After discussing for a while at the stone pedestal, the young sorcerers dispersed once again. Perhaps they would gather again when someone attempted to communicate with the Eye of Agamotto.
Similarly, Stephen Strange, who had failed in his attempt, also left the scene. Perhaps he shared the same thoughts as the other young sorcerers.
Once everyone had dispersed, Wong remained in his position. However, he felt a slight disappointment towards Strange. Due to the different attitude shown by the Ancient One towards Strange, Wong had expected something more.
However, Strange’s performance with the Eye of Agamotto was similar to that of other talented sorcerers, suggesting that the Ancient One’s expectations might have been misplaced.
What Wong didn’t know was that the young sorcerers’ attempts to communicate with the Eye of Agamotto were being closely observed by the Ancient One from his dwelling.
The Ancient One felt great satisfaction seeing the slight reactions elicited from the Eye of Agamotto by these young sorcerers, as the future of Earth’s sorcerers relied on them.
During Strange’s attempt, the Ancient One had clearly shown more interest. When Strange managed to open a slight crack in the Eye of Agamotto, the Ancient One did not display surprise, as it was something he expected Strange to achieve.
However, just like with other sorcerers, the crack in the Eye of Agamotto closed again, releasing a magical shockwave that shattered Strange’s magic.
The changes in the Eye of Agamotto when in Strange’s hands were similar to those observed with the other young sorcerers. In theory, the Ancient One’s reaction could have been either calm or disappointed, just like Wong’s. However, before Strange was pushed back, the Ancient One’s eyes showed a hint of surprise and anticipation.
In his meditation chamber, the Ancient One opened his eyes as Strange, pushed back by the magic released from the Eye of Agamotto, stood by the stone pedestal and a faint golden light flashed in his eyes.
“He is indeed different…” The golden light in his eyes gradually disappeared, and the Ancient One murmured to himself with a faint smile.
Before meeting Lin Rui, the Ancient One had always been someone with an extraordinary understanding of the events unfolding in the world. After all, in terms of power, the Ancient One stood at the pinnacle of Earth and even the entire multidimensional universe.
Furthermore, he possessed the Eye of Agamotto and the Time Stone, which allowed him to peer into the flow of time.
However, since meeting Mirage Knight, also known as Lin Rui, the Ancient One discovered that the future of this remarkable young man was shrouded in uncertainty.
As someone adept at utilizing soul powers, the Ancient One quickly realized that this extraordinary young man didn’t truly belong to this world. Nevertheless, between erasing him and observing him, the Ancient One chose the latter.
Ancient One didn’t regret his decision as Lin Rui’s actions had consistently contributed to the betterment of the world. Even though the Ancient One couldn’t see Lin Rui’s future clearly, he knew that he had the power to influence and even change the future.
However, regarding the current events faced by Earth’s sorcerers, the Ancient One was well aware that the extraordinary young man couldn’t offer much assistance. This was precisely why a special individual was needed in the sorcerers, leading to the selection of a new generation of Sorcerer Supreme.
It was because of this that the Ancient One intentionally delayed the support from the sorcerers when Kaecilius attacked the New York Sanctum.
On one hand, Ancient One wanted to verify the truthfulness of the futures he “saw” in his visions. On the other hand, he wanted the extraordinary young man to realize on his own that there were some matters he couldn’t assist with.
During the process of selecting the new Sorcerer Supreme, Stephen Strange, the arrogant neurosurgeon from Chicago with crippled hands, undoubtedly caught the attention of the Ancient One.
Throughout several rounds of selection, the Ancient One discovered that this gender-fluid young doctor possessed unparalleled talent in magic. Moreover, to his surprise, when observing Strange’s future, he realized that he was the person he had been waiting for— the one who would bring transformation to Earth’s sorcerers.
It can be said that, apart from Lin Rui, Stephen Strange was the person the Ancient One used the Time Stone to observe the most. Although not every glimpse of the future was crystal clear, the Ancient One saw enough to make some judgments.
That’s why he remained indifferent to Strange’s actions and allowed him and others to observe and communicate with the Eye of Agamotto in the Sanctum.
Although the interaction between Strange and the Eye of Agamotto seemed no different from that of other sorcerers, the Ancient One intervened behind the scenes.
Strange was on the verge of opening the Eye of Agamotto completely, but because the Time Stone, which had the power to cause significant changes in reality, was sealed within it, the Ancient One intervened. He triggered the defensive magic on the Eye of Agamotto, pushing Strange back.
Therefore, despite the perceived failure by others, including Strange himself, he had actually succeeded. Although he didn’t know the reasons behind it, he had successfully engaged in deep-level communication with the Eye of Agamotto and even opened the seal to make contact with the Time Stone within.
“In that case, even if I…” Ancient One’s voice was low as his gaze seemed to penetrate through the curtains, revealing the vast snow-capped mountains and the sky beyond the courtyard. “Eye of Agamotto can be considered to have a successor.”
After muttering these words to himself, the Ancient One closed his eyes once again, entering a state of meditation.
…
Back in New York, in the Queens district, Lin Rui returned home from Stark Industries and contacted Jerry to get an update on the situation with the Earth’s sorcerers. However, to Lin Rui’s surprise, three days had passed, and there seemed to be no significant events happening in the sorcerer community.
It appeared that Kaecilius’s attack on the New York Sanctum was merely a momentary act of chaos, and Lin Rui had unwittingly found himself in the middle of it.
“This doesn’t make sense… Kaecilius has made his move, so logically, the Earth’s sorcerers should be in turmoil by now. Even with the Ancient One overseeing everything, there should still be something happening!” Lin Rui murmured in confusion as he walked towards Thor’s apartment.
Due to the main mission released by the system, Lin Rui was now highly concerned about the situation within the Earth’s sorcerer community.
……
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