Ancient One: Where on Earth Did You Go?

Kamar-Taj Library

"I always crammed at the last minute, crammed at the last minute..."

Come to think of it, it was funny. Instead of studying properly in his own universe, he had gone to another universe to catch up. How was that any different from frantically finishing his homework at the end of a school vacation when he was a kid?

Because of Strange and Spider-Man's mistake, the dimensional barrier around this world had loosened. In Wong's words, this world was now adrift on the dark edge of known and unknown reality. If they didn't do something, anything outrageous could happen!

So the great Sorcerer Supreme Wong had taken a group of sorcerers to guard places around the world, preventing invasions from other dimensions, such as one hell lord who still hadn't given up.

Only a handful of people were left in the whole of Kamar-Taj. Even so, Wong had still sent two people to accompany Lin Xu.

Master Hamir, and a young sorcerer Lin Xu didn't recognize.

"Master Hamir!" Lin Xu had a great deal of respect for this veteran sorcerer, whose disability had not diminished his resolve.

"Hello, Mage Lin." Hamir wasn't wearing the standard robes of Kamar-Taj, or even traditional clothing. He had on a shirt, shorts, and Crocs, and had even taken off his vintage glasses. The only thing unchanged was his high-styled topknot.

"What's with that outfit?"

"Rehired after retirement!" Hamir said succinctly.

"Holy crap, your son hired you back? You're not going to beat him up for that?"

"He's the Sorcerer Supreme now." Hamir's mouth twitched slightly at the mention of it. Then he added, "I can't beat him anymore~"

Right, Lin Xu got it. That last part was what mattered.

Now that was filial piety at its finest!

"Ahem, could you help me find the Mystic Arts of Astral Projection and Energy Projection?" Lin Xu hurriedly changed the subject.

Astral Projection was a secret art that allowed one to leave one's body in spirit and help others do the same. It was a purely mental cultivation art that, with long-term practice, improved both mental power and memory. Lin Xu really needed that. (In Doctor Strange 1, Strange read while sleeping.)

Energy Projection, as the name suggested, was a secret art for using energy. He had divine power all over, yet he relied on brute force every time. That wouldn't do! With this secret art, he could make energy beams, energy waves, and energy bombs with his bare hands. Whatever kind of projectile he could think of, this secret art could produce it!

Unfortunately, most sorcerers in Kamar-Taj had very little energy at their disposal, so they rarely used this move. The vast majority relied on magical artifacts to gather energy for projection. (In Doctor Strange 2, when the witch attacked Kamar-Taj, they brought out magical cannons and bows and arrows.)

When Hamir heard that Lin Xu wanted to study those two Mystic Arts, he was unmoved. "He told me to supervise your study of 'A Detailed Guide to Magical Artifacts.'"

So inflexible?

Lin Xu's eyes darted around. "Once I've mastered them, I'll help you beat him up!"

Hamir was silent for a long moment. "He's the Sorcerer Supreme."

"You should know I come from another universe. The version of him in my universe hasn't become Sorcerer Supreme yet. How about I go beat that one up?"

"Deal!" Hamir thought for a moment, still a little uneasy, and asked, "Do you need me to explain them? It would help you understand the Mystic Arts quickly."

The young sorcerer following them, who had been silent the entire time, instantly widened his eyes. His gaze moved back and forth between them, and in the end he chose to remain silent.

One was the Sorcerer Supreme's father, and the other could beat up the Sorcerer Supreme. What could he do?

"Hahaha, that would be great!" Lin Xu was overjoyed to hear he could get an explanation too. People said a master led you through the door, but cultivation depended on the individual. That old bastard Ancient One hadn't even led him through the door. She had just opened a portal and let him walk through himself. As for practicing the Mystic Arts, he had relied entirely on a dictionary. Even a cultivation novel wouldn't dare write it that way!

"Hmm, then let's start with Astral Projection! Think of the body as a star and the soul as a planet..."

The two Spider-Men returned to the internet café after their fight!

Tobey Spider-Man couldn't keep up with Andrew Garfield Spider-Man's speed, while Andrew Garfield Spider-Man couldn't break through Tobey Spider-Man's defenses. Instead, he had taken a kick when he attacked, and it had felt just like facing Dr. Connors back then.

"So, what do we do next?"

"Wait!"

"Wait for what?"

"Wait for it to refresh."

Andrew Garfield Spider-Man pointed at the computer, and Tobey Spider-Man leaned over to look.

"The Daily Bugle?"

"That's right. In my world, Jameson's team of reporters has been hounding me for the past few years. In this world, he's also the one most eager to cover Spider-Man. If anything happens involving Spider-Man, his paper will definitely be the first on the scene."

Just as Tobey Spider-Man was about to say something, the Daily Bugle's official website suddenly refreshed!

A livestream began!

"Hello to our viewers in New York and around the world. This is the Daily Bugle. After careful investigation, we've found Spider-Man and those monsters... They're inside this building right now!"

Tobey Spider-Man stood up and leaned closer. "Looks like... Wall Street East," he said uncertainly.

"Are you sure?" Andrew Garfield Spider-Man was hesitant to accept that judgment. The livestream showed only the front of a building, pitch-dark, and only its lower half.

Tobey Spider-Man took another look and nodded at once. "That's right, it's Wall Street East. Chinatown is right next to it. The gangs there tend to follow the rules, so MJ and I often go shopping there!"

"Okay, then let's go. It'll take a while to swing from Hell's Kitchen to Wall Street!"

The original universe.

Ancient One sat cross-legged on the ground, the Eye of Agamotto, which had been kept in the secret chamber, now hanging before him.

One minute, two minutes, ten minutes.

Finally, he opened his eyes.

"How could he not be there? Out of more than three hundred million futures, there wasn't a trace of him. But Christine's body was clearly taken away, and she'll be resurrected in the future. The time loop has already been completed."

Ancient One found it unbelievable. He had studied time for hundreds of years, and this was the first time he had encountered anything like this!

After Lin Xu's outrageous stunt of crossing into another universe, Ancient One had been uneasy about the future, so he had used the Eye of Agamotto again to watch the 'side story.'

But the result had surprised him. In the future he had seen, Lin Xu had not returned, yet the time loop had not been broken!

"I see!!" A moment later, Ancient One had ruled out every impossibility, leaving only one answer!

"I was too subjective before. I'm the real loop!! His role in this loop is to let me know about the plan."

Time was sacred, but also dangerous. To deceive time, they couldn't let too many people know. Across the past, present, and future, only three people knew about this!

Ancient One, Lin Xu, and the future Strange.

"So I'm the one who goes into the Mirror Dimension with Stephen every time to plot the time fraud?"

(Mephisto: Am I a person or not? Am I a person or not?!)