Even Gods Have Strengths and Weaknesses

Kamar-Taj, Training Plaza.

A violent energy fluctuation erupted over the plaza, sending the sorcerer apprentices who were in the middle of morning training into a panic.

"What happened?"

"There is an enemy invasion!"

"Quick, go invite the Sorcerer Supreme!"

Mordo was the first to arrive at the scene. With a solemn expression, he looked at the swirling mass of distorted energy in midair and reached out to pick up a Wand of Watoomb from the weapon rack.

It activated with a clack!

"Everyone, gather on me!" Mordo shouted loudly.

Seeing Morton, the flustered apprentices instantly found their pillar of support and immediately gathered by his side.

"Form up and be on guard! Prepare for defense!"

The apprentices quickly split into three rows, raised their double fists, and condensed golden-red Rings of Raggadorr on their knuckles.

Swish~ Swish~

Sorcerer Hamir and Sorcerer Daniel arrived one after the other, opening portals.

Sorcerer Daniel looked up at the gradually expanding energy vortex in midair and asked Mordo, who had arrived a step earlier, "Sorcerer Mordo, what is that?"

Mordo shook his head. "I don't know, but it looks dangerous!"

Sorcerer Hamir narrowed his eyes, catching a few unique runes from Kamar-Taj's magic system amidst the chaotic energy vortex.

He examined them closely, recognizing them as a set of positioning rune-whispers, and then hesitated as he guessed, "It seems to be a positioning magic, but it doesn't look like any recorded in the Kamar-Taj library."

Buzz~

A portal quickly opened in front of the formation, and The Ancient One walked out with her hands behind her back.

With her back to everyone, she said in a calm tone, "Don't worry, it's just a cross-realm portal."

"Cross-realm portal?"

The three formal sorcerers—Mordo, Hamir, and Daniel—repeated in unison.

"A portal capable of traversing the multiverse." The Ancient One looked up at the gradually stabilizing energy vortex, an expression of admiration appearing on her face.

"This Secret Art is not yet mature, so it hasn't been added to the library."

"And..."

The Ancient One hesitated slightly. "The casting requirements for the Cross-Dimensional Spell are far too harsh. I'm afraid most sorcerers couldn't learn it even if they spent their entire lives trying."

"Do you know which sorcerer is casting the Cross-Dimensional Spell, Sorcerer Supreme?" Sorcerer Daniel asked curiously.

"Richard." The Ancient One chose not to conceal it; she had already decided to officially add Richard to the list of successors to the Sorcerer Supreme.

"Richard?!" x 3

The three formal sorcerers exclaimed at the same time.

"How incredible!" Sorcerer Hamir shook his head in amazement. "Clearly, just a few days ago, he was still an ordinary person!"

Mordo:...

A trace of jealousy couldn't help but well up on his face. Come to think of it, Richard was the one he personally brought into Kamar-Taj.

"I really didn't expect this!" Sorcerer Daniel smiled bitterly. "I said before that Sorcerer Richard's aptitude might be stronger than Kaecilius's. Now it seems it's far beyond just stronger!"

The sorcerer apprentices in the back were directly blown away by the conversation between the formal sorcerers.

"Who are Sorcerer Mordo and Sorcerer Daniel talking about?"

"Richard? That name sounds a bit familiar... Oh god! I remember now!"

"Aptitude stronger than Sorcerer Kaecilius? Impossible, I don't believe it!"

"The facts are right in front of us, Lore. Stop blindly worshipping that gloomy guy Kaecilius."

"I've bloody been here for half a year, and I'm still not even proficient with portals! Am I really that useless?!"

"Believe in yourself, brother. As long as we work hard in secret, we'll definitely amaze everyone in the future!"

Sorcerer Ancient One swished open the folding fan in her hand.

"It's coming!"

Hearing this, the others hurriedly looked up into midair.

They saw the energy vortex, which had been tending toward stability, suddenly undergo a change, stretching at a very high speed into a diamond-shaped portal.

