Seeing the faint glow, Nolan froze for a moment. It vanished just as quickly, but he barely noticed.
His eyes shone with excitement.
This meant he had the potential to learn magic!
The Ancient One had already left.
Mordo was visibly surprised.
He had assumed the Ancient One merely let Nolan try, never expecting the man to actually have magical talent.
And it seemed quite impressive.
It had only been half an hour. Even if Nolan had just barely channeled energy, it was enough to prove his exceptional aptitude.
Talent like this could even stir a hint of jealousy in Mordo.
Yet he concealed it, saying simply,
"Very good. But to draw an Anywhere Door will require much more practice."
From that moment, Nolan began tirelessly practicing drawing magical circles.
After the initial thrill, he regained his composure.
He was not Stephen Strange.
Strange, arguably the greatest Supreme Sorcerer in history, had ascended to the role in just a few short years.
And Nolan?
His talent appeared strong. With focused study, perhaps in a few years or a decade, he could reach Mordo's level.
But would that be enough?
Absolutely not.
He faced countless enemies. Not just dimensional overlords, but even Thanos an unshakable nightmare.
Even without the Infinity Stones, Thanos was a formidable universal warlord.
In Nolan's view, Thanos' weak performance during the invasion of Earth might have been due to wearing the Infinity Gauntlet.
The Infinity Stones were incredibly powerful. But that power, uncontrolled, could just as easily annihilate the wielder.
The Gauntlet was Thanos' tool to channel the Stones.
Could a single glove truly contain all their power?
Unlikely.
So when wearing it, unless using the Stones, his strength could even diminish.
Against such a terrifying Thanos, relying solely on his budding magical talent was nearly impossible.
For Nolan, magic wasn't the key.
His future depended on system-based technology.
Yet he still practiced magic for one very simple reason.
Other spells might not matter much, but the Anywhere Door was unparalleled.
Technology had its strengths. Nolan believed that with system-based tech, he could one day achieve unimaginable power.
But creating an Anywhere Door through technology alone was no easy task.
If he mastered the magical version, he could face any formidable enemy and declare, I am the tide!
Three full days passed.
Nolan's expression remained serious. The Mystic Ring hovered before him, dancing with sparks as he moved it.
Suddenly, a shimmering portal appeared.
Through it, a bustling city stretched out.
Overcome with excitement, Nolan could barely contain himself.
"It worked!"
After three days, he had successfully drawn an Anywhere Door for the first time. Perhaps luck had played a role, but this first success meant mastery was within reach.
While Nolan devoted himself entirely to magic, S.H.I.E.L.D. underwent major upheaval.
After neutralizing an enemy believed to be Bucky, Steve Rogers called for backup.
Nick Fury was quickly rushed to surgery, but the news was grim. Fury had died.
Steve felt a heavy weight in his chest.
Though he often disagreed with Fury's methods, he could not deny that Fury had been an exceptional agent.
Steve returned to S.H.I.E.L.D. with the data drive, only to face Alexander Pierce's interrogation.
Remembering Fury's words, Steve said nothing.
Seeing Steve's nonchalance, Pierce turned and left.
As Steve prepared to depart, a wave of agents ambushed him.
Fortunately, he escaped.
In his office, Pierce's face darkened upon hearing the news.
"You useless fools!"
He paced back and forth. Something unexpected had occurred. Perhaps Fury had passed crucial intel to Steve before dying.
Minutes later, Pierce made a call.
"Ophelia, there's been a complication. The plan must start ahead of schedule."
Across the line, Madame Viper frowned.
She disliked surprises, but the plan could not be abandoned.
"Understood. Let's proceed. Nolan Lock has been tracking me. I'm still unsure if I've shaken him off."
"I can handle it."
Pierce replied firmly.
Viper had drawn Nolan Lock's attention. To him, this was advantageous.
In his eyes, no superhero in the world was more troublesome than Nolan Lock.
