[Ding! Detected that the host has completed the current universe mission. Would you like to return to the original world?]
Xiao Han glanced at the system interface, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly."No rush. Let me look around a bit more."
He had just taken a step, planning to head somewhere else, when a golden portal suddenly spun open in front of him.
The Ancient One floated out from the portal, her wide yellow robes swaying lightly in the wind.
Her gaze was deep and tranquil, yet carried an undeniable authority.
"You are not someone from this world."The Ancient One's voice was quiet, but firm.
Xiao Han chuckled softly, not answering directly."We meet again, Master Ancient One."
Her brows knitted slightly as she stared at him.
"You mean… you know another me?" she asked, a hint of curiosity in her tone.
"Not only know—just a few days ago, you were trying to make me the next Sorcerer Supreme."
Xiao Han lifted his finger, golden magical energy swirling in his palm as he outlined a familiar sigil—the safeguarding rune of Kamar-Taj.
"Your magic," the Ancient One murmured, even more intrigued.
"But the source of your energy is neither Vishanti… nor the Dark Dimension."
"The sun." Xiao Han smiled. "I rebuilt the magical system in my own way."
The Ancient One fell silent for a moment, her gaze steady on him.
"Those two stones do not belong to you," she said slowly.
"I know."
Xiao Han nodded. "But if they stay here, Thanos will take them in the future. And the Time Stone too—Stephen Strange is the one who will give it away."
The Ancient One's breath halted slightly.
"What… did you say?"
Xiao Han instantly understood.He'd moved too quickly—Banner might not have even started time-traveling yet.
Thinking of this, Xiao Han met her eyes directly.
"In the future, Strange will willingly hand the Time Stone to Thanos. He sees the only chance of victory, but the price is half of all life being erased."
The Ancient One froze.
Her fingers tightened slightly, as though calculating possibilities.
"Are you certain?"
"Absolutely." Xiao Han nodded.
"There's no way to prove it. Decisions outside the timeline can't be observed."
The Ancient One closed her eyes, lightly touching the Eye of Agamotto at her chest.
A moment later, she opened her eyes again—expression complex.
"The Time Stone truly cannot be seen… So you took it to prevent this outcome?"
"Not entirely."
Xiao Han said honestly, "I just think that instead of letting it fall into Thanos' hands, it's better if I keep it. If it's needed in the future, I'll return."
The Ancient One looked at him deeply, then unexpectedly smiled.
"How interesting. Another me actually considered you as a candidate for Sorcerer Supreme?"
Xiao Han spread his hands. "She seemed to appreciate me quite a bit."
The Ancient One shook her head lightly, a hint of helplessness and acceptance in her eyes.
"Perhaps… I should consider retiring early."
Xiao Han raised a brow. "Not planning to guard the world for a few hundred more years?"
"For me, time stopped being a constraint long ago."The Ancient One smiled faintly. "But before I leave, I have a question."
"Hm?"
"Have you learned inter-dimensional contact magic?"
Xiao Han shook his head. "Not yet. But I can learn it now."
The Ancient One laughed softly, sliding her finger through the air. A golden rune floated into existence.
"This is Kamar-Taj's Inter-Dimensional Communication Technique. If you can learn it… perhaps you can try powering it with your own energy."
Xiao Han studied the rune, his eyes glowing faintly gold as solar energy surged through his body. A strand of blazing golden light gathered at his fingertips.
The next second, the rune lit up.A wave of inter-dimensional resonance rippled outward.
A flash of amazement crossed the Ancient One's eyes.
"You learn quickly."
Xiao Han withdrew the magic and smiled."Thank you. Maybe next time, we can chat about retirement plans."
The Ancient One nodded lightly and turned toward the portal—
But Xiao Han stopped her.
"What is it?" she asked, puzzled.
"Looks like we have to go together."
Xiao Han smiled.
Just moments ago, his super-vision had already seen what was happening in Brooklyn, New York.
There, Bruce Banner was checking whether the Sanctum was empty.
At the same time, Xiao Han received a system prompt.
[Hidden Mission Triggered: Resolve the arriving Thanos and save the Avengers.][Mission Reward: Growth Points, plus one random reward.]
New York Sanctum
Bruce Banner stood at the rooftop entrance of the Sanctum, nervously straightening his clothes.He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
"Hello? Anyone here?"
Banner looked around. The Sanctum was empty, with only ancient books and mystical artifacts quietly arranged on the shelves.
Then—
A golden portal opened before him.
The Ancient One stepped out, followed by a man in black battle armor with a golden S emblem on his chest.
Banner froze. He instantly recognized the Ancient One—but the man beside her, he had never seen before.
"Master Ancient One!" Banner hurried forward. "I'm Bruce Banner, from the future. I need your help."
The Ancient One smiled slightly, her gaze calm."I know who you are, Dr. Banner. Time travel is unusual, but your arrival is something I foresaw."
Banner exhaled in relief, but tension quickly returned."Then you know why I'm here?"
"The Time Stone."
The Ancient One nodded."But unfortunately… you're already too late."
Banner blinked."What do you mean?"
At that moment, the man beside her spoke.
"Because the stone is with me."
Banner finally took a good look at him.
Black armor. Golden lines. Eyes so deep they seemed to pierce through everything.
His presence alone carried an overwhelming pressure.
"Who are you?" Banner asked cautiously.
"Xiao Han." He smiled. "You can call me… Superman."
"Superman?" Banner frowned. He'd only heard that name in comic books.
"Dr. Banner, he's a visitor from another universe," the Ancient One explained.
"He has obtained the Space Stone and the Mind Stone. And the Time Stone… is temporarily under his protection."
Yes—just moments ago, the Ancient One had already decided how things should proceed. She handed the Time Stone to Xiao Han without hesitation.
Temporarily.He must return it later.The other stones were his to handle.
Banner's face darkened."That's impossible! The stones must remain in their original timeline. Removing them will cause catastrophic consequences!"
Xiao Han shook his head.
"On the contrary. If the stones remain, Thanos will collect all of them and snap half of life out of existence."
"But if I take them, that future never happens."
Banner's eyes widened."How do you know about Thanos? Wait—you're saying you've already seen the future?"
"No, I just know your story."
Xiao Han shrugged."You traveled to the past to gather the stones and revive those Thanos erased, right?"
Banner was stunned.Only the core Avengers knew this plan—yet this stranger knew every detail.
At that moment, Banner's communicator buzzed.
Tony Stark's voice came through:
"Banner, something's wrong! We can't find the Tesseract or Loki's scepter!And the 2012 New York battle somehow ended early!They're talking about some guy called Superman. Anything on your end?"
Banner looked at Xiao Han, then replied:
"The stones are with me. Return first and wait for my signal."
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