At this moment, Luka was completely stunned in place, while the god Loki across from him still wore the same smile.
Right now, Luka was completely frozen in place, too shocked to move, while the Loki across from him still wore the same smile.
"Let me start by giving you an ID check first."
As he spoke, Loki reached out and gently tapped the air.
A streak of green light shot toward Luka and began to swirl around him. The green stream wrapped around his entire body before it finally faded away completely.
Everything happened so fast that Luka didn't even have time to react.
But once he came back to his senses, Luca realized something strange.
That feeling he'd had for the past two months like he didn't really belong in this world, was suddenly fading.
Luca was confident that this sensation wasn't just his imagination. However, when he looked back at Loki, the latter simply waved his hand nonchalantly.
"Well, you know, sitting alone on that throne with hardly anyone to talk to does get a bit dull. Since someone asked me for a favor, I don't mind giving you a chance to choose again... After all, the only reason you came here was because you became confused the moment you learned of my existence~"
Hearing this, Luka fell silent once more.
Yes, the reason he had taken such a huge risk to appear here was mainly due to the fear that the timeline might collapse, and he would vanish into nothingness along with it.
If he had known earlier that Loki had already taken the throne and that the so-called "Sacred Timeline" no longer existed, Luca probably would've just stayed home and waited for the Battle of New York to end.
Now that Loki was standing right in front of him, and it was clear the world wasn't going to be destroyed, it really didn't seem like he needed to take any more risks to try and stop him.
However, Luka's attention quickly shifted to something else.
"So... can you tell me who asked you to come here?"
It was clear that whoever could ask someone like Loki for help must be a being like him.
After all, Loki had just said that people like Luka weren't uncommon—so what had Luka done to earn the attention of someone powerful enough to request the aid of a god?
After all, Loki had just said there were others like him out there, but why him?
What has Luka done to earn the attention of someone powerful enough to ask for the help of a God of Stories?
Yet, in response to Luka's question, Loki showed a mysterious smile, then dramatically placed one hand over his chest and gave a small bow.
"I've said everything that needs to be said. Now, it's up to you to decide what to do next~. The crisis comes with opportunity. Thank you for coming to this world~."
As he finished speaking, Loki's body dissolved into countless pale green specks of light, vanishing like a dream or illusion.
The frozen world around Luka slowly started to come back to life as Loki vanished.
Luka could feel that time was moving again, but he still stood there with a frown on his face.
"Ugh! I really hate when people talk in riddles!"
But right after saying that, Luka suddenly froze.
It's because the world, which had only just seemed to start moving again, strangely stopped again.
Even the people walking on the street didn't move a single inch, they were frozen just like before.
After seeing this, Luka's face went pale, and he quickly muttered under his breath:
"I'm not annoyed, not annoyed at all... I was just joking! Please come back..."
However, instead of the frozen world returning to normal, the silence was interrupted by a crackling, sparking noise coming from behind Luka.
After a few seconds, a woman's voice reached his ears.
"Has His Grace already left?"
Luca immediately tensed up and turned around, ready to defend himself, but when he saw who it was, he instinctively blurted out:
"Gabriel!"
After saying that, even the woman was taken aback.
"???"
It was only when Luka noticed the plain yellow monk's robes and the golden portal halo shimmering behind her that he realized he had spoken the wrong name.
He gave an awkward cough.
"...Sorcerer Supreme?"
The newcomer was indeed the Sorcerer Supreme, the protector of the Earth, the strongest sorcerer—the Ancient One.
However…
'This... this Ancient One has hair?!'
Luka tried really hard not to stare, but he couldn't help sneaking a quick glance at her short, light-golden hair.
The Ancient One clearly noticed where Luka was looking.
"You've seen another version of me in a different world?"
As she spoke, Ancient One playfully twirled a piece of her curly hair and smiled.
"You have to find ways to distinguish yourselves from the other versions of you, right?"
Looking at this Ancient One, whose hairstyle was different but also seemed way younger and more relaxed than he remembered, Luka couldn't help complaining in his mind:
'If you had shown up earlier, I never would've mistaken this world for the wrong one!'
Luka instinctively glanced toward the portal behind the Ancient One.
He saw that time there had also come to a stop. He could even see Bruce Banner lying quietly on the rooftop behind the portal right below his apartment.
Seeing Luka's gaze wandering again, Ancient One simply redirected the conversation, bringing the topic back around.
"Has His Grace already left?"
He quickly pulled his eyes back, and since he wasn't sure about this Ancient One's temperament, Luca chose to tone things down a bit and answered honestly.
"Lord Loki should have already left. Are you looking for him?"
To his surprise, the Ancient One shook her head slightly, "I can't even come into contact with His Grace's existence. I came here to find you."
Luka frowned slightly at her words.
'She can't come into contact? Does that mean she's not allowed to... or just not able to?'
Thinking back to what Loki had just told him, Luka couldn't help but feel that something was definitely off here.
After everything he'd experienced today, Luka felt like he'd already had more than enough excitement, but here came another significant figure seeking him out.
'Am I really some kind of big deal or something?'
Feeling a slight headache coming on, Luka didn't bother playing guessing games anymore and just asked outright:
"Sorcerer Supreme, what do you need from me?"
'It couldn't be that Loki didn't bother to kick me out himself, so now the Ancient One has come to do the job instead, right?'
Looking at the young man before her, Ancient One's lips curled into a slight smile as she gave her answer directly.
"I'm here to make a deal with you."
Luka shivered a little when he heard that.
'Why does that sound kind of familiar...?'
Even so, he didn't respond right away, and he simply stayed quiet and waited for the Ancient One to continue.
With a slight curl of her finger, a [Hex Crystal], tightly wrapped up inside Luka's bag, slowly floated out, swaying gently through the air.
The Ancient One gently waved her fingers, and suddenly, a shiny Hextech floated out of Luca's bag, which he had carefully wrapped and hidden.
Luka focused his gaze and recognized it immediately.
It was the "core component" that could be used to synthesize a 'Hextech'.
Still, since such a powerful person wanted it, Luca knew better than to act out of line. He figured it was best to just hand it over politely.
"Sorcerer Supreme, you must be joking. If you want it, there's no need to talk about deals. I'd gladly just give it to you."
However, the Ancient One simply shook her head again. She gently took hold of the Hextech and then placed it right back into Luca's hand.
"There's no need to give it away. I don't want the Hextech, but the finished product you'll create once it's complete. When that time comes, I'll give you a reward—one that you'll be very satisfied with. Yes, very satisfied~."
After staring down at the Hextech in his hand, Luca felt a wave of speechlessness wash over him.
'Seriously...? How does everyone suddenly know what I can do?'
"Then…"
Just as Luka looked up and was about to speak, the Ancient One had already vanished without a trace.
Then, the time resumed its flow once more, and the chaotic noise of the world flooded back into his ears.
...
150 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
250 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
450 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
1000 Power Stones = 2 Extra Chapters
2000 Power Stones = 3 Extra Chapters