Kamar-Taj.
Inside an antique building, the air was thick with the scent of aged parchment and burning incense.
Luke Constantine sat rigidly, a cup of magically refilling tea in his hands.
He sipped it cautiously, feeling like a child sitting in front of a stern teacher.
Across from him sat one of the most powerful figures in the Marvel universe—The Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One.
The Ancient One had her eyes closed in deep thought.
Suspended in front of her, the Eye of Agamotto hung open, its Time Stone glowing with an eerie green light.
The room was silent except for the faint hum of energy radiating from the artifact.
Luke swallowed hard. A drop of sweat slid down his forehead. What now? What was he supposed to do?
He had barely arrived in this world, and now he was already caught by one of the biggest bosses here. Someone, please help! Urgent request!
Just as he was anxiously scanning the room for a possible escape route, the Ancient One's eyes snapped open.
Luke immediately sat up straight.
A well-timed smile appeared on his face—polite, respectful, and as innocent as possible.
"You are from another universe," the Ancient One stated calmly.
Luke didn't flinch.
He had already prepared for the possibility that she knew he was a traveler.
After all, protecting the multiverse was literally her job.
It made sense that she'd notice an anomaly like him right away.
"I didn't see you in the timeline," she continued.
Now that did make Luke react.
His expression shifted slightly. "I... I don't really understand."
And he genuinely didn't.
His arrival here had been a complete accident.
One moment, he was playing a game, and the next—bam!
A random pop-up message appeared:
[Congratulations! You have obtained the Supreme Exorcist System! As a reward, enjoy a cross-universe transmigration!]
Without thinking, he had clicked it.
And now, here he was.
As if triggered by his thoughts, a system prompt flashed before his eyes:
[System activation… 99%]
Luke shook his head. "I don't even know how I got here."
"Can you send me back?" he asked hesitantly.
The Ancient One took a sip of her tea, her movements slow and deliberate.
Then, she shook her head. "No."
"To be precise, it can't be done."
Luke felt a sinking feeling in his chest.
The Ancient One continued, "I've seen many visitors from other dimensions. Some are benevolent, others malevolent. But they all share one thing in common—power. And you…"
She let the sentence hang in the air.
Luke sighed. "I get it. I'm weak."
The Ancient One smirked slightly. "More like... vulnerable. Dimensional-hopping isn't easy, yet somehow, you—a seemingly ordinary person—not only managed it but also…"
She narrowed her eyes slightly. "I can't see your past or future."
Luke blinked. "So… what does that mean?"
"It means you'll be staying at Kamar-Taj for a while."
As the Ancient One finally smiled, a tall, imposing figure in a dark robe approached.
The man's presence was powerful, his expression unreadable.
"This is Master Mordo. He will take you to your room," the Ancient One said. "After you change, you can join the lessons."
With that, she stood and gracefully left the hall, leaving Luke alone with his confusion.
Join the lessons?
Did that mean… he was being recruited into Kamar-Taj right from the start?
Before he could fully process what was happening, Mordo's firm voice snapped him back to reality.
"Follow me."
Luke hesitated. His body tensed, but his feet remained rooted to the floor.
Mordo narrowed his eyes. "Is there a problem?"
Luke sighed and reluctantly stood up.
Because just a second before he stood up, a voice he had been waiting for a long time finally rang in his mind.
[The current progress is 100%! System activation complete!]
Damn!
Finally! It was about time!
'Do you even realize how terrified I was facing the Ancient One just now?!'
Hearing the mechanical voice of the system, Luke finally let out a sigh of relief.
Transmigrator? Check.
System? Check.
The next step should be something along the lines of gaining power, meeting someone important, and rising to the top, right?
Before Luke could bask in his excitement, the system's voice continued.
[Hello, Host!]
[The Supreme Exorcist System is at your service!]
[Newbie reward package: A complete set of exorcism tutorials (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Master-level Exorcism Guides)]
Along with the notification, an overwhelming flood of knowledge surged into Luke's mind—an encyclopedia of exorcism covering thousands of techniques!
From basic ghost purging to complex multi-dimensional demon banishing, the system had it all.
Anything the system classified as 'evil' and extra-dimensional—there was a guaranteed way to expel it.
Not just one, but multiple methods!
But then...
"I'm in the Marvel universe," Luke muttered to himself.
"What the hell am I supposed to do with just an exorcism system?"
Before he could complain further, a light cough snapped him back to reality.
Mordo was watching him with a curious expression.
"Please come with me."
His tone was firm, but there was a hint of suspicion in his eyes.
Luke sighed, putting his thoughts aside for now and following him.
