The Only Way in the River of Time

In an ancient chamber, the Ancient One sat cross-legged in midair, her eyes tightly shut.

Her hands continuously shifted through gestures, and an artifact passed down through Kamar-Taj since ancient times hung around her neck.

The artifact was now open, like an eye opening its eyelids.

The pupil within was a green gem.

The Eye of Agamotto!

The Ancient One had once believed it was the eye left behind by the sorcerer Agamotto.

Only later did she learn that it was actually the Time Stone, one of the Infinity Stones.

But regardless of what it was, after using the Time Stone's power, the Ancient One had grown rather fond of the thrill of spoilers...

She could see anything that had happened in the past, was happening in the present, or would happen in the future across countless timelines.

This made the Ancient One believe she could control everything in the world. As long as she followed the predetermined future, there was nothing she could not accomplish.

But she soon discovered the pain this all brought.

She had to restrain herself from spoiling things for others, and she could not interfere carelessly either...

Sometimes, she even suffered a backlash from time.

She thought she had everything under control, only to ultimately find events exceeding her expectations.

This gave the Ancient One a realization.

"When you play with time, time is playing with you too!"

Yet asking her to give up the river of time was something the Ancient One could never do.

At that moment, she was using the Time Stone to peek into the future.

Among countless timelines, she finally found an instance where Jean succeeded.

Lorna vented the pressure in her heart wildly until she went limp beside Ke Chen.

Ke Chen patted her pale back, and Lorna indeed relaxed considerably.

But what followed was endless exhaustion.

She looked at Ke Chen and asked, "How come I'm no match for you now?"

Ke Chen had been working out every day lately, and it had clearly produced results. He easily broke through Lorna's defense while holding two balls, and he did not even feel tired.

Ball skills were like that. As long as you trained hard and kept at it, you would gradually feel the changes, grow confident on the court, and become unstoppable.

In the end, you could crush your female ball-playing partner until she threw down her helmet and armor in defeat.

But everyone understood the theory. Where could one find a female ball-playing partner?

Ke Chen grinned smugly. "Fortune changes hands."

"You must just be in good form today."

Lorna refused to accept that.

She was very ambitious and only wanted Ke Chen for herself. If she admitted she could not handle Ke Chen on her own...

Wouldn't someone else take him away?

"The Mutants' situation has improved now. You can go out and have some fun too," Ke Chen said to Lorna.

Lorna lay in his arms, drawing circles on his body. Who knew whom she was cursing.

"No."

Lorna immediately refused.

She still preferred being a homebody.

"When I feel like it someday, we can travel around the world."

Lorna brushed the matter aside.

Ke Chen nodded at that. Traveling around the world?

That did sound pretty good.

"I'm heading downstairs first."

He then got up and went downstairs, while Lorna was too lazy to rise.

She was becoming more and more like a couch potato. That seemed to be her personality—once there was no pressure from outsiders, she would rather stay home than step out the door.

Elektra was different. She preferred power and profit, and had always been especially passionate about such things.

That was why she came to see him less and less often.

But Ke Chen did not mind. He had not seen Captain Marvel in years either...

As for Captain Carter, she had always been quiet, as though she were constantly reminiscing about her glorious years.

She gave Ke Chen the feeling that the sea of the new era no longer had a ship that could carry her.

Yet those old ships had long since been scrapped. Even if she returned to the old era, she would not be able to adapt.

Unlike Captain America Steve, she did not have someone she deeply loved waiting for her after World War II ended.

Perhaps her only remaining attachment was her family.

But after so much time had passed, her family...

That was why Peggy Carter seemed increasingly quiet, like a grain of sand in the passage of time.

Ke Chen sat beside her and casually draped an arm over her shoulders.

Peggy's nose twitched, and she pushed him away.

"Go eat breakfast."

"Why are you driving me away?"

"You smell like Lorna."

Ke Chen was somewhat helpless. It seemed super-soldiers were not good at everything; her nose was far too sensitive.

Still, he obediently went to eat the breakfast Peggy had prepared.

Peggy had made an English breakfast, including staples, side dishes, bread, and drinks.

The spread was incredibly rich, unlike American households, where people usually just paired bread and milk however they pleased.

An English breakfast was all served on one large plate, letting people feast to their hearts' content.

Ke Chen did not like bread, especially toast. Lorna could not even use a toaster and always burned it, which made him dislike it even more.

On the other hand, he always gave Peggy's English breakfasts a thumbs-up.

"Ding-dong."

At that moment, the courtyard gatebell rang, and Peggy went out curiously.

Although Phoenix Jean Grey and the X-Men had found this place, they had not actually affected their lives much.

After all, those people were not bad guys.

Besides, Lorna was a homebody and had yet to be discovered by S.H.I.E.L.D.

Therefore, Ke Chen had no idea who had come.

Before long, Peggy came back in with an envelope in her hand.

It was already the twenty-first century, yet someone was still using an envelope. It was rather old-fashioned and strange.

"What is that?" Ke Chen asked as he drank his milk.

Drinking milk after a fight was great for replenishing what had been lost.

Peggy sat across from him and handed over the envelope.

That pair of heavy abysses stared at him right before his eyes, and he too stared into the abyss.

Especially since Peggy was too large to tuck them away and could only rest them on the table, Ke Chen completely forgot to take the envelope.

"Someone sent it to you. It seems to be inviting you to join some club."

Peggy glared at him, and only then did Ke Chen come back to his senses.

He smiled and took the envelope.

There was a pattern over the sealed flap, seemingly some kind of noble emblem.

It looked somewhat gentlemanly...

Peggy also found it rather British in style, which was why she had come over to sit with him.

Ke Chen tore it open in one motion and immediately saw the words inside.

"The Hellfire Club?"

Upon seeing the club's name, a faint smile appeared on Ke Chen's face.

"Dear Mr. Ke Chen, due to your ever-growing influence, the club cordially invites you to attend a gathering seven days from now and sincerely invites you to join the Hellfire Club..."

"Recommended by club member Tony Stark..."

"Signed: Selene."

As Ke Chen's money-making ability grew stronger and stronger, it was only natural that people had begun watching him.

Once many people had money, they naturally wanted power.

The Hellfire Club seemed to be precisely such an organization.

But as someone who understood this world thoroughly, Ke Chen knew more about this organization...