After cleaning up the battlefield, Ren took a single step and instantly appeared on Earth.
By then, the Ancient One had regained consciousness.
After all, she was a genuine top-tier Skyfather-level powerhouse with an immensely strong foundation.
Once Ren had completely dispersed the residual higher-dimensional energy inside her, she recovered rapidly.
Seeing Ren return without a scratch, the Ancient One let out a long breath, her taut nerves finally relaxing.
"Ren, you finally made it back safely."
Concern filled the Ancient One's eyes. "You're not hurt, are you?"
"Thanks for worrying about me. I'm perfectly fine." Ren's lips curved into a relaxed smile. "It was only a Quargos. It's thoroughly dead now."
"Quargos? Is that the monster's true name?" The Ancient One asked.
"Yes," Ren explained. "A gigantic savage beast from ancient times, and a war machine created by the ancient demon Shuma-Gorath. It had been pinned beneath the Pacific Ocean all this time. When I killed the Eye Beast earlier, the seal weakened, giving that brute a chance to escape."
"So that's what happened." Understanding dawned on the Ancient One.
"Ren, you mustn't blame yourself." The Ancient One smiled reassuringly. "Ultimately, you were protecting humanity by slaying that demon."
"I understand." Ren nodded. "Don't worry. Something this minor won't shake my resolve."
"I'm glad you can see it that way. The world we live in faces countless disasters every single day." The Ancient One sighed, her eyes suddenly dimming. "It's such a tragedy for San Francisco. Eight million living souls, wiped out in an instant."
After a brief pause, her eyes reddened slightly. "Several sorcerers from Kamar-Taj died there too. They were all such promising young people."
Not all of Kamar-Taj's protégés stayed within the Three Sanctums. Some were always out traveling or carrying out special assignments.
With the