chsdbacks Chapter 442 [3 Chapters Combined] Riley of "Dihua"
Chapter 442 [3 Chapters Combined] Riley of "Dihua"
Thinking of this, Riley's brows furrowed even more subconsciously, almost forming a knot.
The logic behind this deduction about "seizing the power of the eight great demons" seems to be self-consistent, and the rewards are enough to drive an ambitious person like Amora to take the risk.
but……
A colder, more fundamental question, like a bucket of ice water, was poured over his newly constructed, still-warm reasoning model.
Cognitive barriers.
This is a sheer cliff that stands before everything else.
Amora's ability to know the name and location of the independent entity "Lord" is already an incredible miracle, or rather, a loophole that can only be barely explained by the most outlandish assumptions—such as the existence of a higher-dimensional being like Dormammu driving Amora's actions from behind the scenes.
Based on this, we must also assume that she not only knows the concept of the "Eight Great Demons" as a specific and closed mythological system, but also has a precise grasp of a nearly lost forbidden method that can strip away and absorb their original demonic energy, a method that even many native wizards may not know.
This goes beyond what can be described as "information asymmetry"...
It's as if someone had crammed the ultimate setting of "Jackie Chan Adventures" along with the experimental notes of the devilish little dragon into Amora's brain after he just escaped from prison!
"It can't be..."
When Riley was racking his brains but still couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation, an absurd, almost nonsensical thought suddenly flashed through Riley's CPU, which was overheated by complex conspiracy theories.
Amora's initial target for this invasion was not the Holy Lord at all.
She might really just want to infiltrate District 13 and replace the Sandman, whose mission failed, to continue assassinating Riley's parents?
As soon as they entered District 13, they were stopped by Jade and her father. Fearing that if they delayed any longer, they would run into Riley, who was rushing back at full speed, and they would have no chance to leave District 13, they decided to run away.
However, during this process, due to being unfamiliar with the place and people, or perhaps due to the insidious influence of the dark forces, Amora inadvertently took advantage of a moment of laxity in the defenses and entered the vault where the Holy Lord was imprisoned.
In this situation, although Amora did not recognize the Holy Lord, her magical abilities were enough to detect that the seemingly lifeless statue was emanating a powerful and evil magical aura, and that it was someone who had been deliberately imprisoned in the deepest part of this base by District 13...
For Amora, whose life revolves around manipulating people's hearts and creating chaos, this is nothing short of a "surprise gift" from heaven, a chance to cause maximum trouble for her opponents!
Seeing that the assassination attempt was no longer possible, she impulsively released Shendu's soul. She hoped that by helping Shendu escape and creating chaos in District 13, she could further conceal her own whereabouts!
To sum it up in one sentence...
Amora probably didn't think that much about it. She was just a little resentful that she had been stopped by a little girl and an old man after all her hard work. So, on her way out, she just wanted to give Riley and the others some "fun".
even……
Because of his long-term imprisonment and isolation from the world...
Amora was unaware that Asgard had resumed contact with Earth, and still believed that the Asgardians would not visit Earth. She was also unaware that Earth now had a figure called the "Sorcerer Supreme," secretly protecting the peace of this world.
Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that Earth, which once worshipped the Asgardians as "gods" and was "incredibly weak" in overall strength, was the best place to hide, which is why they came to Earth specifically to cause trouble.
"...Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Riley immediately rejected his overly "simplistic" idea in his mind, and was even a little annoyed at himself for coming up with such an unprofessional speculation.
This is an insult to the meticulously planned and chilling scheme that took place tonight!
Amora demonstrated a deep strategic vision, a keen understanding of timing and psychology, and a precise grasp of the weaknesses of both Asgard and Earth…
This was absolutely a premeditated and targeted operation; it could never have been a "spur-of-the-moment" or "casual act."
In Riley's experience, attributing an opponent's complex strategies to mere chance is undoubtedly the most basic mistake!
"She must have a grand, meticulously planned ultimate scheme, far surpassing anything I've seen so far. Releasing the Holy Lord is only the first step, and it must be a carefully crafted one!"
After eliminating this "wrong option," Riley forcefully pulled his thoughts back onto a more rigorous track, and his eyes sharpened again.
However, it was precisely this obsessive caution of "never underestimating the opponent" that led him down an overly complicated and misguided path.
He was like a top-notch codebreaker. Faced with a ciphertext, he was convinced that it must contain a secret that could overturn the world, so he used all the most complex algorithms and the most profound linguistic models to decipher it.
