Dr. Stephen Strange, now the Sorcerer Supreme, sat in the Sanctum Sanctorum, eyes closed, hands forming a gesture. The space around him was no longer the ordinary room of a sorcerer but a chaotic sea of cosmic energy. He could feel the threat lurking from every dimension, with extraterrestrial entities eyeing Earth as a delectable feast, not as a living planet, but as a tempting morsel waiting to be devoured.

Footsteps echoed softly in the stillness. Wong entered, squinting at Strange, who had only been a novice a few months prior, now burdened with the responsibility of protecting Earth from forces humanity could never fully comprehend.

Stephen, are you hiding in here again? I've searched everywhere for you" Wong said, his tone a mix of reproach and concern.

Stephen opened his eyes, furrowing his brow but showing no sign of surprise. "Wong, have you ever wondered what's so enjoyable about being Sorcerer Supreme?"

He leaned back, staring vacantly into the space before him. "I'm constantly battling relentless extraterrestrial scum. Not your ordinary villains, but creatures from other dimensions. For them, the world is just a buffet. How could that possibly be fun?"

Wong sat down across from him, his eyes steady but sharp. "Are you being sarcastic, Strange? Didn't you always desire power? What's making you feel discontent? Is the title of Sorcerer Supreme not enough to satisfy your ego?"

"This isn't about power, Wong. It's about the absurdity of what we have to face." Stephen turned to Wong, his gaze a mix of fatigue and derision. "We have Dormammu, a cosmic entity with ambitions to devour everything, and now these alien freaks, as if Earth were a fast-food item. Who put up the 'Free Buffet Here' sign in the universe?"

Wong couldn't help but chuckle softly. "You have a point. But that's what being Sorcerer Supreme is all about—dealing with threats no one else can stop."

Stephen stood up, waving his hand in the air, conjuring hazy images of alien entities that appeared in the space before them. "Look at these, Wong. These are the creatures we have to fight. They possess no compassion or morality, only hunger and invasion. I encountered a monster that didn't even have a clear consciousness; it was just an endless hunger. I asked it why it attacked Earth, and it simply replied, 'Earth tastes really good.' See, Wong? The beings we face have no depth of thought; they're merely mindless nightmares."

Wong's expression turned serious, his voice filled with contemplation. "I understand. But that doesn't mean you can give up. You are the Sorcerer Supreme; your responsibility is to keep Earth safe, even if that means fighting entities devoid of humanity. So, are you planning to invite them over for tea? Or perhaps some soup from the Dark Dimension?"

Stephen took a deep breath, trying to suppress his irritation. "Yes, I know. But I can't help but think about it. You know, sometimes I feel like I'm guarding a restaurant that's constantly under attack by pests, without even getting a free cup of tea. You know how poor we are." Stephen chuckled dryly.

Wong huffed lightly, choosing not to comment on the financial issues of the Sanctum Sanctorum, or the pitiful state of the entire sorcerer community, but with someone who had no significant concept of material wealth, he stood up and patted Stephen on the shoulder in encouragement. "Perhaps this time you'll need my help more than before."

Stephen smirked, the light from the mystical mirror reflecting in his sharp eyes. "Really, Wong? I didn't know you held yourself in such high regard."

"Oh, I'm just speaking the truth" Wong shrugged, a faint smile on his lips. "If you could set aside your enormous ego for a few minutes, perhaps we would have a chance to deal with those beings lurking in the universe, ready to devour this planet."

Stephen sighed softly, yet a flicker of humor remained in his eyes. "Alright, alright. If you want to help me, go ahead."

Wong raised an eyebrow, saying nothing further when suddenly a bright red light flashed in the room, accompanied by an alarm from Kamar-Taj.

Stephen furrowed his brow, his gaze fixed on the magical bracelet emitting a signal on his wrist. "What now?"

"Surely it's not something pleasant," Wong sighed, but without hesitation, both of them immediately opened a portal and stepped into the swirling light, transporting them back to Kamar-Taj.

As soon as they stepped through the portal, the scene before them made Stephen squint: in the training courtyard of Kamar-Taj was a gigantic monster, its slimy bright pink skin resembling a giant octopus but far more bizarre. Its massive tentacles thrashed about, destroying columns, walls, and sending the surrounding students fleeing in all directions.

"What the hell is this?" Stephen frowned, his voice laced with sarcasm. "We've been gone for less than five minutes, and there's already an octopus party happening here?"

Wong sighed, rolling his eyes at the students attempting to fend off the creature. A young student, looking panicked, rushed towards them, sweat streaming down his forehead. "Sorcerer Supreme, Master Wong... we need help! One of us... summoned it!" he stammered, his face as pale as a ghost.

Stephen squinted, glancing at the rampaging octopus. "Summoned? Who the hell would summon something like this?"

The trembling student pointed toward a corner of the courtyard, where a curly-haired teenager was cowering, his face white as a sheet upon seeing the creature he had conjured.

