My family runs an adventurer's guild.

Phil remained unconvinced, “...Weapons with far greater power than magic and capable of destroying the world are already countless on Earth today, yet human civilization continues to thrive. This shows that they have enough rationality and coordination mechanisms to avoid devastating disasters.”

Even if governments around the world possess the power of magic, would they suddenly become stupid and all be eager to destroy the world and their own future?

Moreover, it seems you didn't stop the development of nuclear weapons during World War II... uh, no, it was precisely the terror of nuclear weapons that brought about a long period of peace. Otherwise, on Earth today, let alone World War III, we might already be at the end of World War IV or V!

"...Therefore, the claim that mortals are not ready to enter the magical age is nothing but a selfish excuse, and a despicable act that is irresponsible to both magic and the Earth. Because any group needs a large enough base to maintain reproduction and inheritance, and even to grow and thrive."

If the use of magic is always confined to a small group, and their energy is wasted on concealing magical secrets and improving their individual strength, then the Earth magic system you've created will be lucky to avoid being lost; how can it possibly progress or develop?

Miss Silver Dragon Lulutia pouted, "...Since your disciples are not doing well in researching magic and defending against foreign enemies, and you are basically the only one protecting the earth, why not let more ordinary people participate?"

Or are you saying you'd rather let the world perish in chaos and confusion, just to monopolize the benefits of magic until the very last moment?

"...I never imagined you would view Kamar-Taj this way...But we really aren't that selfish."

Master Gu Yi shook her head with a wry smile, "...Otherwise, I should have led my disciples in to storm in and massacre this place while you were negotiating with the UN officials, as a warning to mortals who dared to dabble in magic, just like the DuPont Corporation blew up their competitors."

"...I understand, and that's why we dare to visit this world with goodwill. If the Sorcerer Supreme who protects Earth were not a person of high moral character and enlightened thinking like you, but rather a greedy, violent, and domineering individual, we probably wouldn't have dared to come to Earth at all."

Since the Ancient One had shown a friendly attitude, Phil also took the opportunity to flatter her.

“…Thank you very much for your trust. Indeed, I have always believed that Kamar-Taj should be the guardian of the mystical side of Earth, not the exploiter who monopolizes all the magic on Earth—in fact, we have no way to monopolize magic, there are simply too many spellcasters in this world to manage.”

The Ancient One reiterated her stance, "...If spreading magic to ordinary people is beneficial to protecting the Earth, I would never commit crimes that harm the world just to maintain my disciples' extraordinary status. But, do governments around the world truly deserve the power of magic?"

As far as I know, the vast majority of people who become leaders of a country are not compassionate or kind-hearted individuals…

"...Master Ancient One, are you perhaps worried that a tyrannical government will use magic to suppress civilians? But even without magic, wouldn't those tyrants use machine guns and poison gas to kill people? How many have they killed throughout history? Furthermore, while many tyrannical rulers certainly have blood on their hands, without their violent suppression, many deeply conflicted countries simply wouldn't have the capacity to maintain peace and order—the worst order is better than no order at all, and even the worst government is usually better than complete anarchy!"

Many countries, after overthrowing dictators and gaining freedom, have immediately fallen into a prolonged vortex of tribal warfare and religious genocide, resulting in deaths many times greater! There seem to be several precedents in the Middle East of countries that have been propelled into the abyss of destruction by morality and goodwill.

Phil curled his lip. "...In fact, those seemingly ruthless and evil warlords, because they directly get their hands dirty with blood and kill people, are already at a lower level. But those well-dressed financiers on Wall Street are the real killers—the ones who kill without shedding blood and devour people without spitting out the bones!"

As for why we should cooperate with governments… such a significant matter involving exchanges between two worlds, and without any shady conspiracies, why wouldn't we seek out governments and international organizations that are relatively mindful of their image and reputation, instead of those unreliable non-governmental organizations?”

"...Master Ancient One, you are concerned that our interactions with ordinary Earthlings, and the resulting spread of magic, will create new conflicts and crises on Earth. I cannot completely deny this, nor can I guarantee anything to you. However, everything carries risks, but if we simply avoid taking risks because we are afraid of them, we will never succeed. For example, we do not know whether Earth's socio-economic knowledge and science and technology are applicable to our country, or whether they will cause any adverse consequences."

