The violent, spectacular sparring session ended. The Mirror Dimension retracted like a curtain being drawn, the chaotic, inverted reality snapping back into the calm, stone courtyard of Kamar-Taj.
Wanda Maximoff stood motionless, her heart still hammering against her ribs, her mind reeling. Her previous understanding of power—the swiftness of a bullet, the destructive radius of a missile—was now hopelessly obsolete.
The portal, the impossible architecture of the Mirror Dimension, and the Bolts of Balthakk that had momentarily made the sky scream shattered her worldview. She was insignificant, a child playing with sparks, compared to the cataclysmic forces wielded by the Sorcerer Supreme and, even more unbelievably, the man named Su Yi.
"It seems I'm still not strong enough," Su Yi murmured, retrieving his thoughts from the heady rush of full power. His definition of strength was simple: invincibility. By that standard, the Ancient One's arcane shield and counter-attacks proved he had a long way to go before he could truly conquer threats like Hela or Thanos.
The Sorcerer Ancient One regarded him with a measured look. "Indeed, Mr. Su. While your sheer force output is staggering, strength is only useful if it can be controlled, focused, and employed against the unexpected. Magic, as you saw, provides a layer of defense and misdirection that raw speed and strength cannot simply overwhelm."
"So," she continued, her voice regaining its kind yet authoritative tone, "are you willing to assist in the training of Wanda and the necessary humbling of Doctor Strange?"
"Absolutely, no problem at all," Su Yi confirmed readily. "I will ensure they both reach their full potential. Especially Strange. I think today is the perfect day to begin tempering his character."
The Ancient One's eyes narrowed slightly, a subtle acknowledgment of his thinly veiled agenda. She had peered into his mind and seen his desire to intercept Dr. Christine Palmer before Strange could solidify their turbulent relationship.
While the moral implications were questionable, the Ancient One saw a practical benefit: distracting Strange's ego and providing him with necessary emotional upheaval.
"You'd better ensure you maintain control over your true intentions," she warned, a faint ripple of arcane power passing through the air.
"I'm the best at self-control," Su Yi replied with a charming, easy smile that did nothing to reassure the Ancient One.
Wanda, who had been silent, finally spoke. "Sorcerer Ancient One, is your sole goal in teaching me to simply protect this world?"
"My goal is to help you master the formidable power that resides within you, ensuring it neither consumes you nor harms the innocent," the Ancient One stated. She then glanced toward the fading ripple where Su Yi had stood moments before. "As for his goal, his motivations are far more self-serving. He is, to put it plainly, a playboy."
Wanda's initial awe curdled into disgust. Her hatred for the entitled, wealthy class—the class that manufactured the bomb that orphaned her—instantly flared. No wonder he has a good relationship with Tony Stark, she thought bitterly. They're the same type of person.
"I would never be interested in a man like that," Wanda declared, hardening her resolve.
The Ancient One offered no comment, simply leading Wanda away. "That is not important right now. I will show you your quarters. You will live here, learn to meditate, and begin to understand the ancient language of the Mystic Arts."
Wanda, fueled by the cold fire of revenge and the terrifying scale of the power she needed to acquire, followed. "Yes, Sorcerer Ancient One."
Su Yi Teleported directly back to his New York residence, the quiet of the penthouse feeling almost deafening after the cosmic tempest of the Mirror Dimension.
First, he demanded a system tally of his recent fate-altering interventions.
[Fate Points Earned: 110,000 FPs (Change of destiny for Wanda Maximoff and Pietro Maximoff, major intervention in the life of Tony Stark).]
[Lottery Item: Anti-Telepathy Helmet (Tier 2 Artifact).]
Su Yi held the polished, silver helmet in his hands, scoffing. "This is exactly the kind of crutch I want to avoid. A helmet to block psychic invasion is useless if your mind is weak. The Ancient One confirmed it: improving my Mental Power through meditation is the only true defense."
With the new influx of Fate Points, he was finally ready to break another barrier.
"System," he commanded internally, "allocate FPs to max out all non-intelligence core physical attributes to LV7."
The physical sensation of the upgrade was profound. It wasn't just a numerical increase; it was the biological and energetic restructuring of his entire being. His muscles felt like reinforced carbon fiber, his bones denser than neutron star material, and his internal energy core hummed with the power of a miniaturized reactor. He was now, without question, S-Class in any contemporary superhero metric.
However, one attribute stubbornly remained behind: Intelligence.
[Intelligence LV6 (92% progress).
Cost to upgrade to LV7: 1,000,000 FPs.]
"One million Fate Points for a single point of Intelligence?" Su Yi sighed, running a hand through his hair. "That is an astronomical cost. I'm not going to spend my currency for cosmic power on a lecture series."
He reaffirmed his self-study plan. Intelligence was too broad to be bought. It required the conceptual integration of genius-level theories from multiple fields: quantum physics (Pym), advanced robotics and cybernetics (Otto), gamma radiation and biochemistry (Banner), and theoretical astrophysics (Shavig).
