“Sebastian dear, what did you buy on eBay?”

As she asked, Alisha opened the package.

“I’ve been wanting to try making something for my school crafting class, so I ordered some wood for carving.”

“Crafts, huh? I’m pretty good with my hands—want me to help?”

“No need, the school wants us to do it ourselves. I can handle it.”

“Alright then, it’s getting late. I’ll go start dinner. You can do your thing, and I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

“Okay, I’ll take this to my room for now.”

Carrying the box, Sebastian returned to his room and unpacked it. After a quick inspection, he nodded with satisfaction. He wasn’t entirely sure if it would work, but the type and age matched perfectly. This piece of wood was indeed the heart of a pine tree that was at least a hundred years old.

Sebastian took out a box from under the bed, opened it, and retrieved the tools he had used many times before. Inside were several wand bodies—some failed attempts, others completed but ineffective.

The wood in this world was different from his previous life. Very few types contained any trace of magic. All he could do was buy the oldest pieces available. The heartwood from this pine tree, which was at least a hundred years old, was the oldest piece Sebastian had managed to find. It had cost him nearly half a month’s pocket money.

He had already mastered the technique of crafting the wand body. Using the limited wand-making magic he remembered from his previous life, he managed to carve the heartwood into a rough wand—thirteen and two-fifths inches long (roughly thirty-four centimeters)—before dinner. Though its body was still crude, the base shape was done.

Next, he needed to hollow out an inner layer to house the wand core, inscribe ancient runes and magical patterns into the hollow, and finally apply a special oil both to the wand’s surface and the core chamber. Once the oil fully seeped in, the wand body would be complete.

Thankfully, the simplest version of the oil could be made with common ingredients. Otherwise, Sebastian doubted he could have pulled it off at all.

Knock knock…

“Sebastian dear, dinner’s ready.”

“Okay, I’m coming.”

Putting the unfinished wand aside, Sebastian stepped out of his room and joined Alisha for a rare dinner together.

“How’s the taste? Still got it?” she asked.

Swallowing a piece of spicy chicken, Sebastian smiled and shook his head. “It’s delicious. No regression at all.”

“That’s good to hear. How’s school going lately?”

“Pretty smooth,” he replied casually. “What about you? How’s work at the restaurant?”

As he asked, Sebastian subtly watched Alisha’s expression.

She frowned slightly. Today’s events hadn’t left much of a mark on her—or so it seemed. Due to Kilgrave’s mind-control abilities, Alisha retained very little memory of being manipulated. She didn’t even remember Sebastian finding her. In a strange way, the lack of memory meant fewer psychological scars, which was a small mercy amid the chaos.

Seeing that there really wasn’t anything wrong with Alisha, Sebastian finally relaxed. At least killing Kilgrave had been worth it.

But as that thought crossed his mind, his brows furrowed slightly. The way he had killed Kilgrave… it had been too conspicuous. He couldn’t guarantee that no one had noticed something unusual. No—he was almost certain traces had been left behind. Even though he had done his best to erase every sign of his presence, things rarely went perfectly, no matter how careful he tried to be.

The wand-making process needed to be accelerated. He had to get a functional wand into his hands. And he needed Obliviate. Only with that spell could he truly ensure that Alisha’s peaceful life wouldn’t be disturbed because of his issues. If worse came to worst, he’d have to use his backup plan.

Sebastian had always kept a backup plan.

He lived in New York, and New York happened to house one of the Sanctums of the Sorcerer Supreme. If things got truly desperate, Sebastian could only try going to the New York Sanctum and contacting the current Sorcerer Supreme—The Ancient One, Gu Yi. Perhaps he could use the magical knowledge from his previous life as a bargaining chip to exchange for materials needed for wand-making.

Of course, that would be a last resort. He had no desire to go down that road unless absolutely necessary.

If S.H.I.E.L.D. were the defenders of the physical world, then Gu Yi and her Kamar-Taj mages were the true protectors of the magical realm, the arcane, and the supernatural. For centuries, they had handled ancient threats on their own terms.

And Sebastian… well, he might just qualify as one of those supernatural threats.

So unless there was no other way, Sebastian had no intention of putting himself under Gu Yi’s scrutiny. If he had judged things correctly, then even Voldemort wouldn’t have been much in front of her—let alone someone like him.

After finishing his meal, Sebastian returned to his room with a bowl of fruit. Locking the door behind him, he took out the half-finished wand core he’d crafted earlier and resumed work on it. His plan was to complete the wand’s rough body tonight. Once that was done, it would be time to test whether the wand core could actually function.

