Chapter 46 A New Year
"Thank you!"
Finney sincerely thanked Mordo.
He was truly grateful to Mordo, his senior, for providing so much experience and guiding him in his cultivation.
Seeing Finney's earnest thanks, Mordo felt a little embarrassed. He waved his hand casually to indicate it was nothing, then said, "Go and cultivate."
Watching Mordo's departing figure, Finney smiled silently. If he had the chance to repay Mordo in the future, he would definitely do so without hesitation—provided it was for the right reason.
Just as Mordo had said before, everyone in Kamar-Taj knew Finney's nickname, which made him increasingly annoyed. He already had nicknames like Armored Mage and Mad Knight.
Now, with the media publishing these nicknames, it was as if he had received official recognition, and many mages were even starting to call him Silver Knight.
"Should I just let Tony mention it casually?!"
Finney thought to himself. He was a certified sorcerer, a disciple of the Sorcerer Supreme. How could he be called a knight? Wasn't that a slap in the face to the Ancient One?
"Good morning, Silver Knight!"
Finney, who was pondering a solution, was called again and couldn't help but feel a little angry. He immediately turned around, wanting to have a friendly spar with the person, but found that the other person was bald. Instantly, his little face became as docile as a kitten.
"Good morning, Teacher!"
Finney put on a helpless expression and said to the Ancient One aggrievedly, "Teacher, please don't laugh at me. I was born a sorcerer, and I'll die a sorcerer."
"No one said you weren't!"
The Ancient One replied with a smile, but her teasing expression made it clear she found it very amusing.
Finney gave the Ancient One a resentful look, but the Ancient One didn't mind and looked back at him. The Sorcerer Supreme had seen all kinds of storms, and for a moment, they stared at each other.
In the end, it was the younger Finney who gave in first. He stopped discussing the form of address with the Ancient One and changed the subject by asking, "Teacher, is there any magical artifact that can force a spirit out?"
"No!"
The Ancient One fanned herself with a small fan as she walked forward, and Finney quickly followed.
"Then is there any powerful magical artifact specifically designed to counter enemies that are large, have high defense, are strong, and fast?"
The Ancient One stopped and looked at Finney speechlessly, as if wondering whether this was truly her disciple.
"Finney, if you ever obtain such an artifact, you can let me see it."
Looking at the encouraging Ancient One, Finney was somewhat embarrassed and speechless. He knew his question was a bit silly, but he thought that just in case—after all, she was the Sorcerer Supreme and had lived for so long.
"What are you planning to do now? Isn't being called the Silver Knight enough?"
The Ancient One asked casually, nodding and smiling in return to the other sorcerers who greeted her.
"There might be a battle between green and yellow monsters soon, and I want to try to stop it."
Finney hesitated for a moment before replying. Perhaps the Ancient One wasn't omniscient; after all, she couldn't possibly be interested in everything in the world.
But it was true that the Ancient One was capable of handling most things. With her strength, there weren't many things that could truly trouble her.
"Then be careful. Don't get hurt."
The Ancient One said as she turned around with concern.
That's it!?
Finney stared blankly at the Ancient One. Just a simple instruction, without asking which two monsters were involved or why they were being stopped, as if a simple be careful was enough.
"But I can't beat them yet. Is there anything the organization can do to help?"
Finney looked at the Ancient One with a pitiful expression, clearly meaning, Can you lend me some good equipment? I promise to return it.
"Isn't the Sling Ring enough?!"
The Ancient One looked at Finney's finger and said irritably, "You're the only one in the entire Kamar-Taj who owns one."
"Ahem, it's a necessity."
Finney hid his finger behind his back, afraid the Ancient One would take the Sling Ring away. He was almost used to opening portals.
"Finney, I don't mind what you do, but remember, don't cause trouble for Kamar-Taj, and don't put other sorcerers in danger."
Looking at the Ancient One's serious instructions, Finney nodded to show he understood. Kamar-Taj had given him so much help; he considered himself one of its members, and of course he wouldn't cause it any trouble.
"Also, your future should be your own choice. I believe you'll find a way."
Then, the Ancient One patted Finney on the shoulder and walked toward the training grounds to check on the progress of some early-rising sorcerers.
Not getting much help from the Ancient One, Finney considered other methods. He had thought of finding a battlefield with an advantage, like he had with the Iron Monger.
But unfortunately, Abomination was different from the Iron Monger. This guy's vitality was terrifyingly strong. A mere low temperature would probably only make him feel a little cold at most.
Furthermore, given Abomination's speed, his portals couldn't suddenly teleport him unless it was an accident, and the Hulk wouldn't be as obedient and cooperative as Tony.
With a worried sigh, Finney temporarily put aside his thoughts. There was always a way out. Although he didn't know the exact time, it should be soon. Maybe he could even draw his fifth skill by then.
Besides, at worst, he could simply not get involved at all and let the plot continue on its original trajectory. Even if the sky fell, the tall ones would hold it up.
His parents weren't in New York, and Skye was a homebody, so no matter how much noise those two made, it wouldn't affect his loved ones.
Finney never considered himself a hero. He was just the kind of person who would lend a hand when he had the chance and wouldn't feel guilty if he couldn't help.
He certainly didn't feel that Tony had a responsibility to protect world peace.
He was easygoing, even a bit lazy. If it weren't for the inherent danger of New York and the threat of Thanos's snap, he probably wouldn't be so eager to gain experience.
Ultimately, Finney decided to temporarily learn magic related to spirits, then continue improving himself step by step, perhaps looking forward to what his fifth skill would be before the Hulk battled Abomination.
Time always slips away unnoticed, and before he knew it, it was the end of the year again.
In the past two months, Tony hadn't contacted him many times. Each time, he called under Pepper's name, then borrowed the phone, never calling him first.
Tony contacted him mainly because S.H.I.E.L.D. had been investigating his identity. Tony and Pepper were the only two people who knew, and they had been driven crazy by it for the past two months, mostly calling to complain.
Of course, getting some Violet Chicken Wraps as compensation was also important.
Finney had considered discussing Abomination with Tony, but considering Tony's current struggles with the aftermath of revealing his identity, the pressure from the military, and the palladium poisoning, as well as the situation from their last collaboration, he ultimately abandoned the idea.
And so, 2010, the year Iron Man successfully debuted, passed, and the world ushered in a new year.
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(End of Chapter)