[Frog] Chapter 458-468

Chapter 458: Who Would Complain About Too Many Gifts

Alan felt the window beneath his feet start to spin again. His gaze shifted into the distance, toward the building that had enclosed Kaecilius.

“So it really is him.”

Alan hadn’t expected to run into Kaecilius so soon. He had thought their encounter would happen in the library of the Sanctum Sanctorum.

It seemed some things had gone beyond Alan’s predictions. Did that mean he now had the chance to eliminate Kaecilius?

Seeing Gwen safe and sound on the left side, Alan felt a bit of relief. What came next would be the showdown with Kaecilius!

Kaecilius appeared to sense the intent of Emperor, and cursed his rapid arrival.

He couldn’t afford to confront Emperor directly. Instead of engaging in a head-on battle, it would be better to trap them here—forever.

Kaecilius wasn’t sure how Emperor had gotten in, but he noticed none of them were wearing sling rings on their fingers.

That meant if he further infused magic into the Mirror Dimension, Emperor and his team wouldn’t be able to escape.

Kaecilius stared fiercely at Emperor, planning to widen the distance first—then make a run for it!

What should have been a wall was now under Emperor’s feet, while the surrounding streetlights turned into sharp weapons, aiming to pierce his head.

“Emperor, I didn’t expect we’d meet here. I hope you enjoy the grand gift I’ve prepared!” Kaecilius sneered, orange light flashing in his hands.

Alan noticed the building behind him rolling forward like a carpet, trying to swallow him whole. Behind him, above him, all around him—Kaecilius's magic arrays had already surrounded him!

Under the mask, the corners of Alan’s lips curled upward in amusement. This was far more interesting than fighting Hydra agents.

Wanda summoned chaos magic in her palms. No one would be allowed to harm her master—Emperor!

The sharp weapons above were halted mid-air by the chaos magic. With a sweep of Wanda’s hands, the blades reversed direction and shot toward Kaecilius.

Kaecilius spotted Wanda and immediately suspected she was the one who had brought Emperor in. If he could kill her, Emperor would have no chance of escaping!

Kaecilius swung his arms forcefully in front of his chest. In that instant, the entire city flipped upside down, and the windows beneath their feet opened and closed like traps—one wrong move, and they might get swallowed into some unknown alternate dimension.

“No one minds receiving too many gifts. But if you’re willing to offer up your head to me...” Emperor’s voice was utterly emotionless,

“I think I’d be even happier than I am now.”

Suddenly, a golden rope coiled tightly around Wanda’s ankle. As she was still controlling the flying weapons, she couldn’t spare a hand to cut it off!

“Leave it to me!” Gwen leapt forward and slashed through the golden rope. She remembered that Female Venom had already devoured Kaecilius’s disciples—so where had this new batch come from?

“Stop them! For Dormammu’s descent upon Earth to go smoothly, he will surely reward us with rebirth!” Kaecilius chanted under his breath.

Alan realized Kaecilius was trying to escape. He launched himself toward him at high speed—but it was still too late. Kaecilius had already slipped away.

“You lunatics, all of you. He’s using you, and yet you’re still throwing your lives away for him like fools.”

Now that Kaecilius was gone, Alan had no intention of chasing further.

He had no idea where Kaecilius’s next teleportation point would be.

Chapter 459: The Fanatical Followers

“The great dark god Dormammu will grant us eternal life… Lord Kaecilius will obtain the chance for us to live forever…”

The sorcerers chanted those words repeatedly. Inside his helmet, Alan rolled his eyes—he had heard lines like this way too many times.

Just like the Hydra organization, these people had somehow found a so-called “faith” that drove them insane. One phrase was enough to make them throw away everything. These were Dormammu’s deranged zealots!

Magic circles flared from the sorcerers’ hands as they charged straight toward the trio led by the Emperor. Their minds held a single belief: to carry out Kaecilius’ orders.

Even if they died here, they had no fear. Kaecilius would soon discover the secret to eternal life—and drag them back from Hell.

To die for Kaecilius, to die for Dormammu—that was an honor to them.

“Bunch of lunatics,” Wanda muttered, pressing her fingers together. As she rotated them, a surge of Chaos Magic erupted. She had to thank Kaecilius for this opportunity.

