Marvel: Little Genius - Chapter: 381 (Patreon)

At this moment, watching Dormammu flee in panic, Mordo really wanted to shout to the entire dark dimension, "Who else is there!?"

Even Wong was looking at Dormammu's hasty escape with a somewhat incredulous expression, "Is this it?"

They even wanted to stay and watch, to see the sorry state of Dormammu and the astonishing destruction and power that would erupt from the Two-Way Foil later.

Successfully casting the Two-Way Foil had almost depleted all of Mark's mental energy. At this point, both his body and mind were extremely tired. Even though his body had undergone multiple enhancements, he still felt a bit overwhelmed. The magic array of the Two-Way Foil was just too complex and intricate.

But fortunately, Mark remained very calm and was not swept away by victory.

He could see the relaxation in the hearts of Wong and Mordo. He quickly said to them sternly, "Once the Two-Way Foil starts to take effect, don't worry about anything else. Quickly open the portal and leave the dark dimension.

This is our only chance to survive. If we're a step too slow, we'll personally experience the most terrifying magic ever wielded by humans throughout history."

Mark wasn't just fearmongering; he knew very well the power that the Two-Way Foil could unleash. That's why Dormammu had turned and fled without hesitation upon sensing the danger it posed.

Although the Two-Way Foil hadn't yet been fully tested, judging from Dormammu's reaction, Mark had no doubt that his ace in the hole had indeed been successful.

The moment the Two-Way Foil began to take effect, Dormammu's control over the dark dimension would greatly diminish. It would be the opportune moment for Mark and his companions to open the portal back to Earth.

If they didn't seize this opportunity, the immense gravitational force from the collapse of three-dimensional space to two-dimensional space would render them unable to escape. They will helplessly watch as they would be torn apart by the enormous gravitational force before their bodies would flattened into two-dimensional forms.

With Mark's warning in mind, both Mordo and Wong nodded solemnly. Remembering Mark's description of the Two-Way Foil's power, cold sweat instantly soaked their backs.

They had almost paid with their lives due to their own carelessness and underestimation, turning what should have been an easily attainable success into a near-failure.

Tightening the string in their hearts once again, Mordo directly assumed the posture to open the portal. As long as Mark gave the order, he would immediately complete the spell, bringing the three of them back to the New York Sanctuary.

Now, with both Wong and Mark having exhausted themselves through spellcasting, he was the only one capable of completing this task. At this critical moment before success, Mordo finally experienced what real pressure felt like.

If Kilimanjaro was the weight pressing on him before, now it had turned into Mount Everest. Mordo felt that there would be nothing in this world that could suffocate him both mentally and physically more than what he was experiencing now.

"Mordo, it's now!"

Mordo had been waiting for Mark's command. The moment Mark spoke, Mordo, who had been entirely focused, reacted involuntarily and opened the portal.

While Mordo was casting the spell, Dormammu, who had fled countless light-years, was struck by Mark's Two-Way Foil.

Although it didn't directly hit his body, it struck the magic conduits extending from him, connecting like planets in a chain of magical energy.

But even so, it was enough. Dormammu finally felt firsthand the source of his inexplicable sense of crisis.

The moment the Two-Way Foil came into contact with Dormammu's magical conduits, the force field binding the two-dimensional space ruptured instantly. The magical conduits that extended for an unknown distance lost all their three-dimensional features in the blink of an eye, becoming a thin sheet.

Moreover, this process of two-dimensionalization continued to expand its range of influence, accelerating its reaction speed, and voraciously devouring Dormammu's body.

Now, Dormammu was thoroughly terrified. He hadn't expected this to be a continuous assault, rather than a one-time strike.

At this rate, if it continued, the authority over the dark dimension he mastered by spending countless ages would soon be utterly obliterated.

With this realization, Dormammu made a decisive move and directly severed the portion of his magical conduits that was about to undergo two-dimensionalization.

Not only that, but when it came to the entire space that had begun to two-dimensionalize, Dormammu was extremely decisive. He completely separated this section of space from the rest of the dark dimension.

It's important to note that as the ruler of the dark dimension, all of Dormammu's power stemmed from it.

If he had merely severed those magical conduits that had accumulated power over hundreds or even thousands of years, though it would damage his strength, for Dormammu who had infinite time, it would be something he could eventually recover from.

However, if he were to separate a portion of the dark dimension's space, it would be tantamount to losing a part of his power at its source, something that could never be restored.

Therefore, for Dormammu, making this decision was akin to bleeding profusely. Suppressing his inner anguish, he separated this portion of space and sent it into a black hole. Afterward, Dormammu's hatred for Mark reached its zenith.

However, despite his immense hatred, Dormammu had decided that he wouldn't have any intentions towards Earth again, whether it was before Mark's death or his departure from Earth.

After all, for someone like Dormammu, who could forsake everything for eternal life, there was nothing more important than his own life.

