Chapter 354: S.H.I.E.L.D. Team (6000+)
Chapter 354: S.H.I.E.L.D. Team (6000+)
One month later, in a villa in Queens, New York.
Jerry stood in the living room, focusing his mind to channel his magic power. Then, he raised his index finger and slowly drew a circle.
As Jerry's finger moved, a magic circle large enough for a person to pass through appeared in the living room. This was the essential spatial magic spell of Kamar-Taj mages, Vishanti's Portal.
After thirty days of intensive research, he finally managed to analyze, convert, and successfully cast this unique Kamar-Taj spatial magic in his own way.
Unlike Phantom Shift, Vishanti's Portal not only allows travel to places one has already visited but also to entirely new and unfamiliar locations, as long as the distance is calculated correctly.
Taking a step through the portal, he found himself hovering above an endless ocean.
"Let's see if the distance was calculated correctly."
Jerry used a flying spell to hover in mid-air, then took out his phone and opened the satellite navigation system to measure the actual distance from his home villa and compare it to the distance he had predicted before opening the portal.
A moment later, a satisfied smile spread across his face.
Clearly, the distance measured by his phone matched his earlier prediction almost perfectly, indicating that he had fully mastered the Vishanti's Portal spell.
"Huh, why is someone attempting suicide by jumping into the Atlantic Ocean?"
Just as Jerry was about to end his experiment and open another portal back to the villa to continue studying other magic, a large plane flew overhead. Suddenly, a young woman screamed and jumped from the plane.
Driven by the habit of helping those in danger and the knowledge that rescuing people earns red stars, Jerry didn't hesitate. He spread his snow-white wings and flew toward the falling woman.
"Hey, lady, life is precious—no need to waste it like this!"
As he caught the woman, Jerry offered a casual word of comfort.
The woman clung to Jerry tightly, her face filled with terror as she replied, "Thank you, I didn't want to die, but if I didn't jump, my teammates would have died too. Oh, you actually have wings!"
Just as the woman was marveling at Jerry's wings, another figure appeared above them, clearly jumping after her.
"Great, are they attempting a suicide pact in the Atlantic?"
Jerry pointed at the man above him and cast, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Under the effect of the levitation charm, the man's descent slowed, and he floated in the air like a balloon.
"This one is wearing a parachute, so it's not a suicide attempt."
Jerry, still holding the young woman, approached the man floating in mid-air. Seeing the parachute pack on the man's back, he realized the man was not trying to kill himself but to save someone.
The man was utterly baffled. He had jumped to save his teammate but found himself floating in the air, almost thinking he had accidentally opened his parachute prematurely.
Then, he saw his teammate being carried by a winged stranger. Could this be an angel?
No, angels don't exist in this world. It must be some kind of genetic mutation or a scientific experiment.
"Grant, why did you jump? I'm already beyond saving!"
The teammate's voice, tinged with tears, brought Grant back from his confusion. As a top S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, he had seen many strange things, but this was beyond belief.
"Jemma, Fitz said the serum you developed worked. The guinea pig fainted not because of the virus but because you hit it too hard. I saw Fitz grab a parachute and jump, but he didn't even know how to wear it, so I had to come down and save you!"
"Does that mean I don't have to die?"
The young woman, Jemma, burst into tears with relief.
As one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most brilliant young biologists, she had recently graduated from S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy and was recruited by senior agent Coulson to join his elite team for handling special events. She had jumped from the plane to avoid an explosion caused by the alien virus she had been exposed to during the New York battle, to prevent harming her teammates.
To her surprise, it was all a misunderstanding. The sudden shift from despair to hope left her emotionally overwhelmed.
"Ahem, here!"
Seeing her about to smear her tears and snot on his clothes, Jerry quickly conjured a few tissues and handed them to her.
Jemma took the tissues and wiped her eyes and nose. "Oh, thank you. What's your name?"
"You can call me—"
Before Jerry could answer, the large plane that had just flown past made an emergency turn and returned, hovering above them.
"Turns out you're S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. I was planning to visit S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in Washington to speak with Director Nick. By the way, what are your names?"
