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Chapter 228: Ch.227 London Sanctum

Standing before the row of portals, Su Ming observed them. The one with Chinese-style features like an incense burner and an ancient zither likely led to the Hong Kong Sanctum. The New York Sanctum, which Su Ming had visited before, was now covered in bloodstains.

The portal that led to a completely unfamiliar scene had to be the London Sanctum.

They stepped through the golden ring of fire, and the rubble beneath their feet transformed into polished wooden floors.

The first impression of the London Sanctum was one of opulence and grandeur.

The high marble ceilings and the enormous crystal chandeliers made the sanctum as bright as day.

The rich, stately decorations throughout the room reflected the power and history of the old empire.

A mage with a long white beard was waiting for them. He looked a lot like Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings, an elderly man with a face and hands lined with wrinkles and age spots, wearing a brown robe.

He was likely a high-ranking mage, but had remained at the London Sanctum instead of participating in the battle at Kamar-Taj.

The three sanctums always needed someone to guard them, to prevent entities like Dormammu from sneaking in during times of crisis.

The old mage greeted them warmly, as though they were old friends. "Welcome to the London Sanctum. I\'m afraid the weather isn\'t great for sightseeing, but I can lend you umbrellas."

"Thanks," Su Ming replied politely, though he had no time for small talk. "We\'re not here for a tour. We have urgent business."

The old mage nodded, as if the war outside had nothing to do with him. He led them to the door.

With a wave of his hand, two black umbrellas flew from somewhere, and he handed them over with a smile.

"I received a message from the Sorcerer Supreme, and I know why you\'re here. However, I can\'t leave the sanctum. You\'ll have to find what you seek on your own, I\'m afraid."

"That\'s fine. Can you give us an address?"

"That\'s the residence of a wizard, so even with an address, you wouldn\'t be able to see it," the old mage said with a smile, stroking his beard, which bunched up into a ball of wrinkles. "But there\'s a more effective method. Leave the sanctum, walk down the street to the left, and when you smell something foul, close your eyes and turn left. Walk straight into the wall."

Smell something foul?

Su Ming\'s expression became strange. If a magic user was associated with foul odors, it likely meant they were a shaman or witch doctor—hermits more reclusive than mages. Could they even be persuaded to help?

He didn\'t say anything further and simply smiled, thanking the old mage before opening the door.

"Whoosh."

"Buzz."

"Bang!"

He immediately shut the door.

Outside, a typhoon was raging. As soon as he opened the door, a torrential downpour drenched him, and he saw a tree fly past at high speed, crashing into and demolishing a nearby wall.

This is what you meant by \'the weather isn\'t great?\'

Su Ming gave the old mage a deadpan look, suspecting that the man was silently laughing, like someone playing a prank by putting a bucket of water above the door.

No wonder the Ancient One left this guy to guard the London Sanctum—sending him to battle would be risky.

"Ahem," the old mage coughed, trying to suppress his laughter. "Remember to use the umbrellas. There\'s a magical array on them that will protect you from the storm."

"I\'m keeping the umbrella. Goodbye."

Su Ming put on his helmet, opened the umbrella, and pulled Holloway into the raging storm.

As they stepped outside, they could faintly hear the old mage\'s farewell: "Come back anytime!"

Yeah, right. Su Ming thought, I\'m never coming back to the London Sanctum unless they change the guard.

The umbrella worked well, though Su Ming wasn\'t sure what kind of magic it used. Regardless, despite the rain flying sideways in the fierce wind, neither he nor Holloway felt the storm.

But with the wind howling like this, could they still smell anything?

The answer: yes.

After walking a few hundred meters down the street, Su Ming caught a whiff of something foul. Even the storm outside the umbrella couldn\'t disperse the stench.

The smell was thick and overwhelming, like a dense swamp, engulfing both of them.

Su Ming\'s helmet was modified to filter out toxic gases, but it retained the ability to detect odors for combat purposes—a feature that cost several times more than a regular gas mask. While the technology to repair or upgrade it wasn\'t quite there yet in the Marvel universe, Su Ming was starting to wonder if he could add an on-off switch for this function.

"This stench is unbearable. I pity the people living around here," Su Ming muttered.

Living in a neighborhood reeking of such a foul smell, yet unable to find the source, was a terrible fate. In comparison, the urine-scented asylum where Holloway worked was a paradise.

The doctor pinched his nose and mumbled, "Smells like a zoo."

"Well, we\'ve found the place," Su Ming sighed, looking through the heavy rain at the green wall ahead. "Close your eyes and follow me."

Just like when they entered the New York Sanctum, they passed through a magical barrier.

The building in front of them was a three-story structure, like a standalone wooden house wedged between brick buildings. There was no wind or rain at its entrance, but the stench grew even stronger.

Before Su Ming could knock, the door opened automatically, and a wave of black smoke poured out, making Holloway\'s eyes water from the pungent stench.

"Cough! Who\'s inside? Could you please come out and speak?" Su Ming wasn\'t willing to step into the house—it was probably the most effective anti-theft system ever. The welcome mat wasn\'t hiding a pit of sewage, was it?

Master, please stop with the tricks and just come out already.

As soon as he spoke, a figure floated out from inside.

He appeared to be in his thirties, dressed impeccably in a three-piece suit with a white waistcoat, white shirt, and black suit jacket. He wore a black bowler hat and held a black cane in one hand, sporting a neatly trimmed mustache. His handsome face carried a friendly smile, and his dark eyes twinkled with a hint of mischief.

"Welcome, welcome to my humble abode," the man said warmly as he used a quick spell to straighten his white bow tie.

He was clean and well-groomed, a sharp contrast to the stench of the house.

Well, at least they didn\'t have to worry about catching a disease from shaking hands.

"Please, come inside for a drink. The weather is dreadful, isn\'t it?" The mage shook hands with them and stepped aside, inviting them in.

"Uh... is there a spell that can block out smells?" Su Ming decided to be direct. There was no way they could step inside otherwise.

The mage didn\'t look the least bit embarrassed. In fact, he smiled and admitted, "You\'re right. I\'ve been maintaining a breathing-suppression spell—an Eastern trick I picked up. Simple but effective."

He raised his cane, letting it hover in mid-air, and began chanting a spell. Perhaps to show goodwill, he chanted out loud.

Though Su Ming and Holloway didn\'t understand magic, the Cloak of Levitation probably did.

Trusting in the Ancient One\'s recommendation, Su Ming removed his helmet so the spell could take effect.

Within seconds, both Su Ming and Holloway lost their sense of smell.

The relief was immediate. It felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted from them.

Entering the house, they found it to be neat and tidy. Although clearly the home of a bachelor, it was as clean as any regular person\'s home, with no obvious signs of magic.

The doctor, however, had his doubts, suspecting the mage had hundreds of corpses buried beneath the floorboards—surely the source of the stench.