The next day, 10:00 AM.
Manhattan, Greenwich Village.
Stephen Strange stood at the entrance of 177A Bleecker Street right on time.
He looked up at the quaint building that stood out in the modern metropolis and knocked gently on the door.
The door opened in response.
Homelander was inside, gesturing with his chin.
"Right on time, my student. Come in."
Stephen stepped into the foyer and approached Homelander.
Homelander looked at Stephen, not in a rush to take him to see the Ancient One.
He decided that before handing him over to the Ancient One, he would give this future Sorcerer Supreme some "ideological education" to prevent the guy from causing some unmanageable trouble in order to resurrect his girlfriend.
"Stephen, Tony mentioned some things about you to me," Homelander said in a calm tone. "About that car accident, and the person you lost."
"I don't want to talk about this, Anthony."
"I understand." Homelander's expression turned solemn, switching into life mentor mode.
"I just want to tell you that life is a one-way street. We keep moving forward, and we keep losing things along the way."
"Death is never the end; it's just a different form of companionship..."
"For the sake of what you cherish most in your heart, do not be bound by the past and stop in your tracks."
"Explore, transcend, and you will eventually find your own brilliant future, as well as the answers!"
Homelander's words were clear: Don't stop in sadness for what you've lost; keep them as memories in your heart. You still have important work to do. Pull yourself together and keep moving forward; as long as you don't give up, you will definitely have a better future!
Death is not the end? Don't be bound by it? Transcend for the sake of what you cherish most?
Stephen's eyes lit up. Homelander was hinting at him!
Christine's soul hadn't disappeared; she was just accompanying him from another dimension!
He told me not to be bound by death because magic can transcend the boundaries of life and death!
He is encouraging me to challenge the laws of death!
As long as I master the power to break the rules, I can bring Christine back!
"I understand completely, Teacher Starr." Stephen looked at Homelander firmly and said solemnly, "Thank you for your guidance. I know what I must do!"
"As long as you understand." Seeing Stephen's high-spirited appearance, Homelander nodded with satisfaction.
At the same time, he secretly gave himself a thumbs up in his heart: I really am a genius! A few random sentences cured this kid's psychological trauma. Look how motivated he is now.
"Let's go, I'll take you to meet someone." Homelander stepped forward and turned to lead the way.
The two went upstairs and entered an inner room filled with the scent of sandalwood.
Sorcerer Ancient One was currently sitting cross-legged on a cushion, meditating with her eyes closed.
Hearing the movement, the Ancient One slowly opened her eyes, her gaze landing on Stephen.
"You have come." The Ancient One's voice was distant, exuding a sense of unfathomable depth.
"The river of fate always intersects when one least expects it. You have arrived here after all, Stephen Strange."
Homelander rolled his eyes silently to the side. Didn't you ask me to bring him here? Pretending...
[Notification! Gained 10,000 special popularity value! (From the Ancient One)]
Listening to the system notification, Homelander almost couldn't hold back his laughter.
Holy crap, this bald old lady finally dropped gold coins!
This old lady acts more aloof than anyone on the surface, but in private, seeing her beloved student arrive, she's so happy that she even dropped special popularity value.
Homelander cleared his throat and introduced her solemnly to Stephen.
"Stephen, this is the Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One. She is my teacher, and also your grand-teacher."
Homelander did not skimp on praise and showered her with flattery.
"In the field of magic, Sorcerer Ancient One's attainments are more than ten times greater than mine!"
"She controls the mysteries of the multiverse and is Earth's ultimate line of defense against the invasion of darkness."
"From now on, you will learn magic under the Grandmaster. Being able to receive her teachings is your great honor!"
Hearing Homelander praise the bald woman before him so highly, respect welled up in Stephen's heart.
[Notification! Gained 5,000 special popularity value! (From the Ancient One)]
Hearing Homelander praise her so highly in front of her most valued future successor, the Ancient One remained calm and indifferent on the surface, but she was extremely pleased inside.
Haha! Pretend! Keep pretending! Homelander was amused again.
Sure enough, Stephen Strange is the Ancient One's favorite; a little flattery and she dropped more!
Homelander and the Ancient One exchanged a subtle glance.
The two exchanged a tacit, happy look of mutual understanding.
Stephen respectfully bowed to the Ancient One.
"Sorcerer, I am eager to learn. Please teach me."
The Ancient One nodded slightly, reached into her robe, and pulled out an old-looking book, handing it over.
"The path of magic is rugged and long, Stephen."
"These are some of my magical insights jotted down when I was young, which will be of great benefit to an apprentice just coming into contact with the mystic arts. Take it; it belongs to you now."
Stephen took the notebook with both hands as if it were a rare treasure, thanking her repeatedly.
Standing to the side, Homelander looked at the familiar notebook, his expression becoming very Strange.
Holy crap, are you mass-producing these things?
You gave me one last time, and now you're giving him one that's exactly the same? How many insights do you actually have?
The Ancient One seemed to notice Homelander's gaze and deliberately turned her head away, pretending not to see it.
After introducing the two, Homelander decided to add some more burden to Strange.
Find some real work to tie him down, use work to completely drain his energy, so he wouldn't have time to ponder the dangerous business of resurrecting his girlfriend.
"Stephen, come with me."
Homelander opened a portal and brought Stephen to an independent courtyard in Kamar-Taj.
Wanda was lying quietly on a wooden couch, surrounded by the light of a magic array that sustained her life.
Seeing the girl on the bed, his years of professional career instinctively put him into a Doctor's professional state.
He walked up quickly, checked Wanda's eyelids, and felt for her carotid pulse.
"Vital signs are stable, but there are no neurological reflexes." Stephen frowned and turned to ask Homelander.
"What happened to her? Deep coma? Or brain death?"
Homelander walked to the bedside, sighed softly, and went into acting mode.
His eyes were dim, his eye sockets slightly red, and his broad shoulders seemed to sink slightly under the weight of sadness.
"Her name is Wanda, and she is an incredibly important person in my life..."
"In the battle against the Skrulls, to save me, her soul was stripped away by a powerful force and lost in an unknown dimension."
Homelander looked at Stephen with earnest eyes.
"Stephen, I can tell that you possess unparalleled magical talent; you are the best among us."
"I want to ask you for a favor. When you have mastered the mysteries of magic, please help me find her as soon as possible. I cannot lose her."
Looking at the man before him who possessed heaven-defying power yet humbled himself for the sake of his lover, a strong sense of empathy welled up in his heart.
They were both poor people who had lost their beloved!
This also made him more certain of his previous guess.
Because even Homelander himself was trying his best to find his lost lover!
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