The Power of the Crystal Ball

"What is this...?"

Wes's gaze locked tightly onto the crystal ball.

He could sense an immensely powerful Mental Power within the crystal ball, yet that power felt peaceful and tranquil.

"Do you want it?" Ancient One looked at Wes and asked softly.

Wes said nothing, merely gazing quietly at the crystal ball in Ancient One's hand.

"Then it's yours."

Ancient One raised her hand slightly and gave a gentle push. As though drawn by an invisible force, the crystal ball landed steadily in Wes's hand.

The moment Wes touched the crystal ball, he clearly felt the pure Mental Power within it, utterly free of any impurities.

That Mental Power was like a crystal-clear spring, possessing the power to cleanse the soul.

"This is the gift you mentioned...?"

Ancient One nodded calmly.

"Not a bad reward."

With lightning speed, Wes stowed the ball away in his box.

"This is what you deserve."

Having done all that, Ancient One had no intention of lingering. After briefly reminding Wes to act carefully and use his power wisely, she departed.

Johnny and Carter stood off to the side, staring at each other. Both their expressions and inner thoughts were exceedingly rich.

"That's it?" Johnny frowned as he was the first to ask.

"I think so." Carter sighed and adjusted his cowboy hat.

The two of them let out deep breaths in unison, as if the weight in their hearts had finally been lifted.

Likewise, the tension in Wes's nerves eased at that moment.

"What are you planning to do next?"

Carter pulled a cigar from his pocket, lit it, and took a deep drag.

Rings of smoke eagerly spilled from Carter's mouth before he spoke. "I'm going back to keep watch over the graveyard. You know, when you get old, you don't want to move around anymore."

At that moment, Carter exuded the calm detachment of someone who had weathered countless hardships.

Johnny, on the other hand, looked even more lost. He said hesitantly, "I don't know what I should do. Wandering the world might be a good choice."

Wes, however, broke from his usual manner and remained silent. He did not want to develop a deeper relationship with the two Riders, so he chose to remain mysterious.

They were like duckweed that had happened to meet in the river of fate, suddenly coming together and then suddenly parting ways.

"Goodbye." Old cowboy Carter waved, turned around with a flourish, and the three of them headed off in different directions.

Only after they had left did Coulson arrive in a hurry with a group of agents. But the place was already deserted, and even the Old Priest was nowhere to be found.

"Sir, they're all gone." Coulson immediately reported the situation.

"Don't panic. As long as they're still on Earth, we can find them. Continue with the cleanup."

Nick Fury's voice came through the communicator. After giving the order, he quickly cut off the call.

Coulson could only sigh helplessly before directing the agents to gather every suspicious item at the scene.

After leaving, Wes returned to the Harry Potter World through the panel.

Thinking back on his experience in the Marvel World, it had truly been far too thrilling. One big shot after another had appeared.

"But I did gain a great deal from this experience."

Wes spent the entire afternoon sitting quietly in his office, lovingly stroking the crystal ball and sensing its pure Mental Power.

Before he knew it, evening had arrived. He checked the date and found that school was still a long way off, so he began considering finding a secluded place to properly sort through himself and the knowledge in his mind.

After returning from the Marvel World, Wes, who had always been confident in himself, deeply realized that whether facing the mysterious and powerful Ancient One or the evil and terrifying Mephisto, he had not possessed the slightest ability to fight back. He was still far too weak.

He was also fortunate that Ancient One belonged to the kind and orderly camp. If Mephisto had come looking for him first, he might already have become a puppet in Mephisto's hands.

At the very least, he needed the strength to protect himself.

He needed to find a suitable place to train and improve his abilities. Hogwarts was undoubtedly the most suitable place. It was filled with the aura of magic and had abundant resources.

But it was, after all, Dumbledore's territory. Wes had many secrets he did not want others to know, so he could only abandon that option.

However, Britain was not very large. Even if he hid deep in the mountains and forests, backpackers might show up, and he could be discovered at any time.

After much consideration, Wes finally set his sights on the sea. Over the next week, he finally found an island, an uninhabited island whose environment satisfied him in every respect.

The island was far removed from the bustle of the world. Jandi built a simple wooden cabin there for her master. Other than the abundance of snakes, insects, and rodents, it had no other drawbacks.

But how could such a minor problem stump Wes, a Potion Master? He immediately brewed a potion and scattered it around the cabin. To ensure its effectiveness, Wes even added a tiny bit of Dragon Urine to it.

"Now those snakes, insects, and rodents definitely won't dare come near my cabin." Wes shook off the remaining potion on his hand with satisfaction.

After making all the preparations, Wes did not rush into training. Instead, he took several days to relax properly. His mind had been wound too tightly lately, like a string on the verge of snapping. Forcing himself to train now might only have the opposite effect.

One night several days later, stars dotted the sky like countless dazzling gems set into a black curtain. The moon hung high above, casting down a soft silver glow.

An idea suddenly came to Wes.

Now.

He walked beneath the stars, carefully took out the crystal ball, then sat cross-legged and entered a meditative state before long. Wes felt wisps of pure Mental Power flow from the crystal ball, slowly entering his body like tiny streams.

Wes felt incomparably comfortable all over, as though he were soaking in a hot spring while warm currents lingered throughout his body. He could not help but lose himself in the sensation. But he quickly regained his senses and began absorbing and containing that Mental Power bit by bit.

A minute later, he gradually felt the magic within his body begin to churn slightly. Soon, that churning crashed down like raging ocean waves.

Wes felt that this power was somewhat beyond his control. He steadied himself and patiently tried to guide the increasingly frenzied magic. At the same time, the process consumed an enormous amount of Mental Power. Fortunately, the crystal ball replenished it in time, allowing Wes to continue smoothly.

Soon, the entire night passed. The sun rose over the horizon, and golden sunlight fell upon Wes, making him look as though he were draped in a robe scattered with golden light.

Wes slowly opened his eyes. They were so bright that they seemed to shine even more brilliantly than the rising sun.

But in the blink of an eye, they returned to normal.

At last, Wes revealed a satisfied smile as he repeatedly sensed the surging magic within his body.

With the crystal ball's help, the rapidly increased magic did not cause Wes any discomfort. Instead, it circulated through his body with remarkable smoothness.

Wes watched as the crystal ball gradually dissipated into the air. The gift left behind by those three thousand saints had already been completely absorbed by him.

Wes then returned to the cabin, eagerly opened the panel, and stared at the words displayed on it:

Host: Wes Erwin

Worlds: Marvel; Harry Potter; Dungeon Meshi; #@Alchemy%￥

Occupations: Wizard/Potion Master/Alchemist

Level: 4

Seeing that the Level section had changed to "4," Wes was overjoyed. "Thanks to the crystal ball, I've finally broken through the Level 4 barrier. Even the headmaster and Voldemort are at this level. That means I can finally act freely in this world."

After closing the panel, Wes did not immediately leave the island. Instead, he decided to remain there until school was about to begin.

First, he needed to familiarize himself with his rapidly increased strength. Second, he needed to plan what he would do next...