Looking up at the familiar emblem on the plane, Jerry immediately recognized it as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s symbol.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Grant Ward!"
"S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Jemma Simmons!"
Jemma and Grant, having regained their composure, exchanged a glance upon recognizing the winged youth who had saved them. It seemed the youth not only knew their identities but also recognized their director. They replied in unison:
"Agent Grant, Agent Jemma, you can call me Witch. I'll take you up to the plane, and we can meet your leader. While we're at it, I'll have a message for your director."
The higher-ups at S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Hydra organization were already aware of his identity, so Jerry no longer needed to use Illusion to disguise himself as Hermione.
More importantly, with his current strength, there was no need for such a disguise.
As long as the public remained unaware of his true identity, it wouldn't affect his normal life with Has and Aisha.
Even if someone were to intentionally leak his true identity to the public, they likely wouldn't believe it. After all, in their eyes, Witch was a girl, and that was a fact.
Unless, of course, the official word came out, confirming that he was Witch.
This was not a concern, as he had a good relationship with the Vice President. Any matter involving him would be handled by the Vice President before it became an issue, or he would be informed in advance, allowing Jerry to take care of it personally.
"What?"
When Jerry revealed that he was Witch, Jemma and Grant's faces were filled with disbelief. Like the general public, they had assumed Witch was a girl and had never heard of Witch having wings!
Jerry didn't explain further. Instead, he picked up Jemma, grabbed Grant, and flew directly to the open hatch of the large plane, landing on the hangar deck.
"I never expected to run into an old acquaintance!"
The first thing he saw upon landing was Phil Coulson standing at the forefront.
Coulson's eyes widened when he saw Jerry carrying Jemma and dragging Grant to a halt, as he too recognized Jerry.
"Thank you, sir, for your assistance!"
Coulson quickly feigned unfamiliarity, thanking Jerry.
Jerry rolled his eyes as he set Jemma and Grant down:
"Cut the act, Coulson. I know you recognize me as Witch, and I'm surprised you're still alive. I was devastated for a few days when I thought you were dead."
"Ah, well, I just didn't want you to erase my memory again!"
Jerry's blunt statement left Coulson slightly embarrassed.
When Coulson mentioned the Obliviate spell Jerry had used before, Jerry waved it off:
"Fine, let's call it even. Is there somewhere we can sit down and talk? I have a message for Director Fury."
"Fitz, take Jemma to rest. May, continue piloting the plane. Grant and Skye, clean up the warehouse."
Coulson quickly assigned tasks upon hearing Jerry's request, then led Jerry to a luxurious lounge in the middle of the plane.
Without wasting time, Jerry brought out the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and the Hydra agent from his Box Space, who had attacked him a month ago, and explained the situation in detail.
For the past month, he had focused all his energy on studying Kamar-Taj Magic. Plus, Hydra agents hadn't attempted to harm his family again, so he had almost forgotten about Hydra.
Compared to the various forms of Magic from Kamar-Taj, Hydra, a terrorist organization composed of ordinary humans, seemed insignificant.
He even thought the fake "Ten Rings" that had attacked Iron Man was more formidable, given the powerful Extremis warriors they had.
Moreover, he didn't have the time to deal with Hydra in the near future. So, he decided to inform Coulson today and let Director Fury handle the investigation.
If Director Fury could resolve the issue, that would be ideal. If not, at least it would expose the Hydra agents, allowing Jerry to deal with them quickly and efficiently.
"Impossible. Hydra was eradicated during World War II. How could there be any spies left?"
Coulson's first reaction was disbelief, as a high-ranking agent with his clearance level had never seen any intelligence in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files indicating Hydra's continued existence.
"Believe it or not, it's the truth. See that tall one? He's the Hydra spy. You can interrogate him when you return.
I have to go. Remember, if you haven't found the Hydra spies by the time I finish my current tasks, I'll assume S.H.I.E.L.D. attacked my family. Don't blame me if I decide to tear your entire headquarters apart!"
Jerry didn't linger further, drawing another portal.
"Witch, wait a moment."
