Sorcerer Supreme: White-Bearded Old Man or Bald Woman

Bay, ferry.

Russell stood on the side of the ship, looking across the sea at Manhattan New York. He could see the towering skyscrapers, and besides the prominent Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty was also faintly visible.

In 1942, Manhattan was the area with the highest concentration of skyscrapers in the world, and its economy was also highly developed. Because the world was at war, the relatively safe geographical location of the America attracted many Europeans to seek refuge there, and it attracted almost all of the world's best scientists and technologists.

Dr. Erskine was one of them. He was a German scientist and a colleague of Schmidt. Schmidt forcibly injected him with the serum, and his inflated ambition deeply terrified Erskine. He also discovered the drawbacks of the Super Soldier Serum: while enhancing various physical indicators, it also enhanced the mind.

Good people become better, and bad people become worse.

As soon as Russell disembarked, a black car pulled up in front of him. The driver, a man in a suit and tie, looked like a refined scholar; it was hard to imagine that he was a Hydra agent.

Russell sat in the passenger seat, and the car slowly started moving. On both sides of the street, there were crowds of people laughing and chatting. The peaceful and prosperous life made it impossible to tell that this was during World War II.

After driving for ten minutes, the car stopped in front of a bar that was not yet open. Russell magically pulled a document from his pocket and handed it over.

"Sir, this is Fred, and I currently work for the State Department." Fred respectfully returned the document to Russell; Schmidt's signature made him wary.

"No need to call me 'sir.' My current role is your personal assistant and bodyguard. Just call me Russell. A more casual attitude is more genuine." Russell took back the documents, stuffed them into his pocket, and in the blink of an eye, the bulging documents disappeared.

"Yes, Mr. Russell."

Fred nodded secretly, thinking to himself that no wonder he was someone close to the leader; even if he had ten years, he wouldn't have been able to develop such a skill as hiding things.

"By the way, I'm new here and know nothing about the plan. How far along is it?"

Schmidt viewed Erskine as a sworn enemy, fearing the emergence of another super soldier, so an assassination plot against Dr. Erskine had long been in place. Sending Russell to New York was a convenient move; if Russell truly intended to betray them, it would be a good opportunity to eliminate a potential threat.

Russell himself knew that in order to establish himself within Hydra and dispel Schmidt's doubts, he was determined to obtain the Super Soldier Serum.

"There have been some setbacks, but they won't affect the overall situation!" Fred said confidently. "Through my position at the State Department, I got to know Senator Brandt, and I will be participating in the Super Soldier enhancement experiment with him in Queen of Heaven."

Russell frowned. "Only three days left..."

"Yes, the Strategic Scientific Reserve suddenly announced that it was conducting secret experiments, which put me in a very passive position." Fred said with a headache. If there was enough time, he wouldn't mind handing over command after Russell became familiar with the situation. After all, Russell was one of Schmidt's men, and he couldn't take over power.

With only three days left, if Russell insisted on taking over, it might backfire. But if he didn't relinquish control and instead sent Russell on a three-day trip to New York, Russell could return to headquarters and speak ill of Schmidt, making things difficult for him.

Fred was in a dilemma; the arrival of a new leader had left him in a bind, unable to advance or retreat.

"Fred, don't worry about my feelings. The leader trusts your abilities very much. He only sent me here to get some experience. Everything will proceed as planned. You're still in charge." Russell was very generous and had no intention of seizing power.

Fred felt a huge weight lifted from his chest, and tentatively asked, "Is this... really okay?"

Russell's expression turned serious. "Remember, Fred, what happens between us is unimportant. Everything is for the leader. Hail Hydra!"

Fred's face flushed red, his eyes filled with fanaticism. "Yes, Hail Hydra!"

"By the way, I can stay out of the plan and be your driver, but there's something I have to remind you of..." Russell changed the subject and looked directly into Fred's eyes. "The leader doesn't want to see Erskine live, but the sample of the Super Soldier Serum must be brought back. This is not something that can be lost."

The difference in their mental state was evident in their demeanor. Looking into Russell's eyes, Fred felt like a sheep being hunted by a lion, and hurriedly declared, "Please rest assured, I will definitely complete the mission."

"Then there's no problem. Let's go. On the way, tell me the plan, and I'll see if there's anything I need to add."

"OK!"

Fred wiped the sweat from his brow and, for the first time, looked Russell in the eye. He dared not hide anything and laid out his plans in full.

Russell sat in the passenger seat with his eyes closed, listening. The cars in the 1940s didn't go fast, and with the wide streets of Manhattan congested with people, the speed couldn't be increased. He was tired from the journey and suddenly felt a little sleepy after sitting down.

Fred wisely kept quiet and focused on driving. Just then, Russell suddenly opened his eyes.

"Fred, stop the car!"

Sizzle!

