"Master Ancient One, I think I should learn more magic from you."
Qin Xiao's tone was steady, but his eyes gleamed with a newfound determination.
It seemed he had finally found his direction.
His body and magic were a perfect match — heaven's own design.
At first, he had only wanted to learn portals and the Mirror Dimension to complement his Devil Fruit abilities.
But now… his ambition had changed.
The Form of Ikonn.
The Shield of Seraphim.
The Ancient Body of Hogoth.
The Lightning of Balthakk.
The Crimson Bands of Cyttorak.
The Winds of Watoomb.
The Mystic Whip.
To other sorcerers, these were merely auxiliary spells — minor tools in a magician's vast arsenal.
But in his hands… who knew what they might become?
Doctor Strange was often called the "Doctor of Exhaustion" — his problem wasn't skill, but mana.
After casting a few spells, his magic reserves would bottom out.
Qin Xiao, on the other hand, didn't have that problem at all.
He possessed limitless energy.
The only thing holding him back… was how slowly he learned.
He didn't have Strange's photographic memory or genius comprehension.
Where others might learn five spells, he might only master one.
But every spell he did learn would be devastatingly powerful.
They rely on quantity, he thought. Then I'll rely on quality.
The Ancient One regarded him in silence for a long time before finally saying,
"This matter… I must consider carefully."
She didn't immediately agree.
Because she wasn't sure — if she allowed Qin Xiao to continue learning more advanced sorcery, could it alter the course of the future itself?
Her hesitation made Qin Xiao's heart sink.
Would she actually refuse him?
But then, an idea sparked in his mind.
If I can't learn fast enough myself… why not let the Ancient One help me?
If she ate the Devil Fruit, her power would be linked to his system.
Her development of that fruit's ability would, in turn, feed energy and understanding back into him.
That would save him countless hours of study — and with the Ancient One's intellect, she'd surely unlock its secrets far faster than anyone else.
He didn't hesitate.
"Ah, if it's inconvenient, forget I asked," Qin Xiao said casually, then shifted the topic with practiced ease.
"But I can't help wondering… my dimensional deity gives me infinite energy. If you, the Sorcerer Supreme, were to eat the Age-Age Fruit… what would happen?"
He paused just long enough for the idea to take root.
"With your mastery of the mystic arts combined with the Fruit's power… wouldn't you achieve a level beyond anything this dimension has ever seen? Just as my body amplifies magic — perhaps your magic could amplify the Fruit."
It was classic Qin Xiao — polite words, but expertly calculated.
The Ancient One's expression didn't change, but inwardly, her heart stirred.
Over the past days, she had been studying the mysterious fruit nonstop.
She had sliced, examined, and even dissected its flesh — and yet found nothing unusual.
If this truly was a gift from another dimensional being, then perhaps the only way to understand it… was to experience it directly.
Still, she hesitated.
After a long silence, she finally said, "Tomorrow, I'll give you my answer."
With that, she drew a circle in the air. A golden spark spun outward — a portal to her chambers.
Qin Xiao followed her out of the Mirror Dimension, trying to mask his excitement.
The Ancient One returned to her quarters — simple, serene, timeless.
Upon her desk sat a special box, and within it rested the fruit Qin Xiao had given her.
Even after all this time, it hadn't decayed. Not a wrinkle, not a blemish.
She sat down cross-legged and extended her perception across the timestream.
In the futures she had seen, there was always a clear point where her life ended — a single moment, frozen and unchanging.
Every vision of the future stopped there.
That was the limit of her life.
But in one branch of fate, something was different — the path where she ate the fruit.
In that version, the moment of her death vanished.
The future beyond it became a fog, impenetrable and full of possibilities.
A future she could not see.
That uncertainty… terrified her.
She, who had long since seen everything, was now staring into the one thing she couldn't predict.
That was why she hadn't eaten it yet.
But today, Qin Xiao had shown her something new — the limitless potential of merging alien power with the mystic arts.
She had stood atop the magical peak for centuries.
There was nowhere left to climb.
Unless…
Unless she took a step into the unknown.
Was it better to fade quietly and pass the mantle to the next Sorcerer Supreme —
or to seize this otherworldly fruit and glimpse the power of a realm beyond her understanding?
The Ancient One closed her eyes and entered deep meditation, weighing eternity against curiosity.
Meanwhile, Qin Xiao sat in his quarters, restless.
He couldn't sleep, couldn't even meditate properly.
He waited — for dawn, for her answer, for the system's next message.
And then—
Ding!
"Detection complete: Age-Age Fruit has been consumed by matched host."
"Host receives synchronization feedback — assimilating fruit-derived energy."
Qin Xiao's lips curved into a slow, satisfied smile.
She ate it.
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