Marvel: Little Genius - Chapter: 372 (Patreon)

"What shortcut is it, Mark? Please tell me quickly, I'm willing to give it a try! I can't stand the day-to-day practice like now anymore. I hope to make faster progress and heal my hands sooner."

Upon hearing Mark mention a shortcut involving the use of a sling ring, Doctor Strange immediately rushed to Mark's side, placing his hands on Mark's shoulders and asked excitedly.

"Have you really thought it through?" Mark looked at Doctor Strange, his expression a mixture of amusement and deep meaning.

In fact, he hadn't told Doctor Strange the second half of the sentence—everything has its pros and cons. The shortcut to higher places might also be a shortcut to death.

"I've thought it through, please tell me the method!" Doctor Strange didn't hesitate at all and his expression grew more eager.

"Alright, but I need to take back what I said earlier. Perhaps disabilities in your hands really can mess with your mind. Today, I've witnessed an example of that. Follow me."

Seeing Doctor Strange's determination, Mark didn't try to dissuade him further. He directly opened a portal and stepped through.

Doctor Strange immediately followed suit, crossing through the portal. He instantly felt the temperature around him drop, and he couldn't help but shiver, curling up from the cold.

"This is..."

"We're on Mount Everest. Isn't it beautiful? The world's highest peak. Few people can see such a magnificent and vast landscape outside of the climbing season and experience the grandeur of nature."

While tightly hugging himself and shivering, Doctor Strange responded, "You're right, it's beautiful here, but it's really cold..."

"At this temperature, a fully equipped ordinary person would be in danger if they stayed for more than thirty minutes, including their life and organs. For you, you might not last even two minutes before passing out."

"What do you mean?" Doctor Strange looked at Mark in surprise, but he saw Mark had already returned to the other side of the portal, waving goodbye to him.

"Work hard, Strange. If you can't overcome your mental barriers, you might just turn into an ice pop! Bye-bye—"

As Mark's words trailed off, the previously stable portal suddenly vanished, leaving only a few sparks, and Doctor Strange alone on the summit of Mount Everest, staring into the distance with a mournful cry.

"No—!"

If Doctor Strange were in the set of "Dying to Survive" right now, a familiar and melancholic background music would definitely play in full force.

Feeling the cold wind like little knives cutting across his skin and the low oxygen levels at high altitude made him feel suffocated. He remembered the multidimensional journey Mark had made him experience earlier, and the way Mark had looked at him with that "I believe in you" expression in the last moment.

Doctor Strange knew that if he couldn't use his own power to open a portal and return to Kamar-Taj, Mark might truly leave him here to fend for himself.

"No! I haven't learned anything here, and my hands haven't recovered yet. I can't just fall here. If Mark can do things with his feet, then I can definitely manage with my disabled hands!"

With this thought in mind, Doctor Strange immediately adjusted his mindset and began following the movements Mark had guided him through, attempting to open the portal back to Kamar-Taj.

In this moment, the cold temperature and the desolate, uninhabited environment became the driving force behind his focused determination. The only way he could save himself now was by fully immersing himself in this task.

...

In reality, although Mark appeared to hold a grudge against him, he wouldn't actually stand idly by if Doctor Strange were truly in danger.

The reason Mark had created this psychological suggestion for Doctor Strange was to instill a mindset of fighting to the death, allowing Doctor Strange to break free from the limitations of his thoughts through this ordeal.

Apart from that, Mark also intended to teach Doctor Strange a lesson, making him understand that there are no shortcuts on the path to becoming a true sorcerer.

Any ideas or actions seeking shortcuts would only lead to bitter consequences, even plunging you into desperation.

55, 56, 57...

Time ticked away, and Mark's mood grew increasingly tense.

Even though he knew that according to the original plot development, Doctor Strange could successfully use his own power to open a portal and return to Kamar-Taj.

But the problem was, now he had shifted from being an observer with a god's-perspective to being an actual participant and witness in the entire event.

Even the Ancient One, who was orchestrating all of this in the original plot, couldn't hide her worries and nervousness. As the "instigator" of this situation, Mark naturally experienced emotional fluctuations.

Moreover, Mark's appearance itself posed a risk of triggering a butterfly effect. If it truly led to a deviation in Doctor Strange's fate, he would have to bring him back immediately to prevent him from losing his life.

118, 119, 120!

Two minutes had passed, and Mark, who had been anxiously watching the time, couldn't contain his concern any longer. He raised his hand, preparing to open a portal to bring back Doctor Strange, who hadn't succeeded yet.