Since he hadn’t broken the Mirror Dimension, she could unleash as much magic as she wanted inside it without worrying about collateral damage. She could kill freely and without restraint!

Inside the Sanctum Sanctorum, Stephen Strange was summoned by Ancient One. He saw her standing with her back to him.

“Ancient One…” Stephen Strange nervously rubbed his fingertips. Even from behind, he could feel the overwhelming presence emanating from her.

Recently, while studying spells, he had made significant progress—learning to open portals with the Sling Ring and even secretly studying astral projection without the librarian Wong’s permission.

Now that he had been summoned out of the blue, Strange had a hunch: Ancient One was likely going to lecture him about it.

“Strange, I once praised your talent—but that wasn’t permission to question the curriculum or decide to self-study,” Ancient One said calmly, hands behind her back. The bone fan she slowly rotated made Stephen slightly uneasy. After all, this was the Sorcerer Supreme.

He was just a rookie, freshly initiated—no match for her in any sense.

“I’m glad to hear you acknowledge my talent, Ancient One. But those lessons you arranged for me—they’re full of boring, senseless rules. I’m not learning anything from them.”

Strange figured, since he had already been summoned, he might as well speak his mind directly.

Those rigid, dogmatic lessons weren’t the kind of magic he wanted to learn. They had nothing to do with healing his hands either.

He had no interest in learning such dull sorcery—that’s why he ignored Ancient One’s curriculum and chose to teach himself.

“Dead rules?” Ancient One repeated those words slowly. The bone fan in her hand stopped turning as she slowly turned to face him. “You mean, like not using the Sling Ring freely in the library?”

Stephen wasn’t surprised. “Wong tattled on me, didn’t he?”

Before being summoned, Strange had already suspected that if anyone had caught him using the Sling Ring in the library to grab forbidden books, it had to be Wong. And now, hearing Ancient One questioning him, he realized he’d guessed correctly.

But in truth, Ancient One wasn’t angry at all. Instead, she was secretly pleased—Stephen’s rapid learning meant he might soon be ready to inherit something far more important…

Chapter 460: A New Place to Practice

The position of Sorcerer Supreme—it was time for a new successor.

Ancient One had high hopes for Stephen Strange. Now that Ebony Maw had been eliminated by Hela, and with the Emperor’s group present, Thanos would never be able to take the Time Stone from her or from Stephen.

In a calm and gentle tone, Ancient One said,

“Strange, it’s time for you to find a safer place to practice your spells.”

As she spoke, Stephen Strange noticed her hand subtly gesture to the left. The space in that direction seemed to shatter like a mirror, as though an invisible stone had been hurled into it—countless cracks split through the air!

Stephen frowned deeply. His understanding of the arcane had just been reshaped again, and his heart surged with a thirst for more extraordinary magic.

With a light movement of her fingers, Ancient One caused the fractured space to break apart into gleaming mirror-like shards.

Stephen watched as Ancient One slowly stepped into the broken mirror fragments, and he followed closely behind.

As he reached the shard’s edge, he stopped and stretched out a hand to touch the mirror-like surface. This was a realm he had never encountered before.

Upon entering the fractured mirror dimension, a loud shattering sound like glass being smashed rang in his ears. Strange instinctively covered them.

He lifted his gaze and saw scenes reflected within the shards themselves.

With her hands still clasped behind her back, Ancient One observed Stephen stepping backward, constantly turning his head to take in his surroundings.

“Wha… what is this place?” Stephen Strange asked in amazement.

“The Mirror Dimension,” she answered. “It exists, but is almost impossible to detect. Whatever happens here has no impact on the real world. This will be your training ground. It’s completely safe.”

Ancient One had taken into account that Stephen, still a beginner, might lose control of his magic and inadvertently harm others if he practiced outside.

“And one more thing—if you don’t have a Sling Ring, you’ll be trapped in here,” she added, hands now in her pockets, strolling casually.

Still brimming with curiosity, Strange waved his hand in front of a servant who was cleaning nearby—only to realize she had no awareness of his presence at all.

“Wait… wait a second. Are you saying I’ll be trapped here?”

And sure enough—Stephen had come without his Sling Ring…

Could this be Ancient One’s way of punishing him for using the Sling Ring in the library to sneak out books?

