After some discussion among everyone, Option C—just like Option B—could neither be ruled out nor confirmed, and thus could only be left as undecided.
Up to this point, the first three options had all been analyzed. Only the final option remained.
Everyone's gaze shifted in unison to the last line at the bottom of the large screen.
"This option… we can probably rule it out, right?"
Peter Parker spoke up immediately, addressing everyone."The Time Stone is such an important item. If someone really managed to steal it from Kamar-Taj, that person must be extremely powerful. Doctor Strange probably wouldn't have the ability to take it back, would he?"
"Didn't you all say that when Doctor Strange first obtained the stone, he was still inexperienced? He couldn't even properly form a magic shield."
Peter Parker's judgment was the most basic and straightforward one, and many people present agreed with him.
"That's right. If the enemy was able to steal the Time Stone, that means they must have defeated the Ancient One!" Scott Lang immediately voiced his agreement."An enemy like that—forget Doctor Strange—even all of Kamar-Taj wouldn't be able to stop them, right?"
"No, we can't jump to conclusions so hastily."
After some thought, Tony Stark shook his head and gave a dissenting opinion.
"If what Option D describes really happened, and we don't know any clues at all, then that means there are countless possibilities!"
"It's possible that when the enemy stole the stone, the Ancient One was injured and couldn't protect it."
"It's also possible that the enemy fought the Ancient One to a draw, both sides heavily wounded, and Doctor Strange simply picked up the leftovers."
"And it's also possible… that some other scenario occurred. When we lack any concrete information, anything is possible! It's not impossible that Doctor Strange took the Time Stone back!"
Tony Stark's words left everyone speechless for a moment, unable to find any rebuttal.
Indeed, Peter Parker and Scott Lang's views sounded reasonable at first, but upon closer examination, they were the result of rigid thinking and couldn't stand up to deeper scrutiny.
They instinctively focused only on "personal strength" and subconsciously excluded all other factors.
They assumed that someone capable of stealing the Time Stone from Kamar-Taj must be extremely powerful, and since Doctor Strange was weak, he couldn't possibly retrieve it.
That way of thinking was simply too crude.
In reality, however—
There were countless possible scenarios. Aside from strength, many other factors could influence the outcome.
Examples of weaker individuals playing crucial roles were far from rare.
"So… Option D is also undecided?" Thor said with a headache.
If that were the case, then this question had only eliminated one option, while the other three remained undecidable!
That was seriously annoying.
"That's right. At present, Options B, C, and D are all undecided," Captain America nodded and said."But even if they're all undecided, their probabilities still differ."
"What we need to do next is compare these three options and see which one is most likely."
"Let's start with Option B. It's certainly possible, but considering the Ancient One's strength and her reliance on the Time Stone, I think its probability is relatively low."
No one objected to this point either.
So far, the strongest "villains" everyone knew were only Thanos and Dormammu.
Other figures like the Chitauri or Ultron simply couldn't pose any threat to the Ancient One.
What about Thanos and Dormammu?
Thanos invaded Earth only after the Ancient One had already died.
As for Dormammu, that was also impossible—the timeline didn't match. The Time Stone was already in Doctor Strange's possession before Dormammu descended upon Earth.
"As for Option C, I don't see any reason to reduce its likelihood."
"Regarding Option D, although Stark's reasoning makes sense, we have to admit that what he described is a low-probability event."
Most of the time, it's still the powerful individuals who play the key roles.
Cases where weaker individuals change the outcome are special exceptions.
Could Doctor Strange really handle an enemy capable of stealing the Time Stone from Kamar-Taj?
It was possible—but no matter how you looked at it, the probability was very low.
"So… after comparing everything, I think the answer to this question is Option C," Captain America concluded."What do you all think?"
"I think what you said makes sense, Cap," Peter Parker immediately nodded in agreement.
The others exchanged glances and found no objections. Compared to the other two options, Option C indeed seemed more likely.
Thus, the answer was finalized as Option C.
As for who would answer the question, after a brief discussion among the remaining three unanswered participants, the answer ultimately fell to Peter Parker.
The reason was simple: Peter Parker was extremely curious about the Still Blood Garment.
"I choose C—Doctor Strange secretly took the Time Stone!"
Having made his decision, Peter Parker wasted no words and immediately gave his answer to the screen.
[Answer Correct!]
"YES!" Peter Parker excitedly slapped his thigh.
[Congratulations to contestant Peter Parker for obtaining the reward: Still Blood Garment (Set)!]
With the system's announcement, a white robe instantly appeared in Peter Parker's hands.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary piece of clothing, but everyone knew very well that rewards from the system were never that simple.
"So this is the 'Blood Garment'? I thought it'd be blood-red," Scott Lang said while staring at the outfit.
"Could it be… that the robe is originally white, but it absorbs blood?" Thor's imagination ran wild as he guessed with a look of great wisdom."Once it absorbs blood, it turns red, so it's called the Blood Garment?"
