CHAPTER 102: CHAPTER 102: WANDA ABSORBS THE IMPERIAL ARM! DEMON’S EXTRACT! HUMANOID DEVIANTS!

Just as expected, things went exactly as Lorien had thought.

After they had eaten for a while, Hela suddenly stopped playing in the distance and sniffed the air. She whipped her head around.

"You guys are eating without me?!"

"Ahhh!"

Hela charged back with her "Nightsword" in hand.

Lorien picked up a piece of grilled meat, dipped it in sauce, and tossed it to her.

"Woof!"

Hela caught it midair.

"Hot, hot, hot—ahh!"

She hurriedly swallowed it down, then immediately looked up and said,

"It’s so good!"

Lorien was chewing on barbecue himself.

"Then hurry up and eat."

"Coming, coming~!"

And so, while two people manned the grill, four mouths devoured the food. The grill was large, and with Lorien watching the fire, the pace of cooking was just right.

After an hour, everyone was full, sprawled out on rocking chairs.

These chairs didn’t have regular legs but instead two curved wooden beams, allowing them to sway gently back and forth. It felt amazing.

Lorien even handed each of them a cup of milk tea.

"Slurp~"

He took a deep sip, washing away the lingering taste of grilled meat.

"Perfect~!"

It really was refreshing.

The four of them rested on the rocking chairs, enjoying the natural breeze. The others rocked slowly, but Hela was swinging her chair as wildly as she could.

Gwen glanced at the time.

"Oh no, I have to go back!"

As she quickly packed her things, Wanda stood up and asked,

"Hasn’t New York been calm lately? Why do you still have to go home on schedule?"

"I’ve got college entrance exams," Gwen said while slipping on her shoes. "They’re next week. Once they’re over and the results come in, I’ll finally be free."

"Lorien, bye! See you tomorrow!"

Lorien waved.

"See you tomorrow."

Watching her leave, Wanda lay back down with a sigh.

"Gwen’s about to head off to college. Time really flies."

"Yeah."

Lorien let out a sigh of his own, but his thoughts were elsewhere.

By this point, according to the Sacred Timeline, quite a lot had already happened. Ragnarok was over. Ant-Man had been under house arrest for two years—he should currently be with Dr. Pym, rescuing his mother-in-law, the Wasp.

Not long from now, Thanos would wipe out half of the Nova Corps and claim the Power Stone. After that, he’d track down Asgard’s ship, strangle Loki, and trigger the events of Infinity War.

There was still plenty on the horizon, but none of it really had much to do with Lorien. The only thing that concerned him was when Thanos finally came to Earth—at that point, he’d just kill him himself.

That was about it. Everything else? Hardly his problem.

Did that mean he was basically ready to retire?

"It really is fast," he muttered.

Wanda thought he was talking about Gwen growing up, but Lorien was referring to how quickly the story itself was advancing. It was already nearing its end.

Right—speaking of which, there was still one more matter.

The Celestial embryo slumbering inside Earth hadn’t been dealt with yet. It would be better to handle it in advance; otherwise, if it suddenly awakened, reversing time for the whole planet would be a hassle.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Lorien’s hand drifted onto Wanda’s leg, caressing it. She shifted slightly, making it easier for him.

Gradually, another thought rose in him—he wanted to test the effects of the Esoteric Scripture of the Yellow Emperor. But first, there was another problem: Wanda’s physical endurance.

If her body wasn’t strengthened, she wouldn’t be able to withstand it. If he got reckless, she could collapse completely.

So Lorien stood and waved her over.

"Hm?"

Wanda froze, suddenly nervous. She glanced at the clock.

"It’s already past nine... maybe a little later..."

"It’s fine. Come on."

"But you always go until late at night..."

In other words, if she delayed, she might last longer. If she started now, she’d collapse before the end.

Lorien only smiled.

"Don’t forget—I have a way to strengthen your body."

Oh, right.

His reminder jogged her memory. Wanda relaxed and stood up, following him into the bedroom.

"What exactly do you mean?" she asked curiously.

Lorien knew the Demon’s Extract contained overwhelming malice. To be safe, he first asked her,

"In the Book of the Vishanti, have you studied any spells for hardening the will or resisting mental influence?"

