Watching the man in front of her vanish into the time-space portal, the Ancient One still hadn't recovered from what she'd just heard.
Her face was blank, and the words "that person is me" kept echoing in her mind, leaving her reeling.
She couldn't believe it. In just a single month, he had gone from Skyfather-level to a Single Body?
It was absurd—like some kind of cosmic joke.
Yes, she knew the leader of the Alliance had provided him with an opportunity for such a breakthrough. But she also knew just how slim the odds were.
Even a ten percent chance was considered extraordinarily high—and that was still unimaginably difficult.
And yet, this guy seemed to have casually gone off for a stroll, only to return and tell her he had already ascended.
At this moment, her heart felt like it had been mercilessly stomped on.
Too outrageous.
Where had the Alliance leader found someone like this? Was he the illegitimate son of the One-Above-All?
Her thoughts were not pleasant.
The Ancient One's gaze drifted down the mountain, falling on Kaecilius—who was secretly peeking at a forbidden magic text.
Forget waiting for Dormammu… she wanted to kill that guy right now just to vent her frustration.
Russell returned to the Void through the Quantum Field.
Here, half a year had already passed. The moss plains had been turned into an orderly territory under the management of Old Loki.
Before leaving, Russell had granted access to the three Mjolnirs—one each to the Little Wolf Girl, Polaris, and Old Loki.
The first two were purely for self-defense, in case they were discovered by anyone left behind.
Old Loki's role was to eliminate threats and maintain order.
However, Russell had no plans to remain in the Void.
Old Loki chose to stay, spending the rest of his days here.
In the end, Russell left him a Mjolnir and a Golden Apple, then departed with the Little Wolf Girl and the others aboard the Worldship.
After such a long absence, a great battle was inevitable.
Although the Golden Apple had completely restored his physical condition, Russell's own strength had grown even more.
The clash was fierce and chaotic—mountains shifted, rivers flooded, and the earth itself buckled.
For ten days and nights they fought before Russell finally returned to the Quantum Realm, ready to reshape the timeline of the Sorcerer Supreme.
He had already dealt with the Ancient One of the fifth timeline; now, only the last remained.
The familiar orange time-space portal appeared before him.
Russell lifted his foot to step through—
—but froze.
An intense chill shot through his heart, every hair on his body standing on end.
Slowly, he withdrew his foot, his gaze locking on the shimmering gateway without a flicker of emotion.
The next instant, a blinding white light burst from his eyes, piercing through the portal to see what lay beyond.
It wasn't Earth.
It was a vast, roiling expanse of chaotic darkness.
That stench… it was all over the Ancient One he had just faced.
The answer was obvious.
On the other side was… the Dark Dimension.
If he stepped through—Single Body or not, immortality or not—he wouldn't survive.
Doctor Strange had been able to use the Time Loop to trick Dormammu, but that was only because Dormammu had been foolish enough to play along.
Any ruler of a dimension was invincible in their own realm. Even a magic circle powered by ten Time Stones would be useless there.
And while Dormammu might not be the brightest cosmic entity, walking into his domain without preparation was suicide.
What Russell couldn't figure out was how Kang the Conqueror had managed it.
After a moment's thought, he activated the device he'd taken from Kang and returned to the Sacred Timeline.
Not sensing Strange in New York, he turned and stepped through another portal—
Kamar-Taj.
Wong, wearing the robes of the Sorcerer Supreme, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching the apprentices practice their teleportation.
Doctor Strange, now serving as a mentor, was moving among them, pointing out errors and offering corrections.
At this moment, Wong looked dissatisfied. He shook his head, sighed, clapped his hands, and shouted:
"Stop, stop, stop!"
"A basic portal—you've been practicing for a week, and not a single one of you has mastered it yet! You're the worst apprentices I've ever taught!"
"You know, there are people who can open a portal even when their hands are shaking so badly they can't even drink soup!"
The apprentices hung their heads in shame. Seeing their embarrassed expressions, Wong's eyes lit with a trace of satisfaction. Then he turned to Strange.
"Stephen, show them how to open a portal properly."
Strange's mouth twitched.
You called me back from the New York Sanctum for something this trivial? Incredible.
He knew exactly what Wong was doing, but still sighed and said helplessly:
"Yes… Sorcerer Supreme."
Wong's grin widened. He was delighted to hold the title, and even more delighted to hear Strange acknowledge it.
Strange shook his head, raised his hand, and began to conjure a perfect demonstration portal.
On the other side, he intended to show the interior of the New York Sanctum—and then conveniently make his exit with the excuse of a sudden stomachache.
Golden sparks ignited in the air, forming the circular shape of a portal.
But instead of revealing the Sanctum's hall, the gateway filled with a swirling vortex.
Wong blinked. Strange making a mistake on such a simple spell? Had he gone rusty?
If that was the case… perhaps it was time for him, the Sorcerer Supreme, to take charge.
"Ahem!" He cleared his throat, preparing to step forward.
Then the vortex shimmered, and someone stepped through—someone almost every person on Earth would recognize.
The apprentices froze for a moment before their faces lit with excitement and awe.
Russell glanced at Strange—still looking confused—then turned his gaze toward Wong.
"Which of you two is the Sorcerer Supreme?"
"It's me now!" Wong said immediately, raising his hand with enthusiasm. "I've been waiting for Strange to retire."
Russell nodded briskly.
"Time's short. I need to contact the Ancient One. She should've left a method for that, right?"
He couldn't travel to other timelines at the moment, so this was his only option.
Wong frowned. "Didn't the Ancient One… die?"
Russell gave him a flat look. "Then you're not the Sorcerer Supreme."
Turning to Strange, he said, "Contact her. I have something urgent."
Strange hesitated, visibly conflicted. "Doing that could affect the timeline…"
Russell's expression didn't change.
Wong's eyes darted between them, his mind spinning.
Wait… she's not dead? I cried my eyes out back then, and you're telling me she's still alive? And why doesn't the actual Sorcerer Supreme know about this?
Damn it, Strange—you're plotting to steal my position!
Russell took one look at Wong's dramatic expression and knew the man was bluffing.
With a snap of his fingers, he instantly transported himself and Strange back to the New York Sanctum.
In the stunned silence, Russell's voice was cold and sharp:
"If you don't find her, I may not have a timeline left."
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