Thank You for Coming into This World

Luca was completely stunned, standing rooted to the spot, while God Loki opposite him maintained his unchanging smile.

"Let's get your identity verified first."

As he spoke, God Loki reached out and tapped the air lightly. A stream of emerald light shot directly toward Luca, coiling around his body repeatedly until the green ribbon of light had enveloped him entirely before finally dissipating.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye; even Luca himself hadn't managed to react in time.

But once Luca regained his senses, he felt a faint sensation that the sense of detachment he had felt toward this world for the past two months was rapidly vanishing.

Luca was certain this feeling wasn't an illusion, but when he looked back at God Loki, the other man simply waved his hand dismissively.

"Well, you know, sitting on that throne all by myself with no one to talk to, it gets a bit boring."

"Since someone asked me a favor, I certainly don't mind giving you a chance to make a new choice~ After all, the reason you came here in the first place was because you knew of my existence and made a misjudgment, wasn't it~"

Luca fell silent once more upon hearing this.

Yes, the reason he had taken such a massive risk to appear here—aside from the adventurous streak in his heart—was primarily the fear that the timeline would be destroyed, causing him to vanish into thin air along with it.

If he had known that God Loki had already ascended the throne and that the so-called Sacred Timeline no longer existed, Luca might have just stayed home honestly, waiting for the Battle of New York to end.

Now that God Loki had appeared before him, confirming that the world wouldn't be destroyed because of this, he truly didn't seem to need to risk his life to stop Loki anymore.

However, Luca immediately shifted his focus to another matter.

"So, can you tell me who exactly asked you to come?"

Clearly, compared to what God Loki was doing right now, the person capable of enlisting the help of such an entity was equally worthy of attention.

After all, the man had just said that beings like himself weren't exactly rare, so what right did he have to attract the attention of a big shot capable of summoning God Loki?

Yet, faced with Luca's inquiry, God Loki wore an inexplicable smile, then bowed with a slightly theatrical hand over his heart.

"I have said all that needs to be said; as for what you choose next, that is for you to decide~"

"Crisis and opportunity coexist. Thank you for coming to this world~"

As his voice faded, God Loki's figure dissolved into countless pale green specks of light, vanishing like a dream or a bubble.

The world, which had been frozen, began to gradually come back to life following his departure.

Feeling time begin to flow once more, Luca stood where he was, his brow still tightly furrowed.

"Damn it! I hate riddlers the most!"

However, no sooner had he said this than Luca's expression froze.

Because the world, which had seemed to resume its motion, had suddenly and eerily stopped once again.

Even the pedestrians on the street remained in the exact same positions.

Seeing this, Luca's face twisted in misery as he hurriedly muttered under his breath.

"I don't hate them, I don't hate them at all... It was just my big mouth! Please, just go back..."

Yet, the frozen world showed no signs of ending; instead, a sound of crackling sparks erupted from behind Luca.

Immediately following that, a woman's voice reached Luca's ears.

"Has that Majesty already left?"

Luca felt a chill in his heart and immediately turned around, assuming a defensive stance.

But upon seeing who it was, he blurted out instinctively.

"Gabriel!"

As soon as the words left his lips, even the person behind him paused.

"???"

However, noticing the simple yellow monk's robe and the golden portal ring behind her, Luca immediately realized his mistake and gave a slightly awkward cough.

"Ancient One?"

Yes, the person who had arrived was none other than the Sorcerer Supreme, the Guardian of Earth, the strongest mage: Ancient One.

But...

"No way! How... how does this Ancient One have hair?!!"

Although Luca tried his best to control his gaze, he couldn't help but glance at the woman's short, pale-gold hair.

Ancient One clearly noticed Luca's gaze as well.

"Have you met another version of me?"

As she spoke, she reached up to twirl her curly hair, smiling in response.

"One must make some distinctions from one's other selves, don't you think?"

Looking at this Ancient One, who not only had a different hairstyle but also seemed much younger in temperament than the one he remembered, Luca couldn't help but complain internally.

"If you had shown up sooner, there's no way I would have mistaken this world for the other one!!!"

Luca looked toward the portal behind Ancient One.

He saw that time was frozen there as well; he could even see Bruce Banner, the Hulk from downstairs in his building, lying quietly on the rooftop behind the portal.

Seeing the Ancient One with hair before him notice his gaze drifting once more, she simply pulled the topic back and continued to ask.

"Has that Excellency already left?"

Luca quickly retracted his gaze, but being unsure of the Ancient One's temperament in this world, he chose to restrain himself slightly and answered her question honestly.

"Lord Loki should have already left. Do you have business with him?"

To his surprise, the Ancient One shook her head slightly.

"I cannot reach the existence of that Excellency; I am here for you!"

Luca frowned upon hearing this.

"Cannot reach?"

"Is it that you are unable to reach him, or that you are not permitted to?"

Thinking of the words God Loki had spoken to him earlier, there was indeed something strange about this.

Yet, now the Ancient One claimed she was here to find him...

After all the excitement he had encountered throughout the day, another big shot had come looking for him...

Could it be that I'm really some kind of hot commodity?

Feeling a slight headache, Luca couldn't be bothered to play guessing games with her, so he simply asked directly.

"What business does Sorcerer Ancient One have with me?"

It couldn't be that God Loki was too lazy to expel me, only for the Ancient One, the Guardian of Earth, to want to drive me out instead, right?

Watching the young man before her with furrowed brows and a hesitant expression, the Ancient One's lips curled upward as she gave him the answer directly.

"I am here to make a deal with you."

Luca shivered immediately upon hearing this.

That sounds a bit familiar.

However, he did not rush to speak, simply waiting quietly for the Ancient One to continue.

The Ancient One flicked her finger, and a [Hextech Crystal] that Luca had wrapped up tightly immediately floated out of his pack, wobbling through the air.

Luca looked closely and saw it was the very "core component" capable of synthesizing the [Hexcore].

However, since a big shot needed it, a small fry like Luca wouldn't be so tactless; naturally, he chose to offer it with both hands.

"Sorcerer Ancient One, you jest. Since you want it, there's no need to talk about deals—I'll just give it to you."

Yet, the Ancient One shook her head once more, gently pinching the [Hextech Crystal] and placing it back into Luca's hand.

"There is no need for gifts. What I require is not this crystal, but the finished product once you have completed it. When that time comes, I will give you a reward that will satisfy you. Yes, a very satisfying reward~"

Staring at the "heavy" [Hextech Crystal] in his hand, Luca was speechless.

Great... how is it that my meager abilities seem to be known by everyone?

"Then..."

Luca looked up again, just about to speak, but the Ancient One before him had already vanished without a sound.

Time resumed its flow, and the noisy sounds of the world rushed back into his ears once more.