Compared to the Darkhold, the Book of the Vishanti was full of such techniques.

Sure enough—

"Yes," Wanda nodded. "Back when you first said you wanted the Darkhold, I was already practicing those spells."

"Good."

That put Lorien at ease. Even if she couldn’t endure it, he could help her absorb the Demon’s Extract. But it would be far better for her to succeed on her own.

He took out the Imperial Arm known as the Demon’s Extract.

At first glance, it resembled a flask of fine wine, its liquid a pale blue. But in truth, it was blood. Viewed on a spiritual level, it writhed with immense resentment, screaming endlessly.

An ordinary person who merely approached would lose control and go berserk. Drinking it was unthinkable.

Before Queen Esdeath had consumed it, others had warned her: every single person who had tried before had gone mad without exception.

As Lorien held out the Demon’s Extract, he turned to Wanda and said...

"You can cast those mental spells now.

When you’re done, take this from my hand and drink it all."

Wanda nodded nervously.

She pressed her hands together, and scarlet magic immediately flowed out. Her legs folded in midair, and her entire form began to shift.

Her clothes changed into a witch’s attire—her waist draped with a wide skirt, and a crimson crown appearing on her head.

At the same time, spells continued to activate. The Book of the Vishanti materialized in her hand, its incantations layering over her one by one.

When Wanda was fully prepared, she opened her eyes and looked at Lorien.

He handed her the Demon’s Extract.

Wanda took it without hesitation and drank it down in several gulps.

Good thing she had trained under Lorien—otherwise, finishing it all might have been impossible.

But the moment she returned the bottle, her brow furrowed sharply.

Lorien immediately knew—the resistance of the Demon’s Extract had begun.

Now came the struggle.

Wanda clasped her hands into a spell seal, closed her eyes, and held fast to her true self. Though her expression tightened at times, overall she was holding steady.

Lorien waited, then raised his index finger and pointed downward.

"Ziiip~"

The zipper at Wanda’s chest came undone, revealing half of her pale curves. But Lorien wasn’t focused on that—he was watching as a mark slowly appeared on her chest.

The mark of the Demon’s Extract.

The symbol of its power.

Unlike other Imperial Arms, which were physical artifacts, the Demon’s Extract itself was an ability. Its essence was entirely different.

Within seconds, the mark settled onto her skin like a tattoo.

And then—at the very final step—

"Whoosh~"

The black mark suddenly shifted, glowing scarlet.

At the same time, Wanda’s hair began to change.

Her dark red locks—so deep they usually looked black unless the light caught them—brightened rapidly into a radiant wine red.

It looked stunning, far more striking than before.

Her presence grew even more captivating.

No wonder Queen Esdeath had become even more beautiful after absorbing the Demon’s Extract. It turned out this Imperial Arm even carried beauty-enhancing effects.

"Lorien~!"

Wanda opened her eyes, her face alight with joy.

She lowered her legs, landing softly on the floor, then leapt into Lorien’s arms.

"This power is incredible! It works together with my Chaos Magic! Now, whenever I use it, Chaos Magic strengthens it even further!"

So that was it.

Lorien brushed his fingers through Wanda’s newly colored hair and breathed in its fragrance.

So fragrant.

"No wonder the mark turned scarlet," he murmured. "You’ve become even more beautiful, Wanda. Look at your hair."

He drew her wine-red locks forward.

Wanda looked down.

The color suited her perfectly. Against the crimson shade, her skin looked like milk—white, smooth, and radiant. The contrast was striking, almost overwhelming.

She couldn’t help but love the transformation herself.

Lifting her gaze, she locked eyes with Lorien.

"Didn’t I look good before?"

Lorien smiled. Was she really trying to trap him with that kind of question?

"No. You were beautiful before... but now, you’re even more beautiful."

At those words, Wanda’s legs pressed together on their own. Rising onto her toes, she became the one to take the initiative.

Lorien pinched her lightly.

"Looks like someone can’t wait?"

"Yes... please, Lorien."

"Say it properly."

"How should I..."

"What do you call your husband?"

"Husband~~~!"

...

The next morning, Lorien woke up feeling completely refreshed.

