Ten minutes later, after Nick Fury and the others left with their agents, Adrian Cross looked at the special S.H.I.E.L.D.
consultant identification Fury had left behind, along with a check for a considerable sum of money, and couldn’t help smiling.
“Conning people…
actually feels pretty good.”
Having accomplished his objective, Adrian Cross muttered contentedly to himself.
But just as he said that—
“Your behavior is quite interesting.”
The voice that suddenly rang out made Adrian Cross’s entire body stiffen.
“Rrrah!”
Almost simultaneously, Rayquaza, which had maintained its usual aloof demeanor throughout the entire encounter, seemed to sense something and began growling.
Even Celebi, who rarely left Adrian Cross’s shoulder, flew down.
The next moment, Adrian Cross saw a circular portal blazing with magical energy appear before him.
A woman stepped through it.
She had a strikingly bald head and wore pristine white robes.
A gentle smile seemed permanently etched upon her lips.
Simply standing there, she exuded an indescribable air that seemed to blend divinity with serene enlightenment.
Before Adrian Cross could even react, the woman smiled at him.
“However, there was an error in what you said earlier.
Sorcerers began studying dimensions sixteen hundred years ago.”
“…”
Looking at the woman who had suddenly appeared, Adrian Cross felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
It hadn’t even been ten minutes since he’d finished bluffing one bald head, and now another bald head had already come knocking?
And this one wasn’t nearly as easy to fool!
“Hello, Ancient One.”
The Ancient One, Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar-Taj.
The true guardian of Earth.
Having lived for at least five hundred years, she was renowned even throughout the universe.
Her strength was so formidable that even an existence as powerful as Dormammu, ruler of the Dark Dimension, found it difficult to invade Earth while she stood guard.
And that wasn’t even mentioning the fact that she possessed the Time Stone—the most absurdly powerful of the Infinity Stones.
To put it simply, in Adrian Cross’s estimation, the Ancient One was basically the ceiling of Earth’s combat power.
“Ahem, Ancient One, you…”
Although Adrian Cross knew she had probably heard all the nonsense he’d just fed Fury, he still cleared his throat and prepared to speak.
But the Ancient One simply smiled and continued before he could.
“The stability of this alternate space is nearly perfect.
Had you not happened to open a passage into it, even I would have been unable to discover it.”
She glanced around the alternate dimension, a trace of admiration in her voice.
“Among all the alternate spaces I have visited, yours would rank among the top three in terms of stability and compatibility with the original space.”
So she’s actually visited more than one alternate space…
After hearing that, Adrian Cross momentarily had no idea what to say.
Perhaps this was simply what it meant to be ridiculously powerful.
But the Ancient One quickly ended the small talk and got to the point.
“Mr.
Adrian Cross, I originally came here because of you…
She smiled and gestured toward Celebi beside Adrian Cross, then toward Rayquaza in the distance.
As she spoke, Celebi stared at the Ancient One with its large eyes.
Even Rayquaza’s perpetually proud golden eyes showed a rare trace of vigilance.
Both Pokémon could clearly sense that the Ancient One was on an entirely different level from the humans they had encountered before.
“Then you must have heard everything I just said.”
Adrian Cross’s expression remained unchanged.
“They’re creatures from another dimension.”
“No.
You weren’t telling the truth.”
The Ancient One smiled as she looked at Adrian Cross.
“The dimensions of this universe are still part of this universe.
Even beings from the Dark Dimension cannot escape that fundamental truth.”
“But they…
are not!”
She pointed toward Celebi.
“There is power within it that belongs to the laws of time.”
“And yet…
that power over ‘time’ was not bestowed by Eternity.”
As the wielder of the Time Stone, the Ancient One was exceptionally sensitive to the power of time.
That was why she had immediately sensed the portion of Celebi’s power that represented time itself.
And the Eternity she spoke of was one of Marvel’s great cosmic entities—the cosmic embodiment of the universe itself.
The Ancient One looked directly at Adrian Cross and spoke each word distinctly.
“They are not beings from another dimension.”
“Because they aren’t beings from this universe at all.”
“…”
Adrian Cross had no idea how to answer.
“And then there’s you, Adrian.”
The Ancient One clearly wasn’t finished.
She looked calmly at Adrian Cross, her voice perfectly even.
“After the recent incident, I observed ‘you.'”
“Your past is shrouded in mist.
Your future is completely obscured.
Even the future I had already ‘observed’ has undergone changes whose outcome I can no longer determine.”
“So, Adrian…”
“Who exactly are you?”
As the question left her lips, an immense pressure instantly descended upon Adrian Cross.
Adrian Cross replied quietly.
“Does who I am really matter?”
Despite his calm words, Adrian Cross was actually panicking inside.
This was the first time since arriving in this world that anyone had seen through him to such an extent.
Aside from the System—which remained unknown to everyone—the Ancient One had practically discerned his true origins.
Admittedly, inside this alternate dimension, Celebi and Rayquaza could both exert twice their normal combat power.
If they joined forces, fighting the Ancient One wasn’t necessarily impossible.
But Adrian Cross also knew that against someone who possessed the Time Stone, actually killing her was essentially impossible.
And the moment he attacked, their relationship would be irreparably destroyed.
His situation afterward would become extraordinarily difficult.
At the very least, all the plans he had made on Earth would basically be ruined, and every time he left home, he’d have to worry about being ambushed by the Sorcerer Supreme.
So Adrian Cross had absolutely no desire to fight the Ancient One.
More importantly, something felt strange.
Given the Ancient One’s personality in the original story, there was no reason for her to pressure him this aggressively.
She’s…
testing me!
So Adrian Cross chose to trust his judgment.
He looked directly into the Ancient One’s eyes without backing down.
And sure enough…
“You’re right.
Who you are isn’t important.”
After a brief silence, the Ancient One’s demeanor instantly became peaceful again.
“I have observed you.
There is neither evil nor madness in your thoughts and actions.
In fact, you appear to be preparing for the disasters Earth will face in the future.”
She smiled at Adrian Cross.
“As long as you pose no threat to Earth, the Masters of the Mystic Arts will not be your enemies.”
“You’ve passed, Adrian.”
Just as Adrian Cross had expected, everything she’d done moments earlier had apparently been nothing more than a test.
“You certainly have an interesting sense of humor, Ancient One.”
Adrian Cross finally relaxed.
But just when he thought the matter was over—
“There is, however, something I truly need your help with, Adrian.”
The Ancient One suddenly looked at him seriously, then pointed toward Celebi.
“I would like you and this little one to accompany me to Kamar-Taj.
There is something I need your help with.”
“Help?”
Adrian Cross could barely comprehend the Sorcerer Supreme’s train of thought.
A moment ago, she’d looked ready to fight him.
And now, barely a second later, she wanted his help?
Sure, Adrian Cross knew she’d merely been testing his character and intentions earlier, but the abrupt change still left him feeling incredibly awkward.
What did she take him for?!
“Yes.”
The Ancient One’s five hundred years of composure were no joke.
She nodded without the slightest change in expression.
“If you’re willing to help, you may name whatever reward you desire.”
“…”
Adrian Cross immediately changed his mind.
Now we’re talking!