Marvel: Little Genius - Chapter: 379 (Patreon)

"The Eye of Agamotto is the supreme artifact symbolizing the position of the Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar-Taj. 'The Book of Vishanti' is a white magic legacy that only the Sorcerer Supreme can study throughout history. Why don't you understand what's going on now?" Mark smiled as he looked at Doctor Strange and answered.

"But why me? Based on qualifications, Wong and Mordo have been in Kamar-Taj the longest. In terms of power, Mark, you far surpass me and can rival the Ancient One. Regardless of the criteria for selecting the Sorcerer Supreme, it shouldn't be my turn to inherit it, right?"

"No, Strange! You underestimate yourself. In terms of talent, your magical aptitude is on par with mine. In terms of ability, you can wield the Eye of Agamotto and perform time manipulation magic through it—a feat that neither Wong nor Mordo can achieve.

Moreover, besides being the guardian of the Sanctum, I also have a role in the Avengers. I can't simultaneously balance responsibilities and tasks in both the material and magical worlds, nor do I intend to take on the position of Sorcerer Supreme.

Therefore, considering your abilities, qualifications, external circumstances, and the future of Kamar-Taj, you are the best candidate—there's no one else but you.

This is also what the Ancient One meant, so you shouldn't burden yourself mentally. I know you might not feel fully confident in taking up the role of Sorcerer Supreme right away, especially since you've only been exposed to magic for about three months.

But Wong and Mordo have already expressed their stance earlier. They'll assist you in fulfilling the mission and tasks of Kamar-Taj, and I'll provide help when necessary.

With your talent and learning ability, we believe you'll quickly become a capable Sorcerer Supreme."

"Can I really do it?" Doctor Strange asked with some lack of confidence.

"We believe in you, Strange!" Wong and Mordo placed their palms firmly on his shoulders, as if trying to convey their beliefs and energy to him, to boost his confidence.

Mark also looked at Doctor Strange with an encouraging gaze, nodding as if to say, "You've got this, Strange!"

"Alright then! Since all of you believe in me so much, I'll temporarily take on the role of Sorcerer Supreme. If there's anything I do wrong, I'll need your guidance and assistance."

"Hahaha, Strange... Oh, I mean, Sorcerer Supreme, you don't have to be polite with us. Now the urgent matter is how to deal with the remaining zealots of Dormammu who pose a threat.

As long as we can hold onto the New York Sanctum, the last Sanctum, we can maintain the Earth's magical defense network established by Agamotto and keep Dormammu out!"

"Wong, you actually laughed! I've spent over two months with you and haven't been able to make you laugh, yet today I saw you smile!"

"But I have to say, you can still call me Strange, or call me Doctor Strange. Being called Sorcerer Supreme feels too unfamiliar. Also, Wong, you look really funny when you smile."

"Strange, let's get back to the point!" Mordo, true to the Ancient One's evaluation of him as someone not easily swayed, was serious and rigid in his demeanor, opposing Doctor Strange's attempt to lighten the mood with a joke.

"Alright then. Currently, our top priority is undoubtedly to defend the New York Sanctum. With Mark here and our cooperation, I believe we can achieve this.

However, one thing to note is that they've been granted dark-dimensional powers by Dormammu, enabling them to fold space in the real world as well. This advantage is even more pronounced within the Mirror Dimension. So, we need to be cautious.

For now, all we have to do is wait for the remaining three zealots to come to us. As long as they want to fulfill their mission, they'll eventually come to the New York Sanctum!"

Doctor Strange's analysis was logical and systematic. In just a few sentences, he clearly outlined their current situation and devised a corresponding plan.

However, as the group prepared to act according to Doctor Strange's plan, Mark suddenly halted their actions and proposed something astonishing and even seemingly aligned with Dormammu's forces. Doctor Strange, Wong, and Mordo were all taken aback by this suggestion, wondering if Mark had secretly sided with Dormammu.

Mark raised his hand to stop the others and said, "I think we can approach this from a different angle. What if we intentionally destroy the New York Sanctum ourselves?"

