"Mr. Traveler, may I ask what your purpose is in coming here?"
In the grocery store in front of the New York Sanctum, the Ancient One, dressed in a yellow robe, stared profoundly at Mike, who was flying in from a distance.
It was clear that the Sorcerer Supreme, guardian of Earth, had been secretly monitoring Thanos's legion and also keeping an eye on Mike, the visitor from another realm.
"Like I said, I am a traveler. My purpose in coming here is simply to sightsee," Mike reiterated his identity, indicating he had no ill intentions.
[Astral Projection (Trait)]... [Energy Control (Trait)]... [Energy Manipulation (Trait)]... [Interdimensional Teleportation (Trait)]...
[Psionic Abilities (Trait)]... [Dark Energy Absorption (Trait)]...
[Transmigration (Trait)]... [Time Manipulation (Trait)]... [Precognition (Trait)]... [Causality Intervention (Trait)]...
[Magic * Energy + 30B]... [Time * Energy + 20B]...
While the Ancient One observed Mike, Mike also gained many trait orbs from her and the Time Stone.
Especially [Astral Projection] and [Interdimensional Teleportation]; one can separate one's own or others' souls from their bodies, and the other can create a mirror dimension under one's control.
These two abilities might not be the strongest, but either one is incredibly flashy when used.
Very fitting for Mike's style...
At the same time, after gathering the energy from the three Infinity Stones, as well as the energy from Thanos and the Sorcerer Supreme, Mike's total energy finally broke through the hundred billion mark.
His life level also advanced from Creation Tier 3 to Creation Tier 4.
With the breakthrough of the minor bottleneck in his Creation Tier, Mike's strength finally entered the ranks of dimensional powerhouses.
He now had the confidence to fight against the strongest beings in various dimensions.
Simultaneously, the powerful aura that Mike emitted due to his life level leap was also detected by the Ancient One.
"If you're merely here to sightsee, I welcome you on behalf of Kamar-Taj and the three Sanctums..." Although the Ancient One did not fear Mike like Thanos did, she still showed due respect to a powerhouse not weaker than herself.
Then, she said, "Should you encounter any problems in the future, you can contact me through the three Sanctums. As long as it doesn't harm the interests of this planet, I'd be happy to help."
As an outsider, the Ancient One could not view Mike's past or future through the Space Stone.
Naturally, she needed to treat such an unstable factor with caution.
As the saying goes: courtesy before force...
As long as Mike didn't show obvious malice, he was worth befriending for the Ancient One.
Moreover, the Ancient One had many other matters to attend to, so after expressing sufficient goodwill, she opened a circular space portal and prepared to leave.
"Wait, could you take me to Kamar-Taj? I'm quite interested in your magical abilities..." Mike quickly stopped the Ancient One.
The sorcerers of this plane were definitely Beyonders.
And Kamar-Taj, where they gathered, was an excellent place for Mike to 'farm' for traits, something not to be missed.
The Ancient One, however, didn't expect Mike to make a request so quickly.
But not sensing any malice from him, she nodded slightly and said, "Follow me."
...
"Who's that? He's so handsome, could he be a new student like us?"
"Probably not, the recruitment period for Kamar-Taj has already passed..."
"Besides, he doesn't look like he's here to be a student..."
"..."
In the Kamar-Taj courtyard, located in the Himalayas, many new magic apprentices had gathered.
The arrival of the Sorcerer Supreme and the stranger, Mike, quickly caught their attention.
"Quiet! To become a sorcerer, you must learn to focus your mind and use your will to control your own magic..."
Karl Mordo, as the instructor for new students, was also very curious why the Sorcerer Supreme had brought a stranger back for no apparent reason.
But before that, he still diligently performed his duties as a teacher.
The magic apprentices quickly regained their focus under Baron Mordo's low-pressure demeanor, like a dean of students, and began diligently studying basic magical knowledge.
"Magic is profound, composed of mental and willpower. To use magic is to condense these forces into a stable state..."
Seeing that Mike seemed very interested in magic, the Ancient One briefly introduced the principles of magic, then called out to Baron Mordo not far away: "Mordo, come here."
