Chapter 135: One Possibility

Within a mirrored dimension overlapping the city where New York stands, imperceptible to ordinary senses, the urban streets stretched infinitely, distorting the towering buildings that lined them. Reflections of real vehicles and pedestrians flickered briefly before fading away like fleeting shadows.

A black man, clad only in baggy shorts and bare-chested, wandered aimlessly along the street. He clutched a bag containing half a can of food, his face gaunt and weathered well beyond his years.

“Gurgle—”

The mage Bruh clutched his hollowed stomach, glancing sorrowfully at the half-empty can. He sighed weakly and slumped down on the steps outside a shop.

Since Kyle had ransacked him, Bruh had been trapped here for two whole weeks. Without his suspended ring talisman—the key to unlocking the portal to extract magical energy—he was stripped of all spellcasting abilities.

To a mage, powerless without magic, he was little more than an ordinary man with slightly stronger willpower, trapped in a space far more desolate than the heart of any desert.

The mirrored dimension, constructed from molds of real-world scenes and objects yet entirely detached from reality, contained no native creatures. Food items existed but were inedible—no internal objects could be effectively used or carried out of this dimension.

“Am I truly doomed to perish here?”

A chill settled in Bruh’s heart as he finished the last half of the can. After a moment’s thought, he scraped out the remnants from the can’s crevices and licked them with relish. “Delicious.”

“Bruh?”

A soft female voice, surpassing even the most heavenly melody, came from beside him. Bruh trembled all over and turned his head to see a bald woman in a yellow robe watching him intently.

“Supreme Mage...” Bruh’s eyes welled with tears. He paused for half a second in daze before breaking into an ecstatic dance, tossing aside the can and rushing toward the ancient mage.

*Smack!*

Suddenly, the ground rose sharply, forming a wall that Bruh’s face slammed into.

“Look at you, a mess. Go back and clean yourself up,” the ancient mage atop the wall shook her head, lightly waving her hand before her nose. Even from three meters away, the stench emanating from Bruh was unmistakable.

Bruh froze, then said urgently, “Supreme Mage, you must help me seek justice. That Kyle—he stole—no, he robbed all my magical artifacts!”

“Who told you to provoke others for no reason?”

The ancient mage’s cold words made Bruh awkwardly rub his nose.

“Did he really leave here using the suspended ring?” the ancient mage asked softly.

“Yes, right before my eyes. Supreme Mage, you never said he was a mage too.” Bruh hung his head in despair, cursing his misfortune for tangling with such a ruthless man.

“Of course, he’s not a mage,” the ancient mage said, her eyes deep and mysterious. “But after encountering you, he might just become one.”

“What do you mean?” Bruh looked at her in surprise.

“It’s hard to explain. From now on, avoid anything related to him.”

Unwilling to say more, the ancient mage tapped into the power of the dark dimension, employing the Eye of Agamotto. Even so, she could not fully glimpse the real future involving Kyle.

No matter how many possibilities stretched into the millions, that man could not escape his fate to leave Earth—a fact that pleased her.

If he never returns, the chaotic timelines would gradually restore themselves.

If he does return, then it would be beyond the control of this Supreme Mage—

For among the countless outcomes, there was only one possibility for Kyle to come back to Earth.

...

In the manor’s second-floor master conference room.

Kyle placed down the detailed design plans for his new base, propping his chin on his hand as he murmured meaningfully, “It seems the ancient mage has already taken away that fool.”

Since acquiring several spell cards embodying the secrets of spatial magic, and nearing completion of his first fixed teleportation portal, Kyle had begun to grasp a vague yet concrete understanding of the mirrored dimension and Earth’s spatial structure.

Logically, with the ancient mage’s mastery over multidimensional space, she should have sensed Bruh trapped within the mirrored space overlaying New York long ago. The fact that she came so late suggested she wanted to teach her subordinates a lesson.

But why hadn’t she come directly to him?

Kyle had gained tremendous benefits from Bruh—initially grasping the secrets of spatial movement magic—and was undoubtedly envious of the cards the ancient mage possessed.

Having lived for centuries, endlessly exploring the world and magical forces, the ancient mage was a formidable immortal. If Kyle could obtain even one of her ability cards, his cosmic ventures would be far more assured.

Alas, the ancient mage did not come to him, and he could not simply go to Kamar-Taj.

What Kyle did not know was that the ancient mage was deliberately avoiding him, unwilling to be entangled in the so-called “karma” from the East, which could draw out even stranger future possibilities.

*Knock, knock, knock—*

A knock interrupted Kyle’s thoughts. After responding, a plainly dressed girl servant entered, carrying some documents.

“Greetings, Master!” She placed the files on the desk, then quickly lowered her gaze to the floor, avoiding direct eye contact.

“Interesting,” Kyle said, scanning the forms. “You’re a servant a few years older than the other candidates, so you weren’t supposed to qualify as a card disciple. Yet Logan and Natasha recommended you.”

“I do chores during the day and practice training at night. Even if I’m older, my potential isn’t inferior to theirs,” the girl said stubbornly.

“Why won’t you look up?” Kyle asked.

“Because you, Master, are not someone I can look at directly,” she said, lifting her face slightly. Her eyes burned with fervor, as if gazing upon a true deity.

Now he understood why she had been exceptionally recommended.

Kyle inwardly scoffed but did not question Logan and the others’ choices. Their loyalty to him was, without doubt, loyalty to the family.

Following protocol, he willed the “Super Agent” card to her—a translucent blue card that merged into her body, instantly altering her genes and physique.

The girl endured searing pain throughout her body but soon felt her strength increasing. Within half a minute, the transformation completed, and her gaze toward Kyle grew even more fervent and reverent.

“You may leave now. Remember, from this moment on, you are a member of the Karl family,” Kyle said with a slight nod.

“Thank you, Master,” the new card disciple knelt fully on the ground, expressing her absolute loyalty.

Even Kyle had yet to realize that granting abilities not only saved the steps of potion injections and bodily adaptation but also imprinted a miraculous, supreme power deep within the mind and body of every family member who received such power.