“No,” she replied. “I just wanted to teach you about the Mirror Dimension. There are many things you still don’t understand.”

Ancient One spoke unhurriedly. As she reached the center, she moved her hands again, and the tiled floor began to flip and rotate. Stephen lost his balance, his body swaying.

A deafening noise erupted from above. Looking up, Strange stood in stunned silence as the ceiling stretched and expanded impossibly before his eyes.

“If I gave you too much information at once, I feared you’d be scared away. Strange, this is why I wanted you to start with the ‘boring rules,’” Ancient One said frankly.

Once you become a sorcerer, the dangers you face will be a hundred, a thousand times greater than those you faced as a doctor.

But one thing remains unchanged—your responsibility to protect life.

After hearing those words, Stephen fell silent. There was still so much he didn’t understand.

“Relax,” Ancient One said. “Soon, Master Mordo will teach you close-combat techniques.”

Chapter 461: No Survivors

Wanda coldly looked down at the mage beneath her foot. She hadn’t expected that these people, just to avoid falling into their hands, would choose to die—leaving not a single survivor behind!

Originally, Wanda had planned to interrogate them for useful information and then let them go.

These small fry weren’t even worth Alan personally lifting a finger.

Gwen lifted her mask with one hand. Inside her body, the female Venom was acting so obediently in front of Alan that even Gwen found it hard to believe.

She didn’t even throw a tantrum demanding to eat Kaecilius’s disciples.

“Damn it, I can’t believe Kaecilius still got away!” Gwen said angrily. She had really hoped to help Ancient One personally deal with that traitor.

It was as if he had sensed their plan from the beginning. Even his lackeys, once they realized they couldn't win, acted like lunatics and drove blades into their own hearts.

Even if they had wanted to capture one or two to interrogate, the moment they died, all questioning became impossible.

Even Wanda, who at first had been determined to kill them, had later reconsidered—thinking it might be better to leave at least one alive. They might have been able to dig up some information.

“It’s not the right time yet,” Alan said suddenly.

Maybe… Kaecilius needed to be taken down by Stephen himself—for the story to follow its proper path.

Besides, Alan’s real target was Thanos. Kaecilius was, at best, a warm-up. If Stephen Strange could handle him, Alan had no need to interfere.

He would leave Kaecilius to Ancient One and Stephen Strange.

“So what now?” Wanda frowned and turned to Alan. “Should I use magic to try tracking Kaecilius’s presence? I can give it a shot.”

Alan shook his head. “No need. I already know where he’s headed. Would you two like to stay at the Sanctum Sanctorum for a while? Maybe see how Strange is progressing?”

Judging by Kaecilius’s actions, his goal was clear: reach the Sanctum’s library, steal a spellbook, perform the ritual to summon Dormammu, and then destroy all the sanctums.

Release Dormammu onto Earth—making it easier for him to take control of the entire planet.

“Can we?” Wanda, being a witch, felt completely at ease in the Sanctum Sanctorum, drawn to its aura and atmosphere.

If she could learn something from Ancient One, that would be ideal!

Alan smiled. “Why not? Ancient One will be glad to see us.”

Then Alan turned toward Gwen. When he’d heard from Red Queen that Gwen was in danger, his heart had practically jumped into his throat.

Especially when he saw that the female Venom had possessed someone else’s body, he couldn’t help but assume the worst—that Gwen had been killed by Kaecilius.

When Alan’s face turned serious, Gwen—who had been smiling just a second ago—immediately lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes.

“Gwen, you can’t ever do something so reckless again. Thankfully, you left a message in advance. Kaecilius is a mage—if you hadn’t said something beforehand and got trapped forever in the Mirror Dimension, what then?”

Wanda looked just as worried. “Alan was very concerned something might happen to you. On top of that, Kaecilius is practicing dark magic—he’s extremely dangerous for you.”

Gwen looked up at Alan with a pitiful expression.

“Alan, I know I was wrong. I won’t do anything like that again, I promise.”

Chapter 462: Artifacts Choose Their Wielder

Bang!

Karl Mordo clutched his abdomen—Stephen Strange was getting serious, and it was truly surprising.

As a former surgeon, no one expected him to strike with such force, least of all Mordo himself.

