Chapter 20: It’s About to Begin

Time passed like a river, and before Finney knew it, the new year had arrived. He turned a year older, stepping into the dangerous year of 2010. If he didn't intervene, this year would mark the beginning of an era of chaos for the world.

Iron Man's battles, the arrival of Norse mythology, alien invasions, artificial intelligence threatening to exterminate humanity—all these events would soon unfold in rapid succession.

By April, Finney had been at Kamar-Taj for nearly a year. The steady rhythm of life there had allowed his strength to grow gradually, and he was now not far from his fourth system draw.

But just as he was getting comfortable, a piece of news shattered his tranquility. It even caused him to accidentally spark a fire while practicing his portal spell.

"It's been a whole year, Iron Man's already gone missing, and I still can't even open a damn portal."

Staring at the sling ring on his hand, Finney felt utterly defeated. Over the past year, he had almost completely given up on learning all other spells and focused solely on this one. And yet, he hadn't succeeded. The Ancient One calling his magical talent "mediocre" now felt like a gross overstatement.

The news of Tony Stark's disappearance had jolted Finney out of his complacency at Kamar-Taj. It was time to start preparing for his family's safety.

After the new year, he had been gently persuading his aging parents to retire, but neither of them—both still considering themselves young—had agreed.

Now, with Iron Man about to make his debut, Finney couldn't let them continue living carefree lives in New York, where any day a nuclear bomb might just drop out of nowhere.

If they truly refused to leave the city, then at the very least, he needed them to move. Over the past year, Finney had painstakingly managed to purchase a house right next to the New York Sanctum.

Of all the places in the city, that was the only one that gave him any peace of mind.

…

"Why do we have to quit our jobs and move there?"

Finney's parents, understandably, were bewildered by his request. Even Skye, who was usually more understanding of his actions, didn't quite get why he was insisting the whole family relocate.

Seeing their confusion, Finney hesitated for a long time before finally gritting his teeth and deciding to explain. "New York is going to become very dangerous soon, but the place I'm asking you to move to will remain safe for a long time."

His father, Eli, laughed, thinking Finney was worried about them growing old. "Kid, we were living in New York long before you were even born. I know this city better than you do."

Hearing this, Finney sighed. With a look of resignation, he summoned the familiar Raggadorr's Ring in his hand. His parents stared at it, completely dumbfounded, as Finney said, "Trust me, you don't know what's coming. This world is about to become far more dangerous than you can imagine."

"And, by the way, I'm a sorcerer."

After all these years living with his parents, Finney was certain they wouldn't react to his being a sorcerer with fear or treat him like a monster. That's why he felt it was best to be direct and honest rather than make up some well-meaning lie.

"When did you learn how to do that?" Eli asked, dumbfounded, as he reached out to touch the magical ring on Finney's hand. But Finney quickly pulled away.

"Just over the past year. Skye knows about it too," Finney replied, glancing at his sister, who seemed equally shocked.

Eli and Vera exchanged glances with Skye, both opening their mouths as if to say something, only to close them again in confusion.

"But what does this have to do with danger?" Eli asked, his voice now more serious. As a lawyer, he had a knack for catching important details, and he was growing increasingly concerned that these dangers might be connected to Finney.

"Do you believe in aliens?" Finney asked, sensing his father's unease. He then explained, "A sorcerer's duty is to protect Earth from invasion, and there are many beings in space who have long set their sights on our planet."

"In the next few years, they're likely going to make a move. The place I want you to move to is a Sanctum established by sorcerers. If anything happens, they'll be there to protect you."

"And what about you?" Finney's mother, Vera, immediately asked, her first concern being for her son. "Are you going to fight these aliens too? Will it be dangerous? Should we alert the military?"

"Don't worry. I'm actually pretty strong," Finney reassured her with a smile. "As for the government, I'm sure they've got their own organizations for this."

He didn't tell them the whole truth, but if the time came, he knew he would have to step up. After all, if the Earth fell, no one would survive.

At the very least, when Dormammu eventually made his move, Finney would do everything he could to prevent his arrival. He wasn't about to leave the fate of the world entirely to "negotiations."

Even though Finney made it sound lighthearted, his parents couldn't help but worry. Still, they finally agreed to the move. Afterward, they bombarded him with questions about Kamar-Taj and his life there.

With his parents' safety settled, Finney finally felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He had a decent relationship with Daniel, the sorcerer at the New York Sanctum, and had already mentioned that his family might move nearby.

Being the youngest sorcerer at Kamar-Taj, the unofficial "caretaker" of fellow sorcerers with his endless supply of chicken rolls, and the Ancient One's favorite disciple, Finney had enough sway to earn respect from many in the Sanctum.

The urgency behind Finney's decision to secure his family's safety came from his understanding that, despite his seemingly rapid growth over the past year, he was still nowhere near the level of heavy hitters like Dormammu, Thanos, or Ego.

Forget the Hulk and Thor, even with Iron Man about to make his debut, Finney wasn't entirely confident he could take him on.

That's why he needed to focus on improving his strength. Fighting was the best way to do that. Once Iron Man came into play, the Earth would never be short of enemies, but first, Finney had to make sure there were no distractions holding him back.

In truth, his greatest improvement over the past year at Kamar-Taj hadn't come from Evil Ghost Armor, but rather from the Golden Amplification Technique—a power he rarely used.

The primary force restraining the full potential of the Golden Amplification Technique was the protection of the Earth by the Sanctums—essentially the power of the sorcerers themselves.

Now that Finney had become a sorcerer, he understood this power intimately. It was like studying your opponent thoroughly. You may not surpass them, but you'll understand how to defeat them more effectively.

That was the case with the Golden Amplification Technique. Even without actively practicing it, Finney's understanding of how the sorcerers' power hindered its effects had naturally allowed him to improve.

Although the Ancient One had once warned him of the dangers of the Golden Amplification Technique, she had never explicitly restricted his use of it. In fact, she had even helped him on one occasion.

However, the more Finney delved into the technique, the more he realized the truth in the Ancient One's words.

"Magic that alters reality based on your thoughts"—it was indeed an incredibly terrifying power. As Finney grew stronger, the smallest slip of concentration could lead to unpredictable, far-reaching consequences.

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