Chapter 626: Ancient One Wants to Flee Early

With a flash of light, Charles Doyle brought Thor and Loki to the palace in Asgard.

The guardian of the Merlin Formation, the Asgardian warrior Skurge, saw the sudden magical glow of the formation and immediately said, "Welcome, Supreme Merlin Charles."

As the light faded and the three appeared, Skurge was surprised and exclaimed, "Prince Loki..."

Thor looked at the palace guard and said, "Oh, it's Skurge. Charles and I will go see Father first."

Charles nodded to Skurge, "Thank you for guarding this place. We will leave now."

Skurge watched the three leave, his mind filled with questions: Didn't the second prince, Loki, die? He had even attended Loki's memorial.

…

Soon, Thor, escorting Loki, and Charles Doyle arrived at the throne room, where Odin was seated on the throne.

Seeing the three enter, Odin glanced at Loki before addressing Charles Doyle, "Charles, thank you for bringing my two sons back."

Charles smiled, "You're welcome."

Loki looked at Odin on the throne, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes. He was frustrated that his plan had failed and that he had once again failed to prove himself.

Odin then said, "Guards, take Loki to the dungeon!"

Upon Odin's command, a squad of Asgardian soldiers entered, took Loki from Thor, and escorted him to the dungeon.

Watching the soldiers take Loki away, Thor said, "Father, the war Loki brought to Earth has been resolved, but he hasn't revealed who was behind him. I suspect someone is using Loki to test Asgard."

"After all, everyone in the universe knows that the Nine Realms are nominally ruled by Asgard. With the recent destruction of the Bifrost and the rebellions in some worlds..."

Odin nodded inwardly at Thor's words, pleased that his son was finally using his brain rather than just his hammer.

Charles remained silent, but he knew it was a test and that the Chitauri soldiers were under the command of Thanos, the Eternal of Titan.

However, Charles also knew that he was not yet a match for Thanos and had no idea of his whereabouts.

Thanos only refrained from attacking Earth directly due to the presence of Odin and the Ancient One.

Thanos planned to gather the other Infinity Stones first and leave Earth as the final target.

Odin spoke, "Thor, you're right. With the Bifrost destroyed, not only the Nine Realms but also other cosmic forces are becoming restless. However, there's no need to worry now; the Bifrost can be repaired quickly."

Thor was surprised, "Father, really? The Bifrost can be repaired quickly? I thought it couldn't be fixed once broken."

Thor had been considering asking Charles Doyle to take him to Earth periodically to see Jane. If the Bifrost could be repaired, it would save him the trouble.

Odin looked at Charles Doyle, "Charles, the Tesseract is with you, right? I need to use it to repair the Bifrost. Don't worry, it is your spoils of war, and I have no intention of taking it from you."

Odin had once considered collecting five Infinity Stones and had even had the Dwarf King create a gauntlet to hold them.

However, he eventually gave up the idea when he couldn't find the Soul Stone, deciding not to pursue them any further and even threw the Tesseract, containing the Space Stone, to Earth.

He knew that the Infinity Stones would attract countless ambitious individuals, so he didn't want to keep such a troublesome item.

Even Odin couldn't exist eternally in the universe, and after his demise, the stones would pose a significant threat, and the unawakened Thor might not be able to handle it.

As for others collecting the Infinity Stones and bringing trouble to Asgard, Odin wasn't worried.

His father had once sealed one of the stones in an unknown location, and rumors even suggested that the stone had been destroyed.

Charles wasn't surprised by Odin's request. He knew the Tesseract could repair the Bifrost, so he wouldn't use it for any other purposes.

With a wave of his hand, the Tesseract appeared from his storage space, and he said, "If you need it, take it and return it when you're done."

Odin gestured, and the Tesseract floated into his hand. He then said, "Charles and Thor, come with me to witness the restoration of the Bifrost."

Odin led them to the broken Bifrost. Odin placed his hands on the Tesseract, and divine power surged through him.

A beam of blue light shot from the Tesseract, connecting to the broken end of the Bifrost. The colorful bridge extended forward, quickly restoring itself to its original state.

As the Bifrost was repaired, Odin stopped his spell, and the energy beam from the Tesseract ceased.

Charles watched, understanding that the Infinity Stones had various uses, though most people were unaware of them.

Odin said, "The Bifrost is basically restored. We just need to reassemble the control room, and it will be fully operational."

Thor smiled, "This restores Asgard's mobility."

Odin looked at Thor, knowing his son was likely thinking about visiting the Earth girl. "Thor, once the Bifrost is fully restored, take Asgardian warriors and tour the Nine Realms, quelling any unrest."

"Yes, Father."

The three returned to the throne room, and Odin said to Thor, "Thor, your mother misses you. Go see her."

Thor, hearing this, didn't linger. After greeting Charles and Odin, he left the palace to visit his mother.

