Chapter 179: The Loser Becomes a Mount – Reverse-Riding Girl, the Joyful Horse
Kamar-Taj, training grounds.
Young people from various villages—and even different factions—had come seeking opportunity and fortune.
In this era, the title of Sorcerer Supreme wasn't merely a Kamar-Taj honorific; it had become a passport to the magical world, with all powers extending favorable treatment.
Of course, the original Sorcerer Supreme, Agamotto, had been a member of the prehistoric Avengers and carried unparalleled prestige. While his successors might not receive the same level of recognition, inheriting his magical legacy meant starting from a privileged position—guaranteed to become a force to be reckoned with in the future.
"I know many of you already have a foundation in magic, and come from different magical factions. But that no longer matters. To become a sorcerer of Kamar-Taj, you must shoulder the corresponding responsibilities of justice."
An elderly sorcerer was explaining what made Kamar-Taj special.
In fact, Agamotto had once gathered a large number of sorcerers as followers, which allowed him to establish the sanctuary that was Kamar-Taj.
This was considered the first open recruitment of apprentices, so the standards were relatively relaxed.
"First, pass this initial test to earn the qualification to become a Kamar-Taj apprentice. Only then will we reveal the next steps."
Sorcerers were a proud and mysterious group who believed they held the truth of the world. Only those who could become their kind were worthy of mutual respect.
That didn't mean sorcerers looked down on ordinary people—rather, they simply didn't want to interfere too much. All along, they had silently maintained the balance of the world.
"Kamar-Taj's magic usually requires artifacts to function. The most practical spells involve space manipulation, but they must be performed using a Sling Ring. I'll demonstrate once. If you can resonate with the ring and trigger a magical reaction, you'll pass the first test."
With that, the elder sorcerer produced a Sling Ring, seemingly made entirely of brass, and slid it onto his index and middle fingers.
One hand formed a seal, the other drew a circle.
His movements were precise and slow, with every detail clearly visible.
Some attendees looked delighted, while others appeared lost.
Many who had studied magic could quickly identify the key points of the technique.
Ordinary people with no magical foundation didn't even dare blink, afraid they might miss a crucial detail.
Fortunately, the test only required triggering a reaction, not fully forming a portal.
Before long, as sparks burst forth, a portal suddenly opened, clearly revealing a scene of a primeval forest.
"Yao-mei, do you think if I open a portal behind myself, I can push myself through it?" Allen asked excitedly.
"I don't know—focus," Gu Yi snapped.
Eyes wide with tension, Gu Yi ignored Allen entirely.
She had zero magic foundation and looked extremely nervous, clearly worried about failing the first test.
Allen looked to the side and sensed an intense, fiery gaze.
It was none other than Agatha, freshly baptized in cow dung.
As the saying goes, enemies always lock eyes in a crowd. She couldn't openly retaliate at Kamar-Taj, so she could only bide her time and wait for a private opportunity.
Allen shot her a wink and even blew a kiss, his expression gleeful.
Agatha's fists clenched on reflex. She wished she could blast him on the spot.
Allen had no idea who he was provoking. Even if he did, it probably wouldn't stop him.
Agatha Harkness.
Destined to become one of the most powerful witches in the world.
Right now, her mother, Evanora, was leading a coven of White Witches across the European continent, giving Agatha a formidable magical pedigree.
At present, Agatha was still just a rebellious troublemaker. Once she came into contact with black magic, her mother would make the difficult choice to lead the coven in a crusade against her.
In the end, Agatha would turn the tables, slaughter the coven, absorb their magic, and rise to power.
Unfortunately, her ambition would one day lead her to try and consume Wanda the Scarlet Witch's Chaos Magic—only to suffer a catastrophic backlash that rewrote her mind into that of a mere mortal.
"Ten per group. One attempt only."
The elder sorcerer's expression was stern, brooking no argument.
Agamotto's method of selecting a successor was a brutal process of elimination. He himself had not appeared at all throughout.
By contrast, his successor, Gu Yi, had used the Time Stone to foresee Stephen's rise and thus had the patience to teach him from scratch.
