[Frog] Chapter 431-440

### Chapter 431: How to Notify

Compared to her own wild guesses, Gwen wanted Alan to tell her directly who had called him.

Alan didn’t notice Gwen’s change in mood. After putting down his phone, he answered her question.

“Yes, it was Strange. I’ll take you all with me later.” Alan thought to himself—it seemed he hadn’t answered Gwen and the others' calls last time.

Besides, today Gwen and the others didn’t have anything else going on, so it was a good chance to bring them along.

“And also, call him Mr. Strange, not Doctor anymore.” Alan figured he’d better give Gwen a heads-up in advance.

Strange probably didn’t want to be addressed as “Doctor” anymore. He was a man with an immense ego—once his status or mindset changed, he’d strongly dislike being reminded of his past identity.

Gwen nodded thoughtfully. Speaking of sorcerers reminded her of another proud individual—Hela.

Recently, she hadn’t heard Alan mention Hela much, so she glanced up and met his eyes.

“Alan, do you know what’s going on in Asgard now? I’m a bit worried.” Gwen’s words came sincerely from the heart, with no pretense or false concern.

After journeying through the universe, she deeply realized that Thanos was absolutely the most dangerous madman out there. And now, Alan had told her that Hela had suddenly run off to confront Thanos.

She even beat him up—didn’t Hela worry that Thanos might launch another attack?

“I don’t know. I told Hela before, if anything happens, she should let me know.” Alan didn’t dwell on the matter too much.

Now that Thor was back in Asgard and they had Angela, the angelic sister, helping out—it was just unclear whether Hela had brought Odin back yet.

If Hela and the others teamed up, Thanos wouldn’t be able to take Asgard. And if Odin returned, it would be even safer.

“Let you know?” Wanda flipped her long golden hair and tied it back with a hair tie—she was about to start cooking.

“Hela… does she notify you by phone?”

That casual question from Wanda made Alan suddenly stand up, startling all three women.

“M-Master…?” Red Queen looked up in confusion. What was wrong with Alan, suddenly standing and grabbing his head?

Alan was a bit stunned. He had completely forgotten something important—those Asgardian gods like Hela had absolutely no idea how to use electronic devices.

If they really encountered danger and couldn’t handle it, how would they possibly find the time or way to come tell him they needed help?

“C-Calm down, Alan!” Gwen immediately noticed Alan’s panic. “Aren’t there still the Guardians of the Galaxy?”

“They’d receive any distress signals too. When Quill and the others left that day, didn’t Rocket upgrade the ship? They should be able to keep in touch with Red Queen, right?”

Gwen searched her memory—she clearly remembered Rocket modifying the ship’s communication system so they could stay in contact with those of them on Earth.

Plus, with Red Queen being a tech expert, if anything really happened, Rocket would notify her immediately.

“Right, there’s still the Guardians of the Galaxy.” Alan suddenly felt relieved. How could he have forgotten that?

But he still felt a bit uneasy. After they were done with Strange’s matter, he decided he’d make another trip to Asgard himself—to check on how things were in the universe.

Only then would Alan feel truly at ease.

...

### Chapter 432: Overly Tense

Gwen turned and walked up to Alan. Seeing that his expression was no longer as troubled as before, she said, “Exactly, we have the Guardians of the Galaxy as allies. Alan, you’re just a bit too tense.”

Alan smiled and shrugged slightly. The current turn of events had gone far beyond expectations—especially Hela going solo to fight Thanos.

That was the kind of plot material Alan wouldn’t even dare to dream of, and yet it had become reality.

“Master, is it about time we head to Asgard?” Red Queen blinked her bright blue eyes. No matter what she was doing with Alan, she was always happy.

“Yeah. Heimdall will open the Bifrost for us—it’ll make entry easier.” Heimdall’s eyes could see many things.

To go to Asgard, all they needed to do was call on Heimdall—that was his duty, after all.

Seeing it was about time to meet up with Strange, Alan got ready. Strange had given him an address where he could be found.

Red Queen didn’t accompany Alan this time. Lately, she had been busy integrating the Infinity Stones. Right now, the Soul Stone was almost completely merged.

Every second counted—she didn’t want to let Alan down, so she was determined to do her absolute best.

Wanda raised her left hand in front of her and slowly drew a circular motion with her right. Having been taught by Ancient One, she had learned how to traverse spatial dimensions.

