Crimson Chains and a Favor from Iron Man

The wind on the rooftop carried the smell of gunpowder, stirring the hooded, ancient mage's robe that had mysteriously appeared on Li Wei's body—clothing that came with his inheritance, seemingly possessing basic protective and adaptive functions. He locked onto the red-and-gold figure in the sky.

At that moment, Tony Stark was being besieged by three Chitauri single-pilot aircraft. Energy beams crisscrossed into a deadly net, leaving him hard-pressed on all sides. Now! A sharp glint flashed through Li Wei's eyes as he thrust both hands forward! The magic power within him poured out like floodwaters through a broken dam.

"Crimson Bands of Cyttorak!" Buzz—! Several glowing chains formed from pure magic, etched with deep crimson runes, shot from his palms like living giant serpents! Ignoring physical distance, they crossed the battlefield in an instant and wrapped precisely around the three aircraft that were firing wildly!

The powerful restraints froze the aircraft at once. Their engines let out overloaded wails, and their gunfire came to an abrupt stop. Tony Stark's pressure instantly eased. He looked in astonishment toward the source of the energy chains, while his armor's HUD swiftly locked onto the figure on a rooftop several hundred meters away—a young man in strange robes, both hands gleaming with magical light.

"JARVIS, what was that? A new stage costume?" Stark quipped instinctively, but his movements did not slow in the slightest. Seizing the opportunity, he precisely blasted apart the three restrained aircraft with his repulsors. Li Wei felt a wave of mild dizziness. Casting several Crimson Bands at once had drained a considerable amount of his magic power.

Forcing himself to stay upright, he shouted toward Stark with all his strength. His voice was clearly transmitted to the other man's armor receiver through a simple amplification spell. "Hey, tin can! Focus on taking down the big one!" He pointed at the wormhole in the sky. "You definitely owe me for this favor!" With that, he did not linger. He immediately opened another portal, stepped through without looking back, and vanished from the rooftop. He hid his identity and left behind only an unfathomable silhouette and a statement Stark could neither understand nor refute.

"...JARVIS, record that location and energy signature. Also, I don't like being called 'tin can.'" Stark muttered before throwing himself back into the fight. Still, the words "favor owed" did leave their mark on his mind. ... Li Wei teleported repeatedly, completely distancing himself from Manhattan's central war zone before finally appearing in a relatively quiet little park in Queens. He collapsed onto a bench, feeling utterly drained, yet his spirits were unusually high.

He had done it! Not only had he survived the Battle of New York, but he had also gained extraordinary power and even made an impression on Iron Man!

[Ding! Beginner guidance mission completed. Successfully survived the "Battle of New York" and exerted "effective influence" on key figure Tony Stark. Reward: System storage expanded to 10 cubic meters. Basic magic recovery speed increased by 50%.]

The system notification put him in an even better mood.

Next, he only had to wait for the war to end, then collect on his "investment." A few days later, the aftermath of the Battle of New York had yet to fully subside, and the news was filled with reports about the Avengers and the alien invasion. Using a bit of U.S. currency he had "picked up" from the ruins, along with a small spell to muddle perceptions, Li Wei settled in temporarily.

He familiarized himself with the magic inside his body and practiced various basic spells, especially portals. He needed a base of operations, and he knew the perfect place—the New York Sanctum. A month later, once he felt his control over magic had initially stabilized, Li Wei tidied himself up, changed into clean modern clothes, and headed for that mysterious address—177A Bleecker Street.

Standing before the ancient door, he could sense the vast magical energy within, as well as the powerful protective wards. He took a deep breath and knocked. Moments later, the door opened. A Black mage in robes, composed in bearing and wary in his eyes, appeared behind it. Li Wei recognized him: Daniel Drumm, guardian of the New York Sanctum.

"Who are you?" Mage Daniel asked, his tone appraising. He could sense pure magic originating from Kamar-Taj within this young man, yet the face and energy signature were completely unfamiliar. A carefully practiced smile appeared on Li Wei's face, gentle yet mysterious.

"Li Wei. A mage passing through." He paused, his gaze moving past Daniel as though it could pierce through the entrance hall and see deep into the Sanctum. "Also, I'm here to collect a debt." "Collect a debt?" Mage Daniel froze. He had guarded the Sanctum for many years and seen all kinds of visitors, but this was the first time anyone had come to collect a debt.

"That's right." Li Wei calmly pulled out a cheap tablet—one of the "props" he had prepared over the past few days. He tapped the play button, and a magically processed video with somewhat epic background music began to play. The angle was extremely clever, clearly showing the crucial moment during the Battle of New York when he used the Crimson Bands to help Iron Man out of trouble. It even included a brief close-up of him and Stark exchanging a "long-distance glance."

"According to Article 7, Clause 3 of the <Multiversal Emergency Incident Temporary Assistance Act (Unofficial Imaginary Version)>," Li Wei said without changing expression, making it up with the professional certainty of a lawyer, "I provided Mr. Tony Stark and the Earth security he represents with indispensable emergency assistance based on Kamar-Taj magic. Now, I demand the appropriate compensation—" He put away the tablet and looked calmly past Mage Daniel. "—access to the New York Sanctum library for one month."

Mage Daniel opened his mouth, momentarily unsure how to respond to the absurd "Act" and the even more absurd demand. The Sanctum's library was not something outsiders could access at will. Just as the atmosphere became somewhat deadlocked, a composed, slightly hoarse voice carrying what seemed like boundless wisdom came from within the Sanctum. "Let him in, Daniel." The Ancient One's figure silently emerged from the shadows of the entrance hall. Bald and dressed in simple mage's robes, he wore a faint, knowing smile as his calm gaze settled on Li Wei.

Li Wei's heart tightened. He knew that the real test was only beginning. He met the Ancient One's gaze calmly and walked into the mysterious Sanctum.