Strange woke up from his sleep in the living quarters of Kamar Taj.
"Are you up?"
Before he could open his sleepy eyes completely, a smiling voice abruptly sounded.
"Motherfucker!"
Strange was startled and subconsciously shrank to the bed corner, leaning back against the wall, making a defensive posture.
He had been living alone all the time, so he was caught off guard to hear someone else's voice and inevitably overreacted.
"Listen, Strange, a timid person, can't be the Sorcerer Supreme. "
The man said jokingly.
"How long have you been sitting here?"
Following the voice, Strange discovered that it was his contractor, the high-ranking master who claimed to be [Superman].
He breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at the sky outside the window, and the sky was still grey. So he didn't wake up too late.
"Only 20 minutes, Kamar Taj's breakfast tastes good. Although it's a little light, we shouldn't eat too much fish and meat every day. Try a little porridge, it's good. "
Luke put down the [Encyclopedia of Magic], and revealing his young face, he smiled, "The Sorcerer Supreme Battle is about to begin. With all due respect, Master Strange, you can't even get tickets to enter the stadium with your current strength. "
"It's no wonder that the rest of Kamar Taj doesn't think too highly of you since your Mordo is up all night, doing hard work, while you're in bed sleeping. "
Strange hung his head and was a little depressed when he heard the words of his own contractor.
He shrugged his shoulders and said, "I never wanted to be the Sorcerer Supreme. I just ... held the mindset of trying. "
"Moreover, I heard Wong say that the Sorcerer Supreme was able to make a request to the Vishanti. "
"I want to heal my hands ..."
Luke raised his eyebrows without making a sound.
No matter in which universe, Strange's hands had never been truly cured.
"Next time you enter someone else's bedroom, remember to knock. "
Strange stepped out of bed with a low mood. The red cloak hanging on the coat rack automatically flew over with a wave of his hand.
This was the only magic item he possessed, a flexible cloak that seemed to have a consciousness of its own.
It was far from enough compared with Mordo's Staff of the Living Tribunal, Jarnbjorn, and other sharp tools.
"Yesterday, the Sorcerer Supreme asked you to stay behind. Do you have any secrets to tell?"
Strange shuffled around and asked curiously.
He felt that Luke's identity was becoming more and more mysterious, unlike an ordinary high-ranking master.
"Just an ordinary chat. "
Luke kept it a secret and didn't let Strange know that he was the chosen one.
What if this guy became arrogant, which consequently changed the result of the Sorcerer Supreme Battle. What would he do then?
Doctor Strange had always had a history of this- sometimes reliable, sometimes not.
Especially after joining the Illuminati, together with Iron Man, became the driving force of the Earth's destruction.
It had led to all kinds of big events!
"You're not one of the famous masters in history, are you?"
Strange didn't believe it but guessed.
Originally, he was only looking for Kamar Taj to heal his hands and return to normal life.
But after seeing the wonders of the magic hall and the vastness of the dimensional world.
Instead of wanting to return to the world, he gradually became absorbed in various techniques and new knowledge.
In this respect, Strange was different from the one in the movie universe.
He was more active and willing to take responsibility.
"I have promised Master Ancient One to help you win this battle. "
With a serious face, Luke lightly said, "So, Master Strange, you have to get in the spirit and prepare for the next training. "
"Training?"
A touch of surprise appeared on Strange's face. He was already considered diligent and hardworking among Kamar Taj's hardworking masters.
Apart from 3 to 4 hours of meditation lessons every day, he also went to the library to study all kinds of white magic, as well as to practice fighting and martial arts.
At the craziest stage, Strange didn't even have time to sleep.
When his body went to sleep, his astral projection would come out of its shell and continue to read -- this was actually a test of mental power, and it also proved that he did have extraordinary talent.
Compared with Mordo and Kaecilius, Strange just lacked time.
If this Sorcerer Supreme Battle hadn't come so early, perhaps he would have been more confident and had a calmer attitude.
"Are you going to teach me a stronger spell? Or is there a quick method?"
Hearing that Luke was going to give him special training, Strange couldn't help but be bright-eyed.
In his opinion, any high-ranking master would have a unique secret technique in their hands.
For example, Mordo.
