บท 77: Chapter 73. Discovered by the Ancient One?
"So, you came here just to observe me? No other reasons?" Noah asked, doubting that the Sorcerer Supreme would visit just like that. He couldn't believe he was interesting enough to catch her attention.
"Of course," the Ancient One smiled and continued, "Or do you think that by awakening memories from another world, you've become a threat I must eliminate, like an otherworldly demon?"
Noah was stunned. Her words implied that she knew about his awakened memories of a past life and that his previous existence was from another universe. Did she really possess such knowledge?
Despite his surprise, he maintained a composed demeanor. "What do you mean, Ancient One?"
The Ancient One, experienced and wise, immediately sensed that he was merely pretending to remain calm but chose not to show it. She continued with a tranquil voice:
"After discovering your presence, I observed you from afar a few times and noticed that your soul is different from others."
"Like some kind of voyeur," Noah thought, amazed that someone had been watching him without him even noticing. He resolved to develop an ability to detect such intrusions so that no one could so easily spy on him in the future.
"Given your power, which doesn't belong to this world, I concluded that you probably unraveled the secret of rebirth and awakened the memory of a past life, with your previous existence being in another universe, far from this one," the Ancient One laid out her theory about his origins, showing interest for the first time.
"It is indeed astonishing that a soul can cross the multiverse and be reborn in another world," she said with awe.
Noah couldn't understand why she was so surprised—she had just explained the hypothesis herself. Perhaps she was genuinely tired of her role as the Sorcerer Supreme and intended to explore other universes as a soul?
The term "secret of rebirth" was unfamiliar to him, but from her words, it likely referred to his awakened memories of a past life.
"It is indeed remarkable, as is the story you've told," Noah had no intention of admitting anything so easily. He decided to hold his ground. "I think we've talked enough for now. How about some tea?"
Blitz, who had been waiting this whole time, stepped forward and placed three cups of hot tea before them.
"Excellent tea," the Ancient One didn't refuse. She took a cup and sipped, then praised the drink. It was one of the finest teas Noah had purchased in advance, as he, being Chinese, preferred tea over other beverages.
Setting down her cup, she continued: "Although I can't directly see your future, I can observe you through others."
"A blood demon forged from the flesh and bones of thousands of beings; a god of fire and forge; a tyrant ruling over the dead in the underworld; and a supreme being that commands the universe and stars."
She described scenes Noah vaguely recognized.
"This is only part of what I saw in the future. Of course, there were other, less pleasant visions. In some, after acquiring certain powers, you lose control and destroy Earth. In others, you lead an army of violet, twisted creatures to conquer the universe."
"Looks like my future will be quite eventful," Noah replied, listening to how the Ancient One described potential future scenarios. It was clear she was referring to the champions he planned to summon: Aatrox, Ornn, Mordekaiser, and Aurelion Sol.
But when she mentioned the dark outcomes, he became wary. It turned out that there was a possibility his powers could spiral out of control, leading to the world's destruction. He suspected this might be connected to the World Runes he planned to summon. Perhaps summoning one or two complete runes would make him lose control of their power, causing catastrophe.
And violet, twisted creatures? He wasn't sure, but he guessed they could be beings from the Void. But why would he bring them into this world? Could he accidentally summon Malzahar and become a conduit for the Void?
"The future is full of uncertainty, and I came here to understand your current state. I don't want the world's future to descend into chaos," the Ancient One said. Her duty was to protect Earth from destruction caused by interdimensional demons, but if the future threatened the annihilation of the planet and the universe, what would she have left to guard?
"Ancient One, you can rest assured. I have no intention of letting the future turn out that way. Now, I have those I must protect," Noah said, firmly squeezing Lissandra's hand as she sat beside him. He did not want such a future, for now he had Lissandra and Gwen, and he needed to create a safe and happy world for them.
The Ancient One smiled, raised her cup, and finished her tea. A portal opened behind her. Noah watched as she opened it with just a thought, without any gestures. Previously, he thought only Wong had mastered this technique, but after all, the Ancient One was the most powerful Sorcerer Supreme, so it wasn't surprising.
"The world has already changed with your arrival. I hope you will be cautious in using your power."
Finishing her tea, the Ancient One nodded to him and stepped into the portal. As the portal began to close, her voice echoed from the other side:
"If you need to find me, go to the New York Sanctum Sanctorum."
As the cold air from the portal dissipated, Noah finally collected his thoughts. Had she really left so easily? He hadn't expected her to come just for a brief conversation. He wanted to tell her about the World Runes, which possessed boundless magical power.
According to the movie, she used dark power taken from the demon of the Dark Dimension, Dormammu, to extend her life and protect Earth until her successor emerged. The sorcerers of Kamar-Taj drew their energy from Vishanti, as they lacked inherent magical power themselves.
Noah pondered whether the Ancient One would ever agree to use the powers he could offer and work for him. But he decided this was a matter for the future, when he would be strong enough not to be exploited as an infinite power source.
The incident with the Ancient One didn't cool his passion for work. He plunged back into his research with Lissandra, continuing his experiments.
Ten days later, in one of Hell's Kitchen's districts:
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
A figure darted through a neon-lit club, smashing everything in its path. Anyone in his way was violently thrown aside, crashing into walls, furniture, and other obstacles, unable to withstand the force.
"Don't kill me! I'll pay anything you want!" cried one of the men, a stout figure in a white suit with a pink shirt, lying at Noah's feet. He was sobbing and begging for mercy.
"Say hello to Mephisto in hell."
A low sound of a laser followed, and the man's head exploded like a ripe watermelon.
[Mission Complete. Summoner receives 200 units of essence.]
"Phew, it's done," Noah sighed, lifting his foot from the chest of the deceased man and deactivating the shield that protected him from the blood and brain matter splatter. Although he generally avoided killing, he didn't hesitate when dealing with particularly vile people like this one.
Before starting the mission, he had asked Lissandra to scan everyone present at the scene and decide how to deal with them. Most ended up paralyzed, but this time, he sent seven or eight to the afterlife, speaking to the extent of their wickedness.
"Lissandra, take the money from these guys," Noah said. Recently, he had remembered that Ultron could transfer funds from others' accounts and decided that Lissandra was capable of the same. So, after each mission, he instructed her to take all the criminals' money.
Although he didn't need money himself, he believed that ill-gotten gains should be confiscated. All the money collected this way was anonymously donated to the Maria Stark Foundation, a charity Tony Stark had set up after the incident with Abomination. The foundation was named after his mother, Maria.
After seeing the ruined streets, Stark realized that in future battles with criminals, civilians could be harmed as collateral. Thus, he created this foundation to help those affected.
"Understood, Noah," Lissandra replied.
Finishing the mission, Noah soared into the air, heading back to the mansion. It's worth noting that this time, he simply hovered without using jet propulsion. In recent days, he had managed to integrate a magnetic levitation system into his armor, designed by Lissandra. Of course, if he needed more speed, he still used the engines.
During the flight, he opened his inventory.
[Essence: 6000.]
"Time to try my luck again. I need to get back and prepare."
Noah increased his speed, flying home.
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