Ch.145 Ronan, Time Is Running Out

This was one of Ronan's bigger concerns.

Previously, Wong had mentioned that when Ronan brought the Time Stone into another universe, it created a parallel universe.

Now, not only had he brought two Infinity Stones at once, but he had kept them there for an entire month.

By that logic, wouldn't he have created countless new enemies for himself?

Ronan's vision darkened at the thought.

He suddenly felt the urge to rush back to Universe 616 and give Stephen Strange another beating.

"No, it's not that bad," the Ancient One interrupted his spiraling thoughts.

"The creation of parallel universes isn't absolute. It requires specific and highly unlikely conditions."

"The universe where she existed was an exception among exceptions."

"What's more intriguing is that in that universe, the Sorcerer Supreme wasn't me."

The Ancient One raised an intrigued brow. The seriousness that had been on her face earlier had vanished without a trace.

Even Ronan thought he must have imagined it.

Could there really be more to this?

"Master, is this a serious problem?" Ronan asked in a low voice.

In his understanding, there were many universes where the Sorcerer Supreme wasn't the Ancient One.

He had heard about such instances from those online discussions about Marvel comics back in his previous life, though he couldn't be certain of their accuracy.

What's more, those comics seemed to reboot their multiverse every other day. It didn't exactly inspire confidence.

"No, it's not too serious," the Ancient One replied.

"That universe's Earth was consumed by Dormammu, so it's no longer relevant."

"What intrigues me is that if Vini's claim is correct, her universe branched from ours. At the moment of divergence, the Sorcerer Supreme should have still been me."

"That deviation... it's quite interesting."

The Ancient One took a sip of tea, her curiosity evident.

After so many years of accumulating knowledge, it was rare for something to genuinely pique her interest.

Ronan opened his mouth to speak but ultimately said nothing.

His limited understanding of parallel universes wasn't going to add much to the conversation.

Even though he knew from his past life that Marvel had an infinite multiverse, this was reality, not some comic book or movie.

"Actually, you don't need to worry about this," the Ancient One reassured him with a smile.

"I think I can guess why this might be happening."

"Master, you've figured it out?" Ronan's eyes lit up.

"All this time, I've held you to almost impossible standards, pushing you to improve."

"But you've always acted like a child who refuses to grow up, repeatedly declining to take on the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme."

"You know my duty isn't just to defend Earth against otherworldly threats but also to train a worthy successor."

The Ancient One gazed at Ronan, finally revealing what she had long kept hidden in her heart.

Of course, this wasn't exactly a shocking revelation to Ronan.

Deep down, he had sensed it all along.

"For some reason, over the years, the idea of stepping aside and passing my title to you has grown stronger in my mind."

"Even though you've repeatedly refused, the thought hasn't faded—it's only grown more frequent."

"I think, for this universe, my responsibility is to nurture a qualified Sorcerer Supreme to take my place."

Her gaze drifted toward the distant sky. Despite its consistent scenery, the Ancient One always seemed to notice something new.

Ronan, sitting opposite her, remained silent.

What could he say?

In his previous life, people joked that the Ancient One was written out of the MCU due to budget constraints.

Others speculated that if she were still alive, Thanos might never have dared to step foot on Earth, let alone spark the events that followed.

Some even said she wasn't dead—she had just decided to retire.

But now, hearing this directly from the Ancient One, Ronan was faced with a new perspective.

"Master, we're all sorcerers of Kamar-Taj. Does a title really matter that much?"

"What connection does the title of Sorcerer Supreme have with the universe itself?"

Ronan was skeptical.

He suspected the Ancient One just wanted to retire and was using this as an excuse to trick him into taking over.

No way—he wouldn't fall for it!

"How about we test it?"

"I'll announce you as the new Sorcerer Supreme, and we'll see if anything changes."

The Ancient One smiled, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

Ronan rolled his eyes. He knew it!

"Alright, Master, let's just pretend this conversation never happened," he said quickly.

"Now that I'm back, if I ever leave again, I promise to inform you directly next time instead of Wong."

"Nothing like this will happen again!"

Before she could respond, Ronan shot up from his seat.

No way was he sticking around a moment longer. Any more time here, and he might actually end up as the Sorcerer Supreme.

As he reached the door of the Sanctum, the Ancient One's voice rang out again.

"Don't forget to report to school tomorrow," she said.

"Your teacher told me you need to catch up on your lessons. Otherwise, you'll have to repeat another year of high school."

Ronan stumbled at the doorway, nearly face-planting like a clumsy heroine in a rom-com.

He staggered out the door, looking as though his soul had left his body.

Once Ronan had left, the Ancient One's smile slowly faded.

"Time…"

"…is running out."

To "celebrate" his impending school catch-up sessions, Ronan decided to take on both Wong and Mordo in a sparring match.

Although Ronan ended up with several bruises, the other two didn't fare any better. His "enthusiasm" left them both lying on the ground.

Wong had been sarcastically teasing him earlier, and Ronan initially planned to retaliate verbally.

