After seeing Ancient One, Anton seldom panicked. However, upon noticing her calm yet profound expression, he quickly regained his composure, realizing that the Ancient One would never appear without reason.
He had been in this world for quite some time and had already altered certain established events in the original timeline. If Ancient One truly intended to trouble him, she wouldn't have waited until now to show up.
Adding to that, her earlier question made Anton instantly understand—the issue lay with the glass bead in his hand, the treasure known as the Milky Way.
From what he had learned, Anton knew that a universe was hidden within the Milky Way. Carefully recalling the final scene from the movie, he remembered two glass beads rolling on the ground.
A strange-looking creature had treated one like a marble, bouncing it around, before ultimately gathering both beads into a bag full of similar ones.
Clearly, the densely packed beads in that bag were all Milky Ways—each one representing a separate universe. And that peculiar creature, walking through an unknown dimensional space, was collecting universes one by one.
A terrifying being. Just thinking about it made Anton's scalp tingle. It was undoubtedly a higher lifeform.
"Multiverse..."
"That bag contains the multiverse..."
A sudden realization struck Anton like a flash of inspiration. He looked at Ancient One, finally understanding why she had appeared before him.
If the glass bead in his hand represented an entire universe, then Ancient One presence was undoubtedly connected to this.
The multiverse.
If Ancient One was involved, it had to be about the multiverse.
"It seems you already understand," Ancient One said with a knowing smile. "After all, you carry a strong aura of the multiverse, which means you've been exposed to it for quite some time..."
Her clear eyes seemed to see right through Anton's thoughts.
"The glass bead in your hand—the Milky Way—is a key that opens the multiverse. The Zerg want to use it to drain energy from another universe and fuel their war against the Acheronians. However, they don't truly understand its real purpose."
"Its real purpose..."
Anton took a deep breath as a bold theory formed in his mind.
Looking directly at Ancient one , he voiced his conjecture.
"The true function of this bead is to travel through the multiverse, isn't it?"
"Yes. You're very perceptive, Anton."
Ancient One nodded. "I hadn't planned to reveal myself to you so soon, but as the Acheronian mentioned, the Milky Way is no mere trinket. If you tamper with it carelessly, you might accidentally open the multiverse and invite... unnecessary trouble. In fact, the situation is already troublesome enough, wouldn't you say?"
"Troublesome enough?"
Anton pondered for a moment before asking, "What do you consider trouble?"
"You. And this chaotic web of fate."
Ancient one's voice was calm yet unwavering.
"This world was never meant to be like this, but the timeline underwent drastic and unpredictable changes over two years ago."
She looked at him intently.
"I realized it early on, Anton. You are the one who changed this world."
After a pause, she continued:
"And it's not just you. Batman, Superman, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, Cyborg... None of them should exist in this world. Yet, everything you've done seems to have drawn them here."
Two years ago…
Anton's eyes flickered.
Wasn't that exactly when he had arrived in this world?
Ancient one must have noticed that Batman and the others carried an aura that did not belong to this universe.
Moreover, Ancient one believed that Anton had a unique and unknown connection to the multiverse.
However, the meaning behind her words wasn't entirely clear. After all, the so-called characters like Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman weren't separate entities—they were all played by Anton himself.
After pondering for a moment, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
In the end, Anton couldn't help but ask, "So, do you resent me for turning this world into chaos?"
"No. I respect destiny."
Ancient one's expression remained serene. "In my view, everything happens for a reason. Even though I can peer into the future using the Eye of Agamotto, the future is never fixed. There are always countless possibilities. There is no absolute truth—only constant change. Unpredictable fate. And from what I can see, you're actually doing quite well."
Anton felt a brief sense of relief—until Ancient one suddenly added, "That said, your presence does give me a bit of a headache."
"Uh…"
Anton was speechless.
"I have no intention of cleaning up the mess you've made," Ancient one continued.
"Mess? What mess?" Anton frowned.
