Little Mage, Mage, Mage Grandpa

[Bite]

[Host gains the skill: Mind Stone]

[Skill: Mind Stone (A simple yet complex ability with a wide range of applications; how it is used varies from person to person)]

After Russell's 'Intelligence' attribute exceeded 100, the system evaluated that he had gained a new permanent skill— Mind Stone!

Regarding the attribute 'Intelligence', the system explains that it is not only mental strength, but also has intricate connections with, or even directly encompasses, willpower, mana, magic resistance, and learning ability.

Among the countless branches of the 'intelligence' attribute, Russell's talent lies in the realm of the Mind Stone. The emergence of this permanent skill directly replaced the first skill that followed him— the Sixth Sense.

The Sixth Sense disappeared, replaced by an upgraded version of Mind Stone, once again proving Russell's talent in the field of the Mind Stone.

In fact, Russell's talent had already been evident for a long time, but he either didn't notice it or, even if he did, didn't think about it in depth.

When Russell first received the system, his 'intelligence' attribute points were evaluated by the system and found to be the highest among the three major attribute points. The average person has 5 points, but he has 8 points.

Unlike the two major attribute points of 'strength' and 'physical strength', a normal person can train from 5 points to 8 points, or even 10 points.

The 'Intelligence' attribute points are difficult to improve, mainly because people don't know how to train them. A normal person is born the same way until death, so Russell's extra 3 points are of great significance.

Moreover, when Russell received the system, he was assessed as having the permanent skill of 'Sixth Sense,' a talent he was born with.

"No wonder!"

Russell suddenly realized that he had drawn a 'Mind Stone' Skill Card in the lottery earlier. He used this card to drag Jean Grey into a dream and make her obey his every command. At the time, he thought it was because the Skill Card was powerful, but it turned out that it was because of his talent.

With 6 Free Attribute Points remaining from his initial 12 points, plus the 1 'Intelligence' attribute point he received from the lottery, Russell made a grand gesture and allocated the points in the most ideal way possible.

[Host: Russell]

[Strength: 102 (50+52)]

[Body: 102 (71+31)]

[Intelligence: 103 (75+28)]

Wealth: 190,800

The mage character absolutely needs a water bucket!

Talent is one thing, but being suited for combat is another. He has survived more than a dozen worlds unscathed thanks to his method of equal distribution.

As for the talent of Mind Stone, it's a newly acquired skill that requires a long period of development and exploration. Simply adding points won't hone the skill, so there's no need to rush it.

After all, Russell's prerequisite for completing World Quest and earning Reward Points is that he can survive!

"Attribute points allocated, it's time to take a trip to the Marvel Universe..."

Russell leaned back in his computer chair and muttered to himself. Although the Marvel Universe was still a long way from the start of the storyline, with Shadow Doppelganger helping to manage things, it didn't matter whether he was there or not.

But the thought of Dormammu blocking the entrance to the Marvel Universe made him feel uncomfortable; as someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder, he couldn't stand this feeling of having something stuck in his throat and needing to get it out.

It's so painful!

I'm not going because I don't want to go, not because I'm being blocked from going.

Dark Dimension!

The desolate and lifeless infinite space endlessly cycles, with decaying stars drifting by. In the darkness, some creature seems to be breathing, exhaling a deadly, rotten aura with rhythmic movements.

Here, all life forms return to their final destination!

In a void completely corrupted by darkness, magical flames, after undergoing irregular transformations, took on a humanoid shape.

Dormammu, the Evil God!

"That strange guy, disappearing and reappearing all at once, how does he do that..."

As the sole master of the Dark Dimension, Dormammu controls everything here—time, space, matter, reality, illusion, and so on.

In other words, he is omnipotent here; he is the God of the Dark Dimension.

But now, a contradictory problem has arisen, similar to him creating a stone that he cannot move.

Dormammu couldn't find the reason for Russell's disappearance and reappearance. There were no warnings, no rules, and Russell could come and go as he pleased. This made Dormammu curious and surprised, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

Within his dimension, uncontrollable life forms appeared. Does this mean... the other party's strength far surpasses his own?

The longer one lives, the more cautious and arrogant one becomes.

The moment the thought arose, it took root in Dormammu's mind. Thinking of the Sorcerer Supreme's strange actions, the seedling instantly grew into a towering tree.

Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme, repeatedly kept Dormammu out of Earth's dimension and possessed the artifact Eye of Agamotto, which Dormammu considered a major threat and always wanted to eliminate.

Even someone as powerful as the Ancient One had to rely on the power of the Old God behind the Eye of Agamotto to resist the invasion of the Dark Dimension. If she went deep into the Dark Dimension and encountered Dormammu, she would only be doomed.

"So, there must have been a deeper meaning behind Ancient One sending that little mage to me..."

Dormammu found it increasingly strange that the Sorcerer Supreme, who had fought with him for so many years, would deliberately offer him a physical body to descend to Earth.

