Chapter 705 - Time Master; Mind Stone

Nik only returned into the apartment during dawn. After being promised that she wouldn't necessarily need to face off against the Supreme Sorcerer of the realm, she taught Nik the first temporal spell. It was rather plain and served to train one's communication with the flow of time.

Inspect Time Vein.

According to the Asgardian Seductress, the spell— Inspect Time Vein, used the user's compatibility with the time to watch the flow of time in one's surroundings and finally gain a deeper understanding of it and learn more spells.

"Damn... I still couldn't do it..." Nik walked out of the portal and slumped on the crouch. Angela and others were still sleeping while Morgan sat beside him, "On the bright side," she began, "Loki did not dupe you about the spell, not now at least."

"You're on the first name basis now?" Nik inquired with a snicker as Morgan smiled, "You are planning to overthrow Asgardian rule by just this? Talentless usage of Chronokinesis and jokes? Instead, I can offer you a greater method in controlling time."

"The time stone. I remember," Nik leaned back with a satisfied groan as he sighed deeply. "But, as you said, I need practice for that spell—"

"If you let me teach you," Morgan began, "I can assure you that not even Supreme Sorcerer would be able to harm you in a single move. While he has his magical artifacts, I have my knowledge obtained from living in the Eye of Agamotto and using Time Stone to see through the past and multiple future timelines. I admit that you were in none of these timelines, but—"

"The method I use," Nik interjected, "Is not conventional. I'll tell you this, it cannot be stolen even if you grasp my second heart. However, I do know someone who may actually know the mechanism behind the ability to travel through other... Omniverse, right? So stop pestering me like this... please," Nik mumbled, slightly tired. With his current situation, it was hard to get tired unless he really pushed his mind to the extreme and that's what he did. But even with multiple 'Niks' in the Sin City trying to imitate the procedure failed harshly. After all, his consciousness did not have the flow of time.

This truly meant that Nik had to practice it in the most orthodox manner and even with his Psychic Aptitude, he only grasped the theory of the spell. To make it work, to look at the flow of time through his vision was a concept completely different than he had imagined.

And although Morgan had a certain charm that made Nik naturally feel attracted to her, he wasn't really in the mood to keep on the process of negotiating. "And didn't you agree to stick beside me until you understand things yourself? It hasn't even been a full day, so, why the rush?" Nik continued with a sigh as he once again thought of using the spell.

Meanwhile, since the Sin city in his mind couldn't really replicate the effects of the spell, all of the split consciousnesses were tasked with using the real world's experience to modify the spell and convert it into a spirit spell. That way, Nik wouldn't have to keep on contacting with an unfamiliar source of power to, in return, make contact with an unfamiliar concept of reality.

"This must be frustrating for you," Morgan realized as Nik sighed. The woman was finally being slightly understanding.

"Being so talentless that you can only clutch your head helplessly, that is."

Stunned, Nik slowly looked towards Morgan, and seeing the slightly curved lips of the woman, he groaned in exasperation, "I have stuff to do. If you want to sleep, then sleep. And... yeah, screw you," Nik disappeared into the Dream Core to modify the Silk and Vanish habit that Cindy and he received from Wakanda.

However, unknown to Nik, the moment he vanished, Morgan vanished instantly with the eye of Agamotto around her neck opening its eye and revealing the time stone.

"Amazing," Morgan whispered with her eyes widened. She looked at a completely different world. The sky was amber, the clouds dreamy and pink. The soil wafted a pleasing scent and the air never felt this fresh.

"Nnngh!" Morgan groaned as even with the Time Stone keeping her body 'alive' in this timeless world couldn't help but feel pressured. Stunned, Morgan's senses screamed when a small bat fluttered from the nearest hut and flew around Morgan followed by a deeply exhausted Nik.

"Really?" Nik barked, "You're going to invade my privacy like that?" He inquired as a sweet voice snickered from the Bat, "Well, she's barely moving. Good thing that my personal treasure barely reaches rank 9, right?"

"Then this Time Stone," Nik finally furrowed while Sky chortled, "Rank 8."

Morgan felt a sense of dread passing through her body. She couldn't open her mouth as she was using all her strength to keep the flow of time around her. She had been in a lot of planes at the beginning of their life with an extremely thin stream of time and used the Time Stone's ability to keep moving and even aid the process of the development of said dimensions. However...

