Chapter 208: A New Round of Questioning Begins: A Clown Joins In!

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"Who's this again? When did Stephen know such a strange person?" Christine glanced at Nick Fury, puzzled, but didn't say anything.

"Stephen, upon hearing about your accident, I'm not sure whether to express my condolences or congratulations." Nick Fury walked up to Stephen Strange's bedside.

"Congratulations?" Christine finally couldn't hold back, "Look at Stephen's current appearance. Is it a time to congratulate him?"

"Christine, could we talk alone?" Stephen Strange said to Christine.

"You want to talk to him alone too?" Christine was getting even more puzzled, but she still left the hospital room as instructed.

"Stephen, this might be the moment you become Doctor Strange." After Christine left, Nick Fury said, "Are you ready to step into this bizarre world of the extraordinary and bid farewell to your peaceful life?"

"The priority now is to find Pangborn." Stephen Strange said, "With my current condition, I'm powerless. I can only rely on you."

"Don't worry, as long as this Pangborn is still on Earth, even if I have to dig three feet into the ground, I'll find him!" Nick Fury said confidently.

Under the guise of establishing diplomatic relations with Asgard, Nick Fury had made big demands. Not only did he rebuild a new S.H.I.E.L.D., but he also gained more authority and ample funding.

It could be said that the overall strength and authority of S.H.I.E.L.D. were much greater now than during the days of H.Y.D.R.A.

Finding a person was a small matter.

Although Nick Fury was confident, reality was a bit harsh. He practically mobilized all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources, yet he couldn't find that Pangborn!

It wasn't that there wasn't such a person; rather, all the Pangborns didn't fit the criteria. None of them were rendered unable to walk and then cured, nor were any of them currently unable to walk.

"That Pangborn probably hasn't encountered the kind of accident or illness that would render him unable to walk again." Nick Fury could only conclude, "Stephen, it seems you'll have to wait a bit longer."

"I hope that day comes soon." Stephen Strange stretched out his trembling hands, "These hands are really uncomfortable."

"Oh, really? From what I've seen, you've been living quite well lately, being taken care of meticulously by a beautiful woman every day," Nick Fury said.

"It's not quite that..." Stephen Strange hadn't finished speaking when everything suddenly went black around him, and he found himself back in the answering space.

"Back again!" Stephen Strange's spirit was instantly lifted, "I hope the answering space can give me some answers. How can I find those sorcerers?"

"Based on your previous answering experiences, I think it's highly possible," Nick Fury said.

This time in the answering space, a large group of people had arrived again.

Peter Parker from the other two worlds was missing, but two more people had joined in.

One was someone everyone was already familiar with, Steve Rogers' buddy, Bucky Barnes.

The other person, while known to everyone, wasn't that familiar. He was Star-Lord Peter Quill, the one who danced to save the world.

"Where is this?" Star-Lord looked at the dark space and unfamiliar faces, couldn't help but ask, "Who are you guys?"

"Kid from the Guardians of the Galaxy, welcome to the answering space. Nice to finally meet you," Nick Fury greeted Star-Lord.

"Guardians of the Galaxy? What's that?" Peter Quill was completely baffled, "Sorry, were you just talking to me? I saw you looking at me and talking, but I couldn't understand anything you said. Or is it that you weren't talking to me at all, and I just mistook it because of your eye patch?"

"That's right, I was talking to you." Nick Fury didn't have a good feeling about this opening. Star-Lord seemed a bit unreliable.

"So when I talk to you, should I look at your eye or your eye patch?" Peter Quill asked.

"..." Nick Fury was speechless. Just listen to this, was this a question a normal person would ask?

"You don't know what the Guardians of the Galaxy are?" Phil Coulson asked.

"Never heard of it." Peter Quill said.

"At this point in time, you haven't joined the Guardians of the Galaxy yet." Nick Fury said.

"What exactly is the Guardians of the Galaxy?" Peter Quill was getting more and more confused, "From the beginning, you've been saying all these inexplicable things. Can't you just straightforwardly tell me where this is?"

"Right from the start, I told you this is the answering space," Nick Fury said.

