A Bounty of Discoveries

"I'm... I'm sorry, Ned."

Every time Ned brought up the Cloak of Levitation, Wanda felt a deep pang of guilt, believing it was her fault. And once again, she found herself apologizing.

"No."

Ned shook his head, already regretting bringing Wanda along. Now he had to figure out how to comfort her.

Sigh...

"It's not your fault. Besides, even though the Ancient One said she wouldn't use time magic to help me, she did give me a hint—there might be another way to repair the cloak."

Ned attempted to reassure Wanda.

"You don't have to comfort me. The Ancient One already made it clear," Wanda replied, still unconvinced. "And she's such a kind person. If there really was another way, why wouldn't she help you?"

"Well... in that case, could you help me to the library?" Ned asked with a small smile. "It holds almost every spell recorded in Kamar-Taj, except for a few secret ones reserved for the Sorcerer Supreme."

"I'm sure I'll find something that can help me fix the cloak."

"But the Ancient One said normal repair spells wouldn't work on it," Wanda countered.

Despite her skepticism, she still supported Ned and helped him toward the library.

On the way, the unusual duo attracted plenty of attention. Some familiar faces greeted Ned, while the newer apprentices merely looked on curiously. Ned returned their glances with a friendly smile.

"Hey, Wong."

Upon entering the library, Ned immediately sought out Wong.

"Oh? Ned? Have you recovered?" Wong asked in surprise. Then, noticing Wanda supporting him, he nodded in understanding before asking, "You don't usually come to the library. What do you need?"

"I'd like to browse all the books related to the Infinity Stones. Could you point me in the right direction?" Ned asked with a grin.

At Ned's request, Wong's smile stiffened. It would be one thing if anyone else had asked—but Ned possessed a Mind Stone.

After a brief pause, Wong sighed and gave him the directions. "Turn right, go to the end, then left, another right, then left again. The books are in the farthest corner."

He then gave a serious warning. "Ned, the Infinity Stones hold immense power, but they are also extremely dangerous. Don't lose yourself in them."

"You lack the mental fortitude compared to other sorcerers of your level."

"Got it, don't worry," Ned reassured him. He could tell Wong had hesitated, but he didn't blame him. Whether as a friend or the guardian of the library, Wong had every reason to be cautious.

Following Wong's directions, Ned and Wanda soon reached the most secluded corner of the library.

Scanning the shelves, Ned quickly noted that there were only a dozen books on the Infinity Stones. A shockingly small number considering their cosmic significance.

"Will you find your repair spell here?" Wanda asked curiously.

"No. What's here is far more mysterious—and dangerous—than simple repair spells."

Ned reached out and pulled a book from the shelf, flipping through its pages.

Thud!

He snapped it shut immediately. It was just an introductory text detailing the origins and domains of the six stones.

He grabbed another. This one was more of a cautionary tale—warning sorcerers not to become obsessed with power.

One after another, he skimmed through every book. Out of the entire collection, only three books actually contained spells.

Even then, the one detailing the Soul Stone was so cryptic it was practically useless.

Ned sighed in frustration and sat on the floor, diving into the three books that contained real knowledge.

Wanda, left with nothing else to do, plopped down beside him and casually browsed through some of the books Ned had discarded.

By the time Ned finished reading, the sun had begun to set.

Despite only being three books, their contents were incredibly complex. It had taken him an entire day to fully understand and commit them to memory.

One key observation: there were no spells related to the Time Stone in these books. Most likely, those were reserved for the Sorcerer Supreme alone.

(Using time magic and wielding the Time Stone's power were two completely different things.)

The most extensively covered stone was the Space Stone—likely because it had spent so much time on Earth. More than one powerful sorcerer must have secretly borrowed it for research before returning it.

Next came the Reality Stone, with half a book dedicated solely to containing its effects. Clearly, the past sorcerers of Earth had struggled to keep it sealed.

As for the Mind and Power Stones, there were a few spells related to them, but nothing too substantial.

"Hmm..."

After a full afternoon of reading, Ned felt his understanding of the Infinity Stones had grown significantly. More importantly, he had found exactly what he needed—spells to control Aether particles and force them into their true form.

That's right—his target was the Reality Stone.

For one, Ned had already decided to collect as many Infinity Stones as possible. The more he had, the better he could prepare for both known and unknown dangers that lay ahead.

Secondly, the Ancient One had said that only the most fundamental and powerful cosmic forces could repair the Cloak of Levitation. The Time Stone was one such force, but the Reality Stone fit the criteria just as well.

This only strengthened Ned's resolve to acquire it.

"Ned, are you done?"

Wanda, who now had four or five books stacked beside her, glanced at him while holding another in her hands.

She had also learned something interesting—how Ned had used the Mind Stone to control the group of thugs who had tried to experiment on her.

Though, according to the book, her Chaos Magic could potentially resist the Mind Stone's influence.

Wanda wasn't worried about Ned manipulating her, but knowing she had the upper hand over him in some way? That brought a small, satisfied smile to her face.

"Yeah, Wanda. And I found exactly what I was looking for."

Gurgle…

Just as he said that, both of their stomachs let out a synchronized growl.

"Uh… yeah, I guess we've been neglecting our needs," Ned muttered, rubbing his stomach.

"Let's go eat," Wanda suggested with a chuckle.

"Sounds like a plan."

Returning the books to their places, the two of them left the library, side by side.

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T/N:

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