Choosing a completely empty room, Ethan began to get busy.
In the past, he would have needed to make various preparations, such as pre-drawing Circles, preparing casting materials, and so on, which was not only troublesome but also very time-consuming.
Now, he no longer needed those tedious preparations. As his magic power had grown stronger, Ethan could cast most spells using his own strength.
By standing still and continuously releasing, arranging, and integrating his magic power, he could construct a sealing and isolating spell, separating this room from the outside.
No matter what happened inside, it wouldn't be detected from outside, to the extent that even the Ancient One felt as though she had entered an unfamiliar space.
"Oh?"
Ethan's improvement in strength exceeded her expectations. In his full casting state, she could clearly sense that Ethan's current magic power was immense. In all of Kamar-Taj, no other mage could compare to him except herself.
Moreover, to complete a spell like this, it wasn't enough to simply have a vast amount of magic power. One also needed to have walked far along the path of magic, possessing sufficient insight and deeply rooted magical knowledge.
The Ancient One could tell that this magic bore traces of Kamar-Taj, as well as many magical theories she had never encountered before.
"It seems that traveling across different worlds really does allow a mage to grow faster."
Ethan, still casting the spell, managed a small smile. As the space isolated from the outside stabilized, he let out a sigh of relief.
That was just the beginning. These were merely the preparations. The real work had yet to begin.
He held up the cross. Ethan closed his eyes, connecting with the seemingly ordinary object in his hand. As he gently raised his right hand and opened his palm, releasing a soft golden glow, a gate that looked like it was made from pure white marble materialized out of thin air before them.
"What is this?"
Let alone Tony Stark, a complete layman when it came to magic, even the Ancient One couldn't tell what kind of spell this was.
The white stone gate looked tangible, but the Ancient One could sense that it was something between reality and illusion, like a projection from another dimension into this world—yet it was still genuinely connected to this world.
"Gate of Heaven."
Ethan didn't explain in detail. The name was merely a convenient label.
As the gate slowly opened, two figures walked out from the field of light.
The small "Heaven" that Ethan controlled had undergone some self-evolution recently, gaining a few additional functions.
For example, the souls of Howard and Maria Stark, as ordinary people, were invisible to Tony. But after spending time in this small "Heaven" and being influenced by its energy, they gained a physical form upon exiting the Gate of Heaven.
Tony could not only see his parents, but could even touch them.
Even Anck-su-namun's soul hadn't received such treatment.
It was precisely because of this that Ethan had deliberately sent the Stark couple's souls into the cross and then had them emerge from the Gate of Heaven.
Howard and Maria still seemed a bit confused, clearly unsure of what was happening.
Seeing the people standing before them, Howard instinctively shielded his wife and looked on with vigilance.
"Who are you?"
Although Howard had been a super genius during his lifetime, he received no special treatment after death, merely resting like any ordinary soul in the world of the dead.
Ethan wasn't sure how the afterlife worked in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but when he found and summoned the couple's souls, they had been sleeping in the realm of the dead.
After being summoned, they hadn't woken immediately. By the time they did regain consciousness, they hadn't yet figured out their surroundings before being sent out through the Gate of Heaven.
It was clear that Mr. Howard Stark was still in a state of confusion. Ethan could only first confirm that his mental state was stable.
"Mr. Howard Stark, do you remember what happened before?"
"What happened before?"
Howard turned to look at Maria beside him and noticed that she looked like she had in her youth. His foggy thoughts began to clear, and he gradually grasped the current situation.
"I remember… I was attacked while driving…"
"Attacked?" Tony Stark, who had been completely overwhelmed upon suddenly seeing his parents again, immediately exploded when he heard this. He had always believed his parents had died in an accident, but now they were saying it was an attack? "Who attacked you?"
"You are…?"
Howard looked at the agitated man. His face seemed very familiar, but Howard was sure he didn't know him.
Ethan reached out and held Tony back, stopping him from rushing forward.
"We can talk about the attack later. Right now, they need to understand the current situation."
"Tony? Is that you, Tony?"
Just as Tony was calming down, Maria suddenly spoke.
It had to be said, blood ties were truly miraculous. Even though Tony was now much older than she remembered, Maria, as his mother, still recognized him.
Perhaps Maria had been silently watching from the side, sorting through her thoughts. After all, she was Howard's wife and a highly intelligent woman herself.
"Tony?" Howard was taken aback, then carefully examined the man in front of him. At last, he recognized that this was his son, just older. "So it is you. Seems quite some time has passed."
"Twenty years, give or take."
The Starks were attacked and killed by the Winter Soldier in the early 1990s. About twenty years had passed since then, and Tony had gone from a man in his twenties to a middle-aged man nearing forty.
"That long, huh."
Howard looked down and studied his body. It had a translucent, ethereal quality. He quickly realized that he was no longer in his physical form.
"I'm in soul form now?" Howard didn't seem particularly upset about being dead. "So, souls really do exist in this world."
As the family began exchanging words again, Ethan felt his head throb. He had no choice but to interrupt.
"Let's pause the talking for a moment. Let me explain the situation. After that, you can talk as much as you want. I won't stop you."
Although Howard wanted to ask who Ethan was, he decisively kept quiet and listened to this unfamiliar young man explain what was going on and why he and Maria were here.
While Ethan was speaking, the family of three huddled close, exchanging looks. Though they didn't interrupt, their silent interaction still made a vein twitch on Ethan's forehead.
Once he finally finished explaining, Maria gently reached out and touched the wrinkles on Tony's face. "You've grown so much."
Howard's focus wasn't on Tony's age. After being dead for so long, it made sense that his son had grown.
He was concerned about something else.
"You want to bring your mother and me back to life?"
"Yes."
Tony gave a brief explanation of the preparations he had made to help his father understand how the resurrection would work. Of course, while explaining, he might also have wanted to show off to his dad—like, Your son is amazing now. Aren't you proud?
Seeing the family falling into another endless loop of chatting, Ethan knew that unless he let them fully express themselves, he wouldn't be able to get another word in.
He reminded Tony that Howard and Maria's souls could not leave this space, but if he wanted to step out, he could exit through the door.
Tony nodded in understanding and continued talking with his parents. After twenty years apart, there was a lot to say.
Howard and Maria also wanted to know what had happened over the years, especially to their son.
After giving the necessary instructions, Ethan and the Ancient One left the room.
The isolation and sealing spells Ethan had set up didn't prevent normal human passage. Although walking through the doorway felt like pushing through a thin film, even ordinary people could pass through.
"A very interesting cross."
The Ancient One didn't fully understand the cross's function, but she had figured out part of it. She knew that with this cross, her soul would be completely protected.
She wouldn't have to worry about being pulled into the underworld by some rule or powerful being, nor would she fear being seized by Dormammu and taken to the Dark Dimension.
"So now you don't have to worry about the future. Your problem really isn't that hard to solve."
"Yes."
The Ancient One was now completely relieved. She hadn't expected that a problem that had haunted her for so long could be resolved so easily.
"However, I'm increasingly convinced that you should inherit the title of Sorcerer Supreme."
"No, thank you."
Ethan refused decisively, not giving the Ancient One any chance to continue.
"If you're really in such a rush to mentor someone, I think the one inside is pretty good. Even if he doesn't inherit the title, it would still be a layer of insurance."
Ethan had just casually made a suggestion, but unexpectedly, the Ancient One began to seriously consider it.
"Perhaps you're right."
She had originally believed that although there were many candidates, only one should be trained. To avoid future power struggles, it was best to choose and cultivate only one.
But now, upon further reflection, what harm would it do to train an additional Tony? Nothing at all. Tony wouldn't care whether he inherited the title or not.
On the contrary, if Tony formed an alliance with Kamar-Taj, it would be a tremendous benefit for their mages.
(To be continued.)
More power stones pleease
***
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