21 Chapter 17: Wise-ish bald lady

It's been two days since I left the forest and I have been testing my powers after the rank up.

How you ask?

When I was heading to my destination in Nepal to meet a certain bald lady, I came across this unnamed abandoned industrial warehouse in Bihar, India.

There were many giant equipments I could use and conveniently their weight was on a sticker that was on the bottom.

I thought this as I was bench pressing a 25 ton hydraulic press with just a slight burn in my muscles.

I started directly at 5 tons and slowly worked my way up an only at 25 tons, did I actually feel any exertion from my muscles.

It was exhilarating as I kept on lifting weights that would have made me go splat in my past life as if they were feathers.

At 50 tons, I started to feel an actual feeling of working out. I started doing 100 push-ups with the hydraulic press on my back.

I did a rotation of push-ups,squats,bench press.

I had actually worked up a layer of sweat and it honestly felt great.

I immediately capitalized on this chance and sat down to circulate solar energy throughout my body.

(2 hours later)

I was huffing and puffing as a small puddle of sweat splashed around me.

Hahahahahaha

I couldn't restrain my laughter, solar energy really was made to strengthen the body.

With just one day of moderate exercise and doing 32 cycles of solar energy circulation.

I had gained enough improvement that it equaled to a whole week's progress.

I could sustain myself for 2 weeks without feeling any dip in my power.

A week had quickly passed and I had accustomed myself to using 62 tons of weight in my workouts now.

I packed up my sleeping bag and started to speed read a map that I "borrowed" from a general store.

I was about 150 miles away from Nepal

I got in the flash running position, I still don't know why I do it; it's for giggles, I guess.

I zoom away leaving a very visible sonic boom behind me.

I have never really described what it's like going so fast.

It was like the whole world was static and it was super dangerous as well.

Ever heard of the expression

Speed = Power

A force that is well over 60 tons going at the 1.3x the speed of sound.

The result would devastating

I could take out an entire block of buildings.

So I have to be extremely careful to not crash into anything or put too much pressure in my step because well I think people would notice thousands of shoe prints imbedded in stone throughout India.

150 miles might seem a lot, but it's really nothing; if your running at the speed of sound. I would reach Kathmandu in about 12 minutes.

I was mentally preparing myself because honestly it all came down to this meeting.

If things go well I would be able to learn magic, have access to different dimensions, maybe even get my own artifact.

If things go bad because she is a control freak and can't handle not seeing my future.

She is gonna be in for a rude surprise.

I am not an evil person but I am not an heroic idiot.

She has time on her side, but she can't see the future for me. So she will have to experience the future first and then rewind time back.

But the moment she decides to attack me, I will release all the solar energy in my body and it will release an explosion equivalent to an nuclear bomb with ten times the heat.

I am sure she will use the mirror dimension to contain the explosion, but again by the time she even makes the first gesture, the whole block will be reduced to ash.

Unless she uses an infinite time loop, but she doesn't know what to expect. In fact she doesn't even know that I am coming and that's Strange's trick

I always thought that the potential of the time stone was never fully explored in the movies.

If Strange just stopped time, he could have taken the stones and killed Thanos.

Anyways there is no way she will be able to take me down normally in the physical world.

She will need to use magic or take me to the mirror dimension in my astral form.

In fact it would make my day if she uses magic, I had unlocked my wish and perk.

I knew, I was gonna come here in the future; so I picked Power Anchoring and True Kryptonian.

So I will stay as strong in my astral form as I am in my body. Power anchoring will anchor my powers my body,mind and soul together. So my powers,skills, abilities can't be stolen,copied,stolen or sealed in anyway.

Also True Kryptonian will build a resistance to magic that will build gradually.

So I got all the bases covered and let's just cross our fingers and hope it doesn't come to this.

I reach Kathmandu and start to ask around about Kamar-taj like Strange does or he will in the future.

I surprisingly don't get ambushed by thugs, well thats a pity.

I walk up to the door and knock on it. I stood and waited, and in two minutes the door swung open as a black man wearing orange yellow robes stood before me, his form was large and threatening; well threatening to humans.

He looked down at me, eyes surprised at seeing me. Guess they weren't expecting me "Who are you? Why are you here?"

"My name is of no concern," I shrugged, "but, I am here to use this sanctum's portal to Kamar-Taj. Can I?" I smiled.

He narrowed his eyes, "I don't know who you are boy, but I will not put up with your nonsense any longer," he reached behind to grab the staff attached to his back.

Before anyone realizes, I grab it and his eyes widen as he sees the staff appear in my hand.

"Relax, Master Grumpy pants; I mean no harm"

He narrowed his eyes before slowly relaxing, "what do you want?"

"I told you, I need to use the portal to Kamar-Taj."

"Why?"

"To speak to the Ancient One," I replied.

"Why?"

"That's between me and her," I smiled, that was a trick, most would assume the Ancient One was a man.

"How did you know all this? Who is your master?" the man demanded.

I let the thought that I could use magic pass through his mind. "That's above your pay grade; but let's just say it involves different dimensions, fate of the universe; the whole nine yards"

You see the key thing about negotiations is that you have to make it so the other person believes that you have the advantage.

The man glared at me. I smiled back. He sighed, "everyday it's something new. Fine, follow me," he stepped back and allowed me inside.

