Chapter 1133: War

…

Boom!

Pū Pū Pū!

Within a cluster of ancient Western-style structures at an undisclosed location on Earth, intermittent sounds of battle emanated from within. Despite the sounds of combat, there were no gunshots or other technological weaponry sounds. The echoes of battle within the building persisted for several minutes before gradually subsiding.

The view shifted its focus to the interior of the building— a spacious stone hall. There, Sorcerers dressed in the common, antiquated robes were employing magic to bind several Zealots lying on the ground before them with golden chains of magic.

The surrounding architecture displayed significant signs of damage; evidently, a fierce battle among Sorcerers had just taken place here.

This skirmish was but a minor incident amidst the multiple clashes between Earth’s Sorcerers and the Zealots. Of the five Zealots, three were dead, and two were critically wounded. Meanwhile, Sorcerers lost two elite Sorcerers and the remaining members bore substantial injuries.

In combat against the Zealots, the Sorcerers could only deploy its elite members. Although many of the Sorcerers swayed by Kaecilius’ allure were relatively ordinary, possessing intense inner desires but not particularly potent magical abilities, they chose to descend into darkness upon joining the Zealot’s faction.

This transformation, driven by the power of the dark dimension, elevated their strengths significantly, enabling them to hold their own against the Sorcerer elites.

Boom!

“Damn it!!” A whip lashed out, striking a large stone nearby and reducing it, large as a small car, to rubble and a Sorcerer who had lost his comrades roared in anger.

It had been a long time since Sorcerers experienced such losses, especially from within their own ranks. Despite the faction’s long-standing presence on Earth, their numbers remained limited due to the special nature of their identities and the rigorous magical learning requirements.

Kaecilius’ fall to the darkness suddenly spirited away half of the Sorcerers. The initiation of internal battles among Sorcerers this time had left them uncertain about the future survival of Sorcerers.

“Your anger won’t help! Other places need our assistance!” Observing his comrade’s furious venting, a sorcerer who had just finished binding the two critically wounded Zealots shouted loudly.

Buzzing!

Following this, a Magical Portal appeared beneath the two Zealots, who promptly descended into it. The injured Sorcerers then used the portal to send their fallen comrades and the three slain Zealots into the same abyss. While the war was brutal, they had no choice but to press forward.

“Let’s go! The Zealots faction seems to have gone mad recently. We must persevere!”

Exhaling deeply, the Sorcerer who had spoken took the lead and drew a Magical Portal, charging through it. Following suit, the other Sorcerers, their faces a mixture of grief and anger, followed suit. At this point, aside from some collapsed stone pillars and shattered rubble, it was as if nothing had occurred within the ancient building.

As the aforementioned Sorcerer had said, besides their location, similar battles were unfolding in the hidden strongholds of Sorcerers around the globe. The secluded Sorcerers from the Himalayas had long since joined the worldwide support effort, while the Ancient One was taking action as well.

Yet, while Kaecilius remained inactive, Sorcerers needed to remain vigilant. Despite successfully repelling the Zealots’ assaults, casualties continued to mount among the Sorcerer ranks.

The Himalayas, the hideout of the Ancient One.

Days ago, the once boisterous selection process for the next Sorcerer Supreme had been forcibly suspended. All the secluded Sorcerers were now embroiled in the war against the Zealots’ faction.

Due to the harshness of the battle and the increasing number of injuries among senior Sorcerers, even the young generation of aspiring Sorcerers who had originally come for the selection process had now joined the fray against the Zealots.

…

Although these young Sorcerers were considered the new generation inheritors of Earth’s sorcerer, if the entire faction, and even Earth itself, were to be obliterated, these bearers couldn’t possibly carry on the legacy.

Yet, the performance of these young Sorcerers in the war had been remarkable, not inferior to their senior counterparts. After all, they were the prodigious Sorcerers of their generation, excelling in various aspects of magic.

Three days after the Zealots and Sorcerers officially commenced their battle, the severity of the situation finally reached the ears of Stephen Strange, who had been secluded in the Sanctum Sanctorum for several days.

If it weren’t for Strange being fully engrossed in his research on the Eye of Agamotto in recent days, he would have realized that Wong had long ceased guarding the Sanctum, and the library that was once bustling with visitors had seen only a handful of people in the past two days.

Buzzing~

Standing by the stone podium, Strange slowly retracted his outstretched hand. The green magic circle in front of him dissipated gradually, and the temporal fluctuations vanished.

Having concluded his study of the Eye of Agamotto, Strange took two steps back and took a deep breath. After continuous research over the past few days, he had finally managed to manipulate the Time Stone within after unsealing the Eye of Agamotto.

“Time… Is this truly magic or some form of divine art?” Sensing the slight temporal influence he had just exerted by controlling the Time Stone, Strange’s eyes flickered with curiosity and contemplation.

Despite his extensive magical education and exposure to various enchanting spells, as someone who had received a modern higher education, Strange still often analyzed magic from a scientific perspective.

However, the fact that he could now manipulate and even alter time through the Eye of Agamotto made him feel like he was transcending the boundaries of science.

Peering around the surroundings from the edge of the podium, Strange’s gaze swept the area, but he didn’t spot Wong or the other young prodigious Sorcerers who had been guarding here a few days ago.

“Have they all gone to battle? Even veteran Sorcerers like Wong haven’t returned for quite a while. With reports of casualties, what am I supposed to do?” Looking at the vacant library, Strange felt a mixture of conflict and helplessness.

Having spent so much time in the Himalayas, learning so much magic, Strange had genuinely come to view himself as a member of Earth’s sorcerer lineage. However, this war was instigated by the Zealots and it was a deadly reality.

Having just acquired a fraction of mystical knowledge, Strange knew that he was on the brink of being able to reintegrate into normal society, and he had to continue pursuing his dreams.

“After taking so much from them, I should give something back… Sigh!” Eventually, Strange let out a sigh and vanished from the library in a beam of golden light.

……

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