Just as Lucas opened the title page, a knock on the door sounded.
Knock! Knock!
"Come in."
Click!
Bang!
As Lucas's words sounded, the door to the lounge opened, a red figure darted in, and quickly closed the door behind her.
"Gwen knows about us?"
The person who had come was Wanda.
She had a small satchel filled with books slung over her shoulder, and her expression was flustered. She looked like she had just returned from school.
"Wanda, don't worry, I've already convinced Gwen." Lucas gently smoothed Wanda's hair and adjusted her clothes, reassuring her softly.
He regretted that universities didn't have uniforms.
"Really? But…"
Wanda was skeptical. She wanted to say that when she met Gwen, Gwen didn't seem convinced.
"Of course, it's true."
Lucas interrupted Wanda, saying it without a blush or a racing heart.
Not refusing sometimes meant consent.
As he spoke, Lucas took Wanda's hands, and with a meaningful tone, he said, "Wanda, if you don't believe me, would you like to experience how I convinced Gwen?"
As his words fell, the surrounding space shifted. In an instant, Lucas transported Wanda to above the clouds. Then, green and silver light intertwined and spread, cutting off the clouds and the surrounding space-time.
Wanda complied, slowly kneeling down.
For the peace of his backyard, Lucas could only utilize the Sorcerer Supreme's specialty—time management.
Two days and four nights on the clouds, but only an instant had passed outside the clouds.
After enduring those four long days, Wanda finally understood how Lucas had convinced Gwen.
"Is Gwen's physique really that good?" Emerging from the clouds, Wanda said with lingering fear.
During those two days and four nights, she had fainted and woken up, woken up and fainted again. She was already in the sky, yet she ascended even higher.
In the brutal battle of those two days and four nights, even with Chaos Magic, she still couldn't hold on multiple times and surrendered.
She really couldn't imagine how Gwen had endured it. And she was able to go to school today as if nothing had happened.
Even now, although she had healed herself with Chaos Magic, she still felt weak all over.
Seeing this, Lucas quickly supported Wanda to prevent her from falling due to weak legs.
"Gwen's physique is indeed better."
After thinking for a moment, Lucas explained, "However, Gwen's physique wasn't that good from the start. It became so strong through continuous training. Just like a flower, only with daily watering can it bloom more vividly."
Day after day?
Wanda shivered.
She mustered her strength, pushed Lucas away, and with a flick of her finger, opened a portal in the void and fled in a panic, leaving behind Lucas with a mysterious smile on his face.
"The road ahead is long and arduous." Lucas shook his head.
Afterward, he descended from the clouds and walked towards Kamar-Taj.
Today was his first day at work, and having successively defeated the Spider-Demon and the Witch, he needed a good meal to reward himself.
He took out his phone, took a photo and posted.
"Have you ever seen Kamar-Taj at 4 AM?"
Soon there was a reply.
Sorcerer Supreme Strange: Not only have I seen Kamar-Taj at 4 AM, I've also seen it at 1 AM, 2 AM, 3 AM, and… Shit, I haven't closed my eyes for five days and five nights.
Sorcerer Supreme Ancient One replied to Sorcerer Supreme Strange: Keep it up, Strange, you are the best among us.
Sorcerer Supreme Lucas replied to Sorcerer Supreme Strange: Keep it up, Strange, you are the best among us.
Iron Man Tony Stark liked this comment.
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Kamar-Taj at 4 AM was still brightly lit, especially the main hall that presided over the Sanctum Sanctorum's magical array.
Inside the main hall, Strange's fingers were rapidly tapping on his phone screen.
He looked somewhat exasperated. But if one observed carefully, they would notice that despite having stayed up for days and nights, his dark circles had actually faded.
...
Humming a tune, Lucas arrived at the Kamar-Taj dining hall.
The sorcerers practice both physical and magical arts, so their daily activity and consumption are high, requiring plenty of food to replenish their energy.
However, everyone's physique is different, and the timing of hunger also varies.
To prevent any sorcerer from going hungry his tenure, Lucas specifically instructed that the dining hall should always have food available for sorcerers to take freely.
This was definitely not for his own convenience.
Golden sparks flickered, and a portal slowly formed.
Then, Lucas put on gloves and moved various dishes, one after another, towards the portal.
The joys and sorrows of humanity are not interconnected.
Seeing Strange diligently and conscientiously guarding Earth-404 only made Lucas more at ease to continue playing.
But someone clearly wouldn't let Lucas continue to enjoy himself.
Tap... Tap...
A series of footsteps sounded from afar.
Lucas looked in the direction of the sound and saw a figure slowly approaching in the darkness.
Along with the figure came a faint voice.
"Sorcerer Lucas, are you interested in seeing Kamar-Taj at five in the morning?"
The newcomer was Strange.
The more he thought about it in the hall, the angrier he got. He used Lucas's photos and inquiries to other Sorcerers to find him and demand an explanation.
They were all Sorcerer Supremes and guarding the reality was their undeniable responsibility.
But he couldn't just dump all the work on him, could he?
