Kamar-Taj!
Lucci looked at the panicked crowd, at the dying Ancient One, and then up at Dormammu in the sky, who glared back, unleashing his full might.
Lucci felt a trace of irritation.
So he sent forth the purest, most direct, and condensed spiritual thought, challenging Dormammu across the barrier of the dimensions.
If one were to translate this action, it would be:
"What are you looking at?"
The style appeared simple, but the power within was anything but. It contained not only Lucci's supreme will, but also the force of the "True Solution of the Temporal Paradox" and the "Grand Cosmic Meditation Method!"
This will was not just energy, nor just magic—it was "reason," "will," "dominion" itself! Like an invisible sword of law, unstoppable by any principle, it pierced the boundary between reality and darkness, ignoring all of Dormammu's vast defenses.
It struck directly at the core of Dormammu's consciousness!
…
Above Kamar-Taj, the descending dark dimension was actually separated from reality by a thin dimensional barrier—a kingdom of chaos and destruction.
That entire dimension was Dormammu's body. His will was the only law there.
At this moment, Dormammu's gigantic, planet-sized evil face was enjoying its dominance over reality, watching the magicians quake in terror and despair. The sight delighted him.
He looked forward to seeing the man beside Ancient One—so annoying, so unimpressed—crushed by his will.
But at the very moment he was about to ramp up the pressure—
An indescribable, wordless will stabbed through him.
"Eh?"
Dormammu was stunned for an instant, his vast consciousness unable to react at first. What was that?
But before he could think further—
BOOM—
A pain sharper than the explosion of the universe itself detonated at the core of his consciousness!
That seemingly simple spiritual thought, the instant it pierced Dormammu's core, became a sword of rules that severed all causality and defined everything!
Where the blade passed, Dormammu's vast consciousness, composed of countless devoured worlds and wailing souls, began to collapse… to be erased!
The fragments of law he had devoured and fused as the foundation of his power were forcibly stripped away! The grudges and souls that fueled his strength were instantly purified and wiped out!
"AHHH—!"
A miserable, inexpressible howl echoed throughout the dark dimension! Dormammu's immense, evil energy face twisted and warped, as if experiencing the most excruciating agony in the universe. His consciousness, as if thrown into the core of a supernova, was relentlessly torn, burned, and smashed!
This was erasure at its most fundamental, conceptual level!
If Dormammu's devouring of worlds was like a glutton eating a cake, then Lucci's will stabbed straight into the glutton's stomach and declared, "On the molecular level, you no longer exist."
And that wasn't even the most terrifying part! The most frightening thing was that after this will struck the core of Dormammu's consciousness, it did not dissipate. Instead, it traced the connection between Dormammu and the dark dimension, invading his entire kingdom like the deadliest virus!
The Dark Dimension—his home for millennia, his source of power, his absolute domain—at that moment, its end had come!
...
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