Seeing Jerry about to step through the portal, Coulson called out to him.
Jerry turned his head, slightly puzzled:
"Coulson, is there something you need to clarify?"
"No, it's just... could you do something for my hair? For some reason, after I healed from my injuries, my hair returned to its original state."
Coulson pointed to his somewhat balding head, looking a bit embarrassed.
Jerry's lips twitched, and he casually tossed a Hair Growth Spell at Coulson before disappearing through the portal.
Coulson's nearly bald head instantly transformed into a full mane of hair that reached his waist.
Running his fingers through his long hair, Coulson nodded in satisfaction and then quickly pushed open the door to the luxurious living room.
Behind the door, Jemma, Fitz, Grant, and Skye, who had been eavesdropping, hurriedly took a step back.
"Sir, he really is that Witch. Uh, your hair?"
"My hair isn't important. Go and notify May immediately to change course. We need to head to the Washington headquarters!"
Coulson tugged at his long hair and instructed them with a serious tone.
A month later, at the Kamar-Taj Library.
A circular fire ring appeared out of nowhere, and Jerry, carrying a stack of Kamar-Taj magic books, stepped through from his villa.
"Magician Gilava, I'm here to return the magic books!"
"The Book of Sight, New Compilation of the Universe, Supreme Codex, Solomon's Key, Kamar-Taj Magic Fundamentals."
Gilava, the Kamar-Taj Library's librarian, recorded each book Jerry placed down and couldn't help but exclaim:
"Carmen, you read so fast! In just two months, you've already finished half the books in the library!"
Having been a librarian at the Kamar-Taj Library for five or six years, Gilava had never seen anyone read as quickly as Carmen. Most Kamar-Taj magicians would borrow only one book at a time, taking at least a month or two to finish it before borrowing another.
But Carmen would borrow seventy or eighty books at once and return in just two or three days to exchange them. At first, everyone thought Carmen hadn't finished reading them.
Later, they realized they were wrong when Carmen, in just a month, managed to perform the signature magic of Kamar-Taj—the Vishanti's Portal.
Carmen continued to rapidly master one Kamar-Taj magic after another, leading them to marvel at how someone so young could possess such formidable magical power.
"I've had a photographic memory since I was a child, so I read much faster than the average person", Jerry replied with a smile.
Over this month, aside from occasionally visiting Has and Aisha, Jerry had put aside all other matters, even temporarily pausing the bloodline research experiment, to focus entirely on studying Kamar-Taj magic.
Clearly, his dedicated study and research had yielded significant results. Through the Kamar-Taj books, he had gained a more detailed understanding of the development of magic in this world and some of the Dimensional Deities in the multiverse.
According to the Kamar-Taj texts, magic has been a force in the world since before the emergence of human civilization, a manifestation of the universe's laws.
The first Supreme Sorcerer, Agamotto, recorded this force, which existed in the universe, in ancient Sanskrit, forming the current Kamar-Taj magic.
Agamotto is also one of the primary sources of power for Kamar-Taj magicians, as he is part of the triune Vishanti.
Vishanti consists of three Dimensional Deities: the first Supreme Sorcerer Agamotto, the ancient Earth god Ohoter, and the alien god Hoggs, whom Ohoter met while traveling the universe.
They are known as the omnipotent Ohoter, the all-seeing Agamotto, and the ancient Hoggs.
Technically, Jerry shouldn't have been able to use Kamar-Taj magic since he wasn't a Kamar-Taj magician and hadn't tapped into Vishanti's power.
Many Kamar-Taj spells originate from Dimensional Deities and require their power to be cast and fully utilized.
For example, spells like the portal, spatial blade, mirror spatial, and the Vishanti Sacred Sword require the power of Vishanti to be cast.
Spells like the Crimson Bands of Cytorrak and the Shield of Serafin require the power of Cytorrak and Serafin, respectively.
This is one reason why many Kamar-Taj magicians are not proficient in all spells.
Apart from Vishanti's spells, they cannot borrow the power of other Mystic Deities to cast their spells.
