The Ancient One shook her head. "Keep it with you for now. You'll hand it to Strange yourself when the time comes."
Karl didn't argue. He understood her intention and simply stored the Eye of Agamotto in his system inventory. There was no safer place—anything placed inside was completely isolated, even from detection or connection.
Before long, Wong and Mordo regained consciousness.
"It was Kaecilius—he destroyed the London Sanctum."
Mordo spoke immediately, having witnessed it firsthand.
The Ancient One showed no reaction. She had already expected this.
"Focus on recovering. The Sanctum can be rebuilt."
"And Kaecilius…?"
Mordo's voice carried urgency. He valued Kamar-Taj's mission deeply—he wanted to personally deal with the traitor.
The Ancient One waved her hand lightly.
"That will be handled. Your priority is to heal."
In truth, Kaecilius's attack was also a test—for Strange.
The final test.
If he passed, he would naturally become the next Sorcerer Supreme. If he failed… Karl would be there as a safeguard.
The Ancient One had already told Karl everything.
Before Strange—and even before Karl—her original choice had been Kaecilius. He had possessed the same innate affinity for magic as Strange, mastering it with incredible speed. But in the end, he succumbed to the lure of power and fell into darkness.
Only then did she turn to Strange.
At the time, however, Strange had been nothing more than a skeptical doctor, dismissive of magic entirely.
Later, when Karl appeared, she realized he was, in many ways, the ideal successor—his mastery of magic, his perspective on Earth… everything aligned.
But Karl refused outright.
And so, she chose Strange.
Fortunately, Strange had not disappointed her. After his transformation, he now possessed the essential sense of responsibility required of a sorcerer.
All that remained… was this test.
Mordo still looked unwilling to let it go, but the Ancient One stopped him. She understood him well—his dedication was admirable, but his rigid mindset could easily turn extreme. That was why she never considered him suitable to inherit the title.
"Recover first. The rest can wait. I've already sent people to London. We'll have news soon."
—
Meanwhile, Karl and Wanda had already left Kamar-Taj.
A group of sorcerers had been dispatched to handle the aftermath in London, while Karl and Wanda headed toward New York—to support Strange.
If Kaecilius intended to summon Dormammu, he would first need to dismantle Earth's magical defenses.
And the three Sanctums were the foundation of that defense.
According to what Karl remembered—
After London, the next target would be New York.
And Strange… was already there.
—
Inside the New York Sanctum—
Strange wandered through the building, exploring.
From the outside, it looked modest—but inside, it was vast.
He soon found himself before three transparent doors. Each revealed a completely different scene:
Behind the first—an eerie, silent forest.
Behind the second—an endless, raging ocean.
Behind the third—a barren desert stretching to the horizon.
Curious, Strange opened one.
The wind, the scent in the air—it was all real.
Each door had a dial beside it. When he turned one, the scenery beyond shifted instantly.
After a while, he moved on to the second floor—where magical artifacts were stored.
The moment he entered, a blue cloak in the corner began to float inside its glass case, as if it had sensed something.
It looked around… almost like it was observing.
Strange noticed it immediately.
After all, it was the only thing in the room that moved.
He walked over, studying it curiously.
The cloak seemed to study him in return.
They stared at each other for a moment—then Strange turned and left.
—
Just then, he sensed a surge of magic.
He rushed to the staircase and looked down.
At the base of the stairs stood Daniel, the guardian of the New York Sanctum, holding a magical artifact and standing ready.
He already knew—the London Sanctum had fallen.
The front door of the Sanctum began to fold and distort, then slowly opened.
Kaecilius stepped inside—accompanied by two followers.
"Daniel… I didn't expect you to be the guardian now."
His eyes were gray and cracked, his appearance almost corpse-like.
"Then you should know what I stand for."
Daniel assumed a defensive stance.
"I do. You'll turn to ash along with this Sanctum."
Without warning, Kaecilius's two followers lunged forward, blades of translucent energy forming in their hands.
Daniel blocked with his artifact, and the three immediately clashed.
But one against two—
He was quickly overwhelmed.
Within moments, he was covered in wounds.
Exhausted, he dropped to one knee.
Kaecilius stepped forward, raising his blade.
"You should have known."
The blade plunged down—
"STOP!!"
Strange leapt from the second floor.
Too late.
The blade pierced Daniel's chest.
"You… how long have you been at Kamar-Taj?"
Kaecilius glanced at Strange's robes and recognized him as a sorcerer—but not one he had seen before.
Strange didn't answer.
He lashed out immediately, conjuring a magical whip.
Kaecilius leapt into the air, stepping off the wall and closing the distance in an instant. His blade drove straight toward Strange's chest.
Strange snapped his whip around Kaecilius's wrist—but Kaecilius, being a sorcerer himself, easily shook it off.
At the same time, his two followers attacked from behind.
Strange spun quickly, striking one away with his whip.
As the other two blades came down, he jumped from the stairs, narrowly dodging the fatal strike.
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