Just a moment ago, Strange had been caught in a chokehold, but in the next second, he spotted an opening and broke free.

“Mordo, that mage named Kaecilius… is he powerful?” Stephen asked, as the two began circling each other, trying to distract with conversation while planning their next move.

“He’s a lot like you—arrogant and prideful, yet extremely gifted. Like you, he questioned the teachings of Ancient One,” Mordo said, shrugging to ease the pain in his abdomen.

“His disciples were easily swayed, following him into betrayal of the Sorcerer Supreme. I hope you don’t become the next Kaecilius…”

Mordo’s eyes sharpened with rare menace. “If I ever see the signs, I’ll strike you down myself. But for now… let’s talk about magical artifacts.”

Stephen tilted his head and frowned. “Is that supposed to be a warning?”

Mordo didn’t answer the question. Instead, he picked up the Staff of the Living Tribunal and began explaining its usage. He tossed it into the air where it spun a few times before landing back in his hand.

As Mordo turned the staff in his hands, it extended in length, glowing with a radiant golden light that shimmered with energy.

“Watch closely.” Mordo swung the staff, transforming it into a whip that cracked the floor with a deep fissure. When it returned to his hands, it once again looked like an ordinary stick.

“The strength of an artifact depends on the power of its wielder. There are also many types of artifacts, like these Vaulting Boots of Valtorr I’m wearing.”

As he spoke, Mordo raised one foot and kicked backward—magical totems flared from the heels of his boots.

“What a mouthful of a name. So, when do I get an artifact? They look seriously cool,” Strange asked with clear curiosity and excitement.

“You’ll get one once the artifact acknowledges you,” Mordo replied with a shrug and a soft smile. “It took me quite a while to earn mine.”

“For now, use your magic to fight me. From the moment you became a sorcerer, you should’ve been ready to fight those who fall into darkness.”

Not far away, Ancient One was training other disciples. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Mordo and Strange sparring.

Stephen was no match for Mordo’s aggressive attacks—especially since he had no artifact. Mordo used his Vaulting Boots to leap high into the air.

In a mid-air flip, he struck Strange across the face, knocking him flat to the ground.

“Ancient One, you have guests,” a servant approached quietly and whispered.

“I know,” Ancient One replied without even needing to look. She already sensed who had arrived.

As she stepped into the incense-filled chamber, she saw Alan and his group. The only unfamiliar face was a young girl beside him—someone Ancient One didn’t recognize.

Alan had brought Red Queen along—he didn’t feel safe leaving her alone at home.

“Alan?” Ancient One raised an eyebrow, curious as to why the Emperor had shown up now—and why everyone was carrying a backpack.

“Hope you don’t mind us crashing at the Sanctum for a few days?” Alan joked lightly.

Chapter 463: An Unexpected Surprise

Ancient One quickly processed the situation, feeling a surge of doubled surprise. She hadn't foreseen Alan suddenly mentioning that he wished to stay at the Sanctum Sanctorum for a few days.

“Of course you can,” she replied, warmly welcoming the request. She also understood that Alan’s unexpected desire to stay likely signaled something unusual.

Her hands folded behind her back continued rotating the bone fan. It was clear that Alan hadn’t come here just to observe Stephen Strange’s training progress.

“For now, let the attendants lead you to the meditation rooms and help settle your belongings,” Ancient One said calmly, not rushing to ask why Alan had come.

Though she didn’t know him deeply, she trusted that Alan would explain his intentions when the time came.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard, Stephen Strange was still reeling from Mordo’s earlier words. Becoming a sorcerer meant abandoning a normal life—he’d have to be ready to fight dark elves and black mages at any time?

“Stephen, are you alright?” Karl Mordo approached and reached out to help him up.

He clearly remembered holding back the force of his punch when he struck Stephen’s face. At most, it shouldn’t have loosened any teeth.

“I’m… fine. I just wasn’t cautious enough,” Stephen muttered, rubbing his cheek.

He knew very well that if Mordo had truly used his full strength, he’d be picking his teeth off the floor right now. As it was, the pain was only in the soft flesh of his cheek.

“Mordo, when exactly were you recognized by your artifact?” Stephen’s curiosity about magical artifacts hadn’t faded.

