The Avengers were hardly surprised by this. After all, S.H.I.E.L.D. had been investigating Kaecilius for a long time without any success. His information was not easily obtained.
"Strange," Nick Fury said, making a single request. "If you hear anything about Kaecilius on your end, please inform us immediately."
Strictly speaking, Kaecilius's matter was Kamar-Taj's "family affair"—even a "family shame." Normally, Strange would never reveal such things to outsiders.
But now...
Considering Kamar-Taj's inability to stop Kaecilius, the loss of the Ancient One, and the fact that the entire Earth had teetered on the brink of destruction, Strange's resolve wavered.
"I will," Strange replied after a brief pause, agreeing to Nick Fury's request without much hesitation.
"Then it's settled!" Fury responded immediately.
The other Avengers present let out a collective sigh of relief. They had long realized that finding information on Kaecilius was beyond their capabilities; their only hope lay with Kamar-Taj's "insiders."
With that, both parties reached a harmonious agreement.
"Strange," Fury said, contacting him separately. He began probing indirectly, trying to learn more about Kamar-Taj.
This time, Strange was less accommodating.
"I'm not a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, and I'm not like Tony or Rogers. I'm not an Avenger either."
"So, Nick Fury, if you're truly interested in Kamar-Taj, I suggest you speak directly with the Ancient One."
"If you can find her, that is."
After delivering his ultimatum to Nick Fury, Strange severed the communication link.
In his office at the Triskelion, Nick Fury's expression remained unchanged as he equally disengaged from his private chat with Strange, his face impassive.
He had known things wouldn't go smoothly.
That Strange fellow was as difficult to deal with as Tony.
"It seems you've made your choice."
At Kamar-Taj, Strange once again stood before the Ancient One.
The Ancient One scanned him from head to toe before nodding with unwavering confidence.
For an ancient being like her, who had lived for centuries, she could discern Strange's decision with a single glance, even without using the Time Stone to glimpse the future.
"What else could I do?" Strange spread his hands. "I couldn't just stand by and watch you die, could I?"
If Strange had left, the Ancient One would have perished!
Of course, for a being of her stature, her "death" was entirely different from the mortal understanding of the term.
Even Strange doubted whether saving the Ancient One from the future described in the diary would truly be a good thing for her.
"You need not worry about my life or death," the Ancient One said calmly, handing Strange a cup of tea she had leisurely brewed. "In fact, I've even begun to wonder about my own future—something I've never done before."
"May I ask you a question?" Strange asked, accepting the tea and taking a sip, his face alight with curiosity.
"Of course," the Ancient One replied. "But as you know, I'm not obligated to answer."
"How long have you actually lived?" Strange asked the question that had always burned in his mind.
This was one of Kamar-Taj's enduring mysteries. Many mages had privately debated it, and even Strange had discussed it with Baron Mordo, yet no one had ever found a definitive answer.
"Long enough," the Ancient One replied.
The Ancient One naturally couldn't answer truthfully. She merely gave a vague response and sent Strange on his way.
This minor incident passed, and Strange resumed his life as a Kamar-Taj apprentice, as if nothing had ever happened.
*Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!*
That evening, a steady drizzle fell, filling the air with the unique, refreshing scent of damp earth. It was invigorating.
After dinner, Strange felt restless again. Gazing through the window at the rain-blurred world outside, he couldn't resist the urge.
"Okay!"
He burst out again, silently appearing outside the Kamar-Taj library.
The massive doors were tightly shut, the building dark and silent as a tomb. Wong, the librarian, had long since gone home.
What was Strange waiting for?
He casually opened a portal and swaggered inside.
He wandered aimlessly among the rows of towering bookshelves until his footsteps halted. His attention was drawn to a book titled *Book of Cagliostro*.
*Could the stolen page in this book be the spell to summon Dormammu?*
His curiosity ignited, Strange muttered to himself.
He had long known that Kaecilius had stolen a page of spells from the library, but no one had ever told Strange what the spell was.
Both Wong and Baron Mordo remained tight-lipped about the matter, refusing to mention it even in passing.
But Strange found the answer in the diary: the stolen spell was the incantation to summon Dormammu.
However, the diary never specified which book the spell came from.
But soon, he would know the answer!
Driven by intense curiosity, Strange unceremoniously pulled the book down and, from somewhere, produced an apple.
While munching on the apple, he eagerly flipped through the magical tome in his hands.
*Swish.*
For a time, the library fell silent, the only sound the rustling of pages.
"The Eye of Agamotto?"
Soon, some passages in the book caught Strange's attention.
The diary had mentioned this eye as a true eye that could pierce all illusions.
In his future, he would awaken this very eye.
Yet the book's account differed somewhat from the diary's hints.
The book merely described it as a magical artifact that controlled the power of time, essential for casting Time Magic.
The book clearly described the magic of controlling time.
"Time Magic?"
Strange's appetite was immediately whetted.
He instinctively searched the library and, to his surprise, actually found the Eye of Agamotto.
Then, at a speed that would put any academic prodigy to shame, he instantly mastered Time Magic!
He restored a bitten apple to its original state.
