"Your control over demonic power is simply amazing."
The Ancient One turned and glanced at the flame barrier surrounding Luke, nodding in approval.
"Heh."
Luke smirked, deciding to show off a little more.
The Ancient One merely shook her head.
"This is Makalu, the fifth-highest mountain in the world, located in the Himalayas," she said, gesturing to the vast, snow-covered peaks.
"Compared to Mount Everest, this place is more desolate and inaccessible."
Luke silently nodded.
Hmm.
'A great place to get rid of someone without a trace.'
"From now on, you can summon demons here."
"Uh-huh—"
"Wait, what?!"
Luke snapped his head toward the Ancient One, certain he had misheard.
"There are few people here," the Ancient One continued, unbothered by Luke's shock. "Even if something goes wrong, the impact will be minimal."
Luke's eyes widened as realization hit him.
The Ancient One wasn't just letting him off the hook for summoning demons—she was actually giving him a secluded place to do it.
"Why?" Luke asked instinctively.
The Ancient One shook her head. "For your sake, I visited the Supreme Dimension."
"Supreme Dimension?" Luke blinked in confusion.
"Haven't you finished reading The Basics of Magic?"
"...No."
A brief silence.
Then, the Ancient One continued, "The Supreme Dimension is the domain of the Vishanti."
Luke's breath caught.
The Vishanti. The ultimate powerhouses.
"They revealed something about you to me," the Ancient One said.
"But even they could not predict everything about you."
Luke frowned. That didn't sound reassuring.
"The Time Stone cannot clearly see your past or future. That has never happened before," the Ancient One admitted.
"So, I sought answers in the Supreme Dimension."
There was a pause.
"And?"
The Ancient One hesitated for the first time. "When I brought up your existence... even the almighty Vishanti showed a trace of fear."
Luke felt a chill run down his spine.
"I don't know how far you'll grow in the future," the Ancient One admitted, "but for now, I don't mind giving you a little help."
She pulled out an ancient piece of papyrus and handed it to Luke.
The parchment looked over a thousand years old, preserved only through magic. Luke squinted at the markings.
They weren't in any language he recognized—just strange pictographic symbols.
"This is Quagus," the Ancient One explained. "A former servant of a powerful, dimensional lord that I will not name."
Luke noted the way the Ancient One avoided mentioning the name.
As if even speaking it was dangerous.
"As far as I know, Quagus is sealed away somewhere," the Ancient One continued. "If you ever plan to summon it... be careful."
Luke nodded, gripping the parchment a little tighter.
"If you run into trouble, you may come to me," the Ancient One added. "I will do my best to deal with the aftermath."
Luke understood what she meant.
"Oh, and this as well."
The Ancient One handed over another ancient tome, its cover cracked with age.
"It contains information on demons from different dimensions. While they are not as strong as dimensional lords, they are formidable in their own right."
Luke stared at the book and the parchment in his hands. For a brief moment, he felt genuinely moved.
This bald old woman was really looking out for him.
Damn it, if you were a few thousand years younger and had a full head of hair, I might actually fall for you.
"You're welcome," the Ancient One said dryly, as if he could hear Luke's thoughts.
Just as Luke was basking in the moment, the Ancient One shattered the mood with her next words:
"From now on, you can leave Kamar-Taj."
Luke's heart stopped.
Ah!
He had been so touched!
And in the end, he was getting kicked out for illegal summoning.
...
False alarm!
Luke wasn't being kicked out of Kamar-Taj for the crime of 'illegal summoning.'
What the Ancient One really meant was that he could now come and go as he pleased.
In simpler terms, his "observation period"—which was really just a glorified form of house arrest—was officially over.
From now on, Luke could stay in Kamar-Taj to study magic or leave whenever he wanted.
Either way, according to the Ancient One, the doors of Kamar-Taj would always be open for him, and if he ever needed guidance, he could seek her out.
Now that was what you called true wisdom.
No wonder she was the Sorcerer Supreme.
Watching her back disappear into the glowing portal, Luke gave an approving nod.
'Respect. Major respect.'
Who wouldn't like a mentor like that?
—Just to be clear, Luke wasn't that rebellious. He had zero thoughts about the Ancient One beyond admiration.
But he had to admit, he now owed her a massive favor.
...Not that he was in a hurry to repay it.
"Still, what exactly did the Ancient One learn from Vishanti?" Luke muttered to himself, rubbing his chin.
The idea of a cosmic entity—one of the three ultimate magical forces in existence—having a conversation about him was a little unsettling. W
hat could they have possibly said to make the Ancient One trust him enough to hand over a summoning ritual for a dimensional lord?
Dimensional demons weren't your average supernatural pests.
These were rulers of their own twisted realms.
If something went sideways during the summoning, the Earth could be wiped out in minutes.
No joke.
Luke suddenly had an idea.
"System," he asked, "does Vishanti count as an evil spirit?"
[Any living or non-living entity from another dimension that poses a significant threat to the host is considered an evil spirit.]
Luke blinked.
'Wait. Could that be why Vishanti doesn't want to establish a direct connection with me?'
The thought made him shudder.
'Nope. Not messing with that kind of ultimate boss.'
Shaking off the unease, Luke tucked away the ancient book and papyrus given to him by the Ancient One.
He slipped on his Sling Ring and sighed.
For now, he had no plans to leave Kamar-Taj.
The Marvel universe was insanely dangerous.
Until he had the power to survive in it, staying in a place filled with skilled sorcerers seemed like the smart move.
After all...
If the sky ever did fall, at least there'd be a bald head there to hold it up.
Stepping through the fiery portal, Luke arrived back at Kamar-Taj.
The Ancient One, as usual, was nowhere to be seen.
In the hall, a single mage sat cross-legged on a futon, deep in meditation.
A sorcerer with one arm missing.
The moment Luke's portal flared open, the one-armed mage cracked an eye open, glanced at the hellfire swirling around it, and then—nothing.
No reaction. No shock. Not even a raised eyebrow.
Luke's respect shot through the roof.
'Damn. Not even a twitch? How are you not concerned about this much demonic energy?!'
Deciding not to push his luck, he left the hall quickly and made his way to the library.
After borrowing a few basic magic books from Wong, Luke went searching for Mordo in the training square.
"Hey, man," he called out. "Teach me some solid magic. You know, the practical kind."
Mordo turned, his face a mix of confusion and mild concern.
"What?"
Luke nodded. "You heard me. Show me something useful."
Mordo's expression darkened. "Luke, I understand your eagerness, but…"
He hesitated, clearly trying to choose his words carefully.
"Look, I know your enthusiasm is strong, even if your talent… is not ideal," Mordo began, struggling to put it nicely. "But you mustn't let frustration lead to unrealistic expectations."
Translation: You haven't even mastered the basics. How the hell are you expecting to learn advanced spells?
==============
You can check out my patreon if you want to read some early chapters.
patre on.com/ReaderViewPoint