It's impossible that they would aid the enemy; the only explanation is a conspiracy!

Dormammu suddenly realized that the little wizard he had looked down on must possess some kind of terrifying, unknown ability, so terrifying that the Ancient One had complete confidence in him.

"What kind of ability allows him to disregard the rules and rise above the Dark Dimension?"

Whoosh!

As Dormammu was pondering, Russell appeared Teleportation in the spot where he had disappeared, and Dormammu sensed his arrival immediately.

"Little mage!"

Dormammu's fire elemental face unconsciously revealed a solemn expression. He noticed a change in Russell, which, although still insignificant, was indeed stronger than before Russell disappeared.

"Dormammu, I'm here to negotiate. Let me leave, and I'll help you lure the Sorcerer Supreme in."

"..."

Dormammu remained silent, calculating the gains and losses in his mind, and finally chose to target Russell, launching a probing attack.

If Russell's displayed power is weak and insignificant, immediately seize the body for your own use and descend to Earth in that body. If Russell truly possesses hidden, powerful abilities, then it's not too late to negotiate.

What was a probing attack was, in Dormammu 'Russell eyes, a catastrophe of catastrophic magnitude.

A chilling black flame burned in the void. Dormammu drew on the mysterious energy from the Dark Dimension to create unique elemental magic. In addition to fire, there were Riptide, storms, and lightning, all of which were pitch black.

Dormammu himself remained still, his eyes narrowed as he locked onto Russell. The moment Russell showed the slightest sign of weakness, Dormammu would immediately begin to seize control of his body.

Before the elemental magic even got close, Russell felt a sudden chill. An ominous and chilling aura rushed towards him, filled with an oppressive sense of evil and destruction. Without using his Angel's Power, he couldn't withstand even one of its attacks.

"System, use 'Skill Card: Phoenix Force'!"

[Skill Card: Phoenix Force (Power of the Primal Universe)]

Before entering the Dark Dimension, Russell had pulled out this card separately and made thorough preparations.

To be fair, after watching the tragic drama between Dark Phoenix Jean and Logan, he was hesitant about this card, because from any angle, even by thinking with one's ass, Dormammu was better than Logan's underwear.

But Russell decided to give it a try anyway, just in case... just in case Logan's underwear was really amazing!

Rumble—

A torrent of dark elements engulfed Russell's location, and a silent explosion caused space to collapse, the twisting darkness shattering into pieces amidst its irregular changes.

Dormammu's expression turned solemn as he gazed into the dark realm, sensing a mysterious power brimming with boundless vitality.

That power was terrifyingly strong, carrying both destruction and creation, as if it were the embodiment of the most fundamental concept of life. The rules of the Dark Dimension were utterly powerless before it, and were shattered into a chaotic mess of lines with a wave of its hand.

"What kind of power is this, and who are you?"

An eerie red flame ignited a candlelight in the darkness, rapidly growing by devouring the mysterious power within the Dark Dimension. The intense light reflected on Dormammu's face, making his features appear unpredictable.

A crimson light shot into the sky, illuminating countless Dark Dimension that had never seen light for ages. As the flames grew, a pair of enormous wings that blotted out the sky slowly unfurled.

The dark void shone brightly, its wings fully unfurled, and surging energy swept across the surrounding area.

Wherever it passed, the Dark Dimension trembled violently, blackness vanished without a trace, and after destruction, it was reborn, giving birth to a new world.

Only then did Dormammu see clearly the power Russell had unleashed: a Phoenix Phantom materialized from unknown energy, not pure fire magic, but a kind of...

Rule!

Or rather, it was an extremely primal force that he could not comprehend.

"..."

Dormammu was silent for a moment, then looked at Russell in the Phoenix Phantom and nodded, saying, "Master, you just said you came to negotiate?"

This is the benefit of being powerful. When Russell was weak, Dormammu called him "Little Wizard." When Russell unleashed the Phoenix Force, which was powerful enough to shake the foundation of the Dark Dimension, Dormammu immediately became polite and treated him as an equal.

"Yes, but I've changed my mind!"

Russell spread his arms and flapped them twice like a bird. The Phoenix Phantom immediately followed suit and, after a moment's adjustment, flapped its wings and crashed into Dormammu.

It has nothing to do with being petty. Phoenix Force is Skill Card, and it's a one-time use one. Rather than becoming a little mage again after today, it's better to advance to a grandmaster mage and make Dormammu never dare to have any more ideas about Earth.

To put it bluntly, while you're still powerful, you should nip this problem in the bud!

"Mage, you are too presumptuous. Don't forget that this is the Dark Dimension, the domain of Dormammu, the ruler of this world."

Dormammu stood in the void, his face, constructed of fire elementals, burning fiercely with rage, and his dark eyes revealed a strong killing intent.

Without him making any move, the infinite space stretched out, and hundreds of black chains engraved with runes emerged from the void, binding the Phoenix Phantom that was flapping its wings and soaring.