"The Ancient One seems to value you a lot," Mordo commented as they walked.
"Oh." Luke barely reacted, too distracted by the new information in his mind.
"Over the years, you're the only apprentice the Ancient One has personally brought in," Mordo continued. "You must have exceptional talent in magic."
He recalled how the Ancient One had suddenly left in the middle of a lecture and returned shortly after with Luke in tow.
"Haha, maybe." Luke gave a half-hearted chuckle while flipping through the 'Exorcism Encyclopedia' in his head.
Huh?
[One Hundred Ways to Expel Dimensional Demons]
[How to Banish a Hell Lord in Three Seconds]
[Three Sentences That Can Make a Demon Spend Money for You...]
The further he browsed, the more ridiculous the techniques became.
His eyelids twitched as an idea slowly formed in his mind.
At that moment, they passed by Kamar-Taj's training courtyard.
Since the Ancient One had temporarily left, the instructor leading the session was none other than the man himself—Wong.
"Magic does not come from nowhere. Every spell requires a price," Wong explained, standing at the center of a circle of apprentices.
He was teaching about one of the most dangerous aspects of magic—taboo arts.
"Some ancient secret techniques demand a price too great to bear."
"Especially those that borrow power from dark entities of other dimensions," he continued, his expression grim.
"They seem powerful at first, but in the end, they only bring destruction when the cost cannot be repaid."
His voice was serious, and the apprentices listened intently, taking notes.
Only Luke, who was just passing by, suddenly froze in place.
Huh?
Evil?
Dark magic?
Luke had a sharp ear for keywords.
And suddenly, that vague thought he'd been having became crystal clear.
"Wait… I think I just figured out how to use my system…"
...
"This is your room."
Mordo pushed open the wooden door, stepping aside to let Luke enter. The room was simple—minimal furniture, a bed, and a small table with an oil lamp flickering softly.
"The robes are here. If you want, you can take a bath first," Mordo added, placing a neatly folded garment on the table.
Luke glanced around, still adjusting to the surreal nature of his situation. "Uh, thanks?"
Mordo then pulled out a thick, ancient-looking book and handed it over. "As for magic courses, I suggest you start with theoretical knowledge."
Luke hesitantly took the book and read the title: [An Overview of the Basics of Magic.]
The old parchment smelled like centuries of wisdom—and boredom.
Mordo smirked at his expression.
"Of course, if reading dry texts isn't your thing, you can come to the training grounds and find me. I'll teach you some simple spells."
Just as he was about to leave, Mordo suddenly reached into his robe and pulled out a small note.
"Here."
Luke took it, frowning at the word Shamballa scribbled on it.
He was about to ask what it meant when realization struck—this was the Wi-Fi password.
A short chuckle escaped him, but it quickly turned into a sigh when he patted his pockets.
No phone. Right. Guess that was the least of his concerns.
Once Mordo left, Luke tossed the note onto the table, flopped onto the bed, and picked up the book.
He flipped through a few pages, eyes skimming over the intricate explanations of magical theories.
His eyelids immediately grew heavy.
"Nope, nope—" He shut the book quickly, shaking his head. "That was close."
Setting the book aside, he decided to mentally go over what he had learned so far.
Even though reading had nearly knocked him out, he still grasped the basics of Kamar-Taj's magic—because, thankfully, the introduction was simple enough.
Magic, as it turned out, was essentially the "source code" of the real world.
The ancient masters had figured out how to tap into it and manipulate reality.
But here was the kicker—magic didn't just appear out of thin air.
It had to be borrowed.
Sorcerers channeled energy from different dimensions, essentially taking out a loan from powerful entities.
The most famous of these "lenders" was the Vishanti—a trio of gods who provided white magic.
Their loans had low costs and safe repayment plans, making them the preferred choice for most sorcerers.
Then, of course, there was the other side—dark magic.
Dark magic required payments that were... well, a little more intense.
Higher power but higher risks, often demanding souls or worse.
Luke sat up, rubbing his chin.
"So basically, white magic is like a low-interest student loan, while black magic is a shady underground deal with no spending limit but an insane payback plan."
A bold idea sparked in his mind.
What if… just what if… there was a way to borrow magic but never have to repay it?
A grin crept onto his face.
"System?" Luke called out internally.
A mechanical voice answered immediately.
[At your service.]
"Are you sure your exorcism tutorials actually work?"
[As long as you follow the steps in the tutorial, you can exorcise any being, regardless of their power.]
Luke's grin widened. "Okay. And how exactly does the system define 'evil'?"
[Entities from other dimensions that pose a significant threat to the host or its kind.]
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