Seeing the unique barrier forming around him—composed of countless irregular, mirror-like crystal shards—Sebastian knew he was safe for the moment.

Sure enough, the barrier gently bulged outward, and from within stepped a bald white woman draped in a yellow hooded robe, holding a folded fan. She turned her head and offered Sebastian a calm, knowing smile.

“Master Sebastian, a pleasure to meet you.”

Sebastian gave a respectful nod. “The pleasure is mine, Master Ancient One.”

Raising an eyebrow in mild surprise, she said, “Curious. I half-expected you not to know who I was.”

“As a humble explorer of the magical arts in this world, how could I not have heard of the great Sorcerer Supreme?”

The Ancient One’s gaze lingered on him with quiet amusement. “Strange, then, that someone with your knowledge wouldn’t know where New York’s mages gather—or that they don’t usually buy magical materials from eBay and Amazon.”

Sebastian’s heart skipped a beat, but he kept his face composed. “Well, those aren’t exactly mutually exclusive, are they?”

She chuckled softly, still smiling. “True enough. Even for those of us who study the arcane, the world is full of mysteries we don’t fully understand. Anything, really, is possible.”

Her eyes shifted toward Akanksha, now trembling under the seething power of the dark dimension.

“But we can talk more later,” she said, stepping forward, her tone growing sharper. “This young woman has been tainted by the Dark Dimension. If her connection deepens any further, we’ll all have a much bigger problem on our hands.”

Her fan snapped open with a flick, and the shimmering reflections around the battlefield began to warp.

“I didn’t come here for you, Sebastian. I came for her.”

Dark Dimension!

The moment he heard those words, Sebastian’s heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, everything clicked into place—the red mark on Akanksha’s forehead, the eerie power radiating from her… He’d seen it before. Not in real life, but in a film, years ago. That symbol wasn’t random—it was tied to the dark dimension.

But instead of blurting it out, Sebastian kept his expression neutral and silently watched as the Ancient One strode gracefully toward Akanksha.

“Who are you?!” Akanksha snarled.

“My name is Gu Yi,” she replied calmly. “And I’m here to save you.”

“Save me?!” Akanksha let out a shrill laugh, unhinged and wild. “I don’t need saving! I’ve never felt better!”

At her outburst, the corrupted energy around her exploded. Several thick, black tentacles of dark magic lashed out violently toward the Ancient One, howling like living things.

Akanksha was powerful—there was no denying that. But her power was crude, unrefined. She was like a child wielding a chainsaw: dangerous, but lacking control.

If Sebastian had been stronger—if he’d had his wand in hand—she might not have posed much of a threat to him either. But against the Ancient One? She was already outmatched.

With a serene flick of her folding fan, Gu Yi conjured intricate rings of flame—magic circles that blazed into existence and formed a glowing barrier. The tentacles struck the shields and were instantly repelled, disintegrating into curls of smoke.

Then, almost effortlessly, Gu Yi raised a hand. The air shimmered.

Akanksha froze in mid-air.

Gu Yi effortlessly dispersed the power of the dark dimension that Akanksha had unleashed.

As the corrupted energy drained from her, Akanksha faltered. She felt it instantly—most of her strength had vanished without a trace. For the first time, a flicker of fear sparked in her eyes. With her power diminished, fragments of her sanity returned. The frenzy faded from her gaze as she looked upon Gu Yi—so calm, so impossibly powerful.

Panic took over.

With a desperate burst of magic, she vanished from sight, reappearing ten meters away in a blink of dark energy.

She wasn’t done yet. Akanksha moved to repeat the same tactic—flickering in and out of space, trying to escape. But this time, Gu Yi was ready.

Her body glowed, light pulsing from within like molten lava. Streams of red energy—veins of living flame—spilled from her hands, weaving through the air with terrifying precision. They snaked toward Akanksha and wrapped around her mid-blink.

Cytorak’s Crimson Bands.

