Even without discussing the issue of the Time Gem, that woman across the way who looks like a streetwalker and who can match The Ancient One in magical prowess is surely not someone to be trifled with.
The clash of weapons, dying screams, the roar of magic—all these sounds flowed into Su Ming's mind from the battlefield.
At this moment, he was scanning the battlefield, searching for familiar faces.
Since the people from Kama Taiji looked almost identical to the movie world, Su Ming quickly identified Mordo—his dark skin made him stand out in the crowd.
He seemed quite young, yet his abilities were commendable; his mastery of magic was notably skillful.
However, his opponent was a flamboyant cross-dresser, and the man in the dress was equally adept. Their exchange of magic was a balanced duel.
Su Ming surveyed the entire battlefield, constructing a rough model and movement trajectory in his mind. Analyzing the formations, The Ancient One and her adversary stood in the center, while the minions engaged in duel skirmishes elsewhere, somewhat reminiscent of medieval cold weapon battles.
In such combat, formations are crucial, and critical points must be manned by powerful individuals to hold the line, such as the flanks and the rear. Placing someone not skilled in close magic combat on the front line would be tantamount to a death sentence.
At this moment, a pair of mages engaged fiercely, the effects of light and shadows ceaselessly bursting forth as they shouted each other's names amidst the clamor—this way, Su Ming learned their names.
On the opposing faction was an elder with a flying saucer hairstyle. So-called because the top was completely bald while the hair on the sides jutted out horizontally like the wings of a bird.
He was known as Grandmaster Jibo, the first direct disciple of The Ancient One. However, he was overly engrossed in Dark Magic, which conflicted completely with The Ancient One's principles of minimizing its use. Hence, he left Kama Taiji early on, considered a pioneer among the traitors.
No one knew where he ventured, though it was said that if one mastered spells to his level, they could travel to any parallel world through certain rituals.
Thus, these people must be ones he brought along—a mage corps from an alternate dimension, along with a Supreme Mage from another dimension.
Judging by appearances, Dark Magic seems predominant in that dimension, as nearly all these mages are lunatics tortured by Dark Magic.
The magic in the Marvel World is different from "Harry Potter"; here, using any magic comes with a cost, designed to offset the world's loss or repay debts owed to the Evil Gods.
This involves disturbing the local equilibrium of the cosmos by manipulating magic energy, binding the caster to an unavoidable consequence, as the universe's inherent rules will relentlessly target the caster, using various means to reclaim the borrowed energy.
The Ancient One was powerful, but seldom used Dark Magic.
Kama Taiji had the "Nameless Ones" to help the Supreme Mage bear the casting cost. They were ascetic practitioners who considered sacrificing themselves for the world as an honor and channeled the Supreme Mage's casting cost onto themselves through arrays and spells until they died in agony.
However, things changed with Doctor Strange taking over; he was indiscriminate about using Black and White Magic and cast spells frequently, making it impossible for the Nameless Ones to shoulder so many side effects.
In the comics, Strange once said that after ascending to the position of Supreme Mage, a hole appeared in his stomach the size of a subway rat; he could only sleep three hours a night, or he would fall into endless nightmares; he experienced horrific hallucinations daily; lost all sense of direction; mushrooms erupted from his face, spewing pus, and his kidney stones developed self-awareness, causing him to urinate blood.
Such bizarre occurrences persisted, and those were just the costs of White Magic.
The myriad costs of Dark Magic left Doctor Strange in even more agony; he was abducted by various Demon Gods more than once. Even with the Time Gem, each time he returned, it would be with only half his life.
Don't be fooled by Doctor Strange's apparent grandeur; in reality, he's similar to Constantine across the street, mired in debt up to his neck, with creditors ranging from Celestial Gods to Hell Demon Kings, who demand payment in ways far more direct than Deathstroke.
As the mage ages, the accumulated debts from casting grow. The Ancient One chose to sneak the Dark Magic bills into Dormammu's mailbox while skimming some of Dormammu's resources.
Yet even so, she only held out for about a hundred more years.
The cost of magic hollowed her out, and casting was torturous each time she faced foreign invasions.
Of course, her enemies certainly suffered more. The White Magic from the Trinity Emperor of Mount Wei was considered a gentle force, its cost even allowing for installment payments. Meanwhile, Sithorn's Dark Magic exacted a truly severe toll.
Perhaps the name Sithorn (Chthon) sounds unfamiliar; not many know his aliases as the Great Demon Shadow or the God of Dark Magic. Still, it's enough to know that when Dormammu and Mephisto reach dead ends, they pray to him for power.
He is also the source of the Scarlet Witch's Chaos Magic, for whom altering the world is merely a whim.
Yet one mountain is higher than another; an Ancient God happened to restrain him, so he fled for a few years, now hiding in some unknown dimension beyond the territories.
The more potent Dark Magic is, the stronger its "recoil." Its wielders frequently need to conduct sacrifices or slaughters to transfer their costs; without offerings, the cost falls on them, leaving them often in a fate worse than death, with insanity being mild.
This is why Kama Taiji favors close combat magic and encourages the apprentices to temper their bodies—only those robust in physique can withstand more casting costs.
Anthony Druid faced off against Grandmaster Jibo for Kama Taiji.
Not the kind of Druid who communes with plants and animals—his name was simply Anthony Druid.
He was The Ancient One's second direct disciple, previously a psychiatrist specializing in mental illness and, in a way, peer to Doctor Strange. Gifted, he mastered White Magic to an exceptional degree, and his heart was gentle and good, making him an apt candidate for Supreme Mage.
Yet he didn't enjoy competition and wanted no part in the struggle for supremacy.
Thus, he left Kama Taiji early on and now resides secluded within a major city, where, as a Psychic Mage, he best hones his power.
Living a long life, he serves as Doctor Strange's backup in the comics, stepping in to protect Earth whenever Strange, about eighty percent of the time whisked away by some entity, vanished.
Later, he joined The Avengers as well, still as Strange's backup.
Tony dubbed him "Mage Number Two," "Stand-in Doctor," creating a rather awkward situation.
Based on the current battle, his strength in White Magic is commendable, and with his Hypnosis and Mind Reading Ability, he exchanges blows effectively with Jibo.
However, the current dilemma is that Jibo's side likely transferred the costs to some sacrificial offerings, or the Evil Gods behind them covered the payments.
On Kama Taiji's side, except for The Ancient One, everyone else bears their own costs, making their durability inevitably less than their opponents'.
For now, things are manageable, but any longer, and this side will crumble.
Su Ming was more familiar with the current The Ancient One, so he must protect her, steer the Magic Realm storyline towards his understanding from the movies or comics, easing his load for the future.
A group of close combat mages fought in a chaotic melee; they had no armor or self-healing abilities.
If he, a Warrior, launched a covert attack, he was confident he could take out a Grandmaster instantly, except for the mysterious figure also wielding Time Items.
Holloway couldn't participate in this battle—lacking any magic resistance; he'd be better off sniping from a distance.
Su Ming made his choice: Grandmaster Jibo. Defeating him would free Anthony Druid, whose mind abilities could then connect everyone present, standardizing tactics and command for victory.
With The Ancient One preoccupied, Su Ming reckoned it best to take command instead.
Yet, Jibo, being a Grandmaster, wasn't easy prey—adept in both Black and White Magic, defeating him required approaching unnoticed to a certain proximity...
Su Ming devised a plan, hiding behind a crumbling wall, subtly beckoning to Holloway, who was coming his way.