"What... is this?"
Wes Elwin's eyes locked onto the crystal orb floating in the air.
He could sense an incredibly powerful spiritual energy within it—but one that was peaceful, calm, and untainted.
"You want it?" the Ancient One asked softly, her gaze fixed on Wes.
Wes didn't respond. He simply stared quietly at the orb in her hand.
"Then it's yours."
With a subtle motion of her hand, the Ancient One gave a gentle push. As if guided by an invisible force, the orb floated steadily toward Wes and landed softly in his palm.
The moment his fingers touched it, Wes felt the full clarity of the spirit energy within—pure and flawless, like a crystal-clear spring.
It radiated a cleansing force that seemed to wash away the dust from one's soul.
"This is the gift you mentioned?"
The Ancient One nodded calmly.
"It's your reward."
"Not bad at all."
Wes immediately, almost instinctively, tucked the crystal orb into his case, sealing it with practiced speed.
"You've earned it."
The Ancient One didn't linger. After offering a few parting words—reminders to act wisely and use power carefully—she disappeared from the scene.
At that moment, Johnny and Carter stood off to the side, exchanging glances. Their expressions were a mixture of confusion, relief, and lingering awe.
"That's it? It's over?" Johnny asked with a deep frown.
"Seems like it," Carter sighed, adjusting the brim of his old cowboy hat.
Both men let out a long, synchronized breath, as though a massive weight had finally lifted from their shoulders.
Wes, too, allowed his tension to ease. His entire body seemed to relax for the first time in hours.
"So what now?" he asked.
Carter pulled a cigar from his coat pocket, lit it, and took a long drag.
Clouds of smoke drifted lazily from his mouth as he spoke:
"I think I'll go back to guarding the graveyard. You know how it is—when you're old, you don't feel like wandering anymore."
Carter looked calm and weathered, like someone who had seen too much and finally made peace with it.
Johnny, in contrast, looked aimless.
"I'm not sure... Maybe I'll just roam. Being a drifter doesn't sound too bad right now."
Wes, however, said nothing. A shift had occurred in him—he no longer felt the need to speak or connect. He kept his distance, cloaked in mystery.
To him, they were like leaves meeting on the surface of a river—drawn together by fate, then swept apart by its current.
"See you around."
Carter gave a casual wave and turned to walk off into the horizon.
And just like that, the three men went their separate ways, each heading in a different direction.
Not long after their departure, Coulson finally arrived on the scene with a team of agents—only to find the area completely deserted.
Even the old priest had vanished without a trace.
"Sir, the targets are gone," Coulson reported immediately.
"Don't panic. As long as they're still on Earth, we'll find them. Begin cleanup."
Nick Fury's voice crackled through the comms. After issuing the command, he cut the transmission.
Coulson let out a helpless sigh, then turned to his men.
"Collect everything. Anything suspicious—bag it."
Meanwhile, Wes had already used the system panel to return to the Harry Potter world.
The recent experience in the Marvel universe had been... overwhelming, to say the least. One powerful being after another had appeared without end.
"Still... it was a hell of a haul."
That afternoon, Wes sat quietly in his office, completely absorbed in the feel of the crystal orb.
He stroked its surface with reverence, basking in its pure spiritual energy.
Time slipped by. Before he realized it, the sun had begun to set.
He glanced at the calendar and noted that the new term was still a while off.
With that in mind, he began making plans to retreat somewhere quiet, to organize his thoughts—and the knowledge now swirling in his mind.
After returning from the Marvel world, the always-confident Wes Elwin finally had a sobering realization—whether it was facing the mysterious and powerful Ancient One, or the terrifying evil of Mephisto, he had been utterly powerless. He was still far too weak.
He felt fortunate that the Ancient One belonged to the lawful and good-aligned camp. Had Mephisto found him first, he would likely have become nothing more than a puppet in the devil's hands.
"At the very least, I need the strength to protect myself."
He needed a suitable place to train and upgrade his abilities. Hogwarts was undeniably full of magical energy and rich in resources.
However, it was still Dumbledore's territory. Wes had too many secrets he wasn't ready to share. With that in mind, he reluctantly scratched Hogwarts off the list.
The British Isles weren't that big either. Even hiding in some remote forest, he might bump into backpackers or hikers. There was always the risk of being discovered.
After much thought, Wes turned his eyes to the sea. He spent the next week searching and finally found it—an isolated island with perfect environmental conditions.
Far from the noise of civilization, it was a place of peace. Jandy, his summoned assistant, helped construct a simple wooden cabin for him. Aside from the abundance of snakes, bugs, and rats, it was ideal.
But pests like that were no match for Wes, who was also a skilled potion master. He quickly brewed a potion and sprinkled it around the cabin. For added effect, he even threw in a few drops of fire dragon urine.
"Now let's see those vermin get close to my place," Wes muttered smugly as he wiped the residue off his hand.
With preparations done, Wes didn't rush into training. Instead, he allowed himself a few days of rest. His mind had been wound tight like a bowstring for far too long. Jumping straight into training might've done more harm than good.
Several days later, on a night where the sky glittered with countless stars like gemstones set in the black velvet of night, and moonlight bathed the world in gentle silver…
A sudden thought sparked in Wes's mind.
"Now. It's time."
He stepped into the moonlight, took out the crystal orb with great care, and sat cross-legged beneath the stars.
He quickly entered a meditative state. He could feel pure strands of spirit energy trickling from the orb like streams, slowly flowing into his body.
It was refreshing beyond words—like sinking into a natural hot spring. Warm currents spread through his limbs, and for a moment, Wes found himself lost in the comfort.
But he quickly snapped out of it and began guiding and absorbing the spirit energy with practiced precision.
A minute passed. Then, he felt the magic within him begin to surge—a small ripple at first, then a torrent like crashing waves.
The force was almost out of control. Wes steadied himself, focusing on guiding the magic flow, even though it consumed massive amounts of spiritual energy.
Luckily, the orb continued replenishing him in real time, allowing him to keep going.
An entire night passed.
As the sun rose from the horizon, golden light spilled across the sea, illuminating Wes's body like a radiant cloak of light.
He slowly opened his eyes—bright and piercing, even more dazzling than the morning sun.
But in the next blink, his gaze returned to normal.
For the first time in days, Wes allowed himself a smile—a satisfied, contented smile. He could feel the magical energy now surging within him, strong and stable.
Thanks to the crystal orb, the sudden increase in power hadn't destabilized his body. Instead, the energy flowed through him with perfect harmony.
Wes watched the crystal orb slowly dissolve into the air. The gift left by those 3,000 holy souls had now been fully absorbed.
He returned to the cabin and eagerly opened his system panel:
---
Host: Wes Elwin
Worlds: Marvel; Harry Potter; Delicious in Dungeon; #@Alchemy%￥
Class: Wizard / Potion Master / Alchemist
Level: 4
---
Seeing the level marked as "4," Wes could hardly contain his joy.
"Thanks to the orb, I've finally broken through the Level 4 barrier. Even Dumbledore and Voldemort are at this level. That means I can finally stop hiding and act freely in this world."
After closing the panel, Wes didn't leave the island right away. Instead, he decided to stay until it was closer to the new term.
Partly, he wanted to get used to his newfound power.
But more importantly—he needed time to plan what to do next.