And Ye Li already had a few "ready-made" spells he could tweak—
First was the Golden Light Spell. With a bit of adjustment, instead of stimulating one's own potential, it could draw divine power directly from the dimension of the World Weaver.
Then there was the Patronus, a Hogwarts spell rather useless for him personally, but perfect to repackage as a summoning spell for his believers...
Weaving Magic? He could create a low-tier version. Even Kamar-Taj's Mirror Dimension spell—why not pirate it a little?
As for the why behind these modifications—naturally, it was to replicate what many dimensional lords already did: "power lending."
Of course, Ye Li wasn't so cruel. He wouldn't slaughter believers when collecting debts, nor seize their worlds.
At most, he'd scatter divine seeds and collect a little "interest."
…..
Wen~
Strands of violet-gold divine energy spread like threads of a web, ready to snare prey.
Ye Li gazed at this newly-formed spell... yet felt no effect.
'No... I'm too strong. I need to test this on someone weaker...'
After some thought, his divine sense drifted across Earth, searching for a test subject.
When it swept past Kamar-Taj, inspiration struck.
'Isn't Stephen perfect for this...? And I'll be helping him out, too...'
After all, almost every spell at Kamar-Taj came with a cost—the "loaning" of power from various dimensions.
Many were extremely dangerous. Not just the Dark Dimension, but also things like the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, borrowed from the crimson universe demon Cyttorak himself.
Even the mainstream Vishanti "white magic" had heavy costs—better than black magic, but still no bargain.
In the comics, Strange borrowed so much power that dimensional parasites were literally growing in his stomach...
So, if Ye Li gave Stephen a loan? That was a win-win.
'Borrowing is borrowing. Might as well borrow from me, a "good buddy." It's not like I'd charge predatory rates... right?'
With this mindset, Ye Li sent a divine seed toward the meditating Sorcerer Supreme.
Slap!
Strange swatted it away like a mosquito.
Ye Li: "..."
…..
"Another dimensional demon trying to tempt me..."
In his chamber, the new Sorcerer Supreme frowned, muttering to himself.
"Indeed, practicing magic means constantly resisting temptation. The Ancient One could wield Dark Dimension power yet keep her mind clear—that was extraordinary... How can I shoulder this mantle...?"
Just as he was somewhat worried, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind him—
"I say, Stephen, don't be ungrateful. My loan package is way better than the shady deals you'll make later."
!!!
Strange stiffened. The familiar voice sent a chill down his spine!
'Could this demon god... mimic familiar voices to corrupt my heart?! That's terrifying...'
With that thought.
He sprang up and turned around—
'It looks exactly like Ye... No! This is an illusion! I can't be fooled!'
Seeing the "lifelike Ye Li," he immediately began forming hand seals.
"How about it? Interested? Limited offer! First come, first served—safe, fair, and guaranteed not to scam you."
Ye Li was still rattling off ad slogans. "You won't find a more user-friendly loan God on Earth!"
???
Strange faltered. 'This personality imitation... way too real...'
With doubt gnawing, he tested him, "You're really Ye? Did you lose your mind or something?"
Ye Li's face darkened. "I offer you a chance to escape black-market demonic loans, and you say I'm crazy? Want me to smack you?!"
"...It is you?!"
Strange finally believed it. No dimensional demon could talk like this.
…..
"A few days without seeing you, and the first thing you do is try to loan me power?"
Strange sat back down, exasperated. "Sure, Kamar-Taj is short on funds after repairs, but I'm still the Sorcerer Supreme—I don't need to borrow money."
"Ahem... I meant..."
Ye Li spread his hands. The divine seed reappeared. "Borrow power."
Thud!
Strange leapt up again, retreating, pointing at him: "You still say you're not a demon god?!"
Ye Li: "..."
…..
Minutes later—
"So that's how it is..."
Strange finally nodded in realization after Ye Li's lengthy explanation.
"So, this 'loan'... really safe and affordable?" Strange asked, curious.
'That look... like he's haggling at a marketplace...'
Ye Li griped inwardly, but outwardly he gave a big thumbs-up, pitching, "Guaranteed to let you use it with peace of mind!"
"Hold on..."
Strange, tempted, pulled out the Eye of Agamotto. He peered at a future where he didn't borrow from Ye Li.
Though still clumsy with the Time Stone, he glimpsed a fragment:
Himself, grimacing, eating indescribable, grotesque dishes—dark "meals" born of demonic bargains.
"DAMN IT!!"
Strange recoiled in horror. Then, desperately: "Whatever power you've got—sign me up!!"
"OK~ Since we're friends, I'll give you a discount."
Ye Li tossed him the divine seed with a smile.
"Train hard, Stephen. I'll be gone from Earth for a while—things here will be up to you."
…..
After talking the Sorcerer Supreme into it.
Ye Li's divine sense left Kamar-Taj and continued to roam, slowly, it drifted over the Stark Tower above New York.
'Let me see what Tony's up to... '
He seeped into the building like a breeze—no fear of barging in on anything indecent. Tony shouldn't be sleeping with cover girls anymore... right?
…..
As expected, he'd guessed right; Tony was in front of a piece of precision equipment in the lab, thinking seriously about something.
Whoosh~
Ye Li manifested before him like a gust of wind.
"Hey, Li!"
Tony greeted him with some surprise. "It's been days. You and your club have really been making headlines."
"It's not all good."
Ye Li casually sat down. "The Ghost Spider Club is just a civilian group, after all. Too much attention isn't always safe."
"Yeah, a 'civilian group' that put someone at the top of S.H.I.E.L.D..."
Tony snapped his fingers. A robotic arm handed him two bottles of fruit soda. He cracked one open, tossed the other to Ye Li, and smirked.
"I heard all about Fury. You really tied his hands. Now, with your club's global expansion, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s practically just your intel branch.
You don't have to worry about attracting heat—quite a few international bodies started as private organizations. As long as you've got authority and restraint, no one's dumb enough to pick a fight with the World Weaver.
Though honestly, that alias is bizarre. Why not something clear and catchy—like Iron Man?"
"You've got a point," Ye Li nodded.
Though Tony often played the playboy, his mind was sharp.
Especially after some trials recently, his mind was more mature... right?
…..
"I'm here to say goodbye. And bring you something."
Ye Li glanced at the soda in his hand. He hadn't opened it.
"Goodbye? Where to...? And bringing me a gift—now that's rare. Must be a long trip."
Tony froze mid-sip. His guess was bold: "...Outer space? Beyond the solar system?"
Ye Li raised a brow. "Not bad. Nailed it."