Obstacles!

A yellow light flared, and the agent was flung upward, crashing to the ground as if striking an unseen wall. As he struggled to rise and charge Sebastian again, thick vines erupted from the earth, coiling around him like unyielding ropes. They pinned him to the ground, kneeling, powerless to break free.

Sebastian approached the agent, eyeing the steam still hissing from his mouth and nose. He waved his wand over the agent’s body, quickly grasping his condition.

In short, the agent’s transformation stemmed from that syringe. The substance was likely a rapid genetic drug, granting immense strength far beyond a normal human’s in mere moments. His body had warped, but whether this change was beneficial or harmful required further study.

The agent roared like a feral beast, his sanity buried under the drug’s influence, his animal instincts dominant. Sebastian saw little chance of extracting answers in this state, so he wasted no time and raised his wand to cast a spell.

Legilimens!

Green light bloomed from the wand’s tip, splitting into threads that seeped into the agent’s eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, invading his brain.

This Legilimens was unlike Sebastian’s past uses. It was a full assault, probing soul and body. Unless the target had extraordinary mental strength, a single casting could shatter their mind. Sebastian felt no pity for the agent who’d dared to target Alisha.

As the green light surged, the agent’s body quaked. He resisted briefly, but against Sebastian’s magic, his efforts were futile. Soon, his eyes dulled, tears and saliva dribbling down his face, his expression vacant, like someone lost to dementia. The drug’s power offered no aid.

Images flooded Sebastian’s vision—fragments of the agent’s memories and raw emotions. He twitched his wand, sifting through them swiftly. At last, Sebastian found what he sought: the agent’s memories of his organization! The Ten Rings! A desert stronghold! A hidden fortress! The Mandarin1!

Scenes flashed before Sebastian, revealing the agent’s role as a senior Ten Rings operative. Beyond that, other memories surfaced: the agent was a double agent, serving both the Ten Rings and AIM, his medical and biochemical skills honed by the latter.

Having extracted all he needed, Sebastian ended the spell. The agent collapsed like a broken puppet, a vacant smile on his face, no trace of the elite operative he’d been.

Sebastian lowered his gaze, and the vines binding the agent tightened sharply. With a final scream, the agent’s neck snapped, and he went limp, dead before Sebastian.

He flicked his wand at the corpse, and the earth beneath it churned as if alive. Thicker roots burst from the soil, enveloping the body and dragging it underground, erasing it completely.

This was the druid magic Sebastian had learned in Asgard, wielding great power in the forest.

With the agent dealt with, a frost ring gleamed on Sebastian’s left middle finger. He snapped his fingers, summoning an ice mirror. A tap of his wand revealed his home: Alisha, guarded by Sharon, with the pendant on her chest faintly glowing, enough to shield her until he returned.

Satisfied, Sebastian chose not to rush back. He’d resolve this threat first, then craft a believable explanation for Alisha—truthful enough, but not the whole story.

With no hesitation, Sebastian opened a portal to the desert stronghold from the agent’s memories and stepped through.

Surrounded by endless dunes and a sand-colored town, Sebastian spotted a machine gun on a high watchtower, a Ten Rings banner flapping beside it.

Confirming his target, Sebastian dissolved into black smoke, soaring skyward. He surveyed the base, noting its layout, then descended with a boom into its center, startling the wary guards.

He flipped his left hand, and the metal cylinder from Tony appeared. A fingerprint unlocked it, and the gold-and-red mask and boots sprang out, molding to his face and feet.

Sebastian raised his wand, conjuring an invisible spherical shield around himself. A moment later, gunfire erupted, bullets pinging off the shield, making it ripple into view.

Scanning the Ten Rings operatives through his mask’s display, Sebastian confirmed no civilians were present. He raised his left hand, the frost ring blazing blue. With a sharp clench, an ice-blue wave surged outward, freezing everything in its path.

As the wave spread, the town fell silent, encased in ice. Operatives, buildings, and weapons were locked in frost, terror frozen on the fighters’ faces.

Sebastian rose, hovering above the icy base. He slipped on a sling ring, opened another portal, and stepped through.

Moments later, above a mountain fortress, Sebastian appeared in the sky. Gazing at the grand palace below, he turned to black smoke and sped forward.

“Intruder confirmed as a superhuman, identity unknown, suspected to be target No. 036, Sebastian Shaw. Report to the Lord immediately!”

“Understood!”

In a sprawling palace, a man seated in an opulent central office stared at the alert flashing on his computer screen. A sly grin spread across his face as he drew a silk ribbon embroidered with intricate patterns, tying back his long black hair. He picked up the phone and barked to his subordinates, “Let him in. You can’t handle him.”

In the Ten Rings, the Mandarin’s word was law, unquestioned and absolute. At his command, the palace’s defenses—spanning the surrounding forest and its grand halls—halted. A figure emerged from the shadows, gesturing for Sebastian to enter the palace.

