Ch.148 Have You Lived for Hundreds of Years?

Although Ronan needed to think more about joining the Avengers, clapping back at Tony Stark required no consideration.

A narcissist?

Among all the narcissists in the world, Tony Stark had to be ranked number one.

No one was more narcissistic than him.

"Steve, I must be honest with you. It's actually quite difficult for me to agree to your request."

"Although I know your organization has a great purpose."

"And you also want to protect the Earth."

"But, in fact, we have our own responsibilities too."

Even though your organization will soon fall apart, and when it reforms, it will have a completely different group of people.

You could say, the world is unpredictable.

"Your responsibilities?"

"After knowing you for so long, I still don't really know what you do."

Tony Stark, who was sitting nearby, also had questions.

By now, he had known Ronan for several months.

But he still didn't know who Ronan really was.

"To some extent, our goals are actually the same—to protect the Earth."

"But the difference is, we don't deal with attacks on Earth from the physical dimension, nor do we interfere in Earth's internal conflicts."

"For thousands of years, all of us sorcerers have done it this way."

Ronan felt there was no need to hide these things.

After all, even if he explained, they wouldn't understand much or gain much useful information.

Although, in some ways, Kamar-Taj would eventually be revealed to the world, now was not the time.

"Physical dimension?"

"What do you mean by that?"

Compared to Steve Rogers' blank expression, Tony Stark could somewhat grasp what Ronan meant.

He understood what the word "dimension" represented.

"The so-called physical dimension refers to the battles you've experienced before."

"For example, the Chitauri invasion of Earth, or the World Wars on Earth."

"And also, including the time the Dark Elves invaded Earth. We weren't supposed to intervene in those matters either."

"It's just that my teacher made a deal with Odin, so we stepped in to help Thor through the crisis."

Ronan gave them a few simple examples.

Although these events had some involvement from Kamar-Taj, overall, they weren't responsible for them.

"The Battle of New York?"

"Then why were you there?"

Steve Rogers also thought of the recent Battle of New York.

It was precisely because Ronan suddenly appeared on the battlefield that S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra began investigating him.

You could say, everything has its cause and effect.

"Perhaps my teacher thought you might not be able to handle it?"

"After all, a nuclear missile appeared in the end. If I had been there, maybe Tony wouldn't have had to carry the missile into space."

"And then there wouldn't have been..."

However, before Ronan could finish, Tony Stark interrupted him.

"Alright, we get what the physical dimension is."

"Since you're not responsible for those things, what exactly are you protecting the Earth from?"

Tony Stark didn't want outsiders to know about his anxiety issues.

How should I put it? This wasn't just about saving face—it was pure vanity.

But then again, that's the real Tony Stark.

"Any enemies from non-physical dimensions who want to invade Earth fall under our responsibility."

"Including Dormammu, whom you've dreamed about before. His Dark Dimension has been coveting Earth for hundreds, if not thousands, of years."

"Of course, there's also the popular American belief—bad people go to hell, good people go to heaven."

"I don't know if heaven exists, but I do know hell definitely exists."

Ronan gave two more easily understandable examples.

Of course, the first one was something Tony Stark could relate to, while the second was something Steve Rogers could understand.

This was Ronan's art of communication.

He didn't want to waste time explaining things multiple times.

"Hell..."

"Hearing that word again still sends a chill down my spine."

"If there's no heaven, only hell, do good people also go to hell after they die?"

Tony Stark sighed. This was the second time he'd heard about hell.

If it weren't for Ronan telling him, he might not have been able to confirm such a thing.

In fact, during the Battle of New York, when Tony Stark was carrying the nuclear missile into the portal, he had thought about one thing.

After saving so many people, he should be able to go to heaven after he died, right?

But now, the dream was shattered.

"Is there really a hell in this world?"

Steve Rogers seemed to be thinking about something.

In his view, someone like him, with blood on his hands, would definitely go to hell after death, right?

"Yes, the demons from myths and legends also exist."

"For example, the demon lord Mephisto."

"Although I've never met him, I've seen plenty of other demons."