Through the diamond-shaped portal, Mordo saw the colorful spatial passage behind the door and cried out involuntarily.

"Behind the portal is a dimensional passage!"

Daniel exclaimed in wonder. "No wonder this spell is called a cross-realm portal!"

Even Sorcerer Hamir, who had always been known for his taciturn nature, couldn't help but complain, "Most sorcerers couldn't learn it even if they spent their entire lives trying? It should be that hardly any sorcerers can learn it at all!"

Just then, the diamond-shaped portal changed once more.

A pillar of white light suddenly rushed out from the portal, and after spitting out a figure, it directly dissipated.

The figure stood up, muttering curses.

"Damn it, the spray force at the end was too strong! The rune structure needs to be modified further..."

Turning his head and seeing the large crowd gathered on the plaza, Richard immediately stood up straight, casually patting the dust off his clothes as if nothing had happened.

"Morning everyone, have you eaten yet?"

Upon seeing someone's face, everyone present turned weird expressions.

"Look at his face!"

"Those are kiss marks, right?!"

"Pfft~ This guy is a bit funny!"

Gently shaking her folding fan, the Ancient One smiled with a touch of humor. "Welcome back, Sorcerer Richard, only it seems you currently have a greater need for a mirror."

A mirror?

Richard was stunned, waving his hand to construct a simple mirror-space node to use as a temporary mirror.

Looking at the seven or eight kiss marks distributed across his face in the reflection, Richard was on the verge of tears.

"You've really ruined me this time, Lin~"

That evening, amidst Christine's complaints, Richard ended the video call, stood up, and walked into the living room.

"Sorcerer." Richard bowed respectfully.

"Sit." The Ancient One picked up the teapot and filled a cup of tea for Richard.

Richard didn't stand on ceremony either; he sat right down, picked up the cup of tea, and took a light sip. "Tieguanyin!"

The Ancient One nodded and asked with a smile, "It seems your cross-realm trip this time yielded a bountiful harvest."

"Ah, thanks to the Sorcerer's guidance, my problem was finally resolved!" Richard looked gratefully at the Ancient One.

"My guidance was negligible." The Ancient One shook her head. "It was you who worked hard enough."

"Oh, right, Sorcerer!" Remembering the purpose of his visit, Richard quickly put down his teacup and said, "I have a question I'd like to ask for your instruction on this time..."

He externalized his divine power, pointed to the pale white mixed with a flush of red, and asked, "For some reason, my divine power has undergone some changes."

"My understanding of divine power is far too little, so I can only ask for your guidance."

"It actually advanced!" The Ancient One said with some surprise, "I'm starting to suspect you have Asgardian blood, Richard."

"Asgardians?" Richard was slightly startled. "Like Thor the God of Thunder?"

"Right." The Ancient One nodded. "The Asgardians of Asgard."

Richard hurriedly shook his head, saying firmly, "I am a native Earthling, from my soul to my flesh, pure Earthling!"

Seeing this, the Ancient One burst into hearty laughter. "Just a little joke, Richard. Don't take it too seriously."

Richard speechlessly gave the Ancient One an empty stare, then pointed again at his own externalized divine power. "You should still tell me what's going on with this, Sorcerer."

The Ancient One unfolded her fan with a shwip and entered teaching mode.

"Gods exist in this universe, but even gods have strengths and weaknesses."

"Strong gods, like King of Gods Odin, possess divine light so blazing that mortals cannot look upon them directly."

"Weak gods, such as you, Sorcerer Richard, have divine light that is pale white, gentle and harmless."

Richard said thoughtfully, "So, the strength of a god can be judged by the external manifestation of their divine power?"

"To say it like that isn't wrong." The Ancient One nodded. "More bluntly speaking, gods can be divided into three tiers: weak, medium, and strong."

"For example, Thor the God of Thunder of Asgard can barely be classified as medium..."

"For example, Dormammu..."