"This is my guest, Mr. Mike the Traveler. He might stay at Kamar-Taj for a while. Please demonstrate the composition of magic for him."
The magic within Kamar-Taj was not a great secret, and the Ancient One was not an old-fashioned traditionalist.
Therefore, those who had a "connection" with magic could come here to learn it.
Mike was clearly one such person now.
"To learn, you must first understand your true self, then condense your will into magic..."
Upon seeing Mike's youthful appearance, Mordo merely assumed he was a "connected individual" here to learn magic. So he lectured in a rigid manner: "Like this, first condense the magic into a line, then expand from the line into a surface..."
Orange-red magic unfolded, then transformed into various complex geometric shapes.
"That's enough for now. Try it yourself. Once you can condense magic, come back to me to learn more profound magical applications." After a simple demonstration of magic, Baron Mordo withdrew his hand and stood to the side.
His attitude was not very friendly.
It was clear that he had some reservations about Mike, the "connected individual."
[Energy Manipulation (Trait)]... [Telepathy (Trait)]... [Phantom Clone (Trait)]... [Demon Summoning (Trait)]...
[Magic * Energy + 80M]... [Dark * Energy + 60M]...
"No need for such trouble, I've already basically grasped the nature of magic." Mike, having collected a large number of trait orbs again, had no interest in playing games with Mordo here.
Then he stretched out both hands and instantly condensed a pure white line, distinct from the orange-red magic.
Next, this pure white line, just like Mordo had demonstrated earlier, transformed into various complex geometric shapes.
Finally, it even innovated, curving into a giant light shield, guarding in front of Mike.
The dazzling scene instantly drew gasps of astonishment from the magic apprentices not far away.
Especially Stephen Strange, who was still unable to condense magic among the crowd, his face almost overflowing with envy.
As for Mike, being able to understand one thing and apply it to all, he already possessed Holy Light abilities.
After understanding the basic principles of magic, he naturally could perform many dazzling tricks.
"A very stable magical structure..."
Unlike the narrow perspective of the magic apprentices, the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One, could better perceive Mike's talent in spellcasting.
When other sorcerers cast spells, orange-red sparks would fly, which indicated an unstable magical structure.
However, the pure white magic that Mike cast had edges as smooth as polished glass.
This meant his control over magic was incredibly strong.
At least, with the same amount of magic, the spells Mike cast would be more powerful.
"If you're interested in magic, the doors of Kamar-Taj are always open to you." Out of appreciation for talent, the Ancient One, after praising Mike's magical talent, immediately made a promise.
"Thank you for your generosity." Mike withdrew his magic and smiled, nodding.
Sincerity was mutual. After the Ancient One showed enough goodwill, Mike naturally wouldn't keep a cold face.
Even if the Sorcerer Supreme's promise wasn't of much use to him.
Yes, Mike, having 'farmed' the Ancient One and Mordo, had now learned almost all common magic in Kamar-Taj.
"Alright, Mordo. You can continue teaching. Now, I need to arrange accommodation for Mr. Mike." The Ancient One awakened the dazed Mordo beside her.
"Please proceed," Mordo, having come to his senses, bowed and retreated.
Before leaving, he intentionally or unintentionally glanced at Mike, with an obscure expression in his eyes.
It was well-known that in Kamar-Taj, apart from the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One, all other sorcerers needed to use a Sling Ring to assist them when using magic.
Mordo had deliberately not told Mike this point earlier, wanting to see this "connected individual" make a fool of himself.
However, he didn't expect Mike's magical talent to be so powerful.
So powerful that it made Mordo feel jealous.
"Please follow me, I'll show you to your accommodation. It might be a bit simple for you..." The Ancient One, who hadn't noticed Mordo's dark thoughts, led Mike away from the courtyard and towards the back.
Kamar-Taj could be considered a cradle for training sorcerers. Perhaps out of consideration for tempering the will of the magic apprentices, the living facilities here were quite simple.
Aside from the grand-looking library, most of the houses in the living area were small wooden bungalows.
Chopping wood... carrying water... honing martial arts...
The sorcerers living here also led an ascetic life.
"Can you take me to the library first?" Mike was naturally not interested in this semi-primitive lifestyle.
