Chapter 8: Only Magic Can Defeat Magic

Finney had often imagined the moment he'd meet the Ancient One. After he first drew the Purple Chicken Wrap, he had been anxious and even considered seeking out the Ancient One to apprentice under her and learn magic.

But at the time, he was too young, and with Skye newly arriving in the family, he had put the idea aside. Later, when he realized that the Golden Great Evolution Technique could be trained and improved, he temporarily abandoned the notion altogether.

However, as the day of Iron Man's grand debut drew closer and his own progress remained slow, Finney had once again begun considering seeking out the Ancient One as his teacher. In fact, his plan was that if the third skill he drew wasn't useful, he would head to Kamar-Taj and ask to train under her, perhaps even find a way to live there permanently.

In his mind, there was currently no safer place on Earth than by the Ancient One's side.

Aliens? The Hulk? She could take them down with a single hand, leaving them with no chance to fight back. That was the power of someone at the very top—someone who single-handedly protected the Earth from all threats.

So, in Finney's imagination, he would approach her with reverence, taking slow, respectful steps, wearing a humble expression as he bowed before her. It would be a perfect, solemn moment.

But now...

He lay sprawled out on the ground, covered in dirt, talking trash behind her back—and worst of all, she had overheard him.

His dream was shattered!

If Finney had access to the Time Stone, he would have rewound time to before the Ancient One showed up and taped his own mouth shut.

"You... you…"

The sudden appearance of the Ancient One left Finney utterly speechless. He couldn't, for the life of him, figure out why she was here.

"Hello there, nice to meet you, Mr. Haleseth."

The Ancient One smiled down at him, her expression kind and friendly, but Finney couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

Struggling to sit up, Finney tried to calm himself and pretended not to recognize her. In a shaky voice, he asked, "Who… who are you?"

"Hmm, am I not the 'bald guy' you were just talking about?"

The Ancient One feigned confusion, her eyes still twinkling with amusement as she looked at Finney. Her teasing gaze only made him more nervous.

"…"

Finney didn't know how to respond. Based on what he remembered of the Ancient One, she was undoubtedly one of the good guys, part of the 'light' side. With the Time Stone in her possession, not only was her power unparalleled, but her understanding of the past and future was unmatched as well.

The future!?

Suddenly, Finney felt like he understood something. Looking at the Ancient One in front of him, he pondered for a moment before sighing and saying, "Nice to meet you, Master Ancient One."

Given her attitude, Finney figured that if the Ancient One knew about his future, their relationship was likely not a bad one. And since he'd already planned on getting close to her, having a good relationship with the Sorcerer Supreme in the future made sense.

The Ancient One nodded with a smile, her expression showing no surprise at Finney's recognition of her.

"Uh… Master Ancient One…"

The silence from her was too much for Finney. Unlike her, he didn't have a Time Stone to spoil the future for him, so he was dying to know why she had shown up.

"Is there something you need from me?"

At Finney's question, the Ancient One shook her head, her tone light as she replied, "Oh, no, nothing like that. I was just a bit bored, so I thought I'd come see you."

You're the Sorcerer Supreme! Shouldn't you be protecting the Earth or something? If Dormammu knew you were slacking off, he'd be heartbroken.

Finney grumbled inwardly. Even though this was technically their first meeting, it didn't feel like it. It was as if they'd known each other for a long time.

With things as they were, Finney figured there was no point in being overly cautious. After thinking it over, he decided to ask directly, "Master Ancient One, how do you know about me?"

"It's just as you're thinking."

The Ancient One sat down next to him, completely unbothered by the dirt, while Finney's expression twisted into one of frustration.

That explains nothing!

Finney had no idea what she meant. There were far too many ways for her to know about him. In the end, he gave up guessing and asked again, "Is it because we know each other in the future?"

The Ancient One's deep gaze lingered on him for a moment. She neither confirmed nor denied his assumption, replying instead, "Perhaps."

Finney's head hurt. The feeling of someone knowing everything about him while he understood nothing about them was frustrating beyond words. Deciding to put that line of questioning aside, he turned his attention to a more important matter.

Since the Ancient One, Earth's most powerful magic user, had shown up, Finney figured this was a golden opportunity. If he didn't try to win her over or get something out of this, he'd be doing himself a disservice.

Thinking quickly, Finney put on a sincere expression and said, "Master Ancient One, I've actually admired you for a long time. I've always wanted to learn magic from you. Could you check my aptitude?"

After a brief moment of thought, the Ancient One nodded and replied, "It's... mediocre."

Finney's heart sank. It was like wanting to compliment someone but only being able to say, "Well, at least you're tall," because there was nothing else nice to say.

Though he was determined not to accept the Ancient One's evaluation of his potential, Finney didn't argue. Instead, he seized the opportunity and asked, "So does that mean I do have the talent for magic? Could I study under you?"

The Ancient One didn't immediately refuse. Instead, she looked at him with curiosity and asked, "Why do you want to learn magic?"

"I want to protect the universe!"

Finney declared with righteous conviction. He wasn't lying either. His desire to grow stronger was driven by his determination to stop Thanos's "population control" plan. Preventing the Snap would save half the universe, making him, in a way, a cosmic protector.

The Ancient One looked momentarily taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes before she smiled softly and changed the subject. "How's your sister been all these years?"

The sudden question about Skye puzzled Finney, but he answered truthfully, "She's doing well."

Then, unable to contain his curiosity, he asked, "Master Ancient One, is there something wrong with my sister?"

"Not at all." The Ancient One shook her head, a faint smile on her lips. "I was just reminiscing about the day someone bent the rules of the universe simply to get an older sister."

"…"

In that moment, everything clicked for Finney. He finally understood why his first use of the Golden Great Evolution Technique had succeeded and why it had earned him such a massive amount of experience.

It wasn't just a coincidence—no, it was clear that the Ancient One had secretly intervened. That was the only reason his first attempt had worked so flawlessly.

Finney didn't know exactly how powerful the Ancient One was, but he knew she was strong. Strong enough to notice his use of the Golden Great Evolution Technique. She was more than capable of assisting from the shadows.

Faced with an unknown magic that she'd never encountered before and seeing that the intention behind it wasn't malicious, it made sense that she'd quietly help things along, perhaps even out of curiosity.

But if the Ancient One could help in secret, she could certainly hinder him as well. In that moment, Finney realized that the "invincibility" of the Golden Great Evolution Technique was gone.

For the first time, he recalled something his old man had once told him:

Only magic can defeat magic!

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