Chapter 225: Ch.224 Spectator
Chapter 225: Ch.224 Spectator
There were bloodstains on the front of his robe, likely from him coughing. The toll of his spellcasting had begun to weigh on him.
"I\'m a special case. Don\'t worry about it; we\'re short on time," Su Ming replied. His brain was protected by X-metal, so neither magical nor psychic abilities could affect him. "Now, contact the person hiding in the distance. He\'s my teammate. Tell him to inform the Cloak of Levitation to bring my gear and weapons."
The Druid didn\'t ask any questions and simply closed his eyes, transmitting the message.
Soon, the red Cloak of Levitation came flying over, carrying several items like a tray delivering food in a restaurant.
Su Ming used the symbiote suit as an inner layer and then donned the sacred armor on top. The symbiote squirmed, adjusting his muscles to become slimmer and fit inside.
With the armor\'s defensive power, two superweapons, and the symbiote\'s speed and strength, Su Ming had finally achieved his full form.
However, this arrangement of the symbiote and armor was a rough combination, and he would need to figure out a better solution later.
The Cloak of Levitation floated nearby, rising and falling as if admiring the battlefield. It lifted one corner and waved, as if greeting the Druid.
The Druid glanced at Su Ming and seemed to understand something, giving a slight nod.
"Alright, Master Druid, I\'ve already taken care of Gibbor by sending him flying and eliminated several enemies on the left flank. Next, I\'ll lead the charge again and tear a hole in their left-wing defenses. You inform the Kamar-Taj mages to be ready, hold the gap, and launch a counterattack," Su Ming said, drawing the Godslayer. This multifunctional weapon was more practical for this battle; the mages didn\'t have strong defenses, so there was no need for the Nightfall sword.
The Druid didn\'t have many options. Although the area where they stood was relatively safe, terrifying sounds were coming from not far away.
Kamar-Taj couldn\'t hold out much longer. If their defenses collapsed entirely, even the Sorcerer Supreme wouldn\'t be able to withstand the assault alone.
So, even though most of the mages were burdened with heavy magical debts, they had to defeat the enemy before being overwhelmed.
After the Druid indicated his readiness, Su Ming led the charge, advancing through the gap he had created earlier.
The mages\' formation wasn\'t dense. While such scattered tactics worked well in mage-on-mage battles, they couldn\'t withstand a warrior\'s full charge.
The overly flashy spells were dodged, and any recognizable, non-threatening spells were tanked head-on. Despite crossing universes, the sacred armor\'s resistance to magic remained undiminished.
It didn\'t take long before Su Ming, wielding his giant sword, broke through their formation, completely disrupting their plans. The Kamar-Taj mages, under his cover, quickly flooded through the breach, turning the tide of the battle.
Both sides suffered heavy losses. The battlefield was littered with shattered, grotesque corpses.
But that\'s the reality of war.
Su Ming didn\'t need to worry about the aftermath. The outcome was already decided—the enemy\'s left wing had been utterly crushed. Within minutes, Kamar-Taj would encircle the enemy from the left, surrounding them completely.
The symbiote inside him was still urging him to kill more, but Su Ming took a few deep breaths, suppressing his bloodlust and ignoring the symbiote\'s incessant chatter.
The symbiote was a battle-driven organism, and on its homeworld, they often fought each other to test whose evolutionary traits were stronger.
But this was Earth, and Su Ming wasn\'t a madman.
There was no need for a massacre. If the enemy\'s Sorcerer Supreme wasn\'t an idiot, they would retreat. Su Ming\'s tactical goals had been achieved, and there was no point in pushing to the brink.
If anyone had to fight to the end, it should be the Ancient One. Su Ming had already done enough to earn some favors. His mercenary fees didn\'t necessarily have to be money—magical artifacts would do just fine.
He wasn\'t short on money; it was the things money couldn\'t buy that he was after.
So, as the Kamar-Taj mages pursued their victory, Su Ming sheathed his weapons and approached the battleground where the Ancient One was facing the other-dimensional Sorcerer Supreme.
With his arms crossed, he stood confidently nearby, watching the scene unfold intently.
The opposing Sorcerer Supreme noticed things were going south. If all her forces were wiped out, she too would be overwhelmed. The warriors posed little threat to her, but adding hundreds of Kamar-Taj mages to the mix was another story.