Sebastian carefully placed the rough wand core inside the wand body, using extremely slender tools and magic to inscribe the ancient runes, one by one. Then, using magical lines, he connected the runes, forming veins that resembled the nervous system of the human body. Each rune acted like a nerve synapse, interconnected by the magical runes.

Once the last magic pattern was drawn, Sebastian immediately felt a change in the rough body of the wand before him. It was as if the wand itself had come to life, responding to his magic. This was a change Sebastian had long awaited but had never encountered in any of his previous attempts.

Could it really be successful?

He put down the tools, picked up the rough wand body made from the pine tree heart, and waved it slightly. He instantly felt his magic power flow into the wand without hesitation. This sensation was unmistakable—it had worked!

After more than three years and the creation of over ten wand bodies, he had finally succeeded!

Next, he prepared the oil he had made earlier. He took out several bottles and jars from the box, arranged them on the table, and mixed them in a large bowl. Once the oil was ready, he spread it evenly over the wand, letting it soak into the surface.

When the oil was fully absorbed, Sebastian let out a sigh of relief.

At that moment, he realized he hadn’t noticed when the sun had risen, and he had been working all night.

He stood up, opened the curtains, and squinted as he adjusted to the bright sunlight outside. Stretching his limbs, Sebastian packed up his things, dressed, and went for a run. Afterward, he returned home to prepare breakfast. Alisha usually didn’t eat breakfast on her days off, preferring to spend the morning sleeping.

After eating and washing the dishes, Sebastian got dressed, went out, and retrieved a courier package.

After taking the package, Sebastian immediately went home, eager to examine its contents. Inside, he found five feathers from legendary magical creatures—owls, crows, and other ancient birds—and the hair of pure white horses, along with three lizards and snake nerve tissue.

Sitting in his room, Sebastian began the process of crafting the wand core once again. The wand body had been a success, and now the only missing element was a usable core. If he could make this part work, many of the issues that had been plaguing him would no longer be a concern…

A plume of blue smoke rose from the scorched snake nerve tissue, filling the room with an unpleasant, burnt odor.

But as he examined the results, it became clear: the final attempt to create the heart of the wand had failed. This meant that none of the materials he had gathered—no matter how exotic—could serve as the core.

Indeed, while finding the right material for the wand body had been possible, the core was a different matter entirely. Ordinary animal materials simply couldn’t withstand the force of the magical circuits; they were incapable of channeling or amplifying the magic power needed for the wand.

Was he really going to have to seek out the Sanctuary in New York?

No… not yet. He still had other material combinations to try. There were still ways he hadn’t explored. He’d push forward with them for now, and only when necessary would he turn to his last resort.

Reaching out to Kama Taj and the Ancient One wasn’t something he could do lightly, especially when his strength was still insufficient. Even though they were the guardians of Earth’s mystical side, Sebastian was wary of whether their character would match his memories of them. It was a risk he wasn’t ready to take yet.

Leaning back in his chair, Sebastian turned on his computer and ordered more materials from various types of birds, horses, and amphibians on eBay and Amazon, before setting the mouse aside.

Glancing at the time on the clock, Sebastian got up and grabbed something quick for lunch. He stepped out to a cafe two blocks away and began his work, which would last for six hours.

He continued to buy wood and materials from a variety of animals.

It was costing him quite a bit, and the pocket money Alisha gave him was starting to stretch thin. To make up for it, Sebastian had been working at the cafe since last year. Luckily, his appearance—a tall, handsome young man—helped him land the job immediately after his interview.

He worked here for six hours every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. His shifts began at 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and at 1 p.m. on Saturdays.

Alisha had some concerns about him working so much and thought it might be too tiring, but she relented after Sebastian insisted. However, when he got off work on Tuesday and Thursday nights, Alisha would often drive to wait for him outside, then take him home.

After greeting his colleagues, Sebastian changed into his uniform and began his shift, greeting customers who came in for coffee.

It was then that the news broadcast on the cafe’s TV caught his attention.

“Famed entrepreneurial philanthropist Tony Stark will be honored tonight with the Annual Apex Award for his contribution to the maintenance of peace in America and the world…”

The Apex Award… that name sounds familiar. Maybe this could be an opportunity. If Stark’s stock takes a hit after the event, it could be a good chance to buy low and sell high. But for now, it’s not something I need to worry about. I’ll keep an eye on it, just in case.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep