"Ancient One, you damn thing! All you can do is rely on others' power to show off. Without me, could you have survived this long? You would have been obliterated by time, with not even your soul left!"
As soon as Dormammu saw the Ancient One recklessly using high-powered magic, he immediately let out a furious scream of helplessness.
At this moment, he instinctively felt that every spell the Ancient One cast, every particle of magical energy, had been selflessly contributed by him on the debt chain.
Without the generous supply from the esteemed Lord Dormammu of the Dark Dimension, how could the Ancient One support such a debt scheme and effortlessly unleash such a powerful attack?
"Return everything you've taken from me, you vile thief! You, a damned plunderer, dare to call yourself a Supreme Sorcerer?"
"I must correct you—this isn't theft, it's borrowing. With borrowing, there must be repayment," the Ancient One responded calmly, her every magical particle transforming into energy and bombarding the endless darkness. "I never said I wouldn't repay; I will just continue to borrow forever."
The two great sorcerers clashed.
Though the Ancient One appeared small, she pulled out the Book of Vishanti with her left hand and, with her right hand, took hold of the Eye of Agamotto. The different-colored lights intertwined, shaking the surrounding time and space, bending the very rules of the universe. Even the most basic constants and parameters were altered as numbers at the Ancient One's whim.
And indeed, the Ancient One did just that.
To deal with the aggressively powerful Dormammu, it was clear the Ancient One was putting everything on the line. Every spell she cast, every artifact she wielded, was at the cost of her own life.
This deeply worried Duncan, who had no idea how long the Ancient One's debt chain could hold. It might collapse any second.
After all, this Ancient One was truly an anomaly, relentlessly advancing on the path of borrowing, never turning back.
Boom!
Terrifying dark clouds gathered, these were the beams emitted by endless magical particles coming together.
This was the pinnacle of dark magic, the strongest black magic used by the mighty Fal'tar warriors in the entire universe.
Not only Earth but the entire solar system trembled. Throughout the Milky Way, if one observed microscopic particles, they would see the black magic storm sweeping across.
Dormammu's rage needed to be shared by countless planets.
Any civilization older than a few millennia knew this was the power of the Dark Dimension's master. Fear gripped them as they dreaded being targeted by Dormammu, fearing their planets would be swallowed into the Dark Dimension and eventually turn into lifeless, desiccated worlds.
Countless powerful beings also turned their attention toward the battle.
Among them, the World Tree stood out the most. The Father Gods of various worlds had long been ready, prepared to strike at Dormammu.
The World Tree was a divine tree of the gods, not the domain of cosmic deities, dimensional demons, or hellish demons.
But whether the remaining Father Gods could withstand Dormammu's wrath, especially after the death of Odin, the "All-Father," was uncertain.
Other planets and worlds prepared for the worst, and of course, Earth was no exception.
The Ancient One fought on the front lines.
The S.H.I.E.L.D., self-styled as the guardians of the world, quickly mobilized.
"Avengers assemble!"
With a loud shout from Steve, several new Avengers gathered. They stood on the skycraft, gazing at the terrifying battle in the distance.
Even from a thousand miles away, they could feel the shattering magic storm.
The battle between gods and demons threatened to bring Earth to its knees.
This was the Avengers' first gathering, and it was the first time this newly-formed alliance, which Fury considered the strongest, would go into action as a team.
"Wait, am I the only one who thinks this is wrong? Our first mission as human superheroes is to face off against a god from another world? Don't you guys see any problem with this?"
Tony Stark stomped on the deck of the skycraft, but the firm feeling underfoot didn't comfort him at all. He glared at the others.
Captain America, looking serious; Hulk, who seemed ready to smash everything in sight; Hawkeye, the so-called elven prince, whose skill was debatable; and Black Widow, pale, frail, and looking like she'd just recovered from a serious illness.
Tony was at a loss. He couldn't understand why Fury had called these people together at this critical juncture. What did he want them to do? What was going through his head, organizing a team like this, especially when they didn't even know who or what they were supposed to be avenging?
Was it the space demons?
Tony was starting to suspect that Fury had been knocked out by an alien and had gone mad, or worse, maybe had been secretly possessed. Perhaps Duncan was planning to take advantage of the situation and give them a good lesson.
Steve's face darkened as well. He knew this mission was impossible, but his duty to obey orders left him with no choice.
"I wasn't planning on sending you after that otherworldly visitor. You can't face that enemy. Nuclear bombs are already prepared around the world, ready to launch at any time. I think our best option is to wait for the perfect moment to launch them for maximum effect," Fury explained to the team.
Sometimes, Fury wondered if things would be different if he had a super-powered individual on his side. Would he still be so worried? Maybe Duncan?
Had he sensed Duncan's uniqueness earlier, during their first meeting, and either killed him or recruited him, he would have been much better off now.
If Duncan had been eliminated early, Fury could have taken over the alien situation, assembling an army far stronger than the Avengers—an army even larger and more powerful than what they had now.
Recruiting Duncan, though, could have been just as good. Despite Duncan's likely disobedience, at least he could solve some of the problems, which would be enough.
But he had done neither, and now, he had lost the trust of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Coulson's life.
