Upon hearing Sorcerer Ancient One's words, Mordo and White immediately stopped their casual chat, activated their Magic Shields, and assumed battle stances.
This was to prepare for the impending arrival of Dormammu.
Having fought together for many years, a mutual understanding existed between them.
One would focus on offense, the other on defense.
While they couldn't guarantee a complete repulse of Dormammu, self-preservation wouldn't be much of an issue.
However, despite their swift actions, a hint of doubt couldn't help but arise in their hearts.
You see,
Under the leadership of Sorcerer Ancient One,
In recent years, Dormammu's plans to invade Earth had been consistently defeated.
He hadn't attempted to invade Earth for quite some time.
What madness had seized him today?
To actually attempt to attack the London Sanctum, one of the three Great Sanctums?
Isn't that just asking for death?!
However,
An even more shocking scene unfolded before Mordo and White.
They saw,
A pitch-black hand appeared out of thin air above Sharlot's head.
It gently caressed him, like a mother's love for her child.
At the same time,
A miniature version of Dormammu's face
appeared behind Sharlot.
And that smile...
looked unusually... benevolent!?
Immediately after,
A massive surge of Dark Energy descended from the sky.
It poured into Sharlot.
The powerful aura it generated made Mordo and White hesitant to approach.
Looking at the scene before them,
Mordo was dumbfounded.
No.
What is going on?!
Since when did you, Dormammu, have such a rich range of expressions?
And so benevolent, no less?!
Moreover, you're infusing Sharlot with such pure, potent, and abundant Dark Energy?
Damn it!
Could Sharlot be Dormammu's biological son?!
I knew it!
This Sharlot!
He must be a Dark Magician secretly infiltrating Kamar-Taj to cause destruction!
Look at this!
He's not even pretending anymore!
And watching Dormammu's hand caressing Sharlot's head,
White, standing nearby, couldn't help but recall a saying—
The immortal touches my crown, bestowing longevity with bound hair!
Except,
Why has the 'immortal' now become Dormammu?!??
White felt as if the World had completely collapsed at this moment.
Sorcerer Ancient One was also struggling to maintain her composure.
For thousands of years, to fight Dormammu, she had to sneakily steal Dark Energy from the Dark Dimension where Dormammu resided, like a mouse.
When her power was relatively weak at the beginning,
It was quite a struggle!
She often had to look around nervously while stealing, to prevent Dormammu from ambushing her!
Preventing her from escaping the Dark Dimension smoothly.
It was only in the last few centuries,
Because she had stolen enough,
Plus, she had long since allied herself with the powerful Eternity,
That she was able to deal with Dormammu with ease.
However,
Sharlot, right now,
He hadn't even been learning magic for half a day, had he?
The powerful and arrogant Dark Lord Dormammu was actually eagerly supplying him with Dark Energy?
And so much of it!?
This, this, this, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Sharlot is Dormammu's biological son!
This scene was too shocking.
For a moment,
Ancient One, Mordo, and White, all three present,
fell silent.
At this moment,
Dormammu, seeing that he had transferred enough of his energy,
And sensing the gazes of many Dark Magicians towards the city of New York after creating this anomaly above New York,
nodded in satisfaction.
"Very good, objective achieved!
It's time to go back!"
"As for this rookie?
Heh heh, with such a big commotion, Ancient One surely won't keep him.
I just placed a device inside him; after he dies, this Dark Energy will return to me.
So, what do you call this move?
This is called making a fortune without capital!"
Dormammu let out a cackling villainous laugh in the void.
From his perspective,
He was making a small investment for a big return.
Using an already exposed rookie Dark Magician to gain more Dark Magicians for his faction in the future.
It was an absolute bargain!
Thinking this, Dormammu no longer paid much attention to the goings-on on Earth.
He turned, happily returning to the Dark Dimension... New York Sanctum's second floor.
Sharlot felt the exceptionally pure and vast Dark Energy within him.
He couldn't help but secretly rejoice in his heart.
Good, good, good, Dark Magic is truly good!
Such immense energy, how could ordinary White magic deities lend so much?!
Only those Dimensional Demon Gods would be so willing to invest heavily!
Even if it meant emptying their coffers, they wouldn't care!
