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*****
Being able to borrow the power of a dimension and completely mastering one were two entirely different concepts.
Take Ancient One, for example. Although she could tap into the power of a dimension to manifest the Mirror Dimension, she did not possess absolute mastery over that realm. The peak of her capability was merely drawing upon its ambient energy to manipulate a few fundamental laws within its boundaries.
Fini was entirely in the dark regarding the inner workings of other Dimensional Lords, but within the pocket dimension generated by the Tyrant's Eye, he felt as though he held absolute dominion over every single facet of reality.
Furthermore, and most crucially, a Dimensional Lord's innate power would receive an unprecedented, staggering amplification within the boundaries of their own domain.
The Golden Ars Magna was a form of magic specifically designed to rewrite existing rules. Within this pocket dimension that belonged entirely to him, it was fundamentally impossible for the fabric of reality to defy his will.
If one were to say that on Earth, the effectiveness of the Golden Ars Magna was suppressed by roughly 70%, that suppression dropped to a mere 30% when he was in Muspelheim.
Yet, inside this specialized dimensional space, the raw efficacy of the Golden Ars Magna was directly boosted by a staggering 500%.
To put it in the simplest terms possible: within this pocket dimension, he was God—the absolute ruler of all things.
At this moment, Fini was overcome by an unprecedented sensation of overwhelming power. He even foolishly entertained the notion that within this tiny pocket dimension, he might actually be capable of defeating Ancient One.
Of course, this was highly likely nothing more than a temporary illusion born from the sudden, explosive surge in his personal strength. At the very least, if Ancient One simply wished to leave, he wouldn't be able to stop her.
After all, even a world-devouring, planet-scale Dimensional Dread Lord like Dormammu had been utterly incapable of trapping Ancient One. For a complete novice demon lord like himself—who had literally been born a mere few minutes ago—to immediately harbor thoughts of challenging the ultimate endgame boss was nothing short of an absolute joke.
However, the mere fact that Fini could experience such an illusion was a testament to just how terrifyingly immense the amplification of his power was within the pocket dimension created by the Tyrant's Eye.
Looking around at the dimensional space, whose immediate environment he had temporarily configured into a standard bedroom layout, Fini found himself pondering a rather pressing question: if he returned to Earth now, would he be targeted for expulsion by Ancient One?
The primary, fundamental duty of a Kamar-Taj sorcerer was to safeguard reality against the continuous threat of dimensional incursions. Although he had absolutely no intention of invading Earth, there was no guarantee that anyone would blindly take him at his word.
However, after contemplating the matter in silence for a short moment, Fini suddenly realized he had made a fundamental logical error.
He had been treating himself as if he were an organic, native Dimensional Dread Lord inherently bound to the Marvel universe, completely forgetting that even if his metaphysical status had undergone a profound shift, the Tyrant's Eye was still, at its core, nothing more than a system skill.
"Seal!"
Fini promptly deactivated the effects of the Tyrant's Eye. The brilliant golden radiance within his right eye quickly dissipated, and the manifested pocket dimension vanished into thin air in the span of a single millisecond.
A conventional Dimensional Lord would find it incredibly difficult to achieve such a feat. Or rather, within the entire Marvel universe, there probably wasn't a single Dimensional Dread Lord capable of rolling up and storing away their own pocket dimension the way Fini just did.
And this was precisely the single greatest distinction between him and the rest of them.
A normal Dimensional Lord could never truly separate themselves from the domain they governed, and very few would ever willingly choose to do so anyway. The more powerful entities preferred to roam across the cosmos while dragging their entire dimensions along with them, exactly like Dormammu.
Of course, there were also those who preferred to remain thoroughly cooped up at home, such as that divine panther, Bast.
After all, once someone grew accustomed to the intoxicating rush of such a monumental power amplification, forcing oneself to experience relative weakness all over again was an exceptionally painful sensation.
Even Fini himself, having tasted the profound surge of strength inside that dimensional space, felt a lingering desire to simply remain inside it indefinitely.
Unfortunately, a radius of a mere five meters was far too suffocatingly small. He merely entertained the thought briefly before tossing it aside. Perhaps in the future, when this space expanded into a fully realized world of its own, he too would become exactly like Bast, happily hiving himself away and never stepping foot outside.
However, as for the exact mechanics of how this dimensional space was supposed to grow and mature, Fini remained entirely clueless. He could only take things one step at a time; perhaps the more frequently he deployed the skill, the more it would naturally expand over time.
With the conclusion of his ninth draw, the system's experience bar was once again completely wiped clean. Yet, Fini was currently filled with an unprecedented sense of profound satisfaction. Now that he possessed the Tyrant's Eye, he could finally, legitimately be classified as a true powerhouse within the universe.
