Ancient One slowly poured tea into the cups and gently pushed them in front of Alan and Gwen, quietly waiting for the topic that was sure to follow.
Alan definitely wasn't here just for an overnight stay. During his previous visits, he had merely checked in on Stephen Strange's condition and then left—he had never mentioned staying in the Sanctum for a few days.
Taking a small sip from the cup, Alan finally spoke slowly: "Today in New York, Gwen encountered Kaecilius and his followers."
Ancient One's hand paused briefly but she didn't interrupt, remaining patiently attentive.
"Kaecilius's goal is very clear—he has always pursued one thing: how to summon Dormammu from the Dark Dimension," Alan stated bluntly, lifting his eyes to meet Ancient One's gaze.
"He went to New York to launch an attack on the Sanctum there." Even after hearing this, Ancient One maintained her calm composure.
At present, all Sanctums had enhanced their defenses. It would be extremely difficult for Kaecilius to break through. What surprised her, however, was that Gwen had run into him.
And Gwen was connected to the Emperor. Was Alan coming here today to blame her for having trained a disciple like Kaecilius?
"Kaecilius cannot obtain the spellbook for summoning Dormammu," Ancient One reiterated firmly. If it ever fell into his hands, things would become very troublesome.
But Alan shook his head. "Do you want to hear my advice? If you don't capture Kaecilius soon, he'll continue harming innocent people."
When the symbiote latched onto Kaecilius's disciple, it read his memories—female Venom had seen Kaecilius capturing children alive for sacrificial rituals!
Such cruelty—Kaecilius had long since descended into madness in his pursuit of Dormammu.
"When Kaecilius first arrived here, he had nothing. He was desperate, kneeling and sobbing before me, lamenting the unfairness of life. He had lost everything—including the one he loved."
Ancient One's sudden statement left Gwen confused. She didn't understand why the Sorcerer Supreme had brought up Kaecilius's past so abruptly.
"I once told you, Stephen Strange is both like Kaecilius and yet entirely different. If Stephen can conquer his inner demons, he will succeed me."
Ancient One slowly withdrew her gaze and locked eyes with Alan. "So, Emperor, what sort of suggestion are you planning to offer?"
She didn't need Alan to go into detail about what Kaecilius had done since betraying her—she could already deduce it.
Now, Ancient One was very open to hearing Alan's opinion. Kaecilius could no longer be allowed to roam freely and harm more innocents.
"Create a deliberate flaw," Alan proposed, "make Kaecilius believe that he has become powerful enough to open a portal into the Sanctum's library."
Aside from wanting to eliminate the threat of Kaecilius, Alan also wanted to push the plot forward.
Maybe it was his own previous suggestion that had caused the Sanctum's defenses to become too strong, preventing Kaecilius from triggering the next arc.
"Alan, are you suggesting we lure the snake out of its hole?" Ancient One asked, her eyes widening in surprise as she lightly fanned herself. She hadn't considered that tactic.
"Exactly. Kaecilius is obsessed with obtaining the book for the Dormammu summoning ritual."