She had severely overestimated her capabilities and stepped into a troublesome realm.

"How did she even enter here?" Nik inquired.

"It's not that hard since you aren't capable of still setting up a defense around the Dream Core. After all, theft is all the rage amongst high rankers," Sky snickered, "but my bet is on this Time Stone.".

Nik furrowed and gazed at Morgan. Usually, he understood that any stranger would feel curiosity towards him and try to pry his secrets. It was completely normal and even Nik would try to do it. The fact that he was willing to rob Kamar-Taj proved this. 'Still, it's all subjective. I enjoy taking other's treasures, not the other way around,' Musing as his gaze swept past Morgan, he walked forward and observed the glowing green Time Stone.

"D-don't touch this, hah, with flesh," Morgan warned with difficulty but instead of a threat, it sounded more like a cautionary note.

'Well, there are many items in existence that can affect the fleshy body adversely just by the radiation of power,' thinking for a moment, Nik gingerly wrapped his recently achieved affinity with Cosmic Energy. The strange, overbearing form of energy wrapped around Nik's left hand akin a thick gauntlet with misty form enveloping his palm. After being an Elemental Master and even mastering Life Energy and Neutral Energy, Nik had gained mastery of a rather broad concept— Energy.

Being an Energy Master, Nik only needed to gain a timely affinity with various forms of energy and would be able to control them masterfully quite easily.

Seeing that Nik had control of cosmic force, Morgan was surprised for the umpteenth time.

Instead of holding the Eye of Agamotto, something that Morgan was clearly in control of despite this being on Strange's neck previously, Nik touched the Time Stone with his index.

Instantly, under Nik's astonished eyes, the cosmic force wrapped around his palms were etched with forest green veins that moved towards his arm.

'Oh... shit,' Nik thought internally while quickly increasing his output of cosmic force and covered the entirety of his arm, keeping himself unaffected by the strange veins of energy when—

Morgan sighed softly as the green scriptures hovering around her arm vanished while she fell comatose and Nik screamed loudly, his flesh searing with the green veins while his connection with the cosmic force instantly crumbled due to the pain.

"This hurts!" Nik howled for he could suppress the pain his body feels but not something that even seemed to affect his spirit and consciousness. The veins were affecting his entirety but in pain, Nik was left speechless. He never considered himself to opt for painful methods to grow strong. He didn't even like holing himself in Temporal paper back then and leave the comfort of his partners. With strength, pleasure should follow and this thought was solidified once he became a L.u.s.t Apostle.

"So... Time Stone works this way..." Sky mumbled as she looked towards Morgan, "Sneaky bitch, acting high and mighty but... she might have gone through the same thing..."

Even Pickle shrieked, her head morphing out of Nik's chest with a pained expression on her face. However, different from anything within Nik— Lola, Sky, Asmodeus, Lilith, and Pure— observed everything with interest.

'Shouldn't our defense over Nik's spiritual world hold this off?' Pure inquired as Sky and Asmodeus refuted without the slightest hint of mercy. In fact, both of their expression only brightened with every passing moment. By no means did the prioritize enjoying Nik's and Pickle's anguish however, Lilith replied with a hint of uncertainty, "I think... this is like a jumpstart. Nik might thank us later..."

Even when she said that, Lola was the first to doubt Lilith's words.

---

Sweat trickled down Strange's forehead. Mid-air with legs crossed, he pressed his palms forward but instead of empty space, his hands touched a mysterious scripture glowing in red hot gold as if molten metal forming the strange pattern.

"Hello?" A sweet voice chimed before Strange's clone led Ray to Strange's real body before disappearing in a blaze.

"Hmm? Hi, what's got you stumped?" Ray inquired with her pink pupils observing the scripture.

'A seal? Hmm, Yar... be ready to pounce the moment I signal you...' Ray's heartbeat quickened slightly.

Nik had contacted him earlier to discuss a few things about Strange which would allow Ray to conquer the Supreme. However...

'So, sorry, Nik,' He snickered.

Never did the trio actually stoop low enough to let go of their own benefits for each other. Casual favors can be owed and repaid but if Ray did manage to get a hold of Strange, he wasn't willing to share anything. Not even...

His gaze fell on Strange's butt as his gaze twinkled.

'That Skeleton will be useless against this guy,' Yar contacted the 'mighty' Ghost Rider just in case. After all, that bony stud was a god in his own right.

