177A Bleecker Street, Manhattan.
Standing before a three-story building, Finny looked up at the iconic seal on the roof and let out a long sigh of relief.
After more than an hour of searching, he had finally found the place.
As he stood before the entrance, a strange sensation washed over him.
To put it simply, the building seemed as if it could be easily overlooked if one wasn’t paying attention.
Finny didn’t know if this was magic, but he hesitated to go inside.
Although he had been preparing for nearly a month, he still felt a wave of uncertainty when faced with the reality of the moment.
*With the Ancient One’s abilities, she must already know I’m here,* he thought.
*Is she not appearing because she doesn’t want me to come?*
*No, maybe she’s already waiting for me inside, just unwilling to personally come out and greet me.
After all, she’s the Sorcerer Supreme—she has to maintain her dignity in front of her student.*
After a flurry of random thoughts, Finny finally took the step forward and entered the New York Sanctum.
The door pushed open easily.
Once inside, Finny glanced around.
The spacious hall was quiet, filled with objects that exuded an ancient, classical aura.
A staircase led straight up to the second floor.
*They look rich.*
Taking in the lavish, aristocratic surroundings, Finny muttered inwardly.
After his last experience, he didn’t dare speak recklessly anymore, even when no one seemed to be around.
“Is anyone here?”
Finny didn’t dare act rashly.
Instead, he called out from the hall.
After all, this was one of the Three Sanctums; who knew if there were magical traps set up nearby.
Soon, a… bald man?! descended the stairs.
Staring at the man’s completely bald head, Finny suddenly worried about his own hair.
*The price for learning magic from Ancient One couldn’t be losing my hair, could it?*
Recalling the future Doctor Strange, Finny temporarily set aside his concerns and addressed the mage coming downstairs.
“Hello. I’m Finny Halsz, a disciple Master Ancient One took in recently. You can just call me Finny.”
“A disciple of Master Ancient One?”
The man paused, giving Finny a puzzled look before replying, “Hello. I am Daniel Demla. My apologies, Wizard Halsz, but I haven’t heard anything about Master Ancient One taking on a new disciple recently.”
“Ahem…”
Finny cleared his throat awkwardly, trying his best to hide his nervousness. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
“Perhaps Master Ancient One felt my skills were still insufficient, making it difficult for her to speak of it,” he replied.
“The real reason I’ve come is to ask Master Daniel to take me to see her. I have some questions I’d like to ask.”
Daniel stared at Finny with a scrutinizing gaze for a long moment.
Only after concluding that Finny posed no threat did he nod and say, “Please, follow me.”
Daniel led Finny to a corner on the left side of the hall, where a large door stood closed.
Finny watched as Daniel opened the door, only to reveal a solid stone wall behind it.
Then, Daniel made a series of strange gestures.
Orange-red energy surged between his hands as he pressed them against the wall.
The stone rapidly transformed, turning transparent before flowing like a curtain of water.
*When it comes to teleportation, Earth really isn’t bad at all!*
Finny marveled inwardly.
Though Earth seemed weak overall, its hidden strength was enough to surpass many civilizations in the universe.
Stepping through the water curtain, the two arrived in a place that resembled a vast library.
Above them, a massive model of Earth floated motionless in the air.
Finny gazed around in awe, his eyes drawn to the countless locked spellbooks lining the shelves.
As they passed the Earth model, Finny glanced at the platform below it.
He didn’t see the Eye of Agamotto—the amulet powered by the Time Stone—which meant it must be on the Ancient One.
Daniel led the way in silence.
The time zone change had already brought Kamar-Taj to dusk.
The shifting light made Finny uneasy, but the others they passed merely spared him curious glances at his attire, none paying much mind.
“Wait here for a moment. I’ll go announce your arrival to Master Ancient One.”
Upon reaching a drawing room, Daniel had Finny take a seat and then vanished.
Finny sat on the edge of the chair, his nerves on edge.
For a month, he had rehearsed what to say to the Ancient One, wondering how he would answer her questions.
Now, the moment of truth had finally arrived.
“Welcome to Kamar-Taj, Mr. Halsz.”
The familiar voice resonated in his ears.
The Ancient One appeared in the drawing room, radiating a light far brighter and stronger than Daniel’s.
“Would you like some tea?” she asked.
“Thank you. Please, just call me Finny, Master,” he replied, quickly standing up and looking at her with a hint of nervousness.
Daniel, who had guided him here, stood beside her.
After Daniel was dismissed, only Finny and the Ancient One remained in the room.
She skillfully brewed two cups of tea, then sat down with a smile.
“Please, try this. It’s Chinese Longjing. I hope it’s to your liking.”
Finny didn’t refuse.
He lifted the cup and took a sip.
A slight astringency tightened on his tongue, not bitter, but with a sweet aftertaste and a fresh aroma that instantly cleared the dizziness in his head from crafting the compass.
“Delicious!”
Finny couldn’t help but exclaim.
Lacking the knowledge to describe it properly, he could only say it tasted great.
“Thank you,” the Ancient One replied with a smile, lifting her own cup and taking a sip with natural grace.
Finny hadn’t come here just for tea.
Though the tea was excellent, he didn’t drink much more.
Watching her savor the brew, he finally spoke up.
“Master Ancient One, I would like to study magic under your guidance. Would you consider it?”
“But you already know it, don’t you?”
The Ancient One’s gaze was calm and steady.
“No one ever complains about gaining more knowledge,” Finny replied earnestly.
“I’ve barely tapped into that power. I’m asking you to teach me, Master.”
“And what if I told you,” the Ancient One said, her words suddenly startling, “that I am the one actually hindering you from using it?”
“What?!”
Finny was stunned.
He had considered that Ancient One might refuse, agree, or even set conditions and restrictions, but he had never imagined such an answer.
*The slow progress of the ‘Golden Great Derivation Technique’ is somehow related to Ancient One?!*
“No one can truly control the future, Mr. Halsz,” Ancient One said slowly.
“I have seen countless possibilities for the future, yet it still feels unknowable—especially when it comes to you.”
“Sometimes your future is so vast it defies imagination; other times, I can see nothing at all. I am not even certain if my choice to meet you then, or now, was the correct one!”
Ancient One walked up to Finny, her profound gaze meeting his.
“The power you possess is terrifying, Finny. You could make this world a better place, or you could hasten its destruction.”
“Finny Halsz, your influence on this world is simply too great!”
(End of Chapter)