BOOM!
Ancient One's body trembled violently, feeling as if her brain was being washed away by a flood of cosmic information! Unprecedented theories, runes never seen before, and revolutionary methods of manipulating energy—countless insights exploded in her mind!
"So this is it… I see now!"
"It's not borrowing, but guiding!"
"It's not prayer, it's analysis!"
"This… this is the real path to the heavens!"
Ancient One closed her eyes, feeling the vast and profound method in her heart. Tears of excitement streamed uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes. These were tears of revelation, tears for finally seeing the true path!
She had no doubt that as long as this method continued to advance, all of Kamar-Taj—and even Earth's magical civilization—would be reborn, achieving a magnificent leap forward!
She once again bowed deeply to Lucci, her voice full of endless gratitude.
"The Great Kamar-Taj is the pioneer of past generations, the seeker for all of Earth… Thank you… for the grace of this teaching!"
This kindness was heavier than Mount Everest!
…
At the same time.
In a dimension invisible to mortals—a terrifying realm of boundless darkness and destructive energy: the Dark Dimension.
A hideous face, formed from pure violet evil energy and as large as a planet, hovered in the void. He was the lord of the Dark Dimension, who had devoured countless worlds and now sought to claim Earth as his own: Dormammu.
At that moment, a trace of doubt flashed across Dormammu's colossal face.
"Hm? What's happening?"
He felt the energy link with his "old guest," Ancient One—a connection entangled for centuries—suddenly weaken and almost break.
For hundreds of years, Ancient One had secretly "borrowed" dark power from him to sustain her life and protect Earth. To Dormammu, Ancient One was like a fish hooked on a line; through this connection, he could gradually seep his will into the world, and eventually devour it whole.
But today, Ancient One had actually stood up… and stopped "borrowing?"
"How dare this lowly human break her contract with me!"
Rage surged within Dormammu's will.
"Found a new patron, have you? One of those stubborn old sorcerers of the Vishanti? Or did some devil without foresight dare to steal my business?"
Furious, Dormammu hesitated no longer. His vast, evil will surged along the weakened dark link, ruthlessly stretching toward reality—toward Kamar-Taj! He wanted to see who dared touch his "cake!" He would make that traitor pay the most excruciating price!
…
Back in Kamar-Taj, Lucci felt a movement in his heart. The small cosmos he created slowly faded, returning them to the familiar courtyard.
After Ancient One thoroughly comprehended the essence of the "Multiversal Energy Guidance Technique," she wasted no time. All sorcerers qualified to study advanced magic at Kamar-Taj, including Mordo and Librarian Wong, gathered in the central hall.
Standing before everyone, in the name of the Supreme One, she solemnly declared:
"From today onward, all old magic systems that draw power from dimensional demons are hereby abolished!"
The words shocked the room!
"What? Abolish all magic?"
"Supreme One, what—why?"
An uproar broke out. The sorcerers could not understand why the Supreme Master would make such a destructive decision. It was tantamount to invalidating all their past efforts and the millennia-long legacy of Kamar-Taj.
Ancient One raised her hand for silence. Her eyes swept over each disciple, her face displaying unprecedented solemnity and excitement.
"Because we have found an entirely new path—a truly powerful, supreme road!"
"A great being has shown us the way to channel energy directly from the multiverse, without begging from anyone!"
As she spoke, she shared the core of the "Multiversal Energy Guidance Technique" with all the sorcerers, without reservation.
At first, the magi were skeptical. But as they tried to comprehend and operate this new method, their expressions shifted from doubt to shock, then to joy!
"My god! I… I feel it! Such pure energy!"
A talented young sorcerer, merely following the initial steps of the method, felt as though he were bathed in a warm sea of energy. The ambient energy, once requiring complex incantations to barely command, now obeyed like a docile herd.
"No need to chant spells! I can cast without incantation!"
Another magus traced a simple circle with his hand—a magical shield, brighter and stronger than any he had ever condensed, instantly formed! Moreover, the shield drew entirely from external energy, imposing almost zero burden on his own spirit!
The most excited of all was Librarian Wong. He had always doubted Kamar-Taj's "borrowing" system, believing that abusing magic would bring unpredictable dangers. Now, as he touched the multiversal energy technique, he felt the door to a new world open wide!
"This is the most ideal and safest magical path I have ever pursued!"
Excited, he began channeling multiversal energy.
Buzz—
Pushing his hand forward, an immense, material-like energy shield—radiating golden runes—appeared before him! The shield was three times his height, its thickness and condensed energy reaching a terrifying level he had never imagined!
"My god, this feeling!"
Wong stared at the "miracle" created by his own hands, his voice trembling. His usually stern face was lost in ecstasy.
"Maybe… maybe now I could defeat my past self!"
His shout set off an explosion of excitement in the hall!
"So strong! I feel like I could open a portal to the other side of the world with ease!"
"I just tried it—condensed the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak! And I didn't feel Cyttorak's will affecting me at all!"
"Me too! My mind has never been clearer! My casting speed is more than double before! The power is just… different!"
The entire training ground was awash in joy. The magicians, like children with new toys, excitedly tried every spell they could imagine—energy beams, shields, portals… Magic effects flickered everywhere, illuminating the hall like daytime. They all felt their power had leaped dramatically in just minutes!
"Supreme One! Where did you get this heaven-defying method?"
Wong, returning to his senses, couldn't help but ask. The other magi looked to Ancient One in anticipation.
Ancient One took a deep breath, looked to Lucci, and replied:
"Far beyond the sky, yet right before our eyes, Lord Lucci created the 'Multiversal Energy Guidance Technique'!"
"Him?!"