"Lately, Hell has begun stirring again. Some demons—ones I've never even heard of—are plotting an invasion of Earth..."
Ancient one's gaze sharpened. "This situation started because of you. So, naturally, you should be the one to end it."
"A Hell invasion? What does that have to do with me?!" Anton's eyes widened in disbelief.
"It seems you still don't understand."
Ancient one waved her hand, and suddenly, images of the future appeared before Anton.
The first showed a towering man with bulging muscles, glowing yellow eyes, and a red cape billowing behind him.
His shoulders and arms were covered in barbs, his face was featureless, and his aura was fierce and menacing—definitely not someone to be trifled with.
He stood opposite a massive demon, the air between them crackling with tension as their battle was about to erupt.
Then the image shifted.
In a dimly lit laboratory, a red-skinned demon with human-like features appeared. He had long horns on his head, a towering physique, and flames burning across his body.
Anton's eyes widened in shock.
"This—"
The appearances of these two figures overlapped perfectly with certain characters from his memories.
Two distinct identities.
"Spawn..."
"Hellboy..."
Anton suddenly raised his head, staring at Ancient one in astonishment. "You've already foreseen their existence?"
"Yes." Ancient one nodded. "Predicting the future to a certain extent is not difficult for me. But we both know that they do not belong in this world. They themselves are embodiments of trouble, and you… you are the root cause of this entire chain of events. Naturally, you should be the one to deal with it."
Anton fell silent.
Ancient one's words were easy to understand.
His arrival had introduced infinite variables into what was once the original Marvel universe.
Cause and effect.
The cause was him. So, naturally, the consequences should fall upon him as well.
Ancient one had never been one to interfere with fate.
In her eyes, his existence was a result of destiny, and so she chose to let events unfold naturally.
"Magic must be handled with magic, and reality must remain within the bounds of reality."
Ancient one suddenly spoke again. "The Dark Justice League you had Constantine establish… it's a good idea. I must admit, you've done well."
With those parting words, her figure gradually faded.
The mirror dimension around them began to shatter.
Anton felt time resume its natural flow once more.
"Final reminder as friend."
"Do not underestimate the multiverse, and do not attempt to control it..."
As the voice faded—
Huh!
"...It's not a toy. You cannot steal the Milky Way."
The voice of the Acheronian followed immediately, echoing in Anton's ears.
Anton remained silent, holding the glass bead in his hand.
Under the furious and bewildered gazes of the Aquilonians, he casually tossed the glass bead back to them.
The Aquilonian was stunned.
He couldn't understand what this human was doing.
Anton had forcibly taken the Milky Way from him with such determination, only to throw it back as if it were nothing.
Was he just playing around?
"Take it back. It doesn't seem like such a big deal."
Anton shrugged. Then, with a serious expression, he added, "By the way, let me make one thing clear—I have no personal friendship with Carol Danvers. Right now, I'm only addressing your unauthorized entry into Earth. Not only did you trespass, but you also led the Zerg here, nearly causing catastrophic damage to the planet. That alone should count as a crime. But lucky for you, you met me..."
"What do you mean?"
The Aquilonian clutched the glass bead tightly, letting out a long breath of relief.
Hearing Anton's words, he hesitated for a moment before asking, "What exactly do you want?"
"First things first—you're coming with me to the Men in Black Headquarters for registration. After that, I'll arrange for someone to report your case to the higher-ups."
Anton continued, "Consider this a friendly warning: if you plan to stay on Earth, you'll have to follow our rules. Otherwise, I suggest you leave as soon as possible—this planet isn't as safe as you might think."
After arriving, Anton ordered a full examination of the Aquilonian before reporting both the alien's presence and the Zerg invasion to the World Security Council.
The Council representatives took the matter seriously, swiftly sending diplomats to negotiate with the Aquilonians.
For their part, the Aquilonians remained composed.