"Hmph! Just a mere human. Watch how I outlast you! No matter how heroic you were in life, in death, you're just a pile of dirt."

At a time like this, Dormammu was well aware that revenge was hopeless, he cleverly employed a psychological victory tactic. He then immediately turned around to continue fleeing, fearing that Mark might hit him with another Two-Way Foil.

...

On the other side, while Dormammu mourned the separation of a portion of the dark space, Mark and his group successfully opened the portal back to the New York Sanctuary.

Before the portal closed completely, the three of them saw the first ray of light to shine between heaven and earth since the dark dimension.

Mark knew that it was the pure energy released from the loss of many physical features that couldn't directly transition to the two-dimensional universe, after three-dimensional objects were forced to melt into two-dimensional ones.

"It seems Dormammu really suffered a huge loss!" Mark said with a satisfied smile.

As for what happened afterward, what the outcome was, and whether Dormammu managed to escape the Two-Way Foil's attack, Mark and his group didn't know.

The relevant information only reached Earth through the reconstructed magical defense network much later, coming from other dimensions via Baymax.

It was only by that time that Mark learned that Dormammu, in order to preserve himself and the entire dark dimension, had separated the already partially two-dimensionalized space and sent it into a black hole.

Because at the center of a black hole lies a singularity, an infinitely small point where mass becomes infinitely large, causing space to be extremely warped. Here, time and space cease to exist, and only zero-dimensional entities exist.

So even the Two-Way Foil, after entering a black hole, would cease to be effective. It would be consumed by the black hole, assimilating into a zero-dimensional existence.

From Dormammu's decision, it was evident not only that he was decisive in his actions, but he also possessed profound knowledge of space. The first time he encountered the Two-Way Foil, he found a way to counter it.

However, these were matters for later. The moment Mark and his group returned to the New York Sanctuary, Doctor Strange approached them with an excited and expectant expression, asking, "Did you succeed?"

However, for some reason, after seeing Doctor Strange's expression, the three of them inexplicably shared a moment of understanding. They simultaneously put on a look of disappointment and lowered their heads in front of Doctor Strange.

— They had spontaneously decided to play a prank on Doctor Strange.

Sure enough, upon witnessing their reaction, Doctor Strange also appeared disappointed and dejected.

However, he quickly rallied and lifted his head to console Mark and the others, saying, "It's okay. I'll go restore the core of the magical network immediately. As long as the defense network is restored, we won't consider it a failure!"

Snicker —!

Doctor Strange so easily believed them. The combined delight of their successful prank and the resolution of the crisis finally overwhelmed the three of them, and they couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"What are you laughing at? ... Wait, you're fooling me! Did the plan succeed? Did you really drive Dormammu away?"

"Strange, you're too easy to trick. Go take a look by the window. Is there even a trace of darkness lingering in the sky? Of course, we succeeded!"

Wang was the first to step forward, excitedly delivering the news to Doctor Strange. Even though Doctor Strange had once commented that Wang's smile was unattractive, he couldn't hold back now! Let it be unattractive, after all, it's not his own eyes that feel uncomfortable.

Upon hearing this news, Doctor Strange couldn't even bother with holding a grudge over being pranked by Mark and his team earlier. He embraced Wang in front of him and began to cheer loudly with joy.

Mark and Mordo on the side were infected by this atmosphere as well. They joined in the group hug, the four of them huddled together, collectively savoring this moment of happiness.

...

"Your Majesty Odin, Sorcerers Kamar-Taj of Midgard successfully repelled the invading ruler of the dark dimension, Dormammu. Among the three sorcerers, one of them was indeed Mark. I witnessed him using a magic I had never seen before. This magic continuously two-dimensionalized Dormammu's body at the speed of light, which led to Dormammu's defeat."

In the distant realm of Asgard, Heimdall, the guardian of the Bifrost and the watcher of the Nine Realms, was half-kneeling within the great hall, reporting the outcome of the confrontation between Earth and the dark dimension to the throne where Odin sat.

At the same time, his admiration for Odin's accurate foresight grew even stronger. This was because, upon discovering and immediately reporting this information, Odin hadn't commanded troops to be sent to support Midgard or to repel Dormammu, who had invaded the Nine Realms.

In Heimdall's view, this proved that Odin had long anticipated that, with Mark's abilities, he was capable of upholding Earth's peace with his own power, without requiring Asgard's intervention.

However, if he could lift his head at this moment and see the expression on Odin's face in front of him, he would surely find his own speculation laughable. This was because Odin's face was currently displaying a vivid expression of shock.

What Heimdall didn't know was that at this very moment, seated on the throne before him wasn't the revered and admired Odin he respected and vowed loyalty to. The true identity before him was actually Loki, who had mysteriously vanished during the Dark Elf incident.