Ronan smiled. During that one time when the Time Variance Authority's timeline got messed up, demons from hell invaded Earth.

That was when Ronan got to see all kinds of demons.

"So, many supernatural events are actually attacks from the non-physical dimensions you mentioned."

"Like the ghosts in horror stories, and some legends."

"Are they all real?"

Tony Stark thought of these topics.

Before he met Ronan, he had also researched a lot about the occult.

Many books linked legends and ghost stories to the occult.

Including the story Tony Stark had read before...

Thinking of this, Tony Stark suddenly stood up from the couch.

His movement instantly put Steve Rogers on alert.

Of course, a second later, Steve Rogers relaxed.

"Tony, what are you doing?"

Steve Rogers frowned.

As someone from the "older generation" who leaned more toward being steady, he didn't appreciate such sudden movements.

It gave off a very restless vibe.

"I once read in some books about the witch trials during the Middle Ages."

"There was a man in a yellow robe who saved several young women who were about to be burned at the stake."

"One of the women, who was literate, recorded her experience and passed it down to future generations."

"At the time, it was considered a legend or a fabrication."

Tony Stark looked at Ronan and began muttering to himself.

Steve Rogers, sitting nearby, had no idea what he was talking about.

"Tony, what are you trying to say?"

Steve Rogers frowned.

"You don't understand. The first time I met him, he was wearing a yellow robe!"

"That yellow robe was exactly the same as the one described in the book!"

Tony Stark finally revealed the reason for his shock.

He had even forgotten about this before.

But when Ronan brought it up today, he suddenly remembered.

"That's impossible!"

"How could someone live that long!"

Steve Rogers instinctively denied this possibility.

But soon, both of them turned their gazes to Ronan, who was sitting on the couch.

Ronan just smiled at them, not in a hurry to answer the question.

"Was that person in the yellow robe... you?"

"Could it be that you've lived for three or four hundred years?"

Steve Rogers swallowed hard.

Could someone really live that long?

"What do you think?"

"Maybe beneath this young man's appearance lies the soul of an old monster..."

"Who knows?"

Ronan raised an eyebrow.

His words immediately sent chills down Steve Rogers and Tony Stark's spines.

Was he admitting it?

Seeing their reactions, Ronan finally couldn't hold back his laughter.

"You guys are too naive. How could anyone live that long?"

"Those are just legends."

"Although that person did exist, it was one of our sorcerers from hundreds of years ago."

"No one has lived for hundreds of years."

Ronan laughed heartily.

However, Steve Rogers and Tony Stark didn't join in the laughter.

They felt like Ronan was lying to them.

In fact, Ronan wasn't telling the whole truth either, because the person in the yellow robe was none other than his teacher, the Ancient One.

Although the Ancient One had never mentioned this to him, based on the timeline, it was undoubtedly her.

After all, the Ancient One had been milking the Dark Dimension for years, driving Dormammu into a frenzy.

"Alright, you can relax."

"I wouldn't lie to you about this."

"If we sorcerers had such longevity methods, we would have probably split into different factions and roles, just like humans."

"And you wouldn't be completely in the dark about sorcerers."

Ronan made up an excuse to calm their nerves.

Hearing this, the two tense superheroes finally began to relax.

Yeah, who could live that long?

Even Steve Rogers himself, if he had followed the normal trajectory, would be close to a hundred years old by now.

The fact that he could see the new century and still be alive and kicking was already a rare case.

It was almost impossible for normal humans to replicate.

"Alright, it seems we were overthinking it."

Tony Stark plopped back onto the couch, letting out a sigh of relief.

If Ronan had really told him he was that centuries-old monster, his worldview would have shattered!

Although they had met Thor, an alien who could live for five thousand years, they had never met an Earthling who could live for hundreds of years!

Thor was an alien, and his long lifespan was still within their understanding.

But if Ronan, a fellow human, could live for hundreds of years, that would be... inhuman.

"However, what Tony mentioned can serve as evidence."

