"Why do you both want to come along?" Jack asked as the three of them walked toward the New York Sanctum at 177A Bleecker Street.
"It's already evening anyway," Morgan said as she looked at the setting sun. "Besides, we also want to see real magic."
"Yeah! I've only heard stories about it!" Emma added excitedly.
Soon they arrived at their destination.
Just as Jack had imagined, from the outside it looked like an old three-story building. Ancient stone walls, a large circular window, heavy wooden front doors, old lamps glowing with a warm light, and a short flight of stone steps leading to the entrance gave it a mysterious feeling.
Jack walked up the steps and knocked on the door.
Knock. Knock.
A few moments later, the heavy wooden door slowly opened.
A Black man in his fifties, dressed in the robes of a sorcerer, stood quietly before them.
"Hello. I'm Jack. We're here to see the Ancient One. She invited us."
The man gave them a brief look before nodding.
"Please come inside. The Ancient One has been expecting you."
Stepping aside, he let the three of them enter before quietly closing the door behind them.
"Wow, she really knew we were coming." Emma looked around with sparkling eyes. "Magic is amazing."
"Follow me," the man said calmly as he led them upstairs.
The inside of the Sanctum was surprisingly quiet. Ancient paintings hung on the walls, strange relics were displayed on shelves, and old books filled large wooden bookcases. Soft yellow lights illuminated the hallway, giving the entire place a peaceful feeling.
"Hi, I'm Emma. Nice to meet you!" Emma hurried after him. "Are you also a mage? Can you open those orange portals? Can you teach me one?"
A faint smile appeared on the man's face.
"Yes, I can."
"Really?" Emma's eyes widened.
"Emma," Jack said helplessly, "don't bother him while he's working."
"It's alright," the man replied calmly. "Curiosity is never a bad thing."
After walking down the hallway, he stopped in front of a wooden door.
"The Ancient One is waiting inside."
Saying that, he quietly stepped aside.
As Jack and the two girls entered, they found themselves in a peaceful room.
Sunlight from the setting sun streamed through the large circular window, filling the room with a warm golden glow. The room was simple, with only a few shelves holding ancient books and artifacts. In the center sat a small wooden table with three cups of tea already prepared.
Sitting cross-legged on a cushion behind the table was a bald woman dressed in simple yellow robes. Although she looked ordinary, she carried an indescribable calmness that made the entire room feel peaceful.
The Ancient One slowly opened her eyes and looked at the three of them with a gentle smile.
"I was expecting you."
The Ancient One smiled gently.
"But I bet you already knew I'd only come today from the moment you invited me," Jack replied with a smile.
The Ancient One didn't answer. She simply gestured toward the cushions in front of her.
"Please, have a seat."
Jack and the two girls sat down across from her.
"Have some tea."
Jack picked up his cup and took a small sip before setting it back on the table.
Emma, however, picked up hers and drank the whole cup in one gulp.
The next second, her little face twisted.
"Ugh... it tastes like medicine."
Morgan couldn't help laughing.
"Who told you to drink it all in one sip?" she said while calmly taking small sips from her own cup.
"I thought it would taste good..." Emma muttered, still making a sour face.
Jack shook his head helplessly.
"You two, don't disturb the Ancient One."
The Ancient One simply smiled.
"They are very lively."
"I'm not sure why you wanted to meet me," Jack finally asked. "Last time, you were the one who invited me here."
He had been curious ever since. Their last meeting had cleared up his doubts about Emma and Morgan's time travel. She hadn't treated him as an enemy despite everything she knew about him, so he couldn't understand why she wanted to meet him again.
"Jack, you are very special—you know that yourself. When I first saw your future, I was truly surprised. Your existence gave me a real sense of peace of mind about the future of this world."
Hearing those words, Jack couldn't help but think.
What does she mean by special?
Is she talking about my reincarnation? The Omnitrix? Or... what the System once called me—a unique existence in the entire multiverse?
Before Jack could think any further, the Ancient One continued.
"Normally, the past cannot be changed. At most, a new parallel world is created. But you can truly change it. When I first tried to understand how you did it, I found an alien you named Alien X. Because of its power, it became possible. And whenever something went wrong, your future self quietly corrected it."
Hearing that he had unlocked Alien X in the future, Jack couldn't hide his excitement.
So I really unlocked Alien X...
For a brief moment, he imagined how powerful he would become in the future.
"But..." Jack slowly shook his head. "I don't think it would be that simple."
"Hm?" The Ancient One looked at him with a faint smile.
"There is always someone stronger."
The Ancient One nodded.
"That is correct."
She calmly took another sip of tea before continuing.
