Chương 179: Magical Battle
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Frustrated by her repeated failures, the Ancient One decided to pull out all the stops, at least to gain the upper hand and maintain some semblance of dignity. Her hands blurred in a dazzling display, her form multiplying into a thousand-armed celestial being – a thousand-armed Ancient One, each materializing a rope and converging upon Ivan in a relentless assault.
Ivan cursed under his breath. He recognized this technique – the very one Doctor Strange would employ against Thanos in the future. With his Infinity Stones, Thanos could potentially overpower this spell with brute force, but Ivan wasn't as fortunate. The Ancient One surpassed Doctor Strange in raw power by a considerable margin.
Here he was, facing a taste of Thanos' treatment. With nowhere to run, Ivan resorted to rapid movement, darting back and forth in a confined space, narrowly evading the onslaught of ropes. He conjured two large energy hands, forcefully pushing them aside, buying himself a sliver of respite.
The Ancient One, after several failed attempts, shifted her strategy. With a sharp cry, all her clones changed their tactics simultaneously. The gesture they formed caused Ivan to shrink rapidly.
Caught off guard by this unexpected maneuver, Ivan was trapped for a moment. He scanned his surroundings, searching for any potential escape route, and instinctively prepared to teleport out of the cage using phantom magic.
But his hope was dashed. This energy net possessed the power to impede spatial travel, effectively nullifying his phantom magic. It dawned on him – the Ancient One's understanding of space magic was no less formidable. Her ability to traverse vast distances from the Himalayas to his location was a testament to that, and obstructing spatial teleportation was a natural extension of that mastery.
Panic welled in Ivan's chest as the energy net contracted around him. Discarding all pretense of restraint, he thrust his hand forward, claws extended. Two enormous palms materialized, seizing the energy net and ripping at it with brute force.
Since teleportation was out of the question, a forceful breach was his only option. These immense palms were not mere energy constructs – they were imbued with the power of rules. This potent combination of raw power and rule manipulation tore a gap in the net.
However, the Ancient One reacted with lightning speed. When the gap appeared, several clones extended ropes, plugging the hole and rendering Ivan's struggle futile.
Exasperated, Ivan continued his assault, tearing at the net with his colossal hands while simultaneously amplifying his decomposition abilities. But to his dismay, his efforts seemed to yield diminishing returns. The net, infused with the Ancient One's understanding of rules, possessed a strange resistance that hampered the effectiveness of his decomposition power.
Only the power of rules could counter the power of rules. Evidently, the Ancient One was also a master of wielding them, and her mastery surpassed his own. Internally, Ivan acknowledged her strength. Here was a figure worthy of Odin's respect, a truly formidable opponent.
While Ivan contemplated his predicament, the Ancient One reeled in shock. The fact that he could decompose the net imbued with her rule-based power signified his mastery overrules – a mastery that outstripped hers. She hadn't encountered such a powerful being before. A tinge of self-doubt crept in – had their monitoring of Earth been lax? Thankfully, Ivan appeared benevolent, posing no threat to the planet itself. Otherwise, things could have become significantly more troublesome.
Realizing brute force wasn't enough, Ivan reshaped his colossal rule-powered hands into a powerful drill. It tore through the energy net surprisingly quickly, creating an escape route. He didn't waste a moment, darting through the opening before the Ancient One could react.
A rare opportunity to face a formidable opponent like Ivan had ignited a spark of competitive spirit within the Ancient One. She would only let him leave with a proper conclusion. Seeing his escape, she mobilized a group of clones to give chase.
Exasperated by her relentless pursuit, Ivan decided to show her the true meaning of overwhelming numbers. With a flick of his wrist, he produced a stack of yellow paper talismans from his sleeve. A guttural chant escaped his lips: "Yellow Warriors, now!"
The talismans fluttered to the ground, each exploding with a burst of energy that materialized into a legion of warriors. These fierce soldiers, clad in armor and wielding shields and knives, stood resolutely, awaiting Ivan's command.
The Ancient One, momentarily surprised, quickly adapted her strategy. Her clones abandoned the ropes, conjuring circular magical shields in their left hands for defense and shimmering yellow longswords in their right hands, ready to meet the Yellow warriors head-on.
