章節 56: Chapter 56

'If SHIELD catches sight of the portal and what's behind it, they'll investigate. With Fury and Hydra involved, the sanctums would be in danger.' Liam thought.

'Sure, the sanctums can be protected, but if all the strong mages are tied up defending them, who will handle higher-level dimensional tears?' Liam continued as he watched Ava disappear behind a cluster of trees and bushes.

Liam couldn't help but feel his teenage hormones working as his thoughts went to Ava. 'Even though my mental age is high, my body is still that of a teenager. Any thought about an undressed woman sets it off....'

After a while, Ava appeared in the normal clothes Liam had given her, leaving her suit behind. The clothes were a little oversized but still managed to make her curves shine. 'Definitely picked the right clothes,' Liam thought, admiring her figure as she approached.

'They barely showed her in the movies. Such a waste. I'm sure the Ant-Man films would've done better if they had.' Liam thought.

"Can we go now?" Ava asked, snapping Liam out of his thoughts.

"Yes, thank you," Liam replied. "Stand close to me, and whatever you're about to see... get used to it."

Ava nodded, paying close attention to his actions.

Liam turned away, preparing to open a portal. 'Speaking of which, I'm such an idiot. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to peep using a smaller portal.' He shook his head, silently facepalming.

Concentrating, Liam began to wave his hand in a circle, the sling ring glowing as a portal began to form. A round human-sized doorway appeared in front of him, surrounding it was an orange edge.

Turning back, Liam saw Ava staring in shock, her body tensed and on guard.

"We're going through this," Liam said calmly.

"What is this?" Ava asked, alarmed.

"This," Liam explained, gesturing to the gateway, "is a portal. It'll take us to where my teacher is."

"A portal?" Ava echoed, incredulous. "Magic like this... it actually exists?"

"You can phase through living beings, yet you're surprised that magic exists?" Liam said, raising an eyebrow.

Ava looked at him. "The reason I can phase is because of a scientific lab accident. Something like this... it's beyond anything I've ever seen."

"Well, get ready," Liam said, grinning slightly. "This is just basic magic."

He stepped through the portal and motioned for Ava to follow. On the other side was the main hall of the New York Sanctum. Liam immediately noticed the Ancient One waiting for them, as he had discussed with her.

Ava hesitantly stepped through, looking around in awe. "Where are we now?"

"We're in New York," Liam answered. He gestured to the Ancient One. "And that's my teacher."

The two of them approached the Ancient One, who greeted them both warmly.

"So, this is the one you mentioned?" the Ancient One asked, looking at Ava.

"Yes," Liam confirmed with a nod.

"I'll see what I can do. Follow me," the Ancient One said, her voice calm and peaceful.

Liam nodded, gesturing for Ava to follow. Ava complied, following behind as they walked to a smaller, more private room.

Once inside, the Ancient One gestured for them to sit as she prepared tea.

"This is my teacher, the Ancient One," Liam said, introducing her formally.

"The Ancient One? That's your name?" Ava asked.

"Yes, young one," the Ancient One replied with a serene smile. "My real name has long been forgotten."

"Liam said you might be able to help treat my illness. Is that true?" Ava asked, her voice mixed with hope and desperation.

"Treat?" the Ancient One said thoughtfully. "I don't think I can treat it."

Ava's expression fell, confusion and frustration flickering across her face.

The Ancient One continued, "I need to examine your body further to be sure."

She turned to Liam. "Very creative, anchoring her to this realm. You've applied your teachings well."

Ava glanced between them, confused. "If you don't know if you can help, why bring me here? Why give me false hope?" Her voice cracked, her emotions began getting unstable.

"I never said I can't help," the Ancient One corrected gently. "But there is no conventional treatment for your condition."

"What do you mean?" Ava asked.

"It seems your body has been exposed to an extraordinary amount of quantum energy," the Ancient One explained. "Because of this, part of your physical form exists in the Quantum Realm. More exposure to quantum energy could temporarily stop your pain, but it would also accelerate your body's collapse into that dimension."

Ava stared at her, struggling to process the information.

"It's fascinating," the Ancient One mused. "Someone like you shouldn't be able to exist. Your body should've torn itself apart long ago. Even if it didn't, the pain should've broken your mind."

"So what can you do?" Ava asked, her voice trembling. "If you know how much I'm suffering, please tell me how to make it stop."

