A short while later.
Stephen and Wong followed America to the rooftop she had mentioned. The building was already a bit old, so the rooftop looked worn and aged as well.
As soon as Stephen stepped up, he glanced around.
"Where is it?"
"Over there."
America pointed toward a corner, across from the mound of earth against the wall.
Stephen muttered that it was fine, but he still circled quickly to check. Wong and America followed close behind.
When the three of them approached, they saw a cloth draped over a human-shaped outline. The moment he noticed it, Stephen pressed his lips together. Still, he stepped forward and slowly lifted the cloth from the head.
The face beneath was revealed.
Wong: !
America had already turned her head away. Stephen's lips tightened further when he saw it. He closed his eyes and let out a quiet sigh.
No one could feel at ease facing this. It wasn't his own death, but to see someone who looked exactly like him lying lifeless before his eyes— Even in a game, it would make you feel unsettled, right? And this was real.
Rustle—
In the next moment, Stephen pulled the entire cloth away.
"Stephen?" Wong asked, confused.
But after uncovering the body, Stephen opened his eyes again and began a careful examination.
"I need to know how the other Stephen died. Only then can I understand the enemy we'll face."
Determination flashed in his eyes as he began his inspection. Head, face, back of the skull, torso, limbs... He went through each wound in detail.
Once he finished, Stephen frowned slightly and turned to America.
"How long has he been dead?"
"Uh... a few days." America thought for a moment. "Around five days, definitely not more than a week."
"That doesn't quite make sense."
Stephen furrowed his brow, lifting the corpse's arm for a closer look.
"If someone has been dead for several days, the blood in their body would sink, creating livor mortis on the side it settled."
At that, Wong finally understood. Before becoming Sorcerer Supreme, Stephen had been a top surgeon. He was performing an autopsy!
"What about him?" America crouched down for a look. "Doesn't he have livor mortis?"
"He does, but only a little."
Stephen continued his examination. After checking the wounds and other areas again, he said,
"Something feels off about the whole body. If the time of death was more than five days, the wounds shouldn't still look like this. They're too fresh."
Too fresh...
The word made America grimace. She nearly gagged just hearing it. Using that word to describe a human corpse was just... ugh.
Wong walked over for a closer look as well.
"Could it be that another version of you learned different spells or abilities, causing the body to decompose more slowly?"
"Possible."
To make sure that "he" was truly dead, Stephen carefully confirmed the state of the corpse. After finding nothing else unusual, he finally stood up and said,
"Let's bury him here."
"Here?" Wong asked. "Not in a proper place?"
Stephen shook his head.
"Forget it. Where he died is where he should be buried. He never belonged to this world in the first place."
Wong nodded at that, showing his agreement.
Stephen raised both hands and began to channel his magic.
Clatter Clatter
The stone slabs in the rooftop flowerbed shifted, and one brick after another floated free, stacking neatly around the edges. The soil lifted on its own, forming a pit just large enough for a body.
Stephen curled his fingers, and his own corpse slowly rose into the air. It drifted into the pit and lay down as though settling into place. With another gesture, the soil that had been pulled free automatically refilled the grave. Once the earth was level again, the bricks flew back into position, sealing everything neatly.
When it was done, Stephen lowered his hands and let out a heavy sigh.
Burying himself? What was this supposed to be?
At that moment, even Stephen couldn't say what he was feeling. Loneliness? Relief? A sense of danger? Solemnity? He couldn't tell anymore.
Wong stepped forward and patted his shoulder.
"Where I come from, we say fallen leaves return to their roots. Once you've settled the Multiverse, you can send him back to his own universe. That'll be enough."
"But for now, you need to face this head-on. We still don't even know who our enemy is."
Stephen nodded in understanding. He patted Wong's shoulder in return, then turned to America.
"Come on. Back to Kamar-Taj with me. Only there will we be safe enough."
"Mhm."
Wong immediately traced a portal. After the three of them stepped through, they returned to Kamar-Taj, leaving the rooftop behind.
Once they were gone, the rooftop that had just echoed with voices fell silent.
Thud~
But the next moment, the mound of earth and bricks covering Stephen's buried body suddenly bulged upward... then sank back down into stillness.
…
Meanwhile.
After Lorien and Wanda returned home, they went to the Little Universe and sat down.
Wanda settled into Lorien's lap. With a wave of her hand, a beautifully ornate Book of the Vishanti appeared. Flipping through the tome she read daily, she asked,
"If I hold this magic book, will they be affected?"
"No."
Lorien was certain. The Book of the Vishanti that Stephen and America were fighting over wasn't the one from this universe. Stephen didn't even know this universe's copy existed.
So, as his hand traced along Wanda's leg, Lorien explained,
"The Book of the Vishanti is rare, but like the Infinity Stones, every universe has its own."
"The problems Stephen and America face aren't something a magic book can fix."
At those words, Wanda—having been influenced by Lorien for some time now—immediately understood.
"It's a problem with people?"
"Yes." Lorien's hand lingered happily on her leg. "Didn't you hear the girl say her powers weren't stable?"