The battlefield erupted into chaos as the two armies clashed. Fueled by their magical animation, the Yellow warriors fought with unwavering bravery. But the Ancient One's clones, imbued with her combat prowess, proved equally formidable.
However, a key difference began to emerge. While the Yellow warriors, upon defeat, disintegrated into harmless paper talismans, the Ancient One's clones, when destroyed, vanished without a trace. This subtle asymmetry slowly tipped the scales in Ivan's favor.
As the battle raged on, the number of combatants dwindled. Ivan's Yellow warriors, albeit expendable, held a slight advantage. The remaining dozen warriors collectively charged at the Ancient One's proper form.
Unfazed, the Ancient One extended her hand with a graceful flourish. A colossal magic circle materialized, slamming into the warriors with devastating force. Their forms disintegrated, reduced to paper scraps carried away by the wind.
The resounding crack of Ivan's fist, shattering the Ancient One's magic circle, hung heavy in the air. This final clash served as a punctuation mark, a tense pause before the proper resolution of the conflict. Dumbledore, seizing this precarious moment of calm, intervened.
His voice boomed, laced with urgency, "Enough! Stop it!"
"Master Gu Yi, wait a second, I have said it before, this is a misunderstanding, this time I came to ask Dr. Ivan for help, as for the phoenix, it is one of my students, due to the sudden power up his consciousness is a little confused, Dr. Ivan was helping to suppress him."
Dumbledore turned to Ivan again and said, "Dr. Ivan, don't be angry. Master Gu Yi was just in a hurry and didn't mean to offend you. Now, the most important thing is Harry. It seems to have calmed down."
He positioned himself between the two combatants, forcing them to acknowledge his presence.
Dumbledore then elaborated on Harry's fragile state, emphasizing the need to calm him down. Ivan, recognizing the gravity of the situation, pivoted his focus towards Harry. A silent exchange passed between them – a telepathic reassurance from Ivan and a wave of relief washing over Harry as he regained control.
"Harry, how are you feeling now? Is there anything wrong?"
"It's much better now, Dr. Ivan. I'm sorry. I remembered my parents' death, and I couldn't control my emotions. I broke your castle and caused you trouble." Harry, who had regained his senses, was very much in his heart.
The colossal phoenix form receded, revealing a human Harry, drained but coherent.
A wave of relief washed over Dumbledore. The prophesied savior of the wizarding world was safe. He turned to Ivan, his voice thick with gratitude,
"Dr. Ivan, thank you for your help. The wizarding world owes you a debt."
Ivan cut him off before Dumbledore could elaborate on the Ancient One's identity.
Staring at the ancient master, he said, "I know, the Ancient One, the leader of Kamar Taj, the supreme mage of the earth, the guardian, the main force against Dormammu, the ruler of the dark dimension, but I also feel the dark aura on you, and I think you should have absorbed the power of Dormammu; it is eroding your body."
The Ancient One, ever stoic, couldn't mask her surprise. This closely guarded secret, a burden she shouldered alone, had been laid bare. Her gaze, sharp and intense, locked onto Ivan. "Who are you?" she demanded, her voice laced with suspicion. "How do you know such things?"
Dumbledore, sensing the rising tension, frowned. "Mage Gu Yi," he addressed the Ancient One, "the darkness… it's a dangerous path to tread."
Unfazed by the brewing conflict, Ivan displayed a surprising neutrality towards the darkness. For him, power was power; good or evil resided in the wielder's intentions. He saw an opportunity for a truce. "Why don't we continue this conversation at my castle? There, we can speak more freely."
Given the volatile atmosphere and the need to discuss Harry's situation further, Dumbledore readily agreed. The Ancient One, with limited options, accepted Ivan's invitation. With a cautious truce in place, the four of them – a weary Harry, a relieved Dumbledore, a curious Ivan, and a guarded Ancient One – made their way towards Ivan's castle, each harboring their secrets and agendas. The actual test would lie within the castle walls, where a far more intricate conversation awaited them than a clash of magic.
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