The next day!
Hawk drove Gwen early in the morning to the door of 117A Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village.
Gwen, sitting in the passenger seat wearing a cute snow wool hat, was a bit dazed.
She turned her head to look at the typical Victorian red brick tall building outside the car window, then at the pedestrians on the road who seemed indifferent to the building, and turned to look at Hawk, who was pulling the handbrake.
"Aren't we supposed to go to the airport?"
"This way is faster."
Hawk smiled slightly.
If he hadn't confirmed his tendency to encounter accidents when leaving New York City using transportation, he would have liked to leisurely fly to Nepal with Gwen.
It's a Christmas trip, after all.
But...
Who knows what accidents might occur if they fly to Nepal this time.
So, it's better to be careful.
Moreover, if there's a quick way to reach Kamar-Taj, why use the slowest method?
The most important point.
If the Supreme Mage doesn't want to see him, he would know by coming to the New York Hall, saving a flight for nothing.
Hawk thought as he got out of the car, then took Gwen's hand and came to the unnoticed door of 117A around the pedestrians, and knocked the iron ring on the door.
The iron ring rang out.
The sound was crisp and pleasant.
Soon.
The door of 117A slowly opened to both sides, and then, a middle-aged man with Uncle Hannibal's people-person face, wearing a dark yellow robe, appeared in front of Hawk.
Casillas, now the guardian of the New York Hall.
Casillas didn't seem surprised by Hawk's arrival. He merely glanced at Hawk, then stepped aside and made an inviting gesture.
"Thank you."
Hawk thanked him, not feeling surprised, and led Gwen into the New York Hall.
As always.
If the Supreme Mage, The Ancient One, didn't want to see him, he might not even be able to knock on the door of the New York Hall.
Of course.
Just because he couldn't knock it open doesn't mean he couldn't break in.
As soon as Gwen entered the hall, she couldn't help but widen her eyes.
Floating candelabras.
Books that turned pages by themselves.
Floating objects.
The hall was filled with a sense of historical depth, with a high ceiling that clearly didn't match the exterior architecture, and a huge spiral staircase with strange magical objects displayed everywhere.
But that wasn't the most surprising thing for Gwen.
After Hawk and Gwen entered, Casillas began forming seals with his hands, including starting to draw circles in front of him with his left hand.
As sparks appeared from Casillas' fingertips, a circle of sparks formed, creating a spark teleportation gate in front of Gwen.
Gwen stared wide-eyed in surprise, looking at the scene of the spark teleportation gate!
On the other side of the gate was an antique hall filled with tranquility, solemnity, and Zen.
Casillas, after finishing all this, maintained the gate while saying to Hawk his first words upon seeing him.
"The Supreme Mage is on the other side."
"Thank you."
Hawk calmly glanced at the opened gate, then thanked Casillas again, turned to Gwen: "Let's go."
Gwen snapped back to reality, nodded, and tightly held Hawk's right hand.
The next second.
Hawk went first, Gwen followed, walking through the teleportation gate before them, stepping directly from New York City to the real location of Kamar-Taj Monastery somewhere in Kathmandu in the Himalayas of Nepal.
Just as they stepped out of the teleportation circle, it disappeared behind them.
Gwen instinctively turned to look and then saw a person standing not far away, exclaiming in surprise.
Hawk turned to look.
Before him.
A woman with transcendent and ethereal temperament, wearing a white robe, with a serene and peaceful face, whose deep eyes seemed to see through everything, emanating wisdom from countless years and a barely perceptible weariness, elegantly and calmly looked at the two of them.
Hawk greeted first, nodding at the Supreme Mage who appeared before them.
"Supreme Mage!"
"Phoenix."
"..."
Gwen, listening to the Supreme Mage state the surname they had discussed not long ago, blinked, but didn't speak, curiously observing the Supreme Mage in front of her.
Hawk wasn't surprised by this, but he smiled at the words and looked at the Supreme Mage.
"I haven't decided if I want to use this surname yet."
"You will use it."
The Supreme Mage smiled amiably, then pointed to a tea table not far away, invitingly: "As guests, care for a cup of tea?"
Hawk raised an eyebrow.
"Sure."
"Please."
"Supreme Mage, after you."
When you come to ask for help, regardless of whether the matter works out or not, proper etiquette must be observed.
Even if a deal doesn't go through, there's righteousness in exchange.
Hawk understood this very well in his heart.
The Supreme Mage saw this and didn't say much more, with a peaceful smile, he stepped forward and appeared by the tea table.
Hawk led Gwen to sit opposite the Supreme Mage, imitating his manner, with legs crossed.