There was no need to drive to Stephen’s place. Since they had already informed him ahead of time, there was no fear of startling him.

Meanwhile, Strange’s hands were still wrapped in white gauze, though the steel pins that had held his finger joints in place had already been removed—he no longer needed them.

Strange had just said goodbye to Christine. He didn’t want to be a burden to her—he had already held her back for far too long.

He had sold off all his properties, using the proceeds as a final gift to Christine.

He planned to wait until his hands were fully healed before appearing before her again.

That’s why, over the phone, Strange had specifically asked Alan not to tell Christine where he was.

As he lay in the dimly lit room, he noticed a ring of light slowly expanding. Strange assumed it was just another hallucination caused by his prolonged stress and anxiety.

Lying on the long sofa, he turned over, choosing to ignore the illusion.

He was waiting for Alan to arrive, though he had no idea what kind of method Alan would use to heal his hands.

“Alan, I think he’s asleep…” said Wanda, stepping out from the dimensional portal and immediately spotting Strange sprawled on the sofa.

She couldn’t help but feel confused. Didn’t Strange arrange to meet Alan? Why was he still sleeping?

Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Strange quickly turned from the sofa. He had deliberately opened all the windows.

That was in preparation for Alan—Strange thought he might come in through the window, just like last time.

“Strange, you don’t look like someone who’s ready,” Alan said with a blank expression, staring coldly at Strange.

His face was covered in an unkempt beard, and his whole appearance was messy and worn out.

Takeout boxes were piled up on the table, clothes scattered all over the floor—no way to tell what was clean or dirty.

Alan didn’t think Strange was truly prepared. He wondered what kind of mindset Strange was in when he made that call.

Gwen frowned slightly. She could tell that Alan seemed to be angry.

...

### Chapter 433: Beyond Ideals and Perception

She reached out and tugged on Alan’s sleeve. Gwen rarely saw Alan get angry—so if he really was mad, what should she do?

“These past few days, there’s been something I keep thinking about over and over,” Strange said as he wobbled and sat up. He hadn’t expected them to arrive so quickly.

He had assumed Alan’s sudden appearance last time was just a hallucination caused by the heavy medication he had taken, which had messed with his mental state.

During this time, not only had he been reflecting, he had also stopped taking his medication, trying to avoid any further mental disturbances. But now that Alan had once again appeared out of thin air right before his eyes...

Strange had no choice but to face the truth—this was a problem that surpassed his ideals and perception. He needed answers.

Alan knew that Strange was still stuck in doubt. After all, what he had witnessed had already gone far beyond the realm of the ordinary.

Where would a normal person ever come into contact with magic? Most thought it was nothing more than the sleight of hand by stage magicians. Even Strange had once believed that.

“Before you ask your questions, I think we should change the environment a bit. This pitch-black room is enough to put anyone in a foul mood.” Alan turned to Wanda.

It was time to once again shatter Strange’s worldview. Wanda gave a gentle nod—she knew exactly what she needed to do.

Chaos magic began to gather in her palms, and the red magical glow became especially striking in the darkness of the room.

Strange’s jaw dropped in shock. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, his overgrown hair falling in front of his face.

Annoyed, he pushed the hair back. In that moment, Strange deeply regretted not cleaning himself up, but he had no choice.

His hands trembled uncontrollably, no matter what he tried to hold.

Even something as simple as picking up a razor to shave had become a huge challenge for him. So he had given up, letting himself fall into this disheveled, unkempt state.

But right now, Strange was filled with regret. He widened his eyes as much as he could, trying to see through the tricks of the woman standing before him.

Gwen and Alan had been watching Strange’s expression closely, and they saw that it was still full of suspicion and disbelief.

The next second, Wanda used her Chaos Magic to pull open the tightly drawn curtains, letting sunlight pour into the room.

Even Alan and the other two squinted—the contrast from pitch-black darkness to a sudden beam of light made it hard to adjust.

Let alone the fact that it was broad daylight outside, with the blazing sun hanging high in the sky.

Strange, who hadn’t seen sunlight in a long time, raised his hand to shield his eyes. The blinding light made it difficult for him to clearly see the expressions of Alan and the others.

“You have to try to accept things eventually. Just look at yourself—what have you become?” Alan wasn’t angry. He just felt helpless.

Strange had called him here for one reason only: to test whether Alan really had the power he claimed. He still believed all of this might be the result of some mental breakdown.

