The Ancient One's request

"Oh? Why do you ask?" Mercer did not answer the question directly, instead looking at her with a smile.

The Ancient One was in no hurry either. She replied evenly, "You must know what my duty is: to protect Earth from incursions by magical dimensions.

"At the same time, I occasionally use the Eye of Agamotto to observe the future. Though I don't interfere with its course, I still want to see what will happen.

"The day before yesterday, when I used the Eye of Agamotto again, the once-clear visions of the future suddenly became blurred."

Blurred. The day before yesterday.

Mercer pondered this. The time she mentioned was precisely the day he had activated his system.

Did that mean the world's timeline had begun branching in a different direction that day?

That settles it. This world really is different from the one I originally knew...

Seeing Mercer lost in thought, the Ancient One paused only briefly before continuing.

"I have been searching for the cause of that blurring ever since, and in the end, my search led me to you, Alex Mercer. Your arrival has obscured the timeline I could see.

"There are only two possible causes. One is a powerful magical being interfering with the timeline. The other is the arrival of a being who does not belong to this universe, altering the original timeline. I believe you fall into the latter category, Mr. Mercer."

Her words made Mercer pause as he raised his teacup to his lips. Then the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. He drained his tea and said slowly,

"The version of you in this universe really is impressive. Sorcerer Supreme-I have no objection to you holding that title."

At this near-admission, the Ancient One raised a hairless brow. Though she had expected this outcome, it still surprised her somewhat.

"How did you come to this world? Did anyone else come with you?" A hint of urgency crept into the Ancient One's voice.

Her reaction was understandable. Mercer alone was already so powerful that even the Ancient One could not claim she would be certain to defeat him.

From their brief conversation, she could tell that Mercer was not a bad person.

But if there were other "outsiders" as powerful as he was, they could pose a threat to Earth, or even to this entire universe!

"Relax. I came to this world alone, and I think I'm probably the only one who came here."

Mercer did not believe there was a second transmigrator in this world. If there were, they would surely be a boss-level existence.

"But I don't intend to tell you where I came from. Are you going to force me?"

As he spoke, tiny sparks of lightning flickered around the fingertips of the hand holding his cup.

"Of course not. I really only invited you here for a chat," The Ancient One said with a faint smile.

She certainly lived up to her status as a Sorcerer Supreme who had lived for centuries. The flashes around Mercer's fingertips did not anger her.

Just as she had said, she had merely invited Mercer over for tea.

Having absorbed so many people, Mercer had also gained their perspectives and their insight into others. He studied the Ancient One intently for a while and found that she truly bore him no ill will. The lightning around his fingertips faded.

"May I ask you for a favor?" The Ancient One suddenly said.

"A favor?"

Mercer raised a brow. What sort of matter could make the mighty Sorcerer Supreme ask him for help?

"Let's hear it first." Mercer was in no hurry to agree. He needed to know what it was.

"Strange... do you know him?" The Ancient One asked. When Mercer nodded, she continued, "He will become my successor. Under normal circumstances, he will have an accident, come here to study, and then take my place as master of this place..."

Mercer nodded as he listened. He already knew all of this.

Still, hearing it from the Ancient One's own mouth felt rather strange, as though two people who had read the script were busily spoiling the plot.

"I'm afraid he won't be able to move past that accident. If he can't, I hope you can lend a hand. At the very least, don't let him go astray. You may even... kill him!"

Such decisive words took Mercer somewhat by surprise.

Would Doctor Strange come to the Sanctum Sanctorum to study magic even if he never moved past that car accident?

If he were like that, surely he wouldn't just be holding back water in Avengers: Endgame. Turning evil always makes you stronger, Mercer thought.

Watching Mercer's expression shift between solemn and peculiar, the Ancient One did not know what he was thinking. But it must have involved Strange turning evil and how that fit into the future Mercer envisioned, producing such a colorful range of expressions.

The Ancient One sighed helplessly. She had no other options.

Looking across Earth, if something truly happened to Strange in the future, she certainly could not rely on the Avengers.

Their combat capabilities were not even in the same league. A master versed in magic who had turned evil could kill them all without a sound.

One moment, they might still be laughing and joking with their companions; the next, they could step straight into an illusion.

And through it all, those affected would not react at all. It would be like suddenly falling asleep. Without some outside disturbance, they would never even realize they had fallen asleep.

That was the real reason the Ancient One had invited Mercer here for tea.

It was neither because his power might threaten Earth nor because she feared there were other "outsiders" like him, but because she worried Strange would be unable to fulfill the role of Sorcerer Supreme.

"Why do you insist on having him become the Sorcerer Supreme? You're clearly powerful yourself."

Mercer did not agree right away. This was no small matter, after all. Throughout history, emotions had always been a factor that could easily change a person.

If he agreed, he might have to face an evil Doctor Strange in the future. Just how difficult that opponent would be was truly hard to imagine.

"Do you know how I've survived until now?" The Ancient One asked.

Mercer glanced around. Once he saw that no one else was there, he lowered his voice. "Dormammu?"

At that name, the Ancient One's unflappable expression finally changed slightly. Clearly, Mercer knew far more than she had imagined.

The Ancient One shook her head with an amused smile. "What a peculiar feeling. It seems I can't hide anything from you. Just what universe did you come from?"

Mercer lifted his teacup and took a sip, deliberately maintaining an air of mystery by saying nothing.

Seeing that he already knew everything, the Ancient One simply spoke openly.

"That's right. I have survived by relying on Dormammu's magical power. Though it has kept me alive for hundreds of years, it is ultimately a thing of darkness from a higher dimension. I cannot keep absorbing its energy to survive forever.

"I absorbed it before because I couldn't find a suitable successor. Now that I've found one, I can stop absorbing its energy. I suppose you could call it an early retirement."