The two slowly moved to the washroom.
Perhaps it was a woman's instinct, Wanda looked at the mirror first. Although her makeup had long since smudged, she was in the prime of her youth, and even barefaced, she was radiant and charming.
Wanda smiled contentedly.
Then she saw the purple marks on her neck. Those were caused by capillaries under the skin rupturing when subjected to strong suction.
She asked playfully, "How am I supposed to go out and see people like this?"
Lucas suggested, "How about resting in the room for a few days? Apply a hot compress for three to five minutes daily, and it should disappear in four to seven days. Or use magic to heal it?"
Wanda was silent.
She had heard from Gwen, Tony, and the female Ancient One that Lucas could be quite a jerk sometimes. At the time, she didn't believe it, but now it was too late to regret.
Fortunately, she didn't regret it.
Finally, Wanda closed her eyes as if resigned to her fate.
"Alright."
A crimson glow radiated from Wanda, then quickly faded.
After the glow dissipated, the purple marks on her body also vanished. New strength seemed to surge into her legs, allowing her to stand steadily on the ground.
Lucas's eyes lit up. He had only intended to tease Wanda but at this moment, the atmosphere was just right.
So he took the opportunity to instruct Wanda, "Do not neglect a small act of kindness. As the Sorcerer Supreme, one should at least perform one good deed daily."
...
Lucas mumbled, "This is clearly my room."
After he and Wanda finished breakfast, Wanda kicked him out.
As soon as Lucas left the room, he ran into 616 Wanda, who was eavesdropping.
He immediately realized who had given Wanda such a brilliant idea.
He smiled at 616 Wanda. "Good evening, Miss Maximoff."
"Good evening, Sorcerer Lucas."
"I… I'm here to see Wanda."
Wanda was a bit flustered. She smiled somewhat stiffly, then pushed open Wanda's room's door, about to squeeze inside.
"Wanda is in here." Lucas said, pointing to his own room.
His tone was utterly calm, as if he were stating a perfectly ordinary fact.
His thick skin was at its maximum defense. As long as Gwen didn't suddenly appear right now, he wouldn't panic no matter who came.
As for Gwen, he would find a way to 'persuade' her in due time.
"Uh... alright."
Wanda gave an awkward smile and moved her body into Lucas's room.
Her eyes immediately widened.
How could this room be exactly the same as when she and Wanda scouted it a few days ago?
Could it be that these past few days they...
Then Wanda saw Wanda, fully dressed.
Although she couldn't quite articulate the feeling, she knew that her variant was different now.
...
On the other side, Lucas found the male Ancient One.
He had put off Gaea and Atum for several days and should have gone to appease Gaea first, being closer. But it was getting dark, and Lucas worried that knocking on Gaea's door alone at this time might be misunderstood.
As soon as they met, Lucas complained to the Ancient One, "Master, you've really put me in a bind."
Ancient One asked, "How have I put you in a bind?"
Could it be that things didn't turn out as he expected?
"If you hadn't told me not to rely on extraordinary perception in daily life, I wouldn't have been ambushed by Wanda."
Ancient One puffed out his beard and glared. "Lucas, don't take advantage and then act innocent. Be careful, or I'll go tell on you."
Lucas immediately softened his stance and said playfully, "Master, I was just joking with you. Look, the water's cold. Can tea brewed with cold water taste good? I'll go get you a fresh pot of hot water."
Lucas picked up the kettle, ready to bolt.
He had a way to 'persuade' Gwen, but it would take a little time. If the Ancient One went to complain now, the time it would take him to coax her back would be significantly longer.
"Stop."
As soon as Lucas turned around, the Ancient One's voice rang out.
He said somewhat helplessly, "Go say hello to Gaea first. She's been driving me crazy these past few days."
Gaea hadn't actively urged him these past few days, but the way she looked at him was worse than if she had actively urged him.
"Oh, right. I came to see you precisely for this matter." Lucas also remembered the main business.
He put down the kettle, adjusted his expression slightly, and then walked with the Ancient One towards Gaea's room.
"Ancient One."
"Sorcerer Lucas."
It had just gotten dark not long ago, and sorcerers occasionally passed by in the corridor, greeting the two of them.
Ancient One responded to each one, and Lucas followed suit.
Being by Ancient One's side, he didn't have to pretend to be aloof and just nod.
Under the gaze of several sorcerers, Lucas and Ancient One arrived at Gaea's door.
He calmly raised his hand.
He was with male Ancient One, so he wasn't afraid of being misunderstood.
"Sorcerer Lucas, please come in."
The door opened, and Gaea pulled him inside.
'Gaea, don't be like this, I'm afraid Wanda will misunderstand.'
As soon as she pulled Lucas into the room, Gaea realized her impropriety. She quickly let go, wanting to explain something.
Of course, Lucas wouldn't let Gaea explain, lest she make things worse.
He spoke decisively, deliberately raising his voice, "Gaea, don't worry, I've already figured out a way these past few days. Atum..."
Click!
The sound of the door closing behind them echoed.
It was the Ancient One closing the door and blocking out sounds from inside and outside the room.
'Oh right, Master is here too, why am I explaining?' Lucas steadied himself.
He first gestured for Gaea and Ancient One to sit down, then sank into the sofa himself, and then in a softer voice said, "I've already thought of a solution for Atum's problem."
Gaea's eyes lit up. She had just sat down but then stood up abruptly, saying, "Sorcerer Lucas, could you tell me this method?"