That was why he had even stopped taking his meds—just for this moment, so he could personally expose Alan’s supposed "illusion."

“How long has it been since you opened a window?” Gwen asked, raising her palm and shooting a web from her wrist to latch onto the window and pull it fully open.

A faint musty smell drifted through the air. Gwen had already sensed the disorder of the room in the darkness, but now, under the sunlight, the reality was even worse than they’d imagined.

Strange looked like a wild man who had been living in a cave.

...

### Chapter 434: Not an Illusion

“Alan, are you saying... you really have the ability to heal my hands?” Strange asked cautiously, now fully believing that what he had seen that day was no hallucination.

“I never said I would heal your hands,” Alan replied as he sat down opposite Strange, staring directly into his eyes.

When he saw the stunned expression on Strange’s face, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard, Strange suddenly stood up and began pacing the room.

“Why would you give me hope, only to tell me you won’t heal me?!” Strange cried out in anguish as he turned around. He wanted to punch the wall—but doing so would only make his injured hands worse.

He had secretly sworn to Christine that once his hands were healed, the brilliant surgeon Stephen Strange would once again take up the scalpel.

The confident, unstoppable version of himself would return!

But now, at this moment, Alan was telling him he had never promised to heal his hands. Did... did he want money?

“Alan, no matter how much it costs... I... I can afford it. As long as my hands can be healed, I’ll repay you, every cent of the debt!”

Strange thought Alan had looked at his current miserable state and decided he wasn’t worth saving. When he glanced at his own reflection in the window, he finally realized how pale his skin looked beneath his ragged beard—almost corpse-like.

No wonder Alan didn’t want to help him.

“This has nothing to do with money, Strange. You need to understand one thing: accept your current condition. How many days has it been since you took your medication?”

Alan’s voice was firm but patient. In his current state, if Strange were brought before Ancient One, she might even question whether this man was really the Stephen Strange she was meant to guide.

“There’s more than one path in life. You still have a better choice ahead of you. The world needs your protection,” Alan continued.

Strange didn’t want to listen to such far-fetched ideas anymore. He just wanted to prove to Alan that once he recovered, he would pay him back in full.

He turned and walked toward the bathroom. He wanted to shave—at least if he cleaned up, he’d look more like someone Alan could believe in.

Alan’s gaze followed the broken man all the way into the bathroom.

“What’s he doing?” Gwen asked softly. The two women stood behind Alan, growing anxious as sounds came from the bathroom.

…

Was Strange planning to harm himself in there?

“Alan...” Gwen’s voice trembled.

Alan sighed and slowly stood up. “Let’s go check on him.”

The three of them walked to the bathroom door and saw Strange half-squatting by the sink, a fresh cut across his cheek.

…

It was obvious—he couldn’t control his hands well enough to shave properly.

Wanda's heart ached at the sight. She looked at Alan, and after receiving his silent approval, she summoned Chaos Magic in her palm once again.

Her eyes tinged red as she prepared to use her magic to calm Strange down, to soothe the sorrow threatening to consume him.

At the same time, she gently healed the wound on his face—something easily within her power.

“I told you before—I’m going to take you to see someone. She will be the turning point of your destiny,” Alan said softly.

He wouldn’t sugarcoat anything for Strange. Everything depended on Strange’s own ability to understand and awaken.

“Can that person really heal my hands?” Strange looked up at Alan in despair.

...

### Chapter 435: What If It Never Gets Better

Seeing that Strange was still obsessing over his hands, Alan couldn’t help but frown. This won’t do at all!

If he brought him to Ancient One like this, she’d definitely be suspicious.

“If your hands never heal for the rest of your life, are you planning to live like a defeated stray dog forever? What about Christine—her feelings for you, her expectations of you—what will you do about that?”

Alan decided to change tactics. Maybe approaching from another angle would help Strange snap out of it.

Once he fully comprehended magic, he'd be able to use the Time Stone to restore himself.

And if not that, there were other magical methods as well!

But with his current stubborn mindset, grasping magic still seemed like a distant dream.

When Alan mentioned Christine’s name, Wanda noticed the subtle shift in Strange’s emotions. After a moment of silence, she saw him slowly rise to his feet.

“Can you take me to meet that sorcerer?” Strange muttered to himself that he must be going crazy. Everything he’d ever learned rejected the existence of gods or spirits.