As a great disciple of the Ancient One, he wasn't only proficient in the white magic from the Book of Vishanti but also good at summoning and dark magic.
In terms of fighting power, there weren't many in Kamar Taj who could be his opponent.
"I think the Ancient One told you that when you stepped into Kamar Taj. "
Luke shook his head. Strange was not like him, having the readymade Superdemon card. The possibility of him starting in 3 days and graduating in 5 days was too low.
"When you face an opponent and want to punch him, the harder you punch, the more you will hurt yourself. "
"Like an ordinary punch, it would bring physical pain to the wielder. So, what is the cost of releasing a spell?"
"These words should be familiar to you, right?"
Strange nodded as he learned his first attack spell, Crimson Bands of Cyttorak.
The Ancient One didn't specifically remind him that there would be a price for casting spells.
Therefore, Strange practiced and used it repeatedly without scruple.
After a week, he began to vomit like crazy, vomiting out the food he had eaten, the remnants of his digestion, and even his stomach juices.
For two whole days, Strange could not eat normally and had to lie down by the toilet to easily deal with the urge to vomit whenever and wherever it arose.
This was the heavy price of overcasting!
A memorable lesson!
"So, there is no quick way to the path of being a master. "
Luke quietly said.
"Unless you want to sell your soul to Mephisto and Dormammu, you can only do it honestly, one step at a time. "
Strange skimmed his lips with a hint of disappointment in his eyes.
As a medical school graduate and a representative of the elite class, he was actually more accustomed to taking shortcuts.
"Then how long did it take you to become a high-ranking master?"
Strange asked casually.
"5 days. "
Luke answered.
"..."
'And this wasn't a shortcut?'
'Could it be that fast?'
Strange's eyes widened with a shocked expression of 'you must be joking'.
"Cough cough, I'm ... special. "
Luke seemed to be a little embarrassed. He couldn't help it; who made him so good at it?
"However, I have other ways for you to win the battle. "
To change the subject, Luke threw out some very attractive bargaining chips.
...
...
An hour later.
Knock, knock! Knock, knock!
Heavy footsteps sounded in the square.
The ground shook, and the stone bricks cracked as if a giant elephant had stepped on them.
"Are you sure this will allow me to get tickets to enter the arena and become a Sorcerer Supreme candidate?"
Strange said in a jarring voice.
His whole body was wrapped in heavy armor, from head to toe, without leaving anything exposed.
Both hands carried a huge square shield, as thick as a wall, enough to cover his whole body.
"Of course. This can effectively improve your survival rate to avoid being eliminated by your opponent at the beginning. "
Luke nodded and spoke seriously.
As a qualified master, of course, it was necessary to add life, endurance, and defense.
As for spells, at most, it was enough to cast holy light.
"But with this solid heavy armor, it's hard for me to move, so I can't even cast spells fast enough to join the battle!"
Strange panted heavily as he struggled.
He hadn't reached the level of Berserker, and he wasn't tall nor sturdy.
To sum up, his physique was slightly insufficient.
It wasn't easy for him to hold up this heavy armor.
"Battle? You're a rookie who isn't even a high-ranking master, and you still want to join the crowd?"
Luke asked back, pretending to be surprised.
"Master Strange, it seems that your understanding of yourself is still lacking. "
"Remember! The only thing you have to do is to ensure that you live and not get kicked out. "
"Because if the candidate fails, the contractor loses the qualification to continue fighting. "
Luke didn't make Strange wear heavy armor and carry a shield with both hands, out of teasing or joking.
In his view, the other party just needed to hide behind him silently and wait for the winning result.
As for other aspects?
Superman could solve any problems, smash all obstacles and defeat all the enemies.
In the face of candidates who may appear in the battle, those legendary masters and hell creatures, Strange wasn't their opponent.
Luke wanted to add attribute points to life, endurance, and defense to ensure that he could survive.
Otherwise, no matter how strong Superman was...
As long as Strange was eliminated, he would lose the qualification to continue fighting.
"Starting today, you have to do 100 push-ups, 100 squats, 100 sit-ups, and run 10 kilometers every day. "
Luke spoke seriously.
"And with this heavy armor on! Just keep training like that!"
...
-:Binge:-
Bonus chapters will arrive in due time.