章節 110: Ch.110 Ronan's First Social Death Moment
In a daze, Ronan felt as if he had a dream.
Everything that happened in the dream seemed very real, almost as if Ronan had experienced it all himself.
But he couldn't remember exactly what it was.
When he woke up again, he was still in Kang the Conqueror's office, sitting in his chair.
He looked around; everything was just as it had been.
Kang's corpse was still lying in the open area, his eyes wide open, staring vacantly forward.
It was as if, in the last moment, he had reminisced about his entire life.
"Each one of them is so ruthless to themselves. It's terrifying just thinking about it."
"One would rather kill himself, and the other just gave up half of his dark energy so decisively."
"Sigh."
"They're all tough characters."
Ronan grabbed the armrest of the chair, intending to stand up.
But in the next second, a cracking sound came from the chair's armrest!
Crack.
With Ronan's years of training experience, his reaction speed was naturally very quick.
So, the moment the armrest shattered, he quickly twisted his body in mid-air, attempting to press down on the chair with both hands and use the momentum to bounce back and stand.
But what he didn't expect was that the rotation went a bit too far.
After spinning 540 degrees in the air, fortunately, he still ended up facing downward, and Ronan pressed down on the chair with both hands.
Crack.
The familiar sound echoed.
Boom!
A few seconds later, Ronan awkwardly crawled out of the chair's remains, spitting several times.
To say "crawled" might not be entirely accurate—what Ronan did could more appropriately be described as rolling.
He could distinctly feel that his four limbs seemed to have returned to a state before they had been properly tamed.
The sensation was utterly awful!
Ronan took a deep breath, and even with just a bit of reasoning, he knew it was due to absorbing the dark energy from that Strange.
The previous instances where he absorbed dark energy were not much, and with his well-trained body, he could adapt quickly.
But this time, it was different.
Ronan would need time to readjust.
Thinking of this, Ronan shakily reached into his pocket and pulled out the time controller.
Clatter.
The time controller dropped to the floor.
Ronan twitched his mouth, moving his arm once more and carefully picking the time controller up from the ground.
He was afraid that if he accidentally used too much force, he'd crush the time controller.
If that happened, Ronan would need to figure out another way.
With his strong control over his body, Ronan finally found the specific time node he needed to return to.
Excited heart, trembling hands.
A portal appeared in front of him.
I, Ron the Overlord, am coming back!
"Hahahahahahaha."
The training grounds of Kamar-Taj echoed with laughter from time to time.
The one laughing wasn't anyone else but Wong, who was standing to the side, laughing so hard he couldn't straighten his back.
And he wasn't laughing at anyone else.
It was Ronan, whose face was beet red from exertion.
At that moment, Ronan was practicing the basic defensive techniques of Kamar-Taj, but every movement looked awkward.
If these moves were being performed by a child, it might be understandable.
But on Ronan, the "Number One Punch of Kamar-Taj," it looked utterly ridiculous.
"Hey!"
"You're laughing a bit too loud!"
Ronan glared at Wong indignantly, finally unable to take it anymore.
He hadn't stopped laughing!
"Sorry, I just... hahaha."
"I just didn't expect... Pfft. Didn't expect you'd have a day like this."
Wong tried his best to hold in his laughter, though it was clearly a struggle.
Even Mordo, usually known for his serious demeanor, seemed to have his lips twitching.
His expression looked so conflicted, it was almost pitiful.
"When I recover, I'm going to beat you until you beg for mercy!"
"You just wait!!!"
At this moment, Ronan truly exhibited what "powerless rage" meant.
After all, all he had left was his mouth.
As someone who was now a person who could trip over his own feet, any threats he made were just empty words.
Thinking back to the moment he had walked out of the Mystic Gate, collapsing directly onto the training grounds of Kamar-Taj...
At the time, both Wong, Mordo, and a dozen apprentices all witnessed Ronan's "grand" return.
Everyone was stunned.
No one expected Ronan to be so... courteous.
Whenever Ronan thought of that scene, he wanted nothing more than to find a hole to crawl into.
Initially, while in Kang the Conqueror's office, Ronan used the time controller to return to the normal timeline.
But the moment he landed, he ended up with a mouthful of sand.
