Chapter 36: 1 Year Time Skip

Morning light streamed softly through the open windows of Kamar-Taj, casting golden hues across the room.

Kurogai slowly opened his eyes, emerging from a restful sleep.

After washing up, he didn't head to the library immediately. Instead, he turned and walked deeper into the ancient sanctuary, eventually arriving at a vast, quiet hall where three towering doors stood on three walls.

This was the teleportation nexus of Kamar-Taj—each portal a stable link to one of the three Sanctums: New York, London, and Hong Kong.

Kurogai had learned much over the past few months. The Ancient One had granted him unusual access—far more than most guests ever received. He could move between the Sanctums freely, and very few areas in Kamar-Taj were off-limits to him.

Without hesitation, he stepped through one of the large doors. In an instant, space distorted and shifted.

He emerged into a large, circular chamber—one belonging to the Hong Kong Sanctum.

"Back again, Kurogai?" came a voice with a chuckle.

An elderly monk sweeping the floor looked up at him, offering a warm smile.

"Morning," Kurogai replied, nodding casually as he passed.

Exiting the Sanctum through its concealed exit, he stepped onto a bustling street. Sounds of city life filled the air—vendors shouting, traffic humming, people moving with purpose. The air smelled of spices and food.

Just down the road, Kurogai arrived at a small street-side diner. The owner—a short, balding man with a warm expression—beamed when he saw him.

"Same order as usual?"

"Yeah. The usual," Kurogai answered with a faint smile.

Though the food here wasn't American, it was what he missed—simple, comforting, and far from the usual fare served at Kamar-Taj. Fried breadsticks, soy milk, rice porridge—things he hadn't tasted since before arriving.

It became a routine. With the Hong Kong portal open to him, Kurogai often came for breakfast. He liked the familiarity. Even the shop owner had grown accustomed to him.

After finishing his meal, he returned through the Sanctum and headed back to Kamar-Taj's magic library—resuming the only thing he'd truly committed himself to:

Reading.

---

A year had passed.

Every day, Kurogai spent hours in the library, absorbing every scrap of magical theory he could. At night, he meditated, tempering his spirit and refining his control.

He hadn't practiced a single spell.

He hadn't even learned formal spellcasting.

And yet, his knowledge now rivaled the most learned mystics in the temple.

Because he didn't need to learn magic the way others did. With the power of his Replicate Eye, the second pupil ring of the Ultimate Eye, he could copy magic instantly—as long as he understood its structure.

To deepen this ability, he needed more magical knowledge.

Just like the first pupil ring—the Geass Eye, which grew stronger through emotional resonance—the Replicate Eye evolved through comprehension.

And so, he read. Tirelessly. Every tome, scroll, and codex in the library.

By now, Kurogai had consumed the majority of the magical archive. In terms of theoretical magic, he was now one of the leading minds in Kamar-Taj.

---

In a silent chamber deep within the sanctuary, the air suddenly shimmered.

The center of the floor fractured like glass—and through the breach stepped a bald woman in flowing robes: The Ancient One had returned.

A few moments later, a robed figure approached and bowed respectfully.

It was Wong—keeper of Kamar-Taj's library and trusted attendant of the Sorcerer Supreme.

"You've returned, Master."

The Ancient One nodded. "Yes, Wong. What has happened while I was away?"

She had been gone for nearly a year, traveling through dimensions, watching over the mystical barriers that shielded Earth from interdimensional threats. Her responsibilities extended far beyond Kamar-Taj.

Wong answered calmly, "The Sanctums are stable. No reports of intrusion or conflict. The students continue their training without issue."

Then he paused, looking slightly uncertain.

"Well, there is one... unusual thing."

The Ancient One raised an eyebrow. "Unusual?"

Wong rarely used that word.

"Yes," he replied. "Do you recall the boy you brought here last year?"

"Kurogai?" she said without hesitation. He had made quite the impression.

"What about him?"

Wong exhaled. "He now goes by a... nickname. They call him the 'Magic Theory Expert.'"

The Ancient One blinked.

Wong continued, "He spends every day in the library. Studying. Reading. He hasn't attempted spellcasting. Not once. Just theory. All year."

The Ancient One stood in silence for a moment, genuinely surprised.

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