"Yes, you did say that, but it's not much different from not saying anything because I still don't know where I am," Peter Quill shrugged, "The answering space, what kind of place is this? Is it some magical place where you answer questions and get a girl to take home?"

"..." Nick Fury couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark, "How could there be such a place?"

"Such a place can exist," Peter Quill said.

"This kind of place really doesn't exist," Nick Fury said.

"The answering space is way more amazing than you think." Phil Coulson explained the answering space and the Guardians of the Galaxy to Peter Quill in detail.

"So, I'm a hero in the future?" Peter Quill was excited after listening, "I knew Star-Lord wasn't an ordinary guy! Sooner or later, my name will resonate throughout the entire galaxy!"

"Star-Lord," Tony Stark muttered this alias and felt a wave of cringe wash over him.

"Have you heard my story?" Peter Quill immediately became enthusiastic when he heard someone calling his name, looking at Tony Stark.

"Never." Tony Stark denied immediately.

"Oh really? You just called me by my alias so smoothly," Peter Quill said.

"I just think the alias is so bad, it sounds like the name of a weakling," Tony Stark said.

"What? Weakling?" Peter Quill instantly became displeased, "If you don't let your friends help you, I'd be more than happy to show you the strength of this weakling."

At that moment, Tony Stark patted his chest, the suit flowed onto him, and in an instant, he was fully suited up. He asked, "What did you just say?"

"Since everyone's advising me to go easy, I'll give you guys some face this time," Peter Quill stared at Tony Stark for three seconds and casually said.

"Wait a minute, what do you mean by everyone advising you?" Stephen Strange interjected, "No one actually said anything, not a single word!"

"Even though you didn't say it with your mouths, you were all thinking it, and I could see it in your eyes," Peter Quill said, "So, I'm giving you face."

"..." Everyone was speechless. This guy was too much. He could actually see that?

"Please, do us a favor and take back your face," Thor said.

"It's too late, I've already given it," Peter Quill said.

"Please, you must take it back."

"As a man, one's word should be as heavy as a thousand catties, and once spoken, it's hard to retrieve. I said I'd give you face, how can I take it back?"

"..." At this moment, everyone was internally screaming, "When we learned about the Guardians of the Galaxy, our teammates against Thanos, we had some expectations. But now, less than 5 minutes into the meeting, those expectations have been completely shattered."

Guardians of the Galaxy?

Is this it?

These are superheroes? More like clowns!

[The quiz is now beginning. Please be prepared to answer.]

[Let's start with the first question: When Doctor Strange Stephen Strange went to seek the Ancient One's help, how long was he kept outside the door by the Ancient One?]

[A) 2 hours]

[B) 3 hours]

[C) 4 hours]

[D) 5 hours]

[Answer this question correctly to receive a Karma-Taj Base Map. Answer incorrectly, and you'll lose one year of lifespan.]

"I get to ask a question! I finally get to ask a question!" Stephen Strange became excited upon seeing this question.

"Karma-Taj Base, is that where those sorcerers live?" Nick Fury asked.

"Stephen was actually kept outside the door by the Ancient One?" Thor burst into laughter, "Who would've thought that the mighty Doctor Strange would have such a moment?"

"It's not surprising at all." Bruce Banner said, "Stephen is a top-notch doctor who believes in science, while the Ancient One is a sorcerer. Imagine their first meeting; Stephen probably couldn't possibly believe any of it. He might even have thought the Ancient One was a con artist and challenged him with difficult questions."

"In that case, I'm actually looking forward to Stephen and the Ancient One's first meeting," Thor said.

"Even though I've experienced that, I'm also quite looking forward to it," Stephen Strange said.

"The Ancient One keeping Stephen outside the door probably wasn't a true rejection, but a test, right?" Steve Rogers said, "The Ancient One can see the future. Even if she said she could only see possibilities in Stephen, she should've seen the possibility of him confronting Dormammu, right?"

"I don't know if she saw the possibility of Stephen confronting Dormammu, but I agree with your interpretation that it was a test," Bruce Banner said, "Stephen only became a sorcerer later in life; in the video, when he faced Dormammu, he couldn't have been more than 10 years older than he is now. In other words, he managed to drive Dormammu away in less than 10 years. I don't know much about magic, but I believe such a talent is one in a million. The Ancient One knew when she would die a long time ago. I find it hard to believe that she would actually turn away a genius like Stephen because of this."