Miss Silver Dragon Lulutia added, "...but our king approved this diplomatic mission without hesitation, because knowledge is never too much, whether it's useful or not. Even if it's not suitable for use, it can at least serve as a reference. Only the most cowardly, wicked, and despicable leaders would fear their subordinates being too clever—no matter where you are, the strategy of keeping the people ignorant is a derogatory term..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

After further negotiations and discussions, Phil and Lulutia finally reached a preliminary consensus with the Ancient One.

—The Earth-native sorcerer organization called "Kamar-Taj" will, under the constraints of the Ancient One, tacitly allow the Golden Dragon Kingdom to teach otherworldly magic to ordinary Earthlings. However, Kamar-Taj does not intend to immediately change its reclusive and secluded attitude.

Therefore, unless the Ancient One agrees, the Golden Dragon Kingdom cannot disclose any information about Kamar-Taj to ordinary people around the world. Furthermore, they can no longer use the New York Temple on Blick Street as a landing point without authorization; they must find another way…

So, the next morning, construction began on a small temple to the god of sleep in the courtyard of Xavier Castle.

Chapter 223, The Incomplete Black Widow Can't Learn Magic

Westchester County, New York

In late spring, the sky was clear and blue.

The azure sky was cloudless, as clear as blue crystal. Maple, birch and oak trees formed a rolling sea of ​​trees. A gentle breeze rustled through the canopy, making the leaves sway and produce a pleasant sound, like a gently rippling green ocean.

Nestled in this lush, clean-air forest, stands the ancient and majestic Xavier Castle.

Behind an open French window, an orange cat is lazily lying on the oak floor, basking in the sun.

The weather at the turn of spring and summer is generally the best for cats. It's warm but not too hot, with just the right amount of humidity. Lying in the afternoon sun like this and taking a comfortable nap is a pleasure that even humans would find enjoyable, let alone cats.

However, for Phil, the cat, there are always people who will disturb his indispensable leisurely afternoon nap.

Before Phil could even wake up naturally, a beautiful woman came over and picked up the drowsy cat.

Disturbed from his sleep, Firi instinctively let out a disgruntled meow and stretched out his limbs in protest. But Black Widow Natasha seized the opportunity, grabbing his paw and gently pressing down on his paw pads, while her other hand skillfully scratched Firi's neck…

With her expert cat-petting skills, Scarlett Johansson easily quelled Phil's resentment, forcing him to open his eyes with some annoyance.

"...Speak, Miss Natasha, what brings you here today, meow? It's not about magic again, is it?"

"...Yeah! Look, Steve can already cast spells, but other people can't feel it at all. That's so unfair!"

As she spoke, Scarlett Johansson held Ferry, who was in cat form, in her arms, while she herself sat sideways on the marble railing outside the French windows.

Looking out from the floor-to-ceiling windows, you can see a vast lawn with a row of meticulously manicured oak trees planted along the edge.

At the end of the lawn stands a newly built miniature ancient Greek-style temple, with white marble columns and intricate reliefs. A bronze statue of Dormouse Momo holding a pillow stands outside the temple, gazing at the landscape of the earth with her sleepy eyes.

—Although Earth has not yet officially approved the Church of Hypnos's public missionary work, three miniature temples of Hypnos, which serve as landing sites for visitors from another world, have already broken ground in New York, Hong Kong, and London, and have been completed one after another.

Then, seemingly as a trial run, and with the deliberate indulgence of the relevant departments, the teachings of the Sleep Goddess Mengmeng, along with introductory textbooks on otherworldly magic, spread on the internet and attracted many enthusiastic fans around the world.

At the night market stalls, there were even standard images of the Sleeping God that could be used as phone charms, available in everything from metal to plastic.

At this moment, Captain America, Steve Rogers, the "righteous man of God," was squatting under the shade of a tree outside the temple, repeatedly tossing a bright white ball of light as if performing a juggling act. Sometimes he would turn the ball into an S shape, and sometimes into a B shape, making the children watching cheer and jump for joy.