Fortunately, it was nighttime, and there weren't many people on the beach, so nobody saw Ronan's embarrassment.
Taking advantage of the empty surroundings, Ronan opened the Mystic Gate once again, and quickly returned to Kamar-Taj.
The moment he stepped through the gate—whether it was because he was too excited or for some other reason—his legs buckled...
And...
Well, Ronan didn't even want to think about what happened next!
After all these years of living, he finally understood what true "social death" felt like.
He felt it deeply, and he never wanted to experience it again.
"Fine, I'll be waiting."
"But for now, you need to keep practicing without slacking."
"Yes, when you throw a punch, use your strength! What's with this soft motion?"
"Anyone here could do better than you."
"You said you've studied defensive techniques for over ten years, right? This? Just this?"
Wong's scolding of the apprentices didn't cease.
Several of them sneakily glanced over at Ronan, unable to suppress a shiver.
Kneeling down in the middle of the training grounds?
Thinking of that scenario, those apprentices quickly shook their heads.
That could never happen to them, not in a million years!
Ronan, meanwhile, who was now a living "bad example," was so furious that he nearly bit through his own teeth.
If he had the energy, and biting down didn't mean swallowing his broken teeth, Ronan would have challenged Wong to a duel on the spot.
Taking another deep breath, Ronan continued with his training.
The days that followed were filled with intense training for Ronan.
He would wake up every day at 6 a.m., start jogging around Kamar-Taj, getting accustomed to his now weakened legs.
At 7 a.m., it was time for breakfast.
After experiences such as spilling the dish or accidentally "throwing" food onto the table, Ronan switched to drinking liquids.
Kamar-Taj's version of "all-healing soup."
After breakfast, the entire day would be spent on the training grounds. Ronan didn't relax for a moment.
This social death pushed him to grow stronger!
Ronan never expected that this time, his recovery training would last an entire week.
He went from being as uncoordinated as a toddler learning to walk, to once again becoming Kamar-Taj's "Number One Punch"—all in just seven days.
This made Ronan both thrilled and slightly melancholy.
He was thrilled because he was finally back to normal, and Wong couldn't laugh at him anymore.
But he was also disheartened because it meant his vacation was over... again.
It seemed like recently, he had terrible luck.
Every time vacation approached, something would always happen that forced him to work through it.
Just like last weekend, and this winter break.
Ever since Tony Stark from the parallel universe showed up, holidays just didn't seem to work out anymore.
This couldn't continue.
So, Ronan decided that for the next few days, he would spend time tapping an electronic wooden fish to accumulate merit.
"Looks like you've fully recovered?"
While Ronan stood there lost in thought, the Ancient One appeared behind him out of nowhere.
"Master, I've almost fully recovered."
"It's just that Wong might need a few more days to recuperate. I might've gone a little hard during our sparring."
Ronan smiled at the Ancient One.
If Wong were here, he would definitely complain to the Ancient One about Ronan's ruthlessness.
Wasn't it just a few laughs?
Why hit him in the face?
Didn't he know you shouldn't hit people where it hurts?
Oh, Wong's eyelids were so swollen he couldn't open his eyes?
Then never mind.
"That's your business. Handle it however you like."
"But just don't go too far, understood?"
The Ancient One seemed to take an open attitude toward these matters.
In her view, having a strong candidate would help serve as a positive guide for the Kamar-Taj sorcerers.
As for Ronan's comments during his "sparring" with Wong—"Train harder, so someday you can pay him back like I'm doing now"—those were unnecessary.
Wong was a strict teacher, but after today, his standing among the apprentices would certainly take a hit.
"Don't worry, Master. After our sparring, I even kindly gave him some medicine."
Ronan smiled brightly, conveniently forgetting Wong's howls of pain while he was "thoughtfully" applying that very medicine.
It was good medicine, effective too, and it healed fast.
It was just that, in terms of administering it, Ronan still had some rough edges and needed more practice.
"Hmm..."
"It seems like you gained a lot from your recent trip to that place."
"Even your body underwent some remarkable changes."
The Ancient One looked at Ronan in front of her. Unknowingly, Ronan had grown to about 6'1" (185 cm).