"Let me give you an example. The Great Fire of London in 1666 was actually evidence of my... my predecessors fighting against Dormammu."

"That was the first time Dormammu set his sights on Earth."

Ronan almost bit his tongue.

After all, this was something his teacher, the Ancient One, had done. To change the narrative, he could only refer to her as a predecessor.

"Alright, stop giving examples."

"I'm really worried you'll suddenly say that people like Einstein were also sorcerers."

Tony Stark waved his hands, signaling Ronan to stop.

If Ronan told him that humanity's current technology and world-changing inventions all came from sorcerers, he would truly lose it.

"That's impossible. Einstein and the others have nothing to do with us."

"Of course, whether they're like Thor and are actually aliens, I don't know."

"After all, some of their inventions were groundbreaking."

Ronan shrugged. He had no evidence to prove any of this.

Tony Stark, on the other hand, looked pained. He didn't want to continue this conversation with Ronan.

He was afraid his worldview would shatter.

"Alright, now we roughly understand what you and your companions do."

"Let's get back to the main topic."

"Earlier, I heard from Tony that you're looking for Zola. Can I ask why?"

Steve Rogers also changed the subject.

Although he didn't understand science, he knew continuing this conversation wouldn't lead anywhere.

"I can tell you why, but before that, I want to ask you a question."

"I heard from Tony that before S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra were destroyed, you once captured a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent."

"Sitwell, right?"

Ronan narrowed his eyes.

He remembered that Sitwell had been killed by him.

If the story had followed its original trajectory, Steve Rogers would never have captured Sitwell and heard about Zola from him.

But now, Zola had still been "destroyed."

So, Ronan wanted to know what had happened in between.

"Yes, Sitwell, the man you killed."

"And I also want to know, did you really kill him back then?"

Steve Rogers' face also turned serious.

Hearing this, Tony Stark, who had been feeling pained earlier, also perked up.

There was probably something here that he didn't know about.

"If stopping his pulse and crushing his heart counts as death."

"Then yes, I killed him."

Ronan leaned back on the couch and took a sip of coffee.

That was how he had dealt with Sitwell back then.

Hearing this, Steve Rogers couldn't help but take a deep breath.

"Then the Sitwell I encountered was also alive."

"Not only was he not dead, but his physical condition was even stronger than before."

"If it weren't for the scars on his chest, I would have thought he had never been injured."

Steve Rogers exhaled softly, and his words introduced a new concept into Tony Stark's mind.

The dead had come back to life!

"Are you saying that S.H.I.E.L.D. has mastered..."

"No, I should say, both Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. have mastered a technology that can bring the dead back to life?"

Tony Stark couldn't remember how many times he had been shocked today.

Steve Rogers nodded. He had only just confirmed this himself.

But Ronan wasn't surprised at all.

On one hand, he already knew about this technology. On the other hand, Phil Coulson had been wandering in front of him for a long time.

What Ronan was more interested in was something else.

"What I'm more curious about is, when you captured Sitwell and forced him to talk about Zola."

"Did he give examples of people who were threats to Hydra?"

"Who were those people?"

Ronan posed his question.

Because of his existence, this world would definitely not have a Doctor Strange.

He was sure of that.

So, would Zola have changed because of this?

"Threats to Hydra..."

"I remember he said there was me, a host, some deputy minister, and a student."

"Of course, there was also Bruce, Bruce Banner."

"And the last one, someone I hadn't heard of—the Supreme One?"

Steve Rogers recalled the scene.

It seemed the Super Soldier Serum didn't just enhance his body—it seemed to have improved his memory as well.

"The Supreme One..."

Ronan sighed.

Actually, the Supreme One was what Ronan often referred to as the Sorcerer Supreme, just with a different title.

The difference was that the Sorcerer Supreme was a position. Anyone who led Kamar-Taj would be given this title.

But the Supreme One was somewhat different in a way.

Though Ronan couldn't quite put his finger on how.

It seemed that only the most powerful Sorcerer Supremes could be called the Supreme One.

Of course, this was just Ronan's speculation. The Ancient One had never explained it to him.