Using some unknown means, Loki had assumed Odin's identity and had effectively wielded the authority over Asgard he had long desired.

The reason he managed to take Odin's place so effortlessly without anyone noticing was twofold: First, the true Odin and Queen Frigga had both inexplicably disappeared from Asgard for reasons unknown; and second, his dim-witted older brother, Thor, had no ability to discern the illusion he employed.

Under these favorable circumstances, Loki achieved his long-cherished ideal and became the ruler of Asgard.

It was precisely because of this that when he learned of Earth facing the threat of Dormammu, he, who had clashed with the Avengers in the past, didn't send reinforcements.

In fact, not only did he turn a blind eye to the danger Earth was facing, but he also ignored the distress signals sent by one of the Nine Realms, Nidavellir. Dwarf king Eitri, after failing to receive the promised protection from Asgard, had to watch his people and subjects being used by invaders who posed a threat to him, and he was forced to accept the condition of crafting weapons for the enemies.

And the invader who had attacked Nidavellir and forced Loki to refrain from offering assistance was his "former boss" — Thanos!

So, upon learning that Dormammu, the planet destroyer whose name was on par with Thanos, and who was even more formidable in strength than Thanos himself, had been defeated by the mortal beings on Earth, Loki felt so astounded.

Thinking about it, he seemed to recall that year when he was repeatedly tossed around and beaten on the ground by a certain green, brainless creature. Cold sweat formed on his forehead uncontrollably. "It seems I shouldn't visit Earth again in the future, just to save face for Thor."

As Loki contemplated guiltily in his heart, whether others believed it or not, he certainly did. He didn't possess Dormammu's robust vitality. If he encountered a weapon capable of two-dimensionalizing everything, he would truly be doomed.

Soon, not just Asgard, but the entire Nine Realms, even other multiverses and special dimensions, captured this astonishing news.

Dormammu, as a dominant entity in the multiverse, had plenty of attention on his actions. Combined with the significant disturbance caused by Mark this time, the news spread widely. Under these circumstances, Mark's initial intention of creating intimidation was more than accomplished.

...

Having successfully repelled Dormammu, Mark and Doctor Strange began the task of repairing the three major temples on Earth. Even though the reputation of the Two-Way Foil was impressive, it was more of a last-resort tactic. Regular protective measures had to be maintained and ready at all times.

The architectural restoration of the temples caused minimal damage and was almost negligible in terms of time. Mark and Doctor Strange's main focus was on the reconstruction of the core.

In non-emergency situations, reversing time wouldn't be the first choice. Fortunately, with Mark's advanced artifact crafting technology, and their innate talents and magical accomplishments, they were confident in recreating the core of the magical network that had been created in ancient times.

As for Wong and Mordo, after the crisis ended, they returned to Kamar-Taj for the funeral of the Ancient One.

With the reconstruction of the Earth's magical defense network completed, the entirety of Kamar-Taj's magical practitioners watched as the Ancient One was laid to rest in peace on Mount Everest. The crisis that had endangered the safety of the entire Earth concluded silently, without the awareness of the ordinary humans on the planet.

Wong resumed his familiar role as the librarian, and Mordo did not leave as per the original plot. He continued to devote himself tirelessly to training the new recruits of Kamar-Taj.

As for Doctor Strange, he still had much to learn before becoming a true Sorcerer Supreme. The most important aspect was understanding the true purpose of Kamar-Taj and the Sorcerer Supreme. Only then could he shoulder his responsibilities better.

In the library's forbidden chamber, Doctor Strange had come today to return the Eye of Agamotto to its original place. As he took on greater responsibilities, he increasingly understood the lessons given by Wong and Mordo.

Any achievement gained at the cost of disrupting the natural laws would ultimately demand a corresponding price. Unless under urgent circumstances, the power to manipulate time using the Eye of Agamotto should be avoided if possible.

"A wise choice. Once you truly master its energy, you can wear it. However, before that, it's best not to flaunt the Infinity Stone on the streets."

Seeing Doctor Strange placing the Eye of Agamotto back on the central shelf in the forbidden chamber, Mark, who had appeared out of nowhere.

"What stone?"

Doctor Strange, with his current psychological composure, wouldn't be astonished by Mark's sudden appearance anymore. What intrigued him more was the mention of an Infinity Stone by Mark.

"While the Ancient One may have passed away, news of us using the Two-Dimensional Foil to repel Dormammu will soon spread throughout the multiverse. I believe that for a long time to come, Earth should experience a period of peace. Though you have great potential to become a mystic, you still need to dedicate yourself to learning.

What you need to do next is to continually enhance yourself, making yourself worthy of the title of Sorcerer Supreme. What you currently lack most, aside from combat experience and proficiency in spellcasting, are the unknown secrets of our universe.

Today, let me impart the final lesson you need to learn, and from now on, everything will rely on your own efforts."