"Good morning, Strange." Lucas greeted Strange warmly when he saw him.
He casually picked up a dish and placed it on a tray, then walked towards the wine cabinet nearby.
Since Lucas had semi-taken over Kamar-Taj, its economic conditions had soared due to his different management philosophy from the Ancient One's. Therefore, in addition to regular food, the Kamar-Taj dining hall also stocked various alcoholic beverages.
The wine cabinet was filled with an dazzling array of drinks, and Lucas was momentarily overwhelmed.
He didn't recognize any of them.
Adhering to the principle that the only drawback of expensive things is that they are expensive, he simply picked the most expensive bottle of red wine from the cabinet and then went to the other side to get a bottle of raw coconut water.
After doing all this, he led Strange to sit at the dining table.
"Sit, Strange. You've worked hard during this time. This cup is for you. I'll drink it, you can take it easy."
Strange looked at the uncorked wine bottle, then at the red wine in his own glass, and then at the dark red transparent liquid sliding down the side of Lucas's glass, and for a moment, he couldn't hold back.
He picked up the wine bottle and examined it.
This was a red wine from Château Cheval Blanc, produced in 1947, which had repeatedly sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars in his Universe.
Before Christine's car accident, as the top neurosurgeon in the U.S., he couldn't afford wine of this caliber. He could only occasionally drink it when performing surgery for some important figures and being invited to private parties afterward.
"This bottle of wine is truly wasted on you."
Strange raised his wine glass, swirled it, and then savored it carefully. With such fine wine before him, he no longer cared about demanding an explanation.
Lucas quietly put away the raw coconut water and refilled his own glass.
He had originally planned to have one drink with Strange and then switch to raw coconut water. But after one drink, he found that the taste of this wine was surprisingly good.
Although he couldn't say what made it good.
After several rounds of drinks and many dishes, Strange's expression softened, and he began to talk about the recent anomalies in the Hells near the 404 Universe.
"According to Sorcerer Mordo, about three days after we last left for Earth-616, many extra-dimensional creatures appeared, fleeing from other distant Dimensions."
At this point, Strange glanced at Lucas.
The culprit behind the mass migration of interdimensional creatures was Infinite Ultron and his Ultron Legion.
Infinite Ultron discovering the Multiverse had some connection to Lucas.
"These fleeing creatures have repeatedly attacked the Sanctum Sanctorum's magical array, attempting to enter the reality."
"Although most of them are blocked by the array, due to the large numbers, occasionally some accidentally slip through and are summoned by people on Earth. Now, it's unknown how many extra-dimensional creatures are lurking on Earth."
As he spoke, Strange sighed, a hint of weariness on his face.
If it were a direct battle, he could mostly take out these extra-dimensional creatures one by one, crunchy and quick.
But they didn't play fair, ambushing him. Almost day and night, at every moment, more or less creatures were attacking the Kamar-Taj defenses.
Strange's expression turned serious and he said sternly, "Sorcerer Lucas, Earth has reached a critical moment of life and death, and it needs you to return and take charge of the overall situation."
Lucas's eyebrows twitched.
When did Earth reach a critical moment of life and death? Why didn't he know?
Although he knew Strange was deliberately exaggerating, considering that even workhorses—no, Sorcerers—needed rest, he asked with concern, "Where is Master? Isn't she here too?"
Hearing about the Ancient One, Strange took a gulp of wine. "Ancient One said she needed her beauty sleep at night. She hasn't had a good rest in hundreds of years."
"What about during the day? Can't she switch shifts with you during the day?" Lucas pressed.
"Some people's worlds only have night, no day."
Strange took another gulp and explained, "As soon as it's daytime in Kamar-Taj, Ancient One runs off to New York for her nightlife."
After speaking, Strange looked directly at Lucas.
Before coming to Earth-404, he had traveled through many Universes. He had never seen such a laid-back Sorcerer Supreme.
And he was seeing two at once.
Lucas was speechless.
He had been working day and night these past few days. He didn't expect Strange to also be working day and night.
Looking at Strange's dark circles, Lucas comforted him, "Strange, don't worry. I'll arrange some helpers for you as soon as possible."
Hearing Lucas's assurance, Strange finally looked away.
He refilled his glass, then left with the wine bottle, leaving only the words "as soon as possible."
"By tomorrow at the latest." Lucas assured him again.
He was serious and had two plans ready in a short time.
The first plan: Tony and Loki, who had just liked his post.
The second plan: the Elder Gods who would be coming for treatment tomorrow.
If Tony and Loki couldn't handle it, then he would borrow a few Elder Gods from the Creator.
Although he knew Strange wouldn't get exhausted that easily, pushing him too hard might lead to passive resistance.
At this critical juncture, with the Hells in turmoil, such a powerful, responsible, and professionally experienced Sorcerer Supreme was hard to find.
...
Lucas opened the portal again and returned to the bookstore.
He would deal with finding helpers for Strange tomorrow. Tonight, he still had to continue persuading Gwen.
(End of Chapter)
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