"Even in the future, there are beings standing above almost everything. Behind me stands Eternity, and from what I have seen, the two of you seem to have a good relationship."
Jack's eyes widened slightly.
Even Eternity...
"But remember," the Ancient One continued, "beings like Eternity do not simply ignore someone capable of changing time. If they allowed your future self to continue, then there must have been a reason."
She looked directly into Jack's eyes.
"Perhaps your future self made a promise. Perhaps he accepted a responsibility. I cannot see that far. But whatever it was, even those beings chose not to interfere."
"So when you reach that point one day, be careful. There may be something waiting for you that your future self has already prepared."
Hearing her words, Jack's excitement quickly faded.
He had thought unlocking Alien X would one day make him unstoppable.
Now he realized that no matter how powerful he became, there would always be someone standing above him.
"You didn't invite me just to give me this warning, right?" Jack asked after taking a moment to calm himself.
"The reason is... I have a favor to ask you."
Jack was genuinely surprised.
The Ancient One... asking him for help?
"You must already know there is a multiverse-level war going on in the future. It has already started affecting the past. Time criminals and people from the future have begun coming here and interfering with history. I have stopped most of them, but some have slipped past me."
She paused before continuing.
"They can hide from the Time Stone, and the future itself has become misty, making it difficult even for me to see clearly. At the same time, the demon lords have become more active. We simply do not have enough people."
"So... I need your help."
Jack didn't answer immediately.
His thoughts were still on everything the Ancient One had just told him. The future seemed far heavier than he had imagined.
Feeling the atmosphere become serious, Emma quietly reached over and held Jack's hand.
"Dad..."
Morgan also looked at him.
"I believe you can do it."
Looking at the two girls beside him, Jack slowly smiled.
No matter what kind of future was waiting for him... whether it was Eternity, time criminals, or even a multiverse war...
That was the future.
And he still had plenty of time to become stronger.
"Alright," Jack said as the hesitation in his heart disappeared. "I'll do everything I can."
The Ancient One simply smiled, as if she had expected that answer all along.
This was now the second time Jack had heard about the multiverse war—first from Emma, and now from the Ancient One. Hearing it from both of them made him realize just how serious the future situation really was.
"If even you can't find them, wouldn't it be impossible for us to find them too?" Emma, who had been quietly listening beside Jack, suddenly asked.
The Ancient One gently shook her head.
"They can hide from me. But with your technology, I believe you can find them much more easily."
"Are there any clues?" Jack asked. "Without any clues, where am I supposed to start looking for these future criminals?"
He had already decided to help her. Besides helping the Ancient One, it would also benefit him. Anyone who had traveled from the future to the past must possess something related to time travel, and that alone was worth investigating.
"The only event that unfolded differently from the future I originally saw was the disappearance of the one who transformed into the Lizard," the Ancient One said calmly as she took another sip of tea. "If you find him, I believe you'll also find the time criminal."
"So, find Dr. Connors?" Jack muttered.
Hearing that, the lingering doubt in his heart was finally cleared up.
No wonder the Lizard suddenly disappeared...
Someone from the future must have interfered.
"Okay, Ancient One. I'll find the time criminal. In exchange, I'd like to research the Time Stone," Jack said straightforwardly. Although catching the time criminal would already benefit him, this was still the Ancient One's request, so he had no problem asking for a reward as well.
"If you capture the time criminal," the Ancient One said with a gentle smile, "the Time Stone will be yours to research for as long as you need."
Seeing that she had agreed so easily, Jack was a little surprised.
After a brief pause, the Ancient One continued.
"And if you wish..." she looked at Jack calmly, "...I can also make you my successor. The position of Sorcerer Supreme will one day be yours."
Jack was stunned for a moment.
To countless mages, that was an opportunity they could only dream of. Even he had to admit it was a tempting offer.
But after thinking quietly for a few seconds, he smiled and shook his head.
"No need. You should leave that position to your chosen heir, Strange. I only need the Time Stone for a few experiments."
The Ancient One smiled, as if she had already expected that answer.
"Very well."
She slowly picked up her teacup.
"Once you capture the time criminal, come back and claim your reward."
Jack nodded.
"I'll hold you to that."
After saying goodbye to the Ancient One, Jack left the Sanctum with Emma and Morgan.
As the heavy wooden doors slowly closed behind them, Jack looked toward the evening sky.
"It looks like our next stop..."
"...is Dr. Connors."
A/N: The Patreon version is already updated with 20 advanced chapters. If you'd like to read ahead of the public release schedule, you can join here:
👉 patreon.com/BenBlazecraft