"What!? Do you know what you're saying, Mark?" Doctor Strange widened his eyes, looking at Mark in shock.

It wasn't just Doctor Strange; Wong and Mordo had identical expressions on their faces, and even a hint of suspicion appeared in their eyes.

However, Mark remained surprisingly composed, a cryptic smile playing on his lips as he said, "Of course, I know what I'm saying. What I mean is, why don't we disable the protective network of the Sanctum ourselves and launch a preemptive strike against Dormammu and his dark-dimensional control?"

"A counterattack? How can we launch an attack against Dormammu? He wields the power over the entire dark dimension and is on par with deities like Vashanti! I won't allow you to use the safety of the entire Earth as a gamble and make such reckless moves!"

Mordo was the first to oppose Mark's proposal, but not only him—Doctor Strange and Wong were clearly on his side, sharing the same concerns.

"No, we do have a means of countering." Mark confidently explained to the three, "Perhaps we didn't have it before, but just a moment ago, this method was completed."

"I have absolute confidence that through this secret weapon, I can deal a heavy blow to Dormammu, making him think twice before ever trying to taint Earth again!

However, if the magical protective network continues to exist, Dormammu's true form won't easily appear on Earth, and I won't have a chance to execute this plan.

Furthermore, Strange has already mastered time manipulation magic. Even if all three Sanctums are destroyed, as long as he serves as the last line of defense, restoring one of the three Sanctums in a critical moment, we can consider ourselves invincible."

"What exactly is this method? You need to at least demonstrate it to us and clearly explain its capabilities. Otherwise, we can't support your plan just based on your unwarranted confidence."

Doctor Strange didn't completely reject Mark's proposal. In his view, if there was a chance to permanently eliminate the threat Dormammu posed to Earth, and the success rate was indeed considerable, it might be worth a shot.

"Apologies, this is a forbidden magic I've been studying. Once cast, it could trigger immense, incalculable danger on Earth, so I can't demonstrate it to you.

However, I can provide a clear explanation of its principles and effects. I refer to this forbidden magic as... the 'Two-Way Foil.' "

That's right, the Two-Way Foil. Just a moment ago, as they were preparing to act against the threat of the Dormammu zealots, Baymax sent him good news through telepathy. Using his space theory-based model, after calculations and verification, he had proven its accuracy.

The data model Mark had established was precisely for building the foundational framework of magic matrices, and it ultimately became the secret weapon he had been tirelessly researching—the forbidden magic, the Two-Way Foil.

Initially, Mark had hoped to develop and study the Two-Way Foil using purely technological or a magical means.

But after trying, he realized that given the current state of Earth's technology and the limitations of magical theory, the goal was unattainable with a singular approach. So, after careful consideration, Mark chose the method with the highest success rate and efficiency—a combination of Earth's scientific understanding and magical techniques—to advance the research on the Two-Way Foil.

This is how Mark achieved his current research success, using knowledge from various disciplines including mathematics, nuclear physics, and astrophysics to calculate and construct the theoretical basis for the Two-Way Foil. The magical methods acquired from Asgard, the Dark Elves, and Kamar-Taj served as the means to implement and solve the challenges of creating and launching attacks with the Two-Way Foil.

...

"The Two-Way Foil?" Upon hearing Mark's name for this forbidden magic, Doctor Strange and the others felt a strong sense of curiosity about this term they had never heard before.

Mark didn't keep them in suspense and started explaining directly, "I began theoretical and practical research in space technology several years ago.

Through studying and organizing data from Kamar-Taj's spatial magic teleportation gates, I developed a comprehensive theory of space technology.

The capsules you've seen earlier that can fold objects in space, as well as the space portal technology similar to teleportation gates that you haven't seen, are both based on this theory and realized through technological applications.

And the Two-Way Foil is an application model developed on this foundation of space theory. As the name suggests, the Two-Way Foil is a two-dimensional space model, essentially a small piece of two-dimensional space bound within a specialized force field while in a sealed state.

