"If you don't speak, I'll take that as agreement!" Robert said with a sly grin, addressing the still-unconscious Constantine and the others. Without waiting for any real response, he swiftly transported everyone to a space outside the dimension.
Kamar-Taj, unlike other places in Earth's dimension, had easier access to realms beyond. By following the temple's array of power outward, Robert easily found their way.
With a hum, Robert and the Kamar-Taj students arrived near the place where the Hell Dimension's presence had previously felt abnormal. With a wave, Robert woke the group.
"Where is this?!"
"The Hell Dimension's energy is so close to Earth's dimension? When did this happen? Why didn't I notice before?" Constantine and Doom were the first to regain their senses, their faces shifting to wary expressions once they realized they were no longer on Earth.
Despite their recent temptation by the Reality Stone, neither Constantine nor Doom had completely fallen into darkness. Their desire to gain more power wasn't for domination, but to protect Earth's dimension. Feeling that their current strength wasn't enough for that task, they sought more. But as they now sensed the thick presence of the Hell Dimension's energy, it was clear something new had been set in motion.
"Do you feel it? The power that surged within you, gained without effort? Though such things happen frequently in this world, you still need to learn how to control it. Now, this Hell Dimension energy is your opportunity," Robert said as he looked at the two, his voice calm.
"Up until now, you've only relied on the temple arrays to counter these dimensional forces. Now, it's time for you to personally face the challenge of resisting such energy. Once you've dealt with the Hell Dimension's energy, we can talk about the Reality Stone."
"But if the Hell Dimension really is planning something, won't removing its energy here prompt a Hell Lord to retaliate against us?" Baron Mordo, who had a deep understanding of the Hell Dimension, asked with concern. He frowned at Robert, uneasy.
With the threat of the Hell Dimension looming again, Mordo was far less concerned about the Reality Stone. He knew that within Earth's dimension and under the protection of the temple arrays, they could barely withstand the Hell Dimension's invasions. Now, standing outside of Earth's dimension, confronting the Hell Lords directly seemed like a fool's errand. Even though the Kamar-Taj students had gained considerable strength through the Reality Stone, that wouldn't be enough. Here, in this neutral territory, the Hell Lords could wield their full power, without the limitations of using avatars or human hosts.
Their previous confrontation with Robert had been possible only because they were confident he wouldn't kill them, given their history of protecting Earth. But now, outside of their usual sanctuary, the situation was entirely different. Their plan to seize the Reality Stone had been cut short when Robert brought them here.
"You've all made significant progress, haven't you? I'd imagine you can handle weaker Hell Lords without too much trouble," Robert said with a chilling smile. "After all, if you had the guts to come after me, a few Hell Lords shouldn't be a problem, right? Or do you think I'm easier to deal with than they are?"
"No! Of course not!" Mordo's expression stiffened as he quickly began purging the surrounding Hell Dimension energy, unwilling to argue further.
The Hell Dimension's presence wasn't the real issue; it was the plans behind it that posed the true danger. Robert had no way of knowing how many Hell Lords were involved in the scheme, so rather than invade the Hell Dimension directly, it was better to lure the Hell Lords out into neutral territory for a fair fight.
With Mordo leading the way, the other Kamar-Taj students followed suit, particularly Doom and Constantine, who worked swiftly to cleanse the area of the Hell Dimension's energy. In a short time, the dark aura encroaching near Earth's dimension had been wiped clean.
This marked the first time since the dimensional rift appeared that Earth's surroundings were free from the Hell Dimension's influence. Previously, Earth's dimension had always played defense, never attempting to go on the offensive. Even the thought of pushing the battlefield outside of Earth's boundaries had never been considered.
But after Robert single-handedly fended off multiple dimensional invasions outside of Earth's dimension, he realized that future battles would be better fought in neutral territory. Fighting outside Earth's dimension eliminated the risk of collateral damage, and the Earth's dimensional rules wouldn't restrict their enemies. This allowed Robert to enjoy a fair, intense fight.
Moreover, there was another key reason to battle outside Earth's dimension: the Earth's consciousness couldn't absorb the power of the defeated enemies. While Robert wasn't sure of the Earth's consciousness's true nature, he remained wary, especially after the mysterious disappearance of the Ancient One.
"What's going on? The energy sent to Earth's vicinity has dissipated?" At the same time, in a massive stronghold within the Hell Dimension, a powerful Hell Lord opened his eyes. He wasn't a being with just one face—he had a hideous face on his head and another equally terrifying one on his stomach. This was Satannish, a mighty Hell Lord. Though not as famous as Mephisto, Lucifer, or Hades, he was still more powerful than the likes of Lazarus and Damian.
