After returning to the Marvel Universe, Leon immediately checked the news.
There were no reports of alien invasions in New York. No interdimensional catastrophes in Nepal either.
Only then did he relax and head straight for Kamar-Taj to see the Ancient One.
"Oh, my dearest Master—how is the spatial gadget coming along? The one you promised your favorite and most beloved disciple?"
The moment he arrived at the attic balcony of his old quarters, Leon wrapped the Ancient One in a shameless bear hug, smoothly chaining it into a follow-up of Leon's Grip.
"You've been wreaking havoc in another world again, haven't you?"
The Ancient One flicked her fan against his wandering hands and calmly stepped aside.
She could clearly sense it—Leon's strength had undergone another qualitative leap.
Before he left, he bore the title God of Battle, but lacked the true authority behind it.
Now?
That missing portion had been filled.
"You can even see that?"
Leon was genuinely impressed. The only substantial enhancement he had gained in the DC Universe was War's Rhythm.
His master truly was frighteningly perceptive.
"Here."
The Ancient One casually tossed him a ring.
"Take your toy and leave. Kamar-Taj cannot contain a 'great god' like you."
Leon caught it and examined it curiously.
"This is…?"
A normal Sling Ring was a bronze double-finger ring forged in one piece, bearing two rune-engraved cubes fused into its structure. It enhanced spatial perception and aided in forming portal matrices.
The one in Leon's hand, however…
Well, let's still call it a Sling Ring.
But this version required three fingers, almost like a knuckle-duster.
On either side were the usual bronze rune cubes.
At its center—
A faintly glowing blue cube-shaped gem.
It looked suspiciously like a miniature Tesseract.
Actually—
It didn't just look like one.
It was one.
The Ancient One confirmed his suspicion.
"The entire ring is forged from Uru. I borrowed some material from Odin—and consulted him, incidentally. The Tesseract serves as the core of the portal construct."
"Now, all you need to do is wear it and picture a location you've visited before. It will automatically complete the portal formation process for you."
Leon's eyes lit up.
So even someone as magically hopeless as him could finally use portal magic.
"…Even with your talent," the Ancient One added dryly, "you should now be able to perform teleportation."
She had barely finished speaking when Leon put it on and began tracing a circle in the air.
Blue sparks—distinct from the usual orange-gold sparks of standard portals—crackled briefly.
The circle wasn't even complete before it fizzled out.
Failure.
The Ancient One felt her composure fracture ever so slightly.
The elegant, faintly smug smile froze on her face.
Leon's first destination attempt had been Themyscira—
An entirely separate narrative layer of reality.
Even the Space Stone had its limits.
Fortunately—
On his second attempt, the portal fully formed.
Blue arc-like sparks cascaded along its rim.
On the other side lay an endless stretch of calm, blue ocean. Several seagulls curiously approached the floating "blue ring" in midair—
Only to shriek in terror and scatter when they saw two upright primates staring back at them.
"Well?" the Ancient One asked.
"This is incredible!"
"Master, you are my god!"
The portal snapped shut. Leon lunged forward dramatically—
Only for the Ancient One to sidestep and casually open a portal without even using a Sling Ring, sending him elsewhere.
A second later—
Leon stepped back through a blue portal and reappeared on the balcony.
"Master, that hurts my feelings. A hug won't kill you."
"Enough."
She turned her back on him.
"If you have no further business, leave. And do not detonate that 'time bomb' here in Kamar-Taj."
"Roger that."
Leon kissed his custom ring affectionately.
Now, without even drawing a circle, he could effortlessly generate a blue portal.
Just before stepping through, he paused.
"By the way—does this have a proper name?"
"Something grand. Like Infinity Gauntlet. Or Tesseract."
"No," the Ancient One replied calmly. "Name it whatever you like."
Leon thought for approximately 2.5 seconds.
A crooked grin spread across his face.
"Well then—since the artifact created by Agamotto is called the Eye of Agamotto… how about calling yours the Eye of the Ancient One?"
Before he could finish—
Space compressed and folded.
The Ancient One blinked forward in an instant.
The Sword of the Vishanti manifested with zero wind-up and came crashing down toward his forehead.
The blow struck not Leon—but the seamless surface of his War God Armor.
Between the absolute defenses of Aionsega and the Shield of Courage, there wasn't the slightest vulnerability.
Any attack he noticed would never land.
Any attack he didn't notice would never penetrate.
There would be no tragic backstab-through-the-heart ending for him.
Unless, of course, some extraordinarily determined femme fatale decided to poison him in a far more… intimate fashion.
In which case—
He'd accept it. Trial and error was a luxury he possessed.
"Hey! Master, what was that for?" Leon clutched his head theatrically, despite taking exactly zero damage.
"Do not think I am unaware of the vulgar implications in your mind. Change the name."
Her composure cracked—just slightly.
Agamotto's artifact was literally an eye.
Leon was forcing the word "Eye" into a design that clearly wasn't one.
It was practically asking to be struck.
"Fine, fine. Something more normal then. Gu Yi's Ring? A bit cliché, but…"
"That will suffice."
Satisfied, the Ancient One opened a portal and left first—apparently unwilling to endure him any longer.
Leon shrugged.
After confirming no one else was around, he cleared his throat dramatically.
Then—
He clutched his right eye, tilted his head back, and unleashed a full theatrical performance.
"Explode, reality! Shatter, spirit! Exile this world!"
Boom—
His right eye glowed an eerie blue, galaxies swirling within. A pillar of light shot skyward.
The Tesseract core embedded in the ring flared brilliantly, illuminating the balcony in radiant azure.
A blue portal circle formed—suspended above his glowing eye.
Then—
It expanded.
And swallowed him whole.
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