Ancient One's Passing and Spider-Man's Internship Exam

The Ancient One is dead.

There were no dying words, no rambling final moments, and no melodramatic farewell scenes.

In that quiet room, bathed in slanting sunlight, she trembled slightly, like the last wick of a candle, before falling into utter stillness.

His eyes closed, and the clear smile on his face froze, like a still black and white photograph.

The air was heavy and lifeless.

Chen Tian stood in front of the bed, his eyes fixed on the withered, calm face.

Before he could even give the order, the king beside him had already moved.

The future librarian's face showed an unusual panic.

He abruptly rolled up the wide sleeve of his right robe, revealing his muscular arm. He took a deep breath, his right hand's five fingers pressed together like a knife, and a ball of dazzling golden energy instantly condensed in his palm, buzzing loudly.

Without the slightest hesitation, Wang Meng slammed his palm down hard on Chen Tian's chest!

"Well!"

A muffled groan.

Chen Tian stood still, not moving an inch, not even frowning.

On the contrary, Wang's usually serious face twisted instantly, he gasped and withdrew his hand as if he had been electrocuted.

His hand, which had just slapped the ground, visibly swelled up quickly, turning bright red with faint bruising showing through the skin.

Wang shook his hand, wincing in pain, and looked at Chen Tian as if he were looking at an unbreakable Vibranium nugget.

"Mr. Chen... you..." Wang's voice trembled slightly, from pain and shock.

Strange and Wanda, standing nearby, were completely dumbfounded. Strange's jaw nearly dropped to the floor, and Wanda covered her mouth.

"Together." Chen Tian's voice, though not loud, broke the awkward silence.

Wang gritted his teeth, ignoring his swollen hands, and gathered his magic power again, this time his left palm also lit up.

Wanda reacted quickly, crimson magic instantly flowing between her hands, while Strange looked completely bewildered, wondering "Who am I? Where am I? Why am I doing this?" He frantically tried to imitate the King, attempting to conjure an orange Seraphim Shield energy chop, but the light flickered on and off, and the energy flowed like a faulty light bulb.

"Strange! Focus!" Wang growled.

Strange jolted awake, frantically trying to stabilize his energy, nearly tripping over himself in the process.

"Three, two, one!" Wang shouted in a low voice.

Three people, three hands flashing with different lights—golden, red, and barely maintaining an orange glow—almost simultaneously, slammed their hands hard into three spots on Chen Tian's chest and back!

Boom!

An invisible shockwave suddenly erupted from Chen Tian, causing the robes of the others to flutter wildly.

This time, Chen Tian's body finally swayed, and a semi-transparent, extremely solid and tough shadow was forcibly "blasted" out of his body!

Soul leaving body.

Chen Tian felt instantly light, as if he had been freed from the heavy physical constraints. His first thought was to look at the stone bed...

Really.

Ancient One stood not far from the stone bed.

No longer withered and dying, but the woman Chen Tian knew best from the depths of his memory—a bald head shining brightly, a clean monk's robe, clear eyes with a gentle light, and a mischievous, amused smile on her lips.

She even made a "slow and leisurely" gesture, teasingly saying, "Oh, you're out? The resilience of your soul... tsk tsk, if any Dimensional Demon God were to sneak into your sea of consciousness in the future, they'd probably have their teeth knocked out on the spot. A natural dimensional firewall, so worry-free!"

A familiar tone.

Chen Tian's subtle sorrow at parting was instantly half dispelled. In his soul form, he rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Convenient? I think you're just hoping to see me make a fool of myself. You're dead, yet you still have such a sharp tongue?"

He instinctively wanted to retort and ask her if she had planned this all along; her "everything is under control" expression just made him angry.

"Is there anything you want to say?" Chen Tian knew that asking this question was pointless when he saw Ancient One's smile.

"What do you think? I have nothing to worry about. Even if the future Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar-Taj turns out to be something else, I'm not worried at all. On the contrary, I feel a sense of relaxation I've never felt before." Ancient One waved her hand and then looked at the sunlight outside the window.

"Yes, you're already impatient..." Before Chen Tian could finish speaking, an irresistible and terrifying suction force suddenly Descent! It was like a black hole suddenly opening its massive jaws in the depths of the universe, or like an invisible steel cable violently constricting his soul and pulling him backward!

It's the body!

His overbearingly powerful body gave him no chance to "leave his body for sightseeing," and was forcefully summoning him back with an unparalleled domineering attitude!