And yet now, here he was—willing to believe.

It all started after meeting someone as extraordinary as Alan.

Strange now believed there were countless things in the world—and the universe—that he had never encountered before.

“Alan, I think... Mr. Strange should probably change clothes first,” Gwen said hesitantly, worried.

Was Alan seriously going to take this disheveled, unkempt version of Strange to the Sanctum Sanctorum to meet Ancient One?

Even if Ancient One might not care, Gwen still felt that the Sanctum was a sacred place. At the very least, they should show some respect by dressing appropriately.

“Mm, I agree. And he should shave, too. Mr. Strange, if you don’t mind me asking... when was the last time you washed your face?” Wanda asked bluntly, unafraid of being impolite.

Inwardly, she was a little smug. Alan liked cleanliness, after all—and of course, she didn’t mind reminding him every day.

It helped her blend into his life, little by little. Maybe one day... he wouldn’t be able to live without her.

In that moment, Alan had no idea what little plans the two women beside him were scheming.

“Uhh... about a week ago?” Strange couldn’t really remember. His mind was filled with thoughts about how Alan might heal him.

Maybe he’d recommend some miracle doctor. But no—it wasn’t a doctor. It was a sorcerer...

Alan couldn’t help but show a look of distaste. Clearly, the car accident had struck Strange far deeper than anyone imagined.

Strange looked up and met Alan’s gaze, giving an awkward smile. “Sorry. Just give me a few more minutes.”

A short while later, when Strange reappeared before them, he had changed into the only clean outfit he owned.

He looked significantly better—more put-together.

But with the scruffy beard still on his face and his wildly unkempt hair, he still resembled a ‘wild man.’

“I’m sorry. My hands... you’ve seen them. I just can’t do anything about the beard right now,” Strange said awkwardly.

He wanted to shave, truly. But his hands trembled so badly, like he had Parkinson’s. It was out of his control—and deeply frustrating.

“Can I help him?” Wanda asked Alan for permission. When she saw him nod, she stepped forward.

She walked up to Strange and raised her hands gently beside his face. In that moment, Strange felt a wave of warmth spreading across his skin.

It wasn’t until that warmth faded that Strange finally snapped back to his senses.

...

### Chapter 436: Different from Last Time

Strange turned to look at himself in the mirror. The thick beard on his face had vanished, and his previously messy hair now looked like it had been carefully groomed.

He tugged at his cheeks in shock, trying to wake himself from what he thought might be a dream—but the pain from his skin told him otherwise.

Everything he was seeing now was real. This wasn’t an illusion.

“Mm, much more presentable now. Strange, are you ready?” Alan looked at the newly tidied-up Strange with satisfaction.

This appearance—this was how the confident Stephen Strange should look.

Strange nodded. The pain he felt was enough proof: everything he was experiencing now was real.

When the portal once again appeared in front of Stephen Strange, he saw a different scene on the other side.

They were clearly inside a high-rise building—so how could the portal be showing a view of the street outside?

“You didn’t... come this way last time,” Strange remarked. What puzzled him was that Alan must’ve used the same method to arrive and leave the last time they met.

But when Alan left, there had been no portal at all.

“I have my own ways. Go on in. Ancient One is already waiting for you,” Alan replied calmly.

He didn’t need magic circles to travel—he could move between dimensional spaces by other means.

At first, Strange couldn’t quite believe it. Could a simple glowing circle really allow someone to step from a skyscraper to street level?

But what he saw was undeniable—it forced him to believe.

When Strange turned around, he saw a large closed door. Was the sorcerer named Ancient One just behind it?

This was actually Alan’s first time entering through the front door.

In the past, he had always just appeared directly at Ancient One’s side—he had never bothered with a formal entrance.

But today was different. Since he was bringing Stephen Strange to meet Ancient One, he wouldn’t ignore proper etiquette.

“This is the place?” Strange asked in confusion.

“Knock,” Alan answered simply. There was no need to say more—the answers lay behind that door.

Just as Stephen Strange raised his hand to knock, the door suddenly opened on its own. Standing in his line of sight was a man wearing an unusual robe.

“You must be Stephen Strange?” The man spoke his name immediately.

When Strange looked up and noticed the man scrutinizing him—and also saw the people behind him—he realized this man clearly knew something.

The man remembered that Ancient One had said the Emperor would be coming.