Growing that much in such a short time would certainly draw attention.
True, in American schools, there were many examples of people growing rapidly within a year, especially among athletes.
But still, it was far too conspicuous.
Ronan adjusted his robes a bit, and once more, he became the charming, handsome figure that was admired.
Besides this transformation ability, everything else was merely "routine enhancements."
Such as a bit more mental strength.
A bit more physical endurance.
And also, a bit more spiritual fortitude.
That's right—just a bit!
Of course, how much this so-called "bit" really was, no one could say.
"Very well, it seems like you're one step closer to being on your own."
The Ancient One nodded approvingly, seemingly quite satisfied with Ronan's progress.
Ronan, however, felt his mouth twitch; the Ancient One was becoming more and more eager to retire, it seemed.
Should he try and drag it out for another two years?
"Oh right, Master, I suddenly remembered I haven't finished my homework."
"So, I need to get to that right away."
"We can talk later if anything comes up."
With that, Ronan didn't wait to hear anything more; he quickly opened a Mystic Portal and returned to his New York apartment.
If the Ancient One kept going, she might end up spilling her entire retirement plan to Ronan.
So, using the homework excuse, Ronan got out of there quickly.
Although, to be fair, he really did have unfinished homework.
Returning to his New York apartment, Ronan pulled out his assignments, only to discover something very strange.
Why did it look like he hadn't written a single word?
This was a question worth pondering.
He distinctly remembered writing a sentence or two, yet the pages were pristine, as if untouched.
This was an issue that had plagued Ronan not just in this life, but even in his previous one, and he suspected it might follow him into a future life as well.
So, to finish his homework as quickly as possible, Ronan resorted to his ultimate technique.
Shadow... no, actually, Ikonn's Form!
Three duplicates identical to Ronan emerged from his back, standing in the living room.
These duplicates looked at each other, then at the original, and each of them gave a knowing nod.
Without any delay, they each opened a backpack, took out a homework book, grabbed a pen, and spread out to start writing.
As for the real Ronan, he had very important work to do.
Maintaining these duplicates consumed magical energy, so Ronan had to manage the energy supply.
So, Ronan lay down on the bed, tucked himself in, and began meditating.
Meditating to restore energy—it was all perfectly normal!
What Ronan didn't realize, though, was that while he, a high school student, was struggling with his homework, there were people secretly plotting against him.
The ones plotting weren't just anyone—it was Tony Stark, the person Ronan had met before.
At the top level of Stark Tower, Tony, as one of the wealthiest individuals in the world, had transformed the place into his private relaxation area.
And also his research lab.
Especially after his Los Angeles mansion had been bombed, this place became his primary research center.
Sitting in his lab, Tony Stark observed the 3D images projected in mid-air.
Most of the contents of those images were related to mystical energy.
They also included some unsolved mysteries and records of strange occurrences on Earth since the beginning of history.
All of this was the focus of Tony's research.
Of course, the data also included classified materials provided by Nick Fury.
Project Pegasus was Fury's trump card and wasn't included.
The cooperation between both sides was just a basic level of collaboration.
"Mr. Stark, the analysis of the data is complete."
"Most of the records are unverifiable or consist of folklore, making them impossible to investigate."
"There are only three areas that can be looked into."
Jarvis's voice filled the lab.
"Show me."
Tony Stark turned his attention to the three screens that were projected.
The three screens were filled with long strings of characters, looking very complicated.
Tony clicked on the first one, and the 3D projection zoomed in, presenting itself before him.
"This is a record left behind from when witches were hunted during the medieval era."
"During that period, witches faced large-scale persecution, though most of the surviving records frame it as religious persecution of innocent women."
Jarvis began explaining the first screen.
"Let's skip the history lesson."
"Tell me why this image is noteworthy."
Tony Stark wasn't interested in the historical background; he only wanted to know whether the persecuted individuals were really witches or just innocent women.
If it was the former, then they were the targets he was after.
If it was the latter, countless people over the centuries had already fought to clear their names.
"In the memoirs of a witch who survived, she claims that they survived because of a mysterious figure."
"A figure cloaked in a yellow robe with a hood, whose gender was indeterminate."
"This individual used magic to save them!"
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