And the Ancient One was also called the Supreme One.

"Do you know who this Supreme One is?"

Steve Rogers asked.

Because he had seen Ronan's thoughtful expression.

Ronan nodded and said, "I know, but I'm sorry, I can't tell you who she is."

"But what I can say is, she's not our enemy."

Here, Ronan actually revealed a bit, since the use of "she" instead of "he" was a clue.

Steve Rogers also nodded and didn't press further.

"Wait, was I not on that list?"

"Am I not a threat at all?"

Tony Stark, who had been sitting nearby, suddenly felt dissatisfied.

Why were Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, and even some host on the list, but not him?

Sure, he might not be able to beat Bruce Banner, but the others? Tony Stark felt he could definitely handle them!

"Without the Iron Man suit, you're just a weakling."

"So it makes sense that he didn't see you as a threat."

Ronan glanced at Tony Stark. Without the Iron Man suit, Tony was just a middle-aged man who knew a bit of martial arts.

And one whose body had been drained by alcohol and women.

Tony Stark immediately glared at Ronan.

He needed to immediately create a folder and prioritize the anti-sorcerer armor!

"The reason I'm looking for Zola is simple. In certain situations, he poses a threat to Earth's safety."

"The kind of safety I'm talking about."

"So, I must destroy him permanently."

If Ronan hadn't felt much hostility toward Zola before, after returning from the 616 universe, his animosity toward Zola had skyrocketed.

He hadn't expected Zola to find a way to communicate with people from parallel universes.

Even if Venom had left some kind of beacon for him.

This was something Ronan couldn't tolerate.

"But Zola was already destroyed by me. Would those dangers still exist?"

Steve Rogers felt he had already destroyed Zola.

But Ronan shook his head.

"You can ask Tony. For an AI of that level, is it possible for there to be backups?"

Ronan looked at Tony Stark.

"Normally, for an AI like JARVIS, I've created many versions."

"But JARVIS is the one I'm most satisfied with so far."

"Of course, the Zola you're talking about is not the same concept as JARVIS."

"A person who, decades ago, could upload his consciousness into the digital world."

"I think it's normal for him to have backups."

"After all, with so many years of scientific development, there would always be new methods."

"And Hydra probably wouldn't want Zola to be destroyed so easily."

Tony Stark also thought of his JARVIS.

Compared to Zola, there was no doubt that JARVIS still had a long way to go.

Although both were called AIs, one was created by humans, while the other had a human mind.

"Alright, but the information I have about Zola isn't that extensive."

"Most of it is just some Hydra data."

"Natasha knows more about these tech products. I'll have her forward it to Tony, or maybe to some email of yours?"

Steve Rogers didn't ask further.

He first expressed his sincerity.

"Give it to Tony. Emails aren't secure."

Ronan thought about it and decided not to receive it himself.

Giving it to Tony Stark would ensure absolute security.

Tony Stark also nodded. He was curious about this data too.

So he was willing to act as the free middleman.

"So Steve, why did you ask Tony to find me?"

"It couldn't just be to invite me to join the Avengers, right?"

Ronan also began to ask about Steve Rogers' real purpose.

After all, from what they had discussed earlier, it didn't seem like that was his true goal.

"Actually, inviting you to join the Avengers was just a spur-of-the-moment idea."

"I actually have a question for you."

"While going through some Hydra files, I came across this document."

With that, Steve Rogers placed a report on the table.

The content of the report was simple. While investigating the Tesseract and Loki's whereabouts, Hydra had accidentally encountered Ronan.

No, it should be Mr. Fantastic.

The report included descriptions from the nomads they had interviewed.

The nomads had seen someone with Loki, but they couldn't make out the face.

However, they provided detailed descriptions of the person's height, clothing, and build.

The conclusion they reached was that it closely matched Mr. Fantastic.

Of course, in the report, they had only compared it to the people who had appeared during the Battle of New York.

And the one who matched the most was Mr. Fantastic.

"What I want to ask is..."

"Did you really take the... Tesseract?"

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