The Two Leading Figures of Kamar-Taj Were Stunned!

[Ding!]

[Your Magic Shield sensed that its host was lazing around and decided to turn its frustration into strength, absorbing Multiverse Energy on its own!]

[Magic Shield has broken through! Level increased to 2 (18%)!]

[Your Magic Weapon Construction felt threatened and threw itself into a frantic race to improve. Its proficiency soared!]

[Magic Weapon Construction has broken through! Level increased to 2 (32%)!]

[Your Basic Rune Arrangement is deeply unimpressed by its host's laziness. Its training efficiency has temporarily decreased...]

A string of pleasant mechanical chimes jolted Raine awake.

His eyes flew open, and he eagerly summoned the system panel.

[Host: Raine]

[Status: Apprentice at Kamar-Taj]

[Skills:]

- Magic Shield: Level 2 (18%)

- Magic Weapon Construction: Level 2 (32%)

- Basic Rune Arrangement: Level 1 (21%)

Raine grinned at the soaring numbers.

He could level up his skills just by sleeping.

This system could not have been more considerate!

As for Basic Rune Arrangement acting haughty and looking down on him for slacking off, Raine paid it no mind.

"Master Carter really is a teacher who comes along once in a lifetime!"

"A few casual pointers from her, and my skills shot up like a rocket."

"Magic Shield, you're the best."

In high spirits, Raine rolled over and sat up in bed.

[Ding!]

[Your Magic Shield is delighted by the praise. Its training speed has increased by another 10%!]

"Even my skills get shy and give themselves buffs. Incredible."

Raine could not help marveling at it.

He clenched his fist, eager to test the power of his upgraded skills while the feeling was fresh.

With a thought, he called on his magic.

Light blazed from the palm of his right hand.

Countless fine golden runes appeared out of thin air, racing up his arm and weaving together.

Hum!

A clear ring sounded.

In an instant, an exquisitely shaped long blade radiating terrifying heat took form in his hand.

Sparks of searing light kept flaking off its edge.

The energy was so powerful that the structure was still reorganizing itself. That was normal.

Compared with the crude shield he had made three days earlier, this Magic Weapon had much tighter runes, and its texture came remarkably close to that of a real divine weapon.

"Not bad. Feels good in my hand."

Raine swung the golden blade twice, sending sharp gusts through the courtyard.

Meanwhile, inside the Mirror Dimension, Carter and Wong stared with eyes nearly bulging from their sockets and mouths wide enough to fit whole eggs.

The muscles in Wong's habitually expressionless face twitched.

He turned to stare at his old friend and asked in a dry voice, "Sorcerer Carter... weren't you certain he only learned the Basic Construction Method this morning?"

Carter swallowed. Her mind had gone blank, and she answered mechanically, "Y-yes..."

"I taught him myself, half an hour before I came to report to you..."

"Then what are we looking at?!"

Wong's voice rose sharply, thick with disbelief.

"He's only just learned the Basic Construction Method, and he can already shape a stable, fully formed weapon in practice with his bare hands?"

"Is this kid cheating?"

Carter was at her wit's end.

She had spent decades as a senior sorcerer and taught hundreds, if not thousands, of apprentices.

Every one of them had needed at least half a month to learn the Basic Construction Method, painstakingly fitting the pieces together like building blocks.

But Raine had gone to sleep and woken up capable of advanced applications.

She had never even heard of such a monster!

"Master, you have to believe me! I really did only just teach him!"

"I swear on my beard, I can't make sense of this absurd speed either!"

Wong said nothing.

Of course he did not doubt Carter.

The old sorcerer's integrity was renowned throughout Kamar-Taj.

Even the arrogant Kaecilius addressed her respectfully as his teacher.

Once every impossible explanation had been ruled out, the answer that remained had to be the truth, however absurd.

And the truth was this: this kid named Raine had spent just one morning mastering two fundamental theories of magic, then taken a nap and turned them both into practical abilities!

Wong himself had once been hailed as an "unparalleled genius" before rising to the rank of Master.

That was precisely why he understood better than anyone how terrifying this was.

Even The Ancient One could not have managed this when she first began learning magic!

"Genius" was no longer enough to describe Raine.

He was a monster who defied all reason!

Wong drew a deep breath, a complicated look flashing through his eyes.

Sometimes, the gap between two people really was greater than the gap between a person and a dog.

But more than anything, he was overjoyed.

If Kamar-Taj could nurture a talent like this, it would have another trump card to protect Earth in the future!

They had to spare no expense in training him!

Carter saw Wong's stern face and continued silence, and a shiver ran through her.

"Master..."

"I didn't teach him wrong. That kid's brain must work differently from everyone else's!"

Wong nodded and, for once, agreed with her.

"Sorcerer Carter, you're right."

"With talent like his, I'm afraid neither of us is qualified to teach him."

"Only The Ancient One can do it herself."

Carter sighed helplessly.

Before the Sorcerer Supreme, Masters and senior instructors like them were no more than fireflies.

There were profound forms of spatial magic and Forbidden Tomes that even they had no permission to study.

Leaving a monster like Raine in their hands would only hold him back.

"But Master, when will The Ancient One return?" Carter asked with a troubled look.

"She recently went into outer space to deal with Dormammu's minions. I doubt she'll be back anytime soon," Wong said gravely.

Seeing Carter's worried face, Wong offered a word of reassurance.

"Don't worry."

"Teach him a few basic spells for now."

"Once he's learned those, have him study Ancient Sanskrit and the other lost magical languages."

"No matter how quickly he learns spells, languages still take rote memorization, don't they?"

Carter's eyes lit up.

Of course!

Kamar-Taj's magical texts covered an immense range of subjects.

Many advanced spells were written in Ancient Sanskrit, Runic Characters, or even Demon Language.

Without learning the languages, he would not understand a god-tier spell even if someone put it in front of him!

No matter how extraordinary Raine was, memorizing vocabulary ought to keep him busy for a while, right?

"Brilliant, Master!"

Relief washed over Carter, and she stood a little straighter.

"I'm entrusting Raine's education to you. He may be Kamar-Taj's hope for the future."

Wong gave Carter's shoulder a solemn pat.

"Come on. Let's go."

"If I watch any longer, I'm afraid my old heart won't survive the shock."

Wong made a rare joke, forcing a smile onto his stiff face that looked worse than a grimace.

They raised their hands together, drew sparkling circles in the air, and quickly left the Mirror Dimension.

Raine, meanwhile, knew nothing of their plan to keep him occupied.

He was happily testing his new spells in the courtyard.

Golden magical energy kept changing shape in his hands.

One moment it was a sharp long blade, the next a flexible set of Energy Chains, and then a spear.

Each change was smooth and effortless.

"This system really delivers. I don't even have to worry about it."

Satisfied, Raine dusted off his hands and withdrew the magical energy.

"Since these spells level themselves up..."

"Tomorrow, it's time to ask Master Carter for some new ones!"

Raine yawned, climbed back into bed with a contented smile, and fell fast asleep.

Elsewhere, Carter had just returned to her room and was about to read a magic book to calm herself.

A sudden chill ran down her spine.

She let out a loud sneeze she could not suppress.