Just as Mark was about to act, he suddenly noticed a series of sparks not far in front of him.

Sizzle~ Sizzle!

Sparks flew and merged, forming a portal.

Mark's thoughts were just forming, and before he could put them into action, he realized that he didn't open this portal.

Combined with the continuous gusts of cold wind and drifting snowflakes, a joyful smile appeared on Mark's face. He knew that Doctor Strange had succeeded.

He had successfully pushed through his mental and physical limits, opening the portal at the last moment, and returned to Kamar-Taj.

Indeed, as the spatial connection stabilized, Doctor Strange passed through the doorway, appearing in front of Mark.

At this point, Doctor Strange was weakened to the extreme. His entire body was covered in thick frost, and even his walking had become unsteady.

"I... I... I did it!"

But the next second, Doctor Strange stumbled and lost all control over his body, falling forward.

Fortunately, Mark was quick to react, taking a step forward and firmly catching Doctor Strange who was about to fall.

By now, Doctor Strange had completely lost consciousness, lying limp in Mark's arms.

Mark checked and confirmed that while Doctor Strange's condition was poor, his life wasn't in danger. He finally felt relieved.

For Mark, as long as there was a breath, he had a way to save.

By releasing the nanobots from within his body and allowing them to enter his body, the nanobots could scan his entire condition and proceed with targeted treatment and repairs.

With the assistance of the nanobot regeneration module, just two minutes had passed. Based on the results provided through informational vision ability, Mark saw that Doctor Strange's frostbite and hypothermia had completely healed. The only remaining injury was the disability in his hands caused by nerve damage.

The cold sensation gradually faded from his body, and Doctor Strange slowly regained consciousness, awakening from his unconscious state.

"Strange, you did it, congratulations!"

Although Doctor Strange was still somewhat weak due to excessive physical exertion, tears of joy welled up in the corners of his eyes when he heard Mark's congratulatory words.

"Yes, I did it, I achieved it, I did it with these hands!"

For Doctor Strange, this success was entirely different from his previous achievements in medicine and surgery. This time, he had faced the challenge with his own willpower despite his poor physical condition, and he had succeeded.

This success wasn't just about passing a course or learning how to use a sling ring; it was also a reshaping of his inner personality and self-confidence, breaking free from the constraints of his past mindset.

...

Having been rejuvenated, Doctor Strange's first task after returning to his room was to tidy up his appearance. He used his trembling hands to trim his hair and groom his beard; he took off the white apprentice robe that represented his status as an apprentice and donned the red cloak that symbolized his official position as a sorcerer at Kamar-Taj.

After successfully using the sling ring in his hand to cast the portal spell, Doctor Strange had officially been promoted to a sorcerer. Although his combat abilities were not yet sufficient to face any enemies, and he couldn't be considered a mature and reliable sorcerer, he had still achieved a remarkable feat in Kamar-Taj's history.

Among the records of Kamar-Taj, Doctor Strange's journey from an apprentice to a sorcerer was the second fastest in history. The first spot, of course, belonged to Mark, who had been teaching him magic all along.

As for the third spot, it wasn't the current Supreme Sorcerer of Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One, but rather Kaecilius, who had been one of the Ancient One's most promising disciples.

Unfortunately, this once proud student had fallen under the influence of the Dark Dimension's ruler, Dormammu, becoming a follower of the enemy.

...

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Another brand new morning arrived, accompanied by the resounding toll of bells echoing throughout Kamar-Taj. The sorcerers would once again face a new day of work and challenges.

"So, what's the third lesson I need to learn?"

Bright and early, while Mark was having breakfast in the cafeteria, Doctor Strange was already persistently asking what they would be studying today.

"It seems that your mental state has indeed improved after breaking through the limits of your thoughts and the constraints on your mind.

But has no one taught you not to disturb others while they're eating? Watch out, or I might take your sling ring and throw you onto the summit of Mount Everest again for another experience!"

Seeing Mark's smiling face and his tone devoid of any emotional fluctuations, Doctor Strange immediately reacted instinctively. He mimicked zipping his lips shut with his hand, then quietly sat beside Mark, waiting for him to finish breakfast.

"Ah~ All fueled up. Now we can start today's lesson. For the third lesson I've arranged for you, you'll learn how to project your soul out of your body using your own power.

Typically, the lesson on astral projection is taught at a more advanced stage when a sorcerer has become more mature, because the soul and the body shouldn't be separated for too long.

