VCM19In the early days of human civilization, when primitive societies struggled for survival, mutants had already harnessed their extraordinary abilities.
These individuals, possessing powers beyond human comprehension, were worshiped as gods by those who could not understand their gifts.
Legends speak of an even older time, before the rise of civilization, when the Earth inexplicably gave birth to beings of immense power.
These ancient superhumans created advanced civilizations that have long since vanished, leaving behind only whispers in history.
Yet, their legacy endured—not through monuments or artifacts, but in the genetic makeup of humanity.
Their descendants, the mutants, carried remnants of their power, scattered among ordinary humans.
"This is the origin of mutants, pieced together from the oldest magical texts," the Ancient One explained to Ethan.
"Thousands of years ago, mutants discovered a way to enhance their abilities by excavating the remains of these ancient beings.
Their servants—early human sorcerers—acquired fragments of supernatural knowledge from their mutant overlords.
Over time, these servants compiled what little they understood into rudimentary magical practices."
Originally, these sorcerers were nothing more than attendants to mutants.
To the modern sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, who took pride in their arcane mastery and saw themselves as more knowledgeable of the workings of the universe compared to ordinary mortals, this revelation would have been humbling.
Yet, the Ancient One remained unfazed.
She had lived too long, seen too much; pride was a fleeting thing to her.
"During the age of ancient kingdoms and empires, mutants had their golden era. One of the most powerful among them rose to power in Egypt, declaring himself a god and establishing a dynasty of mutants."
However, this empire did not last. A rebellion led to its downfall, and its ruler, the so-called god, vanished into the annals of history.
With his disappearance, the lineage of mutant supremacy was broken.
Over time, mutants declined, their existence merging with ordinary humans, their once-great power fading into obscurity.
"Apocalypse?" Ethan mused, recognizing the powerful mutant from the movie.
"Indeed," the Ancient One affirmed.
"But even as mutants waned, their former servants, the mages, thrived. Through relentless study and the accumulation of countless generations of knowledge, they refined their understanding of supernatural forces.
In time, their crude scraps of knowledge solidified into a structured system of magic. Thus, the magic that humanity wields today was born."
Ethan chuckled bitterly. "So, the ones who once ruled are now struggling to grasp the magic that their servants perfected? That's ironic."
"It's not that mutants are incapable of learning magic," the Ancient One corrected.
"Mutants and sorcerers tap into supernatural forces differently. A sorcerer must study the natural laws of the universe and manipulate them to cast spells.
Mutants, on the other hand, do not need to understand these laws—they are simply born attuned to certain forces."
She paused before adding, "Think of it this way: humans must study physics and engineering to build planes and achieve flight. Birds, however, are simply born with the ability to fly."
Ethan frowned. "So what am I supposed to do? Abandon my mutant ability just to learn magic? That sounds like forcing a choice between two incompatible paths."
"Why abandon your mutant ability at all?" she countered.
"Both are methods of altering reality. If a mutant with fire-based abilities can summon flames at will, why not use magic to expand that power?
Make the fire hotter, larger, more controlled? Whether you call it magic or a mutation, the result is all the same."
Ethan's eyes lit up with understanding. "You're saying I shouldn't just mimic the spells in these books, but instead use magic as a tool to refine my abilities."
The Ancient One nodded. "Exactly."
Ever since Ethan awakened as a mutant, months had passed, and with time, his mastery over his ability had grown exponentially.
He was no longer the inexperienced novice he had once been.
Drawing from his memories of A Certain Magical Index in his previous life, he had initially believed that his power growth was tied to his brain's computational ability
His abilities bore a striking resemblance to Accelerator's, but at his core, he was still a mutant.
His powers were not some cheat granted by his transmigration; they were the result of the X-gene embedded in his DNA.
In the Marvel universe, there had never been a case where enhancing brainpower could amplify mutant abilities.
Mutant powers weren't linked to brainpower or computational ability.
If that were the case, someone like Tony Stark could have built a device to amplify mutant abilities long ago.
Magneto would have turned his power into a precise science. But no—mutants didn't operate that way.
Their abilities were raw, instinctive, and tied to their genetics.
Their powers manifested naturally, their usage dictated by instinct and talent rather than calculation or study.
Training could refine them, but their potential was largely dictated by innate talent.
And that was the problem. Unlike sorcerers, who had a structured path of growth, mutants had no real system of advancement.
Their evolution was sporadic, unpredictable. Ethan had already felt it—his progress was slowing.
And Ethan could feel it now—his rapid progress was slowing. After months of steady improvement, he had hit a bottleneck.
A threshold.
He was on the verge of breaking into Omega-level status, but he couldn't quite push past the limit.
Given enough time, he knew he would eventually reach it—his genes had predetermined that he was born an Omega-level mutant. But waiting wasn't an option.
As the events of this world unfolded, Earth was only going to become more dangerous.
If he wanted to survive—no, if he wanted to thrive—he needed to break through faster.
And even among Omega-level mutants, there were different tiers of strength.
If he simply waited for his natural progression, he might only reach the lower threshold of Omega-level, a mere shadow of what he could become.
But Ethan wasn't interested in being a weak Omega.
He wanted to push beyond, to ascend to the highest tier—perhaps even to the level of a being who could rival the gods.
'Beyond Omega...'
"Magic might be the key to breaking my limits."
"In theory, that's possible," the Ancient One admitted.
"But there's something you need to understand. Mutants are born with a natural affinity for their powers, but that very affinity also restricts their growth."
She paused before elaborating. "For instance, a fire-type mutant attempting to study ice magic wouldn't just struggle—it could actively harm them. Their inherent nature resists contradictory forces."
Ethan frowned. "So, let me get this straight. Mutants are like specialized classes, each with their own unique technique, but they struggle to share knowledge.
Sorcerers, on the other hand, are more like a jack-of-all-trades, able to learn and refine techniques over time with different skill sets. That's why magic knowledge builds up, while mutant knowledge is constantly lost."
"Precisely," the Ancient One confirmed. "Mutants can wield immense power within their domain, but their potential skillset is vastly limited.
Magic, on the other hand, has survived and evolved because sorcerers have no such restrictions.
Their talents are weak compared to mutants, but they make up for it through universal adaptability."
Thinking about it, Ethan realized just how fractured mutant knowledge had become.
If there were such a thing as a 'manual' for being a mutant, each one would have an entirely different set of techniques, making it nearly impossible to pass down structured knowledge.
Meanwhile, the study of magic had endured and improved precisely because sorcerers were, in a way, 'talentless.'
Since their abilities weren't locked to any one element or domain, they could learn any spell developed by others and refine it.
Their progress was slow, but continuous.
With a smirk, Ethan muttered to himself, "So basically, sorcerers are just like mutants who make up for it with sheer study? If they were thrown into another world, they'd barely qualify as apprentices."
He chuckled at the thought.
The only reason the Ancient One stood at the peak was her unnaturally long lifespan, her connection to the Dark Dimension, and the Time Stone's power.
In truth, MCU's S sorcerers were nowhere near as innately gifted as their counterparts in comics.
Except for Doctor Strange. That man's talent was something else.
Ethan sighed, shaking his head. "Looks like learning magic to enhance my power won't be easy after all."