"Are you hungry? Do you want to sit down and eat something together?"
Seeing that Strange had not spoken for a long time, Lucas raised his hand and pointed to the stone bench in front, saying.
At this time, Kamar-Taj's time, converted to New York time, was precisely lunchtime.
Lucas was a person with regular habits, he ate when it was time to eat.
"Thank you." Strange said.
He approached and sat down, only to see the Sorcerer Supreme across from him, head bowed, dealing with the three small dishes laid out on the stone table.
It was just that Strange found the figure of this Sorcerer Supreme increasingly familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before.
Waving his hand, Strange said, "Sorcerer Supreme, I'm not hungry, you eat first."
Gurgle...
But no sooner had Strange's words fallen than an untimely gurgling sound rang out.
"Don't be nervous, Strange. When a person is hungry, they should eat. Let's eat together." Lucas invited again.
Lucas reached out into the void, sparks flickered, and a small portal opened. When he withdrew his hand, he had a fish fillet, a set of cutlery, and a bottle of red wine.
"After lunch, I will rest for an hour and a half. You can also take a nap first. If you have any questions, you can ask them after I wake up. As for this time, you are free to move around Kamar-Taj."
Strange ignored Lucas's latter sentence. He was already dumbfounded when he saw Lucas open a portal and retrieve something from thin air.
Even though it wasn't the first time he had seen magic, Strange still felt incredibly shocked.
This shock not only made him overlook Lucas's latter sentence but even his appearance.
"Sorcerer Supreme, I am Strange, and I have come here for..."
"I know. You came here from New York to find a way to heal your hands."
Strange was startled by the words, then his intelligence once again took the high ground, and he suddenly understood.
That's right, Wong had said that the Sorcerer Supreme had instructed him only to give him the address, not to provide any other help. Perhaps at that time, the Sorcerer Supreme had already noticed him.
Thinking of this, Strange looked up. "Sorcerer Supreme, please help... Mr. Lucas, why are you here?!"
"Strange, calm down. Once you calm down, you'll be able to figure many things out yourself." Lucas's voice seemed to carry some power, immediately calming Strange down.
Strange took a few deep breaths. "Mr. Lucas, you... you are the Sorcerer Supreme?"
"That's right."
"You already knew about my car accident, even..."
You orchestrated it.
"Strange, it's best to think clearly before speaking, you know. It wasn't me who made you reply to phone messages on a winding mountain highway in the rain." Lucas interrupted Strange.
Strange fell silent.
He suddenly remembered, what was there about him, a neurosurgeon from the ordinary world, that would be worth the attention of this leader of a hidden extraordinary power, the Sorcerer Supreme, who held such a fearsome reputation among humans?
But...
"Why would a big shot like you pay attention to a small fry like me?"
"Doctor Strange, you are not a small fry." Lucas said with a smile, shaking his head, and began to clear his dishes from the table.
"I'm not a doctor anymore."
Lucas stood up. "No, you are still a Dr.. Also, after I finish lunch and wash the dishes, I will begin my nap. If you have any more questions, you can ask them after I wake up. As for this time, you are free to move around Kamar-Taj."
Strange was full of doubts at this moment, and he subconsciously called out to Lucas.
Lucas, however, didn't turn his head, merely waving his hand. "Strange, what you need now is to calm down, have a late-night snack, a glass of red wine, and then a good night's sleep."
Humming a tune, Lucas washed the dishes and then summoned a night-duty apprentice, instructing the apprentice to settle Strange.
If Strange hadn't rested by two in the morning and wished to see him, the apprentice should bring him over again.
"But Strange already has a residence, doesn't he?"
"He's not the same Strange as the one who wears a black cloak all day." Lucas had to explain briefly, seeing the apprentice's confusion.
Time flew by, about an hour and a half passed.
Lucas woke up from his afternoon nap and, upon learning from the apprentice that Strange had been waiting for him, instructed the apprentice to take Strange to the tea room first.
Afterward, Lucas took some time to wash up and then headed to the tea room. Before he even got close, he heard a conversation.
"Thank you for your hospitality." Strange said, accepting the tea.
"You don't need to be so polite, Mr. Strange."
"It's Doctor, I am a Doctor." Strange corrected.
Ancient One smiled. "You didn't say that just now."
"I just think the Sorcerer Supreme's words make sense. Even if I'm not a Doctor anymore, I'm still a Dr."
