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Ch. 241 The Extraordinary Magical Prodigy
🕑 Added 2023-12-31 16:00:06 +0000 UTCEstablishing a mental connection from over 6,000 kilometers away might not seem particularly remarkable.
You see, the God of Symbiote, Knull, under normal circumstances, could establish mental connections with other Symbiotes even across a galaxy. Over 6,000 kilometers was a trivial distance for the God of Symbiote, Knull.
However, the catch was that Russell wasn't Knull.
While the King's Serum had significantly enhanced his Symbiote abilities and granted him the power to control other Symbiotes, he had never attempted to establish a mental connection with a Symbiote from such a great distance before.
Over 6,000 kilometers might not seem extreme when compared to the Earth's diameter of just over 12,700 kilometers, but it still presented a challenge.
Moreover, this mental connection wasn't initiated by him; it was a request sent by White Zetsu, who was currently inhabiting Callum, and only after Russell had granted permission did they establish this internet-like mental connection.
Russell was uncertain when his mental connection with Symbiotes had expanded to such distances. However, upon discovering this, he decided to test it with other Symbiotes.
For instance, he tested it with White Zetsu inhabiting Nathan and the underwater temple-dwelling Grendel located in the Atlantic Ocean. After conducting these tests, he confirmed that he could establish a mental connection with Symbiotes within half the Earth's range and issue them "Absolute Commands."
While this discovery had been accidental, Russell was quite satisfied with it. It meant that his power had grown unintentionally.
Upon reflection, this development made sense. After receiving the reward of a supernatural being, he had been exposed to direct sunlight. Although the King's Serum and the supernatural being reward were distinct, both endowed him with extraordinary abilities integrated within his body. It wasn't too surprising that different rewards could influence each other.
Having made this discovery, Russell instructed Grendel to create a batch of second-generation Symbiotes to bolster the ranks of White Zetsu's legion.
With White Zetsu assisting Callum and others, the Justice League had been reduced to 13 remaining White Zetsu within the central headquarters, after four had left to assist Callum.
While 13 White Zetsu could still meet the daily security needs of the Justice League, it was undeniably a smaller force. Russell decided to take action and ordered Grendel to create 200 second-generation Symbiotes to increase the numbers within White Zetsu's legion.
Octopus Monster Industries headquarters
After completing his duties as CEO for the day, Russell left his office and headed towards the Sanctum Sanctorum.
Over the past week, he had thoroughly studied the introductory magic books, including "Universal Compendium," which were part of his Kamar-Taj magic training. Although his learning efficiency wasn't astonishing, he had managed to grasp the contents of these four magic books in just over a week, entirely self-taught and without any guidance.
He wasn't like Doctor Strange, a natural prodigy in magic. As a complete novice, mastering these four introductory books in a little over a week was quite an accomplishment. Most people wouldn't have even finished reading them in that time.
If it had been anyone else, they would likely still be in the middle of the first book.
After flying over the Sanctum Sanctorum, Russell landed in front of the Sanctum's entrance and gently knocked on the door.
"Come in!"
As soon as he knocked, the voice of the Sorcerer Supreme, known as the Ancient One, sounded in his ears.
Unlike the previous time, this time, he sensed a faint magical ripple accompanying the Ancient One's voice.
Although Russell still hadn't learned any magic, he had completed the basic introductory learning, and he recognized this subtle magical energy.
The Time Stone!
The Ancient One used the Time Stone to communicate with him last time. This time, it appeared she was doing the same.
Russell pushed open the door and walked in. He had expected the Ancient One to use her spatial magic to transport him directly to the meeting room, but this time, nothing of the sort happened.
He had been to the Sanctum Sanctorum once before, but he wasn't very familiar with it. Without much thought, he used his X-ray vision to observe the interior structure and locate the Ancient One's position.
With his X-ray vision, he found the Ancient One's position and ascended the stairs, heading towards the meeting room on the second floor.
Upon arriving at the meeting room, he saw the Ancient One, just as he had during their previous meeting. She appeared unchanged, with her bald, round head, bright yellow robes, and a kind expression on her face. Her exquisite wooden fan was casually placed beside her as she calmly brewed tea.
"You've come. Have a seat!"
The Ancient One, in the midst of preparing tea, looked up and greeted Russell.
Russell didn't say a word but nodded and took a seat across from her.
Although he knew that the Ancient One had some unusual powers, he couldn't help but wonder why she was able to maintain this sanctum in the middle of New York City, unnoticed by the general public.
"Are you familiar with tea? Take a sip and see if this tea suits your taste."
The Ancient One spoke calmly.
"It's good! However, I prefer our tea in its purest form. Adding honey is not a common practice."
"In that case, I'll try the traditional method without honey next time."
The Ancient One picked up her tea cup, took a sip, and said with a smile.
Afterward, she continued, "You've come for the next stage of your training, haven't you?"