Charles understood that Odin likely wanted to speak to him privately. Odin waved, and the Tesseract floated back to Charles.

Odin asked, "Supreme Merlin, do you know what the Tesseract truly is?"

Charles replied after thinking, "A container for the Space Stone?"

Odin smiled, "It seems you understand the Infinity Stones. Yes, the Tesseract is the container for the Space Stone, meant to hide its true nature."

"Since you know about the Infinity Stones, I won't elaborate, but I must tell you this: do not keep multiple Infinity Stones on a single planet for too long. Their presence will attract other stone holders, leading to catastrophic battles."

"If you don't want Earth to become a wasteland, avoid gathering more Infinity Stones. Earth is already holding two; it would be best to keep them in the magical world for protection."

Charles understood now why Thanos had given Loki the scepter with the Mind Stone to bring to Earth.

Thanos must have known about the Time Stone in the Ancient One's possession and the Tesseract on Earth.

If Loki succeeded, great; if not, the Mind Stone would stay on Earth, drawing other stones and making the rest easier to find.

Odin continued, "You know where the other Infinity Stone is, right?"

Charles nodded, "The Eye of Agamotto in Kamar-Taj."

Odin smiled, "You could potentially hold two Infinity Stones, but acquiring a third would bring unwanted attention unless you are certain you can handle it."

However, Odin didn't know that Charles already had two Infinity Stones: the Space Stone and the Mind Stone, both in his storage space. Charles nodded and said, "Thank you for the warning, King Odin."

Internally, Charles thought: I'll recharge the Infinity Stones when I get back. I want to see how Thanos can snap his fingers and wipe out half the universe's life with one or even two stones missing.

Odin studied Charles Doyle, surprised by the rapid growth of this Supreme Merlin. His power had increased significantly, especially considering his age of just over twenty.

Odin wondered if Charles could help prevent many problems by interacting with Hela.

Odin knew that his own departure was inevitable and that with his departure, the seal imprisoning Hela would break. At present, Thor was no match for Hela.

Odin didn't want Asgard to fall into civil war, nor did he want his children to fight each other.

After some consideration, Odin spoke, "I have a task for you, but it's beyond your current abilities."

"Even with the Tesseract, you're not strong enough yet. I will teach you how to use the Tesseract and let you choose three items from my treasury. This task will count as three commission tasks."

Charles was suspicious of Odin's generosity and asked, "What is the task?"

Odin said, "With your current power, you're not ready. Without considering external forces, your internal strength must at least double. I need you to go to Helheim when your strength is adequate."

"This must be done within three years; if it takes longer, the task will be considered a failure. However, if you reach the required strength within this period, you can come to me anytime."

Odin knew he could hold on for at most five more years before he could no longer control the ever-growing Odinforce.

If Charles couldn't meet the standard within three years, there would be no point in meeting Hela. If he could, then, Charles would have at least two years to meet and communicate with Hela.

Even if he couldn't change Hela's mind, he could help Thor resist her.

Odin didn't know about Charles Doyle's regenerative abilities and immortality but understood that Charles wasn't strong enough to face Hela, whom he had sealed and suppressed.

Hela had reached near Skyfather level and was only slightly weaker than Odin.

Odin wouldn't expect Charles to reach Skyfather level by doubling his internal energy but believed that with the Space Stone, Charles could ensure his safety when meeting Hela.

At first, Charles didn't guess the task, but when he heard "Helheim," he realized it involved Odin's eldest daughter, Hela, a terrifying entity near Skyfather level.

He wondered what Odin wanted him to do in Helheim.

Kill his daughter? Unlikely.

Still, Charles didn't refuse, figuring he could always run if things got bad. Plus, Odin's treasury and the knowledge of using the Space Stone were tempting.

Worst case, he could learn the knowledge and not do the task.

"I accept the task."

Odin smiled, "Good, you haven't disappointed me."

Odin waved his hand, and an ancient book appeared in mid-air. "This is a book on using the Space Stone, containing various spells that work with it. I now entrust it to you."

With a wave, the book flew to Charles Doyle, who took it without hesitation, saying, "Thank you, King Odin."

Charles didn't open the book but stored it directly in his storage space. "If there is nothing else, I will return to Earth."

Odin asked, "Won't you stay and spend time with Thor?"

"No, I believe we'll have plenty of time in the future."

Odin nodded, "Alright, I'll inform Thor of your departure."

After saying goodbye to Odin, Charles left the throne room and immediately used the Merlin Formation to teleport back to his base.

As soon as Charles returned to the base meeting room via the Merlin Array, a portal opened before him—a portal from Kamar-Taj.

The Ancient One's voice came through, "Charles, I have something to discuss with you."

Charles wondered why the Ancient One was seeking him out but decided to step through the portal to Kamar-Taj.