Thanks to last night, Wanda’s condition had improved tremendously. Her body felt the same, but her recovery speed was now more than ten times faster. That had to be the Demon’s Extract—or rather, the Demon’s Extract enhanced by Chaos Magic.

Now, whenever her stamina and energy were depleted, she could replenish herself with magic.

She was still fragile, still prone to trembling, but her endurance had skyrocketed. About to faint? Refill with mana. Not enough mana? Lorien could top her up with the Phoenix Force.

When Lorien finished his shower and stepped out, he glanced around.

"Hm? Where’s Hela?"

Normally, she picked this exact time to drop by for milk, but today she hadn’t shown up.

It didn’t really matter.

Lorien snapped his fingers.

"Snap~"

His body dried instantly, clothes sliding neatly into place.

He checked the clock—8:15 a.m.

"Still time to make breakfast."

He headed to the kitchen, fried himself a steak, then made a meal for Wanda as well. He placed hers in a warmer with a note, ready for when she woke.

After finishing his own breakfast, he wiped his mouth clean and set out for work.

...

8:55 a.m.

Lorien strolled into the office and sat down. Not too early, not too late—just as usual.

He always arrived between 8:50 and 8:59. Anything in the 40s? Impossible. Even 8:49 was unthinkable. The earliest he ever showed up was 8:50 on the dot.

"Bang~"

Propping his legs on the desk, Lorien leaned back into his chair, ready to slack off. As usual, he flicked on the news.

But the first channel he switched to was already running an emergency live broadcast.

In the corner was a replay feed, while the main broadcast showed New York State Park—just near the TV station building.

From the river, three monsters had emerged. Two looked beastlike, but one was humanoid.

The moment they surfaced, they began searching frantically, tearing through the park and the surrounding streets, smashing everything in their way.

Lorien instantly recognized them. The Deviants—mutants he had seen once before.

They clearly had a target.

A moment later, a middle-aged woman and a young girl sprinted desperately down the road. The three Deviants locked onto them immediately.

Two humans against three monsters—they had no chance of outrunning them.

"Ahhhh!!!"

The crowd scattered in panic as the Deviants gave chase.

"Honk, honk~~~!"

A school bus packed with students happened to pass nearby. One Deviant seized the front of the bus and hurled it straight at the fleeing women.

"Ahhh!!!"

The children inside screamed in terror.

"Sprite, run!"

The older woman shoved the childlike girl beside her.

"Sersi!"

The girl panicked, frozen in place, unsure of what to do.

But here’s the truth—they weren’t ordinary humans. They were Eternals. A race created by the Celestials, tasked with incubating Celestial seeds and eliminating Deviants.

Every time a Celestial embryo was close to hatching, the Eternals were deployed. And once the Celestial emerged, the Eternals would be recalled, their memories erased, and reset until the next cycle.

That was the purpose of the Eternals.

...

Now, with the bus hurtling toward them, Sersi raised her hand.

"Boom~~~!"

The school bus exploded into a sea of petals.

Crash~

Plop~

Roll~

The students spilled out like bowling pins, tumbling and piling up on the ground. They were scraped and bruised, but alive.

But how could they escape now?

"Roarrr~~~!"

The three Deviants came charging again.

Sersi had little fighting power. How could she resist them?

The Sprite beside her could only cast illusions. With a wave, the street filled with hundreds of identical figures.

But Deviants could smell life. Illusions meant nothing.

Even in the midst of a crowd, they charged straight for Sersi and Sprite.

"Run, Sprite!"

Sersi knew they had no chance. She shoved Sprite away.

"Tell the others! The Deviants are back!"

"No!" Sprite shook her head furiously.

Classic movie logic—she refused to leave, even if it meant watching Sersi die.

"Thud! Thud!"

The Deviants closed in.

Sersi conjured a sword, bracing for a hopeless fight.

But then—

A blur of black, white, and pink streaked past, flashing from her right to her left in an instant, leaving only an afterimage.

"Slash~!"

The sound of flesh tearing followed.

One Deviant collapsed mid-charge, its head severed, its blood instantly absorbed into the body of its slayer.

A cheerful voice rang out.

"Make it quick, I’m going to be late for school."

It was Gwen.