Kei Yamanaka glanced at his [Primordial Sovereign] trait before nonchalantly activating both the [Gecko Expert] and [Cupid's Brat] traits.
[Primordial Sovereign] could absorb most rules and concepts, commanding abilities originating from various worlds and power systems.
Although these two traits always seemed slightly disreputable, they still had their uses.
The Gecko Seal Restriction—most likely originating from the Solo World, as explained in the trait entry—still held its value.
This type of restriction was so rare that even the sealing techniques in the Ninja World or the records in Kamar-Taj had nothing comparable.
As for [Cupid's Brat], although its effect was quite strange, short-lived, and only worked on individuals with romantic partners, it probably involved some conceptual aspects.
Concept, even just a superficial grasp of it, was already a massive gain.
Both traits were activated simultaneously.
Within an instant, Kei fully grasped the related information and application techniques.
At the same time, another system notification played.
[System Notice: Green-tier trait 'Gecko Expert' and Purple-tier trait 'Cupid's Brat' can be integrated into the higher-tier trait 'Primordial Sovereign'. Proceed?]
"Integrate them."
Kei inwardly confirmed his suspicion upon seeing the word "integrate" on the system message.
Only seconds later, the two traits completely fused into [Primordial Sovereign], and their effects were significantly enhanced by the Primordial Realm's amplification.
With his current strength and yuan energy mastery, Kei could conjure Gecko Seals with a mere wave of his hand.
And if he wanted to imprint one onto someone else, he could simply cast it remotely, and it would take effect instantly.
As for [Cupid's Brat], it indeed touched upon true concepts—and not just one, but two!
Love and Conflict!
Even if it was just the slightest grasp of such concepts, its effects easily outclassed conventional attacks!
"Not too shabby."
Kei relaxed, reclining comfortably in his rocking chair.
Beside him, Clerie continued reporting the events of the past few days, completely oblivious to what had just occurred.
"About a day and a half ago, Priestess Miroku retrieved five sacred statues, intending to give them to Pakura, Kurenai Yuhi... Sanae took out two more, planning to deliver them to Butterfly Shinobu and Kagamiyama Kōya. Those are all the events that have occurred recently."
Faithfully completing her report,
Clerie looked at Kei nervously.
"Organization is excellent. I'll leave tasks like this to you from now on."
Smiling, Kei reached over and patted Clerie gently on the head, lavishing praise freely.
This whole "doting on children" thing?
He'd become a pro at it while mentoring Kurenai and the others!
"Yes, Master!"
Clutching the notebooks tightly—filled more with pictographs than proper writing—Clerie's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.
"Master, I believe I'll be ready for battle within three days."
Dinisha also approached Kei's side.
"…I'll assign you a long-term assignment."
Kei accepted Dinisha's proposal without objection.
In his estimation, it would still take the other party at least a week to fully integrate the cells inside her body.
He could sense her hesitation and confusion.
"Please, give me your command."
Dinisha gave a light fist tap over her heart. A faint smile unconsciously tugged at her lips.
After over a decade as a Claymore, she had long since grown accustomed to taking orders, carrying them out, slaying demons, and fighting Awakened Ones...
But now, living a life where she simply accepted things passively without knowing what to do each day made her feel helpless and out of place.
"For these two World Portals—send back anyone who entered by accident; for those who actively seek us out, you and Clerie will handle their reception and records. If they come with hostile intentions, neutralize them."
Kei pointed toward the World Portals leading to the Claymore World and the Demon Slayer World.
"Yes!"
Dinisha bowed slightly.
"Rest well. In the future, there will probably be more and more World Portals. Your mission won't be easy."
Kei stood up from the recliner.
Looking at her legs—now much slimmer and slowly regaining their original shape—
he considered getting her an Angel Suit later.
Nothing too flashy.
Just like the one belonging to Tianji King Hexi would be fine.
Golden hair, silver eyes, and a full angel outfit—it would look both stylish and stunning.
With that, he turned and left Chen Ge Hu.
Kei reappeared in a deserted alley in Las Vegas.
With a wave of his hand, he activated Otsutsuki Teleportation and opened a spatial portal, returning directly to the Snow Mountain Peak he had been at before.
Standing at the edge of the tall cliff on the snowy mountain peak, his willpower transformed into divine consciousness and rapidly expanded outward. After locking onto Kamar-Taj's location, two rings appeared on the knuckles of his index and middle fingers—exact replicas of the rings Ancient One once possessed.
Though highly functional, the rings were actually low-tier magical artifacts.
Otherwise, every sorcerer in Kamar-Taj wouldn't have had one.
The perfectly replicated rings expanded rapidly as Kei traced a half-circle with his finger, instantly forming a spatial gateway leading directly to Kamar-Taj's courtyard.
Kamar-Taj was shielded by powerful defensive magical arrays.
Bringing foreign spatial abilities directly into the temples where the sorcerers trained would certainly set off alarms.
He was here to meet the sorcerers, not to pick fights or bully weaker foes.
Naturally, he wouldn't go out of his way to trigger those wards.
At noon, Kamar-Taj was especially quiet and serene.
After finishing their morning spell practice and having lunch, some sorcerers meditated, others took naps, while many sat under shade trees or in rooms, studying various spellbooks diligently.
Kei's arrival drew almost no attention at all.
Surveying the ancient sorcery school that closely resembled Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, marked by the passage of time,
he wandered casually through the temple grounds like a tourist with his hands in his pockets, glancing curiously at the sorcerers lost in their magical studies.
"Hey... Magician," someone called out. "What are you doing? I don't think I've seen you around before?"
It was Mordo, stepping out of the library holding a spellbook.
Seeing Kei Yamanaka kneeling near a thousand-year-old ginkgo tree in the distance, with one hand pressed to the ground, magical energy coalescing at his fingertips as he chanted a spell, Mordo frowned deeply.
Golden hair, a neat black shirt and trousers, along with that handsome face.
Mordo was sure—he'd never seen this man before!
And dressed like that, if it weren't for the magic energy forming at his fingertips, he'd have assumed this was just another tourist who'd accidentally wandered into Kamar-Taj from some major city.
"This ginkgo tree is quite beautiful. It'd be a shame if it died, wouldn't it?"
Kei Yamanaka slowly retracted the [Wood Release] energy pulsing with life force, stood, then turned to face Mordo, the Ancient One's 'senior apprentice,' the one who had spoken.
He pulled the Eye of Agamotto from beneath his shirt, revealing it to the other man.
"...Sorcerer Supreme? Master... Shan?"
"Not quite what you were expecting?"
"You... you look very young."
Mordo opened his mouth slightly, staring at the young man before him with a gentle smile, his thoughts struggling to keep pace.
From how his master, the Ancient One, had described him—
This was a being whose power rivaled a Dimensional Demon God's—so immense it defied comprehension. Instinctively, he had pictured someone like an elderly man with flowing white hair draped in ancient robes.
This… is completely different!
"When magic is pushed toward chaos, a youthful appearance and eternal life are just side effects of that magic."
Kei Yamanaka chuckled lightly, withholding his true age.
After all, the average age of Kamar-Taj's sorcerers hovered around sixty or seventy. Appearing too young would inevitably stir up unnecessary trouble, especially as a newcomer.
"...You've achieved that?"
Mordo swallowed hard.
As the Ancient One's apprentice, he knew precisely what those words implied.
But precisely because he knew just how difficult it was, he grasped how terrifying the being before him truly was.
"Yes. By the way, the Ancient One also did. However, bound by her contract with Eternal, she had no choice but to depart."
Kei Yamanaka nodded slightly and offered an explanation about the Ancient One's current situation.
In the movie universe, Mordo regarded the Ancient One as his spiritual idol. Upon discovering that she had drawn upon dark power to extend her lifespan, his faith shattered, which led him down the path of becoming a villain.
At this point, though born into Transylvanian nobility, he was still… more or less a good man?
"Incredible... No, I mean—you and my master are both formidable sorcerers."
Mordo nervously tried to explain himself.
Having studied magic for many years, he knew all too well just how far away he was from reaching the power of chaos!
"I prefer to use the word 'great' when describing character. Power alone isn't something to be worshipped."
"Your words alone already show your noble character. My name is Mordo. I'm honored to meet you, Sorcerer Supreme."
"You're jumping to conclusions."
"Oh no, Sorcerer Supreme… this conversation reminds me all too much of my teacher."
Covering his forehead slightly, Mordo looked a little pained—but his tense mood relaxed noticeably.
It seems that this newly appointed Sorcerer Supreme isn't the aloof type. That's good, isn't it?
"Hahahahaha! So you're the one in charge of running Kamar-Taj now?"
"I mainly take care of the morning training sessions for the sorcerers and handle Kamar-Taj's daily expenses. Wong handles the library and maintains the three sacred sites, while Kaecilius is currently working as my assistant."
"Um... Want to hear my magic theory?"
Hearing Kaecilius's name, Kei Yamanaka recalled his past and nature, and abruptly changed the subject—from administration to magic.
Kaecilius originally learned magic because he wanted to resurrect his wife and child. Later, he chose to turn to dark magic because traditional white magic couldn't accomplish that.
If only that were possible...
Looking at Mordo, who seemed so genuine, he began mentally calculating.
Kaecilius and Mordo were two of the most gifted sorcerers in Kamar-Taj—only surpassed by Doctor Strange himself.
Changing their fates might bring some reward—but just how much was unclear.
But if both turned traitors, then under his command as the Sorcerer Supreme, the only capable fighter left would be Wong. And the other apprentices...
Just thinking about it made him feel deeply embarrassed!
He wanted this title just to have a respectable reputation in the Marvel universe.
Definitely not something people would hear and instantly laugh at.
"N-Now? I-I'll b-be ready r-right away…"
Mordo was so excited he could barely speak properly.
A great mage who had become an Eternal and mastered chaos magic had agreed to personally teach them magic theory and share his experience!
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