For a moment, all magicians froze, gazing at Lucci with endless gratitude and reverence. Then, in unison, they saluted him with the highest gesture of sorcerer respect. The sound of their bows echoed throughout the hall.
They knew that from today onward, the arrival of this man would open a new chapter in the history of Kamar-Taj!
Amidst the fervor and gratitude, Ancient One dismissed the sorcerers to consolidate their new powers.
…
In the now empty central hall, only Lucci and Ancient One remained.
Ancient One once again bowed deeply to Lucci.
"The supreme method you have taught is as precious as the treasures of Kamar-Taj. Words of thanks feel far too shallow."
Her voice was full of sincere respect.
"I have nothing to offer in return. Among all of Kamar-Taj, perhaps only this will catch your eye."
As she spoke, Ancient One's expression grew solemn. She took off a strange amulet she wore around her neck—a gold charm shaped like a closed eye, inscribed with countless delicate, mysterious runes, exuding an ancient aura of time.
This was the supreme relic passed down for millennia in Kamar-Taj, the artifact left by the first Supreme Sorcerer Agamotto—the Eye of Agamotto!
Ancient One held the Eye reverently in both hands and presented it to Lucci.
"As you say, this Eye of Agamotto is but a vessel, a tool for carrying and using the Time Stone."
She looked up, her wise eyes tinged with fatigue and weight.
"For centuries, I have relied on the Time Stone, peering into the future again and again among thousands of possibilities. Only by doing so could I find a way to keep the world turning and protect this fragile Earth."
"With it, I have repelled countless powerful enemies from other dimensions—including… Dormammu, the Dark Lord."
Her voice grew slightly bitter:
"But every use of the Time Stone comes at a heavy price. The causal backlash of time gnaws at me like maggots on bone, constantly eroding my life. To survive and fight this backlash, I had to draw power from the Dark Dimension, which dragged me deeper into the mire."
Her face revealed deep helplessness and confusion.
"I can see countless futures, but my own fate is still a blur. I was the guardian of time, but also its prisoner."
She looked at Lucci, her eyes shining with the hope of a student seeking the ultimate answer from a teacher.
"You truly are a being beyond time. I believe only you can teach all creatures trapped in the river of time… the final answer."
"So I entrust this to you. In your hands, may it become something of true value, not merely a tool to accumulate debts as it was in mine."
Ancient One's words were frank—she was not only offering a treasure, but seeking a solution to her problems. She hoped Lucci could accept the Time Stone, provide guidance, and unravel the ultimate confusion in her heart regarding time and fate.
After hearing her words, Lucci finally fixed his gaze on the Eye of Agamotto in Ancient One's palm. He was indeed interested in this Time Stone—not to use its power, but to analyze it.
Just as he had analyzed Odin's divine force in Asgard and the neutron star forge in Nidavellir, the Time Stone, a singularity shaped by the Big Bang, symbolized the creation of the universe's "authority" over time. It was a supreme feast for his understanding of the cosmos.
By analyzing it, he could thoroughly comprehend the laws of time in this universe and further perfect his own "Path."
"Very well."
Lucci did not refuse, nor did he resent Ancient One's dedication or her search for a solution. He took the Eye of Agamotto—and in an instant, saw through the entire structure of this so-called relic.
The next moment!
As Lucci's fingertip touched the Time Stone—
BUZZ—
An unprecedented, indescribable terrifying fluctuation erupted!
The entire Kamar-Taj—no, the entire temporal dimension of Earth—was violently shaken!
The shell of the Eye of Agamotto, resembling a eyelid, automatically and slowly opened. Within, a dazzling emerald gem glowed—a Time Stone! One of the six Infinity Stones, symbolizing the authority of "time" across the entire universe!
At its core, an immense, boundless power of time surged forth, as if the floodgates of the universe had burst.
If it had been anyone else, touching the raw power released from the Time Stone at such close range would have instantly dissolved their soul into the most primitive particles, forever lost in the endless river of time.
But Lucci maintained his calm expression. In that instant, his gaze became deeper than the darkest black hole, his understanding of the cosmos surging to its greatest intensity.
In a flash, Lucci's consciousness was drawn into an unparalleled, mysterious dimension. Here, there was no space, no substance, no beginning or end—only an infinite river of light.
At this moment, this endless river was composed of countless points of light, each representing a fragment of time, an occurrence in the flow of events.
Lucci's consciousness gazed upstream. He witnessed the birth of the universe, the explosion of the singularity, the formation of the six Infinity Stones, and the sprouting of life…
He gazed downstream, seeing countless possible futures. In one, the purple Titan snapped his fingers, wiping out half the universe's living beings. In another, Asgard was reduced to cosmic dust, engulfed in flames. In another, the Dark Lord Dormammu devoured the entire dimension of reality.
Countless futures branched from this river like tributaries—some rushing toward their ends, some intersecting, some drying up, some leading to farther unknowns. These were the infinite "possibility" branches connected by the Time Stone.
At this instant, Lucci's consciousness stood atop this great river of time, like a supreme god, overlooking all existence.
For the first time, with unprecedented clarity and decisiveness, all knowledge, laws, and mysteries regarding the "authority" of time in this universe were fully open to him!
He saw the "linearity" of time—how it flows from past to present to future. He saw its "non-linearity"—how it can branch and create paradoxes among different possibilities. He saw "causality," like silken threads connecting points in time to form so-called "destiny." He saw "fate," like a gigantic whirlpool, spiraling countless causal threads into inescapable, closed loops.
Past, present, future… causality, destiny, paradox… all about time was swiftly analyzed, summarized, and integrated in Lucci's mind.
…
Bonus chapter at 300 PS
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