"So, your name is… Ancient One, right? I wanted to ask—did you choose me just because I possess chaos magic?" Wanda asked as they walked. She couldn't think of any other reason why the Ancient One would find her worthy.
While speaking, the two entered an empty room. The Ancient One gestured for her to sit down, poured her a cup of tea, and then replied.
"Not at all. I've been observing you for some time. You are kind-hearted. Even though you possess extraordinary abilities, what you do most often at the shop is laundry and cooking, isn't that right?"
"Yes," Wanda admitted. "I think it's what I should do. Although Han Yu gave me the nickname 'Scarlet Witch,' my heart isn't in fighting. I don't want to focus on violence. But if avoiding combat means I'll fall further and further behind him, then I'll work hard to grow stronger. I refuse to remain just a decorative figure."
Wanda's voice was firm. Whether it was her brother, Pietro (Quicksilver), or the advanced robot Ultron, both had combat capabilities that rivaled her own.
She had immense potential but lacked the skills to control it effectively, leaving her as little more than an ornamental figure. This was one of the main reasons she had readily agreed to the Ancient One's invitation to train here.
She didn't want to be a burden.
That was why she had come.
"Excellent. That determination is your greatest strength. Now, let's see where your magic stands."
The Ancient One raised her right hand and lightly rotated her fingers. Instantly, the surrounding environment transformed. Countless mirror-like fragments expanded outward from her hand, swiftly encapsulating the entire room.
"This is the Mirror Dimension," the Ancient One explained with a smile. "No matter what happens here, it won't affect the real world."
Wanda nodded in amazement, glancing around at the new scenery. A woman dressed similarly to the Ancient One entered and served them tea. Wanda waved her hand in front of the woman's face, but the woman showed no reaction.
"Alright, show me the full extent of your abilities," the Ancient One said as she stepped into the walkway in the middle of the room, standing with her hands behind her back.
Wanda hesitated briefly before stepping forward as well. "What should I do?" she asked.
"Attack me using your usual combat techniques," the Ancient One said with a smile.
"This…" Wanda hesitated, feeling uneasy about attacking the Ancient One. She had combat experience and was well aware of her own destructive power.
"Don't hold back," the Ancient One encouraged. "If you can defeat me easily, it just proves you have great potential as a sorcerer. And if not, isn't that why you're here—to learn and become the strongest sorcerer you can be?"
Hearing this, Wanda decided to stop overthinking. Raising her slender hand, deep crimson magical energy began to ripple around her fingertips.
With a sharp motion, she clenched her hand, releasing a surge of powerful energy. In the blink of an eye, several energy orbs formed and, with a quiet yet firm cry, Wanda sent them hurtling toward the Ancient One.
The energy contained within the orbs made the Ancient One's eyes flash with surprise. With a wave of her hands, a large circular magic shield, composed of interlocking geometric patterns, materialized before her to intercept the incoming attack.
"This level of power is already equivalent to that of a high-ranking sorcerer," the Ancient One thought to herself, impressed. A sorcerer capable of launching such a fierce attack so effortlessly could easily serve as a protector in any of the Sanctums. But Wanda's destiny clearly extended far beyond such roles.
Wanda didn't let up. Her palm now glowed with an even deeper crimson light, forming a thick, concentrated handprint of energy. In mere moments, it coalesced fully, and she launched it at the Ancient One.
As the handprint flew through the air, it began to grow. In the short span of a few meters, it expanded from the size of a human hand to over two meters tall.
The Ancient One's expression shifted slightly, her thoughts racing: "What a powerful attack! And such a unique technique!"
Golden magical energy surged from her body, coalescing into a small cauldron within her palm. With a swift motion, she sent it hurtling toward Wanda's incoming energy handprint.
It was only a moment later that the Ancient One realized her mistake. "This isn't good—I used too much energy! It could hurt Wanda!"
She stepped forward, intending to shield Wanda from the cauldron's impact. However, before she could intervene, the cauldron and the handprint collided midair, unleashing a visible ripple of energy that expanded outward in all directions.
"They canceled each other out?!"
The Ancient One's face showed clear astonishment. Noticing the visible energy ripples spreading outward, she quickly summoned a shield to protect herself.
Without it, even the residual shockwave from the collision would have been enough to displace the internal organs of an ordinary person. While the Ancient One's physical body was stronger than that of a typical human, enduring such a force unshielded was out of the question.
After deflecting the energy ripples, the Ancient One's gaze fixed on Wanda, who was calmly waving her hand to disperse the lingering energy. The sight left the Ancient One stunned.
"You didn't use magic to block the shockwave just now?" the Ancient One asked in disbelief.
"No, I didn't. It actually felt kind of nice," Wanda replied honestly, not understanding the source of the Ancient One's surprise.
The Ancient One's eyes were filled with astonishment. "You weren't harmed by that energy at all?"
She found it hard to believe. The energy contained within the small cauldron she had summoned was no trifling amount. Having gone so long without facing an opponent who could wield pure magical energy, the Ancient One had momentarily forgotten she was merely testing Wanda's abilities. As a result, the cauldron she had conjured was far more powerful than intended.
For an average sorcerer, the energy within that cauldron would have been overwhelming—more than what a dozen sorcerers combined could resist. Yet Wanda had effortlessly neutralized it. The Ancient One couldn't help but be amazed.
"What a prodigy... an absolute prodigy!"
Shaking her head, the Ancient One reassessed her earlier assumptions. She had initially thought Wanda's abilities might at best rival her own. But now it was clear: Wanda's magical strength exceeded hers, and her physical resilience was extraordinary as well.
Sorcerers typically excelled in magical strength and resistance but were notoriously fragile when it came to physical endurance. They relied on magical barriers to protect themselves from physical attacks, as their bodies were otherwise no different from those of ordinary humans. Without magical protection, even a simple fruit knife could prove fatal.
The Ancient One dismissed the Mirror Dimension with a wave of her hand, curiosity evident in her tone as she asked, "Wanda, did Han Yu teach you this combat style?"
"Yes," Wanda replied. "He told me that sorcerers shouldn't engage in close combat. If you can fight from a distance, you should avoid getting up close at all costs. He said a sorcerer's strength lies in long-range, high-impact attacks. Trying to show off by fighting up close is just plain foolish."
The Ancient One couldn't help but rub her temples at Wanda's words. While blunt, the advice wasn't wrong. Sorcerers indeed excelled in using magical energy for long-range attacks, much like Iron Man's repulsor blasts.
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