Chapter 158: The Eye of Agamotto and the Time Stone
This request was very reasonable.
Because the whole world had begun to fall into chaos. Across the Earth, invasions by lifeforms from other dimensions were appearing everywhere.
As a result, the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj had to send people all over the world to drive them away or kill them.
This had already caused a serious shortage of manpower in Kamar-Taj.
And the strongest guardian, Ancient One, was being held back by Dormammu.
In truth, Ancient One's strength far exceeded what ordinary people imagined.
One had to know that in the past, Ancient One had often faced more than a single threat. Many times, she would deal with multiple threats at the same time.
Those threats were not something other sorcerers could resist. Only Ancient One could personally handle them.
As an individual, how did she resolve all those threats and protect Earth?
Simple. Her magical attainments, and extremely powerful equipment.
Among the Skyfather tier, Ancient One was absolutely at Tier 1 level, weaker only than that old monster Odin of Asgard.
With the barrier formed by the three Sanctums covering the entire Earth, she could weaken invaders to the greatest extent.
At the same time, she also possessed her most powerful tool.
The Eye of Agamotto.
Ancient One had once told Matthew that the Eye of Agamotto was the container of the Time Stone, while also being an extremely powerful protective amulet.
When opened, the Eye of Agamotto could release dazzling rays filled with boundless magical power.
It could see through disguises, break illusions, summon images of past events, and track beings through their magical and physical signatures.
The pure energy light emitted by the Eye of Agamotto could harm those with impure hearts. At the same time, it had extraordinary effects against undead spirits, demons, and creatures that lived in darkness. It could also be called the power of the All-Seeing.
This alone gave a very high boost to combat power.
Combined with the Time Stone, the embodiment of the most powerful time rules in the universe, the combat power Ancient One could display far exceeded her own magical attainments.
Equipment was extremely important in this universe.
This was not some nonsense about true powerhouses not needing external power at all.
The boost from a divine artifact was enough to let a person's combat level leap across one or even several tiers.
Take Thanos, for example.
Under normal circumstances, Thanos himself was around the sub-Skyfather level. With the armor he forged, the tyrant blade, the knowledge he possessed, his combat skills, and more, he could rank among the best within the sub-Skyfather tier.
But against Skyfather-level beings who could truly fight, he would be crushed.
Unless Thanos continued developing and growing stronger later.
By nature, he was also a character with endless potential.
Of course, that was for the future.
However, once he held an Infinity Stone, his combat level would rise sharply.
Like Tony Stark, he was someone cursed by knowledge. He was a collection of knowledge in this universe, even able to perceive OAA (One Above All).
So as long as he held a Stone, he could complete a leap and ascension in combat power. Others might not compare to him in this regard. But as long as they obtained an Infinity Stone, the effect would at most be somewhat weaker.
For example, after Ronan obtained the Power Stone, he immediately possessed the power to destroy the entire planet Xandar. He could even ignore Xandar's own defense system.
The Eye of Agamotto was the magical artifact of the Sorcerers Supreme throughout the generations.
It was a trump card used to resist external threats.
However, Dormammu was determined to hold down Ancient One, and Ancient One truly could not break free for the time being.
A confrontation at this level was not something that could decide victory or defeat in a short time.
To put it plainly, Kamar-Taj was now short on manpower, and its high-end combat power was absent. At this time, they had no choice but to seek help from Matthew, a gifted sorcerer whose talent far surpassed Kaecilius.
They were not only hoping for Matthew's help, but also for the aid of the soldiers under his command.
After all, when Kamar-Taj had carried out expulsion missions in the past, the two Warbands had already sent people to assist them. There was an established understanding between both sides when it came to cooperation.
However, the number of soldiers deployed was usually no more than three at a time, so Kamar-Taj still had no clear idea of how many people Matthew actually commanded.
Since preparations had already been made in advance, Reacher and the others immediately agreed upon receiving the request for assistance and proceeded to carry out their original plan.
As for Matthew, he was unsurprisingly held up by someone.
That person was none other than the Hell Lord, Mephisto.
...
In the great state of Texas, in a western town called Marfa.
In a slightly remote part of the town, outside a small tavern called the Last Station, a strong, spirited horse was leisurely flicking its tail in the stable while chewing the hay that had been prepared earlier.
The tavern, which normally did not have many customers, now had two strangers inside.
Its style carried a clear retro western flavor. It was a standard cowboy tavern.
There were not many guests, only about a dozen, all local residents from the town. Most were dressed in cowboy clothes, some middle-aged, some elderly.
They sat around a table, drinking brewed beer, playing cards, and loudly bragging.
A television hung in the corner of the tavern, playing a recorded NBA game.
The noisy atmosphere made the tavern feel lively.
Behind the bar, an old white-haired cowboy filled two large mugs of beer, carried them over, and placed them on the counter before pushing them to the old man and the young man seated in front of it.
His expression was hard to read, somewhere between surprise and tension.
He picked up a towel and calmly wiped the bar, his gaze fixed on the old man in front of him, who wore a simple plaid shirt and looked almost perfectly suited to the western setting.
Beside the old man sat a boy.
He wore a simple fitted black leather jacket, a T-shirt, and jeans.
By contrast, he seemed somewhat out of place here. Especially with that unfamiliar face of his, he should have drawn the attention of the other drinkers in the tavern.
Yet these people seemed not to notice the old man and the boy at all.
Or rather, their subconscious made them ignore the two of them.
"Good beer. You brewed beer for me once too. How nostalgic, Carter."
The old man picked up his mug and took a large gulp, smiling with satisfaction, as if reminiscing.
Carter adjusted the brim of his cowboy hat and sneered in disdain. "Nostalgic for the past? Spare me that bullshit, Mephisto."
Mephisto put on a helpless expression, then looked toward the boy beside him and clicked his tongue in wonder. "Although I knew it already, your rate of improvement still surprises me, Matthew."
"Perhaps it also makes you uneasy?" Matthew did not confront Mephisto sharply. Instead, he spoke as if joking.
Old Carter had once been a Ghost Rider, and his identity was anything but ordinary. Still, whether in terms of power level or the dimensions from which they viewed things, he could not quite understand how these two opponents, who should have been irreconcilable enemies, could be so harmonious.
Old Carter wiped the countertop and sank into thought.
"It does make me uneasy. Not only me, but also that one stronger than I am."
Mephisto was not angered by Matthew's joke. Instead, he admitted it, while also bringing up the real focus of this meeting.
...
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