"The Supreme Sorcerer is fighting up ahead. We must do all we can to prevent countless humans from being slaughtered by this otherworldly enemy."
"Ha, well said. How about we trade places? You join the Avengers, and I'll take your spot. Trust me, my brain is way more useful than yours."
Tony loudly mocked, not holding back.
If he had more years, more resources, and more knowledge, he believed he could develop a powerful suit of armor.
Fighting gods? Sure, it was crazy, but not impossible.
But not now. Was he supposed to use the Mark 9 that he had just barely developed to fight a monster from another world?
He had only been in the game for just over a year. How could he possibly build a battle suit to fight demons? It was pure fantasy.
Steve, resigned, gripped his indestructible shield tightly, suddenly wondering if this powerful otherworldly visitor could break it.
But it didn't matter anymore. Steve had already resolved to die in this crisis.
Another terrifying crash rang out, and everyone looked up to see that vast areas of outer space had already turned into mists.
One after another, powerful spells clashed violently, and the vibrant beams of light from Earth continuously provided power to the Ancient One.
As everyone anxiously watched, as the top-tier fighters on Earth silently prepared for a final desperate struggle…
"Charles, what's wrong with you?"
Magneto noticed something strange in Professor X's expression.
"I see that guy making his move. Incredible. He actually thought of using this method. It reminds me of Apocalypse—constantly transferring consciousness to gain endless life and immense power. But his technique is far more refined than Apocalypse's... However, I can feel that he is in extreme pain right now. He won't last long."
Professor X's face, already full of worry, now showed a look of astonishment.
Before long, Magneto also sensed it—a terrifyingly powerful life force had suddenly emerged in the distance. It was as if a brilliant sun had risen on Earth, radiating an overwhelming presence.
"So… does this mean we don't have to fight anymore?" Jean Grey's eyes were almost completely transformed into an eerie gold-red hue. The immense telekinetic energy surrounding her was spiraling out of control, forcing the nearby mutants to step back in fear.
"For now, no. Unless Duncan fails. If that happens, we will act without hesitation. According to the plan, Destiny will foresee the future for you and provide a few reliable attack paths—directly targeting the enemy's body."
Everyone turned their gaze toward Destiny, who rarely made appearances.
This mutant was utterly enigmatic—no one could ever tell what was going through her mind.
Destiny kept her head lowered, her nearly featureless mask clinging tightly to her face, making it impossible to discern her expression.
Only when the subject of the Xenomorph was mentioned did she tilt her head slightly, as if lost in thought.
At this moment, Duncan saw the battle had reached a temporary stalemate—and finally took action himself.
As Duncan controlled this body, forcefully merging three consciousnesses—including his own—he recklessly harnessed the power of a million stars, attempting to reverse and layer their energy. Only then did he fully grasp the crushing burden that threatened to obliterate him.
"Even the Void in Universe 616 couldn't precisely control its own body for long. Now I understand why."
Moreover, this was Duncan's first attempt—his first time using a technique akin to Astral Projection. He had directly transferred his consciousness from his human body to Reynolds' through the Xenomorph embryo.
Duncan quickly assessed his state. He knew he wouldn't last long, but if he could use this power to assist the Ancient One—to make Dormammu feel even a fraction of pain—it would be worth it.
The next second, Duncan shot into the sky like a comet. The sheer force of his ascent sent tremors through the entire Sanctum Sanctorum. The weaker sections of the magical barriers began to crack and collapse under the strain.
Duncan was like a beacon of boundless light—his overwhelming presence tore through the dark clouds engulfing Earth.
His crimson Cloak of Levitation clung tightly to his shoulders, flaring slightly at the edges, working in perfect harmony with him, pulsing with magical energy.
"You?" Dormammu, still battling the Ancient One and relentlessly severing the Time Stone's influence on him, suddenly turned his immense, boundless gaze toward Duncan. "I once glimpsed you from afar—an insignificant ant not even worth my attention. Yet now, that same ant has grown into something… stronger."
"Well, this 'ant' would be more than happy to bite you to death, demon god."
Duncan flew to the Ancient One's side. Countless golden magical sigils surrounded them, forming barriers that repelled all external threats.
Dormammu shifted his focus and reached out toward Duncan.
"Don't think I can't see it—you are the true source of the Xenomorphs, not that so-called Queen! Kaecilius was wrong from the very beginning!"
The flames of the underworld began to blaze within Dormammu's eyes.
He could see Duncan's current state. He knew that Duncan wasn't the original owner of this body but had used some unknown method to transfer his consciousness into it.
"Astral Projection? A Xenomorph being used like this?"
Greed flickered deep within Dormammu's gaze. He was already eager to capture Duncan and turn him into his follower—no, not just a follower. It would be even better to strip the Xenomorphs from Duncan and make them his servants instead.
Originally, Dormammu had merely intended to capture the Xenomorphs, analyze their genes and biological structure, and then use dark magic to modify them—turning them into magical vessels to infiltrate Earth.
But now, seeing this… he immediately changed his mind.
If he could descend upon countless Xenomorphs using Astral Projection, why would he even bother creating magical vessels? This was a far simpler and more efficient method!
Xenomorphs… Dormammu had to have them!