Seeing the genuine interest on Stephen’s face, Karl Mordo felt a twinge of guilt. After all, Stephen hadn’t been studying for long.

Ancient One had arranged a very different training schedule for him compared to other disciples—more intense and accelerated. It was obvious that the Sorcerer Supreme had placed great hopes on Stephen.

“Close to half a year,” Mordo said. “You can try. But if the artifact doesn’t accept you, even holding it in your hands, you won’t be able to wield it like I just did.”

With that, he handed the Staff of the Living Tribunal to Stephen Strange. He had to try it himself to truly understand.

Half-skeptical, half-confident, Stephen believed he was ready. He had just mastered soul-related magic and integrated it thoroughly.

There was no reason he wouldn’t be able to use the Staff. Holding it would certainly be better than fighting barehanded.

As he took the staff from Mordo, Stephen planted his feet firmly on the ground, gripping both ends of the weapon tightly with both hands.

“Go ahead and try,” Mordo encouraged. Deep down, he hoped the staff would recognize Stephen. That way, the Sanctum would gain another powerful mage—

Someone who could stop Kaecilius and his deluded followers.

More than anything, Mordo wished the task of capturing Kaecilius would be entrusted to him—but the opportunity had never come.

Maybe this responsibility would end up falling into the hands of the newcomer, Stephen Strange.

Stephen took a deep breath, focusing all his attention on the staff. He gathered the magic in his palms and tried to rotate the Staff of the Living Tribunal—

But it didn’t budge an inch.

Chapter 464: No More Complaints

"Uh... It must be because I didn’t focus again!" Stephen Strange took another deep breath with his eyes closed.

He carefully recalled how Karl Mordo had just manipulated the Staff of the Living Tribunal. This time, Stephen didn’t complain. If he failed, the problem had to lie with his own hands.

Ever since he had seen Master Mihal’s deformed hands still being able to wield magic effortlessly, he couldn't help but ask himself—what excuse did he have?

“Then give it another shot,” Karl Mordo said, arms folded and letting out a soft sigh. It seemed it would still take some time before the artifact recognized Stephen.

After trying three more times, Stephen finally had to accept that the Staff of the Living Tribunal was completely unresponsive to him.

An artifact that couldn’t be controlled felt no different than a regular wooden stick in his hands. If he tried facing an enemy with it, they’d probably burst out laughing.

Dejected, Stephen returned the staff to Master Mordo and lowered his head, muttering helplessly, “It hasn’t accepted me...”

From the corner of his eye, Stephen scanned the courtyard and noticed that the dark silhouette had already vanished. “By the way, Master Mordo—how old is the Sorcerer Supreme?”

Stephen had long been curious about Ancient One’s real age. She seemed like she had lived for centuries, yet moved with the agility of someone far younger.

To her, magic spells were like second nature—effortless. If she was so powerful, why didn’t she just capture Kaecilius herself?

Stephen had tried to get answers out of the librarian Wong and even from Mordo, but only gathered fragments. Some sorcerers sent to capture Kaecilius were either turned against them or ruthlessly slain by him.

“No one knows the Sorcerer Supreme’s age. Besides, that's not something we should be discussing during training,” Mordo replied strictly, upholding the code of a true sorcerer.

He himself had never speculated about Ancient One’s true age.

“But if she’s that powerful, wouldn’t it be easier if she personally brought Kaecilius back?”

Karl Mordo simply shook his head at that, turning to return the Staff of the Living Tribunal to its rightful place. It was time for Stephen Strange to rest.

“The duty of the Sorcerer Supreme is to protect the sanctum. She cannot leave the Sanctum Sanctorum so easily. If the sanctum is destroyed and the dark elves invade, it would bring mass destruction.”

Stephen Strange silently pondered Mordo’s explanation. It was something he had never seriously thought about.

Given Ancient One’s strength, capturing Kaecilius should’ve been a simple task. But what troubled Stephen even more—was Alan.

If the Sorcerer Supreme couldn’t leave the sanctum, yet Alan seemed to have a good relationship with her, then why hadn’t he helped?

“Take a break, Stephen. We’ll resume training later. Next time, I won’t go easy on you like I did just now,” Karl Mordo said with a raised eyebrow and a sly smile.

