"Vera, we won so easily," Peter said in disbelief.
It was his first time participating in actual combat training. Four people managed to defeat nearly a hundred enemies without any damage—it felt like a dream.
"Of course, Peter. We fight with our brains, not recklessness," Remy said venomously. "Don't tell me, when you were Spider-Man, you fought purely out of recklessness."
"Of course not! I ranked pretty high at my school," Peter replied. "I can memorize hundreds of words in a minute if I need to."
"Oh, so you're a fool with a strong memory," Remy added for the final blow.
Peter immediately wanted to retaliate, but Vera interrupted, "Enough. This operation succeeded mainly because the situation was favorable to us and also because the information Peter provided was accurate."
Hearing this, Peter smiled, pleased with the praise.
Then, with some confusion, he asked, "Vera, what should we do next?"
He glanced at the deaf-mute workers, who were looking lost.
"Don't worry, someone will come to pick them up," Vera said before calling out, "Instructor, the mission is complete. You can come out now."
Moments after she spoke, a figure appeared in the distance—it was Captain America, Steve Rogers.
"Vera, you did a great job," Steve praised. "We eliminated the enemy without taking any damage."
"Remy, Ian, Peter—you three worked well together," he added, turning to the others.
As he spoke, Steve looked at the deaf-mute workers around him. He pulled out a black card, focused his mind, and tried to create a portal.
Soon, a red, flame-colored portal began to form in front of them.
However—
A black mist shot toward the portal, and just as everyone reacted, the portal collapsed.
"Stay alert!" Steve shouted, holding up his shield and positioning himself in front of the four.
Vera, Ian, and Remy raised their wands, while Peter stood by Steve, scanning the surroundings with a vigilant expression and heightened senses.
The next moment—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Several black darts flew through the air, shattering light bulbs and plunging the building into darkness once again.
"Lumos," Ian said, waving his wand. A bright ball of white light appeared at the tip of his wand, illuminating the area and dispelling the darkness.
It also revealed dozens of black-clad ninjas sneaking around them.
"Stupefy!" Vera reacted instantly, casting a Stunning Spell at the nearest enemy.
Ian and Remy followed suit, releasing their own spells.
Steve threw his shield with precision, sending it flying toward a group of ninjas, knocking several away before the shield returned to his hand.
Without hesitation, Steve rushed forward, delivering powerful punches to his enemies, targeting their heads and abdomens with precise strikes.
Within moments, several ninjas had fallen.
One ninja, wielding a sharp sword, lunged at Steve. But before the blade could land, Steve disarmed him with a swift strike of his shield.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man stood near Vera, carefully observing the attacking ninjas. He shot a web at one, sticking it to the ninja's thigh and pinning him to the ground, restricting his movements.
Behind him, Ian or Remy would cast a Petrifying Spell to neutralize the restrained ninja.
Whenever darts flew toward them, Peter's quick reflexes allowed him to block or dodge them, keeping the magicians safe so they could cast their spells uninterrupted.
With Steve breaking up the formation and the magicians attacking, the team quickly dismantled the enemy.
The five worked seamlessly together, swiftly defeating all the black-clad ninjas.
However, none of them let their guard down. They continued to circle, watching for new threats.
They hadn't forgotten the black mist that had initially broken the portal—clearly not a technique used by the ninjas.
Suddenly, the mist swirled, and three figures emerged.
It was Lawrence, a disciple of Dormammu in black robes, alongside Alexandra, one of the five fingers of the Hand, and Elektra, the Black Sky.
"Alexandra, are these ninjas really useful to you?" Lawrence sneered.
"Hmph!" Alexandra scoffed, annoyed by his mockery. "Take action, Lawrence. You can keep the sacrifices."
Despite her irritated tone, Lawrence chuckled and turned his attention to Vera, Steve, and the others.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Look who we have here," he said in a flirtatious tone. "Captain America, Spider-Man, and three Sorcerers—what a delightful combination."
Turning to Vera, he asked mockingly, "Little girl, do you know Kamar-Taj? I know many people from Kamar-Taj. If you're connected to them, I can be gentle later. After all, we're old friends."
As Lawrence spoke, he removed his black hood, revealing a face with smoky eyes and strange black lines etched into his forehead.
Upon seeing him, Vera's pupils shrank, and she exclaimed, "Dormammu's followers!"
Vera had many friends in Kamar-Taj and knew the telltale signs of Dormammu's disciples—black lines and smoky eyes.
"Tsk tsk. I thought that portal looked familiar. How could Kamar-Taj not know me?" Lawrence smirked.
"Are things at Kamar-Taj so bad now that you make your apprentices use sticks instead of Sling Rings?" he mocked, eyeing their wands.
Alexandra, listening to the exchange, felt uneasy. Vera's exclamation had made her wary.
She glanced at Elektra, reassured by her strength, but Alexandra was growing suspicious of Lawrence's identity. She had no desire to associate with a madman.
After a brief hesitation, Alexandra urged, "Lawrence, stop wasting time. Eliminate them."
Lawrence was irritated by her impatience, but he needed her and Elektra for later. His gaze turned malicious as he looked back at Vera and the others.
"Iugulum exacuere!" Vera, Ian, and Remy shouted simultaneously, casting the Throat-Cutting Curse, one of the most offensive spells they had mastered.
Three red beams shot toward Lawrence.
At the same time, Steve hurled his shield, and Peter shot a web, aiming to restrain Lawrence.
But—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Lawrence waved his hand, and a thick cloud of black mist appeared, instantly forming a shield that blocked all the attacks.
The spells and shield strikes dissipated harmlessly against the mist.
Seeing this, Lawrence smirked in disdain. The magic of these Sorcerer apprentices was still too weak. Even with minimal effort, he remained unscathed.
Their magic could only work on ordinary people.
However, as apprentices of Kamar-Taj, they would still make excellent sacrifices.
But then—
"Reducto!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
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