As the bald woman stepped out of the portal, even though her appearance differed from the cinematic universe, Aurelius Viremont recognized her instantly.
The Sorcerer Supreme!
The moment he saw her, every muscle fiber in Aurelius Viremont's body tensed. He channeled his cursed energy and physical reinforcement to their absolute limits. His focus sharpened to a razor's edge as the Six Eyes operated at maximum capacity; he had reached his absolute peak state in an instant. Facing a Father-level powerhouse, even the current Aurelius Viremont did not dare to relax for a single second.
Tony looked at the bald woman and then scrutinized the sparking ring behind her. He felt that ever since he publicly admitted to being Iron Man, the world had become increasingly unrecognizable. First, there was the White Demon, then a God of Thunder landing in New Mexico along with the legends of Asgard, and now a bald woman in yellow robes opening a portal into his living room.
Pretending to reach for a drink, Tony ducked behind Aurelius Viremont. He grabbed a bottle, poured two glasses, handed one to Aurelius Viremont, and kept the other for himself. He looked at the woman and asked:
"And who might you be? How does that light show behind you work? Mutant ability, some kind of tech, or other superpowers?"
Ancient One, who had been focused solely on Aurelius Viremont since her arrival, finally shifted her gaze to Tony. Hearing his questions, she gave a mysterious smile, her tone calm and gentle. "This is magic."
"Fine, magic." Tony accepted it immediately. Since he knew Asgard was real, the existence of magic was only logical. "So, Master Sorcerer, what brings you here?"
"The correct term is Master of the Mystic Arts," Ancient One corrected him gently. She turned her eyes back to Aurelius Viremont. "I am looking for this gentleman."
Tony downed his expensive red wine and shrugged. "I figured."
Seeing the Sorcerer Supreme address him, Aurelius Viremont couldn't remain indifferent. He flashed a radiant and genuinely kind smile at her. "Respected Sorcerer Supreme, how may I help you?"
Tony stared at him, incredulous. Seeing that smile—usually laced with thick malice—look so genuinely bright gave him a slight sense of unease. Then, he caught the name Aurelius Viremont used: Sorcerer Supreme!
Was this bald woman the same "Sorcerer Supreme" rumored to be capable of tanking a nuclear blast? Facing two monsters who could shrug off nukes, Tony felt a surge of anxiety. It seemed that in addition to the "Anti-White Demon" armor, the "Anti-Sorcerer Supreme" armor needed to be added to the schedule!
Standing across from Aurelius Viremont, the Ancient One smiled back. "I would like you to serve as the next Sorcerer Supreme. I am willing to teach you everything I know, provided you are willing to protect the Earth until the next successor appears!"
Aurelius Viremont froze. He hadn't expected her to want him as the replacement. Is she trying to retire early? The thought crossed his mind, but he didn't even have to deliberate. He rejected her instantly. "I'm sorry, but I have no intention of becoming the Sorcerer Supreme."
He had no desire to spend his life guarding the planet. In the time it would take to do that, he could absorb enough energy to unlock more templates and surpass the Sorcerer Supreme entirely, leaving her in the dust.
Ancient One wasn't surprised. She had known the outcome but wanted to try anyway; however, that wasn't her primary goal. She pulled out a strange ring with two holes—a Sling Ring—and let it float toward Aurelius Viremont.
"You seem to possess the ability to raise the ceiling of your powers. If you can master the Portal, you may eventually be able to traverse dimensions at will."
Looking at the Sling Ring in his hand, Aurelius Viremont was surprised. He hadn't expected to get it so easily. He asked, "What is the price for this?"
Ancient One shook her head. "No price. But I suggest that in the future, you explore the parallel universes as soon as possible. After all, the world is vast; you should see it..."
Aurelius Viremont's lips twitched. Though her tone was polite, he heard the subtext loud and clear: I'm not asking for much—just spare this universe and go plague the others instead!
But this happened to align with his own thoughts. There were too many things he wanted to witness: the Annihilation Wave, Onslaught, the Marvel Zombies universe, the Infinity War, and more. The greatest charm of the Marvel world was the infinite possibilities within the infinite Multiverse. He couldn't be bound to a single reality.
Seeing Aurelius Viremont accept the ring, her mission was complete. Ancient One prepared to leave, but Aurelius Viremont stopped her.
"Sorcerer Supreme, what do you think of Tony as a candidate? With his intellect, he could easily handle the role."
Tony Stark didn't expect Aurelius Viremont to pivot to him. He pointed a finger at himself, bewildered. "Me?"
Aurelius Viremont pushed Tony toward the Ancient One. "Don't you think the collision of technology and magic would produce even more brilliant sparks?"
Tony thought about it seriously and nodded. The power of technology alone was currently struggling to keep up with entities like Aurelius Viremont. Since the tech tree took time to climb, perhaps incorporating magic as a shortcut was a brand-new path.
Ancient One looked at Tony Stark—the genius and playboy in the eyes of the world. Her gaze became vacant, as if she wasn't looking at the man before her but at the flow of time itself. After a moment, she smiled. "This gentleman would indeed make an excellent Sorcerer Supreme."
Aurelius Viremont smiled. He knew she had agreed. Following his suggestion, Tony left with the Ancient One to Kamar-Taj to learn magic. Aurelius Viremont had total confidence in Tony's aptitude; after all, a version of him in another universe actually held the title. The fact that the Ancient One didn't refuse meant Tony was gifted.
Carrying a backpack, Aurelius Viremont stepped into the void and flew straight toward Washington D.C. The bag contained ten Arc Reactors—enough to last him for a while. By the time they were drained, he would surely have obtained an Infinity Stone.
With Lv.4 Energy Absorption, his speed now exceeded Mach 10. Flying from the coast of San Diego to Washington took only about a dozen minutes. His destination was the White House—the political heart of the United States.
To thank the military for their gift, he was here to return the favor. However, as he approached, he found that the White House was already in a state of chaos!....
....
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