When the doors of the central hall opened, a familiar figure in a yellow monk's robe emerged. It was the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One herself. She stood atop the grand staircase, raised her head to survey the courtyard, and fixed her gaze on the floating Lucci. When her eyes, still not fully closed, brushed against the rift behind Lucci that exhaled void breath, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of surprise.
What a magnificent mastery of space!
As Sorcerer Supreme, Ancient One understood better than anyone the meaning behind Lucci's display. The essence of Kamar-Taj's portals is to borrow the power of dimensional demon gods to open channels through the universe. Yet Lucci completely ignored the structure and limits of space and its laws, and with brute, pure, and unreasonable force, simply tore open the walls of reality itself!
If Ancient One's portals were like finding and slipping through a hidden door in a sturdy wall, then Lucci simply smashed straight through the wall! The difference in power between the two was colossal.
This Lucci… Ancient One was secretly astonished. He not only possesses an unfathomable comprehension of the laws of time, but he's also reached an awe-inspiring level in the manipulation of space!
Asgard… How could such a monster be born there?
At first, she had thought that while she might be inferior to Lucci in terms of time, she could at least reclaim her dignity in other domains. But now, even the spatial achievements she prided herself on seemed like mere child's play in front of him.
Still, shock is just shock. Ancient One swept her eyes across the courtyard below, seeing the looks of awe and amazement on her disciples' faces at Lucci's arrival. She knew she could not show weakness. Kamar-Taj is the guardian of the earth, and she is the spiritual leader and pillar of faith for all its sorcerers.
If she appeared too humble before this mysterious visitor from Asgard, she would lose the trust of the disciples and shake the majesty that Kamar-Taj had built up over thousands of years. The necessary "display" was still needed—even if such acts were meaningless before someone like Lucci, she must still maintain her attitude.
With that in mind, Ancient One's eyes regained their depth and calm. She smiled gently at Lucci floating in the sky, nodding lightly. Her voice was ethereal and distant:
"We've been waiting for you, Lord Lucci."
As she spoke, she extended her hand, drawing a spell sigil across her chest—far more intricate and complex than anything Mordo or the others could perform.
A surge of powerful and authoritative magical energy erupted from her body, echoing with a thunderous boom!
In that instant, it felt as if the world itself split apart. The sky, the ground, the temple, the magicians in the courtyard… all began to look like glass, countless fine cracks appearing across everything.
A sharp "crack" rang out, and the entire real world shattered like a broken mirror!
Or rather, it was a strange space that defied the laws of physics. Here, mountains and buildings could be folded and flipped like blocks. Gravity could twist freely, and people could walk on walls. There was no clear boundary between sky and earth; countless buildings constantly rearranged and merged like the patterns of a kaleidoscope, forming a surrealist painting.
The Mirror Dimension!
A perfect parallel to the real world, capable of reproducing everything, yet any destruction here would not affect the real world. This was the symbol of the Sorcerer Supreme's authority, the embodiment of Kamar-Taj's greatest magical feat!
Standing atop a folded palace, Ancient One's yellow monk's robes fluttered amidst the chaotic energies. Her aura was now entirely different, exuding confidence and the majesty of absolute control.
She gazed calmly at Lucci, now drawn into the mirror dimension, and spoke with interest as she regarded him:
"This is a tea room I've prepared for you. It's just… a little special."
"Here, freed from the constraints of reality, we can exchange our understanding of power to our hearts' content."
"Lord Lucci," Ancient One's gaze sharpened with a challenging tone, "do you have the courage to converse with me in the mirror dimension?"
Her words brimmed with the pride and confidence of the Sorcerer Supreme. She wanted Lucci to know: even if he was unrivaled in the manipulation of space and time, within the mirror dimension—Kamar-Taj's absolute home ground, honed over countless years—there remained a unique and incredible power to magic!
Down in the courtyard, Mordo and the other magicians pulled into the mirror dimension regained their spirit at this scene!
"The mirror dimension!"
"The Sorcerer Supreme is taking action!"
They watched as the buildings around them were ceaselessly uprooted and reconstructed, feeling the awe-inspiring power that warped all physical laws. The confidence shaken by Lucci's earlier arrival surged back.