Liam remained quiet, sipping his tea. 'The Ancient One's tea is always so good,' he thought, all while keeping one ear on the conversation.

"We can infuse enough quantum energy to completely tear your body apart," the Ancient One said.

Liam nearly choked on his tea, giving her a 'what the fuck' look.

The Ancient One smiled. "To clarify, your body will be torn apart and rebuilt. Essentially, your body will be reprogrammed, allowing you to control which dimension you exist in."

Ava didn't hesitate. "As long as the pain is gone, I'll do it."

"Since your body is partially made of quantum energy, it can't be removed without destroying you," the Ancient One explained. "Instead, we'll use the energy to force your body to adapt and stabilize."

She pulled a book from her dimensional pocket skill and flipped to a page showing a meditative pose. "Your damaged cells will be healed, and the undamaged regular cells in your body will be forced to adapt to its new state by ripping them apart and filling them with energy too. Once the process is complete, you'll gain control over your dimensional form."

"If that's possible," Ava said, her voice shaking, "then I want to do it. I can't live with this pain much longer."

"You'll have to wait for a little while longer," the Ancient One said kindly. "I need to prepare. We'll begin in a few days."

"Thank you," Ava said, her voice cracking with emotion.

Liam, having finished his tea, sat in quiet surprise. 'She's actually curing her in one go?'

The Ancient One smiled. "You're welcome. Liam, guide her to a room where she can stay. She may explore the sanctum, but she must not leave."

"But my suit," Ava said hesitantly. "Without this whip, I'll phase uncontrollably again."

"That won't be an issue," the Ancient One replied. She stepped forward, gently placing her hand on Ava's head.

Ava felt a warmth spreading through her body, making her feel comfortable.

"This will keep you anchored in this dimension until the procedure," the Ancient One said. She turned to Liam. "Now, go find her a room."

Liam nodded, standing up. "Follow me," he said as the whip dissolved from Ava's hand.

----

Had to put in a project which I naturally started on the very last day, regular updates will continue now again. Sorry for the inconvenience.

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章節 57: Chapter 57

Before Liam left, the Ancient One spoke. "Bring her to Kamar-Taj."

Liam turned back with a questioning look.

"The procedure will happen there," the Ancient One clarified.

Liam nodded, understanding now. "Well, we'll be on our way then."

He exited the room, with Ava following close behind.

Outside, Ava asked, "What is Kamar-Taj?"

Liam pondered for a moment before answering. "Think of it as our headquarters."

"Headquarters?" Ava repeated, clearly curious.

"Yeah. It's not just me and my teacher who've learned magic. There's a whole group of people trained in the same teachings," Liam explained.

"For what purpose?" Ava asked, skeptical. "I've never heard about anything like this in SHIELD. Why learn magic if you've never used it to do anything?"

"That's not for me to answer," Liam replied, calmly.

Ava gave him a questioning look, while in thought. 'A magic organization? What exactly was SHIELD doing for them not to notice this? Or maybe… what have they been doing to stay so well-hidden?'

As they walked, the pair passed glass windows that held deserts, oceans, and jungles behind them.

"What is this?" Ava stopped to look, her curiosity piqued.

"Just some standard portals leading to different parts of the world," Liam answered casually, continuing forward.

Ava stared at the portals in wonder before hurrying to catch back up with him.

Eventually, they arrived at a large door named Nexus Room.

"What's this door for?" Ava asked.

"This is the nexus room—our main transportation gate between sanctums," Liam explained as he opened the door.

Inside, Ava noticed a couple doors of the same height, each named with different. Liam walked straight to one of the doors and opened it.

"This one," he said, holding it open for Ava.

Ava quickened her pace and stepped through.

On the other side, she noticed the different temperature.

"And now we're pretty much on the other side of the world—just like that," Liam said with a small smile.

He gestured ahead. "Let's get you settled in."

They began walking through Kamar-Taj. Other students greeted them warmly as they passed, and Ava couldn't help but notice the peaceful atmosphere.

"This almost seems like a perfect society," Ava observed. "Everyone is polite and kind to each other, despite being total strangers."

Liam nodded in agreement. 'Almost indeed.' Liam thought while he nodded.

As they continued, they passed a courtyard where students were in the middle of their training. Liam greeted a few familiar faces, including a teacher who had mentored him before.

