Medicine Delivery and a Sparring Match?

Knock, knock, knock.

A steady knock sounded at the door.

Raine paused his work, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and opened the door.

To his surprise, Carter stood outside.

"Master Carter? You came in person? Please, come in!"

Raine hurriedly welcomed the old sorcerer inside and brewed her a cup of hot tea.

He had nothing but respect for this "former power bank," whose character was outstanding and who could even give his system a buff.

"I came to bring you some medicine."

Carter smiled and swept a hand lightly through the air.

A silver metal case appeared from nowhere and landed squarely on the table.

"This is a nutritional solution specially made by Kamar-Taj."

"After practicing close-quarters combat, add a few vials to your bath. It'll quickly repair muscle damage and clear up lingering injuries."

Raine opened the case curiously.

More than a dozen glass vials sat neatly arranged inside.

"Thank you, Master."

Raine picked up a vial and gave it a shake, then joked, "I always thought Kamar-Taj was an old-fashioned sanctuary that relied entirely on meditation and herbs."

"I never expected it to have high-tech nutritional solutions."

Carter stroked her chin and chuckled.

"Raine, we're sorcerers seeking truth, not primitives who reject civilization."

"Magic is, at its core, the application of natural laws and cosmic energy. The same goes for technology."

"Don't be prejudiced against new things."

Raine felt a little embarrassed.

Good grief. I'm a transmigrator, and a nearly eighty-year-old mystic just told me to believe in science.

But she had a point.

Technology in the Marvel Universe was absurdly advanced.

Iron Man could go toe-to-toe with Thanos in a suit of armor, and Wakanda could even use technology to replicate the power of the soul.

It was only natural for Kamar-Taj to use a little cutting-edge biotech.

"I've learned something, Master."

Raine nodded solemnly.

Carter took a sip of tea and got to the point.

"Grand Mage Wong told me you started practical combat training today?"

"How did it feel? Have you run into any difficulties?"

"Combat isn't my main focus, but I've spent decades at Kamar-Taj. I can probably offer you some advice."

Concern filled the old sorcerer's eyes.

Strictly speaking, Raine was now Grand Mage Wong's student.

Carter had no need to concern herself with him anymore.

Yet she had made the trip in person and even offered to answer his questions.

Raine was touched.

"Thank you, Master. I haven't run into any major problems so far."

He answered honestly.

Seeing his sincerity, Carter offered a heartfelt warning.

"Advanced combat techniques put enormous strain on the body."

"New apprentices don't have the mental strength to channel enough cosmic energy to protect themselves. It's all too easy for them to push beyond their limits."

"Know your limits when you train. If something feels wrong, stop immediately. Don't leave yourself with a lifelong injury!"

What Carter didn't know was that Raine didn't have to worry about that.

With the system training for him, he absorbed energy and strengthened his body over a hundred times faster than an ordinary person!

But Raine didn't argue. He replied respectfully, "Don't worry. I'll be careful."

Carter nodded in satisfaction and set down her cup.

Then a glint of fighting spirit flashed in the old sorcerer's eyes.

"Since you've been practicing all day, why not show me what you can do in a fight?"

"I'd like to see how far the strongest apprentice I ever taught has come."

With that, Carter swept both hands outward.

Their surroundings rapidly folded and rearranged like origami.

In the blink of an eye, the two of them stood in an empty Mirror Dimension.

Raine scratched his head, a little embarrassed.

"Master, are you sure about this?"

"What if I can't hold back..."

Carter laughed and waved a hand.

"I may have a desk job now, but back in the day, I fought alien demons hand-to-hand on the front lines."

"Give it everything you've got. Don't worry about hurting me."

Raine learned magic at a ridiculous pace, but combat came down to experience and instinct.

How much trouble could a rookie with one day of practice cause, no matter how gifted he was?

"Then excuse me, Master."

Raine's smile vanished, and his gaze turned cold.

He brought his hands sharply together, then pulled them apart.

Hum!

A straight saber formed from pure magical energy blazed into existence in his grip.

Carter nodded slightly. A thick energy shield appeared before her, while a Magic Chain formed in her right hand.

It was a standard, cautious defensive stance for a sorcerer.

"Come on!"

Carter shouted.

The words had barely left her mouth.

Bang!

The flagstone beneath Raine's feet exploded.

Two faint but forceful bursts of magical sparks erupted from his soles, propelling him forward.

Boom!

Raine shot forward like a cannonball, crossed more than ten meters in an instant, and appeared right in front of Carter!

His saber shrieked through the air as it came down!

Carter's pupils shrank to pinpricks. All trace of calm and amusement vanished from her face!

Too fast!

And that precise control—venting magic from his soles to accelerate...

He learned that in a single day?!

Many veteran sorcerers who had spent five or six years at Kamar-Taj couldn't control energy that precisely!

Faced with a thunderous slash that carried such tremendous force, only one thought remained in Carter's mind:

I'm done for.

These old bones of mine might not survive today!

"Hah!"

The old sorcerer grunted and thrust both hands forward. Her golden energy shield expanded instantly to meet the blow.

Clang!

A deafening metallic crash echoed through the enclosed space.

Raine rode the recoil backward and landed steadily several meters away.

Carter was, after all, a veteran sorcerer with decades of training. Though her body had weakened with age, the defense she built with her mental strength remained as solid as a mountain.

But—

The moment Raine landed, sparks burst from beneath his feet again.

Without a pause, he lunged a second time, like a tireless leopard!

Carter's defense hadn't completely overwhelmed him.

That meant he could keep fighting!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The golden saber became a dense web of slashes raining down on Carter.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!

The rapid impacts sounded like rain hammering broad leaves.

Under that storm of attacks, Carter couldn't find a single opening to counterattack.

She could only keep her shield raised and take the blows!

[Ding!]

[Your Kamar-Taj Close-Quarters Combat has gained profound insight from this fierce battle with a veteran sorcerer!]

[Hand-to-Hand Combat proficiency has surged!]

[Your muscle memory is being reshaped. Your physical defense and explosive power have permanently increased!]

As the notifications kept sounding in his mind, Raine felt his blood surge and his body temperature rise rapidly.

His mind had never been clearer.

Adrenaline poured through him, filling his muscles with explosive strength.

When an ordinary person's adrenaline spiked, their mind often went blank and their movements grew sloppy.

But the cosmic energy inside Raine perfectly canceled out those effects.

The longer he fought, the more excited he became.

He stopped thinking entirely and handed control of his body to his fully honed muscle memory.

Slash, slash, and slash again!

Every strike hit harder than the last!