Strange's Happy Life (Part 1)

New York, a bright morning. Before 7 a. m., the streets of Manhattan were already bustling. Wall Street elites in suits held reports in their hands, talking into their phones and spouting a bunch of technical terms as they walked. Coffee shop boss were struggling to move magazine racks to the door. Long lines formed in the driveways of fast food restaurants, with all kinds of vehicles moving like parts on an assembly line, the sunlight reflected in the rearview mirrors and the glass curtain walls of the high-rise buildings shimmering in the sunlight.

Summer is almost over, but iced coffee never goes out of business. In front of the sanatorium on the street corner, a number of young people gather, drinking coffee and reading magazines. Schiller leans against a lamppost in front of the sanatorium gate, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and making a phone call in the other.

"... Yes, I did forget, but I'm the director. You can't just leave the director locked out of the sanatorium, can you?"

"You say you have something to do? What could you possibly have to do? Didn't you finish handing over your resignation procedures at the Presbyterian Hospital months ago? It's been several months already. Besides your work at the sanatorium, what else do you have to do?"

"You've become a contracted Doctor at the Presbyterian Hospital? Hey, you went out to find a part-time job without my permission as the director?... You can't find my people? Does that give you the right to complain? The contract clearly states..."

"Okay, okay, I know you're a career-minded person, never mind that, just come and bring me the keys..."

"A madman who broke into your home came looking for you? Like me? I'm not... Then why didn't you call the police? Don't you know the 911 number?"

"Who? A bald guy in a yellow shirt? Never mind then, you can have the day off, bye-bye!"

"Oh, one last thing, you'd better be polite to her, and make sure she comes to work alive tomorrow!"

After Schiller finished speaking, he quickly hung up the phone. He took a sip of coffee and thought to himself with satisfaction, "I just got back to Marvel and I've already heard some good news. What a great start!"

At this moment, in Strange's apartment, Ancient One waved her hand, and countless star-like points of light surrounded her, as if an endless starry sky shrouded her behind her.

Strange watched in shock as the magical light vanished instantly, leaving everything as if it had never existed, except for the Ancient One's robes fluttering slightly. Ancient One looked at Strange and asked, "What do you think?"

Strange gaped, too stunned to answer. He'd seen Schiller use magic before, but Schiller's magic was limited to things like levying a ballpoint pen; nothing like this grand spectacle of a cosmic descent.

Little did she know, Ancient One sighed inwardly; the way things had unfolded was truly beyond her expectations.

This story begins with the so-called descent of the Bat God.

At that time, the so-called Bat God Guardian who descended from the Morlun Family was actually just a shameless stowaway, no different from a rat sneaking into a hole.

Because of Odin and the Ancient One, Earth is not a place anyone can come to. When Odin goes berserk, even the Symbiote God will not hesitate to strike him down. Not to mention the Ancient One, who is either beating up her creditors or on her way to beating up her creditors every day.

The Demon God who launched a large-scale attack were all chopped into Chiaotzu filling if they entered through the main gate, and even more crushed if they entered through the side gate. Most of the remaining Chiaotzu learned their lesson and, despite their great desire for this place, none of them dared to make any rash moves.

However, both the main entrance and the side entrances were blocked, meaning that some people didn't mind the dirt and loved to go through rat holes.

The ritual of summoning evil gods has a long history on Earth.

In an era before the position of Sorcerer Supreme existed, when humanity had just formed tribes, emerged from a primitive existence, and begun to establish civilization, many tribes had shamans and priests who used magic to communicate with the world.

Most of them were just for psychological comfort, but a small portion of them successfully found the real person.

At that time, tribal shamans used rituals to summon a portion of the power of evil gods to Earth, exchanging human sacrifices for evil power to attack other tribes.

At that time, some evil gods would leave their own marks and exclusive channels to facilitate the summoning of their followers.

After the Ancient One became the Sorcerer Supreme, he spent a lot of time filling gaps and solving these historical problems. The Demon God who dared to do so paid the price for their youthful arrogance and became fertilizer for Earth's defense system.

Although the Ancient One killed most of the careless Demon God by following the network cable, there were also some cunning Demon God who had buried relatively hidden passages. Despite the Ancient One's several extermination campaigns against demons, there were always a few that slipped through the net.

The vampires were using a passageway that allowed some to slip through the net.

This race lives a long time and always manages to acquire some strange and wonderful things. In some ancient books of witchcraft, they found a way to communicate with the universe.

Ignorance breeds fearlessness. They sent a signal directly into deep space. A member of the Morlun Family happened to be hunting in this part of the universe. Like a hound that smelled blood, he quickly locked onto the location.

He arrived on Earth silently through this smuggling route, intending to hunt down Spider-Man amidst the chaos.

The story has been going smoothly until the giant Venom Bat took to the air. After communicating with some higher-level mystical power, the Ancient One received the answer that a new Beast Totem was being born.

Naturally, she got busy. If a new Beast Totem was about to be born in this universe, the Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth, would have a lot to prepare, such as collecting debts, chopping Chiaotzu filling, and launching a new round of anti-demonic campaigns.

In short, after this major event ended, the busiest person was undoubtedly the Ancient One.

This led to a problem: in such a short period of time, she didn't have much free time to keep an eye on her future heir, Strange, or rather, the Ancient One was so busy that she completely forgot about it.

Little did anyone know that in such a short period of time, Strange's life would undergo a tremendous change.

One of the most significant and impactful changes was that he became rich overnight.

Previously, Strange wasn't exactly broke; as one of the world's best Doctor, his income was quite high. But clearly, a fixed salary could never compare to making money through shady dealings.

Since he became a medical consultant for Stark - Osborn Pharmaceuticals, giving speeches around the world to promote the efficacy of the Immortality Factor and endorsing this mysterious drug as an elite Doctor, Strange suddenly found that it seemed like the whole world was busy stuffing money into his pocket.

Stark and Osborn would give him a large sum of money as a salary, in addition to S.H.I.E.L.D..'s remuneration and the nursing home's compensation, but these were not even his main sources of income.

There are plenty of people in this world who are poor but have money to burn, such as the Middle East tycoons who possess black gold, the Far Eastern oligarchs who control the treasury, and the monopolistic giants of certain industries. Do you really think these people are unaware of the hype surrounding the Immortality Factor? Not necessarily.

They're just too rich; they're willing to spend money to hear something loud, as long as it sounds good.

In this situation, they are willing to spend a lot of money to have a top Doctor tell them every day "it works," even if it's just a placebo effect, because money is just a number anyway.

In this situation, even the price offered by one of Strange could leave Strange dizzy and disoriented for a long time.

And Strange was indeed overwhelmed by the money.

Essentially, Strange at this point was not a naturally good person like Peter Parker. His high pursuit of his profession was largely due to the generous rewards and prestigious status that his professional skills could bring him, which is only natural.

The sudden windfall almost instantly shattered his view of money. Strange suddenly realized that money was not actually a reward for labor. He had not put in any actual labor; he had simply acted as a parrot, repeating a few sentences, then feasting at lavish banquets, exchanging a few words with the richest people in the world, and the money had flown into his pocket on its own.

Strange discovers that the way the world's economy works seems to be a scam from the start. After going from being a victim to becoming a scammer himself, he suddenly stops worrying about it so much.

After all, being rich is really fun.

So, when the Ancient One finally had a moment to spare after finishing her Strange, she noticed that Strange seemed to have come to terms with things.

Just as she was about to investigate what had happened during this time, she was tripped up by a little trouble. The head of the New York Sanctum was crying and demanding a transfer, Ancient One had to appease the apprentices and find a way to reconnect the Sanctum to WIFI.

But what she didn't expect was that a quantitative change in money could lead to a qualitative change.

Not long after Pepper finished the important work of the Stark Industries's power transition, he began to reorganize these industries related to the Immortality Factor and established the Immortality Factor Foundation, of which Strange naturally became a member.

When you acquire a stake in such an important industry, everything changes.

Simply put, it means going from a wage earner to a capitalist overnight.

Strange truly possessed a heart uncorrupted by wealth and status was something even he himself didn't know, but clearly, the Ancient One, upon returning from her busy schedule, felt that he didn't.

When the Sorcerer Supreme returned, she discovered that things were heading in a completely wrong direction and were heading in the opposite direction.

With Schiller absent, Strange has become an indispensable figure in the entire field of Immortality Factor industry, and his importance is rising steadily, even reaching a pivotal position. He has gained credibility in the field of Immortality Factor medicine, and thus has the final say.

This meant that he had become as important as Stark and Osborn in the industry. To uphold this credibility, the Osborn Group planned to set up a company for him to raise the industry standards of United Pharmaceuticals. The process of setting up the company was almost complete before the Ancient One approached him.

This future Sorcerer Supreme is about to embark on a one-way journey into capitalism.

But the Ancient One knew that if Strange really became a capitalist as important as Stark or Osborn, controlling the lifeline of the industry, then neither the Car Accidents nor the death of an important relative could free him from the entanglements of worldly fame and fortune, and lead him to seek the mystical path.

Even if he wanted to do it, those who could extract benefits from him would not allow him to.

For example, if Stark were to abandon everything and become a monk, the first person to panic would be the US President, and their blood pressure would rise.

Once these people are involved, things will become very complicated. For so many years as the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One has adhered to the principle of non-interference. Now, Strange's fate is related to the Immortality Factor industry, which in turn involves Immortality Factor Stark Industries, Osborn Group, S.H.I.E.L.D.., the military, and Congress. She does not want to clash with so many forces because of the issue of her successor.

At the same time, the Ancient One had serious doubts: given Strange's current will and character, would he really not be corrupted by money?

What if he really becomes a wicked capitalist, lying on piles of money every day, indulging in debauchery and recklessly pursuing unearned wealth and pleasure? We can't just chop him up into Chiaotzu filling, can we?

With things having come to this point, in order to prevent her chosen successor from turning back and throwing himself into the arms of capital, the Ancient One decided to make an exception. The testing steps could be omitted for now; it was more important to ensure that her Strange did not go astray.

So, on the very morning that Strange was locked out of the sanatorium because Schiller didn't have his key, Strange learned about the magical world for the first time from the Ancient One and received an invitation to study abroad from Kamar-Taj.

That's right, it's an invitation to study abroad, not some act of charity like taking on a disciple.

After all, the current situation is not that Strange begging and pleading with everyone to cure his illness, but rather that the Ancient One recognized Strange's talent and did not want him to be blinded by worldly fame and fortune, so they took the initiative to come to him, and this invitation is naturally much more polite.

Moreover, the Ancient One knew that under these circumstances, Strange couldn't just leave. Too many people were counting on him to make money, and if she just took him away, the internet connection that the Sanctum had just been established would be cut off again.

Therefore, the Sorcerer Supreme very openly stated that Strange could commute, for example, after work, he could go through the Sanctum portal to attend classes for a few hours and then return in the morning.

Ancient One also gave Strange two days to think before answering, after all, she also needed to consider what kind of Car Accidents would be enough to make him turn over a new leaf if Strange didn't agree.

When Strange came to work in the afternoon, he was still in a daze, clearly more shocked by the magic shown by the Ancient One.

Schiller's kind of floating ballpoint pen isn't unheard of in magic tricks; it's more like a gimmick than magic.

But the Ancient One was a true Sorcerer Supreme, every move she made was honed from the experience of being chopped into Chiaotzu fillings by thousands of Demon God. When an expert makes a move, not to mention an ordinary person like Strange who spent the first half of his life studying science, even the most creative magician in the world would be intimidated by the infinite power of magic emanating from her.

"Is all of this really meaningful?" Strange sat at his desk, his eyes somewhat vacant, and asked, "I've studied so many years of knowledge and skills, and that so-called magic... they can do all this with just a wave of their hand..."

Strange looked down at his finger, pointed to it, and said, "I cut my finger here when I was chopping vegetables..."

"Then she waved her hand, and the wound healed without any medical technology, medication, or Doctor..."

"So what is the meaning of human medicine? And what is the meaning of my existence?"

"A patient just lies there in the hospital bed. He can go find a group of magicians, wave their hands at him, and then I can get lost, because there will be no more surgery lasting more than ten hours, and no more post-operative rehabilitation..."

Strange spread his hands, opened his mouth, but said nothing.

Then, with great confusion, he asked Schiller, "You're all in cahoots, aren't you? You magical people, what do you take ordinary people for? Do you think we're stupid and ridiculous? Spending decades learning knowledge and honing skills, and in the end..."

He chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "Like a bunch of ants that only know how to get stuck in the mud, right?"

"Then why don't you try it yourself?" Schiller sat opposite him and said, "Go and see if magic is as easy and effortless as you imagine?"

"What could be easier than waving your hand? It just doesn't make any sense." Strange sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I've known since I was very young that there are some people in this world who can easily get things that you could never get in your entire life."

"They don't have to put in any effort; they're just lucky. This world is inherently unfair."

"But..." he paused, then continued, "It is still more unfair than I ever imagined."

Strange smiled, but it looked very strained. He said, "It seems that all those rich people were just fools kept in the dark. That's the One good news I've heard today."

Do you know how Stark views magic?

Strange looked at Schiller. He really wanted to say that he didn't care about Stark's opinion, but he did want to know how these people, who had already reached the pinnacle of ordinary humanity and gained the most fame and fortune in the world, viewed such extraordinary things.

"He had also thought about this issue when the vampires invaded. The longevity, or even immortality, that ordinary people dream of, was something those giant bats were born with. They were extremely strong and Superhuman Strength. Even well-trained ordinary people had to work in groups to deal with just one of them. It seemed really unfair, like a biased joke from the creator."

"But then I realized that this kind of thing happened millions of years ago. In the ancient, barbaric times, the human body was no match for those Beasts with sharp claws and teeth, but in the end we survived to this day and developed such a prosperous civilization."

"But that's different." Strange pointed out the flaw in this argument. "It is still humans who possess magic, not Beast. They have all the advantages of humans: intelligence, the ability to think, and the capacity to pass on their knowledge."

"And she mentioned to me that they were also organized, just like ordinary people, working in groups and cooperating with each other. They had all the advantages of ordinary humans, plus magic..."

"Then why didn't they rule over humanity? Or rather, why have you never heard of them in your previous lives? Why doesn't such a superior and powerful group step forward and lead humanity to greater glory?"

Strange fell silent. Schiller said to him, "Perhaps there is a possibility that their abilities are indeed far superior to those of ordinary people. They are more noble than us and would not use this ability to enslave ordinary people."

"And as you and I both know, humans possess intelligence, which in turn brings ambition and desire. If they were truly so superior that they could achieve in an instant what ordinary people cannot accomplish in decades, without paying any price, then we would certainly see in history books countless brutal wars between them and ordinary people."

"Humans even try to dominate other humans based on nationality and skin color, let alone a truly superior ability?"

"So..." Strange said hesitantly.

"So of course they have to pay a price," Schiller said, spreading his hands. "If you still don't believe me, why not give it a try?"

"I..." Strange closed his eyes, his brows furrowed, looking somewhat pained. After all, anyone would feel extremely dejected if their skills, honed over many years, were denied.

But he had to admit that he was very curious about this magical power.

Or rather, Strange's understanding of magic in this way left him with more questions. He wanted to know where this power came from, why it was so strong, and whether it truly had no flaws.

Schiller looked at Strange and thought that the future Sorcerer Supreme was not actively pursuing magic out of a strong desire to save himself or others, but rather, on such an ordinary and mundane morning, he learned the other half of the Truth about this world.

He was greatly shocked, but the questions he pondered were different. Strange still had the capacity to think about some profound philosophical questions, rather than being like a desperate stray dog who could only cling to magic as his the One lifeline.

The change in his social status gave Strange considerable initiative when facing the Ancient One.

Strange still has a way out. Even if he doesn't become the Sorcerer Supreme, he can still be a happy, wealthy man in ordinary society. Even if he does become the Sorcerer Supreme later, he can still play an important role in this society.

This was also Schiller's goal.

Schiller always believed that a Sorcerer Supreme is completely detached from human society is not good enough. When they place themselves in a secluded and superior position for a long time, their mentality will gradually change, and they will become estranged from ordinary humans, forgetting that they were also born into this ordinary society, which is the root of all things.

This could very well make them the greatest threat to human society.

Even if Strange, like the Ancient One, could truly transcend the world and stay true to himself, his impact would be too small. With the status and abilities of the Sorcerer Supreme, he could have done much more.

If others do a little more, Schiller can do a little less and have more time to slack off.

Therefore, Schiller chose a money offensive, using a windfall to overwhelm Strange, the future Sorcerer Supreme, and keep him from becoming too distant from society.

Schiller asked Strange, "Isn't it happy to be rich?"

"Of course I'm happy," Strange answered instinctively. "When you're rich, how can you not be happy?"

"You may feel happy being rich now, but after you come into contact with amazing and great magic, you will find..."

"Is being rich really not a source of happiness?"

"... You'll find that being rich is really fun."