"... Protruding!" Chen Tian only had time to utter the only curse word at the soul level, and Gu Yi's figure in his sight instantly became blurry and distant.

In the final moment before she disappeared, he saw her raise her hand, not in a sorrowful farewell, but with her usual carefree and unrestrained spirit, casually waving at him, her smile as pure as the sunlight on a snow-capped mountain.

Immediately afterwards, her entire figure transformed into billions of tiny specks of Stardust, shimmering with a soft, white-gold light, silently dissipating and completely merging into the light of the quiet room, leaving no trace.

Return.

Chen Tian suddenly opened his eyes, and the heavy feeling of flesh and blood instantly returned.

He found himself still standing in the same spot, the lingering force of the three humanoid "soul pile drivers" still seemingly present in his chest.

"How?!" Wang rushed forward first, his voice urgent and hoarse, his eyes bloodshot. "Ancient One... what... what did she say last? Did she say anything?"

Wanda nervously stepped forward, looking at Chen Tian with hopeful eyes. Even Strange forgot his earlier embarrassment and frustration at being "sold out," and perked up his ears.

All eyes were focused on Chen Tian's face, hoping to hear even a single last word, a single entrustment, or an answer sufficient to express their grief from the man who was speaking to the soul of the Ancient One for the last time.

Chen Tian glanced expressionlessly at their faces, which were filled with expectation and sorrow, and shook his head.

"Nothing to say."

His voice was dry and emotionless.

"Huh?" Wang and Wanda were both stunned.

Chen Tian paused, as if stating a simple fact, his tone flat. "She ran away faster than a rabbit being chased by Garou, not wanting to stay a second longer, rushing to Eternity to check in."

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

The grief on Wang's face froze, the tears in Wanda's eyes instantly welled up, and Strange's lips twitched a few times.

The Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme, a great figure who protected Earth's dimensions for thousands of years, her departure... was so decisive, so swift, so... The Ancient One.

Sadness? Of course. But more than that, there's a sense of absurdity, choked by this extreme nonchalance.

Chen Tian ignored the fascinating expressions on their faces and looked past them, his gaze landing on the lifeless body on the stone bed in the quiet room.

Above the bed, the calligraphy scroll bearing the words "Heaven rewards diligence" still hangs, its strokes vigorous and powerful.

The sunlight still slanted across the stone bed, but the person lying on it had turned into Stardust and gone to Eternity.

Chen Tian felt neither sadness nor reluctance; he was simply marveling at Ancient One's decisiveness.

"Thank you, Ancient One. If it weren't for you, I might not have been able to grow up so quickly."

After uttering this whisper, Chen Tian turned to look at the three silent men.

"My lord, the training of Strange is now in your hands, Wanda. I will trouble you to stay in Kamar-Taj for a while longer until Strange is ready to assume the responsibilities of the Sorcerer Supreme of the dimensions. Then I will come to fetch you."

Wanda pouted, then took Chen Tian's hand. "Okay, I'll train Strange with Wang."

Chen Tian smiled and kissed her pouting lips, then looked at Strange, "Strange, I hope you won't let the Ancient One down."

Strange's lips moved, as if he wanted to retort, "I haven't agreed yet," but when he met Chen Tian's calm and unwavering eyes, the words stuck in his throat.

He looked at his hands, which had been magically restored and were still stiff but no longer trembling, then glanced at the mysterious runes flowing across the open "Book of Cagliostro" on the bedside table...

Deep within, in some corner of my heart, the cold, sharp edge of the scalpel seems to be quietly being swallowed up by the dazzling vortex of dimensional magic.

The vastness and mystery of magic, those rules that defy the laws of physics, are in themselves a fascinating challenge to the limits. But in the end, he simply pursed his lips, suppressing his unconscious excitement, and remained silent.

Chen Tian didn't say anything more and turned to leave.

The heavy door to the quiet room slammed shut behind him with a dull thud, as if sealing the door for Strange to return to the operating table.

Wanda watched the direction he disappeared in and sighed softly. Wang crossed his arms and looked expressionlessly at Strange: "Five o'clock, Meditation Courtyard. One second late, one extra hour of physical training."

On the other side, at the top floor of the Arbitrator Tower.

Tony saw Chen Tian step out of the portal, and without even fully raising his head, casually remarked, "Yo, finally back from your 'three-day trip to Kamar-Taj '? Was the food at Kamar-Taj bad, or did your Wanda find you annoying?"

