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*****
Ancient One's lifespan was far too long for a human being. It was so long that she no longer had any relatives or peers as friends; all she had left was her responsibility to protect Earth and an enduring loneliness.
"You know, I don't want you to die!"
Fini looked at Ancient One and spoke with absolute sincerity. In the beginning, he had hoped to rely on Ancient One to stop Dormammu and Thanos. But by now, he truly looked up to her as his mentor and family.
Ancient One shook her head and said with a smile, "Death is what gives life meaning. To me, death is a reminder of how precious time is, and it is also a form of rebirth."
"So, you still plan to seek out death after Stephen Strange arrives?"
This was the first time Fini had confronted Ancient One with this question so directly. Although they had touched upon the subject before, it had never been as straightforward as this.
The arrival of Jonathan Pangborn made Fini realize that the time he had left with Ancient One might only be a matter of a few short years.
Ancient One did not give a definitive answer. She merely smiled and said, "He is a good man at heart, exceptionally brilliant. Of course, he is still a bit conceited and arrogant at the moment. The two of you actually share many similarities. It's just that he cannot see his true self right now, whereas you understand exactly what you are doing."
Fini sighed, at a loss for words to persuade her otherwise.
Seeing Fini's silence, Ancient One smiled instead and comforted him, "There is no need to feel sad about this. In truth, death is not the end for me. I merely wish to break free from my shackles!"
Hearing Ancient One's words, Fini sighed once more.
Ancient One had lived for so long that her perceptions and outlook were beyond his comprehension. Furthermore, given her capabilities, moving beyond the limitations of a physical body might actually make her even more powerful.
"Aren't you worried about what will happen if that guy and I don't get along?!"
Fini hadn't reached out to Doctor Strange even once, and right now wasn't a good time to make contact anyway.
"That is between the two of you!"
Ancient One let out a soft laugh and continued, "Though, given your strength, I think he is the one who should be worried!"
The mention of strength reminded Fini of his previous sparring match with Ancient One, and a sudden, inexplicable sense of urgency washed over him.
Strange's innate talent was even greater than Ancient One's. Once he acquired the Time Stone in the future and used it to aid his cultivation, there was no telling if he might catch up to Fini in a short period of time.
Unaware of Fini's thoughts, Ancient One finished watering her flowers and said, "Alright, come inside. I plan to try modifying the Sanctum's spell array in a few days to see if it will affect you."
"Oh!"
Fini pushed his thoughts aside and followed behind Ancient One. No matter how clever Strange was, it would still be a few years before he came to Kamar-Taj. It wasn't as if Fini would stop progressing during that time.
Besides, he hadn't completely given up on keeping Ancient One alive. If Ancient One was still around by then, it was highly debatable whether Strange would even get to possess the Time Stone.
After spending the morning doing research work, Fini bid farewell to Ancient One. Before heading back, he realized he hadn't sat down for a proper chat with Mordo since his return, so he decided to go pay him a visit.
When he arrived at Mordo's room, however, he found only Jonathan Pangborn there; Mordo was nowhere to be seen.
Fini stepped into the room, sizing up Jonathan Pangborn closely before asking, "Hello, where is Master Mordo?"
"Hello!"
Upon seeing Fini, Jonathan seemed a bit nervous. He quickly explained, "He went to fetch lunch for me. He'll be back shortly."
"Oh!"
Fini nodded, then looked around the room and asked, "Mind if I wait for him here?"
Jonathan hastily shook his head. The sudden movement seemed to aggravate his physical injuries, causing a look of intense agony to flash across his face. However, he didn't cry out, choosing instead to grit his teeth and endure it.
Watching this display, Fini gave a silent nod of approval. Putting everything else aside, the man's willpower was quite commendable.
After a brief moment, the pain subsided, and the tension on Jonathan's face eased significantly. He cast an apologetic glance at Fini and said, "Pardon me. My name is Jonathan Pangborn. The Sorcerer Supreme told me that I could learn a way to heal my body here."
"Fini Halsey."
Fini introduced himself as well and said with a smile, "As long as you have the talent, not only will you fully recover, but you will also become healthier and stronger than average people!"
Jonathan nodded, a spark of determination flaring in his eyes. He then looked at Fini and said hesitantly, "I've heard Master Mordo mention you before."
Even though he had only arrived a few days ago, Jonathan had heard Fini's name quite frequently. After all, besides Ancient One, Fini was the most unique individual in Kamar-Taj.
And since Ancient One was the Sorcerer Supreme, no one dared to gossip about her behind her back. Fini was a different story, which was why he had earned nicknames like the Combat Mage in the past.
"Oh? What did he say about me?"
Fini showed a look of curiosity, eager to know how Mordo was describing him to newcomers.
"He urged me not to be impatient. He told me that when you first arrived, you couldn't master mana for an entire year, but you kept persevering. Now, you are already a highly exceptional sorcerer!"
"Just that?!"
Fini curled his lips, making a mental note in his little ledger about Mordo telling newcomers that his magical talent was utterly abyssal.
Right then, a sound came from the doorway as Mordo returned carrying two portions of food. He looked slightly surprised to see Fini and asked, "What brings you here?"
"Nothing major. Just thought it's been a while since we sparred, so I came by to take a look!"
Seeing Mordo, Fini adjusted his original plan for the conversation. Although Mordo could no longer serve as a benchmark unit for farming experience points, sparring with him still yielded a decent amount of experience.
Hearing the word "spar," Mordo's gaze instantly grew much sharper. Although nearly half a year had passed and his strength had improved significantly, he still didn't have absolute confidence in defeating Fini.
Thus, he neither accepted nor refused, instead stating, "Let's eat first. We can talk about sparring a bit later."
With that, he turned to Jonathan and added, "You two must have introduced yourselves already. That fried chicken wrap you like so much was actually made by him."
Hearing this, Jonathan looked at Fini in surprise. Although he had heard Fini's name a lot, he had only been there for a few days, so he wasn't entirely clear on many details.
"Don't make it sound like I'm just a chef!"
Fini shot back half-annoyedly, then boasted, "This is magical food. I am the only sorcerer in the entire universe who can summon it. It is incredibly precious."
Mordo looked completely helpless at Fini's words, while Jonathan grew even more curious about Fini. However, since he didn't know Fini well yet, he didn't dare to ask too many questions.
Over the course of the meal, Fini also asked Jonathan how he ended up finding Kamar-Taj.
With a complicated expression, Jonathan recounted his journey of searching far and wide for hospitals to treat him, only to be rejected by everyone. In the end, he crossed paths with a tribe that frequently received aid from the sorcerers, and through a stroke of luck, he managed to reach Kamar-Taj.
Looking at the downcast Jonathan, Fini patted his shoulder reassuringly and said, "Trust me, you'll recover soon. The power of magic is far more miraculous than you can possibly imagine!"