—Although this is just a basic level zero trick called Flash, the fact that he was able to learn it in just a few days is enough to prove Captain America Steve's extraordinary physical and mental aptitude... In comparison, Black Widow Natasha can't even enter a meditative state.

“…There’s nothing we can do about it! If you’re not good enough, you’re not good enough. Not everyone is suited to practicing magic. Even in our world, magic is only the privilege of a few. Moreover, the quality of magical aptitude depends on the strength of the soul. A healthy soul comes from a healthy body, but your body…” Phil sighed, reaching out a paw to pat Black Widow’s belly, everything understood without words.

—As a super female spy trained by the former Soviet Union, Black Widow Natasha's fertility was destroyed before she even completed her mission, making it impossible for her to have children of her own, so that she could carry out the "Swallow" mission and obtain intelligence by sleeping with targets... Even though various coincidences later gave Black Widow a long life and eternal youth, her reproductive organs were never repaired.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so bold as to sleep with the Hulk—otherwise, who knows what kind of monster would have been born!

In short, this flaw haunted her for the rest of her life and even became one of the important reasons for Scarlett Johansson's defection to the United States.

Therefore, although Scarlett Johansson appears to be beautiful and hot, she is actually riddled with wounds both physically and mentally, making her completely unsuitable for practicing magic.

Even a necromancer with a somewhat grotesque appearance needs to be healthy and agile when first starting out; otherwise, they might not even be able to find the feeling for magic. And even if they manage to get the basics down, how can they withstand the long-term erosion of negative energy in the days to come?

Those necromancers who were too physically weak often died of illness before they could transform themselves into undead.

Conversely, Captain America, injected with the Super Soldier Serum, possesses a body that is practically at the limit of human strength, a sunny disposition, a brilliant mind, abundant energy, and an excellent memory... These are not only the qualities of a super soldier, but also the qualifications to become an excellent magician!

So, after receiving the introductory magic apprentice textbook translated by Phil, Captain America learned meditation in just one day, threw fireballs in three days, and then learned water balloons and flash spells... Now he can even be a magic teacher and teach children!

Meanwhile, Black Widow Natasha made no progress whatsoever, and couldn't even sense the presence of magic, only able to watch Captain America with envy.

So, the unwilling Black Widow kept pestering Phil, wanting him to come up with a solution—the Silver Dragon Miss Lulutia had gone to Hong Kong to oversee the construction of the second Temple of Hypnos on Earth; and the newly arrived official envoy, Princess Catherine the Golden Dragon, was always accompanied by a group of important figures and journalists, so only Phil could be bothered a little.

But what can Phily do in the face of such fundamental flaws and lack of talent?

He didn't have any magic pills or remedies to cleanse Natasha's body and bones!

So, after Phil spoke the truth and touched on Black Widow's most painful memory, Black Widow was spectacularly enraged.

And they decided to punish this unfunny kitten.

Of course, plucking hair would be too basic. The main reason is that Scarlett Johansson already has a lot of Phil's cat hair.

So, this time, Black Widow Natasha chose to quietly grab Phily's cat tail and then pinch it hard!

In an instant, the cat Firi was caught completely off guard and experienced a pain that was... unbearable!

"...Meow—"

Chapter 224, The Sudden Arrival of the Magical Age

In short, after reaching a preliminary compromise and understanding with the Ancient One, who controlled the portal from another world to Earth, Feli the cat transcribed the basic textbook for magic apprentices in the fantasy world—"How to Meditate and Feel Magic"—and translated it into the languages ​​of various major countries on Earth. Then, he asked Captain America and Black Widow to pass it on to the "relevant departments".

Faced with this "magical manual," the leaders of the World Security Council were initially overjoyed, intending to keep it a secret and secretly practice it with a group of trusted confidants. However, after organizing a group of soldiers and agents to try meditation for a few days, apart from Captain America Steve Rogers who learned it immediately, the others couldn't even sense the presence of magic! Let alone cast any spells!

When asked about this, Phili and Lulutia shrugged, indicating she couldn't help either—for short-lived species like humans, learning magic is inherently a very difficult skill to master. Even in the Golden Dragon Kingdom of the fantasy world, the proportion of ordinary humans with an affinity for magic is less than one in a hundred. And in the Marvel universe, where the magical atmosphere is even scarcer, finding two or three suitable individuals out of ten thousand is considered good!

