He knocked on the door, pushed it open slightly, and walked in.
Abel looked at Daniel, who was standing in the living room, nodded, and smiled. "Master Daniel, I'm here again."
"Master Abel, you're already familiar with it; please make yourself at home."
It had been two months since Abel and the Ancient One first came here. During this time, Abel's life had returned to its former calm.
The only difference was that he now visited the Sanctum in New York every other day to read the books there. Every Sunday, Sharon would come to eat at home to connect with her family. Although Abel found it a bit strange that Sharon visited so frequently, Terea was happy, so he chose not to comment.
The interior space of the Sanctum of New York was much larger than it appeared from the outside. There were numerous corridors circulating like a labyrinth across the three floors. The library where Abel read was on the first floor, filled with materials related to the magic of this world. Most of the books only recorded minor spells, and Abel didn't find anything of particular interest.
The principle of equivalent exchange was not just talk. Abel was a practitioner of this principle. He had a deep devotion to magic and knowledge and, therefore, could not bring himself to steal magic from others. Even if he learned someone else's magic, it would only be minor spells. However, Abel believed that if he wanted to learn and understand, he should formally engage in an exchange rather than simply picking up scraps.
The books he was currently reading had been exchanged with the Ancient One. He had made improvements to the world's trauma healing potions and magic formulas.
In this way, the magical trading and exchange venue in New York had been established for nearly two hundred years, making it extremely secretive and not easily discovered. Unless someone introduced you to it or you knew how to enter, it was no wonder Abel had struggled to find it.
He had been working on improving the recipe for a potion he referred to as "life and death water." There was only one type of material in this world that he could use to experiment with substitutions.
However, he found the hands-on experience somewhat unsatisfactory. In his previous life, there had been house-elves to do everything for him. In this life, he had to do it himself. Establishing a research institute or something like a company was becoming imperative.
While lost in thought, Abel sorted through the books on the table and his notes, preparing to get up.
At that moment, Daniel approached with a cup of tea. He was taken aback by Abel's activity and said, "Master Abel, you're early today."
"Master Daniel, thank you for the tea, but I may not be able to drink it today. I'm really sorry."
"Don't worry, I can drink it myself."
Hearing Daniel's words, Abel smiled. He always thought of Daniel as a very good person.
Abel didn't have any strong dislike for the people around him; he communicated and got along well with them.
"I'll come again the day after tomorrow. Today, I'm planning to visit the exchange and trading venues of the New York Sorcerers to find what I need."
Daniel initially thought Abel wanted to go home early, but when he heard Abel's words, his expression turned serious. "Master Abel, do you want to go to the exchange office in New York?"
Seeing Daniel's reaction, Abel nodded. "Yes, I plan to go there and take a look."
"If that's the case, please allow me to accompany you. The Sannoi area is infamous, and the danger level is very high. If you go there for the first time, you'll likely encounter many problems, so let me be your guide."
While Daniel's concern stemmed from a desire to protect Abel, Abel appreciated that Daniel seemed familiar with the area. Letting him come along would save Abel the trouble of finding the entrance. With Daniel there, he could also avoid being questioned too much, as he still needed to save money.
Though they considered the situation from different perspectives, they ultimately arrived at the same conclusion: Daniel would accompany Abel. Before they left, Daniel would contact Kamar-Taj to find someone to cover for him temporarily.
About five minutes later, Daniel's temporary replacement arrived. It was a burly white man with an angular face and a grim expression—someone who resembled a gentleman with a cannibalistic, perverted demeanor.
Abel guessed his identity at a glance.
Kaecilius!
At this point, Kaecilius had not yet deviated from the Ancient One and Kamar-Taj to become a follower of Dormammu, but he was already quite well-known there. As one of the Ancient One's proud disciples, Kaecilius was notable for his strength and reputation, often regarded as more popular than his younger brother, Mordo. Many believed Kaecilius was destined to be the Ancient One's successor, and even Kaecilius himself thought so.
Today's Kaecilius was still a polite mage. He greeted Daniel and Abel in turn, saying, "Mage Daniel, you can leave this to me for now, and this must be Master Abel, as the Ancient One mentioned."
"Mage Kaecilius, hello."
"I hope to have the chance to communicate with Master Abel in the future."
"There will be a chance."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Daniel changed into his outdoor attire and left the Sanctum of New York with Abel, heading toward the mysterious entrance where the wizards exchanged and traded—Hell's Kitchen!
After getting off the subway, the two walked into an alley. Daniel opened a mirrored space and led Abel through it to avoid attracting attention. Finally, they arrived at a common restaurant in Hell's Kitchen. Daniel opened the mirror space once more, stepping out with Abel into the real world.
This was the entrance to that mysterious place!