After a brief tour of Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One and Matthew stood at the edge of a platform, overlooking the city at the foot of the mountain—Kathmandu.
That's right, Kamar-Taj was located in Nepal.
"You can learn the knowledge of magic, but to truly integrate the system of white magic into yourself will require your own effort."
"I look forward to your future, Matthew. From here on, you may stay here. The library will be open to you, and Wong will guide you in learning from the basics."
The Ancient One spoke softly, then looked up at the sky.
Matthew followed her gaze but saw nothing—only a stretch of blue.
Yet through his Observation Haki, he sensed a faint, indescribable pressure—dark, suffocating.
"That is...?"
"Dormammu—the ruler of the Dark Dinsion. He possesses limitless power and seeks to turn everything into darkness to strengthen himself."
The Ancient One was not surprised that Matthew could sense it.
"You don't seem worried, Master Ancient One?"
"He cannot descend directly; the magical barriers of the Sanctums suppress his power."
"You, as you are now, are not yet capable of opposing him. You have not reached that level—that is not a realm mortals can attain. So work hard, Matthew. When you truly reach it, you will understand just how vast this universe is."
After speaking aningfully, the Ancient One's figure gradually faded until it disappeared completely.
Matthew stood there, a flicker of fervor passing through his eyes before they cald.
That level invited endless imagination.
Dormammu—a dinsional ruler, a cosmic-level powerhouse.
Just as the Ancient One had said, he was omnipotent, with inexhaustible energy. Such an existence was beyond the reach of mortals.
The kind that would make you explode just by looking at it.
The sa applied to Matthew now. To Dormammu, he was nothing more than a slightly stronger ant.
But that was only for now.
With the Ancient One holding the line at present—what about the future?
This kind of threat wasn't limited to Dormammu alone. Many powerful dinsional entities coveted this universe.
Matthew could not remain uninvolved.
No matter what, he would never want to see Earth destroyed. After all, it was his ho.
Relying on others was not his style.
He would not entrust his fate to anyone else—not even to the one the Ancient One would later praise as the most outstanding Sorcerer Supre in history, Doctor Strange.
Moreover, many crises stemd from that proud and self-assured doctor's personal motives.
In the end, no matter how he resolved those crises, soone always paid the price with their life.
Neither fools nor geniuses were the most dangerous—what was dangerous was the arrogance of a genius, and the irreversible consequences brought about by the reckless use of magic.
Pulling back his thoughts, Matthew left the area and headed toward the library of Kamar-Taj.
The library was vast—extrely vast.
Located within a secluded courtyard of Kamar-Taj, it featured a multi-level open hall. Visually, it was incredibly spacious, with great depth.
At a glance, there were dozens of towering bookshelves, countless ancient texts, and restricted sections sealed with chains.
The main reading hall appeared especially grand, with a central passage flanked by massive bookshelves on both sides. Sorcerers could freely take and read magical books from these open sections.
Wong, whom he had t earlier at the New York Sanctum, was already there.
He sat at a table along the central passage near the entrance, the surface covered with magical books.
When Matthew arrived, Wong stood up and picked up a sowhat aged book from the table, handing it over.
After Matthew took it, Wong began to speak.
"Beginner's Maxim's Prir. This is the first required textbook for all apprentices. It contains magical discipline, ethical boundaries, basic defensive spells, an introduction to ditation, rules regarding restricted books, and essential knowledge about dinsional safety."
The book was heavy and quite thick.
Matthew flipped through it, only to find that the contents were written partly in English and partly in another language. Or rather, the main text was in a script he didn't recognize, with English written below it—more like a translation.
Matthew looked at Wong. "These characters?"
"They are Ancient Sanskrit. Before you can study the Prir, there's sothing else you need to do first." Wong picked up an even thicker book from the table and handed it over.
"You need to understand these characters. Not just read them—you must fully comprehend them."
eting Matthew's gaze, he added with a serious tone, "This is very important. Before learning magic, even a single character you don't understand could lead to errors during your study. The consequences would be severe."
"Then, Wong—where will I be staying?"
Matthew was not like that doctor; he took the warning to heart. Once Wong finished, he shifted to another matter.
"Follow ."
Wong was clearly prepared. He led Matthew out of the library and toward a more secluded and quiet standalone house within Kamar-Taj.
The house was a two-story residence, built mainly of stone and wooden planks. It didn't look particularly sturdy, but it fit well with the architectural style of Kamar-Taj.
There were large trees and vegetation around it, making the environnt pleasant.
"The Ancient One holds you in high regard. Houses like this are usually reserved for senior sorcerers."
Wong brought Matthew inside for a brief tour.
The first floor contained a living room, a resting area, a kitchen, and a bathroom. By the window was a long raised platform—also used as a ditation couch.
It was covered with a woven mat, along with a low tea table, cushions, and a quilt. Through the gaps in the trees outside, a stream flowing down the mountain could be seen.
The second floor was his living quarters. It was spacious, with bookshelves, storage cabinets, and other furnishings along the walls. There was also a wooden balcony, furnished with a tea table and a rocking chair.
Older people would really love this environnt, Matthew comnted to himself.
It was essentially a scenic countryside residence for solitary living—perfect for those who preferred to stay away from society and disliked noisy crowds.
"You can choose to eat at the dining hall—it's along the path we passed earlier."
"al tis are 6:00 AM, 11:30 AM, and 6:30 PM. You can also cook for yourself. The kitchen has utensils, tableware, and seasonings. It uses gas, so there's no need for firewood."
After saying that, Wong added, "If you choose to cook for yourself, you'll need to pay the dining hall. You can place requests with them—they make regular trips down the mountain to the city to purchase supplies."
"Oh, and there's no signal here. If you need to contact the outside world, you'll have to co to ."
"Thank you. That's very thoughtful."
Matthew nodded in appreciation. Wong waved his hand.
"Don't ntion it. You should rest; I need to return to the library."
With that, Wong left.
As for Matthew, he returned to the first-floor living room. He found a kettle, filled it with water at the sink, and set it to boil. Then he sat by the window on the long ditation couch.
Looking at the two books placed on the low tea table, he picked up the Ancient Sanskrit translation dictionary.
"Well, looks like I'm back to being a student again."
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