'Not just him, contact everybody!' Ray exclaimed, 'We're starting this morning as a group!'

Yar snickered, feeling proud of her master's thoughts while Strange, feeling the stare, hurriedly stated.

"I am barely holding these two— Agh, anyway, Nik isn't answering my calls. Find Felicia Hardy! Wong will give you her profile. This is urgent and—"

Strange gasped, his gaze furiously turned towards the seal while Ray made an informed decision to skip the school.

Whatever Strange was holding didn't matter to him. Even if he dies, he'll just return back to his real world however, he would return with Strange and his trove of knowledge!

---

"Hup!" Nik sat up. His fist still clutched the time stone tightly but a confused expression touched his face. Morgan remained lying in front of Nik. Whatever she wished to achieve by entering this space was clearly a failure but Nik felt that Morgan's objectives largely included understanding his true depths. Information is usually one of the forms of strengths, after all.

If Nik knew everything about the past war that killed Kaal and Sky and forced Lucifer to become an Undead Seraphim, he would have used that knowledge to formulate plans but till now, the only thing he knew was that Supreme Seraphim was f.u.c.k.i.n.g a blow doll, the sight of which was caught by Kaal. However, Kaal was present in Holy Paradise due to the bet between him and Nirdai to f.u.c.k Mirage. And this was only Kaal's and Sky's iteration of the event.

"You guys suck," Nik muttered as everyone within Nik gazed at the slightly embarrassed Lilith while Nik called out Pickle who instantly whined. A rare situation but the pain Pickle was subjected to was quite rare, too.

"It's alright," Nik smiled sadly as he let Pickle rub her cheeks against him. "But... I have this strange feeling," Pickle whispered, "I think I can cast that spell you were learning from Loki."

"Of course," Nik chuckled and stood up. His energy reserves are increasing at a breakneck pace due to Pickle. Even Pickle's reserves increased due to influx from Nik's side— a virtuous cycle of energy cultivation. However, Pickle had no background in spell studying and techniques but...

Unclenching his balled fist, Nik gazed at the glimmering green gem.

Time Master!

He had gained mastery of the concept of Time alongside Pickle!

"The moment I enter Dream Core, the space of both the world connects, and since this space does not have any form of time, it creates a vacuum that the stream of time of the outside world tries to fill... Morgan used that superflow to break through the natural defenses of the Dream Core..." Nik gazed at the unconscious woman, "What a terrifying thing to do."

Thinking for a moment, Nik resisted the urge to rush to the castle and use the time stone to try and wake up Tanya. He simply didn't know how to properly control this newfound power and if there was something that Nik understood, it was that uncontrollable urges and power usually bring troubles like no other.

"Alright, it's time to complete the modification of the Symbiote Rings... I should give mine to Natasha. Then, when I visit the Paradise again, I will get a fistful of nanoids to fuse with Mary's and Anna's suit, too... Say, Pickle, you might—"

"No!" Pickle instantly shook her head, "I don't have weak resistance towards fire and high-pitched noises, please, don't pump me with nanoids... not until..."

"You guys have an insanely lewd thought process," Nik mumbled as he walked inside his hut and made some final touches. He still kept the Time Stone close to him and didn't place it back inside the Eye of Agamotto. With all intent and purpose, Morgan had lost her leverage to learn Nik's method and he wasn't just kind enough to return treasures to their rightful owner.

However, much to Nik's surprise, the Time Stone slowly dragged itself towards a particular weapon in the pile of treasures casually thrown in the corner of the hut.

The Chitauri Scepter.

Furrowing his brows, Nik looked at the black and white rings before tossing them into the pile and walking towards the Scepter.

Picking it up, he brought the scepter close to the Time Stone and the infinity gem started to move towards the blue crystal of the Scepter.

Musing slightly and not caring about Loki's displeasure should he really damage her weapon, Nik raised his fist and smashed it down.

*Bang*

His fist instantly lit up in fire as he continued as if a smith smashing flaming hammer and after eleven strikes, the gem shattered slightly, revealing a golden glimmer.

"That's..." Nik huffed slightly and blew away the shattered blue crystal before picking up the golden gem only to find his right hand paralyzed with equally ferocious golden veins reaching up to his arm.

Pickle shrieked before the familiar situation occurred while the spirits within Nik felt a tinge of pity for Nik. But not that much. After all, maybe he would gain some form of understanding after a bout of pain once again.

***

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