Hearing Strange's defense, Ancient One's smile grew even brighter. "I am also the Sorcerer Supreme, don't you think my words make sense?"
"You are also the Sorcerer Supreme?" Strange was a little disbelieving.
"I used to be."
"What do you mean?"
"I was the previous Sorcerer Supreme, and I've retired."
"Then, you and..." Strange hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.
"Lucas is my disciple, or rather, most of the sorcerers at Kamar-Taj are my disciples."
"Uh..."
Strange was speechless.
He had thought that this bald female sorcerer, who was serving him tea, was also an apprentice at Kamar-Taj, and one of the less talented ones at that.
"Mr. Strange, don't think impolite things in front of a sorcerer." Ancient One suddenly said.
Strange was stunned by this, then remembered Lucas's similar action not long ago, and blurted out, "Telepathy? You just used telepathy on me, didn't you?"
Ancient One shook her head. "I didn't read your mind, this is just some simple psychological knowledge. You practically wrote your thoughts on your face."
Compared to telepathy, psychological micro-expression analysis seemed much more agreeable.
Hearing the Ancient One's explanation, Strange relaxed slightly. "You can't do telepathy?"
"No, I can."
Strange fell silent, merely lowering his head to drink tea, and making every effort to control himself from overthinking.
Seeing this, Ancient One explained, "Telepathy is not a particularly advanced magic. Any sorcerer can learn it if they put their mind to it."
"Of course, any sorcerer, if they are on guard, will not have their thoughts easily read. Generally speaking, sorcerers do not constantly use telepathy."
"Except for a certain nasty old man." Lucas said, pushing the door open with a creak.
Nodding to the Ancient One, Lucas took a teacup, poured himself a cup of tea, and sat down to savor it.
After a while, Strange took the initiative to speak, "Sorcerer Supreme."
Lucas interrupted Strange, saying meaningfully, "Just call me sorcerer Lucas. There's more than one Sorcerer Supreme here."
"Alright, sorcerer Lucas, I beg you to heal my hands." Strange took a deep breath, bowing his head sincerely.
The sorcerers of Kamar-Taj were all eccentric, making it difficult to discern if there was any deeper meaning, but there was no need to figure it out, only to remember the original intention.
"No problem."
"Thank you."
Strange looked up sharply, his eyes sparkling, only to see Lucas slowly raise two fingers. "Two conditions? I agree."
"No, there are two methods, and you choose one."
Lucas explained, "The first method, I use energy to simulate the nerves in your hands. The second method, I stimulate your soul power to promote your body's self-repair."
"What are the differences between the two methods?" Strange asked.
"The first method can be completed very quickly, and the effect is similar to a prosthetic limb."
"The second method can achieve complete recovery, but it requires more time, and it's best if you cooperate as well."
"I choose the second method." Strange made his choice without hesitation, out of his professional expertise as a top neurosurgeon.
"A wise choice." Lucas smiled.
He had used a bit of subtle wording here. He didn't tell Strange that sometimes a prosthetic limb could be better than the original body.
The so-called 'some time' referred to Planck time units.
With a wave of his hand, Lucas flung a ball of glowing white energy into Strange's body. The glowing white energy flowed, instantly healing some of Strange's hidden ailments, finally settling in his hands.
"This energy will slowly nourish your soul power and guide it to repair the nerves in your hands. Barring any accidents, when this energy is depleted, that's when your hands will be fully restored."
Strange closed his eyes and felt it carefully, only to feel the recent fatigue of his travels dissipate at once, while also feeling a warmth in his hands.
Still looking at his trembling hands, Strange asked, "Sorcerer Lucas, approximately how long will this take?"
"Three to five years at most."
"Is there a way to shorten the time?" Strange interrupted.
Three to five years without touching a scalpel, he didn't know how much of his skill would remain, which was unacceptable to Strange.
"If you want to speed up this process, then you should stay at Kamar-Taj and diligently practice magic during this time. Meditation can accelerate this process."
"Magic? Can I also learn magic?" Strange's eyes lit up.
"Of course, if you have any questions, you can ask Wong, and he will help you answer them."
Upon hearing this, Strange was incredibly excited. In this era of rising supernatural powers, who wouldn't want to become a Superman who can fly?
It truly was a blessing in disguise. If he could learn magic...