June, the sun shines brightly.
Almost a month has passed since his meeting with the Ancient One, and Finney only has a few credits left to apply for graduation.
Although universities value internship experience and recommendations, Finney's grades are sufficient for admission, so he has nothing to worry about.
It's worth mentioning that Carson returned to school a few weeks ago and didn't cause him any trouble, which surprised him. He thought Carson was secretly planning something, until he found an opportunity to use the 'Golden Grand Evolution Technique' to investigate under the pretext of reconciliation.
It turns out Carson did intend to cause him trouble during his leave, but hesitated after unexpectedly discovering that Finney's parents were both renowned lawyers.
In this country, lawyers are a very special profession; no one wants to offend a powerful lawyer. Although Carson is impulsive, he's not entirely stupid.
Considering the consequences of offending Finney, he finally decided to swallow his anger. Of course, the most important thing is that he also needs to graduate soon and doesn't want to cause too much trouble at this time.
After understanding the situation, Finney was somewhat amused and exasperated, but the outcome was quite good. He reinforced his desire to avoid trouble with the 'Golden Grand Evolution Technique' and then dropped the matter.
Now, Finney's most important task was to quickly complete his credits, graduate, find the location of the New York Sanctum, and have a proper talk with the Ancient One.
During this time, he had been pondering the Ancient One's purpose in appearing that day. Given the information asymmetry, he ultimately felt that 'possession by evil spirits' was the most likely explanation.
Therefore, during this period, he only tested the effects of 'possession by evil spirits' a few times on weekends, and never used it again.
Becoming a superhero, debuting before Iron Man, was something he hadn't even considered.
If he could survive until he was invincible before emerging into the world, that would be ideal, but with his current rate of power growth, that was clearly impossible.
For Finney, Kamar-Taj was extremely important. Even if he couldn't learn magic from the Ancient One, this place allowed him to quickly improve his strength.
The growth of his experience bar was related to using skills in combat. Aside from S.H.I.E.L.D. and some untraceable organizations, the mages of Kamar-Taj were among the most powerful, so there was no need to worry about them being hidden.
Regular sparring with them would definitely be much faster than selling chicken nuggets at a shop, especially now that he had 'possessed by evil spirits,' his strength might not actually be weaker than that of an average mage.
"Congratulations, you've graduated."
With his diploma being handed out, Finney finally breathed a sigh of relief. The sweltering weather felt cooler. University wouldn't start for a while, and he could finally have some freedom.
At the graduation ceremony, looking at the bustling crowd around him, and his happy parents and Skye, Finney felt calm and peaceful. He had wondered if it was a bit indulgent for him to be leisurely attending school in a situation where the world would descend into chaos in a few years.
He hesitated, wondering if he should drop out of school and search the world for ways to improve his strength. This world held many hidden things, and if he searched carefully, he was sure to find something.
But whenever he saw his parents' somewhat aged faces, he couldn't bear it. He seriously asked himself what he truly wanted in this world.
Returning to the previous world was something he had considered when he was first reborn, but as he grew more accustomed to it, the idea gradually faded.
In this world, he had parents who doted on him, a lovely but not entirely obedient older sister, and special abilities. Although there were some dangers around, his overall life was better than before.
Moreover, if he continued to grow, he had a chance to become invincible.
After thinking for a long time, Finney realized that what he really wanted was to live freely, to have a sense of urgency about impending danger, but not to be controlled by that urgency.
He could enjoy a comfortable and peaceful life, but he couldn't forget the potential dangers. Therefore, he ultimately didn't choose to recklessly improve his strength, but instead followed his own path, progressing step by step.
Looking at everything before him, Finney felt he hadn't made a mistake. Some things in life, once missed, can't be reversed even with the Time Stone.
That evening, Finney's family was still discussing graduation. His parents didn't seem to care about his choice of ancient writing as his major.
They were already high-income earners, and even Finney himself had made a fortune from his 'Jinji Fried Chicken Rolls' business over the past two years, so there was no need for him to choose a major specifically for work.
The next day, Finney woke up early and was a little disoriented to find he no longer had to go to class, but he quickly became happy about being able to manage his time freely.
During breakfast, Skye looked listless, which puzzled him. "What's wrong? Didn't you sleep well last night?"
Skye shook her head, resting her delicate face on her hand, and said weakly, "Since you're not going to the shop anymore, I don't know what to do."
"You can find a job!" Finney glanced at the languid Skye and said helplessly, "Speaking of which, you've been out of school for two years now, and it seems like you haven't had any real work."
This made Skye blush, and she retorted fiercely, "Who said I haven't? I make money writing software online."
"That's good. Don't ask me for money next time you upgrade your equipment!"
Finney raised her head, looking like she'd agree if she could.
Skye opened her mouth in hesitation, wanting to firmly say no, but her body told her that if she didn't lend it to her, she might really not be able to afford a new computer.
"Hmph!"
In the end, she could only glare angrily at Finney, skipped breakfast, and left home with her bag.
Having finished her daily routine of teasing her sister, Finney ate breakfast in a good mood, but the thought of her upcoming task made her uneasy again.
New York is a huge city of over 1,200 square kilometers, and finding an inconspicuous, even hidden, house here is no easy task.
Finney pondered for a month, trying online map searches, aimless wandering, and other methods, before finally coming up with a plan.
Before leaving, Finney took out a worn-out compass that she had painstakingly searched for at a flea market. Taking a deep breath, she calmly recalled her thoughts and solemnly commanded:
"Bestow this compass with special power, and it will guide the owner to the place their heart most desires!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the previously still compass needle suddenly began to move erratically, swaying and spinning a few times before finally pointing in one direction.
"Success!"
Finney, feeling a little dizzy, suppressed her excitement. Fortunately, she had something in her mind as a reference, which greatly increased her success rate when using the 'Golden Great Evolution Technique,' and allowed her to concentrate more clearly.
Of course, the main reason for its success is that while this thing is special, its function is very simple, and it doesn't have the potential to directly destroy the world.
"Thank you, Captain Jack Sparrow!"
Finney praised, gripping the compass tightly. Without hesitation, he immediately moved in the direction the compass indicated. The power granted by the 'Golden Grand Evolution Technique' wasn't permanent, so the compass might malfunction at any time.
The Golden Grand Evolution Technique is very powerful, but the protagonist is currently weak and can't do much yet. This ability has a low floor and a high ceiling, making it less likely for his combat power to collapse—how wonderful!
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