I looked around, the house was...different, obviously since the one I was used to was in another dimension. This one looked exactly the one in the MCU. The Master of this sanctuary took me to the back where there was a giant thirty foot tall door with a single on it that stood for the New York sanctum.

He walked forward and pushed the doors open. There was a yellow tinge before us, but the moment we walked through it vanished. The doors closed behind us and I found myself in the crossroads room under the library of Kamar-Taj. And sitting before me on a pedestal was the Eye of Agamotto….and inside it was an infinity stone; the Time stone.

"Come, don't dally," the man grunted as he motioned me forward.

I had to force myself to look away from the amulet. All that power...and it just sits there...damn, what a waste. I looked away and followed the man, going through the large stacks of books on either side of me. I spied on what looked like the ancient one's private collection, all the books glowed with power. I didn't see Wong, instead I saw an another man that was guarding the library.

He is probably the guy who gets killed by Kaecilius

I followed him out of the library and into a courtyard where several students in white were practising and at their head was a black man in green robes, Baron Mordo. I think he felt me looking, because he immediately locked eyes with me, for a moment I wondered if he was going to try and stop me.

But that moment passed as the master of the New York Sanctum and I entered the largest building where I was guided into the main hall, just like Strange was.

I found the Ancient One pouring tea in two cups, the old one armed chinese master Strange had confused for her sat relaxed on a seat before her. The Master of the New York branch stood back and motioned me forward.

She looked at me with surprise and a little caution. I guess she was expecting only the master of the New York sanctum.

I looked at her with amusement all over my face and stepped up behind her, "you were expecting me?"

The Ancient One placed a cup in my hands, I smiled as I sipped it, "nice tea, is it honey?"

She looked surprised again and then smiled "very good. You have quite a tongue."

I shrugged, " I may not look like it, but I have tasted my fair share tea."

What?, A lot of business deals in Japan involved knowing how to appreciate good tea.

She raised a single eyebrow. She turned to the old chinese man, "That will be all, master Hamera, Master Bendu, thank you." The two men bowed before leaving us, closing the door behind them.

"So do you have him around just to see how many would look over you and assume him to be the Ancient One?"

"Well….it never gets old," she smiled as she motioned to a short table on the floor, "shall we?"

I nodded as we sat down on cushions before the table, our cups of tea placed before us. I cleared my throat, "you never answered my question. Were you expecting me?"

"Does it matter if I was?" she asked.

"Yes, it would let me know if you already know why I am here. Though I am sure by how you looked at me with caution as surprise in your eyes when I arrived in the room; that I was an unknown visitor ." I leaned forward sipping the cup of tea.

Her smile was replaced as she looked at me with a calculating face.

"Who are you?" She asks me as she looks into my eyes trying to know what my intentions are.

"I am many things, your gonna have to specify" I reply as I stare into her eyes back with a smirk plastered on my face.

" You know many details that you shouldn't.

The way you looked at my book collection with apprehension suggests that you can feel them and not just their status, but the magical energy they exclude naturally due to the knowledge that is trapped on their pages.

How your eyes contain slight pity for Mr. Moore as you briefly gazed at him tells me that you know of the fate that awaits him. (I didn't know the name of the librarian,so I just named him Mr.Moore."

Yet the most interesting part is when you looked at the Eye of Agamotto, your eyes contained an emotion that I can only liken to anger. It's almost as if you think that the eye of agamotto is just wasting its potential being hanged there like a trophy. You know what it is, don't you?"

The only emotion I showed on my face was a slight widening of my eyes; my mind was a different story all together though. It was racing and I was re-evaluating how dangerous she is. In only 2 minutes that I was here, she was able to gain several pieces of important information.

She suddenly smirks at me

I start to laugh and say "Touché, it seems your title as the ancient one is not in vain;you learned all that from just my eyes."

"Eyes are the windows of the soul,Mr..." responds the Ancient one.

"I couldn't agree with you more and the name is Hunt, Ethan Hunt" Me, telling her my name is a show of trust

"Well, Mr. Hunt; back to the question, why do you know so much?"

I deflected the question by saying " Who wouldn't feel anger when they see one of the most powerful artifacts in the universe being showcased in a trophy room that is guarded by idiots that don't even understand that the room they are snoring in contains something so powerful that it can crack the planet like an eggshell."

"Very true, Mr. Hunt; but the less importance you place in something, the less importance others place in it. Now what is that you want from a harmless lady like me" She taking a sip from her own tea asked me

I snorted as I replied " You being an harmless old lady is like saying Mephistopheles is nice. I want to learn magic from you."

"Depends on what you will do with that knowledge, I will teach you at the price of you helping earth after my future death. I do not know what comes after my death, but I know it will be a genocide on the scale of trillions." She looked at me with a grave look

This made me remember in the "Doctor Strange" movie that she doesn't know what comes after her death except that it involves the infinity stones.

I let myself "think about it" and then I agreed to it.

"Well then, welcome to Kamar-Taj; Apprentice Hunt." She got up and said

"My pleasure" I replied back to her.

(Please consider donating some Power stones and joining the discord server.)

Link: https://discord.gg/btqXwwASbn

Also do you people that I should update every 2 days with 1000-1500 words or every four days with 1800-2500 or even above 3000 words sometimes