Dormammu.
Ruler of the Dark Dimension.
An ancient energy being who had lived through countless ages and even witnessed universes rise and fall.
For years, he had been like a ravenous Black Hole, mercilessly devouring one universe after another and amassing unimaginable power.
Now.
Only a Divine Avatar formed from his dark energy had descended into this other space.
Yet its vast, suffocating pressure still made the entire space tremble violently.
"Ren, this is bad. I'll force open a rift. When I do, don't look back. Run!"
The Ancient One's expression had never been so grave.
This was the first time she had faced Dormammu's projection beyond Earth.
Without the defensive Magic Array of Earth's Three Sanctums to support her, even she had no guarantee of victory.
She might well die here.
So she had to protect Ren first. This young man was Earth's hope for the future. She could not let him fall here.
"Don't worry, Sorcerer Supreme."
Ren looked remarkably relaxed. He even reassured her. "He can't do anything to us. I brought something useful."
Ren always kept the Power Stone on him.
Back then, that brainless Ronan had nearly steamrolled the entire Nova Empire single-handedly with just one Power Stone.
Ren considered his command of magic leagues beyond Ronan's.
With a cosmic trump card like that in hand, even if he could not beat Dormammu's avatar, blasting open an escape route would be easy.
The Ancient One froze at his words.
"You carry something of that caliber... on your person?" The corner of her mouth twitched.
The Infinity Stones could spark a cosmic war wherever they appeared. Generations of Sorcerers Supreme had kept the Time Stone enshrined in the depths of Kamar-Taj like a sacred relic.
And Ren treated his like a trinket he could stuff in