The Ancient One's answer took the doctor by surprise. He had expected so noble traits to define the Sorcerer Supre, but it turned out it was all about brute force.
His face instantly turned awkward.
"A Sorcerer Supre is decided by their fists? Isn't that the sa as barbarians choosing a chieftain?"
Su Ming, however, knew it was true. In every dinsion, every few years, the Vishanti held a Sorcerer Supre Tournant.
The process was simple: all the participants were locked in a small space and forced to engage in a battle royale. There were no rules—tricks, strategies, tools, and contracts were all allowed. The last one standing beca the Sorcerer Supre of that dinsion.
You didn't need to kill everyone, but the person who remained standing at the end was crowned Sorcerer Supre.
Only those with sufficient power could protect their dinsion and the Earth. Otherwise, this wouldn't be the Marvel universe but a "peaceful saint's universe."
Even if you were the kindest person ever, you wouldn't be chosen without the power to back it up.
At the mont, the Ancient One was too strong. Whenever she participated, the other candidates would simply forfeit, allowing her to maintain her position as Sorcerer Supre.
So, the competition for the Sorcerer Supre in the Pri Dinsion was essentially a formality.
If the Ancient One wanted Su Ming to take over, she could simply take him to the next tournant, where she would concede. The Vishanti would recognize Su Ming as the Sorcerer Supre.
With only two participants, what more was there to say?
What? He's a warrior, not a sorcerer? The Ancient One would make sure you saw otherwise. If she said he was a sorcerer, then he was a sorcerer.
"No thanks. I appreciate your faith in , but I have absolutely no sense of responsibility. Sitting around in a sanctum waiting for trouble to co knocking would drive insane. I'd rather you kill now."
Su Ming had no intention of accepting her offer.
Magic is precious, but freedom is more valuable. For the sake of freedom, both can be discarded.
Occasionally, he might help defend Earth if it served his self-interest or if he was in a good mood, but he had no desire to make it his full-ti job. The Sorcerer Supre couldn't afford to sleep with both eyes closed, always having to keep one eye open in case a dark god launched a sneak attack. That wasn't the life Su Ming wanted.
"That's a sha. The gem told that you've had great experiences—you've already protected an entire world."
The Ancient One sighed as she put down her teacup. She had been hoping to pass the mantle for a long ti.
Deathstroke was human, had gained the approval of the Cloak of Levitation, and had the strength to defeat almost all other sorcerers. He was also immune to telepathic magic.
So, what was the difference between the Sorcerer Supre and a supre warrior? Even if he hadn't mastered magic yet, with the Ti Stone, he could have thousands of years to learn. Surely that would be enough ti to master magic, right?
But Su Ming had no interest in learning magic. He preferred to rely on his own abilities. Dark gods and demons were unreliable, and magic depended on borrowing their power. What if they decided they didn't want to lend it? It wouldn't be the first ti that had happened in the comics.
And then there were all the side effects.
The Ancient One looked at Su Ming's face, which clearly showed rejection, and sighed again. Those who were qualified to be Sorcerer Supre didn't want it, while those who weren't rushed to claim it.
A strange paradox.
The Druid had no desire to beco Sorcerer Supre and often hid in another dinsion before each competition.
Gibbor had defected. The Ancient One could easily capture him at any ti, but she wanted to see how much power he could amass and whether it would be enough to qualify him as Sorcerer Supre. But he wasn't up to the task, as evidenced by how he fled with his tail between his legs earlier.
Mordo had talent and an obsessive sense of justice, but his extre personality and average power made him unfit for the role.
Kaecilius was a new apprentice, but his overly pragmatic nature made him more likely to betray them for power, handing the Earth over to the enemy.
The Ancient One admitted she was feeling a bit anxious.
Su Ming would make a great Sorcerer Supre. He was the strongest warrior she had ever seen, practically a chosen one from legend. Whether through brute strength or magic, he could easily defeat enemies.
And Su Ming had fewer scruples than she did. When using tactics, he wouldn't care about appearances or image. Dirty but effective tactics were what protecting the Earth required, and she had done the sa.
But unfortunately, he rejected her.
The Ancient One cald herself, suppressing her disappointnt. She could hold on for a few more decades and see how things developed. If, after those decades, there were still no suitable candidates, she would simply end her own life, leaving a note to the Vishanti appointing the next Sorcerer Supre.
Even if that made the position unstable, once the Vishanti recognized it, Su Ming wouldn't be able to refuse.