After all,
Normally speaking,
The more Dark Energy an ordinary Dark Magician absorbs,
The greater the price they would have to pay in return.
For those Dimensional Demon Gods, this was an extremely high-yield investment.
Of course, they were willing to invest heavily.
But Sharlot was different.
Because of his Innate Dark Magic Saint Body and the Dimensional Demon God Meditation Technique produced by the system's modification,
The Dark Energy he absorbed from the Dimensional Demon Gods,
Once absorbed, it was his own.
He didn't even need to return it.
This also meant that,
As long as he diligently cultivated the Dimensional Demon God Meditation Technique in the future,
One day,
He would be able to absorb all the energy of all the Dimensional Demon Gods in the Marvel Universe, completely and utterly!
Becoming an existence that would crush the Dimensional Demon Gods!
By then,
Dark Dimension Lord Dormammu?
He'd be nothing but a roadside worm!
Just thinking about it was exciting!
Thinking this,
Sharlot subconsciously opened his eyes.
Upon opening his eyes,
What greeted him,
was Ancient One's gaze, which held a hint of shock and scrutiny.
She spoke, asking,
"Sharlot, what is your relationship with Dormammu?
Do you know that while you were practicing the Meditation Technique just now,
Dormammu materialized a hand and touched your head?
He even transferred an extremely powerful Dark Energy into your body!
This is something that has never happened before!"
Listening to Ancient One's questions,
Sharlot subconsciously paused.
What?
What does Dormammu have to do with this?
At this moment,
He suddenly remembered.
The system seemed to have prompted earlier that he had attracted Dormammu's attention and was about to receive Dormammu's blessing.
However, he hadn't paid much attention at the time.
He only thought it was a blessing similar to "Congratulations on getting rich."
After all, in the U.S., don't they often say things like "May the Lord bless you"?
It was just a common idiom.
But he never expected,
Dormammu was actually serious!
He said he would bestow a blessing, and he actually came to deliver benefits in person?
Is he that kind-hearted?
I mean,
Is my Innate Dark Magic Saint Body really that likable?
Although he was delighted by the unexpected windfall, Sharlot still had to maintain appearances.
He put on a cute Conan-like face and asked in confusion,
"Oh, really?
Sorcerer Ancient One, what are you talking about?
Who is Dormammu?
Wasn't I just practicing the Vishanti Meditation Technique?
There doesn't seem to be a deity named Dormammu among the Trinity Gods, is there?"
At least on the surface, he was currently unaware of Dormammu's existence.
Therefore, Sharlot had to play his part fully to get away with it.
Facing Sharlot's counter-question,
Sorcerer Ancient One didn't answer; instead, she frowned.
She stepped forward and touched Sharlot's body.
Then she exclaimed,
"Five hundred years' worth of Dark Energy!?
And it's only been less than ten minutes!
I..."
Ancient One just wanted to curse at this moment.
In less than ten minutes,
Dormammu directly infused Sharlot with several centuries' worth of Dark Energy?
Damn it!
Could Sharlot really be Dormammu's biological son?!
Looking at Sorcerer Ancient One's stunned expression,
Sharlot continued to feign the innocent demeanor of a newcomer and asked,
"Sorcerer Ancient One, what... what's wrong?
Did something go wrong again while I was practicing the Meditation Technique?
Did I accidentally cultivate Dark Magic again?"
Ancient One forced a faint smile.
She said softly,
"It's nothing, you're fine.
It's just very windy on the balcony, I want to go and be alone."
Saying that,
She walked towards the balcony on the second floor of the New York Sanctum.
This gesture looked suspiciously like someone who had lost hope and wanted to jump off.
This action,
Made Sharlot's eyelids twitch wildly.
Hey, hey, hey.
It's not like I'm just a little bit good at Dark Magic,
It's not like I can open a cross-dimensional Portal in ten minutes,
It's not like I can enter meditation in two minutes,
It's not like I can easily receive Dormammu's blessing,
It's not like I can casually obtain five hundred years' worth of Dark Energy?
Is it really enough to shatter your Dao heart?
Is it really enough to make you want to retire early?
It's only the second floor!
You won't die from that fall, Big Shot!
Don't stop acting, already (#`O′)!