With Lorien's reminder, Wanda recalled. The girl had indeed admitted the issue was her own. That meant Stephen had the strength to resolve it. And once the girl mastered her powers, she would too.
So, this had nothing to do with the Book of the Vishanti. They were just relying on it. And relying on it wasn't good. That was why Lorien hadn't let Wanda bring the book out.
Bringing it out would only lead to trouble. And it wasn't necessary.
This matter had nothing to do with Lorien and Wanda. Stephen needed setbacks to grow. That was the best path for him. Guidance was enough. What, did they expect him to teach Stephen hand in hand?
Not a chance.
Wanda understood. She tucked away the Book of the Vishanti, wrapped her arms around Lorien's neck, and pressed a few kisses against him.
"Mua My dear is so clever"
Lorien chuckled.
"Not just clever, but a little bad too."
His hand slipped further in, but the next moment, his phone buzzed.
Lorien picked it up. It was Jetfire reporting.
[Jetfire: Creator, Lady Gwen assigned me a task. I'm already on my way. Here are the details.]
Jetfire briefly described her movements, followed by the mission outline. Gwen would first tail the girl named Peni, confirm her route, and in a spot only she could see, Cindy and Mayday would stand with Jetfire in disguise, pretending to chat. When Peni noticed, Jetfire's presence alone would draw her attention.
That was when Gwen would step in with a reason to talk to her.
After reading the plan, Lorien simply replied: Go.
As for his thoughts on it... well, how to put it? It seemed both unnecessary and overly polite. Gwen could have just grabbed her outright. But to make a good impression, the three of them staged this little act instead.
Wanda glanced over and laughed.
"Gwen's really invested."
"Yes." Lorien nodded. If she weren't, she wouldn't bother thinking it through this much. Otherwise, she could have just laid everything out plainly.
But the girl was barely fourteen. Going straight at her might be too harsh. It was safer this way.
Speaking of which, Lorien's hand lingered more and more on Wanda's leg. The smoothness was intoxicating. How could it feel this good?
He gave it a squeeze, then teased,
"Gwen might not be back tonight. What are you going to do?"
"....."
Wanda pressed her lips together. What could she do? Nothing. But that didn't mean she wouldn't seize the chance.
Her fingers pressed gently against Lorien's shoulder.
"Then you tell me what to do."
Lorien savored the warmth under her touch. With a flick of his hand, a translucent black silk garment appeared between his fingers.
It was one piece. Not separate. Not just for her legs, but a suspender-style bodysuit that went higher up.
Wanda eyed it curiously, rubbing the fabric between her fingers, before realization struck.
"I... I haven't really worn something like this before..."
"Then try it tonight."
Lorien grinned.
Wanda had grown up poor. She'd never had something like this to wear every day. Even later in life, she'd only been able to wear durable things like jeans—clothes that lasted long and didn't need replacing often.
So, strictly speaking, this would be Wanda's first time trying something like this.
"Go on. Use your magic to put it on directly."
Lorien patted her back, half encouragement, half persuasion.
"If you swap it out, how about we call it quits after you use the Horse Talisman once tonight?"
"Really?"
Wanda's eyes lit up with joy. Just one use of the Horse Talisman was much better. Any more than that and it would be tears mixed with pleasure all over again.
"Alright~!"
With a flick of her finger, the attack-speed gear on Lorien's hand vanished. It hadn't disappeared, though—it had transferred onto Wanda's legs.
Lorien reached out to test it again.
"Hiss~~~"
He could only marvel.
Perfect~! The sensation was unbeatable!
Especially Wanda's legs—neither too thick nor too thin, just the right fullness. You could even pinch up a little softness. It was incredible!
Without hesitation, Lorien scooped Wanda into his arms. But instead of heading to the bedroom, he carried her straight to the oversized wooden bowl bed he had transformed earlier.
Wanda pinched his ear to remind him.
"Don't forget what you promised me!"
"Of course not! Rest easy—when I, Lorien, give my word, I keep it!"
...
Meanwhile.
After discovering that Peni had managed to slip out of the youth dormitory, Gwen immediately notified Cindy and Mayday to take Jetfire to a deserted path she would have to pass through and stage a scene.
Cindy and Mayday moved without hesitation once they got the message. Gwen's strength was more than enough—tracking Peni wasn't a problem at all.
Sure enough, Peni stopped by a small convenience store, bought a lollipop, and then skipped off down a secluded road, sucking on it as she went.
Gwen shadowed her from behind the whole way.
When Peni Parker confirmed there was no one around, she patted her shoulder.
The next second, under Gwen's watchful eyes, a small black-and-red spider crawled onto Peni Parker's shoulder.
Peni took the lollipop from her mouth, let the spider have a lick, and said,
"Little spider, I'll be meeting you soon. Let's find our way home together."
At first, Gwen thought it was just a girl talking to herself.
But then, from a distance, she saw the little black-and-red spider actually nod its tiny head—before taking a real bite of the lollipop!
That, combined with what Peni had just said...
Find the little spider?
Did that mean Peni Parker had others like her?
The thought made Gwen instantly pull out her phone and send an urgent message to Cindy and Mayday.
"Change of plans! Hide Jetfire right away—Peni seems to know others like her!"