Over the past several days, Henry had been immersed in studying the Complete Collection of the Supreme Being, and one thing was becoming increasingly clear—he wasn't just talented at magic.
He was extraordinarily talented.
He'd found that as long as he read through a spell once or twice, he could understand the theory almost immediately. With a bit of practice, he could cast it. At first, he thought maybe the book was just well-written. But when he compared his progress to what the Ancient One had hinted at, he began to realize: this wasn't normal.
This was a gift.
At the beginning, his portal spells were clumsy, often opening sideways or leading to slightly wrong locations. But now, just a few days later, he could create clean, circular portals without error—every single time.
That's why, when Mordo arrived with a gift from the Ancient One, Henry was surprised.
"A Sling Ring?" he asked, holding up the glowing band of etched brass.
Mordo nodded. "The Supreme Mage sent it. She figured you might need it."
Henry took the ring and slipped it onto his hand. Instantly, he felt the difference.
Before, channeling energy required intense focus. His mind had to be perfectly clear, his will sharply directed. But now—now it was like his thoughts aligned effortlessly. The Sling Ring magnified his intent and focus, grounding him like an anchor.
"What a treasure," he muttered under his breath.
If he'd had this from the start, who knew how fast he would've progressed?
"This ring," Mordo explained, "is more than a focus tool. It allows us to perform precise cross-dimensional teleportation and enhances magical control. Most apprentices don't truly begin advanced training until they've mastered using it."
Henry nodded, already sensing how much easier the flow of energy had become.
"Thanks for delivering it," he said genuinely.
Mordo smiled politely. "Not a problem. I'm Mordo—disciple of the Ancient One, Archmage of Kamar-Taj. I suppose, in a way, you're part of the order now as well."
"Nice to officially meet you," Henry replied. "Though I'm surprised the Supreme Mage didn't just give this to me herself when we met."
That, more than anything, had puzzled him. The Ancient One had appeared in person, handed him one of the most important magic books ever written… and then left. No Sling Ring. No staff. No formal invitation to train at Kamar-Taj.
"She had her reasons," Mordo said cryptically. Then, as if reading Henry's thoughts, he added, "Do you know where you sent Obadiah?"
Henry blinked. "Obadiah?"
Mordo nodded. "Yes. A portal opened in Kamar-Taj not long ago. It dropped a man—angry, loud, in a mechanical suit—directly into the main hall."
Henry's jaw dropped. "Wait. You're telling me... that portal I opened—that one—it sent him to Kamar-Taj?!"
Mordo's eyes twinkled slightly. "He called the Supreme Mage a bald old man and tried to attack her."
Henry winced. "Yikes. That's... bold."
"Indeed. So she separated his soul from his body and exiled it into the multiverse."
There was a brief silence as Henry digested that.
Then: "...Okay, note to self: never insult the Ancient One."
Mordo smiled again.
Henry hesitated. "So… he's just out there now? Floating through the multiverse?"
"Most likely confused. Possibly terrified. And definitely not coming back anytime soon."
Henry scratched his head. "I genuinely wasn't trying to send him to your doorstep. I didn't even know where the portal was going. I thought it was my villa."
"That's understandable," Mordo replied. "The Supreme Mage told me you'd only been learning for a few days and didn't yet have a Sling Ring. Misfires like that are to be expected. Still, she said your progress is exceptional."
Henry shrugged, trying to play it cool. "I've just been practicing a lot."
Mordo raised an eyebrow. "How long exactly?"
"A few days."
Another pause.
Mordo blinked. "A few days?"
"...Yeah."
The archmage stared at him, stunned. "You've mastered portal magic—in days?"
"I mean… I've still got a lot to learn," Henry added quickly.
Mordo shook his head, both impressed and slightly unnerved. "That's not just talent. That's something else."
"Luck, maybe?" Henry offered, half-joking.
Mordo tilted his head. "You're saying all this comes from luck?"
Henry smirked. "I don't know. Things just keep falling into place for me. Tony Stark's cave. The Ancient One showing up. That magic book. Now you."
He paused, then added, "I'm not saying I'm only lucky—but it's definitely been helping."
Mordo stared at him for a long moment, then laughed softly. "If that's the case, then you must be one of the luckiest mages alive."
Henry nodded solemnly. "That checks out."
With his delivery complete, Mordo stepped back. "If anything changes, or if you need help, come to Kamar-Taj. We'll be watching your progress."
"Wait," Henry called before he left. "Aren't you supposed to bring me back to train?"
Mordo shook his head. "Not yet. The Supreme Mage wants you to finish reading the Complete Collection and experience the world first. She believes field experience will serve you better at this stage."
Henry nodded slowly. "Makes sense."
"And," Mordo added as he opened his own portal, "you're doing fine without us. For now."
He stepped through and vanished in a swirl of golden light.
Henry stared at the empty doorway for a moment.
"Released into the wild, huh?"
With the Sling Ring on and a renewed sense of focus, Henry dove straight back into his training.
Teleportation? Mastered.
Shield magic? Stable.
Energy projection? Tricky, but coming along.
By now, he could cycle through a dozen different spells with moderate control. Even better, the Sling Ring seemed to not only help with focus, but somehow accelerated his learning curve.
No wonder it's a staple tool at Kamar-Taj, he thought.
And then, sometime after midnight, he turned the page to a new section: Multi-dimensional defense techniques.
That's when the doorbell rang.
Groggy and slightly annoyed, Henry shuffled to the door and opened it.
Standing there, full of energy and grinning like a game show host, was none other than Tony Stark.
"Good morning, sunshine!" Tony said cheerfully. "Hope you slept well—because I have news!"
Henry rubbed his eyes. "Do you always show up this early?"
"Early? It's past ten," Tony said, strolling into the villa like he owned the place. "Anyway, you're famous now."
Henry blinked. "What?"
Tony spun around and held up a rolled newspaper. On the front page, bold letters read:
IRON MAN VS. MYSTERIOUS MAN – CITY-SAVING HEROES EMERGE!
Henry's jaw dropped. Beneath the headline was a grainy photo of him mid-portal, with Tony in the background launching a repulsor blast.
"You named yourself Iron Man?" Henry asked.
Tony raised his chin. "No, the press did. But I'm not complaining. It's catchy, don't you think?"
Henry shook his head, laughing. "So now we're the next superhero duo?"
Tony smirked. "I don't know about duo, but you definitely turned some heads. You're a mystery, and people love a mystery. Personally, I think 'Mysterious Mage' has a nice ring to it."
Henry sighed. "Please don't start branding me."
"Too late. The merch is already in development."
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