Chapter 16 – The Ancient One
Staring at the blond-haired elderly man standing before him with a staff for support, Blake Thorne merely raised an eyebrow slightly.
The energy reaction coming from this person—while still not on Blake's level—was, without a doubt, the strongest he had ever sensed from a being originating on Earth.
"Greetings. My name is Odin. I come from Asgard," the old man said calmly, answering Blake's curiosity right from the start.
Hearing that, Blake felt a flicker of surprise at why Odin himself would come looking for him. Still, he politely invited the All-Father into his home and served him a cup of black tea.
"Ruler of the Gods, Great King of Asgard, Odin," Blake said as he looked at his guest with interest. "May I ask the purpose of your visit today?"
After taking a small sip of the warm tea, Odin finally spoke in an unhurried tone.
"This all began with the foolish behavior of my two sons, who have never learned how to stay still. Some time ago, I personally exiled one of them to Earth."
"However… when the Bifröst was opened from Asgard, I detected an unfamiliar energy fluctuation on Earth—one I had never encountered before. At the time, you were engaged in battle with a human wearing an exceptionally advanced suit of combat armor."
Odin let out a quiet sigh.
"To be honest, my reasons for coming today are only twofold. First, I wished to see with my own eyes what kind of Earth-born human could wield such power."
"Second, I hope that the Asgardians may establish friendly relations with you. That eldest son of mine whom I exiled to Earth… if one day he were to offend you or accidentally cross your bottom line, I ask that you show me a little consideration. Please do not take it too seriously."
Hearing this, Blake finally understood the true reason behind the All-Father's visit.
As a father, Odin was clearly deeply worried about Thor—his notoriously hot-tempered son.
In the original tale, when Odin realized his life was nearing its end, he chose to exile Thor to Earth and seal away his powers, hoping he would learn wisdom and responsibility before inheriting the throne of Asgard.
But in this world, because Odin was already aware of Blake Thorne's existence, he felt compelled to intervene personally, fearing that Thor might act recklessly and bring disaster upon himself.
First, to understand this unknown and immense power.
Second, purely out of a father's concern for his child.
Faced with such a sincere request from a father, Blake naturally didn't refuse. He simply smiled and nodded lightly before replying,
"I believe that all peace-loving Asgardians can become my friends."
With the answer he hoped for, the atmosphere between them relaxed, growing warm and cordial.
Although their styles and sources of power were vastly different, both Blake and Odin possessed a deep understanding of the spiritual paths they each walked.
Their long conversation eventually ended with an exchange of gifts: Blake offered a set of breathing techniques, while Odin reciprocated by giving him a training method unique to the gods of Asgard.
When Odin was about to depart, he happened to run into Tony, who had just stopped by.
The All-Father gave Tony a friendly nod, then his body transformed into a pillar of golden light that pierced the sky, shooting back toward Asgard.
Even though Tony had grown fairly accustomed to supernatural phenomena after getting to know Blake, watching a man turn into light and vanish into the air still left him stunned.
"Blake! What was that just now?! What did I just see?!"
Blake calmly patted Tony on the shoulder and replied,
"No need to be shocked, Tony. Do you know who that old man was? His name was Odin. Yes—that Odin you're thinking of."
After saying that, Blake returned to his gravity training room to study the training method Odin had given him.
However, after half a day of trying, he finally gave up.
It wasn't because Odin's method was fake—on the contrary, it was highly systematic and rich in philosophy. But for Blake, it could only serve as a reference. Nothing more.
His current body, strengthened by years of Advanced Breathing Techniques and Ki Energy Training, had already surpassed the standard limits of ordinary Earth-born beings by a wide margin.
Yet biologically speaking, he was still a different species from the gods of Asgard. The Asgardians didn't call themselves gods without reason.
No matter how exceptional his talent was, fully imitating Asgard's training system would never bring significant improvement to a human body like his.
But just as he reached this conclusion, Blake slapped his thigh with excitement.
That's right! Asgardian training might not suit him.
But Earth had its own, incredibly powerful human training system—the Space-Time Sorcery of the Ancient One!
A thought immediately surfaced in his mind.
Would the Ancient One be willing to accept him as a disciple?
And… would the Sorcerer Supreme be able to see through his true identity?
After weighing all possibilities, Blake decided to give it a try.
With his humble nature and extraordinary abilities, he felt that earning the legendary sorcerer's approval wouldn't be too difficult.
Besides, regarding his identity as a "Traveler From the Multiverse," he was certain the Ancient One had already realized it long ago.
After all, during all the years he had lived on Earth, the Ancient One had never once interfered with him.
If this had been several years ago, it might have been because he wasn't considered a threat yet. But now? Even Odin had come to see him personally. There was no way the Ancient One was unaware.
Conclusion: the Ancient One did not regard him as a malevolent entity from outside the multiverse.
With his plan set, Blake pulled out his phone and contacted the principal of his former school at Midtown Tech High School.
Smoothly, he managed to request a full year of leave.
Yes—a full year-long break.
To Blake, school life in America was nothing more than entertainment, a way to experience a normal teenage life.
But now, there were far more important things to do.
— — —
Carrying nothing but a backpack filled with high-calorie energy bars, Blake used Instant Transmission and appeared directly at the foot of the Himalayan Mountains.
According to available information, the Ancient One resided in a hidden place called Kamar-Taj, located deep within the heart of the Himalayas.
Without the owner's permission, Kamar-Taj could not be found—even by someone as powerful as Blake.
Rather than wandering around aimlessly, Blake chose to sit down cross-legged where he stood, closed his eyes, and entered meditation, waiting for the Ancient One to come to him.
One month passed in the blink of an eye.
Whenever he felt hungry, he ate an energy bar from his backpack. When he felt thirsty, he used Breathing Technique Level 4.0 to absorb moisture directly from the atmosphere.
Only after a full month had passed and all his food supplies were gone did Blake use Instant Transmission to return to New York.
Less than a minute later, he reappeared at the foot of the Himalayas—this time with a much larger backpack on his back.
But before he could even steady his footing, the space around him changed dramatically.
The towering Himalayas seemed to come alive. Modern buildings emerged from within the mountains themselves, standing in defiance of physical laws.
Above, below, left, right—every direction around Blake was filled with architecture that rejected logic, as if gravity and dimensions themselves were being twisted and rearranged.
Then, at the center of the spatial chaos, a gray-robed figure appeared. They wore a necklace shaped like a mystical mandala beyond simple description, had a shaved head, and their gender was impossible to determine at a glance.
This was the legendary guardian of Earth for centuries—
The Ancient One.
"I know what you seek. I will teach you Space-Time Sorcery. However, I will not accept you as my disciple."
Blake was slightly taken aback, but he did not protest.
Even without formal disciple status, learning Space-Time Sorcery was what mattered most. That alone was enough for him.
After waiting an entire month, the day had finally come—
Blake Thorne was granted entry into Kamar-Taj.
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