"This is the courtyard," he explained. "It's where new recruits are trained."

Ava nodded, her curiosity growing. "How are these people selected?"

"It varies," Liam replied. "Some come here searching for knowledge; others come because they need help and don't see any other way out. Of course, the process isn't that simple, but that's how most people stumble upon this place."

"So anyone can do this?" Ava asked.

"Yes. The only requirements are an open mind and good intentions," Liam explained.

Finally, they arrived at a large building with open doors. Liam led Ava inside, down a long corridor with doors on both sides.

"These are rooms for new recruits," Liam said, gesturing to the doors as they walked. He stopped at the end of the corridor and opened a door on the right. "This will be your room."

Ava stepped inside, looking around.

"Well, I'll leave you to get settled," Liam said before turning to leave.

Liam returned to his own room, lost in thought. 'I don't know what the Ancient One is planning by showing her all of this, but it should work out somehow,' he reassured himself.

Once in his room, Liam opened a small portal. "Can't slack off a single day," he muttered. "Do it once, and you'll find yourself doing it more and more."

Meanwhile, in her room, Ava couldn't help but take another look around.

"I've never heard of or seen a place like this," she muttered to herself. "What is this place, really?"

She sat down, looking back on everything she'd heard so far.

"This procedure…" Ava thought, frowning. Deep down, she found it hard to trust the Ancient One. 'No one does something for someone else for free,' she thought.

Still, she couldn't deny how remarkable the place was.

'Magic…' she mused. 'And so many people training it too. A force like this—imagine the power. They could take over any nation. People portaling into ammunition rooms or planting bombs in the White House for example… no one would know. No one would see.'

A shiver ran down her spine as the implications hit her. 'What's stopping them from taking over the world?'

After she finished thinking, she decided to explore the sanctum. As she walked through the corridors, she was greeted warmly by people who walked past her.

Eventually, she found herself in the courtyard. 'Training,' she thought, leaning against a fence as she observed a group of twenty students practicing in perfect unison. An older man moved among them, correcting their gestures and encouraging them to 'free their minds'.

"What are those orange circles appearing in front of them?" she wondered aloud, noticing the glowing shapes that appeared infront of the students during the training.

After the group finished, a smaller group of eight students took their place. They split into pairs and waited.

A brown man with a calm presence and short black hair entered the courtyard, and the students greeted him with deep respect.

'That must be another teacher,' Ava thought, noticing the respect coming from the students.

The man gave a signal, and the pairs began sparring. Some students jumped back, forming orange circles in the air, while others charged forward wielding strange pole-like weapons.

"Fascinating, isn't it?"

Ava turned around to find the Ancient One standing behind her, hands clasped behind her back as she watched the students with a peaceful expression.

"I've never seen anything like this," Ava admitted. "How does magic even work?"

The Ancient One smiled. "We channel energy from other dimensions to fuel our imagination."

"Other dimensions?" Ava asked, interested.

"The universe isn't as simple as it seems," the Ancient One began. "Earth exists within a plane with its own rules, inhabitants, and properties. Similarly, there are countless other planes, each with its own rules, inhabitants, and properties."

Ava frowned, struggling to grasp the concept. "What?"

"Yes, young Ava," the Ancient One continued. "The Quantum Realm, which you're so familiar with, is one such dimension. However, it's a lot more unique than most."

"The Quantum Realm?" Ava repeated, surprised by the connection.

"It is a subrealm of our own, overlapping with our physical world on a microscopic level," the Ancient One explained. "Unlike most dimensions, it lacks the concepts of time and space. The Quantum Realm has a lot more unique aspects, but I won't bore you with those."

"So, is the goal of magic to explore these dimensions?" Ava asked, trying to connect the dots.

"Not entirely," the Ancient One said. "Most dimensions are hostile to us. Many even attempt to invade Earth daily."

"Invade?" Ava asked, her disbelief evident. "How come no one knows about this?"

"We have our ways of remaining hidden," the Ancient One replied with a small smile.

"But why stay hidden?" Ava questioned. "Armies and organizations could help with these invasions."

The Ancient One's smile faded slightly. "If Earth relied on armies of ordinary people, they might contain some threats. But when the truly dangerous beings come, along with their armies, all life on Earth would be wiped out within a week."

Ava fell silent, processing this information.

The Ancient One added, "Your procedure will take place in five days." With that, she turned and walked away.

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