But... why wasn’t he among them?

“Excuse me, and you are?” Strange asked. He hadn’t introduced himself yet—had Alan told everyone his name ahead of time?

“Karl Mordo. Ancient One has been waiting for you for a long time. Are those your friends behind you?” Mordo asked, briefly eyeing Alan—but he didn’t dare make eye contact.

The overwhelming aura radiating from Alan made Mordo’s hand, which was still resting on the door frame, tremble slightly.

He tried his best not to let it show.

“You could say that,” Alan replied casually.

This was also his first time appearing before Karl Mordo without his armor on.

It wasn’t surprising that Mordo hadn’t recognized him. Very few people knew his true identity.

“Please, come in.” Mordo quickly turned his eyes away from Alan and the others.

He was afraid that if he looked at them too long, his legs might go weak and he’d be unable to walk.

Inside, an elderly man in traditional robes sat cross-legged before a low altar, incense smoke curling upward in front of him.

...

### Chapter 437: Let Go of Stubborn Perceptions

He looked like a true master—possibly even more powerful than Alan.

Strange’s gaze toward the elderly man became filled with respect. Deep down, he was convinced that this was Ancient One Alan had mentioned.

He bowed deeply and respectfully to the elder. This “Ancient One” had to be extremely powerful.

Perhaps, once he learned enough magic, he could heal his own hands. That thought alone filled Strange with determination—his ultimate goal was to become a doctor again.

He didn’t want to be a sorcerer at all. It went entirely against his understanding and worldview.

Strange found it puzzling—why was this master called “Ancient One”? Was it a title or some kind of magical alias? He didn’t believe it was a real name.

“Mr. Karl... this ‘Ancient One’—is that his real name?” Strange tucked his hands into his sleeves and whispered the question.

But Karl Mordo merely shot him a cold glance. He tilted his head slightly and said seriously,

“Don’t say such meaningless things. Remember—once you enter the Sanctum…”

His voice drifted like the slowly burning incense smoke on the altar, ethereal and distant:

“Forget your self-righteous beliefs. In this place, we are all seekers of the unknown.”

Strange nodded awkwardly. He hadn’t expected his first words upon entering to already be a mistake.

He glanced at Alan and noticed how quiet they had all been since coming in.

Their eyes didn’t roam around curiously like his did.

Strange thought to himself—maybe he should follow their example: keep quiet and stop speaking out of turn.

Karl Mordo gestured for everyone to sit. Alan responded with a faint smile and a nod, then calmly sat before the altar.

From the moment Strange entered, Alan had been watching his reactions.

It was clear Strange was still conflicted—after all, at heart, Stephen Strange was a materialist.

In the mind of a strict materialist, things like magic were no different from jokes.

But the fact that he had made the call at all meant he was already half-convinced—he was leaning toward acceptance.

Strange looked reverently at the elderly man who still had his eyes closed.

Even when they all sat down, the old man didn’t open them—his presence remained unfathomably deep.

Suddenly, a few cups of tea appeared in front of them.

The elder hadn’t even moved his hands—the teacups slid smoothly toward them, as if guided by invisible wheels.

“Have some tea. Take a moment to rest,” the elder finally opened his eyes, his gaze fixed solely on Strange.

It seemed clear: this was the person Ancient One had been waiting for.

“Thank you... for the hospitality, Ancient One...” Strange began to reply, but before he could finish, the elder had already stood up and walked away.

As he watched the elder leave, Strange felt more confused than ever, and a subtle unease grew in his heart.

He assumed Ancient One was trying to put on airs—maybe he needed to show more sincerity.

He raised the cup of tea to his lips, but just then, a voice suddenly came from behind him, soft and hard to identify by tone or age:

“You’re welcome, Strange.”

Ancient One calmly emerged from behind the carved bamboo door, hands clasped behind her back.

She had known that when the Emperor promised something, he would fulfill it.

She had been worrying about how to get Strange started down the path of a sorcerer—yet unexpectedly, things had worked out.

Now, looking at his pale face and astonished expression as he turned toward her, she knew:

The moment had come.

...

### Chapter 438: Mistaken Identity

“Did he mistake Ancient One for someone else?” Gwen noticed Strange’s reaction and leaned slightly closer to Wanda, whispering the question into her ear.

Wanda nodded without saying more. Clearly, Strange had relied too heavily on his first impression, taking what he saw as absolute reality.

