Although it was highly likely that these were the consequences of Ronan's future self's actions, Ronan found himself at a loss for words.
After all, cursing yourself just doesn't feel right.
"Why would the target be you?"
"You're not even from this world, could it be…"
Tony Stark's expression changed.
It seemed like he had guessed something.
In this world, Ronan shouldn't have any enemies.
Since Ronan came to this universe, the only ones he had fought were Thanos and his army.
Now that Thanos was dead and his army had been cleaned up one by one, with even their ships destroyed, Ronan shouldn't have any enemies left.
"Could it be that I was never even…"
Buzz!
Ronan's eyes widened as he immediately raised his hands above his head. The Raggadorr Rings appeared instantly.
Strange reacted just as quickly, casting the same defense.
A black magic ring descended from the sky, smashing directly onto the two of them.
The ceiling of the New York Sanctum shattered with a loud crash as three magical rings collided violently.
The buildings surrounding the New York Sanctum began to crumble as well.
Even under the protection of the defensive array, the other sorcerers were thrown away by the shockwave.
Tony Stark was no exception.
However, being quick-witted, he pressed the activation button on his chest as he was blown away.
The Iron Man suit quickly enveloped him, protecting him within.
As the three Raggadorr Rings shattered, flecks of golden light sparkled in the sky.
But amidst the gold, there were some intrusive streaks of black.
Without a word, Strange flew out, determined to find out who had destroyed his home!
But the moment he took off, his figure disappeared into thin air.
Ronan tilted his head up, shielding his eyes with his hand as if gazing at the stars.
There was nothing in the sky except the blazing sun.
Ronan was certain that Strange had been pulled into the mirror dimension.
He had just sensed a faint spatial fluctuation.
This must be the passive attribute that appeared after he added points to the mirror dimension skill.
"What the hell just happened?"
"Where's Strange?"
Tony Stark, who had just been blown away, finally returned. His tone suggested a hint of irritation.
After all, it's one thing to get hit in the face, but having others stand still while he got blown away as a fellow superhero was pretty embarrassing.
"No idea, maybe he went to outer space."
Ronan casually made up an answer, his eyes still locked onto the sky.
Even though he couldn't see the mirror dimension.
"Outer space?"
"Am I going to have to save him again?"
Tony Stark seemed to recall the events from five years ago.
Back then, it was he and Peter Parker who rushed onto the spaceship to save Strange.
Otherwise, who knows what would have happened in the endgame.
This time, Ronan didn't respond because he remembered something the Ancient One had once told him.
"The mirror dimension involves the secrets of space. The sorcerers of Kamar-Taj only use it at a basic level."
"In reality, it's not even considered a true space."
"If a true space is a grand and magnificent house, then the mirror dimension is just a tent."
"It can't even be considered a proper shelter."
Back then, Ronan had thought the Ancient One was just making excuses for not teaching him the mirror dimension.
But today, it seemed Ronan had understood something.
Thinking of this, Ronan glanced at his system interface and took a deep breath.
When in doubt, add points!
With the system's "Remaining Points" decreasing from 2 to 1, Ronan felt as if he had lost something very important.
This was his last point!
He couldn't afford to use it anymore!
His plan was to return to his universe, find the Ancient One, and learn some more powerful spells.
Then he'd put a point into them.
Wouldn't he be invincible then?
But plans couldn't keep up with changes.
Although Ronan had always looked down on Strange, as long as he didn't get involved in anything related to Peter Parker, his abilities were still decent.
In that sense, Strange was more like Peter Parker's guardian.
After all, it wouldn't be wrong to say that.
Back to the main point, for Strange to be silently pulled into the mirror dimension despite his current strength, the opponent's power was unimaginable.
So, Ronan couldn't afford to save this skill point.
And, of course, there were changes to the skill [Mirror Dimension] after adding the point.
[Mirror Dimension +2: Creates a mirror space identical to the surrounding reality but entirely independent, capable of locking people or objects inside the mirror dimension. The strength of the mirror dimension depends on the caster's skill level and the power of the spell.]
[+2 Trait: You can more clearly perceive spatial fluctuations around you. You can alter the environment within the mirror dimension, not limited to the current location and weather.]
[The strength of the mirror dimension is significantly increased. You can actively use illusions to disrupt the enemy's vision, with the effect depending on the enemy's resistance to illusions and mental strength.]
[Note: When changing the environment within the mirror dimension and using illusions, your mental energy will be consumed. The more significant the alteration, the more mental energy will be consumed.]
Ronan took a deep breath, struggling to maintain a neutral expression.
Don't laugh, don't laugh.
Don't let Tony Stark see how inexperienced you are.
It's just a skill upgrade, nothing to get excited about.
It's only gotten a tiny bit stronger!
But in the next second, he couldn't hold it in any longer—
He broke!
"Hahahahahahahaha!"
"Hahahahaha!"
At this moment, Ronan declared himself officially a member of the Uchiha Maniacal Laughter Club.
He went, "Kyahahahaha!"
And Tony Stark just looked at him like he was an idiot.
All he'd said was not to make him rescue Strange again, and now Ronan was laughing like this.
Was what he said really that funny?
Could it be that he had a hidden talent for telling jokes?
Tony Stark touched his face, doubting his own perception.
However, Ronan soon stopped laughing, and his face returned to a calm expression.
After all, a master must maintain a cold, silent demeanor, quietly watching their opponent.
And when it was time to act, they would reveal a wicked, charming smile and then take down their enemy.
Of course, that wicked, charming part could be left out.
His face would make such a smile look more like a domineering CEO.
He still planned to save Strange, after all.
He just hoped it wouldn't turn into a story about a domineering CEO and a silly, sweet heroine.
Boom!
At this moment, Strange reappeared after being gone for less than a minute.
However, his appearance was quite unexpected.
He was falling from a height of more than ten meters in a free-fall motion.
It looked like he was going to face-plant.
At the same time, another figure appeared in the sky.
That person... was wearing a hood, with his face obscured.
"Damn you!"
"Why do all you villains love this mysterious look?"