Before meeting the Ancient One, Skye had been trying to tell herself not to be surprised, to be polite, and not to embarrass herself.
Yet, the moment they met, she couldn’t help but look stunned.
It wasn’t just that she hadn’t expected the Ancient One to be a woman—it was that completely bald head.
After seeing the Ancient One, Skye subconsciously turned to look at Phini’s hair, a hint of worry in her eyes.
This caused Phini’s face to darken slightly.
After glaring fiercely at Skye to make her realize how rude she was being, Phini finally began to introduce her to the Ancient One, though the Ancient One likely already knew who she was.
When introducing Skye, Phini simply said, “This is my sister.” But when introducing the Ancient One, his list of titles was much longer:
“This is my master, the head of Kamar-Taj, Earth’s Strongest, the Sorcerer Supreme who knows almost everything about the past and future—the Ancient One!”
Hearing this, Skye grew even more nervous.
Although she couldn’t understand why Phini described this gentle-faced, elegant woman in such exaggerated terms, it didn’t stop her from feeling a deep sense of awe.
“Hello, Master Ancient One,” Skye greeted respectfully.
“Hello, Miss Helsitz,” the Ancient One nodded with a kind and gentle smile.
She then continued, “Phini has already told me about your situation, but please don’t blame me for speaking plainly: the power of magic is not something everyone can master. One must never force it.”
Skye nodded earnestly in understanding.
The mere opportunity to even try was already a gift; even if she failed to learn, she would hold no grudge against anyone.
Everything in Kamar-Taj was a novelty to Skye.
During her first day of visiting, her thirst for knowledge was practically overflowing, and her anticipation for learning magic was instantly maxed out.
Thus, after informing her parents, the two of them stayed at Kamar-Taj under the guise of a vacation.
At first, they didn’t start learning anything.
Instead, they spent their time in the training grounds, observing other sorcerers practice.
Watching the streaks of orange-red energy swirling in the sorcerers’ hands, Skye was thrilled and couldn’t wait to join in.
But as she began her own practice, she realized that things were not so simple.
A full month passed, and she couldn’t even conjure a single spark.
Fortunately, Kamar-Taj kept pace with the times and had internet access; otherwise, she probably would have given up long ago.
Even so, she had been seriously considering quitting these past few days.
The only thing that offered Skye any solace was that Phini was in no better shape than she was.
If her progress was a mere spark, Phini’s could only be described as a tiny ember.
For a whole month, Phini had been utterly frustrated.
He’d even started to wonder if losing his hair was the only way to get stronger.
A whole month, and all he had to show for it were a few measly sparks?
Only Mordo’s reassurance—that most beginners started at this level—had kept him from giving up.
His struggles with magic made Phini realize that relying on it for a quick power-up was unrealistic.
His greatest asset remained the abilities he could draw from the system.
Just as Phini was pondering his next move, Skye found him and announced she was quitting.
“Are you sure?” Phini asked, his gaze fixed on her dejected face.
He understood her frustration all too well.
Studying for so long without seeing a shred of progress was soul-crushing.
He could at least see a glimmer of hope, but Skye couldn’t even channel a single wisp of energy.
“Yeah,” she replied softly.
“Maybe I’m just not cut out for this.”
Skye spoke sullenly.
If she could, she still hoped to obtain this supernatural power.
But she also remembered that Ancient One had advised her from the very beginning not to force it.
“Alright, alright, it’s okay. Actually, I’ve always felt that being a Mystic Arts practitioner isn’t really suitable for girls. You should focus more on how you’d use a shockwave ability if you had one.”
“Why shockwaves?”
Skye didn’t understand why Phini kept bringing this up.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll tell you when the time is right,” Phini said, refusing to explain and changing the subject.
“So, are you planning to go home?”
“Yeah.”
Skye nodded.
Although Kamar-Taj had internet access, the speed here was obviously not that good, and the simple and austere lifestyle actually made her a bit uncomfortable.
“Alright, then I’ll leave the explanation to your parents to you.”
During this time, they had of course spoken with their families and even gone to town to take some photos to show them, so their parents hadn’t found anything unusual.
“Let’s go then. I’ll take you to tell the teacher, and she can send you back directly.”
After packing her things, Skye found the Ancient One and explained the situation.
The Ancient One said little about Skye’s decision to give up, offering neither comfort nor encouragement, but simply nodded in understanding.
After opening a portal to send Skye to a spot near her home, Phini began to discuss another matter with the Ancient One.
“Master, I want to find other sorcerers to help me improve my combat skills.”
“Master Mordo and Wong would likely be happy to assist you,” the Ancient One nodded, offering her suggestion.
During this past month, he had met these two sorcerers, who would later become close allies of Doctor Strange.
As for the traitor Kaecilius, he didn’t seem to have joined Kamar-Taj yet.
“Then, may I use this?” Phini summoned the “Spirit of Vengeance,” and a silver longsword appeared before him.
After grasping it, he chose not to equip the armor immediately.
The Ancient One paused as she watched Phini hold the sword.
After a long moment, she said softly, “This is a living weapon. It may erode your mind and harm your body. Do you understand?”
The system’s description had stated that it was inhabited by an ancient lifeform, and without this, it wouldn’t be able to evolve.
“Remember, never let the power control you!”
In the end, the Ancient One did not stop Phini from using these abilities, granting him her utmost trust.
Just as Phini was about to leave to discuss the battle with Mordo, a possibility struck him.
He stopped in his tracks, turned back to the Ancient One, and asked, “Master, can you use it?”
Phini held out the *Spirit of Vengeance*, offering it to her.
He wanted to know if anyone other than himself could wield it.
Testing it on an ordinary person would be too dangerous, but with the Ancient One, there were few such concerns—unless she herself wanted to die.
“I think I can try,” she replied.
The Ancient One didn’t stand on ceremony.
She took the *Spirit of Vengeance* from Phini, examining it with curiosity.
“Hmm… it seems to be a very peculiar creature, capable of evolving to adapt to the wielder’s power. The forging method is also quite extraordinary!”
“Its incantation is ‘Spirit of Vengeance,’ and it can transform into armor,” Phini reminded her from the side.
“Spirit of Vengeance!”
The Ancient One softly recited the words.
A staggering surge of energy erupted from the longsword, its aura far surpassing the first time Phini had used it.
The figure that materialized behind her was even more terrifying and oppressive, making Phini, who stood nearby, struggle to breathe.
“ROAR!”
A thunderous roar echoed through all of Kamar-Taj, startling every mage present.
Just as the figure was about to embrace the Ancient One, she waved her hand.
A ring of green energy swirled around, dispersing the Spirit of Vengeance’s form.
She then withdrew her power, and the weapon reverted to its original shape as a longsword.
*Huff… huff…*
As the oppressive pressure vanished, Phini gasped for air.
Only by experiencing it firsthand did he truly grasp his own weakness.
The same equipment, in the Ancient One’s hands, was at least ten times more powerful than when he used it.
However, through this test, he also realized that ultimate control of the skill still rested with him.
Although the Ancient One could use it, he could cancel the skill at any time.
(End of Chapter)