Suddenly, Wanda began to worry—if Strange failed to meet Ancient One’s expectations, would Alan feel embarrassed in front of her?

After all, it was Alan who had recommended Stephen Strange to Ancient One. If Strange didn’t perform well, Wanda felt she had a responsibility to keep him in check.

At the very least, he shouldn’t let Alan down—just like Scott had once proved himself. As long as there’s determination, it’s possible.

Maybe Strange, like Scott, just needed some motivation. Could that motivation be Christine?

She remembered Alan had mentioned the name once—it seemed Christine had a unique relationship with Strange.

Karl Mordo stood tall, clearly unimpressed by Strange’s behavior.

“The person standing in front of you is Ancient One,” he said coldly.

Strange looked back at the elderly man, then turned to look at Ancient One, and abruptly stood up, awkwardly staring at her.

He had assumed that the old man looked more like the kind of powerful sorcerer who wielded extraordinary magic.

“Mordo, please leave us,” Ancient One said kindly, sipping her tea as she looked at Strange.

Karl Mordo nodded and glanced quietly at Alan and the others. Since Ancient One hadn’t asked them to leave, there must still be other matters involving them.

Without lingering or saying anything unnecessary, he turned and exited, softly closing the door behind him.

“Mr. Strange…” Ancient One began, feeling a sense of relief. Seeing Stephen come here personally had put her at ease—she’d been half-worried Alan might just drag him here against his will.

But before she could finish addressing him, Strange interrupted her.

“If it’s all the same to you, I prefer to be called Doctor,” he said. He hadn’t corrected Alan earlier, but now he insisted.

Clearly, he didn’t believe Ancient One was on Alan’s level—maybe not even a third as powerful.

Strange figured Alan had probably grown tired of his complaints and dumped him here to learn some trivial magical nonsense.

“Ah…” Ancient One smiled as she calmly rejected the title, her voice gentle and polite—no sarcasm, no harshness.

Yet in Strange’s heart, her words stung.

“Technically speaking, you’re no longer a doctor. If you were, you wouldn’t have come here with Alan.

You’ve been performing a lot of surgeries lately—it must’ve been exhausting.”

Wanda hadn’t expected Ancient One to say something like that. Seeing Strange’s frustrated yet speechless expression, she suddenly felt an urge to laugh.

But beside her, Alan quietly sipped his tea, appearing entirely absorbed in it, showing no interest in Strange’s awkward conversation with Ancient One.

Meanwhile, Gwen, like Wanda, held her cup of tea while her eyes kept flicking back and forth between Strange and Ancient One.

Gwen had always been fascinated by magic and similar mysteries. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the talent for it—she had to rely on weapons in combat.

Strange nodded awkwardly. “Yes, I… I’ve done quite a few surgeries recently.”

Ancient One slowly sat down. “Seven surgeries in a short span of time. That is exhausting.”

...

### Chapter 439: Don't View the World from the Bottom of a Well

Strange still hadn’t recovered from his earlier shock. How could Ancient One possibly know how many surgeries he’d performed?

“Please, sit down first,” Ancient One said with a gentle smile, gesturing for Strange to take a seat. At this moment, there were only a few of them left in the room.

She had no intention of asking Alan to leave. When she learned the true identity of the Emperor, she was genuinely surprised.

Because no matter how she tried, she couldn’t use her magic crystal ball to see any information about Alan—not even the Time Stone could locate him.

A man shrouded in complete mystery… Ancient One had stopped fixating on why she couldn’t see anything about Alan.

“You… how did you know? Did you investigate my hospital records?” Strange asked, unable to understand how she had the information.

Ancient One simply shook her head. “You’re wrong. Alan knows this—I rarely leave the Sanctum Sanctorum. My duty is to protect it from being taken by the Dark Elves, to stop them from conquering Earth.”

Strange cast a suspicious glance at Alan, clearly unconvinced Ancient One hadn’t secretly done some digging.

“As a former doctor, you should know how seriously hospitals protect patient privacy. Unless a patient gives explicit authorization…” Alan said calmly, setting down his teacup.

This cup of tea, brewed personally by Ancient One, had an extraordinary taste. Alan felt his entire mind becoming more serene.

Maybe it was the aura of the Sanctum itself, but the pressure he normally carried seemed to ease significantly.