Sebastian knew the Mandarin had spotted him. With a shrug, he followed the invitation, striding into the heart of the stronghold. Soon, he faced the Mandarin, perched on an ornate throne in a vast banquet hall, clad in a sharp suit, hair neatly bound. Were it not for the ten distinct rings glinting on his fingers, Sebastian might’ve mistaken him for a polished merchant.

“Mr. Shaw, please, take a seat.”

At the Mandarin’s words, Sebastian settled into a chair prepared for him, eyeing the man elevated on his throne. Before he could speak, the Mandarin continued, “Mr. Shaw, my thanks for eliminating that Doctor. He was a spy from AIM, sniffing out my organization’s secrets. Your intervention was a great service.”

Caught off guard, Sebastian flashed a quick smile and replied, “No need to thank me. It was my duty.”

“Then what brings you here, Mr. Shaw? If I can assist, I won’t refuse.”

Their exchange flowed in English, yet the Mandarin’s voice carried a regal cadence, a refined poise that could shame any self-proclaimed noble. Sebastian marveled inwardly at the man’s commanding presence.

Rising abruptly, Sebastian met the Mandarin’s gaze with a sly grin. “I’ve heard tales of your ten mighty rings. I’ve longed to witness their power.

Please… indulge me!”

The final 3 words rang out, sharp and deliberate, laced with challenge.

The Mandarin caught the hostility in Sebastian’s tone. He knew tossing the Doctor as a traitor wouldn’t mend ties with Sebastian. No matter—he hadn’t expected friendship. The move was a whim, a chance to charm a Kamar-Taj ally. If it failed, so be it. His faith in his rings’ power was unshakable.

“Mr. Shaw, your challenge is bold. Those words alone spark my curiosity.”

As he spoke, the ring on his right thumb pulsed faintly, and his suit shimmered like liquid, reshaping into a sleek, traditional robe that hugged his frame.

Sebastian’s brow arched. He recalled each of the Mandarin’s rings held unique powers. This one—likely shape-shifting or particle manipulation—rivaled his own Transfiguration if wielded well.

Gripping his right hand, Sebastian summoned his wand.

The air crackled as Sebastian and the Mandarin faced off, their duel igniting without a word.

The ring on the Mandarin’s left thumb flared white. He thrust his hand forward, and a crushing gravitational force yanked Sebastian toward him. As Sebastian hurtled forward, the ring on the Mandarin’s right index finger blazed purple-red. He swung a fist, unleashing a sonic blast that rocketed toward Sebastian like a cannonball.

Buzz!

Boom!

The sonic wave detonated, shattering Sebastian’s form into fragments.

The Mandarin’s face remained stone-cold. His left ring finger’s ring glowed blue, and a surge of mental energy radiated from him, pinpointing Sebastian’s true position in an instant.

His right middle finger’s ring shimmered deep blue, and a roaring hurricane vortex erupted around Sebastian’s real location, ripping the palace roof apart. Sebastian, caught in the storm, dissolved into black smoke, bursting free. Reappearing mid-air, he aimed his wand, firing red threads of light that exploded in rapid succession!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Mandarin swept his right hand, and walls of darkness surged from the ground, swallowing the hall in shadow. The darkness swelled, snuffing Sebastian’s spells like embers doused in water, silent and absolute.

Undeterred, Sebastian hovered, slashing his wand. The palace’s stone pillars buckled and shattered. With a roar, the entire structure collapsed under his spell, crashing toward the Mandarin. Sebastian, already black smoke, slipped free, floating above the wreckage.

Boom…

Dust and debris billowed as the palace fell.

As Sebastian peered to check the Mandarin’s fate, a ferocious hurricane roared to life, scooping up rubble and dust. The debris morphed into countless razor-sharp spikes and blades, screaming toward Sebastian.

Sebastian raised his left hand, tracing a circle with his wand. A massive portal sparked open, swallowing the hurricane and its deadly shards. Another portal flared behind the Mandarin, who emerged from the ruins, redirecting the storm back at him.

But a colossal repulsive force exploded from the Mandarin, obliterating the hurricane and blades, scattering them harmlessly.

In perfect sync, as if linked by instinct, Sebastian and the Mandarin struck. Dark red lava plasma and golden cutting beams lanced from their hands, clashing mid-air with a deafening crack! Sparks rained, and the ground trembled under the collision’s force.

Mandarin’s Ten Rings (Comics):

1️⃣ Ice Blast — Freezes targets.

2️⃣ Mento-Intensifier — Telepathy, illusions.

3️⃣ Electro-Blast — Lightning, disables tech.

4️⃣ Flame Blast — Heat rays, burns, melts metal.

5️⃣ White Light — Gravity/magnetism/light beams.

6️⃣ Black Light — Creates absolute darkness.

7️⃣ Disintegration Beam — Destroys matter at molecular level.

8️⃣ Vortex Beam — High-speed wind, tornadoes.

9️⃣ Impact Beam — Concussive force, vibrations.

🔟 Matter Rearranger — Alters or repairs matter’s structure.

Alien tech from Makluan starship; Mandarin controls them by willpower. Each ring goes on a specific finger and grants unique powers.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep