Gift?

"Welcome to my humble abode, Sorcerer Supreme. To what do I owe the honor?"

Ancient One's sudden visit put Wes on guard.

At the slightest movement from Ancient One, he would immediately activate the panel's world-travel function without hesitation and flee as fast as he could.

After all, strictly speaking, he was merely an "illegal immigrant." Before Ancient One, the guardian of Earth, he could not help feeling guilty.

"I mean you no harm, Wizard Erwin. I am merely curious."

Ancient One looked calm. With a light wave of her hand, a chair slowly floated behind Wes.

"I have many questions. Could you enlighten me, Wizard Erwin?"

Ancient One looked at Wes with an inquisitive gaze.

Wes took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

He understood that even if he managed to evade this disaster today, he would not be able to evade the next.

He might as well take advantage of the fact that Ancient One bore him no ill will and have a proper conversation with her. That way, he would not need to spend every day on edge in the future.

Wes slowly sat down and said, "I'll do my best to answer any questions you have, Sorcerer Supreme."

"While observing the timelines, I happened to discover you." Ancient One tilted her head back slightly and sighed. "You are very special. Among countless interwoven timelines, only in this one did you become a Wizard and gain the miraculous ability to travel between worlds."

Before Ancient One, Wes felt as though he were naked, with none of his secrets left to hide. His body tensed involuntarily.

Ancient One noticed Wes's unease. "My apologies, Wizard Erwin. The responsibility I bear does not allow me to turn a blind eye to someone as unusual as you."

"I thought you would not pay special attention to me." Wes's voice was somewhat dry.

"Although every time you used your ability, you were extremely careful, avoiding every possible camera and staying far away from crowds."

Ancient One waved her hand again, and a lifelike projection of Earth instantly appeared, hovering silently in midair.

Earth was tightly enveloped by an immense, intricate barrier.

"After driving Hell Demons, Dormammu, and other demon gods from Earth, I established this barrier around the planet."

Ancient One's gaze fell upon the projection of the barrier as she explained,

"First, it protects Earth against another invasion by these demon gods from other dimensions. Second, it provides comprehensive surveillance."

Looking at the dizzyingly complex and incomparably vast barrier in the projection, Wes could not help sincerely marveling at Ancient One's power.

"In the summer ten years ago, the barrier detected an unknown source of magic. Driven by curiosity, I began investigating and eventually found you."

Ancient One's gaze returned to Wes as she recalled,

"At the time, you were a little Wizard mugging thugs."

Wes's mouth twitched, and he groaned inwardly. He had not expected to be discovered the first time he returned from Harry Potter World.

"The magic you used was quite novel. I originally intended to guide you to Kamar-Taj, but in September of that year, you suddenly vanished from this world without a trace. I searched the entire Earth, yet found no sign of you whatsoever."

"Even the Time Stone could not observe your existence, so I deduced that you had gone to another world."

"In the summer of the following year, the barrier detected traces of you once more."

At some point, Ancient One had acquired a steaming cup of tea. She handed it to Wes and said with a smile, "This is a beverage from the East. I hope you like it."

Wes accepted the teacup. A complicated emotion flashed through his eyes, but he quickly regained his calm.

He nodded slightly in thanks, then slowly asked, "So, Sorcerer Supreme, have you come to deal with me this time?"

The moment he asked that question, Wes was already prepared to flee at any time.

Ancient One looked at Wes with an odd expression. "Why would you think that?"

"In this world, great power is always accompanied by danger," Wes answered.

Ancient One gently shook her head and sighed. "Are all young people these days so extreme?"

Wes rubbed his nose and said helplessly, "Perhaps one day, my ability will bring a tremendous disaster upon this world."

"That is merely one possibility. It might also bring entirely new hope to this world."

Wes repeatedly shook his head and mocked himself. "I'm no superhero. Don't think of me as being so noble and great."

"Even demons may bring hope."

Wes was left speechless, grumbling inwardly.

The completely unrelated words "demons" and "hope" had actually been put together—and spoken by the Sorcerer Supreme, no less. He wondered what those demons Ancient One had beaten senseless in the past would think if they heard that.

"Then, Sorcerer Supreme Ancient One, what exactly is the purpose of seeking me out?"

Wes could not help asking again.

"Merely curiosity," Ancient One answered lightly.

"Curiosity?" Wes looked utterly incredulous.

"Is an old woman not allowed to have curiosity?" Ancient One cocked her head, a hint of playfulness in her eyes.

Wes complained inwardly.

Please don't tilt your head. Someone who has lived for who knows how many years is not cute when they tilt their head at all.

But the panel's world-travel function was Wes's trump card, and he had no intention of revealing it to anyone else.

Not even the Sorcerer Supreme.

Wes's silence made Ancient One understand that he would not reveal his secret.

She was not angry. Everyone had the right to protect their own secrets.

"Wes, you are fortunate. Your ability has given you limitless possibilities, but as someone who has been there before, I would like to offer you some advice."

"Please do." Wes looked solemn and listened attentively.

Ancient One's expression turned serious as she earnestly instructed, "Always maintain your curiosity toward magic."

Wes agreed with those words. Along the way, he had always been learning higher levels of magical knowledge.

Ancient One found herself growing increasingly pleased with this junior. Smiling, she said, "My sudden visit has caused you quite a bit of trouble. I would like to give you a gift as compensation."

Wes breathed a sigh of relief. So Ancient One had not come to make trouble for him after all.

So you knew that, did you?

He even began to look forward to what gift this big shot would give him.

When the Sorcerer Supreme made a move, she surely would not be stingy. Would it be a spellbook or a powerful magical weapon?

Ancient One did not take out the gift she had mentioned. Instead, she continued,

"Have you heard the name Mephisto?"

At those words, Wes felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. His face instantly turned pale. "If you want me dead, you can do it yourself. There's no need to kill with a borrowed knife."

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