Orm

The effect of using Chakra was not very good.

Only a flickering layer of sparks appeared before Shimizu; no portal opened.

Ancient One nodded slightly.

But Shimizu was not particularly satisfied.

He had just used the Transparent World to observe every one of Ancient One’s movements in great detail.

There was absolutely no problem with his movements.

And according to Ancient One, the key to opening a portal lay in the application of Mental Power.

For Shimizu, that should have been one of his stronger areas.

His main body was already developing a fourth puppet—quite a few jonin Puppeteers in Sunagakure could control three or four puppets, or even more, but the difficulty of controlling them also depended on the puppets’ grade.

The vast majority of puppets they used were nowhere near the quality of the Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu. Being able to control four puppets of that level already made Shimizu one of the most notable Puppeteers beneath Chiyo and Ebizo.

He could absolutely be considered a first-rate Puppeteer in the ninja world, while barely qualifying as a first-rate Medical Ninja and a near first-rate expert in Sealing Technique. His Mental Power was unquestionably of an extremely high standard, both in quality and control.

So was the problem with the energy he was using?

Chakra could perform the Summoning Technique and the Flying Thunder God Technique, so in theory, it also possessed spatial properties.

Then what about borrowing the power of Vishanti, as Ancient One had mentioned?

Shimizu began trying to use only Mental Power on the ring.

Very quickly, as his Mental Power flowed out, Shimizu felt his physical energy, along with an exceedingly faint trace of vitality, being drawn into the Sling Ring.

Shimizu had not actively fed those into it. Rather, it was an instinctive action of the Sling Ring after it absorbed his mental energy.

Spellcasting in the Marvel World was basically accomplished by borrowing external power. Even Vishanti’s white magic merely demanded a smaller, gentler price than other Dimensional Demon Gods, one that fell within the acceptable limits of these mages.

That tiny amount of vitality was actually negligible, but if it happened several times in quick succession, someone in poor health might even catch a minor cold.

No wonder the mages of Kamar-Taj were all close-combat mages. They clearly trained and maintained their bodies regularly. Otherwise, with minor illnesses every ten days and serious ones every month, they definitely would not be able to endure it. Aside from training, they surely consumed plenty of supplements as well.

If it were a more powerful spell, then the vitality expended would certainly be far greater than this. And if those mages did not want to pay with their vitality, they would have to offer other things as collateral.

Shimizu made a decision at that moment.

If he could not cast spells with Chakra, then he absolutely would not use them unless necessary.

In an instant, an incomparably pure stream of mystic energy surged from the Sling Ring. Guided by the Mental Power Shimizu had injected earlier, it traced an arc in golden sparks before him, finally forming a perfect circle.

Ancient One understood now.

Shimizu had not borrowed Vishanti’s power earlier, but had used his own energy.

Vishanti was an immensely powerful multiversal deity, and the quality of its energy was extraordinarily high. There was an enormous gap between it and Shimizu’s Chakra. What Vishanti’s power could accomplish with ease was far more difficult for Chakra.

Ancient One was not surprised that Shimizu succeeded on his first try after borrowing Vishanti’s power.

In the futures he had seen, Wade possessed exceptional talent for magic. He could quickly learn most ordinary spells through his own Mental Power. Otherwise, he could never have become the Sorcerer Supreme in the limited futures where that happened.

He had a chance.

However, based on the futures seen so far, his potential still fell short of Strange’s.

Because when faced with catastrophes that endangered the universe, he could not bring himself to risk his life. He was also overly conservative, unwilling to sacrifice certain things in exchange for power from Dimensional Demon Gods.

The Sorcerer Supreme’s duty was to protect Earth from threats from the multiverse. The Time Stone was an extremely important tool, but it was not everything.

Many times, one had to borrow the power of other Dimensional Demon Gods to fight the Dimensional Demon Gods invading this universe, using Vishanti as a foundation while balancing the powers of those multiversal deities.

Wade was qualified, but he was clearly not the most suitable candidate in Ancient One’s mind.

Still, he was worth nurturing. At many moments in the future, he could become an ally and source of support for the Sorcerer Supreme.

"Come inside and take a look. Get acquainted with the place first. After that, set aside some time each week to come study. At the very least, you need to learn how to detect the foreign will within you."

Following Ancient One’s steps, Shimizu entered the portal.

DC World.

South of Africa’s eastern coast, north of Antarctica, at the junction of the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.

A thousand meters beneath the sea, where it should have been black as an abyss, the waters were now brightly illuminated.

Fishermen with fish tails and Atlanteans clad in high-tech armor stood in orderly ranks guarding a massive undersea warship as large as a palace.

Beyond them were countless soldiers riding sharks and giant seahorses.

At the very center of the warship, a handsome young man sat at a table, watching footage played by a holographic projection with the king of the Fisherman Nation beside him—

The southwestern corner of the Indian Ocean, turned into a complete mess by Zod’s planetary transformation engine during his invasion of Earth, and the Atlantic Ocean, churned upside down when Shimizu, Superman, and the others killed Doomsday.

The footage ended with Superman’s and Doomsday’s Heat Vision evaporating vast swathes of ocean.

After that came a documentary about humanity’s pollution of the marine environment.

"You were right, King Orm. The humans on land will destroy themselves sooner or later."

After watching the film, shot and edited by an Oscar-winning documentary director, King Ryk of the Fisherman Nation could not help but sigh.

"While destroying themselves, they will also destroy this world. Before that happens, they will destroy the ocean first, including us.

Look, King Ryk. They have already provoked us in the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. And then there is the garbage scattered across every corner of the sea. If we do not act now, we will be exterminated before humanity is!"

"You wish to wage war against the land, King Orm?"

"That is correct."

"You should know the law established by the Seven Ancient Kings. Only when more than half of the seven kingdoms agree can we start a war."

"I have already persuaded the Saltwater Kingdom on the other side of the Indian Ocean. As for Xebel, they will agree."

"This… I need to consider it."

"I look forward to your answer, King Ryk."

Orm said with an elegant smile.

After the summit ended, Orm returned to Atlantis with his army.

Within a side hall of the kingdom, Orm met his new adviser.

"Your Majesty, following your instructions, I have made the Kingdom of Xebel agree to join the war."

Lex Luthor placed one hand over his chest and smiled at Orm.