Entering the portal, Charles found himself in the Ancient One's chamber. The Sorcerer Supreme sat cross-legged, with two cups of tea in front of her.

"Sit."

Accepting the invitation, Charles sat on a cushion and took a sip of tea before asking, "What can I do for you, Ancient One?"

The Ancient One looked at Charles and slowly asked, "What do you foresee for Earth in the future?"

Charles pondered and replied, "A troubled time ahead, with many calamities."

The Ancient One nodded and continued, "And how do you view Kamar-Taj?"

Charles was curious about the Ancient One's intention but answered, "The sanctuary of the mystical arts."

Indeed, Kamar-Taj was different from the magical world. Here, practitioners signed contracts with the Vishanti to use white magic.

The former relied on borrowed power, while the magical world depended on innate magical energy.

The former could be learned without magical power, while the latter could not.

The Ancient One looked seriously at Charles Doyle and said, "I wish to take you as my disciple and pass on the title of Sorcerer Supreme to you. What do you think?"

"Sorcerer Supreme and Supreme Merlin combined, the power of both mystical and magical arts will be yours. You will become the most powerful sorcerer in the universe."

Hearing this, Charles was momentarily stunned but quickly realized that the Ancient One was preparing to step down.

Remembering Balthazar's warnings and the drawbacks of being a mystical sorcerer, Charles immediately shook his head and refused.

"Thank you for the offer, Sorcerer Supreme, but I cannot take on such a heavy responsibility. I believe the position of Sorcerer Supreme is best suited for you."

Charles had no interest in guarding Earth's extradimensional threats. The title might offer prestige and the potential to acquire the Time Stone in the future, but the downside was being tied to Earth, constantly fending off dimensional invasions.

Even someone as powerful as the Ancient One had grown weary and was considering a faked death.

Charles didn't want to be bound to this duty, especially when he had plans to travel to other planets to plant the Chakra Tree.

The Ancient One looked intently at Charles and asked, "Are you sure you won't reconsider?"

She then performed a spell, and the Eye of Agamotto floated before her chest. "When I step down, I will pass the Eye of Agamotto to the next Sorcerer Supreme. It is a divine artifact on par with the Tesseract."

Seeing the Ancient One directly tempt him with the Time Stone, Charles still resolutely refused.

"I won't reconsider, Sorcerer Supreme. I follow the lineage of Merlin and will not join the mystic sorcerers, nor will I become the Sorcerer Supreme."

With that, Charles added, "I have pressing matters to attend to and must take my leave."

The next moment, Charles sensed his Hiraishin mark in the base and used the technique to return to his room. He preferred the faster Hiraishin over the Merlin Formation to leave this troublesome place quickly.

Watching Charles disappear, the Ancient One smiled wryly. She hadn't expected that a position everyone fought over was something Charles would avoid, even refusing the lure of Kamar-Taj and the Time Stone.

It seemed she would have to continue for another five years before she could step down.

The next second, the Ancient One used the Eye of Agamotto to project her soul into a special dimension.

The three-in-one Vishanti appeared before her. Agamotto asked, "Did he accept the position of Sorcerer Supreme?"

The Ancient One shook her head. "No, he refused."

Oshtur commented, "I told you he wouldn't accept it so easily."

The elderly Hoggoth added, "Merlin must have warned him. Otherwise, he wouldn't refuse such a significant benefit so easily."

Agamotto then said, "Ancient One, we know you have a backup successor, but Charles Doyle is different. We hope you will make another attempt."

"If it's absolutely impossible, then you can give up. If he joins the mystic sorcerers and becomes the Sorcerer Supreme, I can waive a third of your debt."

The other two nodded in agreement. "This is our collective will."

The Ancient One found the Vishanti's offer tempting. Any other Sorcerer Supreme would eagerly accept and do their utmost to ensure Charles took the position, even by force.

However, the Ancient One wasn't concerned about the Vishanti's conditions; she had already planned her way out.

Still, she showed gratitude. "I will try my best to recruit him as the Sorcerer Supreme. However, if he absolutely refuses, there is nothing I can do."

The elderly Hoggoth responded, "Proceed, Ancient One. We await your good news."

In the next second, the Ancient One's soul returned to her body. Looking at the two cups of tea in front of her, she smiled slightly. "It seems those three are very interested in him, willing to waive a third of the debt."

…

Meanwhile-

Back in his room, Charles Doyle sighed in relief and smiled slightly. He didn't want to be the Sorcerer Supreme or bear the responsibility of fending off dimensional invasions, but he did want the Time Stone.

However, he wasn't in a rush; there would be plenty of opportunities in the future. He was willing to help defend Earth but didn't want the task pushed upon him.

Being a guardian out of interest was preferable. The responsibility could go to that unlucky guy with the stomach ulcer, Stephen Strange.

With that thought, Charles took out the magical book he got from Odin and began studying it.