Chapter 147: A Month of Being a Lazy Bum
Time passed quickly in Kamar-Taj.
Lynn's daily routine had become almost completely fixed.
Every morning, he drank tea with the Ancient One.
At noon, he ate vegetarian meals in the communal dining hall.
The afternoons were spent reading technical documents and research materials.
In the evenings, he would sit quietly in the courtyard beneath the moonlight.
Although lunar energy was insignificant compared to solar radiation, his Stellar Energy Cycle could still extract a trace amount of usable power from it.
Life had become astonishingly comfortable.
Sometimes Lynn felt as though he had become a civil servant who had retired decades ahead of schedule.
No emergencies.
No enemies.
No paperwork.
No interruptions.
Comfortable.
Extremely comfortable.
So comfortable that, for the third time, a thought emerged in his mind.
Maybe I shouldn't go back.
This particular thought survived for five full seconds.
Two seconds longer than the previous attempt.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself."
The Ancient One stood on the stone steps overlooking the courtyard.
A teacup rested calmly in her hand.
Lynn remained sprawled across a stone bench with both hands behind his head.
"You seem to enjoy observing me."
The Ancient One glanced at him.
"As Sorcerer Supreme, monitoring potential threats is part of my responsibility."
Lynn opened one eye.
"I'm a potential threat?"
The Ancient One answered without hesitation.
"You're the greatest potential threat I've ever encountered."
Her tone was completely sincere.
Lynn looked genuinely touched.
"That's quite an honor."
"At the moment," the Ancient One continued, "that threat is lying in my courtyard sunbathing like a salted fish."
"A salted fish is still a fish."
Lynn didn't even sit up.
"Fish have the right to rest."
The Ancient One chose not to debate that statement.
Instead, her gaze drifted toward the distant training grounds.
Several apprentices were practicing portal formation and basic energy manipulation.
Golden sparks flashed continuously among the stone courtyards.
After several moments of silence, she finally raised a subject she had been considering for days.
"Lynn."
"Hm?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D. is looking for you."
Lynn remained motionless.
Not even an eyelid twitched.
The Ancient One continued.
"Nick Fury recently sent an encrypted inquiry."
"He never directly asked whether you were here."
"But the implication was obvious."
Lynn finally opened both eyes.
"What did he say?"
"He said that if you continue refusing contact, the previously negotiated access rights to the Kryptonian wreckage and the biological archive may be reconsidered."
Lynn sat up immediately.
That reaction alone was enough to amuse the Ancient One.
"He dares?"
"He's probably bluffing."
The Ancient One took a sip of tea.
"But technically he possesses the authority to create problems."
"The agreements require his approval."
"If you remain unreachable for more than sixty days, S.H.I.E.L.D. could potentially terminate the arrangement under procedural grounds."
Lynn's relaxed expression disappeared.
The Kryptonian ship wreckage was extremely important.
The remains of Kryptonian technology represented one of the most advanced technological systems currently available on Earth.
Then there was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s archive.
Mutant genetic material.
Alien biological samples.
Cold War-era enhancement projects.
Super-soldier research.
Decades of accumulated secrets.
It was practically a treasure vault.
Every sample possessed the potential to become another stepping stone toward greater power.
Giving all that up simply to continue sunbathing?
Not worth it.
Not even close.
"I understand."
Lynn stood up and brushed the dust from his coat.
The Ancient One looked at him.
"Leaving?"
"In a few days."
She nodded.
No further questions.
She turned and walked toward the main hall.
After several steps, she paused.
Then glanced back.
A rare thought crossed her mind.
If Lynn could remain in Kamar-Taj forever...
It might actually be a good thing.
One of the most powerful beings on Earth quietly drinking tea, reading books, and absorbing sunlight every day.
No schemes.
No destruction.
No ambition.
His greatest complaint was usually that the cafeteria food lacked sufficient salt.
For Earth's defenders, that was practically the ideal outcome.