The first group of ten donned the Sling Rings and mimicked the elder sorcerer's movements to attempt to open a portal.
Some already had a magical foundation, but more than half were plainly dressed village youths.
"Someone succeeded."
The first to finish the spell was a dark-skinned village boy.
He stared in disbelief at the village visible through the portal—it was his own hometown.
"Very good. Take off the ring and wait over there."
The elder sorcerer nodded with satisfaction. Being able to cast a portal on the first try indicated strong magical talent. Even if this boy never became Sorcerer Supreme, he could still become a pillar of Kamar-Taj.
What was even more critical was that his background was clean—he could be trained to show absolute loyalty to Kamar-Taj.
Only three people succeeded from the first batch. Two managed to produce a few sparks, while the rest couldn't even get that far.
Suddenly, the crowd realized that having magical knowledge didn't necessarily guarantee passing the test.
"Yao-mei, don't be nervous. It's no big deal. Just wave your hands around and you'll pass."
Allen nudged Gu Yi into the second group.
Her face turned bright red, both nervous and hesitant, as she put on the Sling Ring and began tracing circles in the air like everyone else.
"Another one succeeded!"
Amid the buzz, all eyes turned toward a tall woman.
Of course, it wasn't Gu Yi—she had only managed to trace a ring of sparks.
As expected, Gu Yi clearly had the potential to become a sorcerer, but there was no dramatic "trash-to-talent" reversal here.
Allen wasn't worried about Yao-mei at all—she was the Sorcerer Supreme, after all. No need to stress.
"Pssst... want revenge?"
"Ah!"
Agatha, who had been focused on the test, was startled when Allen suddenly whispered next to her.
"What do you want?" she snapped.
She hadn't even gone after him yet, and he was already butting in.
"Let's be in the same group. Whoever makes the more complete portal wins," Allen suggested eagerly.
"And what's the prize?" Agatha asked.
"If you win, I'll give you my virginity. If I win, you become my mount," Allen said solemnly.
"Who wants your virginity?" Agatha scoffed.
"Oh? Then... do you want my back door?" Allen gasped, pretending to be scandalized. "I didn't think you were that kind of woman."
"Whoever loses becomes the other's mount," Agatha said confidently.
Her uncle was already a Kamar-Taj sorcerer, and she had trained privately in preparation for this. She was confident in her magical aptitude and had already studied a fair amount of white magic. She could tell Allen had no magical aura at all.
If she still lost, she might as well become his mount.
"Deal," Allen agreed enthusiastically.
"What are you doing now?"
Agatha stared in disbelief as Allen dropped to his knees, hands on the ground, butt raised toward her. The surrounding crowd shot them strange looks.
Allen replied earnestly, "Just getting into mount mode. Want to add some sound effects? Horses go 'neighhh,' dogs go 'woof woof,' cows go 'moo,' and chickens go 'bawk—what are you doing!'"
Are you insane?
Have you no shame?
Then again... Agatha began to wonder—if she really had to ride this lunatic around, wouldn't it be even more humiliating?
Seeing her stunned expression, Allen said with sudden clarity, "Oh? Still not satisfied? Looks like I'll have to bust out my ultimate move—Reverse-Riding Girl, the Joyful Horse!"
With a swift flip, Allen turned over, face-up with all four limbs on the ground in a crab-walk pose, lifting his hips as he said eagerly, "Hop on and try it! I've got premium features—now with high-frequency vibration massage!"
Agatha stood frozen, completely dazed.
At this point, revenge didn't even seem necessary anymore.
In her heart, she had already forgiven him.
"Maybe we... shouldn't bet?" she asked tentatively.
"No way!"
Allen jumped up righteously. "I've already come up here and let you slap me—now you're backing out? Don't make me look down on you, Cow-Dung Girl."
The moment the words "Cow-Dung Girl" left his mouth, Agatha's rage reignited.
She recalled the humiliation of being covered in cow dung in front of a crowd—so infuriating her very chest felt blocked with anger.