Chapter 46

The rotating rune array expanded and contracted slightly with his breathing, each contraction leaving a pale golden afterimage in the air, like the heartbeat of some massive creature.

"It moved on its own."

he said, his voice still hoarse from the energy coursing through him. "The Ring of Raggadorr... was devoured."

Ancient One remained silent for a long time.

Clouds drifted past the window, casting shifting shadows across the floor. Those shadows swept over the hem of her plain robes, over the gilded spines of the ancient books filling the walls, and finally settled on the magical construct at the young man's feet, which was still slowly mutating.

She had seen countless geniuses. Some were born able to hear magic's whispers, while others carved spells into their bones through relentless cultivation—but the young man before her was different.

He was like a sponge. No, more like a mirror: whatever you showed him, he reflected it back, but what he reflected always carried an extra halo that had not existed before.

"Dismiss it."

she finally said. "Now."

Zhao Yu nodded.

He tried to withdraw his power, but the runes resisted dispersing and instead wound themselves together even more tightly.

Frowning, he switched tactics and made a tearing motion with both hands. This time, the rune array shuddered violently and let out a shriek like shattering glass, yet it stubbornly retained its form.

Ancient One sighed.

She extended her left hand, fingers spread toward the mutated magic, while her right hand formed a complex seal before her chest.

There was no incantation, no light, but Zhao Yu suddenly felt an immense pressure closing in from every direction.

It was not an attack. It was more like space itself was rejecting the rune array's existence.

Three seconds later, with a muffled explosion, the intertwined red-gold patterns finally collapsed into a sky full of glowing dust.

The motes of light drifted down slowly. Some landed on Zhao Yu's shoulders, some on Ancient One's cuffs.

They lingered on the fabric for a moment before finally going out completely, unwillingly.

"Starting tomorrow,"

Ancient One turned and walked toward the depths of the library, the hem of her robe sweeping across the dusty wooden floor. "Your lessons will be conducted separately.

After sunset every day, wait for me here."

She gave no reason, nor did she turn around to see the expression on the young man's face.

But as she passed the third row of bookshelves, her fingertips lightly brushed a black-covered ancient tome—the gilded title was faintly visible in the dim light: <Forbidden Fusion: Forgotten Paths of Magical Evolution>.

The process appeared simple, but it was actually demanding.

One needed a thorough understanding of magic's source, along with both sufficient spiritual strength and precise control—otherwise, the instant the elements fused, they would spiral out of control.

Even she had made mistakes when fusing low-level spells.

But this high-level magic before her...

Zhao Yu had completed it in a single attempt.

Even with all the experience of the Sorcerer Supreme, she had never seen anything like this.

"Simply not human."

Ancient One thought, unconsciously tightening her fingers around her sleeve.

Her earlier judgment of that child had been far too conservative.

At that moment, she even entertained a possibility: could he be the reincarnation of some ancient existence?

Such talent had long surpassed all reason.

She had once believed Strange to be a once-in-a-generation genius, one she herself had to admit surpassed her.

Now, it seemed that the gap between Zhao Yu and him was far greater than that between fireflies in the night and moonlight.

The patterns of the Light Shield gradually stabilized. The fusion had indeed succeeded.

The corner of Ancient One's mouth moved slightly, almost imperceptibly.

Before she could speak, new ripples suddenly spread across the shield's surface.

"Ding—"

A faint notification tone trembled through the air.

"The Seraphim Deified Shield has invoked divine power."

"Second mutation activated."

"Form changing to—Bethpheny's Sigh."

The scarlet patterns on the shield began to flow and gather, forming a pair of outstretched wings across the curved barrier of light, their edges gleaming with a dark golden luster.

Zhao Yu raised a hand, those slowly flapping wings reflected in his eyes.

"Could this be... the wall from legend that separates life and death?"

he murmured, surprise in his voice that even he had not expected.

Ancient One stood quietly beside him, the hem of her robe rising and falling slightly in the silent current of air.

Her eyes nearly burst from their sockets.

The sight reflected before her brought her breathing to an abrupt halt.

That was... divine magic.

Not the paltry divine power borrowed by mortals, but a spell woven from pure divine laws.

Patterns of law flowed slowly through the air, every path containing decrees that had existed since the birth of the universe.

How was this possible? Ancient One reached forward, and a searing pain stabbed through her fingertips—not the heat of flame, but the rejection of the rules themselves.

It was true.

Only gods who truly held authority could wield such fundamental power.

This was the foundation of all things, the manifestation of divine authority.

Unless one used power of the same origin to oppose it, any mortal method would appear feeble and powerless before such laws.

Even with the vast knowledge she had accumulated, she could not easily dissolve it without invoking the laws she herself wielded.

But how could it be reproduced in his hands?

Why could that young man named Zhao Yu summon such a phenomenon? It defied all reason.

Could there truly be an existence so far beyond comprehension? Emotions that had weathered centuries rarely stirred, but now they rippled.

Over her long years, she had walked among the stars and witnessed countless wonders and strange happenings. Very few things remained that could surprise her.

Yet now, something that had lain dormant in her chest for a long time had been stirred.

This child... was simply unlike any creature of flesh and blood.

Perhaps in the records of the entire planet—no, perhaps even in all records of this primary universe—there had never been such an existence, one who had touched the threshold of divine laws at so early a stage.

This could no longer be described merely as extraordinary talent. He was a seed of divinity destined to take root and sprout.

Ancient One's gaze fell upon the young man, and she gave an almost imperceptible nod.

Just then, a familiar fluctuation came from afar and brushed against her senses.

"The timing is rather perfect."

she murmured, a nearly mischievous curve forming at her lips.

