novelraw Chapter 501
Chapter 501
Two hours later, Rowan Mercer left Kamar-Taj with a sling ring personally forged by the Ancient One.
Portal magic wasn’t especially advanced.
It was the very first spell every Kamar-Taj apprentice learned.
Talented students could use it almost immediately after picking up a ring.
With Rowan’s stacked magical aptitude from countless clones and worlds, plus his mastery already rivaling the Ancient One’s, he mastered it in minutes.
Most of the two hours had been spent listening to her explain multiversal travel etiquette and spatial anchoring principles.
She had decades of experience astral-projecting across realities.
Portal magic came from the Vishanti, and its effects scaled with the caster’s power.
The stronger the sorcerer, the farther the gate could reach.
Elite masters could open portals across planets or even star systems.
Someone like the Ancient One could open a portal into another universe without much difficulty.
Rowan, with Vishanti-backed portals, could already cross universes too.
But only under one condition.
He needed a clear spatial anchor.
If he left this universe for the Void, he would still be able to sense this universe’s coordinates and return.
But he couldn’t open a gate into an unfamiliar universe he’d never visited.
Unless someone from that universe acted as a reference point.
Once he visited a universe even once, he could permanently remember its coordinates.
After that, he could open a gate there anytime.
"Useful spell," Rowan muttered in his floating island bedroom. "But I’m still borrowing power."
True free multiversal travel would require multiversal-tier strength.
He wasn’t there yet.
Not even close.
He picked up one of the TVA pruning batons.
His original plan had been simple.
Go to the Void.
Rescue Logan.
Steal TVA tech.
Now he realized he didn’t even need the tech.
The Void was full of people from countless universes.
Each one of them was a living coordinate.
Touch enough of them, and he’d eventually map half the multiverse.
Rowan flipped the baton on.
A pulse of energy struck his chest.
The world vanished.
He reappeared in a gray wasteland.
Ruined cities.
Broken monuments.
Fallen helicarriers.
Fragments of worlds piled like trash.
"...At least you don’t age here."
Time barely moved in the Void.
As long as Alioth didn’t eat you, you could theoretically live forever.
Rowan raised a hand.
A golden compass-like sigil spun into existence.
"Find Logan."
The spell pointed east.
Magic worked normally in the Void.
The TVA’s anti-magic suppression only functioned inside their headquarters.
And even then, it wouldn’t have worked on Rowan.
His power came from himself.
Not borrowed dimensions.
He followed the golden marker, flying low over shattered landmarks.
Then he saw them.
Near a cluster of pyramids.
A convoy of scavenger vehicles.
A metal cage strapped to one of them.
Inside the cage sat Logan and Deadpool, tied back-to-back.
Beside them, bound as well, was a blond man who looked exactly like Steve Rogers.
"...Wait. That’s not Captain America."
Rowan flashed forward and landed in front of the convoy.
He raised one hand.
"Road toll," he announced calmly. "Pay up."
The vehicles screeched to a halt.
Logan exhaled in relief when he saw Rowan.
"The headmaster’s here. Thank God."
Deadpool twisted his neck a full one-eighty, snapping vertebrae casually to look backward.
"Ow. Worth it."
He squinted at Rowan.
"Headmaster? What headmaster? Professor X is bald. This guy’s not bald. Is he an Avenger? He doesn’t look like an Avenger. Are you sure he can save us? He looks kinda... mid."
Logan slammed his forehead backward into Deadpool’s skull.
"Shut up, Wade."
Deadpool went limp again.
The blond man in the cage sighed.
"Doesn’t matter who he is. Anyone who comes here either gets eaten by Alioth... or ends up working for Cassandra."
Rowan smiled faintly.
"Good thing I don’t do either."