Wong shook his head, his tone serious. "Another student trying to show off by breaking an ancient seal, huh?"

Stephen smirked. "Quite the display, really. What a fantastic way to get remembered." He raised his hand, closing his eyes as he immediately conjured a glowing magical circle around the creature.

"I guess he didn't read the part 'Never summon creatures with names starting with X' in the textbook, did he?" Stephen sneered, but as he tried to subdue the creature, it suddenly whipped a tentacle with incredible force, shattering his magical barrier in an instant.

Wong shot Stephen a mocking look. "Looks like it's not as easy as you thought."

Stephen took a deep breath. "Alright, if it wants to play, I'll play along." He turned to Wong. "You handle the students; I'll deal with this sashimi."

"Please don't make me clean up after you." Wong shot back with a smirk but quickly dashed toward the students, urging them to move away from the danger zone.

Wong rushed to the students, his expression calm but his eyes serious. "Everyone step back! Get out of this area right now!" He commanded decisively, ensuring that each student was led away from harm. Behind him, Stephen Strange was locked in combat with the gigantic octopus, each swipe from it shaking the ground.

Stephen leaned away, dodging a tentacle aimed right at him, before conjuring a magical energy blast that sliced through the air and struck the creature. A part of a tentacle was severed, but instead of showing pain, the monster only became more frantic, its other tentacles thrashing wildly, smashing stone pillars and walls.

"Don't worry, Wong! I've got this under control!" Stephen shouted, continuing to weave magical circles in the air, preparing for his next strike.

But the longer he fought, the more he sensed something was off. Each time the giant octopus swung its tentacles, it didn't seem to be targeting him; it appeared to be... reaching for something? Its gaze was not that of a mindless creature bent on destruction but held a hint of confusion, almost anxiety.

Stephen paused, furrowing his brow in observation. "It's not actually trying to attack me?" he wondered. Its strikes seemed to have a different target in mind, but he couldn't determine what that was.

"Stephen!" Wong shouted, pulling him out of his thoughts. A massive tentacle lunged at him, but this time it moved faster than before. Not quick enough to fully evade, Stephen turned but was still grazed by some residual magic from the creature. A flash of purple light flickered as the tentacle swept past his shoulder, sending a strange chill through his body.

He staggered back a few steps, looking down at his shoulder, but there was no sign of injury. "That's weird" Stephen muttered, examining himself closely but finding no abnormal signs. No pain, no cuts, nothing.

At that moment, the octopus emitted a weird sound, and then, as if obeying some unseen command, it suddenly retracted its tentacles, coiling back and vanishing in a puff of pale pink smoke. The entire area became silent in an instant, as if the monster had never existed.

Wong rushed to Stephen's side, concern etched across his face. "Are you alright? It's gone, but you just got hit by its magic."

Stephen raised his hand, checking his body again, still finding no traces. "I'm fine. It's just... something feels off."

"What do you mean off?" Wong asked, his gaze scrutinizing him closely.

Stephen looked around, the weird sensation still nagging at him. "That octopus... it didn't actually attack me. It seemed like it wanted to do something else, but I can't pin down what. And the magic it used on me... it didn't leave a mark."

Wong frowned. "Are you sure? Sometimes the effects of magic don't show up right away."

"Absolutely" Stephen replied, though doubts lingered in his mind. "But still, that monster didn't behave like any I've faced before. It appeared as if it had some other purpose, not just to wreak havoc."

Wong stood in thought, his sharp eyes scanning the scene before looking back at Stephen. "We should investigate further. Sometimes, initial signs aren't clear, but things might become apparent later."

Stephen nodded, though his mind swirled with unanswered questions. He sensed that the creature's strike was not merely an attack; it carried some hidden magic. But what was that magic's purpose? And what would it lead to?

He turned to Wong, his eyes full of uncertainty. "Maybe this is just the beginning of a bigger issue. And I really don't like this feeling at all."

---

Stephen stood before a mirror, his eyes focused intently on every detail of his body. He checked from head to toe, from his skin to each muscle fiber, but still found nothing unusual. No wounds, no signs of abnormalities. Yet, the lingering sensation of magic within him left him uneasy. "Nothing at all, but why do I feel so damn strange?" he muttered.

"Shit" he grumbled, feeling a hint of anxiety creeping in. The strike had clearly carried some form of magic, but it hadn't left any clues on his body. "I must've gotten hit with something I can't even identify."

Just then, the door swung open, and Wong walked in, his face tense. His expression was grim, not from any magic, but due to the layer of dust covering the old book he held. Wong shook his head, exasperated, brushing the dust off the book.

"You won't believe this" Wong said, placing the book on the table. "This book shouldn't be here in Kamar-Taj, but our 'brilliant student' managed to dig it up."

Stephen turned, his gaze scrutinizing the old, dust-laden tome. "Is it one of those forbidden things that no one was smart enough to hide properly?"

"Exactly." Wong flipped the book open, revealing aged, crumpled pages with ancient magical symbols. "The student said he 'found' it under his bed."

