After borrowing the books, he didn't immediately return to the temple. Instead, he flew high into the sky and, among the clouds, looked down at the entire Kamar Taj.
All the sorcerers below him raised their heads in confusion, not understanding what their master intended. Some even ran to fetch their friends so they could see too.
However, even after waiting for a long time, they didn't notice any movement.
Alaric sat calmly in the sky, completely motionless. His all-seeing eyes were open as he carefully observed and analyzed Kamar Taj's protective magic array.
Because of the layers of magical energy surrounding it, Kamar Taj seemed to exist in another dimension.
Without the Ancient One's permission, or unless a passage was opened, even if you stood right in front of its gate, you wouldn't be able to enter. You wouldn't even be able to find it.
That's why it's called the "secret of magic."
Its protective magic system was so advanced that even Heimdall, with his divine eye from Asgard, couldn't see it.
Besides hiding the sanctuary, Kamar Taj's magic array also served as a shield against dimensional invasions.
When it detected an attempt at intrusion from another dimension, it would automatically activate defensive mechanisms and stabilize the space.
Back when the Ancient One had just become the Sorcerer Supreme, Kamar Taj was often the target of attacks.
Despite that, she always managed to repel them and many of her enemies were even destroyed.
Her power was so great that those who survived eventually gave up and retreated into deep slumber, waiting for her end.
They waited for the moment when the Ancient One would die, and Earth would be left without her shield.
Then they would move again.
Much like Thanos.
As long as the Ancient One and Odin were alive, even though he knew the Infinity Stones were on Asgard and Earth, Thanos didn't dare come in person.
He sent others, Loki or various traitors, to sow chaos.
But when Odin died and the Ancient One disappeared, Thanos finally launched an open attack.
He destroyed Asgard, seized the Space Stone from Thor's hands, and led his army against Earth.
That alone speaks volumes about the power and influence Odin and the Ancient One possessed.
In addition, the three magical temples on Earth in London, Hong Kong, and New York, were interconnected in one complex system.
Together they formed a massive barrier that protected the world and simultaneously prevented dimensional entities from passing through.
Dormammu was wise enough to realize he had to destroy those temples before attempting to invade Earth.
That's why he sent his servants to attack, hoping to open a path for his arrival and consumption of the world.
Yet, that attempt failed.
That's why the magic array protecting Kamar Taj was one of the strongest ever created.
And it wasn't just a single formula.
It was a complex network composed of countless smaller magic circles, carefully linked into a perfect whole.
Thanks to that network, Kamar Taj had the ability to detect space-time anomalies.
It could sense if someone was traveling through time, if dimensional invaders tried to enter our world, or even if aliens descended to Earth.
Moreover, the network had strong defensive capability, it could withstand both magical and physical attacks.
But its most powerful feature was the cosmic blockade.
Alaric had personally experienced how difficult it was to open a spatial passage in the dimension of Eternal Night. That feeling of resistance, density, and pressure of magic was deeply engraved in his memory.
And that was exactly what he desired most.
If one day he could master that magic and apply it within the temple, even the Ancient One wouldn't be able to freely use portals to come and go.
The only way to pass would be through the magic doors he designated.
At the end of his research, Alaric reached the energy source that powered the basic magic array.
He discovered that the entire system was connected to a certain dimension, from which it constantly drew magical energy to maintain stability and functionality.
That dimension was quite familiar to him, the Vishanti of the Supreme Dimension.
Every sorcerer who could freely wield the power of the Vishanti reached the level of Sorcerer Supreme.
Just like the Ancient One, Strange... and now Alaric.
The difference was that Alaric used the power of his own divine entity, his God of Magic, without paying a price.
However, his God of Magic couldn't compare to the Vishanti.
His status as Lord of the Dimension of Eternal Night was far below Dormammu's.
It was like possessing perfect software, but the hardware wasn't powerful enough yet. Alaric knew he had to gradually upgrade and perfect his dimension so that one day it would reach the level of the Vishanti and Dormammu.
When that happens, he will exist on the level of beings that transcend the boundaries of the multiverse.
Time passed, and his understanding of the universe grew deeper. In his mind, a new dimension of perception opened, and then messages appeared, marking the advancement of his magical insight:
[Through continuous observation, you have analyzed the structure of the magic array, understood its principle, and learned how to perceive magical formations. You have created: Research of Space and Time.]
[Research of Space and Time: allows you to detect all anomalies in time and space, recognize every alien or dimensional visitor who enters Earth, and track their origin.]
[Through deep analysis, you have mastered the basic structure of the magic array, understood its functioning, and learned the magic formation of the cosmic blockade. You have created: Cosmic Field.]
[Cosmic Field: you can create a certain space around yourself in which you can block, statically control, activate, and attack enemies within the field's boundaries.]
[By studying magical formations of space and creating the Cosmic Field, you have gained understanding of: Elemental Magic.]
[Elemental Spaces: World of Storms (element of wind), World of Magma (element of fire), World of Stone (element of earth), World of the Deep Sea (element of water), World of Thunder (element of lightning), World of Light (element of light), and World of Black Holes (element of darkness).]
These spaces allow Alaric to banish any target into an elemental world or temporarily summon that space into reality.
[Through continuous observation, you have analyzed the structure of energy magic channels and understood the way of establishing energy flows. You have created: Source of Magical Power.]
[Source of Magical Power: you can forcibly establish channels between known magical sources and entities, drawing unlimited amounts of their energy.]
"Known magical energy... Vishanti and Dormammu... both gone?"
Alaric looked at his fingers and calculated: so far, the only sources of magical energy he had direct contact with were precisely Vishanti and Dormammu.
But both were beings of nearly incomprehensible power.
They were entities that operated on a multiversal level.
And most importantly, the term [forcibly] in the description meant that even the Vishanti and Dormammu could not refuse his connection!
Therefore, he could now confidently say: in future battles, two giants of reality stand behind him.