A Possibility

Inside the Mirror Dimension, overlapping with the dimension of New York yet imperceptible to its people.

The city streets stretched infinitely, twisting the towering buildings within. Reflections of real vehicles and pedestrians appeared, only to swiftly vanish like fleeting streams of light…

A Black beggar wearing nothing but a pair of shorts wandered aimlessly along the streets, carrying a bag containing only half a can of food. His haggard face looked as though he had aged more than ten years.

Grrrr…

Sorcerer Bru clutched his shrunken stomach, glanced at the half-empty can in his bag, and sighed weakly before slumping onto the steps outside a shop.

Ever since Kyle had robbed him, he had been stuck here for a full two weeks. Having lost his Sling Ring was like losing the key to the door through which he drew magical power; he could no longer use any abilities related to sorcery.

And without magic, a sorcerer was, at most, an ordinary person with slightly stronger willpower. He could only remain trapped in this space, more despairing than the heart of any desert.

The Mirror Dimension was constructed from the mold of real-world scenes and objects, yet it had nothing to do with reality. No native creatures existed here. Food items existed, but they could not be eaten. Everything within could neither be used for its intended purpose nor taken out of the Mirror Dimension.

"Am I really going to starve to death in this place?"

Sorcerer Bru felt desolate. After finishing the last half-can of food, he pondered for a moment, then scraped the residue from the seams of the can with his fingers and licked it with relish. "Delicious."

"Bru?"

A faint female voice came from beside him, more heavenly than any melody. Sorcerer Bru trembled all over and hurriedly turned his head, only to see a bald woman in yellow robes watching him strangely.

"Sorcerer Supreme…" Sorcerer Bru’s eyes welled up. He stood there in a daze for over half a second, then began waving his arms in excitement and tossed aside the can as he rushed toward Master Gu Yi.

Smack!

The ground abruptly rose in a regular pattern, forming a wall. Sorcerer Bru slammed face-first into it.

"Look at the state you’re in. Go back and clean yourself up." Standing atop the wall, Master Gu Yi shook her head and lightly waved the air before her nose. Even from three meters away, she could still smell the stench coming from Bru.

Bru froze for a moment, then said anxiously, "Sorcerer Supreme, you have to seek justice for me! That Kyle, he stole… no, he robbed me of every magical artifact I had!"

"Who told you to provoke someone for no reason?"

Master Gu Yi’s indifferent words made Bru awkwardly rub his nose.

"Did he really use the Sling Ring to leave this place?" Master Gu Yi asked softly.

"That’s right, right in front of me. Sorcerer Supreme, you never said he was a sorcerer too." Bru hung his head in frustration. Of all people, why had he provoked that ruthless man?

"Of course he isn’t a sorcerer." Master Gu Yi’s gaze deepened as she said cryptically, "But after meeting you, perhaps he is now."

"What does that mean?" Bru looked at Master Gu Yi in surprise.

"It’s hard to explain. From now on, do not involve yourself in anything related to him."

Master Gu Yi did not wish to say more. Even after borrowing the power of the Dark Dimension and using the Eye of Agamotto, she still could not completely peer into Kyle’s true future timeline.

Yet no matter how many futures existed, even among millions of possibilities, that man could not escape the fate of leaving Earth. To her, that was a good thing.

If he could not return, all the disordered historical timelines should gradually return to normal.

If he could return, then it would no longer be something she, the Sorcerer Supreme, could control—

Because among countless endings, there was only one possibility in which Kyle could return to Earth.

Manor, second-floor master meeting room.

Kyle set down the detailed design plans for the new base, propped his chin on his hand, and muttered meaningfully, "Looks like Gu Yi has already taken that foolish sorcerer away."

Ever since obtaining those spell cards containing the profound principles of spatial teleportation, and with the first fixed portal he had recently attempted to create nearing completion, he had gained a vague yet concrete understanding of the Mirror Dimension and Earth’s spatial structure.

Come to think of it, given Master Gu Yi’s control over multidimensional space, she should have sensed long ago that Sorcerer Bru was trapped in the Mirror Dimension around New York. She had waited so long to retrieve him most likely because she wanted her subordinate to learn a lesson.

But why had Master Gu Yi not come looking for him?

Kyle had gained an enormous windfall in card-drawing from Bru and had initially mastered the spatial teleportation principles of sorcerers. He could hardly stop himself from coveting the cards on Master Gu Yi.

She was an old woman who had lived for centuries, constantly exploring the world and magical power. If he could draw something from Master Gu Yi—even a single Ability Card—his trip into space would be far more secure.

What a pity. If Master Gu Yi did not come to him, he could not exactly go straight to Kamar-Taj.

Little did Kyle know that Master Gu Yi was deliberately avoiding him. She did not want to become entangled in what the East called "karma," lest it lead to even more bizarre future possibilities.

Knock, knock, knock—

A knock at the door interrupted Kyle’s thoughts. After he gave permission, a plainly dressed young maid opened the door and entered with a file of forms in hand.

"Greetings, Patriarch!" The girl placed the file on the desk, then hurriedly lowered her head to stare at the floor, not daring to look Kyle directly in the eye.

"Interesting." Kyle looked over the documents and asked with mild interest, "You’re a maid who is a few years older than the children under consideration. You originally weren’t qualified to become a card disciple. I didn’t expect Logan and Natasha to recommend you."

"I work at the manor during the day and train on my own at night. Even if I’m a few years older, my potential is absolutely no worse than theirs," the girl said stubbornly.

"Why won’t you raise your head?" Kyle asked, looking at her.

"Because the Patriarch is not someone I can look directly at in my current state." The girl slightly raised her face, her eyes burning as she looked at Kyle as though she were gazing upon a true god.

At last, he understood why she had been exceptionally recommended to become a card disciple.

Kyle silently poked fun at it, but he did not question Logan and the others’ choice. Excessive loyalty to him and loyalty to the family essentially meant the same thing.

Following the procedure, he granted her Super Agent with a thought. A translucent blue card entered the girl’s body, immediately transforming her genes and physique.

The girl endured the searing pain throughout her body. Before long, she clearly felt her body continuously growing stronger. Once the transformation was completed within half a minute, the way she looked at Kyle became even more fervent and reverent.

"You may leave. Remember, from now on, you are a member of the Karl family." Kyle nodded lightly.

"Thank you, Patriarch." The new card disciple prostrated herself completely on the ground, able to express her total devotion only in this way.

Even Kyle did not yet understand that granting abilities not only eliminated steps such as injecting serums and achieving bodily compatibility, but also deeply branded every family member who received an ability, body and soul alike, with a supreme power like a divine miracle.