Using Time Magic, he also restored the page torn out by Kaecilius from the magic book.
"It really is the incantation to summon Dormammu!" Strange marveled silently.
*Crack! Crack! Crack!*
Just then, the space before him began to ripple violently, forming diamond-shaped planes like glass.
"Stop!"
"Stop this instant!"
Two furious shouts rang out simultaneously.
Alerted, Wong and Baron Mordo materialized instantly, unleashing a torrent of furious scolding that left Strange drenched in the verbal equivalent of a downpour.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Strange uncharacteristically refrained from arguing with his two "seniors."
Instead, he used the opportunity to learn more about Kamar-Taj from them.
He discovered that Kamar-Taj had three Sanctums, all tasked with protecting Earth from the Dark Dimension. The matter of Kaecilius was also laid bare.
"Is Kaecilius really that troublesome?"
"With something so dangerous in his possession, the Ancient One surely wouldn't stand idly by, would she?"
"But even she can't find Kaecilius?" Strange voiced the question burning in his mind.
"Kaecilius was the Ancient One's most brilliant student," Wong explained, his tone slightly dejected. After a pause, he added, "Before you."
Such a lengthy and complex time spell was beyond the reach of most apprentices in their lifetime. Even those with exceptional talent would need years of relentless study to master it.
Yet Strange had mastered it in a single attempt, a feat so monstrously talented it left Wong and Baron Mordo utterly stunned.
Only now did they truly understand why the Ancient One had placed such importance on this man.
*Dong, dong, dong!*
Just as the group was deep in conversation, the sudden tolling of bells cut through the air.
Wong's expression immediately shifted. "London!"
That bell was an emergency signal from the London Sanctum!
*Boom!*
Before he could finish speaking, a stone door suddenly swung open—a portal had been opened from the London Sanctum.
A Mage from the London Sanctum was desperately fleeing towards Kamar-Taj, but before he could pass through the portal, Kaecilius struck him down with a magical blade.
"Kaecilius!" Baron Mordo cried out.
"Kaecilius!" Strange's heart skipped a beat, and his gaze immediately fell upon Kaecilius.
*So this is Kaecilius?*
*Boom!*
The thought had barely formed in his mind when Kaecilius unleashed another critical strike, sending a massive shockwave surging forward.
The blast sent Strange flying backward, straight into a portal.
When Strange scrambled to his feet, the portal had already closed. He found himself standing inside the London Sanctum.
He rose cautiously, exploring the unfamiliar space.
The entire Sanctum was eerily empty, its silence deafening.
He made his way to the entrance and carefully checked the address: 177 Blake Street.
Looking up at the building he had just been in from the outside, he confirmed it was indeed the London Sanctum.
Without further ado, Strange re-entered the Sanctum.
*Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!*
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Soon, the sounds of a fierce battle erupted.
Strange rushed over to investigate and saw Kaecilius wielding a magical blade, plunging it into the chest of a bald mage.
"Stop!" Strange shouted, instantly betraying his position.
Of course, he couldn't save the mage, who was swiftly and efficiently dispatched by Kaecilius.
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
All eyes turned to Strange, including Kaecilius's.
Strange's sphincter tightened, feeling like he was being cornered by a pack of wild beasts.
These were all powerful figures, and Strange was merely an untrained apprentice. It would have been a lie to say he wasn't nervous.
Worse still, he was the only one left in the entire London Sanctum—no allies to lean on.
"Everyone, I've found Kaecilius!"
However, Strange quickly regained his composure. Accessing his journal, he opened the group chat Nick Fury had previously established and shouted into the chat.
"Kaecilius!"
The Avengers in the chat were immediately alerted.
"Location!"
Nick Fury cut to the chase, demanding an immediate answer.
"London! 177 Blake Street!" Strange replied swiftly.
*London?*
The Avengers hadn't anticipated this at all. But on second thought, it made sense. No wonder S.H.I.E.L.D. had never been able to track Kaecilius—he wasn't even in the United States!
Though S.H.I.E.L.D. was an international intelligence agency, its effectiveness plummeted outside American borders.
"How long have you been at Kamar-Taj, Mister...?" Kaecilius's voice cut in, greeting Strange.
"Doctor," Strange corrected.
"You're a doctor?" Kaecilius paused.
"It's strange."
*Strange?*
Kaecilius blinked. "It is rather strange."
*Thud-thud-thud!*
Kaecilius then charged swiftly toward Strange, his mages following close behind.
Strange's sphincter tightened slightly. He quickly communicated with everyone through the diary: "Everyone, I need you, now! The situation is urgent. Where are you?"
"Stark Tower. I'm ready."
"Open a magic portal!"
Tony responded immediately, "By the way, you've already been to Mount Everest and felt the wind, right?"
The "Mount Everest incident" was the iconic event where Strange first learned to cast portals.
"Yes, I've felt the wind," Strange replied with a helpless nod. He swiftly swirled his right hand in the air, drawing several circles.
*Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!*
A dazzling golden portal materialized.
Through the portal, two hulking metal figures—or rather, two metallic hulks—materialized before Strange's eyes.
-----------------------
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