Chen Tian walked straight to the bar, poured himself a glass of water, took a sip, and then said calmly, "Ancient One is gone."

"Pfft—cough cough cough!" Tony nearly choked on his own saliva. He whirled around, his playful expression freezing instantly. He opened his mouth, but only managed to stammer, "Uh... this... section... uh..."

He rubbed his hands together; the usually eloquent Tony Stark now looked like a clumsy comedian, unable to find a single suitable word.

Chen Tian put down his cup, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Alright, if you can't say it, then don't. Your mouth is better suited for spewing insults than for providing end-of-life care. So, how's your 'intern' doing?"

These words struck a nerve with Tony, who immediately forgot his embarrassment and strode over to Chen Tian. With the Void of his finger, he brought up Peter's real-time training data and action briefing projection.

"Spider-Man? A rising star! Quick-witted, learns like a sponge, but..."

Tony frowned, pointing to the image of Peter using three different Silk techniques to tie up a convenience store thief in a Brooklyn neighborhood. "Too green! Too well-behaved! Dealing with these little shrimps who steal bicycles and snatch old ladies' wallets Tenten, when will they ever grow up? This 'internship report' is practically turning into a community volunteer diary!"

Chen Tian stroked his chin, his eyes thoughtful. "Hmm... you can't learn real skills from small-scale sparring."

Tony's eyes lit up. "You have an idea?"

"How about we arrange a decent opponent for him?" Chen Tian said, his fingertips quickly swiping across the screen to bring up an encrypted file.

A clear profile and several high-resolution photos popped up instantly, filling the screen in front of Tony.

The photo shows a man with a gloomy gaze and a ruthless air. The information indicates:

Adrian Toomes

Former Damage Control Engineer

Business Scope: Smuggling advanced weapons active in the Big Apple City's black market.

Note: Extremely skilled at modifying weapons using alien technology debris and recycled materials.

Tony looked at the photo of Toomes's iconic, wildly modified "Vulture" wingsuit in the file and raised an eyebrow. "This bald bird? He's a junk collector?"

"Yes, he's a 'junk dealer,'" Chen Tian nodded with a smile. "He turned himself into an 'alien tech arms dealer' in the technological wreckage of Chireita. He's got solid skills, ruthless connections, and big ambitions. Most importantly..."

Chen Tian tapped his finger on Toomes's fierce face. "He's ruthless and heartless. It'll give our sunny and cheerful Spider-Man a bit of a challenge. The 'internship report' isn't just about catching small fry; we need to get some serious stuff."

Tony stared at Toomes's file, especially at the intimidating wingsuit, his eyes gradually brightening as if he'd discovered a new toy. "Ha! Interesting! Friday, dig deep into this 'Vulture'! I need to know where his next 'junk recycling' spot is! The practical 'gift package' for Spider-Man— " He glanced at Chen Tian, their eyes meeting, and Tony flashed his signature, slightly mischievous smile, "--It needs to be packaged as a 'surprise'!"

Chen Tian didn't say anything, but simply picked up his water glass and took another sip. It seemed Peter Peter's newbie protection period was coming to an end.

"Uh... wait, you couldn't have kept someone like that around for that long. Did you anticipate this?" Tony suddenly remembered something.

Chen Tian smiled mischievously, "This kind of minor character is indeed something I saved for our interns' exam. The weapons he sold have already been recalled."

Tony curled his lip. "You treacherous bastard."

Chen Tian chuckled and walked towards the door, but stopped abruptly before turning to look at Tony.

Are you coming or not?

Tony raised an eyebrow, then nodded emphatically. "Let's go."

The two walked out the door arm in arm, and Tony didn't know where Chen Tian meant by "walking" until Chen Tian pulled him to the garage.

At the same time, in a dimly lit back alley in Brooklyn, Peter, who had just used a low-yield Web Bomb to blast three Peter covered in dust and screaming, felt his AI wristband vibrate.

Friday's gentle voice rang out. "Mr. Parker, your overall performance in the battle just now was evaluated as follows: efficient tactical choices, reasonable use of weapons, and no additional property damage. Rating: A. A new Boss message has also been added: 'Bombs are not fireworks. If you blow one up onto a fire hydrant next time, your salary will be deducted.' Please keep up the good work."

Peter glanced at the fire hydrant spraying water in the distance, his face behind his mask drooping. "... Stark, you're being far too observant!"

He scratched his head, completely unaware that his real "internship exam" paper had already been signed for by some ruthless junk collector and was on its way.