They seemed to sense that neither Anton nor the authorities harbored any hostility toward them. At the same time, they radiated an unshakable confidence in their own race—an attitude that suggested they had little fear of humanity.
To them, the only true threat in the universe was the Zerg.
It was a natural enmity—a predator-prey relationship.
Thus, even if humans had the ability to harm them, the Aquilonians didn't see them as significant.
This kind of thinking was common among different alien races: their greatest fear and respect were often reserved only for their natural enemies.
Anton had no interest in the ongoing negotiations between the Council and the Aquilonians. Leaving the diplomats to handle it, he returned to his office, deep in thought about ancient one's recent appearance.
Clearly, she understood the Marvel world—or, more precisely, the original fate of this universe.
Or perhaps, it was more accurate to call it the "sacred timeline."
The sacred timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was not to be tampered with.
Countless ages ago, a multiversal war had erupted—timelines clashed and vied for dominance, nearly leading to the total collapse of existence itself.
To prevent this, the omniscient and omnipotent Time-Keeper fused the multiverse into a single timeline, ensuring all realities followed the same predetermined fate.
In this way, every being's ending was already set in stone.
Yet Anton's very existence had disrupted the order of time and destiny.
In the original timeline, he wasn't supposed to exist at all.
There was no Anton. No Justice League. No Transformers, Wanted , High Table, or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
His presence had introduced a cascade of changes into the Marvel world.
And yet—
For some reason, the Time Variance Authority (TVA), the organization tasked with preserving the sacred timeline, had not come for him.
Why?
Anton didn't know.
What he did understand, however, was that ancient one's approach to fate mirrored the TVA's in some ways—but was not identical.
Unlike the TVA, which forcibly pruned divergent timelines, ancient one merely observed. She respected destiny, but she also understood that change was inevitable.
And now, because of him, change was already in motion.
The similarity was that ancient one never directly interfered with time.
The difference, however, was in how she approached changes. When she noticed shifts in the timeline, she recognized Anton as a variable—but instead of acting hastily, she responded with patience and acceptance.
Because, as she had said herself, she respected fate.
In ancient one's view, the future was filled with possibilities.
Whether she foresaw a particular future or not, she believed that every possibility deserved recognition and respect.
"So, ancient one believes that my existence caused the invasion of other multiverses."
Anton muttered to himself, feeling momentarily dazed.
"She thinks I should be responsible for dealing with these major figures from the multiverse, handling various events, and maintaining the stability of this universe..."
Now that he thought about it, this wasn't all that different from the ultimate goal of the system.
Of course, he didn't say this out loud—he simply reflected on it.
His system operated based on two key indicators:
Fan Value – Allowed him to borrow the power of superheroes from the DC Universe. Justice Value – Prevented him from losing control and becoming a villain, ensuring he used the Justice League'spower responsibly.
While Anton's actions often seemed self-serving, they didn't necessarily make him a bad guy.
Good and evil were always relative.
"So, from ancient one's perspective, this was always my job… Using a variable to deal with variables."
Anton felt as though he had grasped the underlying principle of his system.
It was, in essence, the same as ancient one's philosophy.
Cause and effect were intertwined.
Anton was both a cause and a consequence.
"Spawn… Hellboy… even these two guys are appearing in this universe now?"
He pondered for a moment.
"Use magic to deal with magic..."
That must have been what ancient one meant.
Constantine and the newly established Dark Justice League would be responsible for handling these two threats.
If that was the case, then...
Perhaps it was finally time for Constantine to take action again.
No.
If time allowed, he might even consider summoning another key player from the magical side.
"Shazam..."
Anton rubbed his temples as he pieced together the significance of ancient one's sudden appearance.
Her visit had only served to clarify two key points:
Anton himself had to take responsibility. Magic should deal with magic, and reality should remain separate from it.
Ancient one had praised him for establishing the Dark Justice League because it ensured that magic wouldn't interfere too much with reality.
That was the balance she sought.
And now, it was up to him to maintain it.
…
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