Training with the Ancient One (1/2)

I want to thank all of you for reading so far and the amazing support I've been getting.

A bit of a heavy chapter today, I want to show clearly that his skills don't just drop out the sky and I don't want to timeskip these early chapters because they have something to do with Incursio. I will be releasing a bunch of chapter this Sunday since I had a lot more time to write during the holidays.

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After organizing his thoughts, Liam went to the library to request the spell books he needed to start on Astral Projection and Dimensional Rend. Upon arriving, he heard Master Drumm's voice.

"Hey, Liam, good timing. The Ancient One prepared some spell books for you," Master Drumm greeted him.

"Great. Are they spell books on Astral Projection and Dimensional Healing?" Liam asked.

"Yes, they are. It's a bit early for you, but I'd guess she left you a mission?" Drumm said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, she did. Is it normal for beginner mages to get missions?" Liam asked, curious.

"Of course! Beginner mages are often sent on easier missions to practice their abilities. It usually depends on when your teacher thinks you're ready," Drumm replied.

"What kind of missions do beginner mages usually go on?" Liam wondered.

"They're usually things like mending minor dimensional cracks or dealing with low-level nightmares or imps," Master Drumm explained.

"Low-level nightmares?" Liam asked, intrigued.

Drumm looked at him, surprised. "You haven't read the introduction to low-level dimensional creatures yet, have you?"

"Not yet. Could you get me that book too?" Liam asked.

"Yes, going on a mission without knowing what's out there is risky. So before this mission, make sure you finish that book, alright?" Drumm said, looking serious.

"Yes, I will," Liam replied. "But Master Drumm, since there are missions for beginner mages, does that mean these low-level creatures come to Earth often?"

"Yes, they do. While our dimension is shielded from greater threats, smaller entities still manage to slip through the barrier. You'll read all about it in the book," Drumm said, handing Liam Introduction to Dimensional Threats.

Back in his room, Liam began flipping through the introduction.

Dimensional Tears: frequent occurrences, allowing spells or minions from more powerful beings to seep through. 

Imps: often inhabit musical instruments, drawn to music. Generally harmless unless agitated.

Low-Level Demons: typically seen near dimensional tears; strong, sometimes with elemental abilities. 

Nightmares' Lesser Minions: cause fear-induced illusions and sleep disturbances, require Astral Projection to kill. 

Poltergeists: minor hauntings, requiring purification spells.

After skimming the introduction, Liam couldn't help but think, 'There's a lot more out there than I expected.'

He continued reading through the Astral Projection and Dimensional Healing spells late into the night before finally turning off the light and going to sleep.

The next few days passed as Liam spend his time reading through all three books and keeping up with his usual training routine. But after finishing the book on Dimensional Healing, he was left with one question: 'How does the Ancient One expect me to learn this in two months?'

'Beginner mages only need to know the basics of different dimensions and identify the energy signatures they give off. At most, they learn to temporarily stabilize dimensional tears by channeling raw energy in them and wait for their mentor to heal the crack. The full spell for healing tears, though… it's like stitching a wound together but then while using your own energy as the thread, which asks for insane control. Which I definitely don't have yet.'

The book mentioned that this skill requires direct teaching from a mentor, and the Ancient One had said she'd help, but Liam was still unsure how he could possibly learn this within such a short time.

Wanting to get answers, Liam set out to find the Ancient One. He found her in the courtyard, observing some students in training. Approaching her, she asked, "You have some unanswered questions, young Liam?"

"Yes. How?" he said. "How do you expect me to learn both spells in just two months?"

The Ancient One looked at him with a strange smile. "Well, I'll be helping you."

That smile sent a chill down his spine as he remembered her unconventional teaching methods with Strange and the sling ring.

"You're not planning to get me killed, are you?" Liam asked, only half-joking.

"I would hope not, in the next few days I will be helping you understand the differences in energy signatures. Afterwards I will also show you the difference in how you treat dimensional tears from different universes." the Ancient One responded calmly. 

''How can you help me with feeling the difference in energy signatures?'' Liam asked.

"Follow me, and I'll help you understand the signatures."

The Ancient One opened a portal, and, stepping through, Liam found himself in a place he didn't recognize. The surroundings were dominated by fire and magma, dead trees scattered around, with strange creatures prowling the ground below.

'Of course, what else would she do but take me to hell.'

"This… this is Hell. The domain of Mephisto," the Ancient One said, her tone calm. "Now, feel the energy here. And if you ever encounter Mephisto himself… run."

Liam nodded, swallowing nervously. "If we're here, doesn't that mean Mephisto would know we are?"

The Ancient One smiled. "Of course. He'll realize a portal has opened to his domain in a few minutes and will likely come looking for us."

Liam gulped. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"For you, yes. So concentrate on sensing the energy around you," she instructed.

Liam closed his eyes and focused on the energy, feeling it, reaching out to draw it in when, suddenly, he felt a sharp hit to his face. "What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his cheek.

"Don't draw in this energy. If you take in too much, you'll be bound to spend your afterlife here."

Hearing that, Liam shuddered, 'I almost screwed myself.'

"Now, concentrate again and focus on observing the energy rather than drawing it in," the Ancient One said.

Liam concentrated again. He noted the difference: the energy he usually worked with was gentle and warm, with an orange hue, while the energy here was violent and deep red.

"Good," the Ancient One said approvingly. "Let's go."

She opened another portal, and they stepped back through to the Sanctum.

"Memorize that energy. Tomorrow, I'll take you to another dimension so you can learn to recognize its energy as well," the Ancient One instructed.