Chapter 17 – Multiverse
Inside the private chamber of the Ancient One, hidden deep within the secluded residence of Kamar-Taj, Blake sat facing him.
"Blake Thorne… a mysterious guest from a Great World unknown to this Multiverse. In truth, I have known of your arrival for seventeen years already."
Blake was just about to speak, intending to explain himself, when the Ancient One calmly raised a hand, stopping him before he could say a word. He continued in the same tranquil tone,
"There is no need to explain anything to me. Nor should you tell me anything about that Great World… I have no desire to form a bond of cause and effect with the supreme divine beings of such a world. That is also one of the reasons I chose not to take you as my disciple."
Hearing that explanation, Blake could only shrug helplessly. Still, curiosity colored his voice as he asked,
"Then, Sorcerer… why are you still willing to teach me magic?"
"Because of you yourself." The Ancient One looked straight at Blake, his gaze calm as he explained,
"Your mental strength… and the power of your soul, are things that even I—who have traveled through countless dimensions and worlds within the Multiverse—have never encountered before. And your soul… it is extraordinarily pure."
"To be honest, your talent for magic is exceptional. Even I, in my youth, cannot compare to you. That is precisely why I hoped to find someone capable of inheriting my position and my role—someone who can protect this world in the future."
Seeing Blake's expression, as if he wanted to say something yet forcibly held himself back, the Ancient One merely smiled softly and shook his head.
"Rest assured. The Time Stone and the title of Sorcerer Supreme have nothing to do with you. They belong to Stephen. Your existence will not interfere with the course of his destiny."
Blake nodded slowly, though doubt still lingered in his mind.
"But, Ancient One… one thing I am certain of is that one day, I will definitely leave this world. If that is the case, how can you entrust the responsibility of protecting this world to me?"
At those words, the Ancient One burst into hearty laughter.
"Blake, do not underestimate your future self. If one day you truly master Space and Time, then the worlds within the boundless dimensions of the Multiverse… would it not simply be a matter of choosing where you wish to go?"
Those words instantly left Blake speechless.
Yes… wherever he wished to go.
That meant all the worlds he had once passed through… could he possibly visit them again? The people he had once known… and his true homeland… perhaps he could still meet them someday.
As that thought took hold, Blake's enthusiasm toward space-time magic surged even higher.
Seeing that expression, the Ancient One did not waste any more words and moved straight to the lesson itself.
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"The true essence of magic… lies in mental strength and one's own will. Blake… your soul and mental power are indeed incredibly strong, but you do not yet know how to make use of them."
"Focus your mind. Next, I will guide you to sense the existence of the Multiverse. Within the Multiverse lies limitless energy. You may attempt to draw in that energy and store it within your soul."
"That is the first step in understanding magic. Only those who can pass this stage are worthy of being called Apprentice Sorcerers."
"Use that special energy, then control it with your will, combined with specific hand movements and incantations—that is magic."
"Of course, gestures and incantations are merely auxiliary tools. They help align your will with certain rules. If your willpower is strong enough, and your understanding of magical laws is deep enough, then with a single intent… magic itself can take form."
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After explaining the necessary foundational theory, the Ancient One raised a finger and gently pressed it against the center of Blake's forehead.
In an instant, Blake felt as if his soul had been torn free from his body, then hurled forward at tremendous speed, shooting through countless narrow, chaotic passages…
Scene after scene, dreamlike in nature, flashed past his eyes—from colossal galaxies in the vast macrocosm to the tiniest particles within the deepest reaches of the quantum realm.
Between those boundless dimensions, reality itself seemed no more than a thin bubble suspended among dimensional spaces, as though it were nothing but fragile, illusory soap foam.
With every second that flowed through time, countless bubbles were born… and countless others shattered.
— — —
"Blake, this is the Multiverse. And this is where we originate…"
The gentle voice of the Ancient One echoed nearby, pulling Blake back from his immersion in the beauty of the Multiverse.
The sorcerer pointed toward a large, brilliantly glowing bubble not far from where their spiritual forms hovered.
"I do not know exactly where your original world lies. But I believe… it must be very far away…"
"Now, Blake. Focus your mind. Do not be overly influenced by the outward form of the Multiverse. Use your will to guide your search—and find the power that truly belongs to you."
After saying those words, the spiritual form of the Ancient One gradually faded away from Blake's side.
In the next instant, the Sorcerer Supreme returned to the physical world.
He gazed at Blake's body, sitting motionless with vacant eyes. Within his gaze were both hope and unease, never once leaving Blake, who was now in a deeply transcendent state.
— — —
In truth, for ordinary sorcerers, training only involved using gestures and incantations to open a small rift into the Multiverse, drawing energy from it for use.
But Blake… his spiritual power and soul were truly beyond reason. What shocked the Ancient One the most was that he could not sense even the slightest trace of Multiversal energy within Blake's body.
What did this mean?
It meant… that Blake had never once absorbed energy from the Multiverse before!
Yet the first moment of absorbing Multiversal energy was the most crucial moment in a sorcerer's entire journey. It was during that moment that their growth was at its fastest.
The amount of energy absorbed during the very first attempt… often determined how high the peak of power that sorcerer could reach in the future.
That was precisely why the Ancient One had decided to directly cast Blake's soul into the Multiverse.
If one had to use an analogy, Blake's soul at this moment was like a pristine vessel that had never been used to store anything—and its capacity… was the largest the Ancient One had ever seen!
A vessel of such caliber was naturally irresistible to the boundless energy scattered throughout the Multiverse.
If luck favored him, it was not impossible that Blake would immediately gain recognition from a Dimensional Energy—special energy originating from a specific dimension.
Like the Ancient One himself and Dormammu… both of them had obtained recognition from the energy of the Dark Dimension.
Although, due to Dormammu's influence, most sorcerers regarded energy from the Dark Dimension as something evil… that did not change the fact that the Ancient One was still among the strongest sorcerers in existence.
Then what were the benefits of gaining recognition from a Dimensional Energy?
First, energy from that dimension could be directly transmitted into one's soul. As long as the soul could withstand it, one's energy source would become virtually limitless!
Second, one would gain the core power of that dimensional energy. Although the Ancient One had never revealed his own "Essence of Darkness," a power capable of devouring everything…
Aside from Dormammu, in truth… the Ancient One could do it as well.
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