"Self-taught it is," he concluded. "I'll approach it like a marathon. Study intensely every day. A month or two of diligence should naturally break that LV6 barrier. For now, it's time to help Strange with his 'character defects.'"
It was late afternoon. Su Yi meticulously prepared for his mission. This wasn't a casual hookup; this was strategic timeline alteration, disguised as a date. He chose a tailored Italian suit that screamed subtle wealth, an expensive but understated timepiece, and his sleekest electric luxury vehicle. He needed to look like a man who was successful effortlessly, providing a perfect foil to Strange's high-strung, merit-based ego.
A quick investigation confirmed that Doctor Stephen Strange was indeed working in the city, currently holding a prestigious surgical residency. The "center of the universe" truly seemed to attract all the major players.
Su Yi pulled up outside the New York Metropolitan Hospital, the sprawling, glass-and-steel monolith where both Strange and Christine Palmer worked. He found the surgical department and located Christine, who was currently assisting in a complex, high-stakes surgery.
Su Yi decided to wait. He found a quiet bench in the corridor, took out a dense medical journal on advanced neurological surgery—a subject he now understood perfectly thanks to his Lv6 Intelligence—and began reading. He maintained a posture of patience and respectful engagement, a silent display of his serious interest.
He waited for three hours.
Finally, the surgery concluded. Christine Palmer, dressed in her surgical scrubs, looking tired but elated from the success of the operation, emerged with her team. She was stunning—focused, intelligent, and radiating a pragmatic beauty that contrasted sharply with the ethereal glow of Wanda.
"Hello, Dr. Christine," Su Yi greeted her, rising with calm grace.
Christine paused, surprised by the handsome stranger who seemed to know her name. "Hello. I'm sorry, do I know you?"
"My name is Su Yi," he introduced himself, offering a respectful handshake. "I'm just a passerby. I happened to see you once a few months ago, and I confess, I couldn't get you out of my mind. I'd very much like to formally introduce myself and invite you to dinner tonight."
Christine's colleagues, a group of interns and junior residents, immediately began to murmur and nudge her.
"Christine, he's gorgeous!"
"Seriously, Dr. Palmer, don't mess this up. Look at that suit! The guy's obviously loaded."
"He's Eastern, but I'm getting serious leading-man aesthetics here. You have to say yes!"
Flattered and slightly overwhelmed by the directness of the approach, Christine smiled warmly. "That's... very forward of you, Mr. Yi. And yes, I'd love to. However, I still have a few post-op reports to finish. You'll need to wait for me for about another hour."
"Of course," Su Yi said, gesturing to the journal in his hand. "Please take your time. You are a doctor; treating your patients are the most important thing."
The simple, non-demanding reply sealed the deal. Christine's face lit up with genuine pleasure. "I won't be long! And thank you for understanding."
An hour later, Christine emerged, having changed into a smart dress, her hair pulled back neatly.
"Hi," she said, beaming. "Did I keep you waiting long?"
Su Yi stood, a gentle smile on his face. "Not at all. I found plenty to occupy myself." He held up the journal. "I was just studying the vascular implications of the neurosurgery you just performed. Fascinating stuff." He was laying the groundwork, establishing himself as a man of intellect and patience.
"Do you have a particular restaurant you'd like to go to?" Su Yi asked. "If not, I made a tentative reservation at Madison Restaurant."
Christine's eyes widened slightly. Madison was one of the most exclusive, expensive restaurants in the city. "Wouldn't that be far too extravagant?"
"If you have a better suggestion, I can easily cancel the reservation," Su Yi said, making it clear the cost was utterly irrelevant to him.
Just as Christine was about to reply, a cold, sharp voice sliced through the corridor.
"Christine, let's go. I'm starving."
Doctor Stephen Strange strode around the corner, his gait characterized by a subtle, inherent arrogance that came from being the most brilliant surgeon in the room. He wore a crisp, tailored suit and, of course, his signature expensive watch.
He looked directly at Christine, his eyes sweeping over her with possessive impatience, and then, completely, utterly ignored Su Yi as if he were a misplaced piece of medical equipment.
Strange placed a hand on Christine's lower back, urging her forward. "I already cleared my calendar for the evening. I need to talk to you about the neuro-stimulator trial."
Christine frowned, pulling slightly away from his touch. "Stephen! I'm sorry, I already have plans. I accepted Mr. Yi's invitation."
Strange finally deigned to glance at Su Yi, his expression a fleeting mixture of irritation and utter dismissiveness. He didn't even acknowledge Su Yi's existence, instead addressing Christine in a lowered, patronizing voice.
"You're going out with this... tourist? Christine, I have a reservation at Dorsia. We have to discuss the case." He made the words tourist and case sound equally beneath him.
Su Yi remained perfectly still, his exterior calm, but a cold, hard focus settling deep in his core. Perfect, he thought. The arrogance is precisely where we start the tempering process.
The stage was set: the brilliant egoist, the kind-hearted doctor, and the powerful outsider.
The confrontation between Strange and Su Yi has begun, with Christine caught in the middle.