章節 48: Higher Stakes

Liam left his room and walked down the corridor toward the Ancient One's study. He knocked on the door, and it opened slightly. Inside, the Ancient One sat, sipping her tea.

She looked up at Liam and gestured for him to enter, saying, "Come in, young Liam."

Liam nodded, stepping in and closing the door behind him.

"Sit," the Ancient One instructed, and Liam sat down across from her as she poured him a cup of tea. She took another sip, then gestured for him to begin.

"I successfully closed the tear, though there were some… strange situations," Liam started.

"Strange situations, you say?" the Ancient One responded. "Address them one by one."

"Let's start at the beginning," Liam began, gathering his thoughts. "I located the dimensional energy. It was completely concealed within a dense snowstorm."

The Ancient One nodded, listening carefully.

"While investigating, I came across a canyon where the creature guarding the tear was hiding. The first strange thing, though, is that this creature hadn't been seen in years."

"Uncommon, but it happens," the Ancient One remarked. "Go on."

"The creature… I think it was a drake," Liam explained, pulling out a few scales and placing them on the table.

The Ancient One smiled slightly as she examined the scales.

"I gathered these from its nest. Is there a way to verify what they really are?" he asked.

The Ancient One picked up a scale, inspecting it closely. "Interesting. We can verify them, but it will take some time."

"There's more about the drake," Liam continued, his tone more serious. "The unusual part is its abilities. This particular drake, or rather drakes could use ice magic."

The Ancient One's expression changed, a soft frown appearing on her forehead.

"Ice magic? Explain," she prompted.

Liam nodded. "The drake could gather energy in its mouth and release it as an ice-like energy blast, which turned into ice crystals on impact. One of them even coated itself in a thin layer of ice and summoned the dense snowstorm around it."

"And the tear itself?" the Ancient One asked. "What dimension was it from?"

"It was from a dimension I've never seen or read about," Liam replied. The Ancient One nodded, listening intently as he described the tear.

After a moment, she said, "I'll need you to write down the energy signature you sensed, along with details on the creature's appearance and abilities."

"That's not everything," Liam added. "Aside from the scales, I found this crystal ball." He pulled a pristine, crystal ball from his bag and set it on the table.

The Ancient One picked it up, examined it. "Hmm… no, I don't recognize this. It might just be a gem from the drake's hoarding. Like dragons, drakes often collect shiny objects."

Liam nodded, putting the crystal back in his bag. "And there's one last thing. Through the tear, I saw a large dragon."

"A dragon?" the Ancient One asked, eyebrows raised. "Are you sure it wasn't just a large drake?"

"No, I'm certain it was a dragon. Near the end, it tried to claw open the dimensional tear and go through it," Liam explained. "Luckily, the dimensional energy on our side fought back, pushing it away. Otherwise, it could have broken through and I would likely not be here."

At this, the Ancient One's expression grew grave. She sighed. "Originally, I didn't think you were ready to know this, but it seems we're running out of time, and circumstances demand it."

Liam tilted his head in confusion. "I don't understand."

The Ancient One held her hand over the table, casting an enchantment. A hologram like image of the world appeared, surrounded by a large hexagonal shield. "This is the original barrier that our forefathers created to protect us from other dimensions," she explained, pointing to the hexagonal structure surrounding the world.

Liam nodded, already familiar with this.

With a wave of her hand, cracks appeared across the shield in various spots. "These cracks represent areas where other dimensions have invaded before and are weak spots."

Liam nodded again, following closely.

"At least, that's how it should have been," the Ancient One said, her tone shifting. A large hole suddenly appeared in the barrier, spreading cracks across the entire structure. As quickly as it had appeared, the hole filled with a different, unfamiliar energy, though the cracks remained.

"This breach, and the mysterious energy filling it… it's because of you," the Ancient One said, pointing at Liam.

"Me?" he asked, baffled.

"Yes. The unknown energy that shattered the barrier appeared about three and a half years ago. Does that time frame mean anything to you?" she asked.

"Three and a half years ago… I was 16, and that's when I got Incursio. So… my weapon is the cause?" Liam asked, feeling the pieces fall into place.

The Ancient One nodded. "Yes. The cause of this disturbance is indeed you—or rather, your weapon."

"Then why didn't you kill me when you found out?" Liam asked, confused.

"You can thank your weapon for that. If I had killed you, and the energy from your weapon had turned hostile or vanished, Earth would be doomed. Think of the barrier like a balloon. A skilled doctor can insert a needle without popping the balloon, but removing the needle would make the hole worse, releasing all the air inside.'' she explained.

''Your weapon is that needle." She continued.

"So how does this relate to the dragon I saw?" Liam asked.

"That dragon is one of many creatures that have noticed the weakness in our barrier. Since you damaged it, the number of high-level rifts has increased by 80%, and the number continues to rise. Many ancient enemies who had given up on attacking this world have returned, and other unknown dimensions that haven't been here before are attempting to breach our world."