"Doulté, send someone to investigate what happened near Earth's dimension. Did someone interfere with my plan?" Satannish's voice echoed through his domain, soon prompting the arrival of a Hell Lord-level being named Doulté.
"Yes, my lord! I'll investigate immediately!" Doulté responded respectfully and quickly left to carry out his orders.
Though Doulté was also a Hell Lord, he served Satannish faithfully. Unlike other Hell Lords who ruled their own territories, Doulté had no choice but to serve Satannish. When he was much weaker, Doulté had fallen into Satannish's hands.
In exchange for his service, Doulté gained immense power, but his life remained in Satannish's grasp. He knew his strength made him valuable to Satannish not just as a servant, but as a resource to be consumed when the time came.
Yes, even though Doulté had risen to become a Hell Lord, he was essentially a pig fattened for slaughter. He knew that Satannish would one day devour him to boost his own power and ascend to a higher level of authority among the Hell Lords.
The stronger Doulté became, the more power Satannish would gain when the time came to consume him. Knowing this, Doulté had no means of resistance, as every aspect of his life was controlled by Satannish. Sometimes, he envied weaker Hell Lords, who, while not as powerful, had a degree of freedom that he would never know.
"Has there been an issue with the souls being sent to Earth's dimension?" Doulté soon confronted one of the Hell Lords' subordinates, a Hell Demon Lord, his presence oppressive as he asked the question.
"Based on previous patterns, we should have seen new souls sent for our lord to consume by now. But even though none have arrived, it's still within normal fluctuations," the Hell Demon Lord cautiously replied, clearly not enjoying much freedom himself.
"My lord's power is far too terrifying. These souls are practically delivered right to his mouth, yet he sensed the disruption before I even noticed anything unusual," Doulté thought, trembling slightly with fear and reverence for Satannish.
"Go to Earth's dimension and investigate!" Regaining his composure, Doulté passed the task down the chain of command, ordering the Hell Demon Lord to handle the matter.
Even though the dimensional rift allowed for easier access, powerful beings like Hell Lords still couldn't easily descend to Earth's dimension, and even the Hell Demon Lords had difficulty doing so. However, that didn't concern Doulté—how the demon handled it was his problem. Doulté just needed results.
"Yes, my lord!" the Hell Demon Lord responded quickly, knowing better than to refuse. As soon as Doulté left, the demon immediately began preparing.
"I'll use you as a scapegoat!" the Hell Demon Lord muttered as he eyed a high-ranking demon. Without hesitation, he seized control of the demon's mind and body, using it as a puppet.
With a hum, the high-ranking demon passed through the Hell Gate and crossed the rift to Earth's dimension. But instead of entering Earth's interior, it followed Doulté's instructions and began searching for Satannish's hidden mechanisms, soon finding itself just outside Earth's dimension.
"Huh? What's this?" The demon froze upon seeing the swirling magic outside Earth's dimension, but before it could react further, a magical seal enveloped it, reducing its body to pieces.
"Why did you attack so quickly? Couldn't you have waited and used it as bait?" Robert complained, frowning at Baron Mordo. "What if we lose the trail?"
"I didn't mean to. I just instinctively reacted when I sensed Hell Dimension energy…" Mordo explained awkwardly.
It wasn't entirely Mordo's fault. They were in the midst of purging Hell Dimension energy, so when a demon suddenly appeared, brimming with Hell energy, Mordo had struck instinctively.
"The Kamar-Taj students? Have they lost their minds?" The Hell Demon Lord, whose consciousness had been in the destroyed demon, frowned in confusion. "Why would they leave Earth's dimension? Without the temple arrays, do they really think they can face this many dimensions?"
"Forget it. This isn't my concern. After all, the souls aren't going to me. I'll just report this," he muttered to himself before sending word
up the chain.
"Kamar-Taj?" Doulté frowned, narrowing his eyes as he listened to the report. "Are you sure? The Kamar-Taj mages took the initiative? And they're targeting our lord's plan?"
"Yes, I'm not sure why, but it was definitely Kamar-Taj. They're still there, but I don't know how long they'll stay after clearing the area around Earth," the Hell Demon Lord confirmed, a hint of hesitation in his voice.
"Gather your forces. We're going in!" Doulté ordered, a gleam of anticipation in his eyes. After receiving permission from Satannish to handle the matter, Doulté wasted no time.
"Yes, my lord!" The Hell Demon Lord wouldn't have dared risk a confrontation inside Earth's dimension, but here, outside its boundaries, he wasn't afraid. Besides, apart from the Ancient One, he didn't consider any of Earth's mages a threat!
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