[61] : A False Alarm
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The crisis in the zombie-infested Marvel Universe seemed to have come to an end. At least, that’s what Roger thought. However, he suddenly realized that aside from Thanos, there was another powerful entity, almost forgotten by everyone, still lurking in the Marvel Universe.
The Dark Lord Dormammu!
Dormammu, the ruler of the Dark Dimension, had been kept at bay by the Supreme Sorcerers for generations, always eyeing Earth with malicious intent.
If it weren't for the presence of the Supreme Sorcerers, Dormammu would have invaded Earth’s universe long ago.
But now… the current Supreme Sorcerer, Doctor Strange, had turned into a zombie and was later devoured by Hope's flesh-eating ants, leaving the position of Supreme Sorcerer vacant and unclaimed.
Although Dormammu hadn’t yet noticed the disappearance of the Supreme Sorcerer, given enough time, he might very well emerge from the Dark Dimension!
After informing everyone about this, Roger, along with Vision and Wanda, set off for the Sanctum Sanctorum to confirm the situation.
The three of them could fly, so they didn’t bother taking a jet and instead headed straight to the Sanctum Sanctorum in New York.
“So, why did you bring me along?” Wanda asked Roger, puzzled.
With all the zombies on Earth restored to their original forms, the planet was slowly returning to its former state. The Infinity Stones in Vision’s body had fulfilled their purpose and completed their mission.
Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers, had taken the Power Stone to a safe location. Thor was responsible for guarding the Reality and Space Stones, as it was originally his duty.
Star-Lord, from the Guardians of the Galaxy, took the Soul Stone after learning that his girlfriend’s death had been the price paid for it. Since then, Star-Lord had been in a slump, only regaining some vitality when he was with the Soul Stone.
The Mind Stone remained with Vision, while the Time Stone was entrusted to Roger and Vision to return to the sorcerers at the Sanctum Sanctorum.
But returning the Time Stone was a task that only required Roger and Vision. Wanda couldn’t understand why Roger insisted on bringing her along.
As they approached the Sanctum Sanctorum, Roger explained to Wanda in simple terms:
“Because you’re a witch.”
“Uh?”
Wanda was stunned. She looked at her boyfriend, Vision, in confusion before turning back to Roger. “I’m… a witch?”
“You awakened your powers under the influence of the Mind Stone, but those aren’t just superpowers. It’s actually magic that was hidden within you all along, called ‘Chaos Magic.’ It’s a powerful ability that can alter reality itself.”
“So…?”
Wanda still seemed puzzled.
Roger exhaled and said:
“Without a Supreme Sorcerer in the Sanctum Sanctorum, if there’s ever a need to stop a dark invasion, there’s no one more suitable than you.”
Roger’s idea wasn’t just a random thought.
Even though he had never read Marvel comics, he vaguely remembered a friend mentioning that in a parallel universe in one of the comics, Wanda had indeed taken up the role of the Supreme Sorcerer.
So, Roger figured they might as well take a chance. With Doctor Strange no longer around, they could let Wanda become the Supreme Sorcerer.
Of course, Dormammu invading Earth was just a possibility. Maybe Roger was overthinking things.
After all, in the cinematic Marvel Universe, Dormammu didn’t show up during the five-year gap when the Avengers and Doctor Strange were absent.
But out of caution, Roger decided it was best to check on the Sanctum Sanctorum.
After all, Roger had saved the zombie universe, and he wouldn’t feel right if it were destroyed by Dormammu afterward.
If there’s a term to describe his feelings, it would be… sunk cost fallacy?
In any case, Roger didn’t want the world he saved to fall into Dormammu’s hands.
With these thoughts in mind, Roger and the others quickly arrived at the Sanctum Sanctorum in New York.
To Roger’s surprise, the Sanctum Sanctorum wasn’t deserted as he had imagined. In fact, the entire building was intact, even the hole that Banner had smashed through was fully repaired.
It was as if the Sanctum Sanctorum had anticipated their arrival. As they landed at the entrance, the doors opened automatically.
“?”
Roger was puzzled as he looked at the wide-open doors of the Sanctum Sanctorum.
Wanda and Vision also turned to look at Roger.
According to what Roger had said earlier, there were only a few people left at Kamar-Taj, and the Sanctum Sanctorum was supposedly unguarded, which was why they had come along with Roger.
But from the looks of it, Kamar-Taj wasn’t as weak as Roger had described.
“…Let’s go inside.”
Roger collected his thoughts and led Wanda and Vision into the Sanctum Sanctorum.
Now that they were here, they couldn’t just turn back. Besides, it was a good thing if the Sanctum Sanctorum was occupied. It meant that the legacy of the Supreme Sorcerer had been passed on.
Perhaps Doctor Strange had left behind some contingencies in the zombie universe.
As the three stepped into the Sanctum, the space around them changed.
The grand hall transformed into a cozy room, with the three of them sitting on sofas that had been prepared in advance, and their favorite drinks placed in front of them.
“…Cola?”
Roger was surprised as he looked at the black liquid in the glass in front of him.
A familiar voice came from across the room:
“I thought you might like cola. After all, it’s what you’ve been drinking the most since you came to this world.”
The chair in front of him turned around, revealing a fully restored Doctor Strange with a smile on his face. The Cloak of Levitation, which had fought alongside the Avengers, was quietly draped over his shoulders.
Roger was momentarily speechless at Doctor Strange’s appearance. He furrowed his brow and stared at him for a while before asking:
“You… you’re okay?”
Doctor Strange smiled and replied, “If you’re asking about the zombie thing, well, I’m not okay. My physical body has become a zombie, but don’t forget, I’m a sorcerer.”
“So you separated your soul from your body before turning into a zombie?”
“Exactly. It was the only way to avoid being infected by the quantum virus.”
Doctor Strange explained.
As the Supreme Sorcerer, he had his own methods of dealing with unexpected situations.
For a sorcerer, separating the soul from the body wasn’t a particularly difficult spell. The challenge lay in how to preserve the soul and consciousness for a long time after the separation.
But clearly, these challenges were nothing for the Supreme Sorcerer.
“So it seems I came all this way for nothing.”
Seeing Doctor Strange alive and well, Roger felt like he had been worrying for no reason.
Of course, how could Doctor Strange, regarded by the Ancient One as the greatest Supreme Sorcerer ever, be defeated by a zombie virus?
However, Roger couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.
The real reason he was so eager to come to the Sanctum Sanctorum, besides worrying about a possible invasion by Dormammu, was to see if he could learn the magic of Kamar-Taj.
Roger knew that Marvel’s magic could only be used in the Marvel Universe, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious about magic.
Skills, Magic, Martial Arts, Superpowers… these were things that most people dreamt of having as children.
Roger had already fulfilled one childhood wish by gaining superpowers. Now that he had encountered magic, of course, he wanted to see if he could fulfill his second wish.
But from the looks of it, that hope was slim.
Nevertheless, seeing Doctor Strange alive and well, Roger was relieved. At least he didn’t have to worry about facing Dormammu. As long as Doctor Strange was around, Dormammu wouldn’t invade Earth.
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