"Then why not use the Time Stone to restore the barrier and then kill me?" Liam asked, remembering the scenes in movies where Doctor Strange easily repaired sanctums.

"The natural order must not be tampered with," the Ancient One replied. "Not to mention, the extent of the damage is so severe that no human could bear the cost of repairing the barrier with the Time Stone."

"Then what's left to do? Why tell me this now?" Liam asked, still confused.

"Because sooner or later, you would have found out on your own," she said. "I'd rather you be prepared for what's coming. Many powerful dimensions are watching us, and so I ask you this, Liam: what will you do?"

Liam looked at her thoughtfully, then replied, "Well, what choice do I have? If these beings come to Earth, they won't leave me or my family alone either. So I will try my best to protect what I can."

'And even if I didn't want to fight, what the hell am I going to do? Can't really hide anywhere in this dimension if it's invaded.'

"But how can I help? I don't know how to repair the barrier, and I know almost nothing about the energy from my weapon," he added.

"It's not a matter of repairing the barrier," the Ancient One said. "The barrier will break in a few years, and there's nothing we can do to prevent it. When that time comes, countless dimensions will invade—some friendly, others hostile."

Liam's face changed. "But then…"

"Yes, young Liam. The break is inevitable, and billions will die if they aren't defended," she confirmed, pacing slowly around the room. ''Not only this dimension, it will be a chain reaction which will cause many other dimensions to fall in the same way.''

"But… why me? You are insanely powerful, something I am not even close to." Liam protested.

The Ancient One smiled, responding softly, "I will die before the barrier collapses." She looked at him with a faint sadness. "As for why you, consider it a gamble. The people from this dimension aren't strong enough to withstand such an invasion. But you and your weapon are an anomaly.''

''Also, I will personally guide you through the coming years, preparing you as best I can."

Liam thought about it, considering Earth's heroes. 'Yes, while the Avengers are powerful, they're like children compared to the Ancient One. Scarlet Witch, Vision, Thor—they might stand a chance, but countless threats on that level with armies behind them? Impossible.'

Liam contemplated some more. 'I can always help the Avengers get stronger. And from what the Ancient One said, there is a possibility that other friendly dimensions out there might help.'

"But why would you still choose to die despite knowing all this?" he asked, voicing a question that had puzzled him for years.

The Ancient One only smiled, her gaze distant, and said nothing.

After a long silence, she finally spoke. "Return to your room and let this all sink in."

Liam nodded, rising from his seat and walking toward the door. As he left, the Ancient One watched him with a gentle smile.

"I wonder how this future will unfold," she murmured softly. "Too bad I won't be here to see it."

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Some people already suspected this but this is relevant towards the end. The upcoming Marvel plot events will still happen, atleast how I am thinking about it now.

For me the plot made a lot of sense and it felt logical that this would happen, so let me know if you like this development or not :).

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Have some idea about the story? Comment it and let me know.

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章節 49: Bolts of Balthakk

Liam walked back to his room, feeling strange.' I never imagined something like that could happen—or that these consequences would come from having Incursio.'

He wandered through the corridors, lost in thought. When he finally reached his room, he locked the door behind him and threw himself onto the bed. Lying on his back, he stared at the ceiling, his mind was filled with questions. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out the crystal ball, holding it above him as he tossed it in the air, spinning it with his wrist.

"Billions of people, huh…" Liam thought, having mixed feelings. He caught the crystal ball and stopped its spinning, his eyes catching his reflection. 'The future is so unpredictable now.'

As he tossed the ball again, his thoughts deepened. 'I don't want to be the cause of billions of deaths,' he thought. 'It feels surreal, being told that billions of lives can die because of your existence.'

His brow furrowed. 'Why didn't she tell me earlier? Could she be lying again?' He shook his head. 'No, that's just wishful thinking.'

'There are so many questions, but no answers. So many strange events. They all feel connected somehow, but I'm missing the centerpiece of information.' He sighed, catching the crystal once more and tossing it again. 'So…what now?'

At his current rate of growth, Liam knew he was far from matching the Ancient One's level of mastery. 'I have some ideas about the energy in the barrier, but I can't do anything with these ideas. Not when I can't even control the energy inside my own body.'

His resolve hardened. 'I need to grow stronger. I need to let Incursio adapt to as many things as possible—to make it immune to anything people use against me.' Liam's thoughts shifted. 'And I need to learn more advanced spells. Right now, I have a large weakness against enemies in the air, and then there's spells like the Mirror Dimension which are necessary for future battles.

He sat up, setting the crystal ball beside him. 'Future battles will likely be on an immense scale, if I can't use the Mirror Dimension then, the aftermath will be countless wiped out cities.'

Liam's thoughts went to the infinity stones. 'The attraction I felt to the Time Stone—it felt similar to the attraction I've sensed coming from dimensional tears. Could they also cause Incursio to evolve? And can Incursio adapt to the power of the infinity stones? If it can, then it will change my strength completely.'