He was fearless, reckless, and far from naive.
Excitement flickered in Pierce's gaze.
This plan would be flawless.
With control over S.H.I.E.L.D.'s aerial carriers and Viper's army of robots, he could see no path to failure.
Unfortunately, Viper had not reached the true "Hive."
Only Nolan could access that secret base. Pierce felt a twinge of regret.
The secrets within remained unknown.
But that was inconsequential.
"Initiate the Insight Plan!"
The Insight Plan centered on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s three new aerial carriers and advanced AI.
Satellites, big data analysis, and predictive algorithms could forecast every person's actions and neutralize all targets within minutes.
What no one knew was that Pierce had seized control of the plan, acting as Hydra's agent.
Originally, the Insight Plan's main purpose had been observation. After Nolan's disappearance, Pierce discovered a better application.
With countless Lock Industries robots at his disposal, the world would soon fall under their control.
A self-satisfied smile crept across Pierce's face.
Nolan remained oblivious. The past six months of Hydra's plotting had not been wasted.
His return to Lock Industries had been brief, followed immediately by his journey to Kamar-Taj, leaving him unaware of the havoc Hydra had wrought.
Having mastered the Anywhere Door, Nolan's journey felt complete.
Yet questions still lingered.
He returned to the Ancient One, this time asking directly:
"Ancient One, why did you choose me? I don't believe in fate, so don't speak of it!"
His gaze burned with intensity.
Since the Ancient One allowed him to learn magic, and he could indeed grasp it, any lingering doubt vanished. Clearly, she had special plans for him.
His courage grew accordingly.
The Ancient One retained her enigmatic composure, always smiling with a hint of inscrutability, as if knowing everything.
She spoke:
"You already know my identity."
"Yes." Nolan nodded.
She continued:
"The Supreme Sorcerer bears the duty of protecting Earth. Every generation of Earth's sorcerers wields unmatched power. In my pursuit of greater strength, I once fell into darkness."
Nolan was stunned. Few within Kamar-Taj would even know this secret.
Mordo's turn to darkness had ties to the Ancient One's use of dark powers.
Before then, she had been Mordo's guiding belief. When that faith shattered, Mordo succumbed to darkness himself.
Yet he lacked the Ancient One's mastery, unable to use darkness without losing himself.
Now, she revealed this secret to Nolan outright.
The Ancient One did not react to his surprise, continuing:
"Darkness made me stronger, though at a great cost. But now, I foresee an even greater darkness ahead, and you are the key to dispelling it."
"Me?"
Nolan was taken aback.
Could the Ancient One not foresee her own death? Yet he accepted her explanation, however reluctantly.
This was almost like official validation.
Nolan chuckled inwardly. Since arriving in this world, he had always worried about the Ancient One's intentions. Hearing this in her own words dissipated all doubt.
Meanwhile, at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Washington base, Steve Rogers, having escaped, immediately contacted the Avengers.
This was no longer a battle he could face alone.
He needed reinforcements.
The Black Armor suits had been seized by Pierce's forces, including his, Natasha's, and Barton's, greatly reducing their combat capacity.
Fortunately, Tony Stark arrived just in time.
"What happened here?"
Before them stood an army of Lock Industries robots. Even Stark was taken aback.
"Damn it, I should have brought my own legion."
Steve had not known how overwhelming the enemy would be.
"No matter what, the aerial carriers must not launch!"
Steve's command was firm.
"Once they do, the world could fall under Hydra's control."
Bruce Banner took a deep breath.
"Then smash it, right?"
"Exactly!"
Hearing this, Banner transformed instantly, Hulk emerging in his place.
Hulk's specialty was smashing, and he was unparalleled at it.
Before the Avengers' formidable lineup, Pierce felt no fear, only disdain.
"Seems you don't realize your predicament!"
Pierce's lips curled in a smirk.
"Brock Rumlow! Show them S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Heavy Cavalry!"