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Before meeting the Ancient One, Skye kept telling herself not to act surprised, to be polite, and not to embarrass herself. However, at the moment of the meeting, she still couldn't help but look shocked.
Besides not expecting the Ancient One to be a woman, there was also that large, smooth bald head.
After seeing the Ancient One, Skye instinctively turned her head to look at Fini's hair next to her, a hint of worry in her gaze, which caused Fini's face to darken slightly.
He gave Skye a fierce glare to snap her out of her rude daze, and only then did Fini introduce Skye to the Ancient One—though the Ancient One likely knew her already.
When introducing Skye, Fini mostly just said, "This is my sister," but when it came to the Ancient One, the titles were far more numerous:
"This is my Master, the boss of Kamar-Taj, the strongest person on Earth, the Sorcerer Supreme who knows almost everything about the past and future: the Ancient One!"
Hearing this, Skye grew increasingly nervous. Although she couldn't see why this gentle-faced, refined person was described so hyperbolically by Fini, it didn't stop her from feeling a sense of awe.
"Hello, Master Ancient One."
Skye greeted her respectfully.
"Hello, Miss Halsey." The Ancient One nodded with a kind expression and then said to her, "Fini has already told me about you. But please do not blame me for speaking plainly: the power of magic may not be something everyone can master. Do not force it."
Skye nodded seriously to show she understood. Having such an opportunity was already great; even if she couldn't learn it, she wouldn't blame anyone.
Everything in Kamar-Taj was novel to Skye. During her day of sightseeing, her thirst for knowledge was off the charts, and her anticipation for learning magic hit its peak instantly.
Thus, after sending a message to their parents with the excuse of a vacation, the two took up temporary residence in Kamar-Taj.
In the beginning, the two didn't study anything specific but watched other sorcerers training in the courtyard. Seeing the orange-red energy swirling in the sorcerers' hands, Skye was thrilled and couldn't wait to join in.
But as she began to practice, she realized things weren't that simple. For a whole month, she didn't produce a single spark.
Fortunately, Kamar-Taj kept up with the times and had internet access; otherwise, she probably wouldn't have lasted this long. Even so, she had been considering giving up lately.
The only thing that gave Skye some comfort was that Fini wasn't doing much better. If "no sparks" described her, then Fini could only be described as "a tiny bit of glowing dust."
For the past month, Fini had been frustrated to death. He even began to wonder if he truly had to lose his hair to become strong. A whole month and just a few sparks!?
It was only after Mordo told him that the vast majority of people were at this level when they first started that he gloomily continued his practice.
It seemed the Ancient One wasn't lying when she said his talent was average.
The failure in magic made Fini realize that trying to get strong quickly through this path was a bit unrealistic. His greatest capital still lay in the abilities drawn from the System.
While Fini was pondering how to proceed, Skye found him and said she was giving up.
"Are you sure?"
Looking at the dejected Skye, Fini asked for confirmation once more. In fact, he understood the feeling well. Studying for so long without seeing a hint of progress was very discouraging. He could at least see a glimmer of hope, but Skye couldn't guide any energy at all.
"Yeah. Maybe I'm just not suited for it."
Skye said morosely. If possible, she obviously still wanted to obtain this extraordinary power, but she also remembered the Ancient One's initial advice: do not force it.
"Alright, alright, it's fine. Actually, I always thought the Mystic Arts weren't very suitable for girls anyway. You should think more about how you'd use a vibration ability if you had one."
"Why vibrations?"
Skye didn't understand why Fini kept mentioning that.
"Don't worry about it. I'll tell you when the right time comes." Fini didn't explain and changed the subject: "So, are you planning to go home?"
"Yeah."
Skye nodded. Although Kamar-Taj had internet, the speed was obviously not great, and the simple, austere lifestyle didn't quite suit her.
"Alright then. I'll leave the explanation to Mom and Dad to you."
During this time, they had obviously spoken with home and had taken some photos in the town to show them, so their parents didn't suspect anything was wrong.
"Let's go, then. I'll take you to tell Master, and let her send you back directly."
After finding the Ancient One with Skye and her packed things, they explained the situation. The Ancient One didn't say much about Skye giving up—neither offering comfort nor encouragement—simply nodding to show she understood.
After opening a portal and sending Skye back to a spot not far from their home, Fini began to discuss another matter with the Ancient One.
"Master, I want to find other sorcerers to train my combat abilities."
"Master Mordo and Wong would probably be very happy to help you." The Ancient One nodded and gave the suggestion.
During this month, he had also become acquainted with these two sorcerers who would have a good relationship with Doctor Strange in the future. As for the traitor Kaecilius, he didn't seem to have joined Kamar-Taj yet.
"In that case, can I use this?" Fini activated *Incursio*, and the silver longsword appeared before him. He held it but did not choose to equip the armor immediately.
The Ancient One looked at Fini holding the longsword, pausing slightly. After a long while, she said softly, "This is a living weapon. It may corrode your spirit and harm your body. Are you aware of this?"
Fini hesitated for a moment but nodded, indicating he knew. The System's description mentioned it housed an ancient lifeform; without that, it wouldn't be able to evolve.
"Remember, do not let power control you!"
In the end, the Ancient One did not stop Fini from using these abilities, giving him her full trust.
Just as Fini was about to leave to find Mordo to discuss a duel, a possibility suddenly occurred to him. He stopped, turned back to look at the Ancient One, and said, "Master, can you use it?"
Fini held out *Incursio*. He wanted to know if others besides himself could use it. It would be too dangerous to test on an ordinary person, but with the Ancient One, there weren't many concerns—unless she wanted to die herself.
"I suppose I can try."
The Ancient One didn't stand on ceremony. She took *Incursio* from Fini and examined it with curiosity: "Hmm... it seems to be a very unique creature. It can evolve to adapt to the user's power. The method of forging is also quite magical!"
"The incantation is '*Incursio*.' It can transform into armor," Fini reminded her from the side.
"Incursio!"
The Ancient One spoke the word softly. A shocking amount of energy erupted from the longsword, a momentum that far exceeded the scene when he used it for the first time.
The figure manifesting behind her was also far more terrifying and oppressive, making Fini—standing at close range—almost unable to breathe.
"Roar!"
A massive roar echoed through all of Kamar-Taj, startling every sorcerer.
Just as the figure was about to embrace the Ancient One, she waved her hand. A surge of green energy swirled, causing the figure of *Incursio* to dissipate. She then withdrew the energy, and the weapon returned to its longsword form.
"Huff, huff!"
The oppressive feeling vanished, and Fini gasped for air. Only by experiencing it firsthand could one understand their own weakness. It was the same piece of equipment, but on the Ancient One, it was more than ten times stronger than it was on him.
However, through the Ancient One's test, he also understood that the control of the skill ultimately remained with him. Although she could use it, he could cancel the skill at any time during the process.
(End of Chapter)