Under My Control

"Wha...!"

Before the Ancient One could react, she vanished before everyone's eyes.

Less than ten seconds later, she reappeared before them and immediately dropped to her knees.

She was now a horrifying sight.

Her earlier arrogance was gone. In its place, blood covered her entire body, leaving her utterly wretched.

Her clothes were in tatters. Even if they exposed anything, no one wanted a closer look-the injuries covering her body were simply too horrific.

Not a patch of uninjured skin remained on the Ancient One. Charred blast wounds covered her everywhere.

A layer of black runic markings coated her body. If anything had kept her alive, it was probably those black runes.

The black runes flowed across her body, pouring into her wounds one after another. Those ghastly injuries actually began healing rapidly, visibly closing before their eyes.

The Ancient One beckoned, and two black garments flew out of a Sling Ring Portal and draped themselves over her. Only then did she turn a grim gaze toward a certain spot.

There, empty space rippled, and a smiling young man emerged with a beautifully proportioned girl.

A commotion erupted among the crowd. It was Mercer and Galacta!

The Tesseract glowed azure in Mercer's hand. Clearly, they had just used it to conceal themselves.

"You actually fooled me. You used the spell All Things in the Universe from the Book of the Vishanti, didn't you?" The Ancient One said venomously.

An hour ago, the two had been chatting amicably. Now, the tension between them was explosive.

Mercer scratched his head and chuckled. "Thanks to you, I learned the spells in the Book of the Vishanti. They really are useful. Thank you."

Though they were words of gratitude, they held not a trace of warmth. Anyone could hear the chill in them, and the Ancient One's face turned livid.

Had it been an ordinary illusion, the Ancient One would have seen through it at a glance.

But All Things in the Universe was a top-tier illusion spell from the Book of the Vishanti, an advanced technique capable of creating a flawless disguise.

She had no idea that Mercer now possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan.

With that as his foundation, his mastery of magic already matched the Ancient One's... no, it even surpassed hers!

When he used a top-tier illusion at that level, the Ancient One had no hope of seeing through it.

She had genuinely believed Mercer was dead. That was why she had dared to walk out so brazenly to take the Tesseract.

Instead, she had failed to get the Tesseract and been caught in a devastating blast.

"Well done. Very well done!" The Ancient One could no longer conceal the murderous intent in her voice.

Although she had lived for centuries and possessed the magical prowess of the Sorcerer Supreme, her physical body lacked Mercer's superhuman constitution.

At most, she was somewhat tougher than an ordinary person. A gunshot or a stab wound could still fatally injure her.

That explosion had directly triggered the life-preserving protection she had established years ago at the cost of an enormous amount of magic.

The Ancient One had never expected to use it at a moment like this, before she could even react.

"To think even one of the Great Old Ones couldn't kill you. You have truly surpassed all my expectations."

Visible waves of black energy rose from the Ancient One's body. Even the surrounding space seemed to show faint signs of fracturing.

"I expended most of Dormammu's power and used the Time Stone to glimpse the only visible future, then devised my plan accordingly. To think it only left you with superficial wounds. As expected of someone who altered the timeline."

No one present understood just how much information the Ancient One's words contained. All they knew was that she wanted to kill Mercer, but Mercer himself noticed something amiss.

"Dormammu's power?"

Mercer frowned deeply at those words. Wasn't Dormammu her sworn enemy?

"Don't tell me you...!"

The Ancient One dropped all pretense. A black mark of Dormammu appeared in the middle of her forehead.

Initially only three fingers wide, Dormammu's mark spread outward across her face as soon as it appeared. It quickly covered her entire face, lending her a somewhat deranged appearance.

"You've actually been consumed by Dormammu's power?!"

Mercer was astonished. Looking at her terrifying appearance, he wondered how a Sorcerer Supreme could have fallen under the control of the lord of the Dark Dimension.

"Don't misunderstand. I'm simply making better use of his power. Besides, I've finally figured it out.

If I can draw on such tremendous power, why should I remain on this tiny Earth, protecting this worthless place?

I will take control of the entire planet and become the master of Earth!"

The Ancient One's former cool composure had vanished, replaced by a madness that was almost unimaginable in her.

"To think even you've changed," Mercer said, sounding a little disappointed.

"Hmph. Stop acting as though you know everything. Once I capture you, I have plenty of ways to crack open your skull and see what's inside."

Thick black energy poured from the Ancient One's hands, embodying utter evil. It spread rapidly outward from beneath her feet.

Before the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents trying to leave the stadium could reach the doors, that darkness began seeping into their bodies. The most obvious change was in their eyes: even the whites turned black, leaving their entire eyes pitch-dark. It was an eerie sight.

"I don't think you're capable of that." Mercer chuckled, simply standing there without moving.

The Ancient One ignored his words. She clenched her hand, and boundless darkness surged from beneath her feet straight toward Mercer.

Mercer watched the Ancient One with a smile. Just as the darkness was about to engulf him, it abruptly stopped five meters away, unable to draw any closer.

"Have you forgotten what I'm holding? This space is already under my control."

Azure energy sent faint ripples through the surrounding space, preventing the Ancient One's darkness from getting anywhere near Mercer.

"Book of the Vishanti, Calm the Mind and Clear the Meridians!"

As Mercer's voice rang out, clarity returned to the eyes of those corrupted by the darkness.

Before they could gather their wits, they felt as though they had missed a step on a staircase. Their vision flickered, and they found themselves outside the stadium.

Inside the stadium.

The faintly spreading azure energy withdrew entirely into the Tesseract. With everyone else sent outside, only Mercer, Galacta, and the Ancient One remained in the ruined stadium.

"Now, let's see how you intend to escape me."

It was Mercer who said those words.

"Escape you? You little brat, do you really think you can kill me?"

With her plans thwarted one after another, the Ancient One casually waved her hand. A Sling Ring Portal opened beside her, and she leaped straight into it.

At the sight, Mercer sighed and shook his head slightly. Blacklight matter surged over his right arm, making it much larger, and he reached behind himself to grab.

That single grab caught the Ancient One by the throat through the newly opened Sling Ring Portal. The tremendous force made her eyes bulge slightly, and disbelief covered her face.

Had he actually tracked her movements perfectly?

"Didn't I tell you? This space is already under my control!"