"You know ? Of course, you should."
Malrick studied the bald woman in front of him—calm, composed, and unmistakably powerful. That shaved head wasn't just a look; it radiated strength.
"What I an is, you're not exactly the warm and fuzzy type. But today, you picked up and served tea. That's... surprisingly courteous."
"You're not about to ask for a favor, are you?"
Malrick rembered how a certain cosmic entity once tried to cozy up to him for its own gain.
He sipped his tea. "Is this honey tea? It's really good."
The Ancient One flicked her finger, and the cup in Malrick's hand refilled itself with a soft hum.
"If you like it, drink more. We have plenty."
"You don't need to be cautious or suspicious; I'm not asking for anything," she added.
"This is simply how Kamar-Taj treats honored guests—with respect and hospitality. We'd do the sa if Strange showed up."
Malrick raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound right. If soone like him—an atheist—ca, wouldn't you give him a lecture first?"
The Ancient One smiled. "Perhaps. But I'd still serve him tea first."
Malrick nodded slightly. "So, what about ?"
"I thought you would have arrived much earlier, Malrick. Maybe after your eighteenth birthday—or after your return from space."
"I've been waiting for you a long ti."
Malrick gave a lopsided smile. "Sounds like I missed a few appointnts. But I don't rember us ever eting or having an agreent."
"We haven't. But surely you've heard the phrase 'kindred spirits across ti,'" the Ancient One replied, still smiling.
"So, we've been friends for a while then?"
"If you choose to see it that way, yes."
"I'm honored, Sorcerer. But you probably know I didn't co here just to drink tea. I'm here to learn magic."
The Ancient One gave a slight nod. "All the books in Kamar-Taj are now open to you."
"…Thank you. Though, I feel strange just accepting that. You sure you don't want sothing in return?"
Her smile deepened. "Just one question."
"Ask away."
"How much do you know about the crisis that's approaching our world, Malrick?"
"Hm… Dormammu, the Infinity Stones, Thanos?"
"You're well-inford. Anything else?"
"The Multiverse crisis?"
"That's exactly what I wanted to talk about. The ti for that crisis is almost here," the Ancient One said calmly.
Malrick straightened up. "Already?"
"So years ago, Wenwu's Ten Rings began transmitting a strange signal into the cosmos. Do you know what that ans?"
"The Ten Rings transmitting a signal? But that shouldn't happen until years later…"
Malrick frowned.
In the movie, it wasn't until Shang-Chi mastered the Ten Rings that the artifact began sending out a signal across the Multiverse.
But according to the Ancient One, it had already begun.
"Why the ti gap? And what exactly is the ssage?"
"You've used the Ten Rings before. Do you rember what they offer a person?" she asked gently.
"Power, energy… and longevity? Wait, are you saying lifespan?"
Malrick caught the hint.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Lifespan is ti. Ti and the Multiverse…"
"Wait—could the Ten Rings actually be weapons from Kang? Maybe not him exactly, but one of his variants—like the one who created the TVA?"
Realization dawned. "The Ten Rings might be broadcasting our Universe's coordinates to a Kang variant!"
Before Malrick's transmigration, the Marvel storyline had only reached Captain Marvel 2. He didn't have a complete picture of the future Multiverse plotlines, so he could only piece things together with clues.
The Ancient One nodded. "The Multiverse crisis has already begun. Soon, it will reach us."
Malrick frowned. "So, this isn't the Main Universe, and the main tiline is already ten years ahead of ours?"
The Ancient One smiled faintly. "That depends on how you define the Main Universe."
"Isn't it Universe 199999?" Malrick asked instinctively.
That was the number Marvel assigned to the movie Universe in his original world.
But the Ancient One shook her head.
She rose and walked to the center of the hall. With a flick of her hand, she summoned a vast, chaotic cosmic map made of swirling light and energy.
"There's more than one Multiverse."
Her palm pulsed, and countless dark spheres representing Universes erged within the cosmic map. They clustered together, forming galaxy-like networks.
"There are many Multiverses within the Omniverse," she explained.
"We are just one of them."
"Ours is numbered 199999. Each parallel Universe within it has its own identifier."
"The Main Universe you ntioned is technically labeled 199999-A. But within this Multiverse, it's also called the 616 Universe."
"And we're another parallel Universe—199999-S."
Malrick blinked. "Wait—616 isn't that the comic Universe?"
"Comics?" she echoed curiously. "What comics?"
"I an… isn't there supposed to be only one 616 Universe?"
"Not quite," the Ancient One said. "The Multiverse is like an apartnt complex. Each building can have a unit numbered 616."
"But you were right about one thing: the 616 Universe is always a kind of benchmark."
"It's like a model ho—other Universes evolve by comparing themselves to it."
"And among the buildings in the Omniverse, only two are particularly significant right now."
"The problem is, the residents of the other building are far more powerful than we are."
Malrick finally understood. She was referring to the comic Universe and the movie Universe.
This explained why the movie Universe kept calling itself 616, even though Marvel fans knew it as 199999. The numbers just depended on the perspective.
From the outside, their entire Multiverse was labeled 199999. But from within, their primary Universe was seen as 616.
"So our benchmark Universe has already entered a Multiversal war?" Malrick asked.
"Exactly. And the Ten Rings may be one of the sparks that brings that war to us."
"Then I'll go talk to Tony. We'll block the signal."
"It's too late. The signal went out years ago. The enemy may already be on their way."
Malrick's chest tightened. "You seem very calm about all this. That must an you've got a plan, right?"
A sense of dread crept into him.
A Multiversal war required cosmic-level strength. He was still far from that.
The Ancient One held his gaze but didn't answer. Her serene expression didn't waver, as tranquil as still water in a deep well.
"You ca here to learn magic," she said. "Let's begin."
For so reason, she shifted the topic without warning.
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