Eating a Meal and Picking Up a Darkhold?!

The two of them left the villa and got into Natasha's car.

But even after sitting in the driver's seat, Natasha's mind was still buzzing, and she had yet to fully process what had happened.

She took several deep breaths, trying hard to calm herself, before starting the car.

A brief silence filled the air, but Natasha quickly broke it. "You can actually control time. Does that mean you can control the time of the entire Earth?"

Luo Bai did not answer. Instead, he asked, "I was surprised that you waited for me all day, but I assume you came to find me with a mission as well."

Luo Bai's attitude was obvious. He did not want to discuss it further.

So Natasha did not press the matter. Following Luo Bai's lead, she replied, "Looks like you guessed it. Nick Fury did ask me to persuade you to join the Avengers, but I knew you wouldn't agree. I came to see you today entirely of my own accord. I'm... very interested in sorcerers. Honestly, I think you're amazing."

Natasha was very smart.

She knew what Luo Bai wanted to avoid, so she glossed over it in a single sentence.

She also knew that most men liked praise, so she complimented Luo Bai right from the start.

Of course, every one of those compliments came from the heart.

"If you don't mind, perhaps we could be friends," Natasha continued.

Luo Bai would not refuse such a simple request, but he reminded her, "Of course I don't mind. But I won't make exceptions just because we're friends."

Natasha nodded to show that she understood. "Don't worry, I won't trouble you too much. We can just grab a meal or have coffee once in a while."

"If I have the time," Luo Bai replied with a smile.

Natasha smiled but said nothing.

After a brief silence, she suddenly asked, "Do sorcerers have enemies?"

Luo Bai was somewhat puzzled. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious. You're so powerful—you can alter time and control people's souls. Do sorcerers like you really have opponents?" Natasha asked.

"Of course we do," Luo Bai replied.

"I heard you mention something called the Supreme Sorcerer to Stark before—the strongest sorcerer on Earth. Does the Supreme Sorcerer have opponents too?" Natasha continued.

Luo Bai smiled. "Of course. The universe is far larger than you imagine."

Natasha's expression turned exceptionally solemn upon hearing that.

She was not asking to gather intelligence. She was worried.

Natasha had always known that Earth was unsafe, and that the dangers it faced were far more terrifying than people imagined.

That was precisely why she worried whether some overwhelmingly powerful existence might appear on Earth—one that could not be subdued.

Luo Bai was already this powerful, yet there was an even stronger Supreme Sorcerer.

But even the Supreme Sorcerer had opponents. It was impossible to imagine just how powerful and terrifying the enemies facing sorcerers must be.

Thinking of this, Natasha hurriedly said, "I'm not asking this to pry for information or anything. I'm just worried about the situation humanity and Earth are in."

"I understand. But you don't need to worry about that, because worrying won't do you any good," Luo Bai replied bluntly.

He was not mocking her. It was simply the truth.

What could S.H.I.E.L.D. do even if it worried?

Could they possibly deal with Dormammu and those dark sorcerers?

Compared to Natasha, Luo Bai was the one who should be more worried about such things.

Gu Yi had given him the Time Stone. It was obvious she wanted him to become the Supreme Sorcerer.

Wouldn't becoming the Supreme Sorcerer mean having to deal with Dormammu and those dark sorcerers?

"Honestly, I've always known Earth was dangerous. But it wasn't until I met you that I realized its situation might be even more dangerous than I imagined. Although I haven't personally seen those terrifying enemies, your appearance and what you've told me have made me believe that S.H.I.E.L.D. cannot resolve crises in the universe."

"I understand why you don't want to join the Avengers, because the beings you sorcerers may have to face are perhaps beyond anything humanity can even imagine."

"I admire you, and I'm grateful to all the sorcerers who have always protected Earth and humanity."

"But I still want to ask: can you deal with those terrifying beings?"

Natasha spoke with complete sincerity.

It was like an old friend worrying about you and asking, "Can you really overcome those difficulties? Do you need me to lend you a hand?"

Though that old friend might not be able to help at all, they could at least listen to your troubles and offer emotional support.

Luo Bai simply did not need that sort of emotional support.

"Of course I can. After all, I'm a man favored by the Goddess of Luck~" Luo Bai replied in a half-joking tone.

Natasha froze.

She took it as a joke, so she replied half-jokingly as well, "Then I hope the Goddess of Luck keeps favoring you~~ and that everything continues to go smoothly for you~~~"

"I think she will," Luo Bai said with a smile.

Their casual chat soon came to an abrupt end because they had arrived at the restaurant.

No, more accurately, a hotel.

"???"

Luo Bai was stunned on the spot.

Hadn't they agreed to get something to eat? Why had they come to a hotel instead?

Just as he was wondering about it, Natasha spoke. "There is a restaurant on the top floor of this hotel. It's usually open twenty-four hours a day to receive guests, and the food is quite good. At this hour, it's hard to find a restaurant that suits your taste, so I brought you here. Want to try it?"

What she said made sense, so Luo Bai did not nitpick.

"Then let's try it," Luo Bai said.

The two took the elevator and soon arrived at the top-floor restaurant.

There were not many people in the restaurant, and the atmosphere was quite pleasant.

They found a table with sofa seats. The moment they sat down, Luo Bai noticed that something was wrong.

Because a book was lying quietly on one of the sofa seats.

The book was very unusual. It looked extremely worn.

Several red letters were printed on its cover.

What was strange was that those red letters looked terrifying and especially glaring.

As a sorcerer, Luo Bai could also see at a glance that faint black mist was seeping from the book.

Although he could not understand what the letters on the cover meant, Luo Bai could still sense the book's eerie nature.

It seemed like a spellbook, but not like the magic Luo Bai had encountered so far. It was more like a... book of Black Magic.

In truth, Luo Bai already had a vague guess, so he picked up the spellbook and flipped it open for a look.

To his surprise, he had guessed correctly.

Fuck!!

This really was a book of Black Magic!!

And it was a divine book that had been lost for a long time—the Darkhold!

As for how Luo Bai knew.

All he could say was that the book was strange. When he opened its first page,

he found a line written in Chinese: "Congratulations, lucky one. The moment you obtain this book, you possess supreme power, because its name is the Darkhold!"