Three-dimensional space consists of three dimensions: length, area, and volume. The moment the Two-Way Foil interacts with three-dimensional space, the volume dimension shrinks from macroscopic to microscopic, forcing three-dimensional space and all its matter to collapse into two-dimensional space, "melting" into an absolute plane that only possesses length and area, devoid of volume.

After being forced into a two-dimensional state, three-dimensional objects lose many of their physical characteristics that cannot directly transition into the two-dimensional universe, and they revert to pure energy release. Thus, a massive amount of energy continuously blankets the two-dimensional plane, to the point where humans can observe the flattened remnants with their naked eyes.

When the process of becoming two-dimensional is complete, the energy remaining in these flattened remnants is eventually exhausted and dissipates completely into darkness, transforming into two-dimensional objects without thickness, optical features, or observability.

However, the stability of this small two-dimensional space under the confinement of the force field is not assured. To safely launch it to a desired location without giving the target a chance to evade, it requires achieving a velocity equal to the speed of light.

Modern science clearly struggles to achieve this, but through the mystic arts of the teleportation gates, spatial and temporal constraints can be disregarded entirely, turning the impossible into the possible."

As Mark's explanation delved deeper, the more Doctor Strange and his companions understood the profound capabilities of this forbidden magic, the greater their admiration for Mark's intellect grew, mixed with a deep sense of trepidation and fear.

If a genius of this caliber were to one day stand against them, and if it came to them facing the terrifying assault of the Two-Way Foil, how would they respond?

This thought arose but was forcibly suppressed by the three of them, because the more they thought, the more fear and despair they felt. It reached a point where they didn't dare to continue pondering, as it would lead to questioning their very worldview.

Mark also noticed the change in their expressions. In a short span of time, joy, anger, sorrow, surprise, fear, and worry—all seven emotions—appeared on their faces.

However, Mark didn't speculate on what thoughts might be hidden deep in their hearts. For him, as long as he focused on his own tasks and followed his inner choices, that would be sufficient.

"The Two-Way Foil is undoubtedly powerful, but it's also extremely dangerous. It's like the most potent nuclear weapon in modern society, capable of causing immense destruction, yet it leaves behind severe side effects.

The spatial two-dimensionalization caused by the Two-Way Foil will never cease, and the collapse rate of dimensions will gradually reach the speed of light. Unless there's a means to escape at the speed of light or perform spatial teleportation jumps, escaping the influence of the Two-Way Foil is virtually impossible.

Moreover, if the Two-Way Foil is excessively and frequently used as a normalized weapon against adversaries, the spatial two-dimensionalization could surpass the universe's self-repair capability, leading to the gradual dissolution of the universe itself.

Because the activation of the Two-Way Foil can't be stopped, using it without precise calculations beforehand or with the slightest carelessness during its operation could potentially result in the user themselves falling into the two-dimensional state.

So, it's not that I'm unwilling to demonstrate it to you to bolster your confidence in me. It's because the reason the Two-Way Foil is known as forbidden magic is that it's simply too dangerous.

Even if it's used within the Mirror Dimension, I can't guarantee the safety of the entire experimental process.

If it weren't for Dormammu's coveting of Earth, resulting in a prolonged threat, I wouldn't be willing to take such risks.

However, as an ultimate trump card and deterrent, this also provides us with an opportunity to test its power and fully exploit its deterrent effect.

If our plan succeeds this time, it won't just eliminate the threat of Dormammu and the entire Dark Dimension, but it will also serve as a powerful warning and deterrent to other ill-intentioned individuals covertly trying to influence Earth."

After hearing Mark's detailed explanation of the forbidden magic, the Two-Way Foil, and his plan's strategy and objectives, Doctor Strange and his companions, who had initially thought Mark's ideas were too radical, couldn't help but feel a growing excitement, yearning to witness their side triumphing over Dormammu and driving him to flee in defeat.

Yet, after they calmed down, doubts also emerged. Could such fantasies truly be realized? The way Mark described the Two-Way Foil's magic, it could already be considered a divine method. However, a lingering concern in the minds of Doctor Strange and his companions was whether Mark, as a mortal, could genuinely stand shoulder to shoulder with deities.