Peter's life suddenly became "exciting".

First, during a patrol, he "accidentally" stumbled upon a black market transaction. The buyer had a ray gun that could melt police car doors, and the Chitauri markings on its parts were blinding. Then, he "accidentally" tracked down an abandoned factory filled with deadly weapons modified from alien debris. Then, he "coincidentally" overheard the name "Vulture" and his men talking about a certain "big fat sheep."

Driven by a sense of justice (or perhaps Peter's curiosity?), Peter followed the clues and finally locked onto his target—Adrian Toomes.

That iconic, menacing wingsuit seemed to have a "I'm the villain" label on it.

The most crucial intelligence came from a tense surveillance operation: the Vulture's next target was a Stark Industries transport plane fully loaded with advanced prototype weapons, which would be flying low near Kennedy Airport!

Peter's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately called out to Tony, "Stark! Breaking news! An arms dealer called Vulture has modified Chitauri wreckage and is now trying to hijack one of our transport planes! Tonight!"

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the communicator before Friday's calm voice came through. "Mr. Parker, Stark, and Mr. Chen are currently not on Blue Planet. Today is the routine deep-space inspection and maintenance day for the 'Watcher Platform,' and they need to be in outer space to supervise in person. Communication is temporarily blocked. They are expected to return in 48 hours."

Peter was dumbfounded. "48 hours?! That's too late! Friday, can you contact anyone else? The captain? Or Banner?"

"Captain Rogers is working with Interpol, and Banner is in a 'do not disturb' research period. Currently... you are the only available local combat force."

"... Damn it!" Peter's face turned green behind the mask. All the big shots had gone offline? This isn't how the script is going!

Unable to rely on outside help, Peter had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it.

He grabbed Ned, who was munching on potato chips and browsing forums in the classroom. "Bro! Help! I need some tech support!"

Ned stared at the crude hand-drawn map and Vulture wingsuit sketches Peter had laid out, and his potato chips nearly fell over in shock. "You want to take on that... alien garbage king one-on-one?! Peter, are you crazy? He'll dismantle you and sell you for scrap metal!"

"There's no time! The plane's about to take off! Ned, you're my only hope!" Peter's eyes were resolute (or perhaps desperate?).

"Alright, alright!" Ned took a deep breath, instantly switching into "tech geek god" mode. "Listen, based on your description of the flight wing parameters and the limited data I... cough cough, his core thrusters are located on the lower center of his back, where the defenses are weakest! Also, the plasma cutting blades on his wingtips have very strong energy fluctuations, so be careful not to get scratched! Finally..." Ned swallowed, "His weapon system seems to be voice-controlled, the key word might be..."

"Ned! You're my brother!" Peter gave him a bear hug, grabbed the makeshift tracker, and swung it out the window.

Under the cover of night, the massive roar of transport plane engines echoed like the growls of a giant beast outside the airport. Vulture, their wings ripped through the air, leading a swarm of well-equipped subordinates, like a flock of Vulture swooping down on carrion, hurtling straight for their target!

"Little bug? It's you again!" Toomes's voice came through the loudspeaker, full of hostility. "Get out of here! This isn't your child's play!"

The battle erupted instantly!

Peter frantically dodged amidst the raging barrage of bullets and the high-speed slicing blades, like a spider thrown into a blender.

He tried to distract the Vulture with his web, but the vulture's sturdy wingsuit and extensive combat experience repeatedly thwarted him.

Ned's voice came through the communicator, urgently directing. "Left! Peter! His right flank energy has surged! Watch out for the cutting beam!... Yes! Shoot his thrusters! Now!"

Peter seized an opening and precisely laid several enhanced spider webs on the Vulture's back, targeting its core!

Spike! Sparks flew from the thrusters, the Vulture swayed, and let out an angry roar.

"Well done!" Ned cheered.

However, just when Peter thought he had the situation under control, one of Vulture's henchmen, in a desperate move, picked up an energy cannon and fired it at the cargo door of the transport plane!

Boom!

The cargo door was blasted open with a large hole, and a violent gust of air instantly swept through the cabin!

Even more deadly, the shockwave from the explosion caused the already partially powered transport plane to tilt violently, plunging out of control toward the warehouse area on the outskirts of the airport!

"No!" Peter and the Vulture exclaimed simultaneously.

Peter's mind went blank, with only one thought in mind: he couldn't let the plane crash! He used every Silk he could find, even the newly unlocked Tethering Web, and clung tightly to the nose of the out-of-control transport plane, trying to lift it up.

