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*****
Evening had fallen over New York when Feny opened a portal to Kamar-Taj. Having been away for nearly half a year, the sight of the familiar, ancient architecture filled him with an unexpected wave of nostalgia.
Due to the time difference, it was early morning in Kamar-Taj. The resident sorcerers had just finished their morning routines and were preparing to begin their daily cultivation.
"Sorcerer Feny!?"
In this current generation of Kamar-Taj, Feny's fame was essentially on par with the Ancient One's. They might not have known exactly how powerful the Ancient One was, but they certainly knew exactly how delicious the Violet-Grade Fried Chicken Rolls were.
"Morning!" Feny greeted them with a smile and a nod.
"It really is you!" The sorcerer looked genuinely shocked. He hurried over to Feny's side and asked, "Where have you been all this time? We thought you'd left Kamar-Taj for good!"
"How could I? I just went on a bit of a trip. The destination was a bit far, so it wasn't easy to get back," Feny explained, shaking his head.
"Sorcerer Feny, you're back?"
"Welcome home!"
"Long time no see, Feny."
"Fantastic! The chicken rolls are finally back—er, I mean, Sorcerer Feny, you're finally back!"
As he chatted with the first sorcerer, more and more people noticed him. They crowded around, offering joyful greetings as if he were a dear friend they hadn't seen in years. The warmth was overwhelming—or it would have been, if Feny hadn't noticed their eyes gleaming with hunger and the audible sound of them swallowing spit.
Feny didn't dare move. Looking at the crowd of sorcerers that was slowly surrounding him, he stood his ground and said obediently, "It's been a while. I didn't bring any gifts back for everyone..."
"So, please, have some fried chicken rolls on me!"
Feny rapidly began summoning the Violet-Grade Fried Chicken Rolls. Within his line of sight, he summoned them directly into the sorcerers' hands. At a speed of three rolls per second, everyone soon held a warm snack. The aroma wafted through the air, and for the first time in months, Kamar-Taj finally smelled like itself again.
With food in hand, the sorcerers finally looked satisfied. Their objective achieved, they stopped hounding Feny and began enjoying their breakfast with nostalgic delight.
Feny noticed that after six months of his absence, most of the sorcerers who had put on weight had finally regained their figures. This made him wonder, with a touch of "malice," if the Ancient One had kept him away specifically to give the sorcerers a chance to diet or break their addiction to his chicken rolls.
Carrying these suspicious thoughts, Feny made his way toward the Ancient One's private meditation room.
Along the way, he encountered several more sorcerers, all of whom showered him with concern and inquiries about his well-being. Feny could only reciprocate their kindness with more fried chicken rolls.
Kamar-Taj wasn't an incredibly large place. Before he even reached the Ancient One, he bumped into another familiar face: his old "experience baby," Mordo.
"Morning, Senior Brother Mordo!"
Mordo seemed deep in thought and didn't notice Feny at first. It took Feny's greeting to snap him back to reality.
"Feny!?" Mordo looked up, his eyes widening in surprise. "Where have you been all this time?" he blurted out.
"Accidentally took a little tour of the universe," Feny replied with a shrug. He used the same excuse as before but added a bit more detail; after all, he held a genuine fondness for Mordo, who truly cared about him.
"The universe!?" Mordo was stunned.
During Feny's absence, many people had gathered the courage to ask the Ancient One where he was or when he'd return. However, she had never given a definitive answer or revealed his location. Even Mordo had been kept in the dark, so this was the first he was hearing of Feny's whereabouts.
"Are you alright? No injuries?" Mordo scanned Feny with concern. Seeing that he wasn't missing any limbs, he let out a small sigh of relief.
"I'm fine!" Feny shook his head. While his time on Vormir had been boring, it hadn't been dangerous. There were no fierce beasts on that planet—in fact, there wasn't a single living soul.
"How did you end up in space?" Although Feny called it a "tour," Mordo had been present when Skye came to the Ancient One looking for him. If Feny had been prepared for the trip, he wouldn't have been reported as missing.
"It's a bit complicated to explain, but the matter has been resolved." Feny wasn't keen on explaining the details, as it involved why the Tesseract had teleported him and the unique nature of his soul.
Seeing that Feny didn't want to elaborate, Mordo frowned slightly but didn't press further. Instead, he offered some encouragement. "I hope you haven't let your spellcasting slip during these months without training. While you were away, Kaecilius made rapid progress. I feel like it won't be long before he surpasses you."
"Heh," Feny let out a disdainful chuckle. He currently possessed seven skills, two Infinity Stones, and had just obliterated a cosmic army.
Surpass me?
That was like the internet claim that a "sliding tackle can kill a tiger." Let Kaecilius come and try to "tackle" him.
"I'll leave you to it for now. I have some business with the Ancient One; I'll come find you later." Feny didn't bother arguing about Kaecilius. As his power grew, his mindset had shifted. He no longer felt the need to obsess over driving Kaecilius away as he had in the past.
"Alright." Mordo nodded. Just as he was about to leave, Feny suddenly handed him several fried chicken rolls.
"The place I went to was a dump with nothing in it, so I couldn't bring back any souvenirs. I can only offer you some chicken rolls!"
After several months, Mordo thought he had finally kicked the habit. The moment he smelled the aroma, he realized how wrong he was; his mouth began to water uncontrollably. Looking at the rolls, he swallowed hard, feeling that the scent was even more enticing than before.
Although his mind wanted to refuse, his body betrayed him. His hands reached out and honestly accepted the gift. Mordo looked at the food and let out a long sigh, his expression a complex mix of struggle and resignation that left Feny utterly baffled.
"What's wrong? Have you already had breakfast?" Feny assumed Mordo was too full to eat and reached out to take the rolls back.
"It's nothing!" Seeing Feny about to retract the offer, Mordo stopped hesitating. He took a large bite, and the drug-like deliciousness immediately brought a smile to his face.
Yep, his smile is still as ugly as ever, Feny thought.
He gave the entranced Mordo a look of mild disgust and continued toward the Ancient One's quarters. This area was reserved for the Sorcerer Supreme's daily cultivation and rest, so sorcerers rarely frequented it. Feny encountered no one else on the final stretch.
Arriving at the door, Feny knocked.
"Come in."
The Ancient One's steady voice drifted from within. Feny pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Dressed in her perennial grey-and-white robes, her bald head gleaming, the Ancient One sat on a meditation cushion with her eyes closed, seemingly lost in deep thought.
(End of Chapter)