Chapter 216: Thor Drinks Soy Milk

At that moment, the Ancient One stepped out of the library, addressing Jon, Thor, and Loki with a calm demeanor. "Please, have a seat, Jon, and our two esteemed guests from Asgard."

Jon and Thor glanced around, realizing there were no chairs in sight. But with a gentle wave of the Ancient One's hand, they were suddenly transported to a different room. A mysterious force nudged them backward, and to their surprise, chairs had materialized in front of them.

The room was peculiar in design, yet spacious. Thor looked around, remarking, "So, Earth has witches too?"

Jon interjected, "Of course, Earth has witches. I even burned one not long ago… though she wasn't exactly a witch. I told you, she was a sorceress."

"Hey, watch your words. My mother is a witch," Thor retorted sharply.

"Enough with the semantics. Let's get to the point," Jon sighed, shifting his attention to the Ancient One. "I came to ask for your help. My friend here wants to return to Asgard, but their Bifrost is broken, and the Tesseract suddenly stopped working. I know your expertise in spatial magic is unparalleled. Could you open a portal from Earth to Asgard and send them home?"

This was part of the arrangement Jon had made with the Ancient One. After secretly having Alessa extract the gem from the Tesseract, the cube had become an empty shell, rendering it useless. Leaving Thor and Loki on Earth was a recipe for trouble, so Jon figured sending them back was the safest option.

"Would you like some tea?" the Ancient One asked, interrupting their trivial debate about witches and sorcerers.

Without waiting for an answer, cups of tea appeared in Jon and Thor's hands. Jon was unfazed, accustomed to such displays, but Thor looked bewildered at the cup.

"I don't drink tea. Give me beer, a large mug!" Thor demanded.

In an instant, his teacup transformed into a large flagon filled with beer. Thor frowned briefly but then shrugged, chugging the ale. To his surprise, the mug refilled itself as soon as he finished.

Jon stared at his tea cup, then said, "I want soy milk."

Thor turned, curious. "What is soy milk?"

Before Jon could respond, the Ancient One transformed his cup into a glass filled with creamy soy milk.

"This is soy milk," Jon replied, taking a sip.

"Isn't that just milk?" Thor asked, puzzled.

"Milk and soy milk are entirely different things," Jon explained, exasperated.

"Tastes the same to me," Thor muttered, eyeing Jon's drink. "Can I try some?"

Jon nodded, about to hand over his glass, but the Ancient One simply turned Thor's ale mug into another glass of soy milk. Thor took a sip.

"Mmm, intriguing and delicious. What magic is this?" Thor exclaimed, clearly impressed.

"No magic involved. Just a soy milk maker," Jon replied dryly.

"A soy milk maker? Is that some sort of alchemical device?" Thor asked, inspecting his glass.

Jon groaned, rubbing his temples. With a flick of his wrist, he opened a portal and pulled out an old soy milk maker. "This is my old soy milk machine. Take it. My family has a new one. Anyway, we're here to send you two back, remember?"

Thor accepted the appliance with great curiosity, examining it as if it were an artifact. "Strange, there's no magical aura."

"You have an Earth girlfriend, right? Doesn't she have appliances like toasters or coffee makers? How many times do I have to say… it's not magic." Jon sighed, feeling more drained than when fighting aliens.

The Ancient One finally intervened, "Enough chit-chat, Rider. After sending our Asgardian friends back, I have matters to discuss with you."

She stood, closed her eyes, and brought her hands together in a complex gesture. The Eye of Agamotto around her neck opened, revealing the Time Stone, glowing a vivid green.

Though immensely powerful, the Ancient One preferred using the Time Stone to conserve her strength when opening a portal across realms.

A beam of light shot from the Eye, halting mid-air before expanding into a shimmering portal. On the other side was Asgard, its majestic golden towers gleaming—a sight Thor and Loki would never forget.

"Hurry. Even with the Eye's power, I can't hold the portal open for long," the Ancient One warned softly.

Thor nodded, clutching his soy milk maker in one hand and steering Loki with the other. "Farewell, my friend!" he called to Jon before stepping through the portal with his brother.

The portal closed behind them as the Ancient One sealed the Eye of Agamotto, its glow fading.

Jon turned to her. "You mentioned having something important to discuss?"

The Ancient One nodded. "Indeed. I wish to entrust you with the Eye of Agamotto."

Jon blinked in disbelief. "Did I hear that right?"

"You're unwilling?" she asked with a slight smile.

"Of course not! I'd never refuse something like that. Hand it over!" Jon eagerly extended his hand.

But the Ancient One shook her head. "Not yet. As you saw, Strange has become my disciple, and he will need the Eye to defeat Dormammu."

Jon recalled that detail from the future events he knew.

"After that battle, there will come a time… a catastrophe I may not be able to prevent. But you can. When that time comes, I want you to be the Eye's guardian."

Jon felt a chill. Not long ago, Strange had appeared in his dreams with a cryptic message. Now, the Ancient One hinted at the same looming disaster.