Despite not having much time, thanks to the training room, I was able to focus on technique and practice my control and skill related to Soul Energy. Through this, I learned a few ways to tap into the powers of my formidable ghost lineage—a lineage that, even in the cultivation world of the ghost realm, was considered among the highest and superior to all others.
Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the power of my soul and the abilities of my lineage. A soul pressure began to emanate from my body, and a black lotus tattoo appeared on my back. My fingers moved in a peculiar motion, coming together as if to form something. The Vitrir—or rather, the creature—sensed the danger but couldn't escape the chains that seemed immensely durable, binding it beyond the material level.
As I continued my movement, a projection of a lotus appeared around me, and with each motion, lotus petals extended from my body, enveloping the creature. Peter looked slightly surprised but didn't seem too concerned; however, the sorcerers reacted differently. Though they didn't stop casting their spells, they were visibly startled by the intense soul pressure and the mysterious, terrifying black lotus that looked uniquely menacing.
I carefully controlled the black lotus, directing its petals to separate the Vitrir from the dimensional entity with force and power. Agonized, hateful screams from both echoed around. I didn't relent, continuing my actions; soon, the red entity was pulled away and trapped by the lotus petals. Meanwhile, the Vitrir appeared even weaker than before, now bound by its restraints.
Maintaining precise soul control, I guided the dimensional entity toward the sorcerer who seemed to have just completed an incantation.
"Prison of Vishanti!"
As he spoke, orange beams of magical light and mandalas surrounded the entity, encasing it in a sphere of magical confinement as I released it. The creature seemed to struggle to escape but to no avail, for the prison held it completely.
The creature tried to escape, but it was futile, as the prison completely restrained its movements. After that, I took a deep breath and knelt down for a few seconds; I still have a lot of training and refinement to do in using my soul energy, as even low usage of my lineage's power leaves me somewhat exhausted.
"Ah… I hope the reward really strengthens my soul… I'll need to set aside a good amount of time to keep practicing soul energy," I murmured, but quickly stood up. The strain from drawing so much power for the first time had taken a toll on me. Once I was on my feet, I approached the Vitrir and threw a sound bomb at it, which caused it, already fatigued, to detach from its host. Without hesitation, I placed it inside the Dragon Ball cooler capsule. As soon as it was inside, I activated the life-suspension function, which completely froze it, preventing any movement or action, and eliminated its nutritional needs.
After wiping a bit of sweat from my forehead, I stowed the capsule away. Peter came up beside me, and after we both confirmed each other's condition, our eyes turned to the newcomers—the sorcerers. The first one, who appeared to be their leader and introduced himself as David, stepped in front of me.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm David, the current lead mage of the New York Sanctum. And this is my friend and fellow sorcerer, Henry."
"I'm the vigilante Immortal."
"And I'm the neighborhood vigilante and hero, Spider-Man."
After the formal introductions, I began asking them a few questions. Fortunately, they were quite responsive, which surprised me, though I didn't have time to think about it or form a theory. It seemed that perhaps a certain Supreme Sorceress had given them specific instructions.
"Well... I can't give too much information due to the current political stance of Earth's sorcerers. But we, the sorcerers of Earth, aim to protect the universe—or, more specifically, the Earth—from mystical or dimensional threats. Generally, we don't interfere in the world's affairs or other interventions unless there's a threat of humanity's annihilation. As you might guess, there are hidden sanctums located in different parts of the world."
"And if I may ask... how does your magic work? And are there other wizards or sorcerers on Earth?"
They exchanged glances, seeming to communicate telepathically, and soon responded to me.
"Our magic uses the soul as an anchor to manipulate world energy and that from other dimensions or entities, aiming to create magic, spells, and enchantments of various powers. We especially use what's called white or neutral magic, and we also rely on mental energy to guide and gain better control."
Hearing their initial response, I nodded in satisfaction. As I had assumed, magic in this world generally works by using the soul, soul energy, or spirit as a magical conduit to harness energy from Earth or other dimensions, much like the magic in Dragon Ball or Harry Potter.
"To answer your second question... as we mentioned, we're the primary group of human sorcerers on Earth. However, it's possible that other factions, unrelated to us—whether rival or hidden factions—exist. Furthermore, there are witches on Earth who, though similar to us, have certain differences in how they manipulate energy and cast their spells and enchantments. But it would be more interesting for you to discover this on your own."
I didn't say anything in response and thanked them for the information, although I was intrigued. Based on what they shared, magic in this world is indeed very diverse—whether through the use of soul and mental energy or the form I saw Loki use. And then there's this faction of witches, which, from what they said, clearly has a different approach to manipulating energy and magic. Keeping in mind the ancient stories circulating in the world, I could imagine some distinctions, though it would be hard to discern without encountering one firsthand.
"Thank you for your help and for all the information."
I thanked them, and before they left, they handed me what looked like a card.
"With this card, we'll be able to contact you if we need your help or something. You'll also be able to use your Soul Energy, since we know you can, to establish a communication path with us. Additionally, if you're near a sanctum, your presence will become evident to you as long as you're holding the card."
"Keep in mind what I mentioned about the restrictions on sorcerers' actions."
I nodded in acknowledgment and thanked them again. Without delay, they raised their hands, and with new magical symbols, a golden portal appeared beside us, enveloping us. We left the supposed mirror dimension and returned to the normal world.
I looked around, recalling the sensation.
"Even with Kai Kai, I think I could go back there… although leaving might be possible." I murmured softly to myself but soon refocused. Taking Peter, I teleported us to the base, where I stored Vitrir's prison item.
After issuing some commands to the base's minions and droids, I placed the item securely in an isolated prison section of my hideout. Then I returned home to rest, ready to receive my reward the next day.