After Daniel's eyes turned red and, almost with tears in his eyes, he uttered a few words of warning to Alaric, he and Wong quickly passed through the magical door and returned to Kamar-Taj.
They didn't dare stay a moment longer.
They didn't even dare look at Alaric again.
They were afraid that if they looked at him once more, their eyes would truly go blind.
Although Alaric had in the meantime already withdrawn the God of White Magic, every time Daniel or Wong looked at him, it still seemed to them as if they were seeing a strong light, as though illusions were tearing at their sight.
Alaric had originally intended to ask them if there were any special rooms or objects in this temple that deserved extra attention.
But Daniel merely said, "See for yourself," and practically fled, leaving him without an answer.
"Really… I still enjoy playing with my food~" Alaric muttered, shaking his head as a trace of disdain appeared on his face.
He had warned them in advance that the consequences would be unpleasant, but they insisted on witnessing the scene.
Since they wanted it themselves, he didn't feel guilty about their experience.
"From now on, this is my home!"
Alaric spread his arms and looked at the spacious villa he was in, feeling genuine satisfaction.
In the future, even if Stephen Strange appeared, Alaric had no intention of giving this place up to him.
The Sorcerer Supreme, in his opinion, should stay in Kamar-Taj and respond to major crises when they arise.
After all, thanks to magical portals, even if the Sorcerer Supreme was in Kamar-Taj, he could appear anywhere on Earth in an instant.
Therefore, Alaric decided that he would be the guardian of this Sanctuary.
After that, he began his journey of exploring the temple and slowly familiarizing himself with all the rooms and secrets it held.
Labyrinth-like corridors stretched throughout the entire structure.
Three magical doors led to different worlds and locations.
"Wouldn't it be convenient in the future to use them for trips to the sea, the desert, or the jungle?" Alaric thought as he turned the switch beside the doors and watched the scenes behind them change.
The sight was truly fascinating.
Then he climbed to the second floor and, after a brief look around, chose a room that no one had occupied, declaring it his bedroom.
As for Daniel's former room, Alaric decided to completely ignore it.
When he had the time, he planned to invite Daniel to come and collect his things himself.
If not, he could simply open a portal and send his personal belongings, excluding the furniture, directly to Kamar-Taj, and let Daniel take care of them himself.
Then came the third floor.
Alaric had already toured the main hall earlier; the meditation room didn't particularly interest him, as he judged that he wouldn't need it for now.
What caught his attention the most was the storage room, a space where various mysterious magical artifacts and weapons were kept.
However, as soon as he stepped inside, he realized how limited his knowledge of magic was.
He looked at all those objects and amulets as if he were looking at someone else's handwriting, knowing they were valuable but unable to recognize their purpose.
He was aware that even if someone placed the Book of the Vishanti itself in front of him, without a title he wouldn't know what he was holding.
"Of course… you still have to start with a book."
With a light sigh, he headed towards the library on the third floor.
The shelves were full of books, but most of them didn't deal with actual spells.
Many recorded mysterious events from the history of the magical world, others contained data about rare magical materials or told the history of ancient relics.
For Alaric, this was perfect; he could fill the gaps in his magical knowledge and gain a better understanding of the world he now belonged to.
Soon his attention was drawn to a book that catalogued various magical artifacts and weapons, along with their powers and how to use them.
He immediately picked it up, carefully leafing through the pages, and headed back to the hall where some of those weapons were displayed.
His goal was simple: he didn't want to be like Stephen Strange in his early days, a man who, in the middle of a battle, would grab the first magical item he could find without having any idea how to use it.
Such shame would be unforgivable.
As he read, he was surprised at how many of those items he actually recognized.
"Angararumus's Axe?" he murmured. "Powerful and ancient, but it doesn't suit my image. And it's too… crude."
He turned the page.
"Coral Crabs? Why do I feel like this is a relic from Atlantis? I doubt I'll ever need it."
He continued on with disgust.
"Aha… the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak," he paused on the page describing the famous relic.
"A red energy belt that can bind even the most powerful opponents. Now this one can stay."
With a light wave of his hand, he summoned the artifact, felt its energy, and then carefully stored it in his magical space.
"Lucifer's Lamp… creates a layer of dense fog. Honestly, useless for me."
He continued to flip through and study, unknowingly learning more and more.
Just as he was hunched over the book and focused on the description of some lesser-known artifacts, a golden portal opened in the hall on the first floor.
Out of it stepped the Ancient One, setting foot on the cold stone floor of the Sanctuary.
She looked around and soon raised her head toward the third floor, where she spotted Alaric studying the items with an expression of childlike curiosity.
Without a word, she headed toward the stairs, and when she reached the third floor, she stopped and observed him for a while.
It struck her as somewhat odd: the temple was full of extraordinary and dangerous relics, yet Alaric seemed most interested in the most unusual things.
She couldn't help but think: "Isn't one levitation cloak enough for him?"
With a slight, barely noticeable smile, she shook her head and was about to greet him.
But then she heard his next words, spoken to himself, and for a moment her face darkened.
"Phemgarian Blazer… Oh! This thing is amazing! It says you can open a passage to the very Dimension of Hell through it! I'll definitely try it out when I get the chance!"
The Ancient One stood behind him, silently pressing her lips together.
She wondered whether this child was capable of having even one peaceful day.
Today was only his first day since arriving at the Sanctuary, and he was already planning a trip to Hell.
With a quiet, almost inaudible sigh.
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