Unaware of the Ancient One's thoughts, Su Ming secretly let out a sigh of relief.
"Ahem, well, I should be going. You seem pretty busy yourself, right?"
He couldn't stay any longer—this situation was too dangerous. If he stayed and chatted a bit more, who knew what else the Ancient One might try? What if she suddenly behaved irrationally like a normal woman and insisted, "How dare you disobey ! Watch use the power of the Vishanti and the Ti Stone to beat you senseless!"
Terrifying. Even though the Ancient One wasn't like that, she was suppressing the cost of her spellcasting. What if she suddenly had a ntal breakdown?
So, it was better to leave quickly and head back to New York. Maybe Gin or Boss Joe had so useful intel.
"Wait." The Ancient One raised her hand, signaling Su Ming to stop. "We can offer you so help here."
"Hmm?" Su Ming stopped again. If there were benefits involved, he definitely wouldn't rush off. But hadn't she just said they couldn't help?
Sensing his confusion, the Ancient One explained, "I said the 'people' of Kamar-Taj couldn't help you. Rules are rules. But if it's not a person, that's a different matter."
All three of them turned to look at the Cloak of Levitation. The cloak gave a small shudder, as if electrocuted, and looked toward the Sorcerer Supre. The Ancient One simply nodded firmly.
The cloak hesitated for a mont, as if debating, before flying over to the Ancient One. It handed her the gem for safekeeping, then flew to Su Ming's back, draping itself over his shoulders, where it settled, unmoving.
Su Ming's eye twitched slightly. After donning the cloak, he noticed a flash in the Ancient One's eyes. Why was she looking at him like a son-in-law? He didn't want to be Sorcerer Supre!
The Ancient One turned her attention back to her teacup, watching the ripples in the tea as she changed the subject. "Your questions won't all be answered by . There are other sorcerers on Earth besides those in Kamar-Taj. Go to the London Sanctum and take a short walk from there. There's a sorcerer who can help you, and I'll send him a ssage."
Su Ming furrowed his brow as he thought. A British sorcerer? They were trustworthy in terms of allegiance, but what about strength? He wasn't out for a sightseeing trip here.
Still, it was better than nothing. Having a sorcerer was always useful.
"Alright, thank you. Oh, by the way, I'll be taking the symbiote with . It seems to want to follow ."
The Ancient One nodded. "It's just a specin, after all. Thor defeated the symbiote 'Dragon' centuries ago, and many symbiote spores were scattered across Earth."
"Any organization with so history likely has one or two symbiotes for research purposes."
This particular symbiote had been stored at Kamar-Taj for so ti, and they hadn't learned much from it. Besides, she knew where the symbiote howorld was. If she ever needed more, she could simply go and capture them.
"Perhaps that's its destiny. I trust you'll be able to manage it."
"One more thing," Su Ming added. "I have a feeling I'm being targeted by sothing. You know the scientists at my company, right?"
The Ancient One nodded, so he continued, "It feels like they're under so kind of confusion spell. Many of my research projects have hit dead ends. Do you have any idea what's going on?"
The Ancient One thought for a mont, leaning back in her chair to recover her energy. "First, I've never heard of a confusion spell like the one you're describing. Second, I'm not an expert in science, but that is a great power in itself. Outsiders often struggle to grasp its true nature."
"So, there's nothing specific?" Su Ming nodded, acknowledging it as one of the many mysteries he was dealing with.
"Usually, when things are inexplicable, they're either related to ti or causality. The world doesn't target any individual—do you ever think about a speck of dust on the roadside? You've assud soone is actively sabotaging you, but have you considered that it might be your future self or a friend who's responsible?"
The Ancient One offered so additional thoughts. She couldn't fully see the situation either. Su Ming seed to be surrounded by a cloud of fog, obscuring much of what concerned him. Even her own fate was becoming unclear because of their interaction.
At one point, she had seen her successor with the Ti Stone, but that face had now vanished from the tiline, leaving her feeling wistful.
Su Ming had considered that possibility, but there were too many suspects and no clear leads.
"Alright, it's just sothing that's been bothering . No big deal." He figured he'd find the answer eventually. When the ti ca, he'd deal with it. "I'll take my leave now. You should rest."
He and Holloway left the side hall. It wouldn't take long to find soone who could direct them to a portal to the London Sanctum. If that British sorcerer was competent, they should be able to track down Namor soon.
The Ancient One waved her hand, and the incense burner in the hall lit up. Through the curling smoke, she watched their figures disappear, her expression inscrutable as she pondered sothing unknown.
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