Chapter 27: Ancient One
Chapter 27: Ancient One
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~ May 2010 - WHA Tower - New York ~
The cityscape of New York shimmered under the golden hues of the setting sun, the towering skyscrapers casting long shadows over the streets below. Inside the grand office of WHA Tower, Edward Lin stood by the window, hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the empire he had built. The scent of aged wood and polished marble filled the air, a symbol of his accomplishments. Yet, a subtle shift in the atmosphere made him turn his gaze.
A figure in flowing yellow robes materialized without sound. The Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme, stood before him with an expression both calm and unreadable. Her presence alone seemed to bend reality itself, the space around her subtly warping, as if the universe acknowledged her authority.
"Edward Lin," she said, her voice carrying an ethereal resonance. "You are an anomaly in this world, a ripple in time that was never meant to be. Many things have changed because of you."
Edward met her gaze steadily. "I don't believe in fate. I carve my own path."
The Ancient One gave a small, knowing smile. "That is precisely why I am here. I do not know whether you are this world's savior or its doom. And so, I must test you."
Without another word, she raised her hand, and in an instant, reality fractured around them. The walls of his office twisted and folded inward, the entire space unraveling into an infinite kaleidoscope of shifting architecture. Edward's feet found purchase on solid ground, but the world around him had become a swirling domain of impossible physics. They were now in the Mirror Dimension.
"No interference," the Ancient One said. "No consequences."
Edward's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Then let's begin."
The battle erupted without hesitation. Edward transmuted the air into dense metallic spears, launching them toward her like a tempest of steel. With a flick of her hand, the Ancient One twisted space itself, causing the projectiles to curve and shatter against unseen barriers.
She retaliated with a series of rapid gestures, golden sigils forming midair before unleashing waves of pure energy. Edward countered by reinforcing his body, tanking the blasts while his alchemy surged through the ground, creating a towering wall that shot forward like a tidal wave.
The Ancient One merely stepped through a portal, appearing behind him in an instant. Edward barely managed to block her strike with an alchemically reinforced arm, the impact sending shockwaves through the warped landscape. He retaliated with a precise, lightning-fast counter, transmuting the air into a chain of explosive runes. They detonated upon contact, forcing her to weave through reality itself to evade.
Their battle escalated. The entire dimension twisted and turned with their movements. Edward created massive transmutation circles midair, summoning torrents of liquid metal that were shaped into spears, blades, and whips. The Ancient One bent gravity, causing his attacks to spiral unpredictably, their trajectories rendered useless.
Edward reinforced his speed, closing the gap in an instant, launching a flurry of devastating strikes enhanced by alchemical reinforcement. Each strike carried the weight to shatter mountains. The Ancient One met him with equal ferocity, her hands glowing with eldritch power as she matched his speed, deflecting each attack with pinpoint precision.
Blow after blow, spell after spell, the battle raged. Neither yielded an inch.
Then, the Ancient One made a gesture, and the entire Mirror Dimension tilted violently. Edward found himself standing on what had once been the sky, the buildings now hanging beneath him like stalactites. The sudden disorientation lasted only a second before he adapted, using alchemy to create an anchor beneath his feet.
"You are formidable," the Ancient One admitted, her breathing slightly heavier than before. "Your understanding of alchemy rivals my mastery of the Mystic Arts."
Edward wiped a trail of blood from his lips. "You're not bad yourself," he said with a grin.
They clashed once more, their strikes sending shockwaves across the dimension. Edward pushed his alchemy beyond its limits, converting the very air around them into raw energy, shaping it into a colossal dragon of golden fire. It roared and lunged toward the Ancient One with terrifying speed.
She responded in kind, summoning an immense construct of eldritch power in the shape of a celestial guardian. The two titanic forces collided in an explosion that warped the very fabric of space.
As the battle continued, neither showed signs of yielding. The Mirror Dimension trembled under the sheer magnitude of their power.
And yet, they were only halfway through their battle.
The Ancient One's eyes flickered with something unreadable—was it respect, curiosity, or perhaps caution?
Edward clenched his fists, his energy still surging. He had never fought someone like her before, someone who matched him step for step, spell for spell.
As the dimension continued to ripple around them, their fight was far from over.
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The Mirror Dimension warped and twisted violently around them, the very fabric of space convulsing under the sheer magnitude of their battle. Edward's breath came in ragged gulps, his body screaming for rest, but his mind burned with relentless determination. He had never fought someone like this before, someone who matched him step for step, and countered his every move with a mastery as deep as his own. The Ancient One was truly a force beyond anything he had faced—even Apocalypse paled in comparison.