This is the true power of the Sorcerer Supreme!
This is the ultimate secret of Kamar-Taj!
They stared at Lucci with burning eyes, eager to see how this enigmatic visitor would react when faced with the Sorcerer Supreme's absolute home field. Would he be shocked? Would he feel fear?
But disappointment was their fate.
Lucci's expression did not change as expected. He simply looked calmly at the folded buildings underfoot, then up at the mountains hanging upside down in the sky, as if none of this fazed him.
Hearing Ancient One's challenge, he smiled faintly—a smile with a hint of playfulness, like an adult watching children show off a new toy.
His voice, though not loud, somehow drowned out the roar of energy flowing through the dimension:
"Why should I be afraid?"
With that, he took a single step, and his figure appeared instantly before Ancient One. It was as if this chaotic, inverted space was no different from flat ground to him.
Seeing this, Ancient One's heart suddenly sank. Her proud and absolute control over the mirror dimension felt like a joke in front of him.
Within this space she created and ruled, she could fold buildings, reverse gravity, and reshape matter at will. Yet Lucci seemed unbound by any of these laws. He acted as if he possessed an "admin privilege," able to ignore all the rules she set as the "landlord."
With just a word, the last fragment of pride in Ancient One's heart vanished.
But after all, she was the Sorcerer Supreme who had lived for centuries, her heart as solid as rock. She quickly suppressed her fluctuating emotions, her enigmatic smile never faltering.
"Your Excellency is indeed extraordinary," Ancient One praised, gesturing for him to sit.
At her side, an elegant building rose from the ground, flipping and folding like origami until it formed a floating courtyard in the air—an oriental style, with a quaint stone table and benches at its center.
"Since we're here to discuss, let's have a seat and talk."
Lucci sat down on a stone bench with an ambiguous air, not even sparing Ancient One a glance, instead observing the strange dimension with great interest.
He watched as countless energies surged endlessly through this dimension like torrents. He saw that Ancient One's will was linked to every corner of the dimension like a massive control center, her thoughts capable of transforming the sea into mulberry fields.
However…
Against the backdrop of the sky, Lucci's understanding allowed him to perceive the deeper, hidden essence beneath it all.
In his eyes, this so-called "mirror dimension" was not truly an independently created space but rather like a giant "projection screen." Ancient One acted as the projector operator, swapping between all kinds of "slides."
The magic used to distort space and alter matter was not her own power.
Lucci could clearly see—when Ancient One cast spells, countless invisible "silken threads" of pure spiritual energy stretched from deep within her soul. These threads pierced the barriers of the mirror dimension, stabbing into higher, bizarre multidimensional universes.
Some of the threads connected to dimensions filled with divinity, order, and light. Lucci sensed three incredibly powerful wills there—Agamotto, Hoggoth, and Oshtur—the trinity of ancient beings revered as the "Vishanti." Most of the Ancient One's defensive and orderly magical power was "borrowed" from here.
Other threads reached into dimensions of chaos, madness, and destruction. Crimson flames burned as the god of destruction, Cyttorak, sat on his throne. Kamar-Taj's most powerful offensive spells, such as the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, drew their power from here.
There were also threads connecting to even stranger dimensions, forging ties with mighty entities known as "dimensional demon gods."
What made Lucci's gaze chill was that, among the threads stretching from the Ancient One's soul, there was a thick, secret black strand rooted in an endless darkness—a terrifying dimension that devoured all.
The Dark Dimension.
At its core sat a massive face of pure evil energy—Dormammu—constantly channeling power to the Ancient One through this thread, all the while greedily peering into the real world.
As expected.
Lucci instantly and completely comprehended the essence of Kamar-Taj's magic.
This was never a "creative" power system.
It was a "mediated" or "borrowing" system.
Kamar-Taj's sorcerers did not generate energy themselves; they were merely "couriers" for energy. Their talent lay in their ability to perceive beings from other dimensions. The complex spells and enigmatic gestures they learned were essentially "customer service numbers" for the various dimensional demon gods. If the gestures were not correct or the incantation mispronounced, it was like dialing a wrong number.
