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Current chapter - Chapter 78. Curse of the Prime Guardians

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I surged forward, my cape billowing behind me as I moved with a speed that defied the laws of physics into the Sanctum, the doors opening and closing behind me.

The thief, who had infiltrated the sanctum, was no novice. Dressed in dark, flowing robes that seemed to absorb the very light around them, searching among the relics in the foyer.

Even with the knowledge of the Nthirium being in the Sanctum, no one had a clue as to where I kept it.

Without a word, I summoned the power of the Eye of Agamotto. It glowed with a brilliant, piercing light. In an instant, I saw multiple possible outcomes of the fight preluding the battle that was about to unfold.

A lot was about to happen.

With a thought, I chose the path that would give me the best chance of success. Time slowed as I extended my hands, conjuring the crimson bands of Cyttorak once more.

The powerful mystical restraints shot forth like serpents, aiming to bind the thief and prevent any further interference.

But the thief was quick, their movements fluid and swift. With a graceful leg motion accompanied by a series of aerial somersaults, they dodged the attack, guiding the bands through the foyer.

I relinquished my control of the bands and went for another attack, this time manipulating the Sanctum itself. For me to win in the long run, it meant keeping the thief within the foyer.

I closed all the possible exits in the room, even the lighting areas, engulfing us in total darkness. It was time to play a game of their choosing: a game of shadows.

Using the Cloak of Levitation, I glided upwards to have a better advantage over them. I then granted myself a Sight of Shadows to allow me to spot them in the darkness.

They were good at being stealth - that and the ability to blend with the shadows. I couldn't spot them just yet, but they were bound to move around.

I conjured multiple illusions of myself that all too seemed to glide in the air, and in unison, we started casting a spell that produced torches, throwing them towards the ground.

The torches weren't meant to light up the surroundings, but to set up traps all around, traps that would nab the thief if they were caught in any of the traps.

This was one of Lex's people, and Lex would only hire the best to face a Sorcerer Supreme.

Swiftly and strategically, the thief started attacking my illusions, often completing the action in a mere second. They would move quickly and suddenly, and then slash through my illusion, before settling in the darkness.

It was happening so quickly that I still couldn't spot them. The thief's abilities were nothing short of extraordinary, their every move calculated and precise in the darkness.

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But that was what I was going for by engulfing the room in darkness. The thief felt that he had gained an upper hand while striking from the shadows, but they didn't know I had an entire plan about to unravel.

As the thief continued to slash through my illusions, I could sense their growing confidence in the darkness. One after the other, my illusions faded and only one remained.

With a focused might, they lunged towards my aerial form, playing right into my plan.

As he cut through the last illusion dimly illuminating in the darkness, the traps activated as a soft light glowed from the circle the traps had formed going outwards.

The sudden light caught them in surprise while in midair and they let out a faint gasp as the crimson bands of Cyttorak wrapped around their wrists and ankles, suspending them the air.

My remaining form that was levitating too dispersed as my true body appeared from the shadows, with the Cloak of Levitation coming down to me. I had used the shifting shelves of the foyer to stealthily hide in the shadows as I engineered a plan to catch this agile thief.

I made sure that his hands were empty, and that there was no way he could activate a hidden anti-magic device, before lifting the barriers on the doors and windows.

"Are you working for Lex?" I asked them.

His form fully illuminated, his attire resembled a ninja's outfit. He didn't say a word to me, and I understood why.

Having glimpsed into the future, I had seen what was coming, and I knew he wasn't alone.

"Very well then. Where are the rest?" I said as if talking to the empty environment surrounding us. "Which group are you with?"

Just then, a set of blades glinted ominously in the light as they hurled them toward me with deadly precision, only to stop at the precipice of the shield I now constantly hand surrounding me.

The knives struck the shield bluntly, but I felt the impact resonate through my defense. Whoever threw them kept their presence hidden away.

In this distraction, the thief still remained in the grasp of the bands.

"Ninjas." I said to myself. "Always full of pride."

If they were working for Lex, it meant that they had access to anti-magic, yet the daggers thrown at me didn't even manage to penetrate.

But just how many ninjas were in my sanctum and how did they manage to pass through the illusion?

"Nthirium." I remembered. I needed to get it out of the Sanctum before it siphoned all of it's magic away.

In that moment of revelation, I summoned my "sorcerous" might. With a resolute flick of my fingers, the Sanctum erupted into a blaze of light, revealing every nook and cranny, and laying bare the intruders hidden in the shadows.

The foyer of the Sanctum, shimmered with a radiant glow. The shimmering light cascaded from the chandeliers hanging high above, casting a thousand dancing reflections across the polished marble floors.

And there they were, the stealthy assailants, caught in the blaze of illumination. A group of them, clad in ninja attire, stood with their dark robes starkly contrasted against the brilliant radiance towards the entrance side.

They had been revealed, but their faces remained hidden behind masks, and they were coming for me in practiced stealth.

The Sanctum's sudden illumination seemed to have caught them completely off guard, and they had not expected me to counter their shadowy tactics with such overwhelming brilliance.

Their daggers were now held loosely in their hands, as if they had momentarily forgotten their purpose, as they searched for a dark corner to disappear into.

But as I surveyed the scene, I knew that I could not afford to underestimate them. These ninja-like intruders were highly trained and skilled in the arts of stealth and combat. Their silence and stoic demeanor were like a shroud that concealed their true intentions.

With an authoritative gesture, I extended my hands, causing the glowing torches I had conjured earlier to rise into the air and encircle the group of intruders.

The torches hovered ominously, casting elongated shadows that danced on the walls, further emphasizing the intruders' vulnerable position.

"It's not polite to attack someone from the shadows. Let's play this game fairly." I said.

"Give us the crystal or regret it it." The first member in the group said, his voice gesturing the he was recovering from the current uncertainty.

"Gladly. But just what do you want to do with it?" I asked. "Take it to Lex? But for what?"

"We work for no one." He replied. "Just give us the crystal and we'll walk away in peace."

"Another party interested in the Nthirium crystal." I thought to myself. "Just how precious was anti-magic in this world?"

"How about you leave peacefully anyway." I intoned calmly, wrapping around a ninja who had tried to attack me from behind with magic restraints. "Because as you can see. You don't have what it takes to beat me."

"We don't have to, because you'll give it to us willingly." The first thief held by the crimson bands afloat said with a feminine voice.

"We are the League of Assassins, and we are here to retrieve the crystal." She continued.

"How does that convince me to give you the crystal?" I asked. "You guys are bad news."

"You'll give it to us willingly because one; you'd like to keep your peace in this gothic place. And two; you'd like to lead your other life as a doctor in peace, Doctor Strange." She said, insinuating that she knew who I was.

What she didn't know was the fact that I already knew who she was, but I was still curious as to why the League of Assassins was interested in Nthirium too.

I chose to play dum with her. "Let me think about it for a moment."

"You're tied up in the air," I started, "they can't hide in the shadows no more," I gestured to the ninjas, "and none of you knows where to retrieve it, let alone where it's hidden."

"Just why would I agree to your stupid demands." I said in conclusion. "You should go and tell that Ra's al Ghul I've declined his demand."