The restaurant looked completely normal from the inside. Just your average New York establishment—tables, bar, the usual stuff. A few customers sat scattered around, looking like regular people.
But Abel could feel it. The magic was everywhere, subtle and pervasive.
A middle-aged man in a long robe walked out from somewhere in the back. He glanced at Daniel and Abel briefly—no words, no greeting—just pointed at the kitchen door. Then he walked over to the bar and sat down like they'd already been dismissed.
Daniel nodded at Abel, understanding the signal, and they headed toward the kitchen.
When they passed through the door, everything changed.
Abel stopped for a second, just processing what he was looking at. The space beyond the kitchen was nothing like the restaurant. It was like stepping into a medieval town's main street—old architecture, ancient buildings, all that retro aesthetic. But mixed in were modern conveniences and technology that somehow didn't look out of place.
"Welcome to the Black Cauldron," Daniel said quietly. "This restaurant is one of the entrances. The magic here makes it so normal people can't even notice what's really going on. It's all about privacy."
"How long has this been here?" Abel asked.
"Nearly two hundred years. The original building was built in that retro style, and it's just evolved from there." Daniel gestured around at the street. "The layout is pretty straightforward. See those stalls over there?"
Abel nodded, looking at the various vendor booths lining the street.
"Those are sorcerers selling things. First-come, first-served basis—that keeps conflicts to a minimum. If you want to actually communicate with someone, negotiate trades, there's an exchange office up ahead, but..." Daniel lowered his voice slightly. "A lot of those people are just liars and or scammer. Since it's your fisrt time, just get to know how it works, but I wouldn't recommend actually negotiating anything important today."
"Got it. Thanks for the warning," Abel said. He appreciated the heads-up. Yeah, he could probably handle himself, but sorcerers could have weird tricks. Things were less complicated with someone watching his back.
They spent the next two hours just walking around. Abel checked out various stalls, picking up materials that actually looked useful. Mostly just raw ingredients that had been processed a bit—nothing too expensive since this world stuff wasn't as rare as magical materials from his old life.
While they browsed, Daniel explained more about how Kama Taj's magic worked—how it was mostly combat-focused, combining actual martial arts with spellcasting. How the truly powerful sorcerers could open mirror spaces and portals.
Because Abel knew that his knowledge of the power system of this world was at best superficial. All of his knowledge came from decade-old memories from his past life, meaning that like everything in this world, he didn't have all the answers. And even if he had, things might just be different enough from the canon he knew for him to crash and burn like in his past life.
"On thing you have to understand regarding our magic," Daniel said, "is that Kama Taj has really combat magic. But healing magic? Recovery spells? Potions? Are not our strongest. That's probably why the Ancient One was so interested in the healing potion formulas that you inherited."
Abel nodded. That made sense. It explained why the Ancient One had been so willing to trade—she'd recognized something useful that her tradition didn't have.
After about two hours of shopping, Abel's schoolbag was completely stuffed with materials, and his wallet was basically empty. He'd spent everything from his pocket money and his part-time job earnings.
Looking at all the stuff he hadn't been able to buy—all the materials still sitting on stalls that he'd need for his research—Abel started sighing.
He needed money. Real money. Not just teenager pocket money. If he wanted to actually develop the potion system, make better wands, get his hands on high-level magical materials, he'd need serious funding.
Which meant... maybe it was time to approach Tony Stark.
Not yet. But soon. Stark had money, sure, and he was arrogant and had relationship drama and all that. But he wasn't the backstabbing type. He'd invest in something he thought was cool, and if Abel could frame this right—a research facility focused on... something that sounded useful—Stark would probably bite.
Movies were just references, sure. But you could work with reference points.
"Come on, let's head out," Abel said to Daniel, slinging his now-heavy backpack over his shoulder.
Daniel nodded, and they started making their way back toward the restaurant exit.
They'd barely made it outside when Daniel leaned close the distance between them and whispered, "Master Abel, did you notice?"
"Notice what?"
"We've been followed. For about thirty minutes now. Someone's been tailing us since we were in the market."
Abel's eyes narrowed. He glanced around casually, trying to spot whoever was following them without being obvious about it.
"You have an idea on who would do that?" Abel asked quietly.
"Could be someone who noticed you were with me. Could be that they want to rob you. Or it could just be that they're just curious about a new face in the Black Cauldron." Daniel's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. "We could open a portal right now, head straight back to the Sanctuary and completly disapear."
"Wait," Abel said. "Why didn't they just try something inside the Black Cauldron if they wanted to rob me?"
"Because Agatha Harkness controls that place like a little kingdom," Daniel explained. "She's incredibly powerful - one of the strongest witches alive. Not on part with the Sorcerer Supreme, but not that far either. And even though Harkness doesn't hang around the Black Cauldron all the time, her home is still nearby, and she keeps an eye on the place. Nobody's stupid enough to start trouble there."
"So they're waiting until we leave the protected area," Abel said, understanding.
"Probably."
Abel thought about it for a second. Then he made a decision.
"I want to see who they are. And I want to test them."
Daniel's expression shifted immediately—concerned, maybe even a little disapproving. "Master Abel, these are sorcerers who've been doing this for years. They probably have techniques you haven't encountered yet. I'm not worried about me, but—"
"I know you're worried," Abel said, cutting him off gently. "But look, we're still in New York. You can open a portal back to the Sanctuary anytime, right? If things get bad, you portal us out as quickly as possible, right?
"As the guardian of the Sanctuary, I can open a direct portal home from anywhere in New York," Daniel admitted. "But Master Abel—"
"Then it's decided," Abel said. "I need to know my actual level. I've been training for six years, made a real wand, gotten better at magic. But I've never actually fought other sorcerers. Not seriously. So... let's see what I'm actually capable of with my new toy."
Daniel frowned, but he didn't argue further. He understood the logic, even if he didn't like the risk.
"Just stay close," Daniel said finally. "And if it's too much for you, let me know immediately."
"Will do," Abel agreed.
He was honestly curious. How good was he actually? Time to find out.
END CHAPTER 14