Chương 137: Chapter 137: Luke: "This is Amazing!" 

Floating high above Kamar-Taj, maintaining his aerial surveillance, Luke suddenly spotted two figures frantically waving at him from the courtyard below. Recognizing Stephen and Tony, Luke immediately descended. 

"How are things looking? Are the senior Masters stabilized?" Luke asked, genuinely concerned about his highly skilled workforce. 

Stephen nodded, looking exhausted but relieved. "Their physiological vitals are completely stable now. It was incredibly close, but they are out of immediate danger." 

Tony nodded in agreement. "Once we confirmed the medical crisis was managed, we decided to come back here and see if you needed any logistical or combat support." 

Luke smiled, appreciating the gesture. "Don't worry. The Ancient One and I have absolute control over the defense of Kamar-Taj." 

He paused, looking at the two of them. "Shouldn't you guys head back to the hospital and actively monitor Wong's spiritual recovery?" 

Tony shrugged casually. "You think we can't read between the lines? You're actively trying to dismiss us." 

Luke sighed heavily. "Tony, this specific conflict is completely beyond your current capabilities." 

The situation had already spiraled wildly out of control. Kaecilius was vastly more powerful than he had been in the original timeline, and he was commanding an army of terrifying, corrupted berserkers. However, Kaecilius wasn't the actual threat. The true threat was the absolute, apocalyptic cosmic parasite backing him: Dormammu. 

Luke was only willing to confront Dormammu because he currently possessed multiple Infinity Stones safely secured in his inventory as an ultimate trump card. For Tony and Stephen, however, directly engaging a Dimensional Lord was absolute suicide. Luke didn't want them risking their lives unnecessarily. 

But Tony shook his head firmly. "I've spent significant time speaking with Wong and Mordo over the past few days. I know exactly what apocalyptic horror awaits Earth if a Dimensional Lord successfully breaches the material plane. How can you possibly claim this isn't my fight?" 

Luke frowned, staring at Tony's absolute, unwavering determination. He knew he couldn't simply order Tony away. 

Sighing, he turned to Stephen. "And you?" 

Stephen shrugged. "As he said. Even though my absolute preference is to quietly remain a surgeon, I fully comprehend the catastrophic stakes of this mystical war. Rather than cowering in a hospital room helplessly awaiting the end of the world, I would strongly prefer to hold a weapon and actively punch fate in the face." 

"Alright, fine. It appears you've both firmly made your decisions. I won't stop you. Just... please be incredibly careful," Luke conceded helplessly. 

Suddenly, Luke's expression violently shifted! 

He felt a massive, incredibly aggressive spatial distortion! An unknown, terrifyingly powerful dimensional entity was actively, forcefully tearing a massive rift directly into his Dark Dimension! 

Given the exact timing and the sheer, overwhelming scale of the intrusion, Luke instantly knew exactly who was knocking on his door. 

"Stay highly alert! Something massive just breached my perimeter!" Luke warned them urgently. Without another word, his body instantly dissolved into pitch-black shadows, instantly teleporting back into his Dark Dimension to confront the invasion. 

Watching Luke vanish, Stephen blinked in confusion. "So... what exactly are we supposed to do now?" 

Tony raised his hand, signaling S.A.T.U.R.D.A.Y. to approach. The drone rapidly disassembled and seamlessly integrated onto Tony's body, forming a sleek, highly advanced Iron Man suit. 

"The absolute primary strategic objective is maintaining the integrity of the remaining Sanctums," Tony's voice echoed with metallic authority through the suit's speakers. "The Ancient One is personally securing the central nexus here in Kamar-Taj. Therefore, we need to deploy and act as an active, mobile defense force for the Sanctums. I will secure London; you secure New York." 

Stephen nodded in agreement. Drawing his Sling Ring, he effortlessly tore open a stable portal. The two of them stepped through, emerging into the primary teleportation chamber. 