"That's probably why she kept him outside the door, Stephen must have thought of her as a charlatan when he saw the Ancient One," Natasha Romanoff added, "And it's highly likely he said something disrespectful."

"I think that's understandable, right?" Stephen Strange said, "If none of us had seen Thor, Loki, hadn't fought aliens, hadn't seen us superheroes. As an ordinary person who grew up under modern education, anyone hearing about spells and sorcery would probably think she's a charlatan, right?"

"You're right, we understand," Thor said, "But at the same time, we also understand the Ancient One's decision to keep you outside."

"It's hard to analyze this timeframe, we can only guess," Stephen Strange said, "So, I'll guess the longest option! I choose D!"

[Correct answer! Reward granted!]

A parchment map appeared on the ground.

"Nepal?" Stephen Strange picked up the map and looked at it, "So the Ancient One is in Nepal?"

"It's really hard to find without guidance." Nick Fury leaned over and glanced at the map.

Soon, the answering space started playing a video.

At the beginning of the video, Stephen Strange was trembling as he looked at a medical record. In the bottom right corner of the CT scan, it clearly read "Jonathan Pangborn" and "December 9, 2014."

This timeframe also explained why Nick Fury couldn't find him. Because Jonathan Pangborn's medical record was two years later, and he's perfectly fine now.

Stephen Strange found Jonathan Pangborn on a basketball court. Jonathan was energetically playing basketball. If Stephen hadn't seen the medical case with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed that this was the same person who had a spinal injury and couldn't walk.

"Jonathan Pangborn, complete injury of vertebrae C7 and C8, paraplegia below the chest, partial paralysis of both hands." When Jonathan Pangborn came to the side to get water, Stephen Strange couldn't help but speak up.

"Who are you?" Jonathan Pangborn held a water cup and looked at this suddenly appeared scruffy guy in confusion, "I don't know you."

"Stephen Strange." Stephen Strange introduced himself, "Neurosurgeon, formerly a neurosurgeon."

"Oh, I remember you, man. I do know you." Jonathan Pangborn recalled, walking over to Stephen Strange, "I've been to your office. You wouldn't even see me, your assistant wouldn't let me through."

"I couldn't heal you." Stephen Strange was very straightforward.

"That's called giving up when faced with difficulties, right?" Jonathan Pangborn turned around and walked back to the court.

"You found hope in despair and created a miracle," Stephen Strange said to Jonathan Pangborn's back, raising his trembling hands, "I'm also trying to create my own miracle."

"Alright." Jonathan Pangborn glanced at Stephen Strange's hands, turned back to him, "I had given up at the time. Since only my brain was still functioning normally, I thought I should exercise it. I studied with a group of sorceresses, and a group of strangers carried me up the mountain to meet the saints. Finally, I found my mentor. My brain entered a completely new realm, and my soul was elevated."

"And then, somehow, your body was healed?" Stephen Strange asked.

"Yes." Jonathan Pangborn nodded repeatedly, giving a definite answer, "There are many mysteries there, but I didn't have enough energy to continue learning. Since the miracle had already happened, I decided to go home obediently."

"The place you're looking for is called Kamar-Taj." Jonathan Pangborn paused and added, "But going there is very expensive."

"How much money?" Stephen Strange asked.

"I'm not talking about money." Jonathan Pangborn said, "Good luck to you."

After listening to Jonathan Pangborn's words, Stephen Strange came alone to Kathmandu, Nepal. The exotic atmosphere here was very distinctive, but he had no interest in appreciating it. He was solely focused on finding Kamar-Taj.

"Do you know where Kamar-Taj is?"

"Where is Kamar-Taj?"

"Kamar-Taj."

Stephen Strange kept asking for directions, but no one could tell him where exactly Kamar-Taj was.

To make matters worse, as he walked into a quiet alley, he was surrounded by several strangers.

"I'm sorry, everyone, I don't have money," Stephen Strange realized things were going south, but the strangers had him surrounded, leaving him with no escape.

"Give me your watch." The other side knew its worth and recognized his valuable watch.