"Ughhhhhh--!" Peter's muscles tensed, and his face under the mask turned bright red. Ned shouted the coordinates into the communicator to help him stabilize his direction.

Finally, with Peter's desperate dragging, the massive transport plane scraped the warehouse roof and, like a drunken steel behemoth, crashed headfirst into the empty logistics parking lot.

Boom--!!!

A deafening roar erupted, dust billowed into the air, and the wreckage of the transport plane lay upside down in the center of the parking lot, belch out of control, utterly destroyed.

Peter lay exhausted on the twisted wing, panting, looking at the mess before him, tears welling up in his eyes.

Vulture and his henchmen were captured by the police who arrived later, Peter, dragging his nearly broken body, made a hasty (and disheveled) escape.

Back in his Queens apartment, Peter collapsed onto the bed, staring at the task briefing Friday had sent him on his phone.

The operation successfully thwarted the arms deal and hijacking, and captured the mastermind, Vulture. Rating: S (Mission difficulty exceeded expectations).

But below that is a cold, red note:

Internship salary deductions:

1. Stark Industries N-77 Advanced Transport Prototype Damaged - Estimated Value: $98 Million

2. Partial repair costs for the parking lot in the Kennedy Airport Logistics Area - Estimated: $5 million

Total: 103 million dollars.

Note: Given intern Parker's current salary level, the estimated repayment period is approximately 258 years (excluding interest).

Peter's vision went black, and he let out a wail before burying his face in the pillow.

"Ned! My good brother! We're bankrupt! We'll have to sell our kidneys to pay off our debts for the rest of our lives!"

From inside the room came Ned's equally desperate voice. "Peter! I just hacked into the system! It even charged me for my 'aiding and abetting' call records! Ten thousand dollars an hour for technical support! My potato chip money! Waaaaah..."

The intern's first major test came at a terrible cost.

Peter and Ned were in the next room, separated by a wall, weeping bitterly, wailing that they would have to sell their kidneys to pay off their debts for the rest of their lives.

Unbeknownst to them, two perpetrators with a twisted sense of humor were watching the entire incident from a warehouse near the airport.

Inside the warehouse, a holographic projection screen clearly displayed the devastating plane crash in the Kennedy Airport parking lot and the final image of Peter lying lifelessly on the wing.

"Pfft—hahahahaha!" Tony pointed at Peter's crestfallen face on the screen, laughing so hard he was doubled over, tears welling up in his eyes. "Look! Look at our intern's expression! Hahahaha, 'Internship Report'? This report is worth over a hundred million! Friday! The highest resolution screenshot! Save it to the 'Pajama Baby's Growth Diary' folder! Name it 'Bankruptcy Moment. jpg'!"

Chen Tian, standing beside him, chuckled mischievously. He looked at the disheveled Peter on the screen and Vulture being escorted away by the police in the distance. "But I must say, the effect is outstanding."

"More than outstanding!" Tony wiped away tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes, his fingers flying across the virtual keyboard. "This 'tuition fee' is earth-shattering! Let him catch small fry? He's stirred up a hornet's nest! He'll remember this for the rest of his life! Friday, replay the slow-motion part where he pulls the plane at the end, yes, the one with that grimacing expression, save that too! A classic that will live on forever!"

On the holographic screen, Peter's contorted expression beneath his mask as he desperately pulled on the plane was frozen and magnified, filled with the stubbornness of a young hero and... a hint of despair.

"Perfect." Tony snapped his the Snap in satisfaction, looking at Chen Tian. "You set a really tough test for him, sending him a sky-high bill."

Chen Tian shrugged. "To grow, you always have to pay some tuition. Real-world experience is the best teacher, especially... expensive real-world experience." He glanced at the long string of compensation figures displayed on the screen. "This 'teacher's' appearance fee should be enough to wake him up. Next time he throws a bomb, at least he'll aim more carefully."

Tony nodded with a wicked grin, then played the sounds of Peter and Ned wailing through the wall (of course, Peter didn't know his AI wristband had this function), their desperate conversation coming through clearly.

"'My chip money! Waaaaah...'" Tony mimicked Ned in a high-pitched voice, then exchanged a glance with Chen Tian, and burst into another carefree laugh.

The space station's control room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere, except for Peter's bewildered face, "worth a hundred million," frozen on the holographic screen, silently telling the story of this meticulously planned and costly "intern exam" by the two big shots.