As she turned, hurried footsteps had already sounded from the other end of the corridor.

The newcomer was Mordo, urgency etched between his brows.

"Sorcerer Supreme,"

he stopped, his breathing not yet settled. "A visitor outside the Sanctum wishes to see you."

"I know."

Her voice was calm and flat, without the slightest ripple.

The folding fan closed in Ancient One's hand with a faint rustle.

"You intend to see this person?"

Mordo's voice came from beside her.

Ancient One did not answer immediately.

Her fingers stroked the smooth surface of the fan's ribs. After a moment, a slight curve appeared at the corner of her mouth. "Of course I will."

That smile quickly spread.

She turned around, a relaxed note in her voice. "Zhao Yu, come with me.

I'll take you to meet someone."

***

The corridor was long, and the candlelight on both walls stretched the three of their shadows, then shortened them again.

Ancient One, walking at the front, suddenly stopped without turning around.

"Mordo,"

she asked, "how far do you think Zhao Yu has come now?"

Mordo, following close behind, considered for a moment. "Very strong."

His answer was brief and certain. "Compared to those sorcerers who have already received formal titles, he is no less capable."

"If we skipped those tedious steps and gave him the corresponding position directly, what do you think?"

The air fell silent for a moment at those words.

In Kamar-Taj's history, there had never been such a precedent—someone still learning the basics suddenly standing where many had needed years of arduous training to reach.

For the Sorcerer Supreme to personally suggest such an exception... Mordo felt something lightly strike against his chest.

He suppressed that momentary turbulence and kept his voice steady. "I have no objection.

Given the abilities he has displayed and what he has already accomplished, he is qualified."

"Sorcerer Supreme,"

Zhao Yu's voice cut in, carrying the urgency unique to youth. "My experience is too limited. I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the others."

Ancient One seemed to have expected him to say that.

She gently closed the fan she had been holding all along. As the ribs came together, they made a crisp "tap"

sound. "Then let us begin with 'Apprentice Mage.'"

She made her decision.

Mordo nodded from the side in agreement.

"Apprentice... Mage?"

Zhao Yu froze for a moment.

He had never heard of that title in Kamar-Taj's hierarchy.

"Compared to a formal mage, it merely lacks a portion of the actual authority and responsibilities."

Ancient One explained, already resuming her steps and signaling for them to continue.

Mordo was about to elaborate when Zhao Yu raised a hand to stop him.

He needed no further explanation—the title of Apprentice Mage sounded impressive, but it lacked the most crucial part: authority.

He could not lead a team, nor could he ** carry out missions. Such an empty title meant nothing to him.

By all rights, a promotion should have been something worth celebrating.

"Sorcerer Supreme, my experience is still too limited."

Zhao Yu's voice carried hesitation. "There are many in Kamar-Taj who have contributed more than I have. To grant me such a position directly... would not be appropriate."

Ancient One turned around. The folding fan in her hand opened with a "swish"

and slowly closed again.

"Age has never been the measure by which we judge ability."

Her tone was steady, yet like a stone dropped into a deep pool, every word carried weight. "You have a saying in the East: Those who have attained mastery are teachers.

Kamar-Taj values only what a person can do, not how long they have lived."

She paused, her gaze passing over the stained-glass windows high above the hall.

"Besides, the mages you protected on the battlefield still remember your name."

Zhao Yu could only tug at the corner of his mouth.

So this made him an Apprentice Mage? He would rather remain in the corner of the library, quietly leafing through those dust-covered scrolls.

"Do not become smug too soon."

Mordo's voice came from the side, stiff and blunt. "Giving you a title does not mean giving you a reason to slack off."

Zhao Yu looked up, the bitter smile on his face deepening.

Smug? At that moment, all he felt was a faint throbbing at his temples.

"Giving you this position is meant to temper you."

Ancient One had already walked to the window, her figure stretched long by the slanting light. "A fan seems useless when closed; only when opened can it stir the wind—you need to learn how to open."

Since things had been said this far, arguing would only make him seem ungrateful.

"Please give your orders, Sorcerer Supreme."

Zhao Yu lowered his gaze.

"It is nothing major."

Ancient One's voice drifted over on the breeze through the hall. "Starting tomorrow, you and Mordo will jointly instruct a newly arrived ** ."

Mordo stood to the side, one eyebrow rising slightly.

The mage's gaze fell upon the young man—it was a look that was almost like entrusting something to him.

In Kamar-Taj, being looked upon in that manner often meant that one's path ahead had quietly been laid out.

He recalled his own years from long ago.

More than a decade of morning lessons and meditation, day after day, had earned him his current place.

Yet this person before him had only been here for a short time.

An almost inaudible sigh drifted through the air and scattered into the pale smoke rising from the incense burner.

Zhao Yu felt his shoulders sink.

"Teaching... an apprentice?"

Uncertainty colored his voice. "I have never done anything like that."

A faint curve touched Ancient One's lips. "You will not have to shoulder it alone."

she said. "Mordo will be by your side."

"He'll take the lead. You'll assist."

Mordo, standing on the other side, nodded. When his gaze passed over Zhao Yu, a flicker of complicated warmth crossed his eyes.

Here, a person's worth was measured not by their ability to fight, but by the kind of fire they could kindle in others.

Everyone honored as a mentor had once stood before a lectern, breaking ancient words down into forms young hands could grasp.

Now, that threshold was opening to Zhao Yu.

"Then—"

Zhao Yu paused for a moment. "Who is it that I'm going to meet?"

"Stephen Strange."

Ancient One's voice remained as steady as ever.

Zhao Yu froze.