"No, please, this is the only watch I have left," Stephen Strange pleaded.

"Hand over the watch." The other person didn't care about his well-being.

"Fine." Seeing the situation, Stephen Strange threw a punch at the person's face, but his hand was injured, and the punch not only didn't cause any pain to the person but also left his own hand sore.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After knocking Stephen Strange down with a punch, the group of people started beating him.

All Stephen Strange could do was endure the beating, helplessly watching as they took his watch.

Just as Stephen Strange was in despair, a hooded African-American suddenly appeared, swiftly incapacitating all the attackers and helping to retrieve the watch. Unfortunately, the watch was damaged in the scuffle.

"Are you looking for Kamar-Taj?" Mordo, the hooded man, removed his hood, approached Stephen Strange, and led him to two small doors.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Stephen Strange could hardly believe that the sacred place he had come all this way to find would look so shabby.

"I had the same question when I arrived. I wasn't very polite back then either," Mordo chuckled at the question, "Can I give you some advice? Forget what you think you know."

"Alright," Stephen Strange agreed.

"This is my master's temple, the Ancient One," Mordo said, leading Stephen Strange to find the Ancient One.

Initially, Stephen Strange thought the Ancient One was a man, but it turned out to be a woman, and a bald one at that.

"Mr. Strange," the Ancient One greeted him.

"Um, doctor," Stephen Strange corrected.

"In fact, you're no longer a doctor, that's why you're here," the Ancient One surprisingly knew about Stephen Strange's situation, "You've performed a lot of surgeries recently, 7 times, right?"

"Yes," Stephen Strange said while sipping the tea the Ancient One had given him, "You once helped a patient named Pangborn, a paralyzed man."

"Sort of," the Ancient One replied.

"You helped him walk again," Stephen Strange stated.

"Yes," the Ancient One confirmed.

"How did you heal a completely damaged vertebrae C7 and C8?" Stephen Strange asked, completely baffled, as it shouldn't have been possible to treat.

"I didn't heal him," the Ancient One said while pouring tea, "He couldn't walk, and I persuaded him that he could."

"You're not saying that's psychological therapy, are you?" Stephen Strange tried to interpret it scientifically when it was clearly about magic.

"When you reconnect damaged nerves, is it you healing or the body healing itself?" the Ancient One asked.

"It's the cells," Stephen Strange answered.

"But cells can only regenerate in their own unique way," the Ancient One explained, "What if I told you your body can convince itself to undergo various forms of regeneration?"

"Are you talking about cellular regeneration?" Stephen Strange suddenly understood, "That's a cutting-edge medical technology. So you're researching it here, outside the oversight of medical associations. How's the research going?"

"It's going well," the Ancient One said.

"So, you've found a way to make nerve cells regenerate on their own?" at this moment, Stephen Strange was incredibly impressed by the Ancient One, who had even managed to study such advanced techniques.

"No, Mr. Strange," the Ancient One walked up to him, "but I know how to better heal the body through the soul."

"Healing the body through the soul?" Stephen Strange looked at the Ancient One as if she were a con artist.

"Yes," the Ancient One looked up and took a sip of her tea.

"Alright," though he found it absurd, Stephen Strange still asked with a hint of doubt, "So, what do we do?"

The Ancient One handed him a book and flipped through it. It contained crude drawings of human bodies, acupuncture meridians, and the like.

"Show me some MRI images, I don't believe in this," after a couple of pages, Stephen Strange couldn't take it anymore.

"These drawings are hand-made, much like the story of the blind men and the elephant. They see the trees but not the forest," the Ancient One smiled and put the book down.

"I've spent all I had on this one-way ticket, and now you're telling me to rely on faith for healing?" Stephen Strange felt like he was going insane.

"You're a person who views the world from a hole. You've spent your life trying to make that hole bigger, to see more. But when you're faced with the possibility that the hole could be even bigger, bigger than you can imagine, you reject it," the Ancient One offered an analogy, albeit one that sounded hurtful, "I'm refusing because I don't believe in the myth of chakras or the power of the spirit or faith. There's no such thing as the soul, we are made of matter, and nothing more! You're just another tiny, inconsequential speck in the vastness of the universe."

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[END OF CHAPTER]