His gaze returned to the crystal ball. 'As for this… The Ancient One might have lied about not knowing what it is. She claimed it was just something the drake collected, but that doesn't add up. It was the only thing in the nest, and it was in Antarctica. No one would bring something this rare there, especially to a place where no human would go. If she genuinely doesn't know what it is, I'll figure it out myself.'

Pushing aside his thoughts about infinity stones, he stood. 'Enough about that for now. I need to focus on the upcoming meeting with S.H.I.E.L.D. that I have in a few days. 'Liam frowned, thinking about S.H.I.E.L.D. 'A few months after that, there's the Stark Expo and the Whiplash incident. The talk with S.H.I.E.L.D. is important—not just for me, but for my grandfather's safety. And a good relationship with the Avengers is something nice to have.

'Still,' Liam thought. 'Maybe I made the wrong call letting Fury take charge of my grandfather's safety. I should've just given him a culture shock and brought him to the Sanctum instead of trusting spies.' He rubbed his temples. 'But… he wouldn't have been able to live a normal life here.'

Scratching his head, Liam groaned. 'I'm going crazy. There are too many complex decisions, and there's never one perfect answer.' He sighed heavily. 'I need sleep. Tomorrow, I'll wake up early and start training again. The last fight drained me too much. Training now would lead to accidents, not progress.'

With that thought, Liam brushed his teeth and went to bed.

The next morning, Liam woke earlier than usual. Summoning Incursio, he teleported to his favorite training spot: the volcano.

He picked up his spellbook on the Bolts of Balthakk. 'I should have sufficient mastery over a basic spell like Eldritch Constraints to start learning this.'

The book outlined three requirements: mastery of Sanskrit, basic spell control, and strong visualization through meditation. 'I can check off all three,' Liam thought.

He read the book carefully, following it step by step. 'The first step is to visualize the spell in its basic form—a single burst of energy.'

Liam focused, speaking the incantation as he channeled energy through his right hand. A glowing burst of orange energy shot forth, aimed at a nearby rock. But it flew past the rock, hitting the ground further away.

'Right… aiming was mentioned to be a downside of this spell,' Liam thought with a bitter smile.

The spell had gotten his interest because of its advantages over other spells he'd seen in the Marvel universe. 'Most spells require drawn circles or incantations, even after mastery. But this one… once you understand it, no incantation is necessary.'

He remembered the spell's description from the book. 'The Bolts of Balthakk concentrate energy directly into the hands. With enough mastery, the bursts can become chain attacks—bouncing from one target to another. And the strength is decided by how much energy you put in.' He remembered when Doctor Strange used it against Thanos in Infinity War.

In the movie, the spell bounced from rock to rock after each impact. Each rock was destroyed on impact.

Satisfied with his progress, Liam decided to optimize his training schedule. 'I'll dive into the lava now, then return to this spell while Incursio is on cooldown.' Summoning the armor, he sprinted to the lava and leaped in.

Swimming down to the same point as before, Liam activated Eldritch Sight, training his dectection ability while also improving Incursio. 'The energy I felt last time is still here, it's very faint but it isn't an energy I'm familiar with.The energy trail starts about 50 meters below me, the actual tear will be further down.'

Liam continued analyzing. 'It's likely not a high or medium-level tear. I've been using dimensional energy, and nothing's responded or tried to attack me.' He frowned. 'Still, to reach it, I'd need resistance to temperatures between 1,500 and 2,000 degrees Celsius. It will take a while to reach that level of resistance.'

'Maybe by then, the Ancient One will step in herself.' Liam smirked. 'She probably left this because no young mage could go this far down—and because there's no actual threat that has come out.'

He made a mental note. 'If she doesn't intervene by the time my heat resistance improves, I'll explore further. I'll absorb the energy and see if Incursio or Neontote can evolve again.'

After a few more minutes, Liam swam back to the surface, climbed out, and sat by his belongings. Focusing inward, he studied the white energy running through his armor.

'Controlling this will be one of my first goals.' He watched the energy spread across the armor. 'I didn't actually think about this. Since the lava damages Incursio, does it rebuild itself with stronger materials—or just more heat-resistant ones?'

Picking up one of the notebooks he had taken with him, Liam began writing down his current questions about Incursio. 'I need to properly research this. Relying on memory alone isn't enough for a proper research.'

As he wrote, a thought struck him. 'This can't fall into enemy hands.' He tapped his pen against the notebook. 'How do I keep this safe without risking myself? Anything related to electronic devices is out of the question… a book is the best option. But how do I hide it?'

He remembered Doctor Strange's spell to make the the Time Stone disappear during the fight with Thanos on his homeplanet. 'I have no clue what the actual spell is, but if I could use that spell to conceal the research book, there'd be no problem.'