The Ancient One was standing rigidly in the center of the chamber, projecting an aura of absolute, unyielding focus. Seeing them arrive, she raised a surprised eyebrow. 

"Why are you two here? Where is Lord Luke?" 

Tony and Stephen exchanged a quick glance. "Luke just violently dissolved into shadows and completely vanished. He mentioned something massive breached his perimeter. Stephen and I decided we couldn't simply remain idle; we are officially deploying to actively defend the remaining Sanctums." 

The Ancient One nodded slowly, processing the critical intelligence. "He dissolved into shadows and vanished?" 

"Yes." 

The Ancient One slowly turned her head, her ancient eyes locking onto a specific, shadowed corner of the teleportation chamber. Hidden within that absolute darkness was the permanent, localized Sling Ring portal leading directly into Luke's Dark Dimension. 

The absolute microsecond Luke materialized within his Dark Dimension, he stared at the horizon in profound, absolute shock. 

A colossal, terrifyingly massive dimensional rift had been violently torn completely across the 'sky' of his realm! The tear was so impossibly large it literally spanned the entire visible horizon! Looking through the jagged edges of the rift, Luke could clearly see the chaotic, swirling, infinitely vast expanse of an opposing Dark Dimension. 

Given the sheer, incomprehensible scale of that dimension... that is undeniably Dormammu. 

Luke took a deep, steadying breath. Facing the absolute, ultimate final boss of the magical realm was incredibly intimidating. 

Suddenly, a massive, horrifying swarm of twisted, pitch-black demonic entities violently erupted from the colossal rift! They poured into Luke's dimension like a terrifying, localized plague of locusts. 

Upon entering, the demonic swarm instantly locked onto the permanent Sling Ring portal connecting Luke's dimension directly to Kamar-Taj. Dormammu had explicitly ordered them to secure the portal to launch a direct invasion of the material plane. 

Currently, Luke's Dark Dimension had expanded to roughly the total geographic size of a major Earth metropolis. The endless flood of Dormammu's demonic horde instantly covered nearly half of his available territory! 

Acting instantly, Luke aggressively manipulated the localized spatial geometry of his dimension, violently yanking the Kamar-Taj portal completely across the realm, hiding it safely at the furthest opposite edge. Simultaneously, he mentally commanded his entire Shadowkhan legion to mobilize and aggressively intercept the demonic horde! 

Thousands of Shadow Ninjas violently erupted from the darkness, violently clashing with the incoming demonic swarm! The battle was instantly incredibly brutal and chaotic. Fortunately, the baseline combat capability of individual Shadow Ninjas was significantly higher than the generic, cannon-fodder demons Dormammu was throwing at them, preventing the Shadowkhan from being instantly overrun. 

However, Dormammu's invasion force wasn't composed entirely of weak cannon fodder. 

Massive, terrifyingly muscular demonic behemoths—each standing over five meters tall—began violently pushing through the rift, crushing everything in their path. 

Luke instantly responded by deploying his massive Troll Ninjas. The Trolls aggressively charged forward, utilizing their sheer, overwhelming physical mass and extensive wrestling experience to violently tackle the demonic behemoths to the ground. While the behemoths struggled, highly agile Scythe Ninjas and Spike Ninjas swarmed over them, ruthlessly executing them with their razor-sharp blades. 

High above the chaotic ground war, thousands of Nightbat Ninjas engaged in a massive, swirling dogfight with Dormammu's flying demons. The sky was lit up with continuous barrages of dark energy beams. However, despite their agility, the Nightbats were severely outnumbered. 

Fortunately, down below, rows of highly disciplined Shadow Ninjas were actively utilizing the newly forged, magically enchanted ranged weaponry from Kamar-Taj! They unleashed continuous, devastating volleys of explosive magical fireballs and concussive blasts into the sky, significantly alleviating the pressure on the Nightbats. 

