The Wanderer - 231 (Patreon)

Chapter 231 – Omnituens

[2009 – October]

Following behind a red-robed female apprentice through the quiet and rustic halls of Kamar-Taj, I subconsciously played with the stone ring on my right index finger, making it rotate slowly as I pondered about what I should cook for dinner.

I knew that Jean loved pasta in all forms and variants while Laura preferred meat dishes even though she didn't truly have any preferences, she might not necessarily enjoy a hearty salad but she would also never think to act spoiled and waste food.

Still, since we had pasta two days ago, I thought about making pizza to use up a few leftover veggies. It would also make for a fun evening for the three of us to bake some pizza together.

Smiling faintly as I thought of this, we eventually arrived in front of closed dark-wooden double doors.

The young brunette apprentice knocked twice before opening one of the doors and entering without waiting for a reply. She gestured for me to follow as she stepped into the room, which I did while sensing not only the Ancient One's presence inside the room but also a second unfamiliar presence.

To be honest though, the term 'room' wasn't really adequate when describing the large hall with ornamental carvings on the marble pillars and the polished stone floor.

There were some potted plants hanging off hand-forged hooks at the side of the pillars while the two sides of the hall didn't have any walls, but just beautifully crafted wooden blinds with rhombus-shaped finger-sized holes, which allowed rays of sunlight to illuminate the large hall.

In the middle of the hall was a short but wide table with large seat cushions around it, which was also where I spotted the Ancient One as well as a long-haired middle-aged man with a rather unique goatee that reminded me of the ancient style that had been popular in China.

It was a long but carefully groomed beard that was limited to the areas around the lips and chin while the sharp jawline of the man was shaved and perfectly visible.

"Elijah Frost has arrived, Ancient One.", the red-clothed apprentice neared the table before cupping her fists and bowing lightly, her demeanor respectful yet not submissive.

It was clear that the young mystic respected the Sorcerer Supreme immensely but not to the point of foregoing her own dignity.

I watched this display with curious eyes as I thought about the difference between this scene and ancient times, where a lack of subservience in one's attitude around a person with power and authority might very well lead to one's demise.

It was clear that modern values and ethics had a huge impact on traditional customs around the world as normal people were rather insistent on protecting their own dignity. At least in most situations, this was the case in the western hemisphere.

I wasn't sure how it was in the East but I had the faint suspicion that the hierarchical structures of society in those parts of the world were a bit more rigid and 'old-fashioned'.

Naturally, all this was just an observation on a surface level as the actual situation was the same in all countries. Climbing to a position of true power was simply an impossible task for ordinary people.

It sounded pessimistic but this was just the harsh truth of reality, nothing more, nothing less. Not that I particularly cared about the injustice of this unfairness. Life wasn't fair in the first place, absolute power being the only guarantor of true freedom.

My musings were interrupted as the Ancient One turned around and spoke up.

"Thank you, Talia.", she said serenely, the dismissal clear in her voice, before turning her gaze to me and smiling faintly, "I am glad that you could make it, Elijah."

Having excused herself silently with another light bow, the apprentice left as I answered: "I had some time and I wouldn't want to miss out on a good cup of tea, Ancient One."

Her smile widening imperceptibly, the powerful sorceress gestured at a seat cushion to her left that would have me sit opposite of the middle-aged man, she invited: "Please, take a seat."

I nodded as I followed her invitation, my gaze fixed on the long-haired man.

My Extraordinary Perception gave no hints to his power or capabilities as he seemed to be just an ordinary human to my senses but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was no ordinary man or human for that matter.

The reason for that assumption was simple as the man was invisible to my left eye, which I had covered in an ethereal barrier that 'protected me from seeing anyone that was weaker than the Ancient One'.

It was a rather complicated yet straightforward concept to imbue in a barrier and I felt significant pressure on my mind when I looked at the man, or rather, when I did not see the man.

This made it obvious that despite my physical and metaphysical senses being those of a Realm Lord, the man opposite of me had the capabilities to shield himself from my perception.

My barriers though were a power that could warp reality itself to align it with the concept imbued in it and could not be fooled so easily, provided that I had the strength to use them to this extent.

In a way, my powers of shield creation and manipulation were without a doubt more versatile and important than my powers as a Realm Lord of the Darkforce Dimension, which could be seen when considering the fact that it was only through them that I knew that I wasn't facing an ordinary being by any means.

The pressure on my mind, which wasn't too severe considering my immeasurable mental strength as a higher being, was most certainly colossal when compared to the insignificant strain that I would normally feel by using my barriers. This gave me an inkling of how powerful the other party's concealment methods were.

No human or mortal being could cause me to feel this much pressure without the assistance of a transcendental object like an Infinity Stone.

Still, the reason why I had even used such a barrier in the first place was nothing but a 'fluke', as if I had simply done it in the spur of the moment, knowing there was no downside to it.

It seemed strange and concerning but I knew that this was the instinct of a higher lifeform, an intuition that signified that my existence had become more attuned to the shifts in fate and altercation in reality.

It was a type of subconscious awareness that might one day evolve into a cosmic perception that would allow me to see past time and space, even reality itself.

I didn't say anything though, nor did I react in any way to what I had uncovered, even though my curiosity was roused and my caution raised as guesses formed in my mind.

“Let me introduce you.”, the Ancient One voiced out as soon as I had taken my seat, gesturing to the man as she continued calmly, “This is Master Omnituens, an ally of Kamar-Taj.”

I had to give it to the Ancient One, she was a master at concealing her own emotions, but as good as she was, she was still mortal and had not taken the step to become a higher existence even though it lay in the realm of possibility for her.

But while it was less obvious what she was thinking and feeling than when I had met Selene, I could sense a faint tension and hints of helpless chagrin in her words, body language, and presence.

What's more, the moment she said the word 'Omnituens', I knew exactly who the man that was currently looking at me with a playful smile was.

Agamotto, the All Seeing.

[A/N: For those of you who are not well-versed in the Latin language(myself definitely included), 'omnituens' is Latin for 'all-seeing'.

Also, it's time for Elijah to think about his next steps on his way to become the most powerful being in existence, which is a rather steep climb to be honest. But there is definitely a path that he can take as a mutant and as a Realm Lord.

In the coming chapters, there will be some information about that for all those who were wondering if and how he will get more powerful because in truth, he is but an ant in front of existences like The Phoenix or Eternity, including the Vishanti and others.

The reason for that is rather simple since Elijah might be a singularity but he 'lives' in only one timeline, a.k.a. only a single altercation of reality. In front of Multiversal-beings, that's makes him much weaker.

Still, there is a remedy for that *GRIN* !]