“This… this is impossible. How could she know?” Strange shook his head. “Alan, you must have used some trick. Also, I have a question…”

Strange truly didn’t believe in Ancient One’s abilities. Before Alan could even ask, he blurted it out: “I don’t think she has any way… to heal my hands.”

More than becoming a sorcerer, Strange still hoped his hands could be healed so he could return to medicine.

“Haha… Strange, let go of your prejudice. There is no advanced medical miracle here. What I can teach you… is how your soul can heal your body.”

Ancient One wasn’t offended by his words—she had already anticipated this reaction from the very beginning.

“…Soul healing the body? Oh, please…” Strange gave a few mocking chuckles. “Alan, are you trying to fool me because you think I’m just a burden?”

“If you thought I was a problem from the start, you shouldn’t have given me even the slightest bit of hope. Seriously!” Strange’s voice grew bitter and pessimistic again.

He felt like he had gone mad. Alan clearly possessed unimaginable power but wasn’t willing to use it on him.

…

He had even told Alan that if he could restore his hands, he would serve him without question for life.

“Dr. Strange, please watch your tone,” Gwen said coldly, frowning as she forcefully set her teacup down on the table.

Stephen Strange really was an arrogant man.

“Fool you?” Ancient One still wore a serene smile as she rose and stepped in front of Strange, slowly lifting her hand.

“Stephen Strange, don’t view the world from the bottom of a well. There are far more powerful beings in this world than you—or me.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Ancient One pressed her palm directly against Strange’s chest—at that moment, time itself seemed to slow.

...

### Chapter 440: Astral Projection

Alan watched the scene unfolding before him with great interest. To be honest, this was the first time he had ever witnessed a soul being forcibly separated from the body with his own eyes.

Gwen’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the sight in front of her—Strange’s soul was literally knocked out of his body?

Did that mean… Ancient One could even knock Thanos’s soul out of his body?

The soul is the vessel of the body—once separated, wouldn't that render someone completely useless? If Thanos's soul were ripped from his body, what power would he have left to collect the Infinity Stones or destroy the universe?

Strange’s soul, now out of his body, frowned as he looked down at himself lying unconscious on the floor, eyes tightly shut.

He lifted his hand, which could now see through the floor, and then looked up at Ancient One. The moment she gently rubbed her fingers together, Strange’s soul was instantly pulled back into his body.

Strange took a deep breath, glancing around in confusion. “What… what did you do to me?” he asked sharply.

Ancient One shrugged casually, “Exactly what you saw—I can push your soul out of your body.”

Strange didn’t believe it at all. His gaze landed on the teacup he had just drunk from, and he sneered, “What did you put in the tea? Some hallucinogen?”

“Dr. Strange, what nonsense are you spouting? We all drank the same tea,” Wanda said, lifting her teacup with three fingers and swirling it in front of him.

Alan and the others drank the same tea—why hadn’t they experienced any hallucinations?

Alan curiously touched the side of his face, wondering what it would feel like to have his own soul separated from his body.

But he had no intention of trying it himself. A soul could only resist within the spiritual world. If his soul left his physical body right now, he probably wouldn’t even be able to wear the Emperor’s Armor.

And without that, how could he possibly stop Thanos?

“You…” Strange felt a creeping fear rise from within. He had never truly considered this kind of possibility before.

Now that he’d experienced it personally, all he could feel—besides sheer panic—was a profound sense of helplessness.

“Still want to try something else?” Alan asked teasingly, prompting Strange to immediately shake his head.

“I admit it. I was wrong. I know far too little…” Strange solemnly bowed to Ancient One. “Please forgive my earlier rudeness…”

Stephen Strange, staring at the floor, now fully understood how little he truly knew.

From this moment on, he resolved to completely cast aside his former arrogance.

“Master Ancient One, would you be willing to take me in as your disciple?” Strange asked carefully, raising his head. Every word was now filtered through deep thought.

In the eyes of people like Alan and the others, he truly was nothing—just someone who happened to be skilled in medicine.

Besides, given his current physical state, he could no longer even continue practicing medicine.

So, the only path left… was the one Alan had pointed him toward.

“Alan, is he really serious about becoming Ancient One’s disciple?” Gwen whispered beside him.

Alan tilted his head slightly, and Gwen’s breath brushed against his ear, sending a tingling sensation that made him instinctively turn away.

Alan replied, “Mm. Strange may be arrogant—but he’s not stupid.”

...