Furthermore, the true saving grace of the ground war was the heavily enchanted melee weaponry! Shadow Ninjas wielding enchanted katanas effortlessly sliced completely through the dense, demonic armor, drastically increasing their lethality and allowing them to miraculously hold the crumbling front line against impossible numbers. 

Deep within his own dimension, Dormammu watched the brutal, grinding battle unfold. Seeing the front line slowly, inevitably pushing toward the concealed Kamar-Taj portal, he offered a colossal, sadistic smile. 

Currently, Earth's planetary defense grid was still technically operational, preventing him from physically entering the material plane and unleashing his absolute power. 

However, within the infinite void of his Dark Dimension, he possessed a literally endless, inexhaustible supply of demonic foot soldiers! As long as he relentlessly threw wave after wave of demons at this pathetic, novice Dimensional Lord, the novice's localized defenses would eventually shatter. 

This overwhelming, relentless assault was absolutely guaranteed to draw the Ancient One's immediate attention! 

If the Ancient One abandoned her highly fortified position in Kamar-Taj to desperately assist the novice Lord, Kaecilius could effortlessly destroy the remaining undefended Sanctums in the material plane. Then, Dormammu could finally enter Earth and consume it. 

And if the Ancient One cowardly refused to assist the novice? Even better! Dormammu would simply conquer the novice's dimension, secure the portal, and march his infinite demonic army directly into the heart of Kamar-Taj, bypassing the planetary shield entirely! 

Hovering high above the chaotic battlefield, Luke watched the endless, terrifyingly dense swarm of demons continuously pouring through the massive rift. It looked like a literal ocean of darkness endlessly crashing against the fragile, crumbling line of his Shadowkhan defenders. 

He frowned deeply, hovering in the air with his legs crossed. 

This is getting slightly out of hand. 

Luke aggressively clapped his hands together! 

Instantly, dozens of massive, incredibly complex, multi-layered Eldritch mandalas violently ignited in the air directly behind him! 

Manipulating the massive magical arrays, Luke aggressively unleashed a continuous, apocalyptic barrage of concentrated magical bombardment directly into the center of the demonic horde, violently severing their advancing column in half to relieve the immense pressure on his Shadowkhan. 

Seeing the front line temporarily stabilize, Luke sighed in relief and quickly checked his internal energy reserves. 

That massive, sustained magical barrage had instantly consumed nearly twenty million Dark Energy Points! 

However, because the invading demons were physically dying inside his dimension, their chaotic demonic essence was actively, rapidly assimilating into his realm. He was passively absorbing their energy upon their deaths! After calculating the assimilation rate, the net energy expenditure for the massive barrage was only roughly fifteen million points! 

Furthermore, and most importantly, physically devouring the dense demonic essence was permanently increasing his dimension's Maximum Energy Capacity! 

Wait. I'm literally turning a massive profit on this invasion! 

Staring at the seemingly infinite, endless swarm of demons continuing to pour through the rift, Luke no longer saw a terrifying invading army. He saw an absolute, limitless, all-you-can-eat cosmic buffet! 

His eyes began glowing with intense, terrifyingly greedy red light. 

With a sweeping gesture, Luke aggressively manipulated the ambient energy of his entire dimension, violently condensing it into hundreds of massive, overlapping magical arrays directly above the primary dimensional rift! 

He unleashed an absolutely devastating, apocalyptic rain of continuous, hyper-concentrated magical bombardment, instantly, violently annihilating tens of thousands of demons the absolute microsecond they stepped through the rift! 

A minor demon, aggressively charging toward the rift, watched in absolute, mind-boggling horror as the demon directly in front of him stepped into the new dimension and was instantly, violently vaporized into a fine mist of blood and dark energy by a massive magical blast! 

The terrified demon instantly froze, completely paralyzed by fear. 

Consequently, the entire advancing column of millions of demons abruptly halted directly at the dimensional boundary, staring nervously through the rift. 

Hey, buddy, are you going to move? There's a massive line behind you! 

