When Hamir mentioned a genius, Wang Yang could more or less guess that he meant the conceited Kaecilius.
Wang Yang had no fondness for that genius.
More importantly, the man would later take a group of followers with him to join Dormammu.
If Wang Yang grew too close to someone like that, he would inevitably face an investigation after Kaecilius betrayed them.
After seeing Hamir off, Wang Yang continued practicing. He had long since put the prospect of meeting Kaecilius out of his mind.
Kamar-Taj was peaceful. Most of the apprentices had to train hard, hoping to earn the sorcerers' recognition and join their ranks one day.
A few days later, countless sorcerers gathered near the entrance to Kamar-Taj, seemingly waiting for something.
Before long, a group came into view.
Kamar-Taj had Space Demons to deal with, so many of its sorcerers went out to fight.
They faced life-and-death struggles, and when the others returned, some sorcerers would never come home.
So whenever the sorcerers fighting outside were due to return, those at Kamar-Taj would wait here, much as people awaited an army's return from war.
They also wanted to see whether their friends had died out there.
Though Kamar-Taj was a sacred haven of magic, it had responsibilities of its own.
Many sorcerers had lost their lives protecting Earth.
Of course, they had all done so willingly.
No one forced them, which was why these brave defenders were treated with such respect.
As they watched Kaecilius and the others draw closer,
the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj broke into enthusiastic cheers.
As Masters of the Mystic Arts who had stayed behind to guard Kamar-Taj, Wong and Hamir were naturally there as well.
"Kaecilius, you're back!"
"It looks like you've driven off the monsters again!"
Wong glanced at the sorcerers behind Kaecilius. Seeing that most had returned safely, he nodded in satisfaction.
Although he disliked Kaecilius's arrogance and stubbornness, he had to acknowledge his abilities.
"Naturally!"
Kaecilius was deeply arrogant, practically Wong's polar opposite.
As a result, the two had never been on particularly good terms.
At a time like this, however, they could still exchange a few words.
"It seems Kamar-Taj is as peaceful as ever!"
Kaecilius swept his gaze over Kamar-Taj as he spoke.
"Naturally. With me here, no one can invade Kamar-Taj!"
Seeing Kaecilius's attitude, Wong answered irritably.
"Oh, please, Wong!"
Kaecilius scoffed, then continued, "That's because of the Sorcerer Supreme's deterrence. What does it have to do with you?"
There was a hint of mockery in Kaecilius's words.
"Hmph!"
Thoroughly displeased with Kaecilius, Wong gave a low snort.
Kaecilius seemed not to notice and continued blandly, "I think you're well suited to teaching students at Kamar-Taj, Wong. Going out to fight doesn't suit you!"
Kaecilius's tone left Wong deeply annoyed.
It felt as though he considered the other man a rival, only for that man to disregard him entirely.
Such an attitude was naturally hard to stomach.
Even someone as even-tempered as Wong could not help feeling displeased by it.
"Kaecilius, your fighting deserves respect, but teaching students is just as important!"
"Even the Sorcerer Supreme teaches students!"
Wong said bluntly, "Do you think you're more powerful than the Sorcerer Supreme?"
"Of course I'm no match for the Sorcerer Supreme!"
Kaecilius answered.
He, too, held the Sorcerer Supreme in great esteem.
At his most desperate, the Sorcerer Supreme had saved him and shown him what the world was truly like.
That was why he respected the Sorcerer Supreme so deeply.
Now that Wong was invoking the Sorcerer Supreme against him, he certainly would not deny the Sorcerer Supreme's contributions.
"I'm indeed no match for the Sorcerer Supreme, but I'm still stronger than you!"
"This time, I drove off the demons coveting Earth and destroyed their stronghold. What have you accomplished, Wong?"
Kaecilius countered pointedly.
Masters of the Mystic Arts were all proud individuals.
Even against opponents of equal standing, they had a powerful competitive streak.
There were few people in Kamar-Taj whom Kaecilius considered worthy of his attention.
Wong was one of them.
That was why he could not resist provoking Wong whenever they met.
It was one of his few displays of emotion.
"That truly is an outstanding achievement!"
Wong seemed to remember someone, and his tone instantly calmed.
Hearing those words, Kaecilius instinctively sensed that something was off.
They were both Masters of the Mystic Arts, after all.
Though he had little friendship with Wong and they were not particularly close,
that did not mean he knew nothing about Wong.
Wong's reaction was clearly rather strange.
"It seems you've accomplished something at Kamar-Taj as well!"
Kaecilius sounded casual, but the matter had already caught his interest.
"That's none of your concern!"
Wong said expressionlessly.
The welcoming ceremony came next, but Kaecilius kept thinking about Wong's reaction. What exactly had Wong accomplished, and why was he so confident?
Still, he let none of it show.
His expression remained as calm and composed as ever.
Once the ceremony was over,
Kaecilius sought out Hamir.
Though Hamir was also a genius, he lacked Wong's competitive streak and bore Kaecilius no hostility.
"Master Hamir, what exactly has Wong done at Kamar-Taj?"
Kaecilius looked at Hamir and asked in puzzlement.
"Kaecilius, a genius has recently appeared at Kamar-Taj, one even more talented than you!"
Hamir stroked his goatee and smiled as he spoke.
His own talent had been surpassed back then. Now, at last, it was Kaecilius's turn.
"More talented than me?"
Kaecilius frowned and murmured to himself.
At that moment, Hamir looked toward the crowd. Wang Yang had seemed to be here just a moment ago, so how had he disappeared so quickly?
Hamir did not dwell on it, though. To think that the day had come when someone surpassed even Kaecilius in talent. That was certainly something to look forward to.
"Cade, is what Master Hamir said true?"
After Hamir left, Kaecilius turned to one of his followers. He had quite a few, and some had stayed at Kamar-Taj rather than going into battle with him.
Like him, these people lived with regrets and sought more powerful magic.
"Master Kaecilius, while you were away, an apprentice did indeed distinguish himself. Master Wong is teaching him now!"
"Interesting!"
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