Those who have absolutely no magical talent will basically not be able to learn even if taught by a Grand Magus.

Just like in the world of martial arts, even if a random passerby accidentally obtains a secret manual, they can't master unparalleled skills as quickly as the protagonist.

Finally, the group of big shots had no choice but to publish the meditation method on the internet, allowing magic enthusiasts around the world to practice together. They then offered generous rewards to recruit those who could sense magic.

In any case, the publicly available magic books online, apart from sections on how to sense magical power and enter meditation, only contain one practically harmless spell, "Flash," used to verify whether a practitioner has mastered magic. Those self-taught "magic apprentices," unless officially recruited, can't even throw a small fireball and naturally pose no threat to society.

Of course, if someone is exceptionally gifted and uses only a few publicly available magic textbooks to deduce various offensive spells to disrupt public order and endanger society... then they can only take that risk. After all, the Marvel universe is full of all sorts of superpowered criminals.

What do you think S.H.I.E.L.D. does? If they can't even suppress this kind of magical rookie, how can S.H.I.E.L.D. justify its huge annual budget?

In short, through this method, the US government finally recruited more than 30 apprentices who could sense magic and enter a meditative state within half a month. They were then uniformly arranged to go to the United Nations temporary headquarters at Xavier Castle, where the visitors from other worlds were staying, for the next stage of magical study.

It's worth noting that two-thirds of the first batch of qualified apprentices recruited by the US government were upper elementary and middle school students—no wonder, given the current extremely liberal atmosphere in major American cities, with rampant materialism from top to bottom. Whether boys or girls, it's common for them to start smoking, drinking, getting tattoos, using drugs, and even engaging in promiscuous sex with members of the same or opposite sex to the point of kidney failure and contracting sexually transmitted diseases…

Indeed, upon reaching adulthood, those who have failed in life continue to drink and use drugs to relieve stress. However, some of those who are more successful tend to tone it down a bit, even focusing on fitness and exercise, appearing quite robust on the surface. But their bodies have actually harbored various hidden problems from those "wild years," naturally failing to meet the physical standards for becoming a magic apprentice.

Of course, there are also many socially awkward otaku who don't know how to have fun—or rather, others don't want to include them in their activities. But these otaku spend their days playing games and watching anime, and then guzzle sugary drinks, so naturally, their bodies aren't very healthy.

Therefore, only those children who are half-grown up are generally healthy and pure, and their minds are also quite sharp—younger children have the problem of insufficient education, and generally cannot understand complex magic models, so it is also difficult for them to become magic apprentices.

As for the rural people who are engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry, although they are more self-disciplined than city dwellers, they don't go online much, yet they are particularly devout in their religion. Christian pastors and priests, on the other hand, naturally despise and slander the otherworldly god of sleep and magic that are trying to take away their livelihoods. Therefore, very few American farmers downloaded basic magic books from the internet, and even fewer were able to successfully cultivate them.

Especially the most disciplined Amish (Anabaptist Mennonite Protestants), who refuse to use cars or appliances, let alone the internet, relying solely on horse-drawn carriages for transportation, and insisting on living an 18th-century lifestyle... Many of them don't even know about the Battle of New York!

In addition, the United States has a highly urbanized population, and there are very few people living in rural areas. Therefore, among the first batch of more than thirty magic apprentices recruited by the US government, only two came from rural areas, one of whom was a minor...

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

However, regardless of the circumstances, the first batch of qualified magic apprentices were finally selected and recruited by the federal government to New York with high salaries and generous benefits. They will continue their magical training and studies at Xavier's Castle.

—According to the plans of the White House and the Pentagon, once the United Nations building is repaired and the UN headquarters moves back to Manhattan, the US government will use the land of Xavier Castle to build the first legal magic school on Earth.

What? You're saying that Kamar-Taj already existed in Nepal, South Asia, more than two hundred years ago? What the hell! An illegal organization like Kamar-Taj, without official records, government permission, or any legal standing, should have been banned long ago in the eyes of politicians! If they could find a suitable location, S.H.I.E.L.D. would have already disbanded this illegal organization and confiscated (robbed) its magical items and spellbooks!