Because so long as an enemy lacked the specific, raw power required to violently shatter a dimension, he would stand entirely in an impregnable position.
Even though his pocket dimension currently extended to a mere five-meter radius—making it arguably the absolute smallest dimensional pocket in the entire universe—he was still an authentic Dimensional Lord, an entity that Kamar-Taj would formally classify as a Dread Lord.
Within the boundaries of his dimension, even when pitted against titanic figures like Odin or Ancient One, he now possessed the genuine confidence and capital to comfortably hold his ground.
Prior to this milestone, the absolute best contingency plan he could realistically formulate was simply using the Infinity Stones to drag his opponents down to hell with him.
Gently touching his eyes, Fini felt an incredibly bizarre sensation. At this moment, his left eye housed Zaphkiel, representing the absolute power of Time, while his right eye held the Tyrant's Eye, representing the absolute power of Dimensions.
After finishing his internal emotional lamentations, a sudden logistical problem crossed Fini's mind, causing him to mutter under his breath: "But how to actually utilize this ability back on Earth is going to be a bit of a headache!"
As a trained sorcerer of Kamar-Taj, Fini was intimately aware of the immense defensive grid the Three Sanctums maintained over Earth's dimensional matrix. Although he should theoretically be able to slip back onto Earth while carrying the dimension due to the unique nature of the Tyrant's Eye, things would complicate if he actively deployed it.
The moment he used it, the sudden, violent distortion in the local dimensional fabric would inevitably trigger the automated defenses of the Sanctums. As for what kind of catastrophic fallout that might cause, Fini wasn't entirely certain.
After all, he hadn't even been able to master the standard Mirror Dimension previously. When it came to the specific academic disciplines of Kamar-Taj spellcasting, his innate talent was genuinely, laughably limited.
Nevertheless, Fini didn't dwell on the matter too deeply. In reality, aside from Ancient One herself, there shouldn't be a single soul currently on Earth capable of forcing him to deploy the Tyrant's Eye. And if Dormammu truly managed to breach Earth in the future, the defensive grid of the Sanctums would be the absolute least of anyone's concerns.
Stepping out from the confines of the volcanic cavern, Fini gazed up at the ash-choked sky outside. Inhaling the thick, scalding scent of sulfur permeating the air, the brutally hostile environment failed to dampen his joyous mood in the slightest.
Surveying the familiar, jagged landscape, Fini's thoughts drifted to Surtur. He figured he might as well pay the old demon a quick visit before departing the realm. However, upon arriving at the underground palace where they had last parted ways, he was amused to discover that Surtur had actually packed up his things and relocated yet again.
"To think he's actually guarding against me to this ridiculous extent!"
Although failing to meet Surtur was a slight disappointment, Fini sorted out his gear and prepared to return directly to Asgard.
Seeing Fini manifest a portal and step through entirely on his own, Heimdall was somewhat caught off guard. He spoke up, asking, "Weren't you supposed to be accompanying Thor?"
"Things on that end are basically wrapped up, so I figured I'd head back a bit early," Fini replied smoothly. Deactivating Incursio, he casually inquired, "Has anything significant happened back on Earth?"
"There is actually a particular matter I was just preparing to mention to you!"
Hearing Heimdall's words, Fini's expression instantly tightened. He asked, "What happened?"
"It concerns that laboratory of yours."
Fini's shoulders visibly relaxed quite a bit. However, the moment his thoughts drifted to the Chitauri Scepter, his brows furrowed once more as he continued to listen to Heimdall's report:
"I observed that they appear to have successfully completed the procedure. That pair of siblings has successfully awakened some highly unusual powers. However, they are currently unable to properly control their new abilities, which has resulted in a fair amount of trouble."
"Pietro and Wanda..."
Fini experienced a strange sensation of unsurprised confirmation, but he nonetheless pressed further, asking, "What specific powers did they manage to manifest?"
"The young man has acquired a form of hyper-velocity. He is incredibly fast!"
Heimdall had been genuinely astonished when he first witnessed Pietro's raw speed. A velocity of that caliber was something that even the entire realm of Asgard would find exceptionally difficult to match.
"As for the young woman, her ability appears to manifest as a form of mental influence and telepathic manipulation. She is the primary catalyst behind the current disturbances within your laboratory facility."
Heimdall cast a deeply meaningful glance toward Fini. What he chose to leave unsaid, however, was that back when he had been actively monitoring Wanda through his cosmic vision, he had repeatedly felt a distinct, unsettling sensation that the young girl was looking right back at him.
(End of Chapter)