"Yes, that's correct. I've finished reading the four books you gave me last time."
"If you don't mind, I'd like to begin actual magical training."
Russell then placed the four thick magic books he had brought on the table.
"In just one week, you managed to self-study all four of these books. It seems your talent exceeds my expectations."
"If that's the case, let's move on to the next stage of your training."
The Ancient One picked up her wooden fan, waved it casually in the air, and the four magic books on the table disappeared.
Then, she stood up, holding the fan, and drew a circular pattern in the air.
As she moved the fan in circular motions, a radiant golden circular portal, about two meters in diameter, rapidly formed.
The signature spell of Kamar-Taj, the portal!
While the mystical arts of Kamar-Taj differed greatly from the traditional image of sorcery, there was no denying that the visual effects of Kamar-Taj magic were no less impressive than other magical disciplines.
Golden, the color exuded an aura of opulence.
However, what caught Russell's attention wasn't the portal spell itself but a glance at the Ancient One's right hand.
"You curious why I didn't use the Sling Ring to cast portal spells?"
The Ancient One seemed to see through Russell's thoughts and smiled.
"Have you used telepathy magic to read my thoughts?"
Russell furrowed his brow and asked.
"Delving into someone's thoughts is not a good habit; I never engage in such actions."
The Ancient One replied lightly.
"Then how do you know what I'm thinking right now?"
Russell continued to ask.
"Because this isn't the first time you've asked me this question."
The Ancient One smiled.
Upon hearing this, Russell immediately understood.
The Time Stone!
The Ancient One had seen over seven million possible futures using the Time Stone. This scene was certainly not the first time it had occurred, allowing her to know exactly what he was thinking.
"I see."
Russell sighed in resignation.
The Time Stone was indeed an unreasonable cheat.
Especially when you had no way of knowing whether someone had used it to view the future.
"Let's go!"
With that, the Ancient One walked into the portal.
Russell didn't hesitate and followed suit.
While he had never been to Kamar-Taj before, once he saw the portal forming, he knew that the other side would be Kamar-Taj.
After stepping through the portal, Russell and the Ancient One found themselves in Kamar-Taj's main hall.
Seeing the two of them appear, the servants in the hall showed no surprise. They simply nodded at them in acknowledgment.
The Ancient One nodded back.
Then, with Russell in tow, she headed towards Kamar-Taj's library.
Normally, the Ancient One could have set the portal's exit point within the library, but she hadn't done so.
"You can't use magic in the library; it's one of Kamar-Taj's few rules."
As they made their way to the library, the Ancient One informed Russell.
"All right, I understand."
Russell nodded, although he didn't entirely agree. He knew that Doctor Strange, upon arriving in Kamar-Taj, had used magic in the library to secretly acquire and study books, even taking away a book Wong had been reading.
However, he decided not to mention this now.
Under the Ancient One's guidance, they reached Kamar-Taj's library, where they encountered a seemingly fortunate librarian.
Russell was slightly surprised to see the librarian because when Doctor Strange had arrived at Kamar-Taj, Cassilius had killed the previous librarian. At this time, Cassilius hadn't been possessed by Dormammu, nor had he committed any crimes within the library.
Russell had been certain of this because he had encountered Cassilius and Mordo when he and the Ancient One were on their way to the library.
Seeing the Ancient One arrive with Russell, the librarian, Wong, wore a perplexed expression. Though he hadn't met Russell before, he knew who Russell was.
Kamar-Taj was a secluded organization of sorcerers, but it wasn't completely isolated from the outside world. It had some modern amenities like Google and WiFi, for instance.
First, Wong greeted the Ancient One, then he inquired about her purpose.
Upon hearing that Russell was a new student under her tutelage, Wong displayed an even more puzzled expression. From a mentorship perspective, all sorcerers at Kamar-Taj were students of the Ancient One. However, very few were actually taught by her directly.
Even Wong himself hadn't had the privilege of receiving direct instruction from the Ancient One.
While he didn't quite understand why the Ancient One had accepted Russell as a student, Wong politely accepted the situation.
The Ancient One and Russell then proceeded to the library's forbidden section, a place only accessible to sorcerers.
Upon entering the restricted section, the Ancient One expressed her gratitude to Wong.
Then, she walked over to one of the bookshelves and began selecting magic books for Russell.
Before long, she returned with three thick books that were anything but lightweight.
"These three books contain introductory magic that every Kamar-Taj sorcerer needs to learn. You can begin your true magical training with these."
"While studying these, it's best to find a safe place."
The Ancient One said as she handed the three books to Russell.
In addition to the three magic books, after leaving the library, the Ancient One visited the chamber where magical artifacts were stored and selected a Sling Ring for Russell.
"The Sling Ring is an essential tool for casting portal spells, as well as for traversing the Mirror Dimension and other special spaces."
"A necessary tool? But when you cast a portal spell just now, you didn't use a Sling Ring."