Screw you! If you want to die instantly, be my guest! You go first! 

Observing the absolute massacre he had just unleashed, Luke's smile grew terrifyingly wide. He aggressively commanded his dimension to rapidly absorb the dense layer of pulverized demonic corpses covering dozens of square miles. 

Watching his Maximum Energy Capacity instantly skyrocket by several hundred thousand points in a matter of seconds, Luke was absolutely ecstatic! 

This is infinitely faster, vastly more efficient, and significantly more entertaining than manually chewing on boring asteroids! 

While the aggressive spellcasting consumed massive amounts of his current stored energy, expanding his Maximum Capacity was significantly more valuable in the long run. Trading readily available energy for permanent capacity expansion was an absolutely flawless, highly profitable transaction! 

Eager to continue the harvest, Luke prepared to pull several massive Dark Energy Crystals from his inventory to fuel another apocalyptic barrage. However, he suddenly noticed the entire demonic army had completely halted at the rift boundary, absolutely refusing to advance. 

Luke froze. Wait, why did they stop? The buffet is still open! 

Did I slaughter them too efficiently? Are they actually terrified of me?! 

Luke panicked slightly. No, no, no! I was just getting started! You can't retreat now! 

His hand hovered over his pocket containing the energy crystals. He realized he needed to employ highly advanced, psychological manipulation. It's time to act. 

Luke aggressively dispersed the remaining, highly intimidating magical arrays hovering behind him. He deliberately ceased channeling energy for flight, allowing himself to violently plummet from the sky and crash heavily onto the ground. (Since he wasn't flying particularly high, the fall was entirely harmless). 

He scrambled to his feet, panting heavily, and adopted an expression of profound, absolute despair and utter exhaustion. 

"Damn it! My internal magical reserves are completely depleted! Shadowkhan! It's entirely up to you now! Hold the line at all costs!" Luke screamed dramatically, projecting his voice loudly across the battlefield. 

A localized wave of dark energy carried his 'desperate' command directly to the Shadowkhan. Playing along with their master, the Shadow Ninjas instantly adopted highly dramatic, fiercely determined stances, projecting an aura of desperate, doomed heroism. (Although, technically, since they were functionally immortal within the Dark Dimension, their 'heroic sacrifice' was completely meaningless). 

Watching the highly dramatic performance from deep within his own dimension, Dormammu narrowed his colossal, burning eyes, deeply contemplating the tactical situation. 

As a supreme, ancient Dimensional Lord, he usually didn't bother launching highly coordinated invasions against pathetic, localized Mid-Tier dimensions. It was vastly more entertaining and rewarding to simply devour entire planets. 

Normally, if he encountered a pathetic dimension like this, he would simply violently crush it and absorb the fragments. However, his absolute primary objective today was utilizing this invasion to actively force the Ancient One out of her heavily fortified sanctuary, leaving Earth utterly defenseless for Kaecilius to destroy. 

While the novice Lord's initial, apocalyptic magical bombardment had been incredibly destructive and highly intimidating, Dormammu knew it must have completely, catastrophically depleted the novice's internal energy reserves. 

Even though the novice was passively absorbing the essence of the slain demons, the conversion process wasn't perfectly efficient; he was operating at a massive net energy deficit. 

Furthermore, Dormammu had highly detailed intelligence regarding this novice. Because he was actively allied with Kamar-Taj, he couldn't aggressively harvest human souls or parasitize other dimensions for energy! He had absolutely no external, reliable energy income! Without a stable energy source, the novice simply could not sustain that level of apocalyptic bombardment. He was inevitably completely out of ammunition. 

He is bluffing. He is utterly defenseless. 

Highly satisfied with his tactical analysis, Dormammu offered a cruel laugh and forcefully mentally commanded his terrified demonic army to aggressively resume their advance! 

