The laws of alchemy. This is what the Witch King, who rules the magical kingdom, often speaks of. In the magical kingdom, the Witch King also symbolizes fairness.
When the Ancient One heard the request, she fell into deep thought.
A transaction? She could sense that this Witch King possessed extraordinary power. It was not that the Witch King was more powerful than the Supreme Sorcerer, but rather that his uniqueness came from a different magic system than that of Kamar-Taj.
It was like opening a safe. There are two methods. One is to force it open. The other is to use the correct password. Wizards, however, have a third way: let the safe open on its own. With a spell, even if they do not know the password, the safe will enter it by itself. Except for certain counter-spells, the unlocking charm can open nearly any lock in the world.
It is all about rules. If someone makes the rules, someone else must follow them. In the wizarding world, the rule is simple: when I say the spell, you must open the lock.
Mages who use magic prefer to borrow power and rules for temporary use. The rules of wizards must be feasible in a world with magic. In times of uncertainty, many changes occur. The established trajectory is deflected and needs to be maintained.
The only one who can help is this Witch King, because he is unobservable, which means he will not be interfered with by the chaos.
After the Ancient One made up her mind, she looked at John and asked simply, "What do you want?"
John did not speak. He simply opened his right hand in front of the Ancient One. A dark, smoke-like substance, filled with strangeness, passed between his fingers.
Seeing this, the Ancient One narrowed her eyes. "This is not something you should be exposed to, Witch King." She recognized it instantly and warned him. That is dark energy. In the magical world, it is called the Obscurus.
"Oh?" John sat back, and the four legs of the chair in the living room started moving and stopped behind him. Under the Ancient One's gaze, John's raised hand suddenly turned pale, with black lines emerging like blood vessels on it. The dark energy became active. Within a breath, his hand returned to its normal color.
"This is impossible." The Ancient One stared at John, a trace of shock flashing in her eyes. As a sorcerer who has observed and guarded the world for centuries, she clearly understood the consequences of contact with dark energy. Even when using this power, one must be careful not to be eroded by it.
John pulled a black reverse scale pendant out from under his clothes.
"The Bicorn Beast Reverse Scale," the knowledgeable Ancient One recognized it and said in a solemn voice, "You have been in contact with darkness." Bicorns are the opposite of pure unicorns. They are drawn to the impure and worship darkness.
This was John's alchemical work. During his student days, due to certain events, he became an Obscurus and learned to control this power. As he grew stronger, the magic of Hogwarts ceased to make him more powerful. He needed new pursuits.
"I am not the only one," John said. He blew lightly at the dark energy, and it floated like a small snake toward the Ancient One. Before it reached her, a mark appeared on her forehead.
"I sensed it the moment you walked in," John said meaningfully. "You are just like me. Different."
The Ancient One needed enough time to protect this world. John, however, had taken the initiative to reach out to her.
"How about this: make a deal with me," John suggested with a mysterious smile. The methods he had figured out on his own were far from those Kamar-Taj had accumulated over the years.
After being exposed, the Ancient One did not become angry. She seized the power and quickly annihilated it. From the moment she stepped into this house, the young Witch King before her had created many mysteries. The Supreme Sorcerer had a wise mind to match her strength.
Gaining access to dark energy would mean gaining a powerful ally. Not only in five years, but also in the days to come, this would have a huge effect. The next Supreme Sorcerer would also understand this.
"Alright," the Ancient One said with a slight smile as her thoughts turned, "I am willing to trade with you, Witch King."
"You will not regret it. I can guarantee this is the best deal you ever had." John floated in his chair, unconcerned with gravity. He stretched out his right hand, adorned with a silver ring and an alexandrite ring, and smiled. "Our deal is done."
The Ancient One took his hand and replied with a half-smile, "I think so too."
For some reason, seeing that smile, John felt he might be in big trouble in the future.
The Ancient One raised her left hand, and a black book appeared, like a diary. It contained her magical knowledge, including methods to draw energy from the Dark Dimension.
John took the small book, his eyelids twitching. The black diary reminded him inexplicably of a certain noseless villain.
"I have a question for you. It is a bit presumptuous. Please treat it as a personal curiosity," John said, looking at the Ancient One's face. "How old are you?"
"It is truly a presumptuous question. It is not very British to ask a woman her age," the Ancient One replied with a slight smile. "Let me think. I should be over five hundred years old."
"That is a very long time. My teacher Nicolas Flamel lived for six hundred sixty-five years. He could have lived much longer." When John mentioned the teacher who inspired him, his tone grew a little somber. "The elixir of life gave him longevity, but it could not stop aging. The constant aging of the body and the endless extension of life is a kind of torture."
Nicolas Flamel, who could have continued to live, finally chose to stop using the elixir. As Dumbledore said, death to him was nothing more than being able to go to bed after a busy day.
"Sorry for making you feel my bad emotions," John apologized, regaining his composure. "I am just a little worried about the future."
"Living for too long is sometimes more like a curse." The Ancient One looked deeply at John, noticing his special nature.
She opened a portal, its direction leading to Kamar-Taj, and said to John, "Kamar-Taj welcomes you at any time, Witch King."
"Perhaps one day, I will visit and bring you a bottle of mead, which is favored by an old friend of mine." John gave the Supreme Sorcerer the respect she deserved. "Goodbye, Supreme Sorcerer."
The portal closed.
John murmured to himself, "Eternal life? Living too long does not bring happiness." Friends die one by one, children grow old, and close family members turn to dust. After that, life is more like that of a traveler. You meet all kinds of people, but in the end, none of them stay with you.
"Forget it, that is too far in the future for me." He let go of his negative emotions. If nothing else, he thought, with aliens coming to fight in the future, whether he could live to the end of his life was a real question. Best to cherish the moment.
John turned and looked around his home. He called it home, but in fact, it was only his second visit. The magical kingdom kept him busy, so he often used owls to communicate.
Wandering through this unfamiliar house, he opened a door. A golden ball inside was about to fly out, but John quickly caught it. The ball struggled for a moment, then went still.
This was a trophy room. Do not get the wrong idea; John was not that narcissistic. This was his father's collection. Although his father was a Muggle, he was obsessed with magical items. Everything from editions of the Daily Prophet to Quidditch balls filled his collection.
John put the escaped Golden Snitch back in its display case and frowned at the dust on the glass. With his father's habit of cleaning every day, there should not have been any dust.
"They have been gone for a while," he realized. What could keep them away for so long? It was possible his parents had taken a spontaneous trip.
John closed the door and went to the next room. Upstairs, he came to a door with a bear on it. He knocked, but there was no answer. He opened the door and entered. A large, soft bed looked inviting. Near the window, a fat stuffed bear sat quietly. There were three picture frames on the table.
John picked up one of the moving photos, taken with a magical camera. In it was an angelic girl with blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a white dress and a jasmine wreath. On her wrist was a bracelet that looked like a crown. The girl, about fifteen, held the hand of a black-haired young man and hugged a brown bear. He smiled softly at the photo.
This was his sister, Ariana Wick. There was also a moving family photo on the table. The last photo appeared to be his sister's graduation picture. It was not magical, so it did not move.
John's gaze lingered. He picked up the photo and stared at his beautiful, grown-up sister. Next to her was a red-haired girl in a graduation gown, standing very close to Ariana. He knew that face. That morning, this woman had been a poor office worker trafficked by a pimp. Why was that female agent with his sister?
...
Every inch of land on Long Island is precious. Tony Stark, weakened by poisoning, stared at the screen. Jarvis hacked into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database, the screen jumping as it searched for information. Tony did not want his problems to linger after his death and cause trouble for others.
"Got you." The screen froze on Manhattan. Tony stood up, and the robotic arm began fitting his armor. From his Long Island mansion, Iron Man took flight.