Nepal.
Himalayan Mountains.
Kamar-Taj.
Almost the moment Hawk brought Gwen directly from New York City, teleporting here, the gates of Kamar-Taj opened.
"Mr. Phoenix."
"Mrs. Phoenix."
"This way, please."
The Sorcerer Mordo, who had been waiting for a long time, bowed to Hawk and then gestured for them to enter.
Hawk and Gwen thanked him, then followed the leading Sorcerer Mordo, walking through the training grounds where apprentice sorcerers were doing their morning exercises, and headed towards the reception hall where the Sorcerer Supreme was located.
A year had passed since Hawk and Gwen's last visit.
Most of the apprentice sorcerers who were on the training grounds back then were no longer there.
A small number of sorcerers successfully passed the Vishanti's approval and remained as true sorcerers.
But more apprentice sorcerers gave up their practice for various reasons, choosing to descend the mountain and return to the World of ordinary people.
Of course.
There were also a small number of sorcerers who would choose to turn dark, join various Dark magic dimensions, and become Dark sorcerers.
Just like the Sorcerer Kaecilius whom Hawk had seen at the New York Sanctum.
Didn't he turn dark?
After Hawk woke up last night and told Gwen that he still needed Time, he originally thought of coming directly here through the New York Sanctum's portal.
But... after his sixth sense swept through, he was surprised to find that Kaecilius was no longer there.
Hawk then thought of the current timeline.
Hmm.
If nothing unexpected happened, at this point in Time, Kaecilius, who looked very much like a 'smooth talker', had already betrayed Kamar-Taj and was planning his token of allegiance to Dormammu of the Dark Dimension.
If everything last night was just Hawk's guess.
Then at this moment—
Hawk's gaze fell on the training square, on that clumsy figure trying to draw circles in the air like the seniors, who looked very much like the future Doctor Strange.
This proved that it was not his guess, but something that was actually happening.
Gwen also noticed the future Doctor Strange.
After all, Gwen had also watched these sorcerers' morning exercises, and the current Doctor Strange's movements were so clumsy that it was hard for Gwen not to notice.
But clumsy movements were not Gwen's focus; Strange's face was.
Gwen looked at Doctor Strange several times before turning to Hawk.
"Hawk, look at that person, so clumsy. How come I feel like he's Dr. Strange from New Amsterdam Hospital?"
"Who?"
Hawk pretended not to know, glanced in the direction Gwen indicated, then looked at Gwen: "You know him?"
Gwen looked at Hawk: "You forgot? Towards the end of December last year, did I tell you about a car accident in Malibu? The person involved in the accident was Dr. Strange. He was a medical genius. After the incident, many people at our school felt it was a pity."
End of December last year?
Hawk blinked.
"Was that when we were in Waterfall Town?"
"Mm."
"Oh."
Hawk remembered; Gwen seemed to have mentioned something like that at the time.
However, Gwen didn't mention a name then, and Hawk was still pondering whether the Angels and Demons were planning to team up against him, so he didn't pay much attention.
Hawk thought to himself, then withdrew his gaze.
"It seems to be him."
"Right? But why is he here?"
Gwen was curious. If it weren't for the morning exercises happening over there and the Sorcerer Supreme waiting for them, she would have wanted to go over and ask.
However, the Sorcerer Mordo, who was leading the way, answered Gwen's confusion.
"Stephen came here three months ago, hoping we could help him heal his hands."
...So that's how it is.
Gwen's expression cleared upon hearing this. She then looked at Hawk, who hadn't asked and wasn't curious, and said, "I heard that after the car accident, Dr. Strange's hands were severely injured, and he could no longer perform surgery. Because of this, he sold his mansion in Malibu and his apartment in Manhattan. I heard he's on the verge of bankruptcy."
Reality is that cruel.
The question is that Dr. Strange, like most Westerners, liked to spend money before earning it, and because of this, after encountering a crisis, he quickly transformed from a rich man to a homeless person.
However... this had nothing to do with Hawk.
Hawk wasn't here to get on good terms with the future Doctor Strange either.
Soon.
Led by Sorcerer Mordo, the two once again arrived at the familiar and antique reception hall.
The Sorcerer Ancient One, still in a White robe, watched Hawk and Gwen walk in from outside with a kind smile.
"Hawk."
"Sorcerer Supreme."
"Gwen."
"Sorcerer."
"Please sit."
"Thank you."
Hawk and Gwen, under the Ancient One's hospitality, sat down on the familiar meditation cushions.
The Ancient One brewed tea, her movements skilled and her demeanor serene.
Gwen looked at the tea in the cup, which smelled very fragrant.
"Sorcerer, this tea is..."
"This year's Mingqian Longjing, brought by a Sorcerer friend from East Country when he came to visit me."