Edward slammed his hands together, alchemical energy crackling as he transmuted the shattered remnants of their battlefield into a swirling vortex of metallic tendrils. The ground split open, reshaping itself into jagged spires that surged toward the Ancient One like a tidal wave of spears. But she merely extended her hand, twisting her fingers in a delicate motion. The entire assault froze mid-air before reversing upon itself, forcing Edward to leap backward just in time to avoid being impaled by his own attack.
The battle had escalated into a display of ultimate mastery—alchemy against the Mystic Arts. Neither of them held back. Their movements blurred as they clashed, raw energy erupting from every strike. Edward reinforced his body to the limit, trading blow for blow, while the Ancient One bent reality itself, striking from impossible angles. Each exchange sent shockwaves through the dimension, warping its very structure.
Edward surged forward, his fists glowing with transmuted energy, unleashing a barrage of strikes enhanced by his craft. The Ancient One countered with a flurry of arcane sigils, each deflecting his attacks with eerie precision. She moved like a ghost, intangible and omnipresent, forcing Edward to adapt at every turn.
With a powerful stomp, he reshaped the ground beneath them, forcing the entire battlefield to collapse. The Ancient One fell into the abyss, but just as quickly, she reappeared above him, her hands tracing golden patterns in the air. Edward barely had time to react before thousands of razor-sharp rings of light descended upon him. He raised a barrier of reinforced titanium, but the sheer force of the attack shattered it, sending him skidding backward.
Gritting his teeth, Edward pushed himself up, his arms trembling from exertion. The Ancient One's expression remained calm but focused—she was feeling the strain as well.
"You are formidable," she admitted. "Few have ever pushed me this far."
Edward smirked despite the pain. "Likewise."
Then, without warning, he activated his final gambit.
A massive transmutation circle spread beneath them, encompassing the entire battlefield. The very air crackled with alchemical force as he poured every ounce of his knowledge into one final act. The environment itself responded, shifting into a storm of raw elements—fire, water, lightning, and stone converging into a singularity of destruction.
The Ancient One's eyes widened slightly. "Impressive."
She lifted her hand, and the Eye of Agamotto glowed.
Time fractured.
Edward felt his movements slow, his energy drain, as though he were being pulled backward against his will. The Time Stone's power enveloped the battlefield, unraveling his ultimate attack before it could be completed. In that moment, he knew—he had lost.
As the energy dissipated, leaving the two combatants standing amidst the remnants of their battle, Edward fell to one knee, utterly spent. The Ancient One stood before him, breathing heavily, her robes slightly tattered but her expression one of deep satisfaction.
"You fought well," she said, offering her hand.
Edward looked up, then let out a dry chuckle before taking it. "You cheated."
The Ancient One smiled. "Perhaps."
She studied him for a moment, her gaze unreadable. Then, in a voice softer yet filled with weight, she said, "I have been watching you ever since you arrived in this universe, intrigued by what your influence may become. You have already changed the course of many events. But the true test is yet to come."
Edward's breathing steadied as he listened.
"I hope," she continued, "that when the time comes, you will choose to help this universe—to protect it when necessary."
Edward met her gaze, the fire in his eyes undimmed. "I promise."
The Ancient One's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Then our battle was not in vain."
The Mirror Dimension slowly unraveled around them, returning them to the real world. Though exhausted, both combatants shared a look of mutual respect, a rare understanding forged through battle.
And in that moment, despite their differences, they both smiled.
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[Proficiency Panel]
Name: Edward Lin
Age: 83/85+500
[Alchemy (Fullmetal Alchemist)]
Alchemy Proficiency: 100% (Level: Grandmaster)
Transmutation: 100% (Level: Grandmaster)
Reinforcement: 100% (Level: Grandmaster)
Creation: 100% (Level: Grandmaster)
Physical Condition: Enhanced Human+ (Alchemically Reinforced)
Enhancement: 500 years (Life-extension elixirs & alchemy)
Strength: Peak God-King
Status: Founder of Golden Enterprise, Head of the Lin Family, Chairman of WHA
Mood: Calm, Focused
Skill: Inspect
Wealth: Estimated Net Worth - $7+ Trillion
Property: Private estates, corporate buildings, an Aerospace company, hospitals, research facilities, security forces, mercenary companies, rare resource monopolies, 11.7% Stark Industries shares, 51% WHA's shares (World Heroes Association), etc.
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To be continued...