Stephen let out a dry laugh. "Found it? I bet he thought it was some treasure, or a way to impress everyone. And now he goes and summons an octopus from some twisted dimension."

Wong raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Oh, impressive indeed. He mentioned finding the summoning paper in the book, but it's turned to ash after summoning the creature. No clues left about it."

Stephen moved closer, peering at the pages, trying to decipher the ancient characters. But the language was alien even to him, as if it belonged to no civilization on Earth.

"We can't know exactly what that monster was without the summoning paper" Stephen said, his gaze fixating on a peculiar symbol etched onto the page. "But I have a feeling it didn't just appear here by coincidence."

Wong nodded, his voice turning grave. "What's worrying is that you have no signs of injury after being hit by it. What does that mean? Its magic could be very sophisticated, or it might have some purpose we haven't recognized yet."

Stephen frowned, placing a hand on his forehead, feeling a brief throb of pain. He couldn't deny that the magic from that hit felt different, unlike any attacking magic he had ever encountered.

"There has to be a reason it showed up here" Stephen said, his tone more serious. "And if it's been sealed away for a long time, its release definitely wasn't random."

Wong looked contemplatively at the book before slowly speaking. "Do you think someone deliberately let this book appear here?"

"Absolutely" Stephen replied immediately, his eyes locked on the symbol in the book. "The issue is who and why. If someone at Kamar-Taj is playing this game, we need to find out who before things spiral out of control."

Wong closed the book with a *thud*, then sighed. "We'll have to investigate further. But the most important thing now is to ensure no one else summons anything from that book."

Stephen nodded, his eyes still reflecting worry. "And I need to know what that magic did to me. It might not show up right now, but I have a feeling... it's waiting for the right moment."

Stephen fell silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing as if he were concentrating on some vague sensation. He closed his eyes, expanding all his senses outward, trying to feel if the magic from the creature's strike had left any traces on his body or mind.

Then suddenly, he opened his eyes wide. "I can sense it" Stephen said, his voice low and filled with concern. "Something... very distant, since that octopus vanished."

Wong frowned, staring at Stephen. "Sense it? What do you mean?"

"Not quite sure" Stephen said, rubbing his forehead as if trying to organize his thoughts. "But since the moment the creature disappeared, something has begun to move. It's no longer here... but I can feel that magical energy still existing, as if it's being pulled to another place."

He paused, his gaze becoming distant, staring off into an undefined void. "Europe. It's somewhere in Europe."

Wong raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Europe? Are you sure?"

Stephen nodded, his eyes shining with certainty. "I can't be sure what it is, but I know one thing: the magic from that creature left a trace, like a thread connecting me to it. Even though it's vanished, I can still sense its presence. And it's heading toward Europe."

Wong crossed his arms, his gaze thoughtful. "If that's the case, then its goal may not have just been to cause chaos at Kamar-Taj. There might be a bigger purpose behind its appearance."

Stephen nodded, but in his heart, there were still many unanswered questions. "Exactly. This isn't random. There's an invisible hand at work, and we need to find out who's behind this. But first, I need to track down where that energy leads."

Wong gently touched the old book on the table. "We can use the information in this book to find clues. Although the summoning paper is burned to a crisp, there may still be something useful in the remaining pages. If it indeed leads us to Europe, we need to prepare more thoroughly."

Stephen looked at Wong, his eyes sharp. "There's no other way. If this magic is connected to me, I can't ignore it. We need to pursue it to the end before it causes anything more serious."

Wong nodded, understanding that the situation had escalated beyond normal control. "Then we'll prepare. Europe is vast, but if you can sense it, then that's the only lead we have right now."

Stephen turned, his eyes looking out the window, where the snow-capped mountains of Kamar-Taj stretched infinitely. "I won't let any threat slip from my sight. Whatever it is, I will find it... and put an end to any danger it may cause."

Wong stood beside him, both deep in thought for a moment as the cold wind from the mountains blew into the room.

---

While Stephen and Wong were tracking down the disconnection trace final in Norway and flipping through books about the creature, a different scene was unfolding in a small village. The pink octopus, having shrunk to the size of a chick, stealthily moved through the paths, peering around and observing everything. Its eyes were filled with excitement, as it seemed to be searching for something special.

After a while, the octopus stopped, extending its tentacle as if it had realized something important. Unable to contain its excitement, it soared into the air, heading toward a small house where a fish tank sat in the living room.

As the octopus slipped into the fish tank, it gently swam among the rocks and aquatic plants, admiring the tank's owner, who was sound asleep on the wooden floor.

When the unusual sensation from the fish tank woke him up, Tony opened his eyes, and at first, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. His fish tank had no fish left except for a pink octopus floating around in the water.

"What the fuck is this?!" Tony exclaimed, his eyes wide, the first curse word flying out of his mouth. "Why the hell is there an octopus in my fish tank? Who the fuck put this here?! And where the hell are all my fish?!"