Break the Record!

"Don't worry, Master. I understand how brutal real combat can be."

Raine met Wong's gaze without backing down.

This was a dangerous world where someone could snap their fingers and wipe out half the universe.

Stay in the rear and do paperwork?

When Thanos arrived, was he supposed to recite poetry until the alien warships turned around?

Only absolute power would let him control his own fate.

"Good."

Seeing the clarity and resolve in Raine's eyes, Wong nodded with satisfaction.

Unlike the cautious Carter, Wong was a combat sorcerer who had spent years on the front lines fighting Demon Gods.

If Raine had been a coward, Wong wouldn't have taught him so much as a Fireball Spell, no matter how talented he was.

"Follow me."

Wong rose and swept both hands through the air before him.

Crack!

The space ahead shattered like a mirror, reflecting countless overlapping images.

Raine's eyes lit up.

This was the legendary Mirror Dimension!

Wong stepped through the fracture first, and Raine followed close behind.

As Raine crossed the barrier, he felt no discomfort. It was like stepping over an ordinary threshold.

"This is the Mirror Dimension," Wong said, turning to face him.

"It's attached to reality, but nothing that happens here affects the real world."

"Advanced sorcerers usually use it to practice highly destructive forbidden spells or trap enemies."

"And a Portal is the only way in or out."

Wong paused, fixing Raine with a penetrating look.

"Carter told me you learned to open a Portal just yesterday?"

"Use your Sling Ring. Try opening one here."

Raine suspected nothing. He raised his left hand at once, ready to cast.

What he didn't know was that Wong's calm instruction concealed a trap. Wong meant to put him in his place.

Opening a Portal inside someone else's Mirror Dimension was more than ten times harder than opening one outside.

The owner controlled the Laws of the entire space, greatly suppressing any spatial Magic.

Never in Kamar-Taj's history had an apprentice managed it on his first day.

Wong intended to seize this chance to take Raine down a peg.

Raine closed his eyes and began drawing a circle in the air with his right hand.

Sizzle—

Golden sparks struggled into view, sputtering like a damp match.

Raine could clearly feel the increased resistance.

But he didn't panic. He focused, drawing the Runes into a tighter arrangement.

[Ding!]

[Your Sling Ring senses intense spatial suppression. The challenge ignites its fighting spirit, and its casting stability surges!]

As the System Notification sounded, the sparks at Raine's fingertips flared dazzlingly bright, slicing through the Mirror Dimension's suppression like a knife through tofu.

Hum!

A huge, stable golden Portal opened before them!

They could even feel the cool breeze of early morning through its glowing ring.

Wong stood where he was, his expression as impassive as ever.

But outside Raine's field of vision, the buildings on the far side of the Mirror Dimension twisted, flipped, and collapsed in a frenzy!

The whole world turned upside down!

The violent upheaval of the space perfectly reflected the storm raging inside Wong.

How was that possible?

He actually opened it?!

Hadn't Carter said he only learned yesterday?

Someone who'd studied spatial Magic for a single day had forced open a barrier built by a Master?

Even The Ancient One couldn't have done anything this absurd back then!

Wong felt as though his entire understanding of the world had been shattered.

Fortunately, his habitual deadpan hid the turmoil within.

"Master, did I do something wrong?"

Raine grew uneasy at Wong's silence.

Spatial Magic was no joke. One small mistake could sever a person's head from their body.

Wong drew a deep breath and forced down the Mirror Dimension that was still collapsing behind him.

"Not bad."

Wong squeezed out the words.

Now he finally understood why Carter had flatly refused to keep teaching this freak.

This kid was a menace to a mentor's pride!

Wong began to wonder whether it had taken him six whole months to learn to open a Portal because something was genuinely wrong with his brain.

Damn it!

Wong cursed inwardly.

Was this guy even made of carbon?

Still, as a leading figure of Kamar-Taj, Wong had an image to maintain.

"That's enough. Put it away."

Wong's voice was low, betraying no emotion.

Raine turned his wrist, and the ring of sparks vanished.

Wong nodded slightly and offered a stiff assessment. "You've got a decent grasp of it. Looks like you've been working hard on your own."

"It's all thanks to your guidance, Master."

Raine seized the chance to flatter him, keeping his manner modest.

Wong waved a hand.

"No need to be overly modest. You wouldn't have made this progress without your own effort."

"Since basic Spells are no longer a challenge for you, you're ready to begin real core training today."

Raine's eyes lit up.

Being able to cast a few Spells was nowhere near enough in the Marvel Universe.

If he wanted to survive the chaos ahead, when beings of immense power clashed, he needed to be formidable in a real fight!

Seeing Raine's eager expression, Wong turned solemn.

"What I'm going to teach you next is combat!"

"Kamar-Taj doesn't train frail scholars who hide behind piles of books. Every one of us is a warrior!"

His words sounded entirely righteous.

But Wong had another plan in mind.

Sure, you're a one-in-ten-thousand freak when it comes to learning Magic.

But close combat is different!

Fighting skill took endless practice, even life-or-death experience, to develop.

There's no way you're a freak with fists and weapons too!

Today, under the guise of a sparring match, Wong was going to knock some of the arrogance out of the young man.

"Cosmic Energy can be channeled into Spells, but it can also strengthen our bodies."

As he explained, Wong drew a small glowing circle in midair and reached through it to retrieve two items.

"But the body can only withstand so much, which is why we need magical artifacts."

Wong raised a short metal-sheened rod.

He flicked his wrist.

The rod instantly split into three sections joined by glowing Energy Chains.

Bang!

The staff struck the ground, carving a deep, blackened furrow.

"This is Living Tribunal's Staff."

Then Wong lifted one of his heavy boots.

A magical array flashed across its sole.

"And these are Watoomb's Boots of Jumping."

The demonstration over, Wong tossed Raine another oddly shaped staff.

"This is Watoomb's Wand."

"Normally, apprentices aren't allowed to handle advanced artifacts. The energy can backlash against them."

"But your mental strength is stable enough. You're an exception. Now try channeling your magical energy into it."

Raine caught the wand securely and willed his energy into motion.

Power surged from his body through his palm. The wand burst into brilliant golden light, becoming a long whip wreathed from end to end in flame.