Unfortunately, she knew better.
People like Lynn never truly stopped moving forward.
...
Two days later.
4:00 A.M.
Kamar-Taj remained silent beneath the darkness before dawn.
Most of the apprentices were still asleep.
The mountain winds drifted through the stone corridors.
Lynn did not say goodbye.
There was no need.
Standing inside the guest room, he activated the teleportation device around his wrist.
Golden sparks erupted.
A circular portal unfolded before him.
Its destination:
The basement of Miracle Clinic.
Lynn stepped through.
The portal closed soundlessly behind him.
...
New York City.
Miracle Clinic.
The basement remained exactly as he had left it.
Dark.
Quiet.
Untouched.
Lynn flipped the light switch.
The room illuminated instantly.
The documents remained neatly stacked.
The instrument cabinets displayed steady green status indicators.
No signs of intrusion.
No signs of disturbance.
No footprints.
Nothing.
Satisfied, he headed upstairs.
A thin layer of dust covered portions of the clinic.
The teacup at the reception desk contained a dried ring of tea residue.
Sunlight filtered through the closed blinds.
Thin golden lines stretched across the floor.
Lynn walked to the entrance.
The first thing he did was remove the sign.
DOCTOR ON VACATION
NO APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE
Then he replaced it.
OPEN AS USUAL
The second thing he did was turn on his phone.
The moment the screen lit up, the device exploded with notifications.
Buzz.
Buzz.
Buzz.
Buzz.
The vibration continued for nearly fifteen seconds.
Unread Messages: 437
Missed Calls: 89
Encrypted Emails: 17
Voice Messages: 23
Lynn glanced at the sender list.
The top three offenders were unsurprising.
Tony Stark — 104 messages.
Bruce Wayne — 31 messages.
Nick Fury — 28 messages.
The remainder included Natasha Romanoff, Steve Rogers, Frank Castle, and even several encrypted communications originating from King T'Challa.
Lynn skipped directly to the newest messages.
Tony's latest message:
"If you're dead, please have someone inform me. I need to update my will."
Bruce's latest message:
"Reply if safe."
Fury's latest message:
"Seven days remaining before sixty-day deadline."
Lynn began replying.
To Tony:
"Not dead. Vacation. Reopening today. New tea arrived. Want some?"
To Bruce:
"Everything's fine. Took a vacation. Contact me if you need anything."
To Fury:
"When do I receive my materials?"
The responses arrived almost instantly.
Bruce replied first.
"Okay."
One word.
Nothing more.
Lynn stared at the message.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
Bruce Wayne remained the most restrained person he knew.
Tony's response arrived second.
"You bastard! You've ignored me for over a month! I genuinely thought you'd been abducted by aliens. I already started drafting rescue plans. Do you have any idea how many times I've redesigned the energy-deflection system? Three. Three separate versions. Every single one has bugs. I need another opinion. Are you free this afternoon? I'll bring wine."
A message containing well over a hundred words.
Without a single piece of punctuation.
Lynn silently ignored it.
Fury replied last.
Brief.
Efficient.
Exactly as expected.
"1400 hours. Warehouse C-17."
Lynn put away the phone.
Then walked to the sink.
He rinsed the old teacup clean.
Afterward, he opened a cabinet and removed a sealed container of Longjing tea that had been stored before his departure.
Moments later, fresh tea filled the clinic with fragrance.
The scent spread through rooms that had remained empty for over a month.
Lynn sat behind the reception desk.
Took a sip.
And quietly enjoyed the moment.
...
The news that Miracle Clinic had reopened spread quickly.
The first visitor was neither Tony Stark nor Nick Fury.
It wasn't even a superhero.
Instead, it was Old Matt.
The grocery store owner from across the street.
The middle-aged man appeared at the entrance carrying a bag of oranges.
The smile on his face made it seem as though a missing family member had finally returned.
"Dr. Lynn! You're finally back!"
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