The serene calm of Kamar-Taj was instantly broken by Su Yi's abrupt, portal-less appearance. Wanda, still reeling from the rapid change of scenery and the sight of her twin's astral form being forcibly ejected, clutched her chest as her nascent emotional powers flared slightly in shock.
"Hi, Wanda!" Su Yi greeted her brightly.
Wanda, entirely focused on the powerful being before her, ignored him.
The Ancient One turned to Su Yi, her expression kind but perceptive. "Welcome back. This morning, I detected a powerful, non-native magical resonance in this Universe. It was strange—it shouldn't have been able to adapt so quickly, yet it clearly has."
Su Yi immediately understood. The Horse Talisman, a cross-dimensional artifact, was what she had sensed. If he hadn't summoned her earlier, she would have certainly appeared at the Villa the moment he gifted the Talisman to Natasha.
"You're talking about the Horse Talisman," Su Yi confirmed. "That artifact is indeed from another world."
The Ancient One's true purpose was revealed: the strengthening of the planet's defenses. If the Avengers could become stronger, they could handle any looming inter-dimensional threats.
"You obtained power from another world and distributed it to those around you," she observed.
Su Yi nodded. "Natasha is my partner. She faces danger daily. This power is to protect her, and by extension, to protect the world. You should trust Natasha; she would never harm this reality."
The Ancient One smiled, and to Su Yi's surprise, her expression conveyed approval, not condemnation.
"I am not trying to stop you."
Su Yi was genuinely shocked. He had mentally prepared arguments to justify his timeline meddling.
"You helped Gwen gain powerful abilities and become Ghost-Spider," the Ancient One continued. "You guided Peter Parker to embrace his destiny as Spider-Man. And now, you are personally arranging for Wanda to learn magic."
"All of this," she concluded, her eyes twinkling, "is fundamentally strengthening the core defenses of this world. Everything appears to be developing in a positive direction, preparing for events that should not yet be known. Why should I stop it?"
"I thought you would say this would lead to a more powerful, unpredictable disaster," Su Yi admitted, breathing a sigh of relief.
"It will indeed lead to greater disasters," she corrected him calmly. "A stronger counter-force will inevitably summon a stronger threat. But I trust you, and I trust them. They were always destined to be heroes; now, they will be even more capable. I have faith in their potential."
"She really is the Sorcerer Supreme," Su Yi thought, admiring her open-mindedness and calm acceptance of the fluid nature of fate.
"Alright," Su Yi said. "So, was this the only reason you called me here?"
The Ancient One shook her head slightly. "More or less. I hope you can refine them. Not just their abilities, but their character and their ability to handle the enormous responsibility. Including Doctor Strange."
Stephen Strange, the future Sorcerer Supreme, was currently an arrogant, brilliant surgeon.
"He is an exceptionally arrogant person," the Ancient One agreed wholeheartedly. "His conceit limits his potential. I want you to temper him."
Su Yi realized he was being asked to serve as a whetstone for the future Sorcerer Supreme—a fascinating proposition, especially since he might steal Strange's girlfriend, Christine Palmer, as "compensation."
The Ancient One's gaze intensified, a flicker of amusement in her eyes as she effortlessly read his thought process.
"My apologies," she said, sensing his discomfort. "Your thoughts were... very transparent. I can teach you the art of meditation, which will strengthen your mental defenses against telepathy from myself, Professor X, or Jean Grey."
"Then I'll reluctantly give it a try," Su Yi accepted. "But first, I've never actually sparred against a Sorcerer, and I don't understand your techniques. Why don't we test my current limits? I need to know how strong I truly am."
The Ancient One was visibly curious about Su Yi's ever-escalating power.
"Agreed."
Without warning, the space around them folded. The Ancient One's control was absolute; in mere seconds, the familiar, solid reality warped and stretched, pulling them into the chaotic, echoing non-space of the Mirror Dimension .
Wanda, still standing, watched in amazement as the world twisted. Buildings stretched and inverted, and light bent into impossible angles. The sheer skill displayed by the Ancient One in manipulating this realm was staggering.
Su Yi, floating in the air, looked at the kaleidoscopic, inverted cityscape. "The Mirror Dimension—truly amazing. If I learn this, I could train anywhere without causing collateral damage."
"Let's save the lesson for later," Su Yi said, a massive surge of adrenaline hitting him. The oppressive need to constantly restrain his Lv7 Strength and Lv6 Energy was suddenly gone. "Right now, I just want to test my strength!"
He focused his immense power and punched the nearest, inverted skyscraper. The punch traveled at incredible speed, creating a massive sonic boom, and the entire structure disintegrated into rubble.
Still not satisfied, Su Yi unleashed his Energy. It wasn't a controlled beam or a focused strike, but a pure, concussive blast of raw power, venting years of suppression. He charged through the mirror-world cityscape, and an area spanning several hundred meters was instantly pulverized.
The Ancient One, with a calm gesture, immediately teleported herself and Wanda further away, putting distance between them and the devastation.
Wanda stared at the apocalyptic display, her mouth agape. "Is he... is he actually human?"
The Ancient One, watching the uncontrolled destruction, nodded. "He is human, with human genetics. But he has undergone a genuine evolution—he is not a Mutant. His power is simply too vast. He has always been forced to suppress it."
Su Yi, completely immersed, was roaring in exhilaration, a Wind Blade whipping out from his hands that seemed to tear through the very fabric of the Mirror Dimension's sky.
"This feeling of not having to control my power is absolutely amazing! I can do whatever I want!"
Wanda looked at the Ancient One, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. "Sorcerer Ancient One, are you sure he's a good person? That's terrifying."
The Ancient One managed a wry smile. "He has always been scrupulous about restraining himself. This is his first opportunity to truly unleash his full power without consequence. A little excitement is understandable."
Su Yi, finally winding down, looked around at the chaos he had created. "The Mirror Dimension is truly a divine skill. If I learn this, I can practice and fight without worrying about the real world."
His thoughts immediately went to the looming threat. "Thanos? As long as he dares to come, I'll trap him here and make sure he never returns!"
Su Yi is now in the Mirror Dimension and has the approval of the Ancient One to pursue his path.