Fred was startled by the sudden turn of events and quickly slammed on the brakes. "Mr. Russell, what's wrong?"

"Wait for me in the car, I'll be right back..."

After speaking, Russell pushed open the car door and got out, ignoring Fred's calls, disappearing around the street corner in a few steps. During the car's journey, he had sensed Magic Power energy, or more precisely, ripples automatically emitted from the operation of Magic Circle.

It was very faint, but extremely noticeable to those with Magic Power, especially Russell. He had just arrived in Manhattan and hadn't detected any trace of Magic Power along the way, but this place was so conspicuous; there was definitely something wrong.

Russell rounded the street corner and saw in the distance a four-story building with domed roofs on all four sides. The round window at the very top seemed to be some kind of mysterious symbol. The striking building stood out from its surroundings, but passersby showed no interest in it whatsoever, not even bothering to stop and glance at it.

"New York Sanctum!"

Russell's eyes flashed with a sharp light. The sign on the round window read 'Eye of Agamotto.' This building, which everyone subconsciously overlooked, was the New York Sanctum, one of the Three Sanctums.

Russell strode to the temple gate, but paused as he raised his hand to push it open. His current status was not honorable, and he didn't know if he would be kicked out if he went in rashly.

After a moment's hesitation, Russell pushed open the door and went inside. No mage could resist the allure of Kamar-Taj, especially a novice like him. Kamar-Taj contained a vast Magic Book, an astonishing amount of knowledge, making it a sacred place for broadening one's horizons and leveling up.

The spacious hall is decorated in a European style, seemingly complex in structure but with very simple decorations. In the center of the hall is a wooden staircase covered with a red carpet, which leads directly to the second floor in two rows. Strangely, the sanctuary is very quiet, and there is not a single person in sight.

"Young man, this is not a place for adventure, and you didn't knock, which was very impolite."

The sound came from the second floor. Russell looked closely and saw an old man wearing a long robe with a white beard that reached his chest and was trimmed into an inverted triangle shape. He was very old, and his wrinkles made it hard for him to open his eyes.

"I apologize for my abruptness. I sensed a fluctuation of Magic Power, so I came in to investigate..." Russell bowed slightly, then stood up and asked, "Excuse me, sir, are you the Sorcerer Supreme?"

Russell couldn't discern anything from the man; he looked like an ordinary old man. But the New York Sanctum was of paramount importance, not a university dormitory; it was impossible to have an ordinary old man guarding the gate. The fact that he couldn't see through him meant either the man's magical skill was superior to his own, or he was using magical artifacts to conceal his presence. Either way, he should be polite.

"No, I'm not the Sorcerer Supreme, just an old man waiting to retire." The white-bearded old man pointed to the ground. "If you're looking for the Sorcerer Supreme, then I can only say you've come to the wrong place. This is New York, not Kamar-Taj."

Russell took a deep breath. "Master, where is Kamar-Taj? In the Himalayas, or in Nepal?"

There's a reason for this question. If Kamar-Taj is in the Himalayas, then the Sorcerer Supreme is an old man with a white beard; if Kamar-Taj is in Nepal, then the Sorcerer Supreme is a bald woman. This is important; it concerns whether this world is a comic book version or a movie version.

"Excuse me, young man, I have no obligation to answer this question. If you really want to know where Kamar-Taj is, I can only say that some people search for it their whole lives and never find it, while others travel to other places and stumble upon it in a public restroom."

Russell: "..."

This metaphor is so insightful and unconventional that it instantly adds a sense of depth to Kamar-Taj.

"Alright, young man, none of the mages are here today. If you want to find answers, it's more appropriate to go to the church two streets away. The priests there are much more professional than I am." After saying this, the white-bearded old man shook his head and left.

"Wait a moment..."

Russell gave up and chased after him, but Ghost Wall, unable to get even a step closer to the stairs. Just as he took a step back, the door behind him opened without warning.

Since the other party had given him the order to leave, Russell couldn't force his way in. The white-bearded wizard's meaning was clear: the Sorcerer Supreme wasn't in New York, and if he wanted to see him, he would have to go find him himself.

"This 'sincerity will work' approach... I feel like I've seen it somewhere before..." Russell left the temple, glanced at the automatically closing door, and thought to himself, "I will come back."

"System, use 'Item Card: World Anchor'."

[Bite]

[The host uses World Anchor to permanently locate a world node, allowing unlimited entry into this world.]

The card's effect was powerful, but its actual operation was extremely mediocre. There were no magnificent sound effects, no giant anchor phantom crashing to the ground, and no ripples in the space. It simply located the world in a plain and uneventful way. If the system hadn't given him a notification, he wouldn't have known that he had succeeded at all.

"System, can I return to the original world now?"

"No, you must complete the mission before you can come and go freely."

"No problem, the main thing is that this time I can stay here peacefully for 24 hours..."