Rewards and Punishments

No one knew about the battle in the unknown space. After several contestants left, their memories of it were erased. Aside from Daisy and Adam, the two involved, no one knew what had happened there.

Earth, Kamar-Taj.

"Wah—!" Ancient One, who had been lying peacefully in bed, suddenly sat upright. A knife-twisting pain tore through her lower abdomen. Unable to endure it, she spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Master!" Several attendants passing by were terrified and hurried over to support her. Ancient One's face was deathly pale. She vomited blood twice more in succession before passing out.

Blood stained the attendants' robes red as they shouted anxiously for help. Kamar-Taj's doctors rushed in to treat her, and even Doctor Strange, who had been studying here, ran in as well to see if he could help.

Ancient One fainted quickly, but she woke just as quickly.

"I'm fine. Leave... All of you, get out!" She waved them away irritably. At first, she could still maintain her usual composure, but as she watched a crowd of people bustling around her, her irritation mounted. Unable to restrain herself, her voice rose sharply as she drove all the doctors out, not even sparing Strange, the disciple she thought highly of.

With her knowledge spanning ancient and modern times, she was the best doctor there was. Why would she need ordinary people to examine her?

Clutching her lower abdomen, Ancient One staggered to her feet and circulated the magic power throughout her body. Then she froze.

She found no injuries. Her body was fine, yet the sensation of being completely pierced through the lower abdomen felt utterly real. For a moment, she wondered if she was still dreaming.

Although she could not use the Time Stone, tracing events back through the river of time