Antonidas had once led the Kirin Tor.
He had been one of Azeroth’s greatest archmages, Jaina Proudmoore’s mentor, and a man whose power earned even Archimonde’s respect. After Antonidas fell to Arthas and the Scourge, Archimonde had kept the old mage’s crest as a trophy.
That alone spoke volumes.
For Evenson to compare Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme to Antonidas, even suggesting he might be slightly stronger, was already extraordinary praise.
The Eredar twins disagreed immediately.
"I think you’ve misjudged him."
"He isn’t Antonidas’s equal."
Their confidence wasn’t born of arrogance.
It came from experience.
Altheressa looked through the motel window toward the night sky.
"You’ve sensed it too."
"The pocket dimension."
"I have."
Evenson knew exactly what she meant without looking.
"The New York Sanctum. One of the Masters of the Mystic Arts’ largest strongholds."
Saltheril gave a dismissive laugh before he could continue.
"Crude."
"The spatial magic is weak."
"And fragile."
Altheressa nodded.
"Forget Dalaran."
"The dimensional wards protecting any major city on Azeroth are more sophisticated than this."
"Otherwise..."
Saltheril finished the thought.
"...the Burning Legion could simply teleport armies directly inside."
Most people assumed mages surpassed warlocks in spatial magic.
After all, mages casually opened portals every day.
The reality was more complicated.
Warlocks understood space just as well.
Perhaps even better.
Their disciplines simply pursued different goals.
Mages specialized in transportation.
Warlocks specialized in invasion.
The earliest warlocks had existed for one purpose above all else.
Tear open reality.
Create stable gateways.
Bring the Burning Legion into new worlds.
Viewed through that lens, the enchantments surrounding the New York Sanctum looked almost laughably flimsy to a master warlock like Altheressa.
"They’re all appearance," she said.
"Not substance."
"This isn’t the work of someone on Antonidas’s level."
Evenson shook his head.
"That’s because Earth’s magical tradition is much younger."
He leaned against the wall.
"The Sorcerer Supreme founded this world’s magical system."
"As far as I know..."
"...that was only around five hundred years ago."
"Five hundred years..."
Saltheril chuckled.
"No wonder."
The sisters exchanged amused smiles.
Compared to Argus...
Compared to Azeroth...
Five centuries was nothing.
Arcane civilization on Azeroth stretched back at least twenty thousand years to the Well of Eternity.
Count the ancient troll empires and their mystical traditions...
Perhaps thirty thousand.
Argus’s magical heritage reached back even further.
Five hundred years could produce exceptional individuals.
It could not produce a mature magical civilization.
Magic demanded accumulated knowledge.
Generations of experimentation.
Centuries of refinement.
Without that foundation, even talented practitioners remained limited.
The Sorcerer Supreme himself might truly rival or even surpass Antonidas.
But one extraordinary genius could not elevate an entire magical tradition overnight.
Compared to the Kirin Tor...
Compared to the Tirisgarde...
Most of his disciples would struggle against even an ordinary Dalaran mage.
Saltheril folded her arms.
"Then we have little to fear."
"So long as the Sorcerer Supreme himself doesn’t appear..."
Altheressa smiled.
"...his apprentices won’t even realize we’re here."
Saltheril changed the subject.
"Tell us about S.H.I.E.L.D."
"What sort of organization is it?"
Evenson considered how best to explain.
"Think of them as something similar to the Uncrowned."
"Except they aren’t assassins."
"They’re an intelligence organization."
"At present, they’re composed almost entirely of ordinary humans."
"Their mission is to protect global security and investigate anything outside the normal."
He paused.
"What makes them dangerous isn’t overwhelming power."
"It’s reach."
The twins exchanged a glance.
"Reach?"
"How extensive?"
"They have people everywhere."
"Every country."
"Every profession."
"They watch more than anyone realizes."
A grin crept across his face.
"For all we know..."
"...the motel clerk downstairs could be one of their informants."
"That," Saltheril admitted, "is irritating."
An invisible enemy was always more troublesome than one standing openly before you.
You couldn’t exactly inspect every passing stranger’s soul to determine whether they worked for S.H.I.E.L.D.
Altheressa tilted her head.
"If they’re truly that capable..."
"How have you remained hidden?"
Evenson laughed.
"I haven’t."
"I was exposed a long time ago."
Even now, thinking back on it felt surreal.
One tiny mistake.
That was all it had taken.
"And these days..."
"...I work for them."
The twins stared.
"For your own protection?"
It made perfect sense from their perspective.
A warlock and an organization devoted to world peace should have been natural enemies.
The only reason to cooperate would be self-preservation.
"Not entirely."
Evenson’s expression became unexpectedly serious.
"I genuinely help protect this world."
The sisters burst into laughter.
"A warlock protecting world peace?"
"That’s an excellent joke."
Barely an hour earlier, this same warlock had been negotiating how to split the credit for delivering Earth to the Burning Legion.
Evenson merely smiled.
"Is that really contradictory?"
Before either could answer, he continued.
"There are plenty of forces capable of destroying this planet."
"Some come from beyond Earth."
"Others already live here."
"They all threaten this world’s survival."
He spread his hands.
"If one of them destroys it first..."
"...what happens to my reward?"
Understanding dawned across Saltheril’s face.
"So..."
"This world must fall to the Burning Legion."
"And no one else."
"Exactly."
Evenson nodded.
"Until the Legion arrives, I need Earth to remain completely intact."
"That means eliminating any competitors who might destroy it prematurely."
He looked directly at both sisters.
"I assume you feel the same way."
"Our interests are aligned."
"If another force wipes out this planet before the Legion arrives..."
"...none of us gets anything."
The twins nodded in complete agreement.
"Precisely."
"The world must be delivered to the Legion."
"Whole."
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