An Invitation from Kamar-Taj
When Xu Mo left Natasha's house, it was already past three in the afternoon.
He drove straight to the Empire State Building on Fifth Avenue, Manhattan.
The New York branch of Fox Film Corporation, his company, was located there.
After taking over, Xu Mo had moved the company headquarters to Los Angeles, leaving New York to operate as a branch.
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At the Company
Arriving on the right floor, Xu Mo saw a young Asian receptionist. She was about 1.7 meters tall, with long silver hair tied in a ponytail. Capable yet lively, she stood the moment he entered.
"Sir, who are you looking for?" she asked politely.
Xu Mo blinked, stepped back, and double-checked the office number outside the door. This was indeed his company.
"Are you new here?" he asked.
The girl nodded, still confused. "Who are you?"
"He's our boss!"
The voice came from inside. Avril, dressed sharply in business attire, appeared as if she were about to leave.
The receptionist's eyes widened. She quickly bowed. "I'm so sorry, boss!"
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Stopping the boss himself—what a mistake for a first impression.
Xu Mo waved it off with a small smile.
"It's fine. You did your job well."
Then he walked in, Avril following him back toward the office. Along the way, staff greeted him one by one.
Inside, Xu Mo sat in his chair by the floor-to-ceiling windows and sighed.
"There are quite a lot of new faces here lately."
Avril crossed her arms.
"You haven't stepped foot in this company for nearly two years. Except for the receptionist, everyone's been here for at least a year."
"Two years already?" Xu Mo scratched his cheek, embarrassed.
Since awakening the system, he had rarely bothered with corporate affairs, leaving everything to Avril. In the early days, he'd still visited a few times each year. But now? He was even more detached than Tony Stark ever was with Stark Industries.
No wonder Avril's tone carried a trace of resentment.
They had been college classmates. After graduation, Avril joined his company and became his assistant. Reliable at work, she still joked with him casually in private. That trust was why Xu Mo had no issue leaving the company in her hands.
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An Unexpected Visitor
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door.
The receptionist poked her head in nervously.
"Boss, there's a man outside. He says his name is Daniel, here to see you."
"Daniel?" Xu Mo frowned. The name felt oddly familiar.
Then it clicked—Professor X had mentioned a mage named Daniel. Someone from Kamar-Taj.
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Meeting Daniel
Minutes later, in the reception room, Xu Mo finally met him.
Daniel was a bald, powerfully built Black man in a sleeveless gray tunic. His muscular arms looked more suited to a soldier than a wizard. Xu Mo almost laughed—when most people imagined a mage, they thought of a white-bearded old scholar, not a bodybuilder.
But in this world, even sorcerers had to fight differently. Kamar-Taj's magic, tied to the Vishanti, was defensive and supportive in nature. Without devastating offensive spells, many sorcerers compensated by simply fighting head-on. Even the Ancient One herself was no exception.
Doctor Strange, Xu Mo mused, was something of an anomaly in that regard.
---
Daniel extended his hand politely.
"Daniel. Guardian of the New York Sanctum."
Xu Mo shook it, but his expression remained neutral. He didn't recall this character clearly—too much time had passed since the films.
It wasn't surprising they had tracked him down. He hadn't worn a mask when visiting Xavier's School, and with Professor X's abilities, Xu Mo's identity wouldn't stay hidden.
"Professor X is my friend," Daniel said warmly. "Thank you for helping him the other day."
Xu Mo waved the gratitude aside. "Think nothing of it. But surely, a Guardian of the Sanctum didn't come all this way just to thank me?"
Daniel gave a faint smile.
"I was sent by the Sorcerer Supreme herself. She invites you to visit Kamar-Taj."
"Oh?" Xu Mo raised a brow.
That was suspicious. The Ancient One was not the sort to rely on messengers. If she truly wished to summon him, she could appear directly—or at least send a far more direct signal.
Xu Mo leaned back in his chair, smiling thinly.
"The Sorcerer Supreme invited me? And yet she sent you to deliver the message? Curious."
For a brief instant, panic flickered in Daniel's eyes, but he quickly smothered it.
"Of course not. I simply wished to thank you in person as well."
"Is that so?" Xu Mo smirked. He had caught the hesitation. The man was hiding something.
Still, he decided to play along.
"Very well. I'll go with you."
Daniel's face lit with relief and surprise. He had expected Xu Mo to refuse after raising doubts, but instead, the man agreed without hesitation.
Xu Mo's thoughts, however, were cold and calculating.
With his current strength, he feared no one—not even the Ancient One, and certainly not the Vishanti themselves. If anyone dared provoke him, he almost hoped they would. That kind of confrontation might even yield him new treasures, perhaps even a copy of the legendary Book of Vishanti.
Besides, he was curious. He wanted to see Kamar-Taj with his own eyes.
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Departure
Daniel slipped on his sling ring and traced sparks in the air, forming a glowing portal.
"Please, this way."
Without hesitation, Xu Mo stepped through with him.
Moments later, a secretary in black stockings entered the reception room with a tray of coffee. She looked around the empty space in confusion.
"…Where did they go?"
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