"Sean, good morning."
"Sebastian, good morning. Have you heard? Tony Stark from Stark Industries is missing. The internet says he might've been captured by terrorists. It's terrifying—how is it that even people that rich can just vanish like that?"
Hearing this, Sebastian was momentarily stunned. He had seen the news about Tony Stark twice before, but it hadn't stuck with him. Now, the memory returned—though it was no use dwelling on it. All he could do was wait for Tony Stark's return. Iron Man would soon appear in this world.
It looked like New York was about to become a lot more dangerous.
In about ten years, the greatest crisis would descend—and he only had ten years.
Of course, maybe he could prevent it all. Maybe he could nip every danger in the bud before it bloomed. But for that… he needed power. The power to handle everything.
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Sebastian knocked on the door, pushed it open, and walked in.
He looked at Daniel standing in the living room, nodded, and smiled. "Master Daniel, I'm here again."
"Master Sebastian, you're already familiar with this place. Please, make yourself at home."
It had been two months since Sebastian and Gu Yi had first come here. During this time, his life had returned to a peaceful routine.
The only difference was that he now visited the Sanctuary of New York every other day to read the books there. Every Sunday, Sharon would also come to his house for dinner, helping to maintain their relationship. Although Sebastian found it a bit odd that Sharon visited so frequently, Alisha seemed happy with it, so he never raised any objections.
The space inside the Sanctuary of New York was far larger than it appeared from the outside. There were many corridors on each floor, like a labyrinth. The library where Sebastian read was located on the first floor. It didn't contain books on powerful magic; instead, they were mainly focused on the magic of this world. At most, there were a few books that recorded minor spells. Sebastian had glanced through them, but he hadn't secretly learned any of the magic.
The principle of equivalent exchange was not just an abstract concept for Sebastian—it was a practice he lived by. As someone deeply dedicated to magic and knowledge, he could never steal magic from another school, even if it was just some minor spell. Sebastian didn't view it as simply a small magic trick. If he wished to learn something, he would formally propose an exchange, starting with a proper understanding and agreement—no shortcuts.
The books he was currently reading had been exchanged with Gu Yi, for which Sebastian had made improvements to healing potions and other brews suited to this world.
That said, the magical trade and communication network in New York had been around for almost 200 years. It was extremely secretive and couldn't be easily found unless someone introduced you or you knew how to access it. No wonder he hadn't been able to find such a place on his own.
Lately, he had been improving the recipe for life and death water. There was only one known material in this world, but he was looking for a possible replacement.
Still, the process of doing all this on his own didn't sit well with him. In his past life, he had a house elf that would handle everything perfectly. In this life, there were no such creatures, so he had to do everything himself. It seemed setting up a research institute—or maybe a company—was inevitable.
While lost in thought, Sebastian began to organize the books on the table along with his own notes, preparing to leave.
Just then, Daniel arrived with a cup of tea. He paused when he saw Sebastian's movements and then said, "Master Sebastian, you returned quite early today."
"Daniel, thank you for the tea, but I may not be able to drink it today. I'm really sorry."
"It's no problem, I'll drink it myself."
Hearing Daniel's words, Sebastian smiled.
"Then I'll come back the day after tomorrow. I'm planning to visit the places where New York mages communicate and trade, and hopefully find what I need along the way."
Daniel had originally thought Sebastian wanted to go home early, but when he heard Sebastian's words, his face immediately turned serious.
"Master Sebastian, do you mean you're going to the exchange office in New York?"
Seeing Daniel's expression, Sebastian nodded and said, "Yes, I plan to go there and have a look."
"If that's the case, please allow me to accompany you. It's known as the 'no-care zone,' and the danger level is very high. If it's your first time going there, you'll undoubtedly face many problems. Let me guide you."
Daniel's desire to accompany Sebastian stemmed from his intention to protect his safety, while Sebastian's reason was that Daniel seemed familiar with the place. Having him along would not only save the trouble of finding the entrance but also help avoid inflated prices from the people inside. He still needed to save money, after all.
Although both were thinking for different reasons, the outcome was the same. In the end, it was decided that Daniel would accompany Sebastian. Of course, before they could leave, Daniel had to contact Kama Taj to arrange for someone to temporarily take his place, as the sanctuary couldn't be left unattended.
About five minutes later, Daniel's temporary replacement arrived. It was a burly man with an angular face, a gloomy expression, and a gentlemanly demeanor that somehow suggested the air of a cannibalistic, perverted murderer.
There was no doubt in Sebastian's mind as soon as he saw him.
At this point, Casillas had not yet departed from the Ancient One and Kama Taj, nor had he become a follower of Dormammu. However, he was already quite well-known in Kama Taj. As one of the Ancient One's most proud disciples, Casillas was more popular than his junior brother, Mordo, in terms of strength, fame, and personal life. Many believed that Casillas was destined to be the Ancient One's successor, and Casillas himself certainly thought so.
Today, Casillas was still the same polite mage. He saluted both Daniel and Sebastian, then said, "Master Daniel, you can leave everything to me for now. This must be the esteemed Master Sebastian, as mentioned by the Master."
"Mage Casillas, hello."
"I hope we can have a proper conversation sometime, Master Sebastian."
"There will definitely be a chance."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Daniel changed into the clothes he used when he acted outside. He and Sebastian then left the Sanctuary of New York and made their way to the entrance of the mysterious place where mages communicated and traded—Hell's Kitchen!
After getting off the subway, the two of them walked into a narrow alley. Daniel opened the mirrored space and guided Sebastian through it, ensuring they didn't attract any attention. Finally, they emerged at an ordinary restaurant in Hell's Kitchen. In the middle of the room, Daniel opened the mirrored space again and walked out with Sebastian into the real world.
This was the entrance to that mysterious place!