“Well, I guess I should thank you for holding back, then,” Stephen replied with a grin, while inwardly beginning to formulate a plan: what if he caught Kaecilius himself?

If he could eliminate this problem for the Sorcerer Supreme, would that mean she’d owe him a favor?

And if so—would she perhaps heal his hands to repay that debt?

Stephen Strange’s heart remained conflicted. Deep down, he still wasn’t sure if he truly wanted to be a sorcerer. The idea of leaving behind his former life as a surgeon still clung to him tightly.

Chapter 465: No Reply

Christine was the one person Stephen Strange couldn’t let go of. Originally, he thought that training in this place meant cutting himself off from the world.

But ever since Karl Mordo gave him the Wi-Fi password, and once his mindset gradually adjusted, Stephen Strange had sent Christine countless emails.

However, he never received a single reply—not even one!

Deep down, Stephen still longed to return to his old life. The thought of capturing Kaecilius for Ancient One had begun to smolder in his heart.

Perhaps that would be the opportunity for his hands to be restored. But Stephen wasn’t stupid—he knew that with his current abilities, he was absolutely no match for Kaecilius.

To recklessly go after Kaecilius now would be no different than walking straight into death.

Staring blankly at the laptop screen, Stephen Strange sank into frustration. After burying his face in his hands for a moment, he lifted his head and let out a long sigh.

The wooden stool screeched loudly as he abruptly stood up and pushed it back.

"Rather than sitting here doing nothing, I might as well read some more magic books and deepen my understanding." Without thinking much, Stephen grabbed a few finished books and ran toward the library.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Alan didn’t need to worry about things like bedding or blankets—Wanda and Gwen had already taken care of everything.

Though they both kept grumbling that they wouldn't be staying in the same room as Alan.

“We’re just in neighboring rooms anyway...” Alan pointed at the room next door. Ancient One had arranged one room per person for them.

As for Red Queen, naturally, she needed her own space. After shutting herself in, she continued to fuse with the other stones.

“I’m not used to sleeping alone,” Wanda complained. Ever since Alan brought her to his home, they had lived and eaten together, even shared the same room when sleeping.

Now being alone felt foreign to her.

“If you really can’t get used to it, you can sleep with Gwen,” Alan suggested, thinking it was a reasonable solution.

But the moment the words left his mouth, Wanda shot him an increasingly resentful look. Had he said something wrong?

“I don’t mind,” Gwen accepted the Sorcerer Supreme’s arrangements. Being inside the sanctum, she felt it was necessary to maintain some distance from Alan...

She couldn’t be as unrestrained as she had been at his house.

“Wanda, didn’t you want to study other forms of magic?” Alan reminded her of her original intention in coming to the sanctum, using it as a way to defuse the awkwardness.

“The library isn’t far. You can ask a maid to take you there. As for Wong... Ancient One has already spoken to him.”

Now only Alan and Gwen were left as they headed toward the main hall to speak with Ancient One about what had just happened to Gwen.

A respectful maid led them to another meditation chamber. The distinct scent of incense inside gave Alan a feeling of peace and clarity.

It seemed to relieve much of his fatigue, and with Wanda’s thoughtful massage earlier, his exhaustion felt greatly eased.

“Please, have a seat.” Ancient One had never foreseen the true identity of the Emperor. If he hadn’t revealed his real face to her, she likely would have never known.

Alan’s face, combined with his abilities—no wonder Hela chased him so persistently, even going so far as to come to Earth. She had even asked her to calculate when Alan would go to Asgard to fetch her.

As for matters related to the Emperor—she couldn’t divine any of it.

Chapter 466: Exposing a Weakness on Purpose

Ancient One slowly poured tea into the cups and gently pushed them in front of Alan and Gwen, quietly waiting for the topic that was sure to follow.

Alan definitely wasn’t here just for an overnight stay. During his previous visits, he had merely checked in on Stephen Strange’s condition and then left—he had never mentioned staying in the Sanctum for a few days.

Taking a small sip from the cup, Alan finally spoke slowly: “Today in New York, Gwen encountered Kaecilius and his followers.”

Ancient One’s hand paused briefly but she didn’t interrupt, remaining patiently attentive.