Otherwise, when the body loses its soul, it becomes like a lifeless corpse, susceptible to the accelerated intrusion of the material world, leading to a state of "decay."

This "decay" isn't literal decomposition but a decrease in compatibility between the body and the soul. Eventually, when the soul tries to return to the body, it's like fitting a blade into a mismatched scabbard—body and soul can't harmonize, and the soul can't return, only drifting in the astral realm.

But this drifting isn't eternal. Deprived of the body's protection, the soul gradually gets eroded by the spiritual world, eventually losing its independent consciousness and dispersing into the cosmos.

But do you know why I've placed such a difficult and dangerous lesson as the third one I'm teaching you?"

"Uh... is it because I've offended you before and frequently made you angry, so you want to play a prank on me?"

*Smack!*

Before Doctor Strange could even finish his sentence, Mark's palm landed on his head.

"Idiot! How could I be so petty? Do you think I waste so much time on you every day just to do something so pointless? Although astral projection is indeed risky, with me around to watch over you, the potential risks are actually quite manageable.

Moreover, compared to other sorcerers who need to spend a significant amount of time reading magical books and accumulating knowledge, this part is actually your biggest advantage.

Do you remember the first time I pushed your soul out of your body? Did you feel anything different?"

"Well, in terms of the feeling, it was like being light and floating, as if the entire world lost its gravity. Also, within the astral realm, time seemed to pass faster than in the material world, causing all the scenes I saw to appear in slow motion."

*Smack!* This time, Mark didn't slap Doctor Strange's head. Instead, he enthusiastically slapped his own thigh and said, "Exactly! That's it!

Your advantage lies in your learning speed. Since that's the case, we should maximize this advantage. After astral projection, you can read more books, acquire more knowledge in the same amount of time, and even utilize the nights that were originally meant for rest.

In other words, apart from the Ancient One's hidden books, you'll become someone who can match the Supreme Sorcerer's magical knowledge in the shortest possible time. Then, you can spend a significant amount of time practicing and applying your spellcasting. How about it? Do you want to give this arrangement a try?"

"Please let me give it my all!"

After hearing Mark's explanation, Doctor Strange's eyes were filled with anticipation and determination. If he could truly achieve what Mark described – reaching a level of theoretical knowledge that could rival the Supreme Sorcerer – it was indeed an exciting opportunity.

After leaving the cafeteria, Mark led Doctor Strange to a chamber he had prepared earlier.

"Alright, now sit on this cushion and enter a meditative state. Afterwards, I'll guide you through magical means, allowing you to clearly sense that wondrous feeling when your soul detaches from your body.

Remember the path guided by magic and the sensation of astral projection carefully. Then, try to do astral projection on your own without external assistance."

Soon, Doctor Strange, seated on the cushion, entered a meditative state. Under Mark's guidance, he successfully completed the process of astral projection.

"How is it? Have you remembered all the details?"

"No problem. For me now, there's nothing I'm better at than memorization."

"Good, now try to guide your soul back into your body and then attempt to astral project using your own power."

The process of uniting spirit and body wasn't difficult. The fusion of a closely related body and soul before their affinity reached a critical point was relatively straightforward.

Once the soul had returned, Doctor Strange didn't pause for a moment. Taking advantage of the vividness of the experience at this moment, he immediately initiated his first entirely independent attempt at astral projection.

*Pop!*

Something that neither Mark nor Doctor Strange himself had anticipated occurred. He effortlessly completed the process of astral projection without encountering any difficulties.

Although in the original storyline, Doctor Strange had mastered astral projection through self-study and the methods taught in magical books, Mark never imagined that, with guidance, Doctor Strange would display such powerful magical aptitude. In this regard, Doctor Strange was indeed the most suitable candidate, aside from himself, to inherit the position of Supreme Sorcerer.

"It seems that breaking free from the confines of rigid thinking has fully activated your magical talents. Now, it appears that your biggest weakness lies in experience and knowledge. Obtaining indirect experience from books is your strong suit.

In the time ahead, go to the library to borrow books for reading. Wong will recommend the most suitable books for you.

Once you've comprehended and memorized all the books in the library, except the forbidden ones, we'll move on to the content of the fourth lesson.

By the way, I'd like to remind you not to neglect physical training while studying. The sorcerers of Kamar-Taj are different from the wizards and sorcerers you've read about in fantasy novels from the outside world.

They don’t just stand at a distance and solve enemies by throwing a few fireballs. A truly mature and combat-capable sorcerer of Kamar-Taj is well-versed in close combat…."