But no one ever considered that this cipher text might just be a random combination of characters used in a prank, the meaning of which even the perpetrator didn't know. Or perhaps its true purpose was so simple as to be laughable—simply to make him consume all his computing resources on decryption, leaving him no time for anything else.
He became trapped in a logical maze he had constructed, firmly believing that treasure lay hidden deep within, ignoring the fact that the maze itself might be the only thing his enemy wanted him to build.
"The Holy Lord has already begun to act. Time is limited, and we can no longer passively speculate... We must plan according to the worst-case scenario."
Riley took a deep breath, dispelling the self-contradictory noises in his mind, and his action-oriented approach took over.
Let's first rule out the various unexplained mysteries that exist among these speculations...
Given this suspicion, Amora's goal may lie in releasing or exploiting other demons.
Therefore, all key items related to this must be immediately brought under surveillance!
He immediately connected to the internal communications of District 13 and asked Uncle Long, who was on his way back after learning of the invasion of District 13, to help find the whereabouts of the Panku Box.
Immediately afterward, Riley's mind conjured up the worst-case scenario.
A dragon driven to desperation, capable of any evil and utterly disregarding the consequences, if it feels its chances of revenge are slim...
Could we skip all the steps and go straight to find that legendary ultimate cheat device that can rewrite reality?
Therefore, Riley decisively sought help from the Ancient One through special means, requesting her to keep an eye on the situation in Australia in the near future. This was to ensure that the historical record in the original Jackie Chan Adventures series, whose exact location was known only to Shendu, would not become an "accomplice" in the dragon's rampage.
The message was sent, but it disappeared without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea.
This was expected.
Riley doesn't know whether the Ancient One accepted her advice or whether this would prematurely end her "observation."
But he had to issue a warning.
This is his responsibility as a link in Earth's defense line.
After doing all this, Riley slowly leaned back in his chair and rubbed his throbbing temples.
He felt as if he were playing several games of chess at the same time.
The opponent's shadow flickers across multiple chessboards.
He was forced to invest a large amount of resources in defending against those theoretically most terrifying, but perhaps least likely, killing moves.
A faint sense of weariness, as if being led by the nose by an invisible hand, welled up inside me.
So much so that Riley didn't know...
When she received Riley's warning message, the Ancient One was sitting on her hardwood armchair, which looked uncomfortable but contained countless secrets of spatial folding.
There was no crystal ball or floating magic circle in front of her, only a cup of tea with wisps of warm white steam rising from it.
But her "vision" is not limited to this small area.
The Eye of Agamotto rested on her chest, radiating a gentle glow. Even without its full activation, it was enough for her to browse the real-time status of certain key "threads" on Earth, as if turning the pages of an open book.
One of the more active "lines," imbued with anxiety and decisiveness, is connected to Riley, who is in District 13.
The other, like a cunning shadow serpent, briefly circled over a remote forest in North America before moving southwest at an astonishing speed.
That was Valon, who had just "visited" Denmark and was rushing on his way with a burning desire for revenge against Riley, followed by a trio of mafia members with furrowed brows and looking back every few steps.
The most interesting one, the "line" belonging to Amora, is of ever-changing colors, carrying the unique iridescence of Asgardian magic and a hint of cynical malice. It lingers in a magnificent villa, leisurely enjoying various fine wines and delicacies.
Clearly, just as Riley had guessed...
As the most powerful guardian on Earth today, specializing in magical invasions, Amora's every move was already under the Ancient One's surveillance when she entered Earth.
In this situation, even without Jade and her father coming out to stop her, if Amora were to actually kill Ben and May, out of admiration for Riley and the same concern she shared with Sheriff Black, the Ancient One would naturally step in to warn this outsider that while he could play around and cause trouble, he shouldn't joke about the Parker couple.
As for what Riley mentioned...
A chronicle of history? Eight great demons? Panku's Box?
The Ancient One did hear her close friend, the High Priest, mention it casually during a tea chat.
After a brief moment of thought, Gu Yi picked up her teacup, gently blew away the floating leaves on the surface, and took a small sip. The warm liquid slid down her throat, carrying a perfectly balanced slightly astringent aftertaste.
"……puff……"
But clearly, the aroma and mellowness of the tea were not enough to suppress the Ancient One's perverse tastes.
A very soft laugh, as if she had seen something new and interesting, escaped from the Ancient One's lips, and the Ancient One's gaze refocused on Riley.