Russell inquired.
"That's because I have completely mastered the portal spell; I can cast it freely without the need for a Sling Ring."
The Ancient One explained.
Russell nodded in understanding.
With these three books and a Sling Ring in hand, Russell was ready to begin his true magical training.
After memorizing the contents of all three books, which took about ten minutes, he spent another half hour comprehending the material.
Finally, he arrived at the training grounds, retrieved the Sling Ring from his system space, and prepared to practice casting spells for the first time in a meaningful way.
Placing the Sling Ring on his left hand's middle and index fingers, he took a deep breath and recalled the details of casting the portal spell in his mind.
The portal spell, a fundamental magic every Kamar-Taj sorcerer needed to master.
"Focus your attention intensely, visualize the image clearly, imagine the destination in your mind, and don't limit yourself to the immediate world; imagine every detail."
"The clearer the image in your mind, the faster the portal will appear."
As Russell imagined the office at Octopus Monster Industries, he moved his right hand in circular motions while focusing intensely.
Typically, such training would require a senior sorcerer's guidance.
But it's quite clear that Russell isn't facing any special circumstances right now.
Even though he carries the title of the Ancient One's student, the Ancient One employs a typical laissez-faire approach with him.
While she won't withhold magic books and artifacts, expecting the Ancient One to provide hands-on instruction is clearly unrealistic.
Her decision to take him as a student was a spontaneous one.
In a normal progression, the Ancient One would only take in one more student, who would eventually become the future Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange.
From one perspective, Russell is a transfer student.
Although he lacks the guidance of a senior sorcerer, he doesn't particularly mind.
After all, it's just self-study, nothing too challenging!
While he may not be an authentic Kamar-Taj sorcerer and won't receive traditional mage education, he possesses advantages that other Kamar-Taj sorcerers lack.
Kamar-Taj sorcerers are ordinary people when they first start. Russell, on the other hand, isn't an ordinary person but rather a superhuman with godlike powers.
Even before learning magic, he already had divine abilities.
Although he's not yet proficient in using the divine power within him, compared to other Kamar-Taj sorcerers, he's essentially born with magical potential.
Kamar-Taj sorcerers must collect energy from other dimensions of the multiverse and combine it with the correct incantations and gestures to cast spells.
Regarding spellcasting techniques, Russell is no different from other Kamar-Taj sorcerers.
However, he skips the energy-collection step.
In this regard, imagine Kamar-Taj sorcerers needing to borrow money from a bank to spend, while Russell is the one who owns the bank and can spend as he pleases.
With the knowledge of magic he acquired, Russell slowly taps into his divine power, attempting to construct a portal directly to the Octopus Monster Industries' office.
As he draws circular patterns with his right hand and concentrates intensely, small golden sparks begin to appear in front of him.
Subsequently, these golden sparks gradually form a circle, growing larger and spinning faster.
Is it really this easy?
Although the portal hasn't fully formed yet, with a diameter of only half a meter, Russell can already see the office through it.
Observing the familiar office, Russell suddenly feels that the Ancient One might have made a mistake.
This is his first time attempting the portal spell, and he's doing it on his own without guidance. From this perspective, he's performing better than Doctor Strange did when he first learned the portal spell.
Consider that Doctor Strange had to learn the portal spell quickly under the threat of death, and the Ancient One's special guidance involved dropping him onto Mount Everest in minimal clothing, putting his life at risk before he finally grasped the portal spell.
Russell managed to succeed in his first attempt at the portal spell even though the portal hasn't fully formed yet, with a diameter of just two meters.
Success!
I must be a magical prodigy beyond compare!
Russell starts to swell with pride.
After admiring the portal he's created for the first time, Russell doesn't hesitate and walks right through it.
As expected, after crossing the portal, he returns to the Octopus Monster Industries' office from the training grounds of the Justice League's headquarters.
Once back in his office, he dispels the portal behind him.
Then, he immediately begins casting the portal spell again.
This time, he sets the portal's exit point in his apartment.
With the experience gained from his previous attempt, the portal appears even faster this time.
It only takes two to three seconds for the portal leading to his apartment to form.
Although the portal has fully formed, this time, he doesn't step through it but instead dispels the portal.
Since learning the portal spell was so easy, he wonders if he can quickly learn other spells as well.
Russell is quite curious about this.
After quickly recalling the spellcasting techniques and precautions for the Mirror Dimension, he decides to practice this second spell in his office.
Compared to the portal spell, the Mirror Dimension is much more discreet.
To be precise, no special effects are visible until the spell is successfully cast.
Perhaps he truly is a one-in-a-million magical prodigy.
Similar to casting the portal spell, Russell successfully casts the Mirror Dimension spell on his first attempt.
Unbelievable!
Looking at the peculiar "wall" made up of irregular glass-like structures in front of him, Russell can hardly believe his eyes.
