Learning Portal Magic
After leaving the Ancient One's residence, Xiahou began wandering around Kamar-Taj. When he arrived yesterday, the Ancient One had invited him straight to tea, so he hadn't had a chance to look around!
Xiahou was delighted to see the various buildings around him, all full of Chinese elements. The place made him feel as though he had returned to Huaxia.
Many of the sorcerers who occasionally passed by also had Chinese faces, and they greeted him warmly when they saw him. It made him feel as though he had come to a tourist attraction full of old-world charm.
Kamar-Taj was only a small village, so it didn't take him long to see it all. He returned to the training ground.
Kaecilius was instructing some sorcerer apprentices in drawing portals.
Seeing this, Xiahou eagerly ran over to him. "I want to learn this, coach!"
Kaecilius gave him a silent glance and pointed to the table beside him, where more than a dozen Sling Rings lay.
"If you want to learn, take one yourself and stand among them. And please address me as sorcerer, not coach!"
Xiahou happily picked one up and eagerly slipped it onto his fingers. "Okay, Uncle Mads!"
Kaecilius looked at him speechlessly. "My name isn't Uncle Mads either!"
"Got it, Uncle Mads! How do you use this thing?"
Standing among the apprentices, Xiahou copied their movements and began drawing circles, but nothing happened.
Kaecilius couldn't be bothered to correct how Xiahou addressed him anymore and began teaching him. "Opening a portal requires the Sling Ring as a magical tool. You guide energy through the motion of drawing circles. Clearly project an image of your destination in your mind, and imagine it being right in front of you."
"Envision every detail. The clearer the image, the faster the portal will open. But remember, a portal's stability depends on your perception of multidimensional energy flows."
"So please don't step through a portal until it's stable! Otherwise, space itself might cut you in half! If it's just a hand or a foot, that's a little better. If it's your body, there's no point trying to save you!"
As Xiahou listened to Kaecilius's explanation, he began picturing the Nightcrawler Squad's former base in his mind. Then he reached for the magic within him, slowly channeled it into the Sling Ring on his fingers, and began drawing circles.
An hour passed like that, and Xiahou was still drawing circles, but nothing had happened in front of him. The fastest learner among the apprentices around him could already draw a small passage and see the scene on the other side through it! Even sparks were flying in front of the slower ones.
Xiahou complained frantically in his heart. Seriously? I have my own magic, and I can't even match these people who rely on loans?
But whenever he channeled magic into the Sling Ring, he felt it being spat back out, as if the ring didn't like his magic. No matter how he imagined the destination or drew circles, nothing happened.
After another half hour of drawing circles, Xiahou ran out of patience. He went straight to the table and exchanged his ring for another. He felt that the one he had taken earlier was broken; otherwise, how could there have been no reaction at all?
After putting on the new Sling Ring, Xiahou continued diligently drawing circles, but he still felt unable to channel magic into it.
After trying three more Sling Rings, he gave up. There was something seriously wrong with these things!
Xiahou went over to Kaecilius and asked angrily, "Uncle Mads! Why can't this piece of junk absorb my magic?"
Kaecilius stared at him in bewilderment. It was the first time he had heard of a Sling Ring being unable to absorb and connect with magic. After all, the Ancient One had specifically designed and made them to make it easier for sorcerers to open portals.
He placed a hand on Xiahou's shoulder and carefully sensed the fluctuations of magic within him, but he still looked puzzled. Although the amount was a little small, Xiahou definitely had magic. This shouldn't have been happening.
He then told the apprentices to continue practicing and took Xiahou to see the Ancient One again.
The Ancient One also found it strange to see the two of them visiting together. After all, she wasn't using the Time Stone to observe the future all the time.
After preparing tea for them both again, she asked, "Xiahou, weren't you going to the library? Why have you come to see me with Kaecilius?"
After Xiahou rattled off an explanation, the Ancient One understood why they had come.
She explained, "The problem isn't with the Sling Ring. Sorcerers cultivate by absorbing various forms of energy, but human bodies are too fragile. Absorbing energy directly would cause the body to collapse."
"Thus, since the first Sorcerer Supreme, Agamotto, there have been few sorcerers who achieved great heights. The first Sorcerer Supreme joined with Oshtur, the source of light magic, and Hoggoth, the source of order magic, to form the trinity known as the Vishanti. They lent us magic for cultivation, allowing the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj to use magic more easily."
"You, on the other hand, can generate magic within your own body, but you lack the necessary standing, so your magic cannot connect with the space of this world. Therefore, for many of Kamar-Taj's spells, you can only use them once you fully understand their underlying principles."
"But as far as I know, that may be a little difficult for you!"
After hearing this, Xiahou and Kaecilius understood the reason. To put it plainly, the sorcerers here were trained on a fast track, like ready-made meals that only needed heating. They didn't need to understand the deeper meaning and could make up for the missing knowledge later, while Xiahou had to buy a ticket before boarding.
Xiahou suddenly realized that the Ancient One's last remark seemed to be looking down on him!
(Ancient One: That's right, I am looking down on you!)
But before Xiahou could start cursing, the Ancient One anticipated him and told them to leave. "Now you know the reason, so you can go. Xiahou, you have a path that suits you, so don't dwell on it too much!"
Kaecilius still held the Ancient One in high regard at this point. When he heard her dismiss them, he bowed to her and dragged Xiahou straight outside.
As he was being pulled along, Xiahou said, "Wait! Uncle Mads! I need to have this out with that damned baldy! What does she mean, it's a little difficult for me?"
Hearing Xiahou's words, Kaecilius walked even faster, afraid that the Ancient One would be displeased when she heard him, kill him on the spot, and splatter blood all over his face.
As for Xiahou, he kept cursing the Ancient One, completely unaware of Kaecilius's good intentions.
After they reached a secluded spot, Kaecilius looked at Xiahou seriously and said, "I don't care what your relationship with my teacher is, but you should at least show her the respect she deserves!"
Hearing Kaecilius's words and seeing his serious expression, Xiahou knew he had gone a little too far. But whenever he thought about how the Ancient One had kept reading his mind as soon as they met, he got angry. He simply kept wanting to annoy her and vent his frustration.
Besides, it was hard for him, a gamer, to respect an NPC! At most, he could treat her as an equal, and only as long as she didn't show a health bar!
Still, the current Kaecilius was a pretty decent guy! Should he try to change Kaecilius's mind?
He acted on the thought. In any case, he had no interest whatsoever in the Ancient One's arrangements or what she had said. He just wanted to see whether he really couldn't change the course of the game. If he couldn't, he might as well stop playing this lousy game! From then on, he would just give up trying!