She was generally satisfied with Riley's reaction, and could even be described as appreciative.
Despite facing an extremely unfavorable situation with a severe lack of information, an unknown opponent, and a mysterious logic behind their actions, this young man was neither defeated by anger or frustration, nor did he blindly stumble around.
He quickly integrated all available resources, locked onto key clues, and based on existing intelligence, made a logically rigorous threat deduction, even providing an early warning of the most devastating "table-flipping" plan that was theoretically possible.
This adaptability, strategic thinking, and the prudence of always preparing for the worst are indispensable qualities of a guardian.
"It's getting more and more proper... Hmm... It seems that none of the previous regulations stipulated that outsiders were not allowed to serve as the 'Supreme Sorcerer' of this world, right...?"
Gu Yi put down his teacup and lightly tapped the back of the chair with his fingertip.
She "saw" Riley urgently contacting her father and methodically mobilizing resources in District 13.
This meticulous spirit stirred a barely perceptible ripple in her heart, which had been dormant for a long time and was almost entirely filled with responsibility and exhaustion.
It was a kind of satisfaction, like seeing a rough gem gradually reveal its brilliance after being polished, and... a more explicit expectation of "passing the buck".
Undoubtedly, the idea of bringing Riley over as the successor to the "Sorcerer Supreme" was becoming clearer and more urgent in the Ancient One's mind.
Ultimately, although Strange is exceptionally gifted, his path of growth and temperament destined him to be a different kind of Sorcerer Supreme.
Riley's down-to-earth nature, her ability to build defenses and integrate resources, and her almost obsessive sense of responsibility for "taking on one's duties" and "preventing tragedies and making up for regrets in life" may be exactly the kind of person she was looking for—someone who could reliably shoulder the responsibility of protecting the Earth after she left.
Look at him now, so busy, yet so organized...
How perfect it is for dealing with these everyday (on the scale of the Ancient One) annoying intrusions from multiple dimensions!
He's practically the perfect workhorse... oops! The perfect heir!
Not to mention, not long ago, the multiverse crisis caused by Strange and Tom Holland in a parallel universe made the Ancient One increasingly fond of Riley, while also questioning whether following the guidance of fate and letting Strange inherit her mantle was a wise choice.
However, when her gaze once again swept over Riley's furrowed brow, his pensive expression as he pondered the "ultimate conspiracy of Amora," and the various emergency measures he had deployed based on the major crisis of "the power of the eight great demons converging in one person" or "the alteration of reality by the annals of history"...
"Pfft..."
A barely suppressed, extremely faint laugh broke the absolute silence of the quiet room once again.
The Ancient One shook her head, and a rare, mischievous smile appeared on her usually calm and composed face, which seemed to have witnessed endless time and space.
That smile smoothed out the fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, making her look hundreds of years younger in an instant—if you ignored the real years that had passed in those wrinkles.
"Too clever by half, buddy. That lady is indeed quite clever, but you've set her ambitions a little too high."
In her view, Amora was celebrating her escape unscathed and pondering whether she should continue trying to invade District 13 or find some other fun.
All of these actions stemmed purely from a whim and had absolutely no connection to that ambitious Titan.
As for the Holy Lord, his goal was clearly much "simple," and had absolutely nothing to do with the "grand plan" that Riley assumed Amora was "brewing."
It could even be said that because Amora acted in secret, the Holy Lord still believes that he escaped by luck and strength, and has no idea of Amora's existence!
So much so that all of Riley's tense preparations, all his serious simulations, all his state of being on high alert...
From the Ancient One's perspective at this moment, it seems to have become a farce, meticulously rehearsed but with actors completely out of sync.
"Being vigilant is a good thing; it shows you've grown a lot. However, this kind of over-interpretation is also a price to pay for growth."
Gu Yi suppressed her smile, but the amusement in her eyes did not fade.
She didn't intend to wake Riley up right now.
On the one hand, allowing him to continue honing his adaptability and coordination skills under this illusion of "high pressure" is not a bad thing.
on the other hand……
She had to admit that she was indeed very curious...
When Riley, after meticulously planning everything, finally discovers that the "world-destroying crisis" he had been so prepared for might actually be just a fugitive's casual prank, coupled with an ancient demon's obsession with revenge.
What kind of wonderful expression will appear on that face that always tries so hard to keep serious?
Hmm... that must be more interesting than any tea she's drunk in the last five hundred years.
When the time comes, we must use the latest camera to capture every detail of Riley's expression and keep it safe!