She hurled a green magic orb that exploded, but the Ancient One countered with a red fan spell, detonating the orb in mid-air. Using this opening, the curly-haired sorceress pulled back.
"You got lucky, Yao. This isn\'t over—I\'ll be back," she sneered.
The Ancient One exhaled softly, standing straight with her hands clasped behind her back. A gentle breeze lifted the hem of her yellow robes as she calmly formed a defensive spell with her hands, shielding herself and her apprentices. "Karu, my old friend, I see everything you\'ve done. I fear I must officially declare that the Prime Dimension no longer welcomes you."
"We were once Kamar-Taj\'s farmers. This was once my home too, but you turned it into an energy source, a pillar of the world, a giant magical trap. It\'s you who\'s in the wrong. Time will prove everything. When you\'re dead, I\'ll come to mourn you," Karu spat, her voice icy as she cast another spell.
A massive black portal appeared behind her. She jumped in first, followed by her remaining forces, all retreating through the swirling gate.
The door closed, shrinking like a vortex until it vanished without a trace.
Everything returned to calm. The sky cleared, though the cratered ground and the lingering fires and smoke served as reminders of what had just happened.
Some had thought of pursuing the enemy. Mordo, in particular, was about to use a spatial spell to chase after them, but the Ancient One stopped him.
"Don\'t chase a cornered foe," she said, struggling to maintain her steady breathing. She was injured too, but she couldn\'t show it.
"But, Master, they\'ll return. We must eliminate them!" Mordo\'s face was full of frustration. He looked at the dead disciples and friends around him, clenching his fists.
The Ancient One shook her head, her expression stern. "The duty of the Sorcerer Supreme is to protect the Earth of our dimension, not invade others. Our power must be used for defense. Karu will use her strength for evil, but I won\'t."
Mordo lowered his head, staring at his shoes in conflict before finally sighing, "As you wish, Master."
The Ancient One closed her eyes, sensing the situation around her. After checking the timeline with the Eye of Agamotto, she finally relaxed.
"Gather the bodies from both sides and give them a proper burial," the Ancient One instructed Mordo, before gradually releasing her protective and spatial-binding spells. "Grudges and hatred will fade with the wind. Show respect to the dead. Do you understand?"
Mordo gritted his teeth. The Ancient One had seen through him again.
He had intended to chop the enemies\' bodies into pieces and throw them to the vultures, but with the Ancient One\'s reminder, he couldn\'t do that now.
"Yes, Master," he reluctantly agreed.
Turning to his task, the Ancient One finally looked toward Su Ming, her usual smile returning to her face.
"Sorry that the internal matters of the sorcerers affected the real world. It was my fault."
Su Ming shrugged and waved to Holloway to come over, all the while observing the Ancient One closely. He noticed that she looked exhausted, as if she was completely drained.
"It\'s nothing. I was just stopping by the New York Sanctum when I got caught up in all this," Su Ming said casually.
The Ancient One drew a circle with her hand, instantly teleporting Holloway from several hundred meters away to their side. She inspected him closely and nodded in approval.
"I know what you\'ve come for, but sorcerers do not meddle in mortal affairs. At least, the people of Kamar-Taj won\'t."
That meant Su Ming\'s plan to recruit Druid or Mordo was destined to fail.
Su Ming took off his helmet, the symbiote retreating to reveal his face. He put on an earnest expression.
"We\'re old acquaintances now. You\'ve always treated me well. This time, I just helped out as a favor—sending your former apprentice flying, defeating a symbiote, killing over a dozen enemies, commanding the big fight, annihilating the Annihilation swarm, and saving your young apprentice. No need to feel indebted."
The Ancient One\'s smile faltered slightly. The way Su Ming laid it out made it sound like she owed him a debt to a demon god. It was a pretty clear message.
He had helped Kamar-Taj, and if she didn\'t repay him, wouldn\'t that be a bit improper?
She wasn\'t the type to ignore a favor. If word got out that she didn\'t return a favor, how would she maintain her standing in the magical world? She couldn\'t just silence everyone, could she?
Looking at Su Ming, who appeared sincere and righteous, and then at the Time Stone on her chest, she pondered for a moment and sighed.
"Please, join me for tea in the side hall."