The Supreme Mage, dressed in a white robe with a serene smile, began a tea ceremony that was as graceful and pleasing as flowing clouds and water.
Quickly.
A cup of clear tea landed in front of Hawk and Gwen one after the other.
The Supreme Mage reached out his hand.
"Please."
"Thank you."
Hawk expressed his gratitude, picked up the tea cup before him, took a sip, and after savoring it, he drank the tea completely.
"Good tea."
"Delicious."
Gwen, having taken a sip, was similarly bright-eyed, swearing this tea was the best she had ever had in her life.
The Supreme Mage smiled slightly: "This clear tea was picked from the tea tree in the backyard last month. It's perfect for those who've had too much to drink; it sobers and soothes."
Gwen blinked.
Hawk, upon hearing The Ancient One's words, was moved in his heart and looked at the Supreme Mage: "Is there something wrong with the few glasses Mephisto invited me to drink?"
Gwen, hearing this, instinctively looked at Hawk.
Hawk grasped Gwen's right hand with his left hand.
Gwen opened her mouth but suppressed the impulse in her heart.
Hawk furrowed his brow, recalling the edge of life and death when Mephisto had invited him to drink in the Hell Tavern and those few glasses in New York City: "Mephisto's wine was excellent, I can feel my soul has strengthened."
Whether those few glasses had side effects, he was unsure, but he was certain they had the effect of strengthening his soul.
The Supreme Mage said with a smile: "Hell's soul-strengthening wine naturally has the effect of strengthening the soul, but before the wine is fully absorbed, the drinker's soul will also be locked by Hell; so Mephisto used it to invite Odin's soul to his Hell as a guest."
Goodness.
Mephisto really doesn't do anything humane.
No.
This fellow isn't even human; he wouldn't do anything humane.
As Hawk listened to the Supreme Mage's explanation, his thoughts spun quickly, and he instantly understood Mephisto's actual scheme.
First, use real soul-strengthening wine to hook him, and just by drinking it, before the wine is fully absorbed, if he encounters any mishap, even if it's a Nirvana, he would not reach the edge of life and death again, but instead go to Hell.
And once in Hell, it would be Mephisto's home turf.
Although he will be more powerful than God King Odin in the future, currently even the aging God King Odin could defeat him tenfold.
So...
God King Odin was tricked into visiting Hell by Mephisto's sly moves.
If he is tricked by Mephisto and sent to Hell, it wouldn't be called visiting, but going without returning.
With this thought.
Hawk couldn't help but chuckle: "Demons, truly not a punctuation mark of their words can be trusted."
The Supreme Mage, while pouring more tea for them, looked up at Hawk.
"But you didn't fall for it, did you?"
"I guessed Mephisto was interested in my soul, but I didn't know how he would ensure my soul would go to Hell. Now, after hearing your explanation, I understand."
Hawk shook his head as he spoke, then raised his tea cup, drank the tea completely, and when he was about to speak, saw Gwen handing her tea to him.
He paused, about to take it.
The Ancient One smiled and said: "Your tea is different from hers."
Gwen was slightly stunned, looked at her own cup, then at the teapot: "But it's all poured from the same teapot, isn't it?"
The Ancient One shook her head: "The cup of tea poured a second ago and the cup poured the next second are two completely different things in the concept of time."
Upon hearing this, Gwen glanced at The Ancient One, then nodded as if she understood yet didn't.
Hawk looked at The Ancient One: "Does drinking the tea negate Mephisto's wine?"
The Ancient One's expression remained calm: "Tea can sober!"
Hawk appeared enlightened, not to delve deeper into the issue, instead turning to The Ancient One, with curiosity: "But Witch Heart Demon is attempting to ally with the Four Elements of Creation to create a new Hell Dimension. The Supreme Mage isn't worried about Witch Heart Demon's success?"
After pouring the tea, the Supreme Mage sat back in her seat calmly, still serenely looking at Hawk.
Her answer was simple.
"Haven't you already handled it?"
"...Makes sense!"
Upon hearing the Supreme Mage's answer, Hawk was silent for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
Otherwise, what else could he say?
Say the Supreme Mage is cheating.
What a joke.
What if he said it now, and when he wants to borrow the Time Gemstone later, the Supreme Mage suddenly claims he is cheating?
So...
Do not impose on others what you do not wish for yourself.
Thinking this, Hawk stopped playing riddles with the Supreme Mage, and directly stated his intention: "Supreme Mage, I want to borrow the Time Gemstone!"
Supreme Mage: "..."