14. First Meeting With Ancient One 2

Finally, they delved into the mystical connections between magic and the cosmos.

"Every star you see in the night sky is connected to magic," she said softly. "Stars are like beacons, anchoring the vast web of energy across dimensions. Have you ever meditated under a starry sky?"

John shook his head. "Not really. What happens?"

"You begin to feel small, yet infinite. You sense the rhythm of the cosmos, a pulse that resonates within your very being. This is the foundation of astral magic."

They continued talking, moving from ancient rituals to magical artifacts, the dangers of greed among mages, and even humorous anecdotes from the Ancient One's encounters with overzealous apprentices.

John absorbed every word, his mind expanding with newfound knowledge. To his surprise, the Ancient One seemed equally intrigued by his questions and ideas.

"John," she said finally, her voice tinged with admiration, "you have a curious mind and an open heart. That is rare among mages."

He smiled shyly. "I'm just trying to keep up."

"Keep this humility," she said. "It will serve you well."

As their discussion wound down, both felt enriched by the exchange. The Ancient One gazed at him thoughtfully, as if seeing a spark of something greater within him.

Before this meeting, she had been prepared to sacrifice herself for the greater good at any cost. However, after learning about John's path, she began to waver. She realized that this newly emerging path of magic could one day change the world. But she held herself back, deciding to think about it in the future.

After bidding farewell, the Ancient One left silently, just as she had arrived. She did not ask John to join Kamar-Taj, knowing that his path was different from hers.

As for John, he felt like the happiest person alive—not because of the knowledge he had gained, but because he had discovered three new runes when the Ancient One opened the teleportation circle.

John was certain these runes were connected to the teleportation circle the Ancient One had used. With this knowledge, he believed he could teleport anywhere he wanted. Wasting no time, he went straight to his lab and began meditating, using his drawing meditation method as a temporary tool.

---

Six Months Later

No major incidents had disturbed John or Tony during this time. Both were busy pursuing their individual paths.

On this particular day, Tony came to John's lab to share some good news. Entering the lab, Tony found John sitting cross-legged in meditation. Even after all this time, Tony felt awkward seeing John like this.

As Tony approached, John opened his eyes and looked at him. "What's up, brother? You look pretty happy today. Did you finally propose to Pepper?"

Tony was speechless at John's opening remark but shook his head. "None of that. I just made progress in wizardry, so I came to tell you."

Hearing this, John was surprised but genuinely happy. "Congratulations, brother. So, how does it feel to be an intermediate wizard apprentice?"

Tony was about to share his experience, but hearing John's title, "intermediate wizard apprentice," his mood soured. Tony always felt uncomfortable with John's naming conventions. Although technically accurate, they never sat well with him.

To change the subject, Tony said, "I've already inscribed wood (nature) elemental runes, metal elemental runes, and water elemental runes. I was thinking about how to proceed further."

John thought for a moment. "Brother, now that you've broken through, you should practice all the elements in your spiritual sea and increase their proficiency. That way, when the time comes, you won't lose control like I did during the Stane incident."

Tony nodded, saying no more, and left to find Pepper. After announcing to the world that he was Iron Man, Tony had spent most of his time in his lab, leaving little time for Pepper.

Tony's progress in meditation didn't mean he had abandoned his work on the Iron Man suits. In fact, his progress was noteworthy, culminating in the creation of the portable Iron Man suit, Mark 5.

John, on the other hand, spent the six months meditating and exploring new methods. His mental power had reached 8.1, and he had successfully inscribed two new runes: the air elemental rune and the electric rune.

The electric rune, however, wasn't what John had expected. Instead of allowing him to manipulate thunder, it enabled him to absorb and discharge electricity, functioning somewhat like Spider-Man's villain Electro, but in a more basic way.

John's quest for a new meditation method had not been as successful as he had hoped, but he had some promising ideas. His primary goal was to combine multiple runes into a super rune that could bring about a qualitative leap. He called this theory the "visualized meditation method." However, it was still theoretical, and John didn't know if the runes could be combined.

---

Meanwhile, in the Outside World

The world was abuzz after Tony Stark's revelation as Iron Man. Governments and hidden organizations around the globe were watching Stark Industries closely.

The first to act was S.H.I.E.L.D., a covert organization dedicated to maintaining global peace and security. Led by Director Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D. had extensive resources, advanced technology, and some of the world's most skilled agents.

To keep an eye on Tony and John, Fury sent his best operative, Natasha Romanoff. Known as the Black Widow, Natasha was a master spy, assassin, and combatant. Her ability to infiltrate even the most secure organizations was unparalleled.

Using her expertise, Natasha infiltrated Stark Industries under the guise of Pepper Potts' personal secretary. After Pepper was appointed CEO, her workload increased significantly, giving Natasha the perfect entry point.

Though Natasha's mission was to monitor Tony and John, she couldn't help but notice the complexity of their lives—Tony's dual role as a public superhero and a private innovator, as for jhon, who rarely appears in public. he was srounded by mystery in her eyes.This made her even more careful.