Mind Reading

Looking at the familiar dimensional gate, Meng Zu recognized it as the spell Kamar-Taj sorcerers often used in the Doctor Strange movies. These two were most likely sorcerers from Kamar-Taj.

This was Meng Zu's first time seeing Kamar-Taj sorcerers. After recovering his memories, he had once fantasized about becoming a sorcerer himself. After all, sorcerers' moves came with special effects and looked incredibly cool when used.

Kamar-Taj in the Himalayas was too far away. Even if he ran there himself, he might not be able to find the place. He certainly would not spend years staying there and searching, so Meng Zu thought of another way.

He remembered that there was a sanctum in New York in the movies, with Kamar-Taj sorcerers permanently stationed there. He vaguely remembered the address being 176A or 177A Bleecker Street in Manhattan, so he went looking for it. He found 176A, but it was just a restaurant, and 177A did not exist at all.

Meng Zu had asked people nearby about 177A as well, but all the answers were the same: there had never been a 177A there. Fine, that made him give up. Perhaps this world did not have a New York Sanctum like in the movies. He should just honestly remain a mercenary.

The buzz-cut, chubby sorcerer examined Jason and the other two. "Master, they bear Mephisto's mark."

"Mm. It looks like they have existed for quite some time. Mephisto is always good at hiding. If these three evil spirits had not exposed themselves, they would have been difficult to discover," the white-bearded sorcerer said with a nod.

The moment Mrs. Voorhees and Mary Shaw saw the two sorcerers, their expressions turned panicked.

Dangerous. They would die!

That was the only feeling the two had when facing these sorcerers.

Naturally, Mary Shaw and Mrs. Voorhees would not wait helplessly for death. A book appeared in Mrs. Voorhees's hand, and she began chanting an obscure spell. A blood-red magic circle appeared on the ground. Mary Shaw took out a small box and opened it, and wisps of wandering souls flew out, circling around Mrs. Voorhees and Mary Shaw.

Then the magic circle emitted a blood-red glow. The wandering souls were sucked into the magic circle and vanished. Behind Mrs. Voorhees, a three-meter-tall red phantom appeared, clad in a cloak, with claws on both hands and two curved horns on its head.

At the sight of that phantom, the crackling current in Meng Zu's mind instantly grew louder, as loud as the electric hum he heard when standing close beneath high-voltage wires. It made his head ache.

This was the first time Meng Zu's Danger Sense had reacted so strongly. If the two sorcerers had not been here, he would have Teleported away without a second word.

The chubby sorcerer moved as soon as the phantom appeared. With a sweep of both hands toward Mary Shaw and the other two, a dark-red chain appeared out of thin air. It split into three and instantly shot toward Mary Shaw, Mrs. Voorhees, and Jason beside them.

The black mist surrounding the three tried to block the chains, but it scattered the moment it touched them. The three were immediately bound tightly.

At that moment, the phantom behind Mrs. Voorhees sensed the disturbance, and blood-red light lit up in its eyes.

Who was it? Who dared hinder the descent of the great Lord of Hell?

At this moment, a fragment of Mephisto's consciousness descended onto the red phantom behind Mrs. Voorhees through the souls sacrificed in the magic circle.

The instant Mephisto opened his eyes, he saw the white-bearded sorcerer not far ahead smiling at him.

Mephisto: Σ(☉▽☉"a

That little bastard Blackheart actually dared give me fake liquor. I'm even hallucinating now. I'll go beat him up right away.

Sensing Mephisto's descent, delight could not help appearing on Mrs. Voorhees's face. Yet Mephisto vanished again the next moment, freezing her expression. Could it be that the sacrifice had not been enough, causing the descent to fail?

A small magic circle appeared in each of the chubby sorcerer's hands. Two golden bolts of lightning shot from them, instantly blasting Mary Shaw and the other two, along with the red phantom, into dust.

At the same time, Meng Zu's Danger Sense calmed down. Seeing the two sorcerers turn to leave, he hurriedly shouted, "Wait!"

The two turned toward Meng Zu. The white-bearded sorcerer asked with a smile, "Young man, what is it?"

Meng Zu stepped forward with a broad smile. "May I ask whether you two sorcerers are from Kamar-Taj?"

"You know about Kamar-Taj? Oh! The energy in your body is quite unusual, though there is far too little of it." The white-bearded sorcerer looked at Meng Zu in surprise.

Meng Zu smiled as he explained, "My name is Meng Zu. I'm a mercenary, and I've heard some things about Kamar-Taj. May I ask your names?"

A smiling boy's luck could not be too bad. This was his first time encountering sorcerers. If he could establish a connection with them, he would hit the jackpot.

The chubby sorcerer introduced them. "My name is Wong. This is my master, the sorcerer The Ancient One. She is also the great Sorcerer Supreme."

"The Sorcerer Supreme! You're The Ancient One?" Meng Zu was stunned. He clearly remembered that The Ancient One in the movies had been a woman, yet here she was an old woman with a white beard. Wong was Asian, but he looked nothing like the Wong from the movies.

The Ancient One was already used to Meng Zu's reaction. Most people looked like this when they first met her, so she said with a smile, "Sorcerer Supreme is only an empty title. There is no need to care about it."

Once Meng Zu learned that the white-bearded sorcerer before him was The Ancient One, his eyes immediately lit up. This was a massive thigh to cling to. He had to seize the chance and hold on tight, especially regarding his energy problem. He had too little energy, and even when facing Mary Shaw and the others today, he could only use it sparingly. If he could become The Ancient One's apprentice, he could surely solve his lack-of-energy problem. Maybe he could even obtain magical equipment.

Meng Zu shamelessly said with a grin, "Sorcerer Supreme, I have admired magic for a long time. When I was little, I fantasized about meeting a magician and learning magic. After growing up and learning that sorcerers truly existed, I even searched for them. Being able to meet the Sorcerer Supreme here is truly the fortune of three lifetimes. May I learn magic?"

The Ancient One shook her head. "You are not suited for magic."

Meng Zu's heart instantly sank. Then The Ancient One continued with a smile, "Although we are not destined to be master and disciple, your energy problem can be solved."

Mind reading! Meng Zu froze. Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

"I do not know any mind reading," The Ancient One said, still smiling.

Meng Zu (;￣д￣)

Fine, I believe you, Sorcerer Supreme. Meng Zu noticed Wong beside her signaling desperately at him and immediately chose to follow his heart.

"Then—"

Before Meng Zu could ask how to solve his energy problem, a business card appeared in The Ancient One's hand. She handed it to him and said, "Go to the New York Sanctum and find Sorcerer Daniel. He will help you solve your energy problem."

Meng Zu took the card and looked at it. It read: 177 Bleecker Street, Manhattan. That was not right. He had searched for it before, but he had never found 177 Bleecker Street in Manhattan.

Meng Zu raised his head just as he was about to ask The Ancient One, only to discover that she and Wong had already disappeared.

"They really left quickly. I'll look for it again after I return to New York." Meng Zu shrugged.

Meng Zu walked toward the car. Mary Shaw and the other two had already been dealt with by Wong. Now it was time to send Sam and the others home and complete his mercenary mission.