After all, he wasn't here specifically to endure hardship...
Besides, in Kamar-Taj, apart from various types of magic, the only thing that could attract Mike was the self-contained system of magical knowledge here.
For Mike, who possessed power conversion, knowledge also meant power.
"No problem." Since Kamar-Taj's magic was open to Mike, the Ancient One certainly wouldn't refuse his request to go to the library.
So, after greeting the official sorcerers along the way, the Ancient One took Mike on a turn and arrived in front of the relatively grand library.
"The current librarian, Wong, is a very knowledgeable sorcerer. If you have any questions about magic, you can ask him..." Arriving at the library, the Ancient One introduced the situation here to Mike while gently knocking on the library's large door.
However, the door didn't open even after the Ancient One had roughly finished introducing the library's situation.
"Wong is a very studious person; he might be immersed in the ocean of knowledge right now. Let's just go in and find him." The Ancient One, unable to open the door with her knock, showed a slight embarrassment on her face, then simply pushed the door open and entered the library.
Inside the dimly lit library, various large and small bookshelves were filled.
Rows of books were neatly arranged on them.
And at a desk by the window, a strong-built sorcerer was casually half-reclining in a chair.
Looking quite content...
"Wong, we have a guest." The Ancient One went forward and called out.
However, just like her earlier knock, there was no response.
"Wong," The Ancient One, helpless, could only step forward again and pat his shoulder.
"Wh-what?..." Wong was suddenly woken up, doing a 'carp jump' and almost overturning the desk in front of him.
At the same time, his headphones fell off his ears.
Instantly, rhythmic rock music filled the entire library.
It turned out that Wong was not immersed in books earlier, but rather enjoying music.
"S-Sorcerer Supreme, why are you here?" Upon realizing it was the Ancient One, Wong reacted like an employee caught slacking off by their boss.
He quietly turned off the music and tidied his attire.
In no time, he regained his solemn appearance.
"I've brought a guest back for you this time." The Ancient One, on her part, seemed to have forgotten her earlier embarrassment and began to introduce: "This is Mr. Mike, he has great magical talent, and the library will be open to him from now on."
"Hello, Mr. Mike, I am Wong. Feel free to tell me what books you want to read. I'm very familiar with this place..." Since he was brought by the Sorcerer Supreme herself, Wong's attitude was very friendly.
"Hello, Wong. Please take care of me from now on." Mike, following the adage of not hitting a smiling face, promptly shook his hand.
Surprisingly, although Wong looked tall and burly, he gave off a very gentle impression.
He was a very easy person to get along with.
"Since you two have met, I'll leave Mr. Mike's accommodation to you." The Ancient One, who needed to constantly resist the invasion of the Dark Dimension, was actually quite busy.
After entrusting Mike to Wong, she left the library through a spatial portal.
"Uh, what kind of books do you want to read? I'll go find them for you. Or if you want to have some black tea first, that's fine too..." Left alone, Wong seemed a bit "shy" again.
This didn't match his strong physique at all.
However, this contrast wasn't unlikable.
"Then let's rest for a bit and have some black tea." Mike smiled and sat down on another rocking chair nearby.
His posture seemed incredibly relaxed.
"This is tea I managed to get from outside with great difficulty; it tastes really good, you should try it..."
Perhaps influenced by Mike, Wong quickly relaxed as well, then skillfully brewed two cups of black tea.
"Oh, by the way, do you eat sweets? I have mooncakes here."
Although Wong was not Chinese, his ancestors were Chinese monks, so he could be considered half-Chinese.
He unconsciously carried some Chinese elements about him.
"Want to listen to music? I have the latest rock music here..."
After tasting the black tea and eating mooncakes, as the two gradually became familiar, Wong's expression became increasingly natural.
Half-reclining in his chair, he seemed to have reverted to the 'lazy fish' he was at the beginning.
...
Over the next few days, Mike, through his superhuman reading ability, almost went through all the books in the library.
When bored, he would also go out for a stroll, chat with the official sorcerers there, or check on the progress of the magic apprentices' studies.
His days passed exceptionally leisurely...
At the same time, he also gained a large number of trait orbs and energy values from Wong and the other sorcerers.