Finney smiled bitterly in his heart. He had always believed that the most invincible and powerful skill was the 'Golden Great Evolution Technique' — his trump card, his future edge over everyone else. But in that moment, the illusion was shattered by the Ancient One.
However, after some reflection, he realized he had been a bit arrogant. At his current level of strength, he couldn't even begin to grasp the upper limits of the 'Golden Great Evolution Technique.' Comparing himself to the Ancient One, who had lived nearly a thousand years and held one of the Infinity Stones, was unrealistic. It was simply a matter of power disparity.
So, the 'Golden Great Evolution Technique' was still invincible in essence — it was Finney who was too weak. He corrected his mindset, and with renewed confidence in his future potential, he looked at the Ancient One, nodded calmly, and said, "Thank you, Master Gu Yi, for helping me back then."
The Ancient One, unaware of Finney's internal monologue, smiled modestly and replied, "I made that decision on my own, but fortunately, it didn't negatively affect you."
An awkward silence followed.
After hearing that, Finney became hesitant to bring up learning magic again. He was worried that the Ancient One might ask for the 'Golden Great Technique' in exchange for teaching him. Though she didn't seem like the kind of person to do that, he didn't know her well enough to be certain.
The system had described the 'Golden Great Technique' as magic, but he didn't feel confident calling it that in front of someone like the Ancient One. Besides, it had been extracted from the system — not something he could actually teach, even if he wanted to. Unlike the Sumire Fried Chicken Nuggets Roll, which could be shared through a recipe, the 'Golden Great Technique' had no such method.
Just as Finney was tangled in his thoughts, the Ancient One stood up, casually waved her hand, and a glowing portal of golden sparks formed in the air. Through the circle, Finney could see what looked like an antique room on the other side.
A portal!
Finney's eyes lit up. This was one of the two spells he desperately wanted to learn. He didn't care much for Marvel's flashy melee spells, but the portal that could even span galaxies? That was invaluable. The other was the mirror dimension spell, which could isolate battlefields without harming the real world.
With a portal in hand, you could escape when overpowered. With the mirror dimension, you could trap enemies who tried to flee.
"It was a pleasure meeting you today, Mr. Hellset," the Ancient One said as she stepped toward the portal.
Finney was caught off guard. As she moved to leave, he snapped out of it and shouted, "Wait!"
The Ancient One didn't stop. She kept walking.
Panicked, Finney shouted again, "Master, I want to learn magic from you!"
Only then did the Ancient One turn her head. With a meaningful smile, she stepped into the portal and vanished.
Finney stood alone in the dilapidated factory, frowning. He still didn't understand why she had come or what her words truly meant.
"Is it because of the evil spirits?" he wondered aloud. That was the only unusual thing today. He had just finished dealing with them when the Ancient One arrived. Coincidence? No way. Not with someone like her.
"Could it be that I might go dark in the future? And she came to give me a warning in advance?" Finney's mind raced. With so little information, the possibilities were endless. But Supreme Sorcerers were known for keeping secrets, so guessing would only get him so far.
Also, what was with that cryptic smile? Did she mean she would teach him magic?
His head ached. The Ancient One's sudden appearance had disrupted his relatively peaceful life. With no clear understanding of her intentions, he didn't know what to do next.
"Forget it. I'll go find her and ask her directly," Finney muttered, finally making a decision.
Since she could come to him, there was no reason he couldn't go to her. Though Kama Taj was far, there was a shortcut — the New York Sanctum.
Resolved, Finney didn't linger at the secret base. After regaining his strength, he returned home.
As soon as he opened the door, Skye noticed his dirty and tired appearance and immediately panicked. She rushed over and asked anxiously, "What happened? Did those people come for you? Should we run? How am I going to tell Mom? I know some people online who can make fake IDs. Or maybe we can hide out in the Netherlands..."
Seeing Skye spiral into full-on escape mode, Finney couldn't help but chuckle. He reached out with his dusty hand, gently pinched her cheek to get her attention, and said reassuringly, "It's nothing. I just fell off my bike. No one saw me. Don't overreact. And even if they did see me, I have a way to handle it. Trust me."
Before today, if S.H.I.E.L.D. had found him, Finney wouldn't have had a solid plan. He likely would have had no choice but to join them under pressure. But now, things were different. He had decided to find the Ancient One.
In the end, she hadn't directly refused when he called her "Master." That meant something. That was also why he now had the confidence to approach her.
Seeing the sincerity in his expression, Skye finally let out a relieved breath. Then she glared at him and asked, "Where did you really go today? Don't tell me you just fell."
"I'm going to take a shower first!" Finney said, dodging the question with a grin. Before Skye could press him, he slipped into the bathroom, leaving her there with a pout.
After his shower, he came back out to find Skye still upset. He knew she was just worried, and considering his upcoming plans, he decided to sit beside her.
"Honestly, I didn't do much. Just went out to train," he said, hinting at the truth without going too deep.
Having experienced something bizarre the day before, Skye didn't think he was lying. She immediately asked with concern, "How are you training? Aren't you afraid of getting caught? Why not take me with you? I can keep watch or something."
"Next time, next time," Finney replied solemnly, employing the classic delay tactic.
Truthfully, Finney was a little worried about Skye too. When she first moved in, he didn't think much of her name, but over time, the name "Skye" started to feel familiar. Then it hit him. Back when he had been into Marvel stuff, there was a spin-off show that had a girl named Skye.
At first, he thought it was just a coincidence. But the more obsessed she became with finding her biological parents, the more convinced he became. He vaguely remembered that girl had alien genes, and eventually gained seismic powers from something called the Obelisk.
He didn't remember all the details though. The show had been way too long, and he hadn't finished watching it.