Chapter 17 Kamar-Taj
Sherlock looked at the portal that opened without any action behind Ancient One, then looked at Tony, who was currently facing off against a main battle tank behind him, and couldn't help but swallow hard.
Can I refuse? Do I dare to refuse? Will I really not get beaten if I refuse?
Three soul-searching questions surfaced in Sherlock's mind the moment Ancient One invited him. Fortunately, he was still wearing a mask; otherwise, if Ancient One had truly seen Sherlock's expression, he would probably have been in for a good beating.
Sherlock considered himself a responsible and courageous wizard, who, even in the Avengers, would be an excellent support, even if he couldn't deal damage.
Facing such a strong invitation from Ancient One, Sherlock, who feared no Shadow and would certainly not be coerced into submission, righteously and sternly said to Ancient One:
"It's my honor, esteemed Sorcerer Supreme."
Sherlock's reply was exceptionally respectful. As for whether he had originally come to witness Iron Man's birth, Sherlock now felt it wasn't very important.
No one can refuse Ancient One's invitation, no one! Sherlock Phoenix said it!
Ancient One didn't know about Sherlock's rich and dramatic inner thoughts. Upon hearing Sherlock agree, she revealed a slight smile before taking the lead and walking into the portal.
Sherlock naturally hurried to follow, lest he displease the big shot. After all, when under someone's roof, one must bow one's head.
However, what Sherlock didn't expect was that Ancient One, for some unknown reason, didn't open the portal directly into her main hall, as Sherlock had imagined.
Instead, she opened the portal at the main entrance of Kamar-Taj. The moment he stepped out of the portal, Sherlock saw the snow-capped mountain he had longed for before his transmigration.
Before his transmigration, Sherlock's mind was filled with the idea of buying a used large raptor and driving it from the easternmost part of his homeland all the way to the foot of this majestic snow mountain, to see this legendary highest peak in the World.
For this dream, he constantly searched for information online, planned routes, and learned about the local customs, traditions, and specialties of the places he would pass through.
Even when slacking off, his browsing history, apart from Audiosurf, Blade Tournament, and Pakistani iron car repairs, was filled with various self-driving tour guides and vlogs.
One must know that as an LSP, self-driving tour guides actually ranked higher than suggestive videos of long legs, which shows that Sherlock truly wanted to embark on such a spontaneous trip.
However, unfortunately, before his transmigration, Sherlock was burdened by a struggling life and meager wages, barely surviving just to support himself.
The so-called dream could only remain a dream.
After transmigrating, Sherlock no longer worried about his livelihood. He even had the car he had longed for in his previous life, which was unattainable even secondhand, but he was held back by a feeling of reluctance to approach his homeland.
Sherlock truly hadn't expected to see the mountain he had longed for before his transmigration in such a way.
Watching Sherlock seemingly gaze intently at the distant snow mountain, Ancient One merely smiled faintly, assuming Sherlock was simply immersed in the awe of seeing the World's highest peak for the first time.
"It's magnificent, isn't it?"
Ancient One spoke to Sherlock as if chatting with an old friend.
Sherlock, who had been engrossed in his own emotions, was startled awake by Ancient One's words and returned to the real World, smiling somewhat awkwardly.
"It is indeed breathtaking, Sorcerer Ancient One. I apologize for being distracted."
Regarding Sherlock's words, Ancient One calmly waved her hand, signaling Sherlock to follow her, and said as she walked:
"It's nothing. You know, even I am occasionally awestruck by the grandeur and beauty of this mountain."
Sherlock did not refute Ancient One's reply. He merely smiled and followed Ancient One's steps, the two of them walking one after another into this wizard gathering place, hidden on Earth for who knows how many years.
Ancient One introduced every building in Kamar-Taj to Sherlock along the way. Sherlock listened very carefully and looked very intently.
Perhaps due to the similar geographical location, the entire Kamar-Taj had a strong Tibetan flavor. The familiar architectural style made Sherlock feel especially close, and even under Ancient One's introduction, Sherlock, as a spectator, felt his eyes were almost not enough.
While Sherlock was touring Kamar-Taj, the mages inside Kamar-Taj could naturally see Sherlock being led by Ancient One on the tour.
Especially Sherlock's attire, which quickly spread throughout Kamar-Taj.
Anyone who saw Sherlock's attire, without exception, commented on it.
However, these comments were somewhat polarized: the younger mages, looking at Sherlock's attire, could be said to have their eyes gleaming. The handsome and mysterious helmet and black cloak practically hit the G-spot of that group of young mages.
As for the older mages, although they outwardly disdained Sherlock's somewhat chuunibyou attire, deep down, they couldn't help but Marvel at how truly cool it was.
After all, men are boys until they die. No matter how old a man is, he cannot refuse a naturally growing, straight wooden stick and the joy of sticking firecrackers in cow dung.
Of course, the above comments only applied to male mages. As for female mages, well... in summary, besides their curiosity about the identity of the person led by Ancient One, their comments on Sherlock's attire were remarkably uniform.
Utterly chuunibyou.
As Ancient One led Sherlock on the tour, Sherlock seemed to notice the curious attitudes of these mages. Their eyes, filled with curiosity, made Sherlock feel like a monkey in a zoo.
Fortunately, with the helmet covering him, Sherlock acted relatively normal, but he no longer had the desire to continue the tour.
Ancient One also seemed to notice that more and more mages were secretly gathering nearby. She seemed to understand Sherlock's feelings, and after a gentle cough, she directly led Sherlock grandly past the mages' training ground and into her main hall.
It wasn't until he stepped into Sorcerer Ancient One's main hall that Sherlock finally breathed a sigh of relief. Ancient One, however, went directly to her tea table and poured Sherlock a cup of clear tea.
Watching Ancient One place the cup in front of him, Sherlock even felt a little excited.
Is it here? Marvel's most famous drink, Ancient One's endlessly refillable tea!!!