I will slowly, inevitably surround him and crush his pathetic dimension. When he is on the absolute brink of death, the Ancient One will be forced to intervene and save him. And then... I will trap them both! 

Seeing the endless, terrifying demonic swarm finally surging back through the rift, Luke mentally commanded the Shadowkhan to brace for impact. 

He had to aggressively suppress the overwhelming urge to instantly annihilate the entire army with another massive barrage. Instead, he allowed the demons to successfully advance, slowly conquering nearly half of his available territory, deliberately creating the illusion that his defenses were rapidly crumbling. 

Slow and steady. Gotta play the long game. Don't scare the food away. 

Luke discreetly pulled a highly compressed Dark Energy Crystal from his pocket, crushing it in his palm to quietly, continuously replenish his internal reserves. 

Maintaining his highly dramatic, 'exhausted' persona, he aimed carefully and began firing highly localized, significantly smaller magical blasts directly into the most densely packed clusters of advancing demons. 

While the visual scale of his attacks was significantly reduced to maintain the illusion of weakness, the continuous, highly precise bombardment was still devastatingly lethal, effortlessly harvesting massive quantities of demonic essence. Furthermore, by allowing the enemy formation to spread out across his territory, the pressure on his frontline Shadowkhan was significantly reduced. 

Maintaining the delicate, highly profitable stalemate, Luke's face projected intense, desperate struggle. However, internally, he was absolutely ecstatic! 

While the rate of Maximum Capacity expansion was slightly slower than his initial, apocalyptic barrage, the steady, continuous, highly profitable influx of energy was incredibly satisfying! 

Just keep the meat grinder running. Let's see exactly how much capacity I can farm today! 

Meanwhile, back in the material plane... 

The Ancient One was currently sitting rigidly in the center of the Kamar-Taj teleportation nexus. 

Because she had formally surrendered the Time Stone, she was completely blind to the future. She had absolutely no idea what was going to happen next. She was forced to remain entirely reactive, waiting in agonizing suspense. 

The complete loss of her absolute, infallible prescience was deeply unsettling. The prolonged, terrifying silence from Kaecilius only amplified her anxiety. 

Is he planning a different strategy? Has he discovered a method to bypass the grid without utilizing the nexus? Have I overlooked a critical tactical variable?! 

As her anxiety threatened to spiral into genuine panic, she decided to contact Luke. 

She utilized their established magical communication link. "Lord Luke. What is your current tactical situation? The situation on my end remains highly ambiguous and is becoming increasingly concerning." 

She waited in agonizing silence for several minutes. Luke didn't respond. Her panic intensified. 

Suddenly, a brief, highly emotional message flared across the magical link. 

"THIS IS AMAZING!" 

Luke's voice, thick with profound, absolute, unadulterated joy, echoed through her mind. 

? 

The Ancient One sat completely frozen, her mind blank. 

What exactly does that mean?! Are you currently engaged in apocalyptic, extra-dimensional warfare, or are you at a spa?! 

Realizing his highly ambiguous message might cause profound confusion, Luke quickly sent a rapid follow-up. 

"I am currently actively engaged in massive, full-scale dimensional warfare with Dormammu! However, the tactical exchange is incredibly profitable! I am aggressively harvesting his army to permanently expand my capacity! It's absolutely fantastic!" 

The Ancient One stared blankly at the shadowed corner of the chamber containing the portal to Luke's dimension. 

He is currently actively fighting Dormammu... and he claims it is 'highly profitable' and 'fantastic'? 

That is logically, fundamentally impossible! Absolute madness! 

Despite her rational mind violently rejecting the possibility, her intense, burning curiosity was officially piqued. 

Perhaps... I should take a quick peek? 

Without the absolute, paralyzing certainty of the Time Stone dictating her every move, the Ancient One's ancient, suppressed sense of adventure and curiosity flared to life. 

Looking around the completely silent, empty teleportation hall, she stood up and slowly, cautiously walked toward the shadowed portal. 

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