Chapter 21: The Portal

Finney wasn't the type to avoid using his powers out of fear, but he certainly didn't want to be controlled by them either. After all, living a life where you couldn't even let your imagination run wild sounded terrifying.

Some things were meant to stay in the realm of fantasy; bringing them into reality wasn't always desirable—like imagining oneself in a dress, for example!

In his new home, Finney watched the news reports on TV. The disappearance of Tony Stark was all anyone could talk about. It had already been a week since his abduction, and many were speculating that Stark was likely dead.

The news had caused Stark Industries' stock to plummet. Finney had thought about taking advantage of this by buying some shares, but he quickly realized that all available stocks had already been snapped up. It seemed like someone had been quietly buying them up for a while now.

It made sense—after all, Obadiah Stane had orchestrated the attack. He must have anticipated what would happen once news of Tony's disappearance broke. Finney's hopes of snatching up cheap stock were dashed.

The best time to invest, Finney thought, would be when Tony miraculously returned and shocked everyone by announcing the closure of the weapons division. That's when Stark Industries' stocks would rebound.

Though, with his current funds, Finney could only afford to buy a small amount—certainly not enough to get him a seat on the board. Still, it could be a good investment for the future.

As he watched the TV, these thoughts ran through his mind.

As for rescuing Tony Stark and forcing him to owe him a favor? That was an option Finney hadn't seriously considered. With his Jack Sparrow's Compass, he could probably manage it if he wanted to.

But there wasn't much point. Without his intervention, Tony Stark would still become Iron Man—a righteous hero, albeit an arrogant and self-centered one. Finney didn't want to change that. After all, having one more good person in the world was never a bad thing. Besides, he already had the Ancient One, the greatest possible mentor, on his side. There was no need to ingratiate himself with Tony Stark.

In Finney's mind, science and magic were natural opposites.

Just because he didn't plan on altering Tony's growth didn't mean Finney wasn't planning anything at all. For instance, Obadiah Stane's Iron Monger would make an excellent "experience farm."

The question now was how to ensure he could defeat him with 100% certainty.

Evil Ghost Armor was powerful, but compared to Iron Man, it had two major shortcomings. First, its offensive capabilities were still lacking, and Finney's magic was far from refined.

Second, it was weak in aerial combat. Although the Evil Ghost Armor could evolve, Finney hadn't yet reached a point where it could gain aerial abilities. And with his inability to open portals, it was a real headache.

Thinking about it, Finney sighed deeply, realizing just how weak he still was.

But the situation wasn't actually that dire. He didn't know exactly how strong Iron Man's armor was, but as long as it wasn't made entirely of vibranium, it likely couldn't compare to Evil Ghost Armor.

Moreover, Evil Ghost Armor provided significant enhancements to Finney's physical strength, agility, and other attributes—far more than Iron Man's suit did for Tony.

In a close-quarters fight, without the need for air combat, Finney's nearly a year's worth of combat experience, combined with Tony's novice skills and the AI's limitations, should allow him to take Tony down easily.

Besides, the hardest part of opening a portal was channeling the necessary energy. After his recent breakthrough, Finney could at least generate sparks, meaning he was close to success.

With Evil Ghost Armor enhancing all his abilities, he figured it wouldn't be long before he could open portals—and that would give him some much-needed aerial capabilities.

With that in mind, Finney regained some confidence.

Just then, Skye emerged from her room and noticed Finney focused intently on the TV, especially on the reports about Tony Stark. She raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You've been really into Tony Stark's news lately, huh?"

"Of course. My future wallet depends on him," Finney replied, standing up to stretch. He had been following Stark's disappearance closely, worried about any potential butterfly effects his presence might cause. But so far, everything seemed to be progressing normally.

Intrigued, Skye asked, "What do you mean? Besides, they're saying Tony Stark's probably dead—killed by terrorists, right?"

"Not a chance," Finney said, glancing at the TV, where the news anchor was solemnly listing Stark's accomplishments with a mourning expression. "Right now, he's probably sweating it out with the most important man in his life, doing the most important thing he'll ever do."

In Finney's mind, Yinsen was undoubtedly the most important man in Tony's life—he sacrificed himself to save Tony. As for the most important thing? Building the Mark I suit while under intense pressure. And if they failed, both of them would die.

"???"

Skye was utterly confused by Finney's cryptic words.

But Finney, who had no intention of spoiling the plot for her, ignored her puzzled gaze. Straightening his clothes, he said, "I'm heading out for a bit. Things are going to get busy soon, so stay home and keep Mom and Dad company."

Finney's parents had retired from their law firm, following his suggestion. But now, they were struggling to adjust to having nothing to do.

Kamar-Taj, being a place of intense magical training, wasn't exactly the best vacation spot for non-magic folk. And as for them learning magic themselves…

Well, if it were that easy, the streets would be full of sorcerers by now.

That's why Finney had been thinking about sending them on a long vacation, anywhere outside New York, which seemed relatively safer than staying in the city.

His priority now was mastering the portal spell and preparing for his fourth system draw. Without the third draw's Evil Ghost Armor, he wouldn't have progressed nearly as quickly as he had.

After some thought, Finney sent his parents on an extended vacation to London and Hong Kong—both cities with Sanctums nearby. If anything happened, he could reach them immediately.

Days passed, and soon two months had slipped by. News of Tony Stark's disappearance had died down, with most people assuming he was dead. All that remained was to find a body and make it official.

Except, of course, for Obadiah, who was still negotiating with terrorists, the military, and Tony's close friend. Oh, and let's not forget that one-eyed, bald-headed director.

At Kamar-Taj, in the quiet of the night, Finney stood alone in the training grounds, practicing diligently. The flicker of energy sparks lit up the darkness as he focused on opening a portal.

"Portal!"

Wearing his Evil Ghost Armor and concentrating with all his might, Finney performed the hand gestures, and slowly but surely, a fiery, ring-shaped portal appeared before him. On the other side, he could see his rented apartment in New York.

Without hesitation, Finney stepped through the portal. Seeing the familiar surroundings of his apartment, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement—he had finally succeeded.

With the combined help of the Golden Amplification Technique and Evil Ghost Armor, he had, after a year of relentless training, mastered the long-sought-after portal spell. Although the range was still limited, and it took him a while to open, it was a success nonetheless.

Now, all that was left was to master the Mirror Dimension, and he'd have no further regrets on his path as a sorcerer.

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