But eventually, he decided physical sparring was more satisfying.

As for Wong, Ronan simply wanted to duel him because Wong had forgotten their emergency signal code.

Wong had mixed up the most urgent signal, "6969," with the less critical "69."

The difference was like mistaking someone falling into a pit latrine for someone simply forgetting toilet paper.

After the sparring match, Ronan felt refreshed, his irritation about the upcoming lessons completely dissipated.

Freshly showered and dressed, he received a phone call.

It was Tony Stark.

"Hello, Mr. Stark? What's up?" Ronan asked, tucking the phone under his chin while quickly finishing dressing.

He still needed to pick up Gwen Stacy from school. It had been a month since they'd seen each other—he had to make an effort.

"Mr. Stark? Are you calling me?" Tony's confused voice came through.

"Never mind the details. Just get to the point—I'm busy," Ronan replied, not in the mood for explanations.

"You vanished in front of me without warning. What happened? And you've been gone for a whole month. What were you up to?"

Tony's curiosity was palpable.

Ronan smirked. "Oh, nothing much. I went to the future, met your daughter, and saw a glimpse of your future self."

The line went silent for a long moment.

"Hello? Tony? Did you lose your signal?" Ronan teased, knowing full well why Tony had gone quiet.

Finally, Tony spoke again, his voice incredulous. "Wait… did you say… my daughter?"

Before Ronan could respond, another voice chimed in—Pepper Potts.

"Um, Ms. Potts! I was joking! Don't take it seriously!" Ronan quickly clarified.

He had no intention of escalating things between Tony and Pepper.

Pepper chuckled on the other end. "A joke? That's a relief. I thought maybe our future selves really did have a daughter."

Her words carried an unspoken curiosity, leaving Ronan slightly amused.

"I'm sure your future will include a wonderful child, regardless of gender," Ronan said diplomatically.

Satisfied, Pepper handed the phone back to Tony, who waited a beat before speaking.

"Do I really have a daughter in the future? Is she adorable? Does she like me as her dad?"

Tony fired off a barrage of questions.

Ronan couldn't help but chuckle. "Tony, are you already turning into a doting dad?"

"Well… never mind! Don't tell me anything—I don't want to know!" Tony blurted out, hanging up before Ronan could respond further.

Ronan smirked at the call log. "Serves you right for wasting my time."

Moments later, a text arrived from Tony: [Steve Rogers wants to meet you. Let me know when you're free, and I'll set it up.]

Ronan shrugged, pocketed his phone, and opened a Mystic Portal to a secluded alley near Gwen's school.

As he waited, he watched students pour out of the gates.

Finally, he spotted Gwen pushing her bike, her expression stoic as she ignored passing boys attempting to strike up conversations.

"Hey there, little miss. Got time to hang out?" Ronan teased from behind her.

Startled, Gwen's bike clattered to the ground as she turned around, her face lighting up with joy.

Without hesitation, she rushed at Ronan, nearly tripping over her bike.

Gwen Stacy wrapped her arms tightly around Ronan's neck, clinging to him like a koala bear.

The two embraced each other tightly.

Wow, it's been a month since they last met—she's grown a lot.

Cough, cough.

What Ronan meant to say was that Gwen Stacy, as a person, had grown a lot.

"Wow, you seem a bit heavier now."

Ronan, holding Gwen by the waist, instinctively gave her a quick lift.

Smack!

Without hesitation, Gwen smacked him on the back and threw him a sharp glare.

"We haven't seen each other in a month, and the first thing you say is that I've gotten fat?"

She lifted her head from Ronan's chest, clearly displeased with his choice of words.

So what if she's gained a little weight? As long as it's in the right places, isn't that fine?

"Yes, yes, my fault, my fault," Ronan quickly conceded.

"But I'm surprised you didn't cry when you saw me. That's unexpected."

Ronan gazed at Gwen's face up close; the two of them could feel each other's breaths.

Though she wasn't crying, he could see a faint redness around her eyes.

"Who would cry?"

"I'm not going to cry over someone who leaves without even saying goodbye," Gwen retorted, turning her head away. Yet, she still clung to Ronan like a koala.

Nearby, a group of male students who had been watching the scene unfold stood in stunned silence.

They had thought that with Ronan's absence, they might finally have a chance.

But who could have expected that the moment he reappeared, the two would act so shamelessly in public?

You two deserve to be condemned!

"Tsk, why does it smell so sour around here? Did you eat something pickled?"

Ronan exaggeratedly sniffed the air.

Seeing his antics, Gwen couldn't help but give him another light slap.

But her eyes, previously red-rimmed, were now back to normal.

That's better.

A reunion after a month apart shouldn't start with tears—that would be unlucky.

People always say, "absence makes the heart grow fonder." If they were to cry every time they reunited, their story would never progress to the "fond" part.

Wouldn't that be like striking a match...

Cough, cough.

Ronan cleared his throat, stealing a glance at the nearby single boys. He couldn't help but smirk.

What are you staring at, single dogs?

You're the real threat to this world!