The UK and China, possessing two other major magical nodes on Earth, were quite envious, expressing their desire to establish their own magic schools. Meanwhile, magic enthusiasts in the public sphere had already begun converting yoga classes into magic study groups…

In addition, the belief in the god of sleep has become a global trend, with people everywhere using 3D printers to create statues and emblems of the god of sleep, and then sealing themselves in blankets, sleeping bags, and kotatsu all day long... The doctrine of the god of sleep is to sleep as much as possible!

Especially those from Hong Kong and Japan who run capsule hotels were pleasantly surprised to find that their establishments seemed quite similar to the temple of the god of sleep. So, these capsule hotel owners used this as a gimmick to attract customers, placing statues of the god of sleep at the entrance and providing guests with Dormouse-themed pillows and pajamas… If they weren't afraid of divine punishment for blasphemy, these owners might even have proclaimed themselves priests of the god of sleep!

The dormice, which was originally ignored, suddenly became the sacred animal of the Church of Sleep, and its price in the pet market soared.

On the other hand, after the Golden Dragon Kingdom generously provided magic, the countries of Earth also had to find a way to solve His Majesty the Dragon King's predicament...

Chapter 225, Is this a magical medieval version of the United States of America?

In a hall temporarily cleared out in Xavier Castle, dozens of humanities experts and professors from all over the world were pointing and discussing around a huge table. On the table was a sand table map of the Golden Dragon Kingdom and its surrounding areas.

—To the east of the map lies the vast, boundless blue sea, and to the west lies the equally vast, wild new continent.

As the dividing line between land and sea, a huge cliff, almost perpendicular to the sea surface and thousands of meters high, rises abruptly at the junction of land and sea. When viewed from the seaside, it looks like a copper wall and iron barrier thousands of meters high standing on the coast.

This great cliff stretches from the far north ice sheet all the way to the southernmost tip of the New World, severely hindering Old World explorers and colonists from venturing further into the New World's interior. Only a few passes allow travelers to cross from the coastal areas and then venture into the inland Westfall.

Fortunately, between the Great Cliff and the sea, there were scattered, unconnected coastal lowlands that provided footholds for colonists arriving by sea. Each of the immigrant nations of the New World chose a small, isolated, flat coastal area between the Great Cliff and the ocean to build a port and establish a foothold, laying the initial foundation before gradually expanding over hundreds of years, eventually scaling the Great Cliff and advancing inland.

The three main immigrant nations currently scattered along the eastern coast of the New World all have their capitals located at port outposts or offshore islands at the foot of the Great Cliff.

Of the three kingdoms on the eastern coast of the New World, the northern one is the Lighthouse Federation, a noble republic dominated by humans, consisting of a series of islands and capes surrounding the bay; the middle one is the Golden Dragon Kingdom, ruled by the Dragon King, with the fertile Golden Dragon Peninsula as its core; and the southern one is the Green Forest Kingdom, ruled by elves, whose core territory is Green Forest Island, separated from the mainland by a strait, although in recent years the royal court has been moved to the mainland.

To the north of the Lighthouse Federation, there are some independent small tribes, kingdoms, and autonomous city-states. However, these so-called kingdoms, tribes, and city-states usually only have a few hundred to a few thousand people, and they often rise and fall quickly. Their military strength and economic size are negligible.

Then, on the vast ocean between the New World and the Old World, there is a broken and rugged mermaid archipelago with many good harbors. As a transit point for maritime traffic between the two continents, all ships traveling between the New World and the Old World must rest and resupply here.

However, precisely because of the islands' strategic location as a transportation hub in the middle of the ocean, countries from both the New World and the Old World established proxies here, resulting in the Mermaid Islands remaining merely a geographical concept. The islands were home to numerous city-states, each with its own independent power, and a unified regime never emerged.

On the other hand, due to the barrier of the vast ocean, it was almost impossible for the countries of the Old World to send a large army to conquer the New World.

Therefore, the Golden Dragon Kingdom can develop peacefully in the new continent without worrying about powerful foreign nations; it only needs to compete with its neighbors.

