The next day.
Still in the same place, at the same table, in the same seats, with the same four people, Ancient One was popularizing the concept of magic to his new disciple.
"...These mysterious characters have existed since the dawn of civilization. They are the foundation of a mage's power. As a wise person, I believe you understand the power of language and writing. Human writing laid the foundation of civilization, and these mysterious characters have become the cornerstone of a mage's power."
"I understand, but it's still a little hard to understand." Stephen Strange was still unable to change his mind for a while.
"Then, in another way that you can understand, you can think of this text as the source code that makes up the world, and the magic that is created by combining it is the software program."
"What about energy? Where does the energy to run and use them come from? Is it the dimensional world you talked about yesterday?" Stephen asked again.
"You can understand it this way. This planet does not have the magical energy that mages need, so if mages want to use magic, the prerequisite is to go to other dimensional worlds with magical energy to collect energy." Ancient One explained slowly, his voice steady, with a power that made people calm down and listen.
"But those dimensional worlds all have owners, right? Are they willing to lend their power to us?" Based on human concepts, Stephen doesn't believe that there are such great benevolent gods.
"There are dimensional demons with malicious intent, and there are naturally relatively friendly ones. These friendly dimensional demons generally do not mind if mages gain some power from them. The source of power for the Supreme Mage lineage comes from Vishanti." Ancient One explained patiently.
The following period was filled with questions and answers between the two of them, as well as practical explanations. After answering Stephen's questions, Ancient One decisively handed him over to Master Mordo, and discussed the cooperation plan with Luke next to him.
…
"What spell do you want to learn?" In the square at the foot of the mountain, Master Mordo looked at Stephen who was chasing him and wanted to learn spells.
"The one that draws circles and can instantly take people from one place to another." Stephen chose the spell that left a deep impression on him without hesitation. It was also the first magic he had seen.
"That's a portal. As a novice, I suggest you learn the collection ability first, from easy to difficult." Master Mordo kindly advised.
"I like difficult things." said Stephen, who is very confident in his IQ.
"Then let's begin. Before I teach you how to teleport, according to the Supreme Sorcerer's requirements, you must first learn to gather energy and then control it, just like me." As the Sorcerer Mordo spoke, he used his power to meticulously demonstrate every step of his power usage to Stephen. "The Sorcerer's fighting style is to use spells to transform power into shields and weapons."
…
"It seems that you are in good condition." Luke walked out of the portal and saw Stephen lying on the ground in a mess, groaning.
"How did you know that?" Stephen rolled over, his face dazed as he stared into the dim light. He'd always been proud of his intelligence, using his brain to acquire skills, knowledge, fame, wealth, and connections. He didn't need to work hard in school to surpass his peers; he simply outperformed everyone around him professionally.
He has always believed that as long as he is willing, nothing can really stump him.
But today, his perception was completely shattered. He discovered that he was even worse than an apprentice.
"A person who has always been smooth sailing can only grow and reflect on himself after being hit. Regardless of whether this reflection is good or bad." Luke squatted down and poked Stephen, who was sore all over. "How do you feel about your first day as a mage apprentice?"
"Very tiring." Stephen rolled his eyes: "It's nothing like what I imagined learning from a wizard would be like. How about you? How was the talk with the Supreme Sorcerer?" Stephen said at the end, turning his head to look at Luke, who was squatting beside him in a gray woolen coat.
"There are some areas where we haven't reached a consensus yet, and the Supreme Mage needs to consider the opinions of other mages. But most of the cooperation has been finalized. I will provide the technology, and she will provide the knowledge and force. You also have to work hard. Maybe in a few years, or ten or twenty years, the Supreme Mage's shares will be handed over to you for management." Luke said frankly without hiding anything.
He had indeed discussed many matters with the Ancient One, even if some of his own opinions were personal. After all, Luke's proposals were of significant benefit to her own group of mages. As for the future, she wasn't sure how much longer she could remain Sorcerer Supreme. It was hard to say if she felt her successor was trustworthy enough to handle the situation and decided to step down.
Stephen climbed up from the ground with his arms supporting himself.
"I'm leaving tomorrow. What about you? Are you staying?" Luke stood up, told Stephen his itinerary, and asked for his opinion. However, judging by Stephen's expression and the conversation, Luke judged that Stephen would most likely choose to stay. After all, he had just been exposed to the mystical power of magic, and under the guidance of the Ancient One, he had explored a magnificent world he had never seen before. More importantly, he had just suffered a severe setback in his attempts to master this power.
Some people may retreat after setbacks, but others will become more courageous. Unless it is proven that the road ahead is indeed a dead end.
And Stephen Strange, despite his various shortcomings and unpleasant personality, still has strengths. From Luke's conversations over the past two days, it's clear he's not someone who gives up easily. If the power of magic were something he could master instantly, then perhaps it wouldn't be worth his attention. But if the difficulty was a barrier, it would actually stimulate him.
So even if Dr. Stephen had not been in a car accident and had not lost the dexterity of his hands, and did not need to seek various treatments in vain and instead pursue illusory magic to heal his half-crippled hands, he would still not give up magic easily.
Sure enough, Stephen chose to stay as Luke expected, and his eyes were full of fighting spirit.
That night, Stephen began working tirelessly. Despite Master Mordo's repeated warnings that discarding his past beliefs would allow him to master magic more effectively, he still believed his brain was still useful in learning magic. For example, memorizing spells by rote?