All the mages looked at each other. This was not something they could accept easily. For most of their lives, they had been taught to observe strict discipline, be morally high, and respect the laws of nature. However, today, their leader told them that they must abandon these ideals and principles that some of them had adhered to for decades.
"I know this is hard to accept," Ian continued. "So, you have three days to make a decision. If you find this unacceptable, you can leave Kamar-Taj and return to your ordinary life. Kamar-Taj is still your home and family; if you need any help, you can always come back for support."
"If you cannot accept this, but still want to continue to perform your duties, you can choose the second path. You will be converted to non-combatants and assigned to more support positions."
"As for the rest of you, if you choose to stay, know that things are going to change; you should be prepared to sacrifice everything for this job."
The ceremony was quiet for a moment, and then a mage raised his hand, "Sorcerer Supreme, I respect you for telling the truth, but I always firmly believe that the way we win is more important than the victory itself. Therefore, I cannot accept sacrificing others for self-protection, or even committing countless atrocities. I chose to leave."
"That's reasonable," Ian nodded. "Andreas Master, I salute you for your service over the years." After paying tribute to him, Andreas also saluted in return. Soon after, more than a dozen mages chose the same path as him. Others had not yet made a decision, and the gathering ended.
After the meeting, Ian rested in his room. He knew that these mages would definitely talk to the Ancient One to get more information and her opinions. They had known her longer and trusted her more on such matters. In addition, many people felt confused and needed her guidance.
Ian entered Mirror Space, and then activated Time Stone's summoning time... He suddenly sensed something, stopped his movements, and then left Mirror Space.
"Mordo?" Ian didn't expect him to come.
"I... came to talk to you. I... am very confused," Mordo said after a pause.
"All ears," Ian said, waving his hand to conjure a chair and a cup of tea, inviting him to sit down. "You may not know that my past is full of hatred and violence. Unlike others, I came to Kamar-Taj to pursue power and revenge," Mordo explained. "The Ancient One taught me how to control the violent side of myself, and it was only recently that I dare to say that I succeeded.
"But now, after seeing the future you showed us and listening to what you said, I find myself sliding towards Abyss again. Everything I know and the beliefs I hold seem to be crumbling; I am confused and don't know what to do."
Mordo's eyes were red, as if his madness and confusion had affected his body.
"Have some tea."
"I don't want tea, I want answers."
"You can have both," Ian said. With his insistence, Mordo finally drank the cup of tea. He felt an unknown energy pouring into his brain, calming his mind.
"Have you seen the movie <The Princess Bride>?" Mordo looked at him and didn't understand why he wanted to involve a movie when he was obviously looking for answers and guidance.
"I guess you haven't seen it," Ian said with a smile. "One of my favorite characters in that movie is Inigo Montoya. I like this guy very much because he is one of the few characters in literature who does not feel regret after successful revenge. Everyone else will feel a kind of regret and emptiness once they kill those who have hurt them."
"Inigo was not affected by revenge because he knew it was wrong, but he accepted that it was what he had to do in order to give himself closure. Once that was accomplished, he did not let his actions or his past define him—he faced his trauma, let go of his past, and lived a happy and fulfilling life.
"But you do the opposite. You are defined by your past actions. You are afraid that you will revert to the same person you were before, to a life of unbridled violence. So, in order to prevent yourself from making the same mistakes again, you have established an ideology, a stubborn and rigid respect for the Ancient One, or the traditional laws of the universe.
"You know that these things are constant. So, you think that as long as you follow them and use them as a rein to tie yourself, you will not change - you can continue to be the calm and wise master of the occult, instead of the violent Mordo."
"What's wrong with that?"
"Big mistake," Ian replied. "You can't live for others. People are complicated, and I assure you that the Ancient One you know is just an idealized version you created in your mind. She has lived for too long, and you can't even imagine how many secrets she has hidden, or how much she has changed since she first became a mage."
"What about the natural laws of things? It must be right to live according to this philosophy," Mordo asked.
"That's not true," Ian nodded. "The problem is extremism, to the point of accepting any behavior that bends the law for the sake of a greater cause."
"Then what should I do?"
"I suggest you leave Kamar-Taj, find a psychiatrist to deal with your past, and find yourself. Then, you can decide whether to come back and in what capacity."
"I understand." Mordo left his room, and the next day, he also left Kamar-Taj. On the third day, Ian summoned everyone again. This time, he lost 10% of the mages who chose to leave, and the other 20% of the mages who chose to become non-combatants.
"I have a question, but it's not about what you just said," Wang said.
"What's the problem?"
"What should we call you?"
"What?"
"We can't always call you Sorcerer Supreme because that's more of a title. So, now that you're in this position, what should we call you?"
"You can continue to call me by my name, or you can call me Arcane Emperor. Whatever you want, I don't mind," Ian replied. "Is there anything else?" No one asked.
"In that case, let's get started." He waved his hand and created a contract in front of everyone. "You will all be exposed to precious knowledge, many of which must be protected to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. This contract is to protect this knowledge."
The mages looked at the contract. The content was very basic and the wording was very straightforward. So, they all signed.
Ian nodded and pointed at Wang. "Come to the front and give a demonstration." Although Wang was confused, he still walked to the front.
"What is the biggest limitation of a mage?" Ian asked, and then he answered the question himself. "Our bodies and souls cannot withstand certain energies, so we must rely on magic weapons. But this situation will no longer exist." He raised his hand and summoned a yellow rune floating in front of him.
"Close your eyes and receive the information in this rune." Wang obeyed the order. After more than five minutes, he opened his eyes, raised his fists, and summoned a white halo around his fists.
"What is this? I feel full of power," Wang said loudly. A layer of white light appeared on his legs, he jumped forward more than five meters, and then punched a big stone, completely shattering it.
"This is [Battle Aura] - a power created by combining dimensional energy with the life energy in your body. It will push your body functions to limits you have never thought of," Ian explained. "With such a strong body, you can now absorb energy that you never even dared to think about before, and that would kill you if you touch it."
The mages looked at the king with bright eyes. They all loved magic, how could they not be excited about this new form of occult art?
"These are just the obvious benefits," Ian said. "There are others, such as treatment, defense, and ensuring that you can live to at least 120 years old without disease or pain. Of course, the premise is that you have to survive to enjoy this last benefit." The joyful atmosphere at the scene suddenly disappeared, replaced by a dull moment.
"Let's move on to the next one."