When Destiny Takes a Corner and The Ancient One Suddenly Decides She Doesn't Want to Die

"..."

On the other end of the phone, Old Professor sighed deeply.

"Sigh, I already know."

"I figured long ago that Junior Federer's end wouldn't be pretty."

"I just didn't expect it to happen so soon..."

"It's a pity Old Federer worked hard all his life... and left no one to carry the torch..."

Listening to Old Professor's rare rambling, Richard felt a pang of reluctance.

However, in order to ferret out the mastermind behind the scenes as soon as possible, he had to bite the bullet and continue asking.

"Professor, the lawyer I hired told me that the medical laboratory belonging to Wall Federer had a fire..."

"Could this be related to Wall's death?"

Richard asked by way of indirection, which naturally aroused Old Professor's suspicion.

"The Federer Laboratory had a fire?"

"Such a coincidence?!"

"Junior Federer just passed away, and the laboratory had a fire..."

On the other end of the line, Old Professor's tone was somewhat grave.

"Little Richard, thank you for telling me this news. I'll have someone look into it right away."

Oh no!

Richard's expression changed!

I just wanted to probe you for some information!

How did you manage to get yourself dragged into this?!

Thinking of the mastermind setting their sights on Old Professor...

Given their decisive and swift methods of operation, Richard felt a darkness wash over his vision.

Damn it, I don't care if you're HYDRA or not!

I'm going to dig your stinking organization out from the gutter!

Richard teleported back to Kamar-Taj.

In the training courtyard, he found Christine mixed in with the line of sorcerer apprentices, practicing basic spellcasting movements together.

He stood to the side, watching the apprentices finish practicing until he finally walked over and took Christine's hand.

"Can you even learn it, just following along behind them..."

Christine's face was flushed, her forehead and the tip of her nose covered in fine, crystal-clear beads of sweat.

"It's so fun, Richard!"

"So magic is just drawing circles like this, turning in circles like that..."

As she spoke, she gestured excitedly.

Richard looked at his girlfriend's full-spirited state and helplessly massaged his brow with a sigh.

"Sigh~"

"It's useless for you to just practice drawing circles..."

Unexpectedly, Christine wasn't discouraged in the least. She remained cheerful, wearing a silly and joyful expression.

"I know practicing this movement is useless, but it's fun~"

"Oh right, Richard, I heard..."

The girl looked left and right vigilantly, then beckoned for Richard to bend down.

Only then did she whisper in his ear: "I heard that Sorcerer Ancient One has lived for several hundred years. Is that true?"

Richard blinked and nodded casually.

"That's right, she has lived for several hundred years. All the mages of Kamar-Taj know this."

"Why do you ask?"

Hearing this, Christine's grayish-blue eyes lit up brilliantly. She excitedly threw her arms around her boyfriend's arm.

"Richard, I want to learn magic, I want to learn magic!"

Richard developed a head full of black lines and flicked his girlfriend's smooth forehead with a bent finger.

"With just this little scheme of yours..."

"You're not allowed to tell anyone, it's too embarrassing!"

Christine covered her forehead, her brows curving into smiles.

"Aiyah, I know, I know. I'm not an idiot."

"Fine!" Unable to withstand his girlfriend's coy pleading, Richard could only agree. "Go register with Senior Brother Mordo later."

"It's that simple? I'm a mage now?" Christine said in surprise.

"What are you thinking..." Richard shot his girlfriend an exasperated look. "You're only registering as a sorcerer apprentice."

"To become an official mage of Kamar-Taj, you need to learn meditation, and perceive energy, space, and runes."

"You also have to learn incantations..."

"Just practice away~"

Christine wrinkled her small face and complained, "It sounds so difficult!"

"Then why did you learn it so fast?!"

Richard proudly raised an eyebrow. "Me? A genius! Destined to be the sun you look up to!"

The girl puffed out her cheeks and threw a small punch straight into her boyfriend's abdomen.

"Ow!" Christine let out a delicate cry, shaking her numb fist. "Dreadful thing, why are your abs so hard!"

"Hehe~" Richard chuckled, playfully blinking at his girlfriend.

The girl's face instantly turned completely red.

Over the next few days, Richard returned to New York every day to investigate clues about the mastermind.

Christine stayed behind with the other sorcerer apprentices, learning introductory knowledge of magic and practicing meditation and spellcasting movements.

Yet her deep-seated scientific mindset fettered her thoughts.

No matter how diligently she practiced, she could not perceive the ethereal energy, space, or runes.

Once again sitting in hollow stillness for a full two hours.

Christine still gained nothing.

She couldn't help clutching her head and scratching wildly, her beautiful hair turning into a bird's nest in the blink of an eye.

"Ahhhhh! This is so hard!"

On this day, a group of people carried a completely paralyzed person to the outside of Kamar-Taj's gates.

An old woman with a haggard expression walking alongside them dropped to her knees in front of Mordo with a thud.

"I beg you, save my child!"

Mordo's heart shook. He hurried forward, wanting to help the old woman up.

"Madam, please get up."

Yet no matter how much force he used, the old woman remained firmly knelt on the ground, repeating herself over and over again.

"I beg you, save my child!"

Fearing he might injure the old woman, Mordo truly didn't dare to use too much strength.

He glanced at the emaciated man being carried by the crowd, whose expression was dead and eyes hollow...

Then he looked down at the old woman kneeling on the ground and kowtowing incessantly.

Mordo was silent for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "Wait here for a moment. I will go inform Sorcerer Supreme."

After a short while, he strode back, raising a hand in guidance: "Bring him inside."

The crowd carried the man into the hall and respectfully pressed their palms together to bow to The Ancient One.

"Greetings, Saint!"

Then, amidst the old woman's continuous bows of gratitude, they left one after another.

The Ancient One carefully examined the man's body and said calmly.

"He can stay here, but whether he can recover depends on his own destiny."

Hearing these words, the man, who had long since despaired, felt hope reignite in his heart and couldn't help letting down two streams of hot tears.

The old woman was even more emotional, kneeling on the spot and kowtowing without stop: "Thank you, Saint! Thank you, Saint!"

"No need for such formalities~"

The Ancient One unfolded her folding fan and lifted it slightly, causing the old woman to involuntarily stand up.

"Sorcerer Mordo, arrange quarters for Mrs. Pangborn and Mr. Jonathan."

Mordo brought his palms together in a bow: "Understood, Sorcerer Supreme."

With that, he stepped forward to pick up Jonathan Pangborn in his arms and said to the old woman, "Madam, please follow me."

After the old woman respectfully bowed to The Ancient One, she walked away, following Mordo with stumbling steps.

The Ancient One twirled her folding fan, the corners of her mouth slowly curling upward: "The established destiny is beginning to change."

"I truly look forward to what kind of changes the future of this world will experience..."

That night, Richard returned to Kamar-Taj.

"Richard, you're back!"

"Something very interesting happened during the day!"

"A group of people carried a completely paralyzed man here..."

Christine chattered away, sharing the interesting event of the day with her boyfriend.

Upon hearing this, Richard immediately thought of the man he had once given pointers to.

"Jonathan Pangborn?"