Tiny snowflakes drifted through the air, slowly landing on a brown eave. A temple was covered in white snow as far as the eye could see, but the courtyard floor was completely bare.
This was the sacred training ground for sorcerers: Kamar-Taj!
In the temple's reception hall, the scent of tea permeated the cold air. Steam rose from the teacups. The Ancient One sat cross-legged at a tea table, calmly placing teacups in front of Stephen and Wong.
"You've already tested him with that spell?" The Ancient One's eyes were fixed on the purple clay teapot in front of her as she slowly scraped away the tea foam. She spoke as if she didn't care about this matter, her expression calm.
"Yes. It's hard to believe, but he actually did it!" Stephen was serious in front of the Ancient One, completely different from his usual unrestrained demeanor.
Wong, who was also sitting cross-legged, took a sip of the tea after it was poured, and then said, "He perfectly deciphered it!" He had to admit that he was shocked for a long time when he saw it today. Even after they were brought outside, they were still in a daze for a long time. This guy was the most talented sorcerer he had ever seen.
"Mmm." The Ancient One nodded slightly, pouring tea until Wong's cup was half full before she stopped. She raised her hand, and with a simple flick, the spring water from a nearby old bucket flowed into the kettle like a silver stream. She then placed the kettle on the stove, where the fire was dim. With a flick of her finger, the dying flames instantly burst into a blaze. The sparks slowly floated into the air and disappeared.
"Master, I don't understand why you would use that spell to test him." Stephen finally couldn't hold back and asked. The Ancient One rarely did anything without a reason. It was logical to assume she had her own reasons for doing this. But he couldn't figure out why she would.
"Very few outsiders know about this spell, and it's extremely difficult."
"An ordinary sorcerer would need to study the basics for ten to twenty years before they could comprehend it, and Cassius is only twenty-four." When she said this, a hint of admiration flashed in the Ancient One's eyes. She had to admit that even she had needed a long time to use this spell. But according to Stephen and Wong, he had understood the steps to the spell just by looking at it a few times.
In every sense of the word, he was the most terrifying genius she had ever seen. Although the Ancient One's expression was calm, Stephen still noticed the change in her demeanor.
"Are you saying he's truly exceptionally talented?" Even though Stephen didn't want to admit it, it was an undeniable fact. Something he couldn't do, Cassius had done so easily. This was an indescribable blow to him.
"Mmm." The Ancient One poured the boiling water into the newly replaced tea leaves, and the steam rose like a swimming dragon. Even though it was just one word, her tone was firm.
"Should we invite him to join Kamar-Taj?" Wong, who was usually silent, suddenly spoke. They needed a power like his, and this person's future was limitless. If they could bring him in, it would be a great thing for Kamar-Taj.
"Not yet." The Ancient One shook her head, looking at the tea leaves swirling in the hot water. "I have my own plans. You two can go back now!"
The two of them stood up respectfully and bowed. Wong then waved his right hand, and an Inter-Dimensional Portal appeared in front of them. The Statue of Liberty appeared on the other side. As the two of them stepped through, the portal vanished like a stream of light.
After they left, the Ancient One's calm expression gradually became serious. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and drank the tea in her cup. After doing all this, she sat cross-legged, her hands resting naturally on her legs.
Buzz!!!
As her eyes slowly closed, a green light wrapped around her, and the Eye of Agamotto on her chest floated up. In the next second, a blinding light burst forth from the Eye of Agamotto.
"Puff!"
But at that moment, the Ancient One suddenly spat out a mouthful of crimson blood. The antique teacup in front of her was stained with it. Her eyes widened, and she muttered with a worried expression, "I can't see Cassius's future..."
She had just tried to use the Time Stone to peer into the future. But in both the past and the future, there was no sign of Cassius on the timeline. This left only two possibilities: the first was that Cassius had transcended the timeline, and the second was that a special restriction was hiding him.
Both possibilities were either a blessing or a curse for this world. Because right now, Cassius was as if he only existed in the present! No matter what happened, it was completely impossible to predict.
The Ancient One's eyes were filled with exhaustion.
"I hope everything is alright."
"My time is almost up."
...
...
In the garden of the manor in New York.
Ding!
[You have been noticed by the Ancient One and have successfully passed her test!]
[Reward: Chthon Scroll (Incomplete)]
"So it was a test after all." Cassius wasn't surprised when he heard the notification.
When Stephen and Wong suddenly showed up and said they couldn't decipher the spell, he had already guessed that it was probably a test from the Ancient One.
Even if they couldn't decipher a spell, their first priority should have been to go to the Ancient One, not him. This left only one possibility: the incident at the Sanctum library. Given the Ancient One's personality, it was only a matter of time before she sent someone to test him.
"The Ancient One, huh? She's probably starting to take me seriously." Cassius muttered to himself, looking at the falling leaves in the distance. He wasn't afraid of the Ancient One. His current power was a match for hers.
In a long-term fight, the Ancient One might even be inferior to him. But he had no hatred for the Ancient One. After all, the old lady was dedicated to protecting the Earth. There was no need to go out of his way to cause trouble, and besides, they were on the same side.
"Just don't come looking for trouble." Cassius shook his head. He just wanted to lie back and enjoy life. The only reason he wanted to become stronger was to have the power to protect himself.
After all, if the Earth was gone, where would he go to have fun? He wasn't going to go looking for the purple titan, was he?
"Wanda, what are you doing?" Cassius's thoughts returned to the present, and he looked at Wanda in the living room.
Wanda was lying on the sofa, dangling her fair, slender feet, making it impossible to look away. The dark sofa made her skin look even whiter, and her toes were pink and incredibly cute. Even though he wasn't a foot fetishist, he couldn't help but take a second look.
"Don't look at my feet with that dirty look." Even though Wanda didn't get up, she knew exactly what Cassius was looking at.
"Don't blame me. You're the one who's deliberately trying to tempt me!" Cassius said with an innocent look.
"Pervert! You're even interested in feet!" Wanda curled her toes. "You're really something else."
"I'm interested in your whole body," Cassius said with a smile. "Besides, there are a lot of things feet and legs can do."
Beep, beep, beep~
Just as he was about to continue teasing Wanda, her phone on the table suddenly rang.
"Shh, it's a call from the base." Wanda shushed him and answered the phone. But in a moment, her expression became incredibly serious. "What?!"
"Got it. I'm on my way to assist immediately." With that, Wanda quickly got up.
"Who was it?" Cassius asked, walking up to her. Wanda took a deep breath, her face serious.
"There's a mutant incident on North Street in Manhattan."
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