Alaric felt better than ever. The pleasure flowing through his body was dozens of times greater than any spa therapy. He was so relaxed that with his eyes closed, he almost drifted off to sleep.
Vishanti: …
That was clearly not the response they had expected.
"Sorcerer Supreme of Earth, Alaric."
The voice that echoed through the space was serious, balanced, deep, and enveloped in complete harmony, permeating the entire Supreme Dimension.
That voice suddenly jolted him from his state of comfort and near slumber.
"This is… the Supreme Dimension?"
"Are you Vishanti?" Alaric looked at the radiant golden figure before him in disbelief.
"That's right. This place is the Supreme Dimension, and we are Vishanti."
The voice confirmed, simultaneously radiating authority and peace.
…
Alaric was speechless for a moment.
He had just wanted to request a bit of energy from the Dimensional Emperor… and now he was directly facing Vishanti?
Is it possible that every mage who tries to contact them actually gets a chance for a direct conversation?
Shouldn't Vishanti be too busy to answer everyone?
Maybe that's why no one responded last time?
Alaric was confused, but considering where he was, he knew he had to seize the opportunity and observe everything closely.
He opened his All-Seeing Eye and focused his gaze.
The first time he made contact with Vishanti, he had been limited to accepting their energy, without any possibility of even seeing this dimension.
The high Vishanti noticed his gaze and the curiosity in his eyes. Their appearance became clearer, almost as if they were allowing him to see them better.
Still, what he was seeing wasn't their true form.
Because their true nature was not something any mortal being, not even Alaric, could fully comprehend. Not even Doctor Strange managed that.
What Alaric was seeing was only a form adapted to the human mind. Their true essence is unfathomable.
Usually, the Vishanti appear in the form of a woman, an old man, and a tiger, the embodiment of the divine trio Oshtur, Hoggoth, and Agamotto from the Multiverse.
So even the All-Seeing Eye couldn't uncover their true form.
As soon as Alaric tried to look deeper, his eyes encountered layers of impenetrable, mystical magical energy.
But when his line of sight passed through those energy layers, he no longer saw shapes or figures, he sank into an ocean of knowledge and understanding.
Instead of an image, he saw the pure essence of magic. An entire universe of magical knowledge poured into him.
That influx was too much.
He closed his eyes, grimaced, feeling pain from the overload of information.
Even his strong spiritual energy couldn't handle it.
The All-Seeing Eye simply wasn't ready to decipher what it was trying to process.
But precisely thanks to that brief yet intense analysis and contact with higher knowledge, something happened.
[Through brief in-depth observation and analysis of mysterious magical knowledge, you have realized something. Combined with the All-Seeing Eye, it has created: the Omniscient Eye.]
[Omniscient Eye: Grants the user advanced abilities such as observation, analysis, recording, interpretation, multiple levels of perception, and precise analysis of reality.]
…
"It's too powerful… Looking at Dormammu now is like watching a child!" Alaric exclaimed inwardly.
Especially now, when he had a clearer view of Vishanti, his eyes burned from the intensity.
Good heavens… what is this being? What kind of existence do they represent?
If Dormammu is a multiversal-level entity, then compared to Vishanti it's like comparing a hole in the ground to the infinite sky!
How does Dormammu even dare to oppose Vishanti?
Alaric felt he might have hit the core of it. Maybe Dormammu hadn't challenged the entire trio, just Agamotto?
If that's the case, everything makes sense.
"Sorcerer Supreme of Earth…" Vishanti began.
"Wait!" Alaric interrupted.
"When did I become Sorcerer Supreme? Isn't the Ancient One still Sorcerer Supreme of Earth?"
"You don't know?"
"Should I know something?" Alaric looked at Vishanti in confusion.
This time, the Omniscient Eye had evolved from the All-Seeing Eye, there was now nothing Alaric's mind couldn't endure.
Instead of overwhelming him, the eye automatically began to analyze, record, and interpret everything it saw.
When it encountered knowledge it couldn't currently understand, it would simply record it, skip ahead, and return to it later for analysis.
As if Alaric had connected an external hard drive directly to his mind, the Omniscient Eye absorbed and stored all complex information without burdening his consciousness in the moment.
It recorded even the mysterious magic he himself couldn't decipher, so he could study it later.
Vishanti, noticing that Alaric dared to look directly at him like that, was surprised. He hadn't expected Alaric to adapt so quickly to his presence.
But he didn't care.
"Allow me first to explain what the title of Sorcerer Supreme means."
"It is a title granted to those who possess mystical abilities that far surpass others, or who draw magical energy from higher dimensions stronger than those others use."
"Also, in one world, there can be two Sorcerer Supremes. One surpasses all in skill, and the other in the amount of energy they possess."
"I feel that your magical energy far surpasses that of the Ancient One."
Vishanti spoke plainly and without hesitation.
"So, if someone has both the greatest skill and the greatest amount of energy, they become the sole Sorcerer Supreme?"
"That's right."
"And… what's the purpose of the title then?"
"It represents the sorcerer whose magic exceeds all others in their world."
"That's all?"
"That's it."
"Then just call me Alaric."
Alaric sighed speechlessly. He wasn't someone who chased after titles and vanity. What did that "highest" honor mean to him?
"…"
Vishanti paused.
Wasn't the title of Sorcerer Supreme the pinnacle of honor for mortals?
Besides symbolizing power, it also signified recognition from Vishanti themselves, a mark of trust and status in all dimensions.
But Alaric clearly didn't care.
"You summoned me, honorable Emperor Vishanti, for something specific?"
"Alaric, your talent for magic is exceptionally high. I can compare it to Agamotto, the first Sorcerer Supreme."
"Please… don't compare me to him. There's no way I'm on that level."
His reaction to Vishanti's words was pure disbelief. Comparison to Agamotto? If he were truly at that level, he'd already be a major player, not someone still trying to understand the balance between white and black magic.
"I summoned you to bestow upon you the status of Sorcerer Supreme of Earth. To use your power to fight against darkness, protect reality, and confront magical threats that could endanger the entire planet."
"And what benefits do I get?"
Vishanti: ???