Chapter 1682

Many participants entered the semifinals, but after successive eliminations, only a few familiar faces remained among the students—most of them were top students in their grade, and they had long since chosen which demon to borrow power from; the longer they harmonized with their demon's power, the stronger their control over it, so none of them were pushovers.

But since this group was small, drawing lots to pick opponents often paired acquaintances together, and Barry became the unlucky one in everyone's eyes, for he drew Helen Stark as his opponent.

Most students interpreted this campus attack as an internal power struggle within the Asgardian royal family; most students born and raised in Asia could better understand the danger of such court intrigues, so they avoided it at all costs, and few were willing to get involved.

This was indeed an extremely awkward situation—everyone knew Helen came from an extraordinary background, and her father taught at the school; winning would embarrass her, losing would offend someone, so it was a lose-lose, and thus everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Barry's opponent was finally determined.

Yet the Doctor Strange in Barry's mind was dissatisfied; he let out a cold snort and said in a mocking tone: "How is it this little girl? She looks weak—don't you want to fight a stronger opponent to better show off your learning?"

"I just want to get this over with quickly and go home to sleep." Barry's voice carried fatigue, making it clear he was fighting only under duress; his words and actions made this attitude unmistakable.

Yet Doctor Strange refused to give up, believing no one could retain such a weak personality after gaining great power; soon, he would be able to obtain even greater power in another vast world, among countless universes.

In the first two matches, one student performed poorly, so the bout ended hastily; the professors in the viewing stands looked dissatisfied, and the demon in midair seemed bored, feeling his fun had been spoiled.

When Barry and Helen entered the arena, hardly anyone paid attention—Barry wasn't the competitive type; during martial training, he silently practiced on the wooden dummy, never seeking to spar, and had little reputation among students; Helen, meanwhile, was the source of trouble—what result could come from a mismatch between an unlucky soul and a god's child?

As both sides took their positions and bowed, Helen still began with her electric divine power as her opening move; Barry gripped his wand with his index and middle fingers, and the power projected into his soul by Doctor Strange surged into his arm.

With a "swish," a light curtain unfolded, and an electric arc struck instantly—but was blocked by the shield; Doctor Strange sneered contemptuously and said: "Asgardians? Originally, there was no need to quarrel with a group of doomed, pitiful worms, but you must show her something impressive—listen to me, spatial severance!"

"No, that's not possible—it might hurt her." Barry said firmly: "She's just a little girl; we can't use offensive magic."

"But you're in a duel right now!"

"So what? I already said I don't like fighting people; I'll try my best to defend against her moves, and if I can't, well, it's just taking a hit—I originally just came to watch Bruce and Harley."

Doctor Strange drew a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and silently muttered in his heart ten thousand times: "He still has use for me, he still has use for me, this fool still has use for me," before finally letting out a hum and falling silent.

Saying Barry practiced on the wooden dummy in the training field isn't quite accurate—it's better to say he let the dummy strike him; he thoroughly practiced dodging and blocking techniques, just as Charles and Doctor Strange believed—Barry possesses a unique talent in certain aspects.

This is Marvel, so of course there's no Speed Force, but when Barry focuses, he feels time slow down—like the commonly said "bullet time," or like extreme reaction speed making him perceive time differently than others, causing his speed to appear very fast to ordinary people.

So far, this change is still very weak, far from achieving the infinite time effect of the Speed Force, but if he returns to the DC world and continues training, Barry may very well reach the threshold of the Speed Force earlier.

Or perhaps this is inevitable—after all, the Barry who returned from the future was very young, looking like a college student, yet already highly proficient in using the Speed Force, suggesting he may have become the Flash at fifteen or sixteen, or even earlier.

Calm mind, gather energy, focus spirit—Barry locked his gaze on Helen's movements, and the instant he raised his hand, he sidestepped at extreme speed to dodge the leaping electric arc, lunged forward, flicked his wand upward, and a red arc of strange power flew toward Helen.

Loki narrowed his eyes suddenly—not because he worried about Helen, but because Barry's use of this power felt familiar to him.

Strange? …No, that's wrong—Strange is the Sorcerer Supreme, but he's still human, and his mode of existence prevents him from lending power to humans like a demon can.

If mages could directly transfer power to apprentices, there'd be no need for wands; the human life form is destined to be unable to transmit energy this way, so they need aids like wands and other casting tools.

Suddenly, Loki recalled a strange tale told by a Loki from a parallel universe who had once come to Asgard—that among Lokis, it's a universe-wide legend passed mouth to mouth: the death case of the Sorcerer Supreme.

Helen was surprised Barry could dodge her attack; she sighed, landed from the ground, and Doctor Strange gloated in Barry's mind: "See? I told you this little girl has no moves left—Asgardians grow stronger with age, he's only this big, how many moves could he possibly know?"

The next second, only a "whoosh" was heard as a black shadow shot toward him at a speed Barry couldn't dodge.

Immediately, appearing in Barry and Doctor Strange's shared field of vision was Helen's fist, as large as a sandbag.

"Bang!"

An uppercut sent Barry flying; immediately followed by a spinning kick in midair, then another uppercut, then a downward elbow strike—when the dust settled, Barry happened to lie just outside the boundary line.

Helen shook her fist and said: "Still, this thing works best."

Loki on the stands shook his head and sat back down; no matter how strange the demon Barry contracted was, after passing Helen's divine power test, he still had to pass her fist test—and based on his long-term observation, Loki believed the latter was over ten times harder than the former.

Helen knocked Barry down but didn't leave; she walked to his side, half-kneeled, and stared intently into the depths of his eyes.

Instantly, the astonishing dark talent and inspiration Helen had gained from Harley allowed her to see, deep in Barry's soul, the thing granting him power—a dark god's book.