They used spiritual power as "collateral" and ritual as "interest" to please the demon gods, "borrowing" power from other dimensions and projecting it into the physical world or the mirror dimension, creating all sorts of miraculous magical effects.
In this system, a mage's strength did not depend entirely on how much energy they could control, but rather on how many "creditors" (dimensional demon gods) they could reach, and how high their "credit limit" (spiritual strength and knowledge) was.
The reason why Sorcerer Supreme Ancient One was so strong was because she was the greatest "credit intermediary," knew the most "creditors," and could secure the largest "loans." She even made contracts with loan shark-like demons of the dark dimension, such as Dormammu, for greater power and immortality.
In Lucci's view, this method of harnessing energy was simply…
Abandoning the root for the branch.
Highly inefficient, carrying enormous risks and uncertainties.
It was like standing atop a mountain of infinite gold (the infinite energy of the multiverse), yet instead of learning to mine and refine gold oneself, one begged the wild beasts (the dimensional demon gods) within the mountain for scraps, groveling for a few leftover bones.
This was the equivalent of a group of beggars guarding a golden bowl, yet spending all their effort begging for food. If one day their "creditors" became displeased and cut off their "loans," these seemingly mighty magicians would instantly revert to powerless nobodies.
How sad and ridiculous.
Lucci withdrew his gaze, the playful glimmer in his eyes fading to faint disappointment.
Ancient One also watched Lucci, sensing a subtle change after his brief observation. The feeling was like seeing a "national treasure" on display, only to realize with a single gust of wind that it was a well-crafted fake. The look in his eyes left Ancient One with an inexplicable discomfort.
She had lived for centuries, defending the earth and battling interdimensional demon gods. Kamar-Taj's magic was her greatest reliance and her pride as Sorcerer Supreme. She acknowledged Lucci's immense strength—so great as to be incomprehensible—but never expected that the magical system inherited by her and Kamar-Taj for millennia could be so unbearable in his eyes.
"Your Excellency seems to have a different opinion of our magic?" Ancient One's voice remained calm, but now carried a subtle undercurrent—she was not convinced.
Lucci, not one to beat around the bush, gave his direct assessment in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Ancient One, your magic abandons the root for the branch."
These words struck Ancient One's heart like a massive invisible hammer.
Abandoning the root for the branch!
These words were the most complete and fundamental negation of the entire Kamar-Taj magical system!
For the first time, Ancient One's expression changed. The smile on her face stiffened ever so slightly.
Even Mordo, who had been listening respectfully in the distance, changed his expression, a flash of anger passing through his eyes. In his view, this was the gravest insult to the Sorcerer Supreme and Kamar-Taj! If Ancient One were not present, he might have stepped forward to argue.
Ancient One took a deep breath, suppressing the discomfort in her heart.
"Oh? And how would you say that?"
"The mysteries of magic are as vast as the sea. All our lives, we can only glimpse a fraction of it. What is the root? What is the end? Who can say for sure?"
Lucci seemed not to notice the subtle change in mood—or more likely, he simply didn't care. He stood up, walked to the edge of the courtyard, and looked down at the bizarre folded buildings below.
"Energy is the root of everything."
His voice rang in Ancient One and Mordo's ears like a morning bell or evening drum.
"The multiverse itself is an endless sea of energy. You live, breathe, and feel within this sea, but you never truly seek to understand or control it."
He turned, his gaze meeting Ancient One's. His eyes were piercing, as if boring into her very soul.
"Instead of learning the nature of energy itself, you spend all your effort figuring out how to please those stronger than you—the so-called dimensional demon gods."
"You devise complex spells, design enigmatic gestures—all for the ultimate goal not of seizing power, but of begging those demon gods for a little bit of power, so that they might be pleased and toss you a crumb."
"In my opinion," Lucci's voice was calm and cold, every word sharp and precise,
"this is no different from a group of beggars, who, instead of figuring out how to earn a living, use all their intelligence to invent more pitiful stories and postures, just so passersby might efficiently toss them a few coins."
...
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