...So fragrant.
Gwen held the teacup, sniffed it lightly at her nose, said, and then took a sip, her eyes lighting up: "Delicious."
Hawk, sitting beside her, also picked up his cup and took a sip after hearing it was Longjing tea, then drank it all.
"It is indeed good."
"If you like it, you can take some back."
"Thank you."
Hawk didn't decline. If nothing unexpected happened, the Ancient One would retire after a while. Good tea leaves left for Doctor Strange would be a pure waste; it was better for him to take them back.
Didn't the Sorcerer Supreme, who often carried the eye of agamotto, which is the Time Stone, before Stephen Strange arrived, put the eye of agamotto in the secret room of the library as contraband after Stephen Strange came?
However... Hawk had always been quite curious about the Sorcerer Supreme's retirement.
Setting aside the current Sorcerer Supreme, who, when Hawk first met her, said she had already obtained the power of the future Virgo.
Just in the original plot.
Hawk had always been quite curious whether the Sorcerer Supreme truly died in the end or faked her death.
Although at the end of the original plot, the Ancient One appeared to have died.
But not to mention the Ancient One absorbing energy from Dormammu of the Dark Dimension to sustain her life, just considering that the Ancient One, who controlled the Time Stone, would unlikely not see the scene of her being assassinated by her rebellious disciple Kaecilius.
The most reasonable explanation is that after being the Sorcerer Supreme for so many years, the Ancient One was tired, and Stephen Strange, chosen by the Vishanti, had emerged, so she took this opportunity to relieve herself of the burden.
In a word.
If Stephen Strange wasn't designated by the Vishanti, let's just say, even if Stephen Strange's talent was higher, it would be impossible for him to cultivate magic energy to that extent in just a few months.
magic is not a simple matter.
Not to mention others, just Hawk himself; he's already defying all odds, right? But it took him nearly four years from awakening his Little Universe in 2012 to now being able to stand on Earth and say no to anyone from a position of power.
Yet... Stephen Strange only took a few months to dare to take the Time Stone and negotiate with Dormammu of the Dark Dimension?
Infinity Stones.
If you have Blue, it consumes Blue; if you don't have Blue, it consumes life.
If Stephen Strange cultivated on his own, without the Vishanti providing energy, how many times could he use the Time Stone?
Once might be okay, twice still fine, three times would probably start to be tough, and after four or five times, it would probably consume his life.
So, if there was no inside story here, Hawk wouldn't believe it for a hundred reasons.
However... thoughts were just thoughts, Hawk didn't just grandly ask the Ancient One about it.
It's not his business, so he doesn't worry about it.
The Sorcerer Supreme herself isn't worried, so why should he, an outsider, worry? Anyway, once the dust settles, he'll know what happened when he wants to know; there's no need to ask now.
He was here for serious business.
After three cups of tea.
Hawk put down his teacup, looked at the Sorcerer Supreme, and got straight to the point.
"Sorcerer Supreme, I would like to borrow the eye of agamotto."
"Then you've come at just the right Time."
The Sorcerer Supreme listened to Hawk's intention and said with a smile, "If you came a month later, it wouldn't be possible."
Hawk raised an eyebrow.
Gwen, beside him, heard this and looked at the Sorcerer Supreme: "Sorcerer, are you going on a long trip in a month?"
The Sorcerer Supreme smiled.
"I'm planning to take a vacation."
"Vacation?"
Gwen blinked, hearing the Sorcerer Supreme's words: "Sorcerer, where are you planning to travel this summer vacation?"
She thought the Sorcerer Supreme's vacation referred to the annual summer vacation trip.
Gwen was also thinking about her summer vacation trip with Hawk this year.
But this year's vacation might be a bit short, only four or five days, but listening to other people's destinations and using them as a reference was also good.
Hawk and the Sorcerer Supreme exchanged glances.
The latter smiled and said to Gwen, "Phoenix Galaxy."
Gwen nodded subconsciously upon hearing this, then seemed to remember something and looked at Hawk.
Hawk smiled slightly, changed the topic, looked at the Sorcerer Supreme, and brought the conversation back to borrowing the Time Stone.
The Sorcerer Supreme used magic to inform Wong.
After a while.
Wong came to the reception hall.
Hawk looked at Gwen beside him.
"Are you coming with me, or...?"
"I'll stay here."
"Alright."
Hawk nodded, rose from the meditation cushion, and followed Wong, preparing to go to the secret room behind his library to borrow the Time Stone.
However... just as he was about to get up and leave, the Sorcerer Supreme called out to him.
Hawk turned around.
"Sorcerer Supreme?"
"Time needs a closed loop to take effect, Hawk."
... (End of this chapter)
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