To address this issue, Jerry had consulted the Ancient One, who explained that Kamar-Taj magicians lack the strength to do so. If they were powerful enough, they wouldn't need the consent of the Dimensional Deities and could forcibly borrow their power to cast spells.
Since then, Jerry finally understood why the Ancient One's power far exceeded that of ordinary Kamar-Taj mages.
It was because she could wield all the magic in the library.
Fortunately, Jerry was no slouch either. Although he couldn't tap into the power of all the Dimensional Deities, and he wouldn't even if he could, his foundation in the theory of magic was solid and his knowledge extensive.
Thus, he could study the theory of magic, break it down, and then reconstruct it, using his own magic power to replace the power of the Dimensional Deities and cast the spells.
The principles of magic are an external manifestation of the laws of the universe, existing since the beginning of time. The Dimensional Deities are simply adept at these laws, allowing them to use this magic.
Jerry's goal was to unravel the underlying principles of these spells, analyze their fundamental concepts, and then restructure them according to his own understanding.
For example, the Vishanti's Portal he had recently cast was possible because he spent a month thoroughly analyzing the spatial principles it contained. This allowed him to bypass Vishanti's power and use his own magic power to cast it.
However, there were drawbacks.
Using his own magic power to cast spells required much more magic power.
The essence of many spells is the essence of the Dimensional Deities, who have these laws ingrained in their bodies, making them a part of themselves.
Therefore, when mages borrow their power to cast corresponding spells, it is much easier.
But Jerry had to restructure the spells using his own magical concepts and release them with his own power, relying entirely on himself, which naturally made it much more strenuous.
After all, he didn't have the vast power of the Dimensional Deities.
For instance, the Ancient One could use the portal to travel to any place in the universe, even entering the multiverse directly, while he could only travel around Earth for now.
Traveling too far would simply drain his magic power too much.
However, in terms of distance, the portal was indeed much farther than his Phantom Shift, and it was more convenient than a portkey. The only downside was that it took longer to activate, making it less suitable for combat.
In reality, aside from the Ancient One, very few in Kamar-Taj could open portals across planets. The energy required was tremendous, and only those with exceptional talent could even borrow the necessary power.
"These magic books aren't just about memory!"
Gilava returned the books Jerry had returned to their original positions.
Over the years, Kamar-Taj had recruited many mages with high intelligence and remarkable memory, but that didn't mean they could understand and grasp the profound magic.
"By the way, Mage Gilava, what kind of magic books are on that bookshelf behind you? I've never seen anyone borrow them!"
While searching for magic books, Jerry suddenly noticed a hidden bookshelf behind Gilava's chair.
"Oh, that's the Supreme One's private bookshelf. Only the Supreme One can view the books there."
Gilava replied after placing all the books back.
"The Ancient One's private collection!"
Jerry's eyes lit up upon hearing this:
"So, those books can't be borrowed?"
"Normally, they are not allowed to be borrowed. While Kamar-Taj shares knowledge, the Supreme One says the content of those magic books is too advanced. Many mages can't even understand the basic magic books, let alone those in the private collection.
Moreover, many of the spells in that bookshelf are quite dangerous. A minor mistake could be fatal, and a major one could lead to the deaths of many innocent people."
Gilava paused for a moment before continuing:
"However, the Supreme One has made an exception for Carmen. If he wants to read them, he can borrow them, but only one at a time, and he must return it before borrowing another."
Actually, Gilava was quite surprised by the Supreme One's decision. Even the most outstanding disciple of Kamar-Taj, Kasilius, was forbidden from borrowing the Supreme One's private books.
But for Carmen, who refused to join Kamar-Taj, the Supreme One was willing to grant access to the private collection.
"Looks like Kamar-Taj won't be able to refuse his help easily in the future!"
Jerry couldn't help but think to himself upon hearing Gilava's words.
Although he hadn't joined Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One had opened access to all the library's books for him and always patiently answered his magic-related questions.
Now, even the private collection that other mages couldn't access was available to him, leaving him speechless.
However, to be honest, the Ancient One was so powerful that she shouldn't need his help, yet she treated him this way, which left him both puzzled and touched.
(End of Chapter)
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