“Kaecilius’s goal is very clear—he has always pursued one thing: how to summon Dormammu from the Dark Dimension,” Alan stated bluntly, lifting his eyes to meet Ancient One’s gaze.

“He went to New York to launch an attack on the Sanctum there.” Even after hearing this, Ancient One maintained her calm composure.

At present, all Sanctums had enhanced their defenses. It would be extremely difficult for Kaecilius to break through. What surprised her, however, was that Gwen had run into him.

And Gwen was connected to the Emperor. Was Alan coming here today to blame her for having trained a disciple like Kaecilius?

“Kaecilius cannot obtain the spellbook for summoning Dormammu,” Ancient One reiterated firmly. If it ever fell into his hands, things would become very troublesome.

But Alan shook his head. “Do you want to hear my advice? If you don’t capture Kaecilius soon, he’ll continue harming innocent people.”

When the symbiote latched onto Kaecilius’s disciple, it read his memories—female Venom had seen Kaecilius capturing children alive for sacrificial rituals!

Such cruelty—Kaecilius had long since descended into madness in his pursuit of Dormammu.

“When Kaecilius first arrived here, he had nothing. He was desperate, kneeling and sobbing before me, lamenting the unfairness of life. He had lost everything—including the one he loved.”

Ancient One’s sudden statement left Gwen confused. She didn’t understand why the Sorcerer Supreme had brought up Kaecilius’s past so abruptly.

“I once told you, Stephen Strange is both like Kaecilius and yet entirely different. If Stephen can conquer his inner demons, he will succeed me.”

Ancient One slowly withdrew her gaze and locked eyes with Alan. “So, Emperor, what sort of suggestion are you planning to offer?”

She didn’t need Alan to go into detail about what Kaecilius had done since betraying her—she could already deduce it.

Now, Ancient One was very open to hearing Alan’s opinion. Kaecilius could no longer be allowed to roam freely and harm more innocents.

“Create a deliberate flaw,” Alan proposed, “make Kaecilius believe that he has become powerful enough to open a portal into the Sanctum’s library.”

Aside from wanting to eliminate the threat of Kaecilius, Alan also wanted to push the plot forward.

Maybe it was his own previous suggestion that had caused the Sanctum’s defenses to become too strong, preventing Kaecilius from triggering the next arc.

“Alan, are you suggesting we lure the snake out of its hole?” Ancient One asked, her eyes widening in surprise as she lightly fanned herself. She hadn’t considered that tactic.

“Exactly. Kaecilius is obsessed with obtaining the book for the Dormammu summoning ritual.”

Chapter 467: Luring Him In

Alan believed the best way to capture Kaecilius at this moment was to intentionally expose a weakness—to bait Kaecilius into taking the hook.

He would use magic to conceal his aura, preventing Ancient One from using her scrying orb to locate his hiding place.

Additionally...

Through the incident with Kaecilius, Stephen Strange had come to an important realization and completely changed his current mindset. He began to take up the responsibility that came with being the Sorcerer Supreme.

Although it was somewhat cruel for Stephen Strange, becoming a sorcerer meant he had to let go of Christine.

He could never return to a normal life, and all of this would seem fantastical—unreal—to Christine.

It would be difficult for her to accept that the once-brilliant doctor had cast aside all the knowledge and expertise he once held… just to become a sorcerer.

“What you said… makes sense. Right now, that’s indeed the best way to catch Kaecilius.” Ancient One curled her fingers slightly and gripped her bone fan tightly.

At this moment, Alan also noticed that the Time Stone, which had always hung on Ancient One’s chest, was no longer around her neck.

Could it be that the plot was progressing just as he intended? Stephen Strange should now be secretly studying the Book of Time Magic in the library.

…

In the library, while munching on a piece of fruit, Stephen Strange grew increasingly curious about the book Kaecilius had once tried to steal.

He wanted to understand what was in that book—what could be so enticing that it drove Kaecilius to betray Ancient One.

“Wong?” Stephen called out as he pulled the book from the shelf, glancing back to look for the librarian.

The library was empty, and Wong didn’t respond.

“Probably went to the bathroom or something?”

Getting no reply, Stephen simply took the book and kept flipping through it while still chewing his fruit.

But when he came across a certain symbol in the book, his chewing stopped abruptly.

Stephen Strange realized—he had seen that symbol before!