The binding spell, infused with the power of the Crimson Dimension—an entity just as terrifying and potent as the Dark Dimension—wrapped tightly around Akanksha. The bands blazed with raw magic, each one radiating immense pressure as they layered over her body like molten chains.

Struggle as she might, she couldn’t break free.

Slowly, inevitably, the crimson bindings pulled her toward Gu Yi.

She roared and writhed, but it was useless.

Facing away from Sebastian, Gu Yi raised one hand with slow deliberation and placed it on Akanksha’s forehead. In that moment, a red sigil—like burning embers—appeared on Gu Yi’s own brow, mirroring the one etched into Akanksha’s.

Then, with a pulse of dimensional magic, Gu Yi drew the taint of the dark dimension from Akanksha, absorbing it into herself with chilling precision.

The corruption fled its host and vanished into Gu Yi’s body—contained, purified, sealed by one who knew its depths all too well.

Closing her eyes briefly, Gu Yi took a slow breath as she digested the remnants of the dark dimension’s energy within her. Then, with a graceful motion, she released the unconscious Akanksha, dispelled the Crimson Bands of Cytorak, and let the mark on her own forehead vanish without a trace. Turning, she stepped in front of Sebastian.

“Master Sebastian, how about we find a more suitable place to talk?”

“Of course. That’s exactly what I was hoping for,” Sebastian replied calmly. “But… what about Akanksha?”

“Don’t worry. Reinforcements have already arrived. They’ll take her to the authorities,” Gu Yi said, casting a glance behind her. “As for everything that happened just now, she won’t remember a thing. The dissipated energy of the dark dimension has wiped her memories of this event. She may retain a vague impression… but nothing concrete—no memory of you or me.”

Sebastian let out a breath of relief. “That’s good to hear.”

“Then, Mage Sebastian,” Gu Yi said, extending her hand with a small smile, “Shall we?”

With a single swipe through the air, a ring of golden sparks burst into existence. The portal spun rapidly, revealing within it an ancient structure steeped in Eastern mystique—ornate, timeless, and humming with quiet magical energy.

Without hesitation, Sebastian stepped into the glowing portal. Gu Yi followed behind him, the circle of sparks closing gently in their wake.

As the portal vanished, the mirror dimension that had enveloped the area dissolved along with it. Moments later, a group of people—concerned passersby and mages-in-disguise—rushed to the scene. Finding the unconscious Akanksha, they quickly arranged for her to be taken to the police station.

At the same time, Sebastian looked around at the ancient, elegant structure before him and couldn’t help but let out a quiet sigh of wonder.

“This is the Sanctum Sanctorum of New York. It belongs to our order—Kamar-Taj,” Gu Yi said calmly, before turning toward a black-robed mage who was approaching. The man bowed respectfully, and Gu Yi nodded in return. “Daniel, would you kindly prepare two cups of hot tea?”

“As you command, Master Gu Yi,” Daniel Drum replied, turning to carry out the task.

Gesturing invitingly, Gu Yi motioned toward the seats. Sebastian followed her and sat down, feeling the comforting energy of the place. Gu Yi settled into the chair opposite him and continued, “The mage you just saw is Daniel Drum. He’s the guardian of this Sanctum and a highly capable, trustworthy sorcerer. If you ever face something beyond your power, don’t hesitate to seek him out.”

“Mage Gu Yi, I truly appreciate that,” Sebastian replied with a slight nod. “But I can’t help wondering… why are you treating me so favorably? You don’t receive every mage like this, do you?”

Gu Yi chuckled softly. “Of course not. You are… rather special. You see, the magic you cast—it doesn’t belong to this world’s system. It’s different. Foreign. I’m deeply curious about it. And for that reason, I’m willing to offer an exchange, something of value in return… provided you’re interested, Master Sebastian. What do you think?”

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Author’s Note:Hey everyone! If you enjoyed the story, please take a moment to leave a review. It really helps a lot!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep