LazySageDao
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597. Allies
🕑 Added 2024-04-08 19:55:28 +0000 UTCAncient One’s Quarters:
Wong knocked on the door and only entered after hearing her voice. “Wong, what can I do for you?” Wong hesitated momentarily, “Are you sure he’s trustworthy?”
“I thought we had this conversation before.”
“All I’m saying is he’s from a different dimension and has not been insensitive to protect ours.” The Ancient One once had this reservation as well. However, in the future he saw with Edward, he never left for his own dimension, which made the Ancient One suspect that something had happened to it; this could explain why he crashed in this place.
“What brought this on?” she asked.
“I spent the past few hours looking at those missions, and I’m wondering whether he was not trying to kill us, given how absurdly difficult, nay, impossible, some of them looked.”
“Have you tried to take on one of these missions?” The Ancient One asked.
“No.”
“Try the hardest difficulty.”
Wong was confused but still followed her example. He focused his mind on his Gate of Truth, and a hologram screen materialized before him. He found an SSS-rank mission: Infiltrate the Hell Dimension to steal or destroy the [Pool of Soul].
[Mission Selected. Detecting Sorcerer’s Ability.] Wong was surprised by this cold voice and looked around to detect its origin.
[Detection Ended. Survival Rate: 0%. Sorcerer’s Ability does not meet the mission requirement. Please increase your skill before taking a mission of this caliber.]
Wong looked in shock.
The Ancient One suggested, “Try the lower difficulties,” and Wong did so. The mechanical voice said the same thing until he chose a C-rank mission.
[Survival Rate: 70%. Sorcerer meets the requirement, but continuing training and increasing the survival rate is recommended. Do you still wish to take this mission? Yes/No.]
“No,” said Wong instinctively.
[Wise Choice. Prudence is the key to a long life.]
“As you can see, not anyone can do the missions,” said the Ancient One. “The Mission System is designed to ensure your maximum survival rate. Although the percentage is not a hundred percent accurate due to too many possibilities, it is the best we have.”
“I see. I did not expect it to be so meticulous.”
“One of the reasons I choose him is because of his meticulous mind that is brought upon by his maddening paranoia,” said the Ancient One.
“I understand,” nodded Wong.
“Edward should still be at Kamar Taj in the following month. You should take this opportunity. Ask him as many questions as possible, and he will answer you. In terms of teaching, there is no better instructor.”
…
After Kaecilius’s departure, Edward still had some work to do. Firstly, he must prepare for the assembly of the Avengers. He needed to contact these people, and the best way to do so was not as his status of the Sorcerer Supreme but with a more acknowledged position of power. So, he will send a clone with an identity that even SHIELD could not tell was fake, and the clone’s job will be for one purpose: becoming a member of the World Security Council that oversees SHIELD and using whatever means possible to increase its strength.
Kamar Taj, the Avengers, and SHIELD will not be enough for the future. So, he will need the help of militaries worldwide as he would provide them with technology and magitech to combat certain forces. However, he must have the necessary recognized status and power.
After sending his clones, Edward spent the next months training these Sorcerers. He taught them how to train and use their [Combat Aura], Gate of Truth, and many basic mana applications. Wong spent the next month close to Edward, asking him questions daily and every time he had one, and Edward patiently explained everything. Other sorcerers saw how approachable he was and followed suit, so Edward started giving public classes or lectures to everyone.
During this month, besides teaching, Edward also planned four new Sanctorums in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Lagos (Nigeria), Sydney (Australia), and one in Antarctica. With the previous four (London, New York, and Hong Kong), Edward covered all seven continents. The physical locations of the Sanctums were built, but Edward had to upgrade the Earth Dimension Protection Shield. Luckily, he had the Ancient One at his side and tasked her to oversee the upgrade.
Once the month ended, the Sorcerers began to execute their missions. Wong came to see Edward before leaving since they had developed somewhat of a friendship.
“You’re leaving?” asked Edward.
“Yes,” nodded Wong.
“Are you sure you don’t want to work in the library?” he asked with a smile. Wong once told him his goal was to work in the library, read, and stay peaceful to himself.
“And miss all the action?” Wong shook his head.
“What mission did you take?”
“The Lamp of Zanloon.”
“A B-rank mission? Are you sure?” Edward knew about this mission since he had written all of them. This mission takes place in Dimension Z-098, and the task is to retrieve a lamp with a powerful genie. Why does Edward want this lamp? It’s because, in the future, he saw a Sorcerer in that dimension acquire that lamp and absorb its power, becoming a powerful reality warper. Then, that sorcerer came to Earth, causing chaos and killing many people. Wang Wei created this task to prevent the birth of that Sorcerer and reduce the risk to his timeline.
“The mission is one of the easiest at the B-level, and I have an 85% chance of survival.”
“Do you want me to give you some secret help? I won’t mind, given our friendship.”
“No, that won’t be fair.” Wong declined without hesitation.
“If you say so,” nodded Edward. “Be careful.”
“I will.”
Edward calmly watched Wong leave before muttering, “Send a golem to protect him secretly.”
“Already on it,” replied Morgana.
“How is Mordo doing?”
“He’s following your instructions and dealing with his mental health.”
“Good. Now, let’s get us some allies,” muttered Edward before opening a portal in Wakanda: not the one seen by the outside world but right before their nation’s cloaking field. Edward touched the field and waited a few seconds before saying:
“Black Panther, protector of Wakanda, I’m the Sorcerer Supreme. I believe your intelligence network has alarmed you of our existence.”
After a few seconds, T’Chaka, T’Chala’s father, walked from the field dressed in his black panther suit with the Dora Milaje behind him.
“The mystics from the Himalayan Mountains?” asked T’Chaka.
“Correct.”
“How do you know about our existence?”
“Since you know about us, why can’t we know about you?” replied Edward. T’Chaka was not happy with this explanation and did not focus on it. “Why have you contacted us?”
“I’ve come for an alliance.”
“Wakanda does not intervene in the affairs of the outside world,” immediately declared T’Chaka.
“And you don’t have to. I’m here merely for an exchange of resources.”
“As expected, you are here for our vibranium,” said the commander of the Dora Milaje, and her words increased the tension of the meeting.
“Wakanda does not exchange vibranium.”
Edward was interested in vibranium since it was a great inducer of magic in the comics, but he was unsure about the ones in the MCU. Regardless, vibranium was not his main interest in coming here. He waved his hand to conjure a box.
“This is my gift for the Kingdom of Wakanda. After analyzing it, you will realize the value of trading vibranium with me,” declared Edward. “And once our alliance is stronger, we can exchange more things, such as the location of Ulysses Klaue.”
“You know where that theft and murderer is?” asked King T’Chaka.
“Who knows?” shrugged Edward. “Anyway, please consider my words.” He opened a portal behind him and left. King T’Chaka looked at the remaining box and ordered someone to take it with him.
“Your majesty, we should be more careful.”
“You saw the magic he used. Do you think it could ignore our cloaking field?”
The commander paused, “Very likely.”
“Then, you understand.”
