"So it's you, Stephen. Just now, Reina told me there was a magician here, and I was wondering who it could be."
In the guest living room, Hode lit a cigarette, looking at Stephen across from him with a hint of surprise. He truly hadn't expected to see Stephen come here to find him.
"Have you ever seen a magician as gentlemanly and handsome as me at any circus?"
Stephen leaned back in his chair, sounding somewhat displeased.
This guy really had a knack for saying things that irked him every time he opened his mouth.
"No, but your outfit is indeed quite uncommon."
Hode scrutinized the floating cloak behind Stephen, making a teasing remark.
"This is my exclusive outfit; how could it be common?!"
Stephen took a deep breath, his voice seeming to come through clenched teeth.
He hadn't expected this guy to be so infuriating.
He even started to suspect whether Hode was doing it on purpose. If it weren't for his desire to maintain his gentlemanly demeanor, he would have likely resorted to physical confrontation.
"Stephen, be quiet!"
Wong, who had been listening nearby, interrupted with a serious expression. "We have serious business to discuss!"
Stephen sheepishly closed his mouth. They indeed had an important matter at hand.
"No one visits unless there's a reason; go ahead and tell me what's going on!"
Hode was well aware that if there wasn't a real reason, these two wouldn't have come here.
"Have you heard of Nightmare?"
Stephen took a deep breath, and his expression became serious.
"Nightmare?"
Hode frowned slightly and responded, "You mean the demon that feeds on dream energy?"
Nightmare was an unknown demon capable of pulling sleeping beings into nightmares to torment them.
Once someone entered their nightmare, the demon was nearly omnipotent; additionally, it was skilled in magic.
If its opponent was awake, it could send out minions to attack them.
Ordinary people would lose their will in an instant when confronted by Nightmare.
It was said that only gods and extraordinarily powerful wizards could withstand such an attack.
What was most terrifying about Nightmare was its ability to absorb the fears of others and become even more powerful.
"I didn't realize you knew something; I thought you had no interest in magic!"
Stephen couldn't resist poking fun at Hode during this moment.
"Wong, can you please bring someone quieter next time? This guy talks too much!"
Hode ignored Stephen and spread his hands, looking at Wong with a helpless expression.
"You..."
Hearing this, Stephen was momentarily thrown off balance. Taking a deep breath, he spoke, "We hope you can help with something."
He could see that if he continued to bicker with Hode, he wouldn't stand a chance.
This guy seemed to excel in all annoying remarks without repeating himself.
"What kind of help? What does it have to do with Nightmare?"
Hode was curious about what could possibly require the assistance of two high-level mages like them.
No matter how he looked at it, it couldn't be simple.
"What are you two talking about?
What is this Nightmare, and what does it have to do with magic?"
Just then, Wanda descended the staircase with elegant steps.
She had been eavesdropping at the top of the stairs and couldn't help but ask for clarification.
If it involved magic, she wanted to know more.
After all, she recalled Hode mentioning that he could do magic.
"Have you finished breakfast? Come join us; this magician is quite interesting."
Hode waved to Wanda, also taking the opportunity to tease Stephen.
Wanda slowly sat down on the sofa, and Hode casually wrapped his arm around her slim waist.
The Avengers?!
At the moment Wanda appeared, Stephen immediately recognized her identity.
He genuinely hadn't expected Wanda to show up here, especially with such a close relationship with this guy.
"Kid, I really underestimated you; I see you in a new light now."
This kid managed to charm one of the most powerful Avengers—that's no small feat.
"Alright, now tell me what you actually need me for!"
Hode waved his hand impatiently, bringing the conversation back on track.
He was genuinely curious about the reason for their visit.
Plus, he was also quite interested in this Nightmare business; it sounded intriguing.
"I have an incantation here that needs your help to break; otherwise, we won't be able to find Nightmare's apostles in the mortal realm!"
Stephen sat up straighter, his right hand gesturing as he spoke.
A bag beside him suddenly floated up, and a scroll of parchment gently drifted onto the table, slowly unfurling.
From its appearance, the scroll was ancient, the yellowed leather covered in numerous complex and cryptic runes.
"Finding Nightmare's apostles?"
Hode knew well that Nightmare couldn't directly descend into the mortal realm, Earth.
Thus, it needed an apostle in the human world as a medium.
If they dealt with the apostle, Nightmare would not have a way to interact with the mortal realm.
"We've been struggling with this incantation for two days and nights."
Wong, moving his sturdy frame on the sofa, glanced at the parchment.
No matter what they tried, they couldn't break it. That's why he suddenly thought of Hode, who had shown miracles that day.
"I only learned about this incantation this morning, but Wong insisted we find you; otherwise, I probably could have handled it myself."
At this moment, Stephen couldn't help but retort.
He had known the difficulty of this incantation the moment he saw it.
If he attempted to break it himself, it would take at least several weeks due to the complexity involved.
Don't let the short incantation fool you; it contained an immense amount of information.
"Practice makes perfect. If you can't handle it, don't play."
Hode shot Stephen a disdainful glance.
Buzz!
With a cigarette in his mouth and hands gesturing a spell, Hode's expression turned serious as he looked at the incantation on the table.
With his exceptional talent, he understood the logic of the incantation with just one glance.
The next moment, a massive magic circle materialized around them, dark black symbols swiftly spreading across the floor.
A chilling and terrifying force emanated from the circle, with eerie black gas swirling upwards into the air.
In mere moments, it formed a black star map on the ceiling.
The star map displayed a bright star marker, clearly indicating a direction.
"I've solved it."
Hode flicked the ash off his cigarette, as if he had merely completed an insignificant task.
?!
Stephen and Wong exchanged incredulous glances, their eyes filled with disbelief.
They had expected it to take a long time, but it was done in an instant!
He solved it with just one look?! What kind of top-level genius is this?!
The two remained in stunned silence for a while, unable to speak.
"Let's go!"
Hode waved his hand impatiently. "Don't waste my time; I want to enjoy life!"
Bang!
The two stood outside the door, disheveled in the wind
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