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Fortunately, Strange didn't use any of those convoluted excuses to deceive Roger.
But it wasn't far off either.
Roger thought the kind of magic he should be learning was similar to what Strange used, opening portals, entering mirror dimensions, conjuring magical ropes, and summoning magical blades, the kinds of powers one might expect.
In the movie Doctor Strange and related films, the sorcerers' abilities all seemed somewhat similar.
But unfortunately, Doctor Strange wouldn't teach Roger any of these. Even if he tried, Roger wouldn't be able to learn them.
"... So, what can you teach me?"
After listening to Strange's long explanation, Roger made no effort to hide the skepticism in his gaze.
He was beginning to wonder if Strange was truly the most exceptional Sorcerer Supreme. Judging by this, he might not even measure up to Wong.
At least Wong had never caused any major disasters.
Strange could tell Roger was doubtful, so he laid out some magical books in front of him and said, "The power of the mind does exist, and what I can teach you is how to use your mind to resist the corrosion of magic."
"... Excuse me, are you saying you want me to learn how to counter magic?"
"You didn't misunderstand, that's exactly what I mean."
"I recall wanting to learn magic, not learn to counter it..."
"Countering magic is a form of magic, isn't it?"
Strange smiled, pushing the books toward Roger.
"And to counter magic, you first need to understand it... You have plenty of time now, don't you?"
Staring at the pile of magical books in front of him, Roger once again felt like Strange might be fooling him. But considering he currently had no means to deal with magic, Roger took a deep breath and nodded to Strange.
"You're right, I do have a lot of time..."
The recharging of the traversing point would take about three months. As long as the zombie universe didn't cause any more problems and the Watcher didn't change his mind to hunt him down, Roger had plenty of time to get a handle on this magic thing.
The only potential concern was if Ultron attacked at any moment.
But since the Watcher could probably control the flow of time within a single universe, otherwise, he wouldn't have tasked Roger with eliminating Ultron, there shouldn't be a problem.
And even if there was, it wouldn't be Roger's fault. That would be on the Watcher, not him.
With ample time to study magic, Roger also experimented with using magic from the Marvel world. Strange didn't stop him, and after wearing the Sling Ring and undergoing some concentration training, Roger was able to open a portal.
But that was all.
Anyone who wore a Sling Ring and had a bit of magical ability could open a portal, so in a sense, Roger still had no true spellcasting ability.
In terms of casting spells, he was probably not even as capable as Peter Parker's best friend in Spider-Man 3.
Although he didn't master spellcasting, Roger did grasp some methods of defense against magic, though only against Marvel Universe magic.
At the very least, in the Marvel world, Roger didn't have to worry about some random sorcerer easily knocking his soul out of his body.
He didn't know how long he stayed in Kamar-Taj, but by the time Vision and Wanda had already left, Roger had finally mastered the magical resistance that Strange wanted him to acquire.
At the same time, training in mental discipline allowed Roger to better control his abilities, including his ability to enhance his heat vision by absorbing sunlight after arriving in this world.
During his time in the Marvel Universe, Roger also researched his enhanced heat vision.
He had some theories in mind. He suspected that the traversing point had somehow altered his body, allowing him to gradually unlock Superman-like powers through his travels.
After all, at the moment he traveled, Roger had been holding a Superman figurine.
But it was just a theory. Whether or not it was true would need to be confirmed after his next traversal.
For now, Roger's heat vision seemed to be close to Superman's level. After absorbing sunlight for some time, Roger could amplify the power of his heat vision to the point where it could cut through most materials.
During this period, Roger specifically asked Black Panther for a piece of vibranium to test his heat vision. Although he couldn't completely cut through it, the area where his heat vision was focused did glow faintly red.
Given that vibranium's special properties involved absorbing energy and kinetic force, the fact that it showed any reaction to his heat vision spoke volumes about its power.
However, in order to release such potent heat vision, Roger needed to spend a significant amount of time in the sun, specifically, under yellow sunlight.