The above describes the external environment of the Golden Dragon Kingdom. Internally, however, it operates under a typical medieval feudal system. King Alaric of the Golden Dragon Kingdom controls only the capital city of Thousand Sails, with a population of 300,000, and a few of the richest royal territories. He also nominally governs the border settlements west of the Great Cliff. The remaining land is distributed among various noble lords, churches of the gods, autonomous town communes, and independent tribes that submit to His Majesty the Dragon King… Therefore, every year, countless disputes and even armed conflicts erupt over water resources, minerals, timber, and territorial inheritance.

For King Alaric, serving as a judge to mediate these conflicts was one of the most important daily tasks for him and the entire royal court.

"...This kingdom's social system is a coexistence of feudalism and slavery, and its economy is based on both feudal manors and overseas trade. At the same time, the country is also carrying out a large-scale westward movement, constantly sending armed immigrant groups to climb the Great Cliff, leave the coast, go deep inland, and cultivate the western wilderness behind the Great Cliff... It's practically a magical medieval version of the Confederate States of America!" a history professor commented.

(The Confederate States of America, the official name of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.)

"...Moreover, to the north of this Golden Dragon Kingdom, there is also a more populous nation called the Beacon Federation, which looks similar to the Northern Federation."

Another professor curled his lip, "...Furthermore, the Lighthouse Federation in the north not only possesses relatively advanced alchemy technology and handicrafts, but is also a major rival to the Golden Dragon Kingdom in the struggle for hegemony over the Western Wilderness and the New World. According to Princess Catherine, in the past ten years, the Lighthouse Federation has had more than twenty small-scale armed conflicts with the Golden Dragon Kingdom. However, due to the vast and sparsely populated border area between the two countries, neither side can mobilize many troops, so the scale of the battles is pitifully small, more like a brawl between adventurer groups."

"...In general, the population of the Lighthouse Federation is more than twice that of the Golden Dragon Kingdom, at approximately six million. The Golden Dragon Kingdom, on the other hand, has only three million people. Furthermore, the citizens of the Lighthouse Federation are predominantly human, making them relatively easier to manage, unlike the more mixed and diverse population of the Golden Dragon Kingdom's subjects."

However, since its establishment, the Lighthouse Federation has been internally unstable and frequently turbulent, experiencing more than twenty civil wars and military coups within a hundred years, and often splitting and disintegrating. Therefore, in the strategic game on the New World, the Lighthouse Federation has been firmly suppressed by the Golden Dragon Kingdom.

An expert who had just finished studying the materials said, "...but as long as the Lighthouse Federation can stabilize, the Golden Dragon Kingdom will feel the pressure."

"...So, a relatively united and powerful South and a fragmented and weak North, separated by a vast wilderness?"

The convener of this discussion, Alexander Pierce, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., the public representative of the World Security Council and the behind-the-scenes boss of Hydra, was intently looking at the sandbox map of a new fantasy world in the center of the table, while pondering, "...So, what about the Green Forest Kingdom south of the Golden Dragon Kingdom? A fantasy version of Mexico?"

"...Well, to be honest, this Green Forest Kingdom ruled by elves is indeed somewhat similar to Mexico in its early days of independence."

One person answered, "...because elves are more adapted to the wilderness and forest environment than humans, dwarves, and orcs, the Green Forest Kingdom was the first among the various colonies in the New World to expand its territory into the forests atop the Great Cliffs and establish settlements in the Western Wilderness. Even now, the Green Forest Kingdom's theoretical territory is the largest among the three kingdoms of the New World, covering a full two million square kilometers."

In small-scale skirmishes in the wild forest, no one can defeat the nimble and agile elven scouts.

However, while the Green Forest Kingdom promoted a racist policy of elf supremacy and exclusion of other immigrants, it also faced the problem of low elven birth rate and slow population growth. Therefore, the severe shortage of population has always been an insurmountable weakness for the Green Forest Kingdom. The entire Green Forest Kingdom has only 100,000 elven citizens, plus about 100,000 slaves and second-class free citizens of other races, with a total population of only one-fifteenth that of the Golden Dragon Kingdom.