Alan carefully searched through his memories. He had more or less helped Strange avoid the Ancient One's test. When Stephen Strange first visited the Ancient One, not only was his soul forcibly expelled from his body, he was even thrown into a dimensional space, where he experienced an endless free fall.
It was precisely because Strange personally went through that ordeal that he finally came to a complete awakening and let go of his arrogant understanding of the world.
Unfortunately, this wasn't something Alan could openly explain. Besides, Strange had already accepted reality and was now sincerely asking the Ancient One to be his master.
The only question was whether the Ancient One would accept him, or if she planned to test him further.
Kaecilius hadn't yet stolen the spellbook that summoned Dormammu—everything was still under control. Once Strange's matter was resolved, Alan planned to leave Earth for a while. After all, Earth still had the Avengers, and with the Ancient One around, Thanos wouldn't dare come to Earth easily.
At most, Thanos would attack Asgard or other planets.
The Ancient One fixed her gaze on Strange, who was bent in a ninety-degree bow. His posture was completely different from earlier. Judging by that, Alan must have put in a lot of effort before bringing him here.
She understood Stephen's temperament well. The fact that he came here showed he had let go of his previous preconceptions. But he also knew he lacked Alan's abilities.
Those words didn't upset the Ancient One. She had to admit—Emperor's (Alan's) abilities were unfathomable.
Not being as powerful as Emperor was entirely natural.
Seeing the Ancient One still hadn't nodded in agreement, Wanda and the other girl nearby grew increasingly nervous, as if _they_ were the ones begging to be accepted as disciples. Strange, meanwhile, didn't lift his head, remaining bowed the entire time.
Even though pain was starting to creep into his lower back, the more pain he felt, the more certain he became that what had just happened wasn't an illusion.
If he could use his soul to heal his body, why not give it a try?
The prerequisite was that the Ancient One would be willing to take him in as a disciple. Strange clenched his molars, enduring the pain radiating from his back.
"Rise, I accept you. But in your current state, it's not the right time to begin training," the Ancient One said gently, patting Strange on the shoulder.
Just as Strange opened his mouth to ask when he could start learning, the Ancient One turned toward the door and called out Karl Mordo's name.
"Master Mordo, would you come in, please?" she said, waving her arm. "Master Mordo will take you to the dormitory. Get some rest first, and be patient."
Strange looked at Alan in confusion—weren't they going to begin lessons immediately?
Strange believed he needed to seize every bit of time. After all, with something as elusive as magic, he wasn't sure whether he had the talent to master it.
But the moment his eyes met Alan's, it was as if a bolt of lightning flashed through his mind. Strange suddenly realized—this too was a test.
"Mr. Alan, I'll take my leave for now," Strange said earnestly. He knew for sure that this place wasn't New York.
The buildings outside were completely different from the ones in New York. He wasn't sure where this was, but he knew he wouldn't be returning with Alan.
Alan nodded. "Good luck."
It wasn't until Strange's silhouette completely disappeared from view that Alan looked up and saw the Ancient One smiling in satisfaction.
"How does it feel?" he asked.
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