"So, why yellow sunlight?"
One day, as Roger and Strange were chatting, Strange suddenly asked.
Roger paused, "Because… I've only been exposed to yellow sunlight?"
"Logically, if you can absorb sunlight energy, you should be able to absorb any energy similar to sunlight. There's no reason to be fixated on yellow sunlight."
Strange's words made Roger stop and think.
Roger realized he had fallen into a mental trap. He had assumed his abilities were like Superman's, and that he was transforming into something akin to Superman.
But in reality… he wasn't Superman; he was Homelander. It seemed unnecessary to follow Superman's path in developing his powers.
Superman's abilities could only serve as a rough guide for Roger's growth. He couldn't turn this into a rigid gospel for his development.
"But Earth only has yellow sunlight…"
Even though Roger understood he wasn't Superman, Earth only had yellow sunlight for him to absorb.
Unless… he visited other planets.
Strange decisively said at that moment, "Then go out and explore."
"?"
"Your magical training is complete. Aside from me, no ordinary sorcerer would pose much of a threat to you. You can safely go on a journey with others. I've heard Odin's son hasn't left yet."
Strange made no effort to hide the fact that he was politely kicking Roger out.
Roger swirled the cola in his hand, staring suspiciously at Strange.
"It seems like all along, you only wanted me to master magic resistance. Why? I don't think we have much of a connection. Don't tell me it's because I saved the world, no one else knows, but you should. I saved the world for myself."
"But regardless, you did save the world, didn't you?"
Strange smiled.
"Stephen!"
Roger frowned, addressing Strange by his first name.
Strange sighed. "Alright, I'll be honest…"
His expression turned more serious, and he said earnestly to Roger:
"Because I want you to stay alive. I want you to be able to protect yourself no matter the situation."
"Why…"
Even though Strange had explained his reason, Roger was still confused. He and Strange had no real connection…
"…Wait."
Roger suddenly realized something. "Have you… have you been communicating with other versions of yourself from parallel universes?"
"No, not yet. In fact, at this moment… no, I haven't. I've just sensed their existence, and I'm aware of the threats this universe faces."
Strange explained.
Upon hearing this, Roger sighed deeply.
As expected, it was either the Watcher or Dark Strange influencing Strange.
They wanted to sway Roger so that when he eventually left this world, he would remember the threats facing the Marvel Universe and reconsider the Watcher's request.
"…I hate this kind of manipulation."
Roger said candidly to Strange.
"I know, which is why I didn't tell you at first."
"No, I mean, I hate it when you all make decisions for me behind my back… Though I guess I have no right to complain."
Roger understood the Watcher's desire to eliminate multiversal threats, but he despised being kept in the dark and manipulated like this.
It reminded him of those relatives from his childhood who always said, "It's for your own good," when they were really just satisfying their own selfish desires.
"Sorry."
Strange apologized sincerely.
Roger, feeling a bit deflated, said to Strange:
"You don't need to apologize. In fact, I should thank you. You did teach me quite a bit, and the mental discipline training has been very useful. I'll need it in the future."
The so-called mental discipline training could be likened to mindful meditation.
This form of meditation allowed Roger to calm himself quickly. He no longer had to worry about experiencing a sudden mental breakdown that might turn him into someone like Homelander.
In that sense, he was genuinely grateful to Strange.
But Roger had no desire to stay at Kamar-Taj any longer. Remaining here was pointless. His body lifted from the ground, and he brought the conversation back to its original topic.
"You were right earlier. I shouldn't be fixated on yellow sunlight. I'm going to head to the Avengers base now, see if anyone wants to take a trip to another planet. I could use a lift."
"Then I wish you safe travels."
"Thanks, and let's hope we meet again."
Roger waved to Strange and, with a sonic boom, shot off into the sky.
But Roger knew the truth, when he said "let's meet again," he also meant there was a chance they never would
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