Chapter 705 - Time Master; Mind Stone (1/2)

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.