Outside the hexagonal barrier blazing with holy light, Russell stood with his arms folded, looking at Strange within the barrier. Beside him stood the expressionless Urd, clad in black armor with long golden hair flowing down her back. She did not look like a Dimensional Demon God, but she certainly had the temperament of one.
Keep out, mortals!
Unfortunately, the mortal had no such awareness. Russell glanced at the icy Urd and gave her a thumbs-up. "Not bad. You're really in character. Keep it up."
Urd: "..."
Inside the barrier, because of the accelerated time, countless afterimages of Strange flickered around him as though he were having a seizure. The impatience on his face gradually turned to calm, as if he had entered some strange state.
The barrier was somewhat like one-way glass used for surveillance. Russell and Urd could see Strange, but Strange could not see them.
"My lord, can he really take over the position of Sorcerer Supreme?"
Urd was deeply skeptical. Although Russell's usual... behavior could be somewhat unexpected, she had complete faith in his strength.
By comparison, Strange had only been studying magic for a short time. Even if cheats had sent him soaring ahead, it was still hardly convincing.
At the very least, Urd was confident that her combat experience surpassed Strange's by countless times.
If I hadn't read the comics and watched the movies, I wouldn't believe it either!
Russell grumbled inwardly. Setting the comics aside, in the movie alone, Doctor Strange's rapid growth made many people think that he defeated Dormammu through negotiation during the endless time loop.
That was indeed true. There was a flash of ingenuity in that absurdity, though it could hardly be called wisdom. In truth, Strange had not merely used the time loop to wear down Dormammu's patience.