Everyone looked at Thor with expressions that said 'I can't believe you actually said that.'
Thor himself realized how far-fetched his guess was and burst out laughing, grinning like an idiot.
"Mr. Thor, this outfit doesn't absorb blood. It's simply a garment that can defend against attacks," Peter Parker quickly explained to Thor and the others."You can think of it as a bulletproof vest."
"A bulletproof vest?" Scott Lang pouted in disappointment."I thought it'd be something amazing. Turns out it's just bulletproof."
To everyone present, bulletproof gear was nothing special—Captain America's shield and even his uniform could block bullets.
That kind of ability was basic.
"No, 'bulletproof vest' is just an analogy," Peter Parker quickly added."It's far stronger than an ordinary bulletproof vest. It can even block explosions."
The defensive power of the Still Blood Garment was indeed outrageous.
In Bleach, even though the Quincy possessed formidable abilities, they were still flesh and blood at their core.
But after donning the Still Blood Garment, they could withstand attacks from vice-captains of the Gotei Thirteen—
And do so effortlessly, without sustaining any damage.
How could that be compared to something like a bulletproof vest?
"The defensive function is impressive,"Doctor Strange commented, showing mild surprise."But… wouldn't the most perfect defense still be Stark's Holtzman Shield?"
"Exactly," Thor nodded."The Holtzman Shield is an energy-field defense. Peter, your robe seems kind of useless."
"No! It's not useless at all!" Peter Parker immediately protested."Besides defense, the Still Blood Garment can also maintain the body's vital functions!"
That statement instantly piqued everyone's interest.
"Maintain vital functions?" Captain America asked curiously."What does that mean, Peter?"
"It means that if I suffer severe injuries—injuries that would normally kill someone—the Still Blood Garment can keep my body functioning, allowing me to keep fighting."
"Well," Thor shrugged,"That does sound useful, but…"
He then grew smug again."It's useless to me anyway, because I can't get injured!"
Thor's words were arrogant—but undeniably backed by reality.
After all, his body could withstand the energy of a neutron star. He was a complete monster.
[Quiz complete. Beginning answer analysis playback!]
Soon after, the corresponding footage began to play.
On the screen appeared a place resembling a library. Doctor Strange stood before Wong.
"Stephen!"
"Wong!"
After a brief greeting, Wong got straight to the point.
"What do you want?"
"A book on astral projection," Doctor Strange replied bluntly.
"You're not ready," Wong rejected him without hesitation.
"Come on, give me a shot, Beyoncé," Doctor Strange joked.
Wong remained completely serious, showing no reaction at all—clearly unfamiliar with the name.
"Please, you've heard of her, right? She's a huge star! No reaction? Fine, just let me take a look."
"No."
Wong flatly refused.
This "chubby sorcerer" wasn't unfamiliar to everyone, having appeared in many Doctor Strange-related scenes.
This footage clarified his role—he was essentially the librarian of Kamar-Taj, and clearly held a position of authority.
The screen then shifted.
A torrential rainstorm at night.
A figure hurried across the courtyard of Kamar-Taj and dashed toward one of its rooms.
Though concealed by the darkness, everyone could clearly recognize the figure—it was Doctor Strange.
And the room he entered was the same "library."
Clearly, after being rejected by Wong, Doctor Strange hadn't given up. Instead, he chose to sneak in at night.
And it worked.
The library was empty, with no one to stop him.
Doctor Strange easily found the book he wanted and began reading it leisurely while eating an apple.
As he read, his gaze unintentionally shifted to an object on a nearby shelf—
The Eye of Agamotto.
"So that's the Eye of Agamotto? The Time Stone!"Peter Parker couldn't help but exclaim.
Such an important object—just sitting there?
Wasn't the Time Stone supposed to be the primary weapon against the Dark Dimension?Wasn't guarding it the duty of the Sorcerer Supreme?
And yet—it was just placed on a shelf?
The others also felt somewhat speechless.
Kamar-Taj's treatment of the Time Stone didn't match its importance at all.
"Wong?"
On the screen, Doctor Strange turned and cautiously called out.
No response.
After confirming that Wong wasn't there, Doctor Strange finally relaxed.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward, removed the Eye of Agamotto, and hung it around his neck.
Just like that.
None of the "recognition" or rejection that people had speculated about happened.
The Eye of Agamotto reacted like a lifeless object.
Just like that, it fell into Doctor Strange's hands.
After putting it on, Doctor Strange returned to the book and followed its instructions.
"Alright, first—open the Eye of Agamotto."
He made a magical hand gesture, and the Eye immediately opened.
The Time Stone revealed itself, glowing faintly.
"Nice!"
Doctor Strange looked satisfied.
He brought his hands together and rotated them slightly, forming a green magical disc between them—
The very time magic he would later become famous for.
........................
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