"Got you!"

Helen said this, but made no move; she stood up, left Barry, squeezed into the crowd, leapt onto the viewing platform in a not-exaggerated manner, and whispered a few words into Loki's ear.

Loki raised an eyebrow, his expression turning cold, and said to Barry: "Are you sure? You smell the same madness on him as those attackers."

"Thanks to the keen sense of smell I recently gained from that crazy girl." Helen also looked at Barry and said: "Just to be safe, we should let the real one sniff him out—I believe, in this universe, no one understands madness better than Harley."

Helen's expectation was soon fulfilled, but the professors didn't break any rules—just that Harley's opponent truly couldn't beat her, or lacked fighting spirit, because they'd previously seen this crazy girl rush in with a single knife strike; most people didn't want to risk spilling their guts on the spot, so when fighting, they shrank back, overemphasizing defense, making victory naturally difficult.

Thus, in the finals, Harley met Barry; as soon as they entered the arena, Harley acted like a hunting dog, fiercely twitching her nose, lifting her lips, and baring two sharp fangs.

"It's you!" Harley locked eyes with Barry, but wasn't speaking to her companion—instead, through those eyes, she saw Doctor Strange in Harley's mind.

"I smell that stench!" Harley raised her voice: "You controlled the students to attack people in the hallways, then used madness to cover up their crimes… you damned heretic!"

"She sees me, but she can't do anything." Doctor Strange chuckled low in Barry's mind: "I merely tossed out a few baits, trying to lure the universe's Sorcerer Supreme, but I didn't expect that even if this ridiculous school descended into chaos, he still wouldn't show up—enough endurance.

Seeing Strange on the screen "whoosh" to his feet, he couldn't hear Doctor Strange's words, but could clearly see Harley's attitude; they both stared at the screen and said: "The mastermind isn't Nyarlathotep, but the demon Barry is now contracted with?! Who's so bold?"

The killing intent in that last sentence had fully erupted, lowering the room's temperature by several degrees; at this moment, Constantine finally realized the title of Sorcerer Supreme was no empty honor—even if Strange now can't use magic, the aura on him makes everyone understand he once trod upon countless powerful beings' heads to rule the cosmos.

"Who is it?" Strange's words echoed simultaneously in the room and in Shiler's heart.

Shiler was also guessing the opponent's identity—few matched the criteria, more likely an outsider; several names spun in his mind, and perhaps within minutes, one would clearly jump out.

"That book…"

Outside, Bruce's mind suddenly echoed a vague thought—amid the dark knowledge recently flooding his mind, it stood out clearly; he understood this was a revelation from Nyarlathotep.

"You came here for this book?"

"Our knowledge… must not be lost… destroy it…"

Harley had already raised her knife and charged at Barry, her hatred and madness fully unleashed, while Barry was powerless to resist or dodge.

At the moment Barry dazed, red stained his pupils, another cold expression appeared on his face—contempt and mockery laid bare.

The professors on the award platform rose in unison, and the Grand Sword Mage shouted: "Forcibly controlling the body is forbidden! Monster! Step down!"

The demon's phantom in midair erupted in a heated discussion—all demons debated which fool had broken the taboo; many drooled, knowing member gifts would likely arrive soon.

As Barry raised his hand, powerful energy condensed in his hand, and a phantom of a book gradually appeared; Strange and Shiler behind the screen shouted in unison: "Dark God's Book!"

And Shiler added in his heart another name—Crazy Doctor Strange, his other widely known alias being "Black Strange."

The instant the book appeared, Bruce smirked coldly and said: "Want to control me? Then pay the price first—the book is mine!"

A dagger etched with runes slit Bruce's wrist, blood gushed out, and an incomprehensible chant began to echo from his mouth, making all present students feel dizzy and lightheaded.

Wanda in New York suddenly felt a cold invasion on her back; she heard the terrifying song she'd once heard in some universe, and the Scarlet Flame bloomed like a poppy.

Harley on the Kamar-Taj magic academy's training field felt a tremor of chaotic power—her strength was being drained, and she absolutely could not allow this to happen.

"Give it back to me!"

"... Who are you?"

In the next second, one of Harley's eyes, filled with icy blue light, flared crimson, and Wanda's shout echoed in her mind: "What is this? I feel the descent of the stars!"

The ancient chanting grew louder, and through Wanda's inspiration, Harley understood what little Bruce was chanting.

"The ruler of spacetime and the unifier of all things, the convergence of inspiration for the wizard-artist and thinker, the guardian of the ultimate gate, the key to the door—past in you, present in you, future also in you.

By the door you know, let us traverse ancient times and all realms, let us return to where we belong.

The knowledge I have gained is my power, the truth I comprehend grants me strength, my wisdom shall knock upon the gate, let the door open for me——"

Instantly, above Kamar-Taj, the stars descended.

One after another, bubble-like vortices appeared and shattered—these were the gates within countless spacetime continuums. An ancient existence deep within the stars glanced upon the astonishing wisdom from another universe.

Finally, It acknowledged it, and a door swung open.

From that door came an endless suction, pulling the individuals indicated by little Bruce's ritual into midair.

Just as they were about to be drawn into the gate, a heavy sigh echoed—an unmatched great being in some world expelled them all.

When OAA's gaze fell upon the gray vortex on the paper Harley held, the conveyed condemnation was unmistakable, but the gray mist, having discerned his intent, instantly condensed into several large characters.

"Don't throw them here! Go over there!"

Only then did the gray arrow point fiercely at one universe-bubble among another world.

That universe-bubble differed from all others in that its outer edge was encircled by a row of shining large characters: "Shiler and other Shilers not allowed inside."