Chapter 111: The Supreme Mage

“There is only one reason for your existence!” The Ancient One suddenly struck Arthur’s chest with a palm.

A soul was forcefully expelled from Arthur’s body. Arthur felt an extraordinary sensation; the moment his soul left his body, he seemed to feel much lighter.

“Ah!” Wanda, using her chaos magic, glimpsed the form of Arthur’s soul. It was completely different from the person in front of her—a young Asian boy with black hair and black eyes.

What was going on? Wanda couldn’t accept this reality. Was there truly another person inside Arthur’s body?

“This explains everything. You must have come from another universe, your soul fused with this body,” the Ancient One said.

“Can I return to the world I originally came from?” The black-haired Lin Feng, standing beside Arthur’s physical form, asked.

“I don’t know. The multiverse is vast, with countless universes. If you want to go back, you’ll have to find your own way,” the Ancient One replied.

“Who are you? Are you Arthur?” Wanda asked, staring blankly at Lin Feng’s soul.

“I’ve been Arthur since I was sixteen. I’ll explain everything to you later, but you must keep this a secret,” Arthur said, looking at Wanda.

Wanda nodded. Lin Feng’s soul returned to Arthur’s body. Touching his physical form, Arthur marveled at the wonder of an out-of-body experience.

“You both harbor immense energy within you. You possess the Infinity Stones, don’t you? I sense the same power as the Eye of Agamotto,” the Ancient One inquired.

“Yes, I have two Infinity Stones,” Arthur said, raising his right hand to reveal a red and a yellow stone embedded on the back.

“They shouldn’t be here. The future has already been altered. I can’t see what lies ahead, nor whether this change is good or bad. But everything that exists has its reason,” the Ancient One explained.

“Can we learn magic from you?” Arthur asked.

The Ancient One turned to Wanda, observing the blonde woman carefully.

“You have the potential to become the Supreme Sorcerer, but the next Supreme Sorcerer is already destined,” the Ancient One said to Wanda.

“The chaos energy within her is immense. If fully controlled, it could bring devastation. On Earth, I’ve only seen one person whose power could rival hers,” the Ancient One added.

“That person has already left Earth, right?” Arthur knew the Ancient One was referring to Captain Marvel.

“Yes, she left Earth a long time ago. Wanda’s chaos energy is dangerous; if it corrupts her mind, she will fall into darkness,” the Ancient One warned.

Arthur agreed with the Ancient One’s assessment. He knew Wanda well—she was strong-willed but kind-hearted. He believed he could protect her.

“Don’t worry, Sorcerer. As long as I’m here, nothing will happen to her,” Arthur said, stroking Wanda’s hair.

The Ancient One noticed the bond between them. This was exactly what she feared. If Wanda lost Arthur, the chaos energy might consume her.

“Very well. I permit you both to study magic here at Kamar-Taj,” the Ancient One said. She intended to teach Wanda how to control her chaotic power. For Arthur, learning magic would simply be an added advantage.

“Has something happened? Everyone at Kamar-Taj looks so anxious,” Arthur finally voiced his question. Ever since he arrived, he sensed unease among the people.

The Ancient One sighed. “I have a disciple named Cassilius. He secretly studied dark magic and fell into corruption, taking some apprentices with him.”

She briefly explained what had transpired. Cassilius came to Kamar-Taj seeking magic to save his wife and children. When ordinary magic failed, he secretly read forbidden tomes of the Ancient One’s magic and fled with two nights’ worth of stolen knowledge.

Since then, he became fallen, drawing power from the dark dimension and becoming a follower of Dormammu, the Dark Lord.

Cassilius also corrupted a group of apprentices who shared his belief in dark magic. They felt the Ancient One’s teachings at Kamar-Taj were flawed. They believed Earth should merge with the dark dimension, so all could become eternal beings.

Arthur was filled with anger. Once these people gained power, their ambitions swelled. They fancied themselves superior—saviors of the world.

Yet they forgot why they came to Kamar-Taj in the first place. The Ancient One taught them magic selflessly, but they showed no gratitude, instead condemning her methods. Truly, ungrateful scoundrels.

“Don’t worry, Ancient One. If they come here again, you won’t need to intervene. I’ll clean house for you,” Arthur said.

The Ancient One smiled and nodded. She instructed Mordo to take Arthur and Wanda to their prepared rooms to rest. Their magical studies would begin the next day.

“You’re the Avengers, right? I thought you looked familiar. I just remembered who you are,” Mordo said.

“Yes. I thought you’d recognize me immediately,” Arthur replied. Few people now didn’t know him.

“We spend most of our time studying magic. We only keep up with outside news in passing,” Mordo explained.

“This is your room. Since you seem to be a couple, I arranged two adjacent rooms for you. They have hot water for bathing, and here,” Mordo handed Arthur a note.

“The Wi-Fi password?” Arthur asked.

“Yes. Rest well. I’ll be going now,” Mordo said, then turned to leave.

Arthur took Wanda’s hand, noticing her flushed cheeks. “Come, I have something to tell you.”

He led her into the room, which was made of wood and showed its age, but was furnished with everything they needed. It felt like a quaint inn, possessing a certain charm.

Wanda watched Arthur close the door and blushed even more, her heart pounding. She wasn’t sure what he intended.

Arthur sat Wanda down and whispered the secret of his time crossing. Since Wanda had discovered it, he no longer wished to hide it. She was very special to him.

Wanda found Arthur’s story incredible—time travel really existed.

No wonder some of his habits were a little different from everyone else’s. His Chinese was excellent, and he loved Chinese food, disliking American cuisine.

Wanda hadn’t expected Arthur to share such an important secret with her. Suddenly, she stood up and embraced him, saying,

“No matter who you are, I like you, Arthur! I want to be with you forever. I won’t tell anyone this secret—it’s just between us.”

Arthur was a little stunned by Wanda’s sudden confession. Their feelings had always been somewhat vague, and he wasn’t good at expressing himself.

He never imagined Wanda would confess to him today. Having never been in a relationship in either life, Arthur felt a bit overwhelmed.

But he knew he liked Wanda. He pulled her close, stroking her hair. “Me too. I want to be with you, forever.”

Looking into her eyes, Arthur slowly leaned in and kissed Wanda…

…

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