"I didn't expect Master Hamir to be so talkative. He was usually very serious and had a stern face as if everyone owed him money."
Strange arrived at the New York Sanctum and, with the excuse of participating in the Sorcerer Supreme Battle, proposed to the Sanctum's manager to build a heavy defensive armor with high magic resistance and sufficient strength.
Master Hamill, who was the Master for the New York Sanctum, readily agreed to do so and, unusually, did not mention the cost of materials and labor.
It was important to know that, when the master of a sanctum built equipment, they needed to bring their own materials and pay for forging.
Gifting it away for free was a non-existent thing.
Although the Temple of the Three and Kamar Taj were a big family, their economic strength was actually quite limited.
Master Wong wanted to eat a tuna sandwich, but he had no money to buy it.
Strange, who became the Sorcerer Supreme, had to worry about what to eat for lunch.
This showed that they were really not well-off.
'Oh, if it weren't for the Ancient One to open the back door for you, he might not even talk to you. '
Luke thought silently.
Strange was a newcomer with no foundation.
He wanted to win the battle for supremacy and become the new Sorcerer Supreme.
The difficulty was probably the same as letting Wong load himself into a cannon and launch himself into the sun while playing the accordion.
The probability was almost zero.
Without Luke's intervention, the Ancient One would have made all sorts of small plans and supported Strange by force.
Such secret black-ops-type movements were no psychological burden on the old man.
As long as he could retire early and end his long stay at work, the Ancient One didn't mind losing a little bit of moral integrity.
Anyway, it wasn't worth much.
"Maybe Master Hamir is a good person with a cold face and warm heart, so he might use the best materials for you and invite the best forging master."
Luke didn't point it out and just echoed his words.
Of course, this was a bit of an oddity to the ears of those in the know.
"The people of Kamar Taj are honest and simple, and the masters who graduated from there are all good people."
Strange believed it and cheerfully said so.
At this time, he didn't realize that he was actually the chosen one, the real protagonist.
Those competitors who worked hard with blood, sweat, and tears for the position of Sorcerer Supreme were just exp for him.
"By the way, do you need any weapons?"
Luke looked at the master blacksmith's design drawings, thinking about preparing a big weapon for Strange.
They already had a shield for defense, and now they needed to add some attack means.
"Berserker Axe, Head-piercing Staves ... all seem to be very violent."
Luke was amazed. The masters in the New York Sanctum were even more fierce than warriors.
Strange scratched his head and asked, "Is there any kind of weapon that's ... relatively easy to carry and powerful?"
"Let me see -- this fits your needs perfectly!"
Luke searched for a while for a drawing and picked out the one he thought was most suitable as a weapon.
"AK47- Beast, exclusive to VVIP players! Not only does it come with special magic-breaking, special armor-breaking bullets, but they can also be hidden in a shield, and when the enemy isn't ready, you'll pull it out and fire a volley of bullets. It will have a miraculous effect!"
[Binge/note: AK47 Beast pic in paragraph comments.]
"Remember, when shooting, you must say, 'Master, times have changed', or 'This thing is much better than a wand'."
"This could hit your opponent's morale and raise your fighting spirit."
Strange took the drawing, looked at it seriously for a moment, and hesitantly said, "As a master, isn't using hot weapons too... despicable?"
An automatic rifle with magic damage, this kind of thing was simply the enemy of all masters.
He could imagine how much of a mental impact it would have on his opponent to pull out an AK47-Beast from his shield while they were bombarding each other with spells, with blue fire coming out of the muzzle, blazing away.
"On the battlefield, it's important to be upright and honest, but most people like that don't end up well."
Luke was very earnest, like a life mentor.
"There's a common saying in the East; a general who leads an army in battle will not reject the use of trickery, deceitful strategies, or tactics to overcome his enemies."
"Stephen, you should put down your inner moral shackles and look at things from a higher level."
Strange's expression was serious. Although he didn't quite understand what Luke was talking about at 'a higher level', it should be quite reasonable from the serious tone and sharp eyes of the other party.
Soon, the magic-resistant armor and an enchanted version of the AK47-Beast were successfully ordered.
...
...
A few days later, the bronze bell of Kamar Taj rang, and the leaders of the three sanctums were all present.
The selection for the Sorcerer Supreme was officially opened today.
"Master Hamill, have the tokens been sent out?"
An elderly Master Grant asked, raising his head.
He was the manager of the London Sanctum and a highly respected practitioner.
"Yes,it has been sent out. There are 42 tokens in total, which means that there will be 42 participants in this entrance race."
The scarred face Master Hamir nodded.
The tokens were one kind of magic item from Kamar Taj.
It was equivalent to an invitation or an admission ticket.
Holders could enter the competition venue, the Dream Dimension -- to participate in the first trial.
"Has Mordo gone in?"
Master Grant looked to the sky. A long and narrow gap slowly expanded like a ferocious wound that was constantly torn open.
Behind the dark fissures, there was a splash of light and color, like countless kinds of paint mixed on the canvas, revealing a magnificent and dreamy feeling.
That was the arena, the Dream Dimension.
A law of reality was ineffective, and it was full of strange and unknown things, a dangerous world.
"Mordo chose to shoulder this responsibility. This is a good thing."
Master Hamir whispered.
"The Sorcerer Supreme position represents not only great power but also a heavy burden, with the Vishanti constantly testing it and the dimensional demons eyeing Earth."
"If you do not have a strong enough heart and a pure spirit to resist all kinds of temptations, you won't be able to bear the honor."
"Mordo has been with the Sorcerer Supreme for many years. He isn't only superior in strength, but also a good choice in character and morality."
"This time, he was recognized by the three legendary masters and signed a contract with Merlin, the Great Master. I think he has a great chance of passing the final trial."
Master Hamir was full of confidence in Mordo.
"What about Stephen Strange? He's the second Master of the Mystic Arts that Kamar Taj chose."
Master Hector, who had been silent, asked.
He cared more about Stephen Strange, the newcomer, than Mordo, who had received a lot of attention.
As the oldest mystic, Hector had heard the Ancient One talk about the choice of successors.
That was a chosen one who had the courage, wisdom, and perseverance far superior to ordinary people!
"I heard that the contractor he found was extraordinary, and he was personally interviewed by the Sorcerer Supreme before."
Master Grant slightly shook his head and smiled lightly, "I don't think there's a stronger contractor than Merlin, the Great Master. He's a famous legend. He's only one step away from becoming a god."
"Half of the tokens have entered the arena."
Master Hamir watched the clear image projected in the hall, and then a touch of anger rose in his eyes.
"Kaecilius! That traitor is here too!"
Master Grant remained silent and slowly spoke after a while, "As long as he holds a token, he's qualified to participate. This is in line with the rules of the battle."
"A fallen mage who has thrown himself into Dormammu's arms covets after the Sorcerer Supreme's seat? Such ignorance."
Master Hamir grunted with displeasure.
Ten minutes later, all the participants with tokens had entered, and many of them were familiar faces in the magic world.
"Let's wait and see who will win."
Master Hector stared at Strange, strolling through the Dream Dimension, and thought to himself, 'This is a tough challenge, and if you aren't adequately prepared, you could easily be eliminated from the tournament.'