"Of course."
Lucas averted his gaze slightly.
It was all Wanda's fault. His mind was now full of 'dangerous' thoughts, and anything he saw easily made him associate it with that.
Lucas collected his thoughts and posed a question. "Gaea, I ask you, how many steps does it take to put an elephant in a refrigerator?"
Gaea was puzzled but still answered, "Three?"
Lucas nodded. "Exactly, three steps. Step one, open the refrigerator door. Step two, put the elephant in. Step three, close the refrigerator door."
"Removing the primordial energies of other Elder Gods from Atum is essentially the same."
"Identify the foreign energy, sever the connection between the foreign energy and Atum's primordial energy, and expel the foreign energy from the body."
He hadn't realized Gaea also knew this skit. But if so, it made it even easier to explain.
Gaea asked, "But how exactly does one do it? An ordinary refrigerator can't fit an elephant."
Lucas said, "A large enough refrigerator can fit an elephant. Strong enough energy control can strip foreign energy from Atum's body."
"It's that simple?"
"Theoretically, it's that simple."
"Theoretically?" Gaea asked, puzzled, her brows furrowed.
She sensed something was off, knowing it wasn't that simple. Otherwise, Atum wouldn't have been helpless for billions of years.
She leaned in and pressed, "Sorcerer Lucas, can you be more specific?"
"There will be a problem with the actual operation. These foreign energies are too deeply entangled with Atum's primordial energy. Stripping them will inevitably harm Atum and may lead to..."
Seeing Lucas pause there, Gaea asked eagerly and worriedly, "Lead to what consequences?"
Lucas looked up.
He outwardly questioned Gaea with solemnity, but in reality, he was carefully observing her reaction.
"It might cause Atum's mind to be damaged, and he might lose some memories."
Lucas's eyes widened.
Under his observation, Gaea's first reaction was a sigh of relief, seemingly unconcerned by this side effect.
Gaea could accept this side effect.
While the methods were different, the Creator's use of Ragnarok's energy to cleanse the demonic nature of the surviving Elder Gods also resulted in memory loss as a side effect.
Gaea could accept the side effect of memory loss, yet she hadn't allowed Atum to also use Ragnarok's energy to remove the foreign energy.
This indicated that she was unaware of the Creator's use of Ragnarok's energy to cleanse the demonic nature of the surviving Elder Gods.
Gaea slowly stood up straight, letting out a long breath. "Sorcerer Lucas, if that is the only side effect, then I implore you to help Atum remove the foreign energy."
Gaea stood up straight, and Lucas slowly withdrew his gaze.
This was also normal.
Gaea's favoritism towards her descendants was no secret.
Atum was her descendant, and so were the Asgardian Gods. Gaea was not the kind of person who would sacrifice her descendants for her own kind.
The reverse was more likely true.
"Alright. Gaea, rest assured, I have experience in removing foreign energy from Atum. It's a sure thing." Lucas slowly nodded.
Then, without waiting for Gaea to ask, he explained, "Atum's situation is very similar to a type of person I've encountered before. My departure these past few days was to investigate this."
Ancient One cooperatively asked, "Hmm? Lucas, you've seen this kind of problem in other places?"
Lucas nodded. "Exactly. The method I'm using to solve Atum's problem also drew inspiration from that approach."
Ancient One asked, "What approach?"
Lucas said, "Ragnarok. Using the energies of Ragnarok's rebirth and destruction, one can strip away the entanglement between foreign energy and primordial energy, and wash away the foreign energy."
"Ragnarok?!" Gaea exclaimed.
She hadn't expected this matter to be related to Ragnarok.
"Indeed, Ragnarok."
Lucas gave Gaea a positive answer, then his voice became distant and he slowly recounted, "In my Universe, Asgard's Thor, Loki, and others are my dearest friends and brothers. To prevent the destruction of Asgard, we went through immense hardships to uncover the truth of Ragnarok."
Gaea answered her own question, "The truth of Ragnarok, unknown Gods?"
"I heard Thor (616) say that Ragnarok is manipulated by a group of Gods in the shadows."
Lucas guided her patiently, "Gaea, powerful beings may be ancient and mysterious, difficult to trace their origins. But that doesn't mean they have no origin. Guess what the origin of these Gods is?"
Gaea blurted out the answer, "Elder Gods. The Shadow Gods are Elder Gods, those who escaped reality."
"Exactly. I found their problem to be very similar to Atum's problem. And their life aura is also similar to Atum's life aura. Most importantly, I learned a name."
"Neith."
Lucas slowly uttered a name.
He had actually obtained the names of five Shadow Gods.
"Neith?"
Gaea frowned and thought carefully.
She felt the name sounded familiar, but she couldn't recall it at the moment.
Lucas, seeing this, reminded her, "Web of Life and Destiny, Earth-001."
"Neith, my daughter... She's still alive?"
Thus, Gaea finally recalled who the owner of this name was.
The Creator of the Web of Life and Destiny, the origin of Spider-Man's power, the Elder Goddess Neith.
"I never thought Neith was still alive, this is truly wonderful." Gaea murmured to herself.
Lucas, however, widened his eyes.
Gaea's favoritism towards her descendants was a major reason he believed she would side with them. But he didn't know that there were also Gaea's descendants among the Elder Gods. And it seemed there were quite a few.
"Gaea, Neith is your daughter?" Lucas confirmed.
"Yes, Neith was conceived by me and Oshtur together."