As for Amora and the Holy Lord?
As long as they don't actually cross those "bottom lines" that are enough to tear apart the foundation of reality, the Ancient One is happy to continue being a quiet observer.
After all, within a controllable scope, it's good to create an "interesting misunderstanding" as training for the future successor (even though the other party still refuses to admit it, causing the Ancient One considerable distress).
It's a harmless little pleasure that gives this soon-to-retire senior colleague the confidence to keep going for a while longer.
Thinking of this, she picked up the teacup again, feeling the warm tea soothing her palm, and turned her gaze back to the intricate "threads".
The show is still going on.
Meanwhile, the sole audience member and director leisurely sipped his tea, anticipating the next scene.
Only after finishing her tea, and finding some free time, did the Ancient One attempt to trace the concept of the "Book of Time" to touch, locate, or at least confirm the "existence" or "potential coordinates" of this artifact in this dimension of reality...
The result that the Ancient One received was a blank.
It's not hidden, it's not blocked.
Rather, it is a more fundamental... nothingness.
It's as if, within the scope of this universe's search, the location corresponding to this entry is a pure blank, without any historical traces, energy echoes, or dimensional folds anchored to it.
It's like searching for a theoretically existing, but unlisted, rare book in a library catalog.
Gu Yi's hand, holding the teacup, paused almost imperceptibly for half a second.
A fleeting hint of genuine surprise flashed across the depths of those eyes, which were always calm and still, seemingly reflecting the endless flow of time.
"The history book of time..." she began to recite the name earnestly.
In her understanding and perception, there are indeed many ancient, powerful, and even fundamental relics or places on Earth that touch upon the very essence of the rules—such as the Cosmic Cube (Space Stone), the Eye of Agamotto (Time Stone), Pankuh Box, and the Twelve Symbols—all of which have left unique "marks" on the structure of reality.
Like a boulder in deep water, no matter how deeply it is hidden, it will inevitably change the direction of the water flow and can be perceived by the Supreme Master, who can more or less detect traces of its existence.
But there is no "history book of time".
This wasn't the first time I'd felt this way.
She clearly remembers that while watching over the river of time, she also sensed certain "concepts" or "powers" in a similar "unactivated" or "undescended" state.
The most typical example is the Infinity Stones scattered throughout the universe.
Before they are "pulled" to a certain point in time or place by a specific event, a specific person, or a specific fate, their "presence" is vague and distant even for an observer at the level of the Ancient One.
It's as if there's a layer of frosted glass called "fate" between us, and we can only barely see the general outline.
Only when they begin to "activate" and intervene in reality will their imprint become clearly discernible.
Therefore, this "History Book of Time" is likely like the Infinity Stones; because it hasn't yet appeared at the point in this history, it's impossible to find it at all...
Or...
A more intriguing, and perhaps more troublesome, possibility surfaced in the mind of the Ancient One.
The "Book of Time" does exist, but it is no longer "here." It was taken away by some being beforehand, or moved to a place that even the Ancient One could not detect or touch.
Who would do that?
Who can do this?
What is the purpose?
This thought quickly dispelled the wicked smile in her eyes, a smile born from Riley's "Di-ization thinking."
Instead, a more concise and refined examination has emerged.
This is no longer just Riley's personal overinterpretation, but touches on some anomaly that may be beyond her current framework of observation.
Ancient One slowly set down her teacup, the porcelain making a soft sound as it touched the wooden table. Her expression returned to calm, but deep within her eyes, the wisdom of the Sorcerer Supreme, who had seen through the ages, flickered slightly, less of her detached banter and more of her earnest deduction.
Riley's warning may be wrong in terms of "facts," but it inadvertently touched on a deeper issue.
She admired his foresight, and now she was even more thoughtful.
This young man's sense of "abnormality" seemed to be even more acute than he himself had imagined...
Even if it's done through "over-interpretation".
"Interesting..." Gu Yi murmured to himself. This time, there was no laughter in his tone, only pure interest and a hint of almost imperceptible vigilance.
She decided that she would not only continue to observe Amora and the Holy Lord, but also spare a little attention to look back at the recent subtle disturbances related to the concepts of "rewriting history" and "rewriting reality".
Meanwhile, Riley, the "successor," always seems to stumble upon interesting clues in the wrong direction...
Perhaps she should consider offering more subtle guidance at the appropriate time, or...
When someone tries to rewrite history, can we offer a little help to Riley, who is powerless to resist and driven to despair?