CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER 042: STEPHEN GETS INTO A CAR ACCIDENT! DISPLAYING ABILITIES!

Sitting in the driver’s seat of his sports car, Lorien gave the accelerator a light tap, and the Ferrari instantly shot forward like a wild horse breaking free from its reins.

"Hahaha~"

The rush of acceleration pressing him back into his seat was exhilarating. It wasn’t the same as flying—this was the thrill of riding!

"Jetfire, how long does it take you in supercar mode to go from zero to one hundred, and from zero to four hundred?"

The 0–100 and 0–400 referred to the time needed to accelerate from a complete stop to covering 100 meters and 400 meters. The shorter the time, the better.

Jetfire answered without hesitation.

"1.6 seconds and 6.2 seconds."

Wuhu~ That was an insane figure.

"Let’s test it out!"

Without another word, Lorien pulled onto an unrestricted highway and eased the pedal all the way down. The world blurred around him as the speed climbed.

"Woo-woo-woo-woo~~~~!!!"

In an instant, Jetfire’s Ferrari form was eating up the road at breakneck speed.

...

At the same time, a silver GTR was also putting its freshly tuned performance to the test.

On the GTR’s dashboard, the needle climbed steadily as the driver floored the gas.

"This is amazing!" the driver shouted.

But the very next moment—

Whoosh!

A red blur streaked past with a violent rush of wind. Before the GTR driver could react, all he could see were the taillights of the other car disappearing ahead.

"What the hell???"

He glanced down at his speedometer.

[321 km/h]

He was already flying down the road at over 300, yet the other car had just blown past him like he was standing still. That had to be over 400!

"Damn it, no! I need to modify my car again!"

...

After leaving one random driver stunned and heartbroken, Lorien exited the highway and cruised along the coastal road.

By now, it was already late, and the view out over the sea was fading into darkness.

A news alert on Lorien Su’s phone caught his eye.

[Dr. Stephen Strange, one of the top surgeons in the United States, was involved in a car accident last night. Strange awoke this evening and stated that his hands were injured, and he will no longer be practicing medicine!]

!?

Lorien let out a quiet sigh. What had to come had finally come.

Stephen had to endure this ordeal—only then could he become the Sorcerer Supreme.

Still, as his friend, Lorien couldn’t help feeling a pang of sadness.

He couldn’t help Stephen directly, but there were ways to help him indirectly.

"Jetfire, take me to the best hospital in New York."

...

On the highway, the Ferrari adjusted course automatically, heading straight toward its destination.

Twenty minutes later, it rolled to a stop outside the hospital.

Lorien stepped out and contacted someone who, if not able to give him completely free passage, could at least get him in to visit Stephen without trouble.

Five minutes later, with a sharp clack, the door to the room opened.

Lorien entered. Stephen’s hands were strapped into rigid medical supports, and he turned his head toward Lorien.

"Hiss~"

At the sight of him, Stephen first drew in a sharp breath of pain. Then, with a faint, almost forced smile, he said,

"You’re fast. Barely half an hour since the news came out, and you’re already here."

"But forget about ever taking me out for race car driving again."

Stephen’s hands were fixed in place, each finger immobilized with bone pins, braces, and other medical hardware.

The pain was mild for now—only because he had just woken up and they’d given him morphine before making the announcement.

But once the morphine wore off...

Stephen knew exactly how much agony awaited him.

Lorien didn’t speak. He simply stood by the bedside, looking down at Stephen and the wreckage of his hands.

The room fell silent—so quiet it was almost unsettling.

Stephen could tell Lorien’s silence came from genuine concern, not pity.

And Lorien, in turn, could feel Stephen’s despair and pain.

He wasn’t even thirty, and yet it felt like his life’s path had been cut off entirely. The weight of that hopelessness pressed in like a hand gripping the heart.

That was Stephen’s world now.

"Hiss..."

Another sharp breath escaped Stephen. More than half an hour had passed. The morphine’s edge was fading fast.

Ten minutes from now, the full force of that pain would hit him—ten fingers wired straight to the heart.

If he wanted any hope of a full recovery, he couldn’t take any more painkillers. He’d have to endure it all.

He knew exactly what was coming.

"Huuhhh..."

Exhaling slowly, Stephen forced one last small smile.

"Lorien, you can go back. I know you mean well. If you don’t mind, I’ll come find you once I’ve healed."

"It’s just my hands that are gone, not my money. I’ve got enough to last me most of my life. When the time comes, we can still go out and have fun, right?"

Lorien nodded—then shook his head.

"Hm?" Stephen didn’t understand.

The next moment, Lorien reached out, hovering his palm just above Stephen’s hands.

Under Stephen’s stunned gaze, golden-red energy streamed into his injured hands.

A strange itch spread through his fingers, and the pain eased noticeably.

When he was done, Lorien drew back his hand.

"This energy will help you heal faster—and make the pain easier to bear."

With that, he turned toward the door and walked away, leaving only one last line behind.

"Come find me when you’ve recovered."

...

(80 Chapters Ahead)

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