Strange's talent was exceptionally good.
After mastering his first spell, he could be said to have stepped onto a smooth and open road.
The magic of Kamar-Taj no longer posed any obstacles to him.
For a time, Strange's training speed increased dramatically.
Every day, he practiced magic.
He followed Karl and the others in combat training as well.
Most of the time, however, he was the one getting beaten down.
Especially when sparring with Karl, he was completely at Karl's mercy.
"Strange, I'm controlling my strength while fighting you right now."
"I'm using power at the same level as yours."
"Crushing someone with raw power is certainly effective."
"But when both sides are on the same level, technique becomes especially important."
Karl instructed him patiently.
"But why do we have to fight?" Strange asked in confusion.
"To protect Earth, of course."
"If that reason sounds too unrealistic to you…"
"Then I'll put it another way: to stay alive."
"In a dangerous world like this, if you aren't good at fighting, you could very well die without even knowing why."
"Haven't you already been through the Battle of New York?"
"If an even stronger alien invasion happens next time, are you expecting the Avengers to always be by your side?"
Karl asked in return.
Strange froze.
"You're right."
"Good. Then let's continue."
Karl spoke again.
"Strange, remember this."
"Combat isn't about how powerful your magic is, but about whether you use it cleverly."
"Your moves should create more opportunities for your other spells to attack."
The moment he finished speaking, Karl struck without warning.
The Eldritch Whip in his hand lashed forward.
He stepped in, and three punches landed directly on Strange's chest.
Strange had barely blocked the whip attack, and his footing was already unstable. Karl's next blow knocked him straight to the ground.
Sitting there, Strange rubbed his chest.
"Get up and keep going."
"I haven't used any powerful magic at all."
"Everything I used was basic stuff."
"Strange, you need to understand that combat is never that simple."
"What matters is adapting to the situation."
As Karl spoke, the Eldritch Whip in his hand suddenly became enormous.
Not only that, the gigantic whip radiated such dazzling light that it seemed capable of illuminating the entire sky.
"This is only a variation of basic magic."
Strange had just gotten back to his feet.
The moment he saw that scene, he was instantly dumbstruck.
And you call this basic magic?!
If that thing came crashing down, Kamar-Taj—no, probably even Earth itself—wouldn't be able to withstand it!
In the next moment, Karl waved his hand and shrank the whip back to its normal size.
Then he signaled for Strange to continue.
"That was only a demonstration. As long as your talent is high enough, even basic magic can be extremely practical."
Karl flicked his hand again, and another lash sent Strange crashing to the ground over and over.
To be honest, Strange's talent was extraordinarily high.
He had never gone through a true life-and-death struggle before, yet when facing Kaecilius, he had still been able to remain calm.
He had even restrained Kaecilius and killed several of his subordinates in return.
That was not something an ordinary person could do.
Most people, on seeing someone get killed, would probably be so terrified they'd lose control of themselves on the spot.
Unfortunately, compared with Karl, his talent still fell short.
Karl was someone who could single-handedly capture Kaecilius alive.
Naturally, Strange was being pressed down and beaten the whole time.
But the more he was beaten, the more admiration he felt.
Karl was simply unfathomable.
No matter what kind of move Strange used—
a sneak attack, a frontal assault, even dirty tricks—
Karl dealt with all of it mercilessly.
And this was with Karl deliberately suppressing his strength to Strange's level.
That was the pure gap in talent.
Every day, Strange could not help but sigh in amazement. The Sorcerer Supreme truly lived up to the title.
Whether in talent or power, he was an absolute top-tier powerhouse.
After spending some time with him, Strange practically turned into Karl's biggest fan.
He praised Karl constantly.
One day—
"Wong, please get me these books."
Strange listed off a whole series of titles.
Wong nodded expressionlessly.
Then he fetched the books for him.
Strange's gaze shifted toward the volumes in the library that were bound in iron chains.
"What are those?" Strange asked curiously.
"These are works written by the Ancient One and the Sorcerer Supreme."
"You are not ready to read those yet."
Wong answered expressionlessly.
"What's the difference?"
"Aren't the Ancient One and the Sorcerer Supreme the same person?"
Strange asked curiously.
"Of course not."
"The Ancient One is Master Ancient One, the teacher of the current Sorcerer Supreme."
Wong replied.
"So those books are all extremely obscure?"
Strange suddenly understood, then asked again.
"Naturally."
"The Ancient One's books are extremely profound. Even now, only the Sorcerer Supreme is able to read them."
"As for Karl's books, they were written specifically for sorcerers, so they are much simpler."
"You should be able to read them very soon."
Wong explained.
"Does that mean Karl is inferior to Master Ancient One?" Strange asked curiously.
"Of course not."
"Karl is the most gifted existence in all of Kamar-Taj."
"Even the Ancient One once admitted inferiority in that regard."
"It is simply that the purposes behind their writings are different."
"Karl reinterpreted all of Kamar-Taj's existing magic."
"He added additional attributes to every type of spell."
"He even simplified the structure of certain spells, making them easier to cast."
Wong explained flatly.
Hearing that, Strange sucked in a sharp breath.
"Is there really anything the Sorcerer Supreme isn't good at?"
"Why does he know everything?"
"It would already be incredible if his actual combat ability alone were this strong, but he can even improve magic?"
Strange's face was full of shock.
"Naturally."
"The Sorcerer Supreme has the best talent in all of Kamar-Taj."
"It is only normal for him to know these things."
Wong replied expressionlessly once more.
"That's terrifying."
"I used to think my talent was pretty good."
"But compared with the Sorcerer Supreme, it hardly counts for anything."
Strange could not help sighing.
Among ordinary people, he had always been called a genius.
Because of that, he had carried a certain pride inside.
But after coming to Kamar-Taj, he finally understood—
there was always someone greater out there.
And Karl was exactly that kind of person.
No wonder he had become the Sorcerer Supreme.
When it came to magic, there was nothing Karl did not know.
Whether it was combat, magic, theory, or even alchemy, Karl was proficient in all of it.
Strange could not help wondering just how Karl had mastered so many kinds of magic.
What kind of monstrous talent would it take to understand so much?
Strange could not stop marveling inwardly at Karl's overwhelming greatness.
He feared that in this lifetime, he would never be able to surpass him...
(End of Chapter)
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