He quickly looked up—and sure enough, the artifact displayed on the stone pedestal bore the exact same symbol as the one in the book.

The artifact seemed to emit a strange pull, and Stephen’s feet began moving toward it involuntarily.

By the time he snapped out of it, the artifact was already hanging around his neck.

“Mordo said only those recognized by the artifact can use it… Well, I guess I’ll give it a try,” Stephen muttered, not really expecting it to work.

It wouldn’t hurt to try. After all, Karl Mordo had said it took him half a year before he gained the artifact’s recognition. Stephen had only just started his training, so it was likely he’d fail like before.

Stephen took a deep breath and followed the gestures from the book.

“Activate the Eye of Agamotto… Is this how the hand gesture goes?”

Half-skeptical, Stephen moved his hands as instructed, forming a cross in front of his chest. Suddenly, the Eye of Agamotto emitted a faint green glow.

The container began to rotate.

Seeing this, Stephen’s excitement soared, his eyes quickly scanning the next steps in the book.

His hands rotated slowly, side by side, while a dark teal magical glow—like a string of spells—began to coil around his wrists. A magical sigil even appeared in the center of his palms.

“I can do this…” Stephen shrugged, encouraged by the unexpected success.

Chapter 468: Furious Reprimand

When Stephen Strange saw the Eye of Agamotto emitting its faint green glow, he may have appeared calm on the outside, but inside, he was bursting with excitement!

He had been acknowledged by the Eye of Agamotto!

Stephen decided to press on in one go. Following the steps outlined in the magic book, he slowly rotated his open palm, concentrating and channeling magical energy into his palm.

“I still need a test subject to try it on…” Stephen Strange muttered to himself, his gaze landing on the half-eaten fruit beside him.

He instantly decided—that would be his test subject!

Stephen slowly turned his right hand. The fruit he had placed next to the book, which had already been partially eaten and reduced to a core, began to react.

“What if I turn it left?” Stephen muttered as he rotated his left hand. The fruit gradually reverted to its original, uneaten form.

When he repeated the experiment, fully turning it again, Stephen finally understood—he could manipulate time to alter physical objects!

Apart from murmuring in astonishment, Stephen had no other words. His gaze soon fell on the pages about Dormammu. “Dormammu? Eternal life…”

“What are you doing!?” Wong stormed toward Stephen Strange, visibly panicked as he looked at whatever Stephen was up to again.

“Didn’t I warn you how dangerous that book is? Why are you still reading it!?” Wong anxiously snatched the book from Stephen’s hands, dumbfounded as he saw the page Stephen had flipped to.

Karl Mordo followed close behind. If Wong hadn’t shouted to interrupt Stephen Strange just now, there was a high chance he would’ve opened a portal to the Dark Dimension!

“Stephen, do you even know what you’re doing!?” Karl Mordo spoke in a harsh tone for the first time, his voice filled with anger.

In that moment, Stephen was like a misbehaving child caught in the act. Embarrassed, he looked back and forth between Mordo and Wong and quickly tried to explain:

“I… I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just following the steps written in the book.”

Clearly, Stephen’s explanation was weak and unconvincing. He saw the doubt in Mordo and Wong’s eyes.

Wong shouted sternly, “Did the book tell you about the dangers of doing this? Tampering with the laws of space and time will cause countless unpredictable disasters!”

Stephen stammered as he continued, “I hadn’t reached the warning part yet…”

“The spell you just used is called Time Manipulation. It can create time branches!” Mordo pointed at the book, his tone still harsh.

“That’s an extremely unstable space. If you get accidentally trapped in time, you might never escape—or you may have never even existed at all!”

It was the first time Stephen Strange had seen Karl Mordo this furious. He lowered his head and didn’t dare to meet their eyes.

“Well… the warnings should’ve been at the beginning of the book,” Stephen mumbled just as the sound of approaching footsteps echoed behind him.

Karl Mordo and Wong quickly composed themselves, stepping aside respectfully. “Sorcerer Supreme!”

They hadn’t expected Ancient One to arrive, and with her, Alan and Gwen. Could it be that they had sensed Stephen Strange using time magic just moments ago?

When Stephen heard Ancient One’s title, his heart began pounding like a drum!

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