Upon hearing the Ancient One's words, Chen Mo rolled his eyes at him and casually put the contract back in his pocket.
Don't make it sound so scary.
He picked up the teacup, only to find it was empty, so he had to put it down again.
"We're friends, so even if I came to collect a debt, I wouldn't just punch you the moment I saw you and blow your head off."
The Ancient One glanced at him.
So, what are you planning to do?
"Let's just drag it out."
Chen Mo answered quite naturally.
"This stupid task doesn't have a deadline. I investigate today, gather evidence tomorrow, and go through an internal review the day after. It's reasonable for it to drag on for hundreds of years, right?"
The Ancient One picked up the teapot and refilled his cup with tea.
A slight smile appeared on his aged face, but the layers of wrinkles remained unchanged.
"A few hundred years from now? I'll probably be dead by then."
"Isn't that better?"
Chen Mo picked up his teacup and took a sip.
"The person's dead, so the mission is naturally complete. The boss is satisfied, and I don't need to lift a finger. We call this 'natural settlement'."
"Death may not approve of this method."
"The agreement only said I was in charge of collecting debts; it didn't stipulate that I had to kill him."
Chen Mo said matter-of-factly, "Besides, if the debtor dies of natural causes, it's considered fulfilling the contract. If I were to die, I'd definitely give you a 'Honest Customer Award'."
The Ancient One looked down at the tea.
" Chen Mo, my death was already imminent."
Chen Mo paused in his tea-drinking motion.
The Sanctum fell silent.
The sound of passing cars could be heard outside the window, and the magic circle on the table was slowly turning. The Ancient One sat there, her tone as calm as if she were discussing what to have for dinner.
I have seen many futures.
"In some futures, I die at the hands of dimensional demons. In other futures, my body can no longer hold on, and I stop breathing on Strange's operating table."
The Ancient One raised her eyelids and continued, "Now, there's another way to die."
"You're the one who will take my life."
"Stop."
Chen Mo quickly raised his hand to interrupt.
"Old Master, we were just having a cup of tea, why are you suddenly starting to make your final arrangements?"
I'm just stating the facts.
If you keep going on like this, I'll have to consider giving a gift.
Chen Mo tapped on the table, forcibly dispelling the eerie atmosphere.
"Since you already knew you were on the death list, stop beating around the bush. Whose power did you borrow, and how many years of your life do you owe?"
The Ancient One did not answer immediately.
He leaned back in the wooden chair, his hands clasped in front of him, exuding an unusual calmness.
Chen Mo stared at him for a few seconds.
For some reason, this old man gives him the feeling of being a deadbeat who owes money to dozens of companies but still dares to answer debt collection calls on his phone.
It's not that I'm not afraid.
The debt is too high; I'm afraid I won't be able to pay it all back.
"It's been too long, I can't remember," The Ancient One said.
"Think about it again."
"Unable to provide statistics."
"Approximate figures?"
"It's meaningless."
Chen Mo put down his teacup, his expression gradually changing.
"Old Master, you haven't been borrowing money all these years, have you?"
" The Sorcerer Supreme needs to protect the dimension of reality."
The Ancient One said solemnly, "The human body is extremely fragile; relying solely on one's spirit and magic is insufficient to contend against beings from beyond dimensions."
"So you're borrowing higher-dimensional power from all over the place?"
"That was a necessary choice."
"And then you don't pay it back?"
The Ancient One remained silent for a moment.
"Some costs cannot be settled in a timely manner."
Speak like a human being.
"It was indeed not returned."
Chen Mo gasped.
Goodness!
He originally thought that the Ancient One had only borrowed the power of death and had not paid her lifespan as agreed, which was why she was put on the mission list.
It now appears that things are far more serious than he thought.
For the past few hundred years, the old man's way of protecting the Earth has probably been to encounter a higher-dimensional being, borrow some power, and then throw the bill aside after defeating the enemy.
Next time I encounter a stronger one, I'll borrow from a different place.
Where is Vishanti?
Excuse me.
" Eternity?"
"I did indeed receive help from the Eternity."
" Agamotto?"
He was very generous to Sorcerer Supreme throughout history.
" Dormammu, you didn't borrow from him too, did you?"
The Ancient One picked up the teacup and blew away the steam on its surface.
"The power of the Dark Dimension is not easy to refuse."
Chen Mo stared at him, dumbfounded.
"Damn, you're even trying to fleece the enemy now?"
" Chen Mo, power itself has neither good nor evil."
"Please, this isn't a matter of good or evil."
Chen Mo pointed at the Ancient One and said with a serious expression, "This is a matter of trust. You've been fighting with him for hundreds of years, and you're still secretly borrowing his power. No wonder so many people want to rush into Earth every day; he's preparing to physically collect debts."
The Ancient One did not refute.
He took a sip of tea, appearing perfectly calm.
"Those forces helped me maintain the dimension of reality and protected countless lives. Personal reputation is not important compared to the outcome."
Chen Mo opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to refute it.
That sounds reasonable.
But this old man owes Death Eternity, borrows from Vishanti and then goes to exploit Dormammu; he doesn't seem like a proper mage at all.
"So how do you plan to pay it back?"
"I won't pay."
The Ancient One answered crisply and decisively.
Chen Mo was stunned.
They spoke so solemnly just now, but when it came to repaying the money, they simply said two words and that was it.
"Are you really that self-righteous?"
I have nothing left to repay.
The Ancient One put down his teacup.
"My life is nearing its end, and my soul will eventually follow Eternity and merge with a higher realm of existence. As for this physical body, it has long been eroded by forces from multiple dimensions; it is a miracle that it has survived until today."
"So what?"
"We'll talk about it after I die. Besides, I've already agreed to hand over my body to you. The rest of you can do as you please."
The Ancient One remained calm.
Chen Mo stared at him.
This is no longer a matter of being overwhelmed by debt.
This is his plan to wait until he dies so that all his creditors can sit down and divide his inheritance.
The problem is that the inheritance is clearly not enough to divide.
Aren't you afraid they'll come knocking on your door beforehand?
"Why not just go to their door and beat them out?"
The Ancient One looked up at him.
"As long as I remain the Sorcerer Supreme, they will need to consider the consequences of forced collection. Besides, creditors are not friends; whoever strikes first may create opportunities for others."
Chen Mo nodded thoughtfully.
I see.
The Ancient One isn't unable to repay her debts.
He never intended to repay the first favor he received.
For hundreds of years, this old man has managed to survive to this day by constantly increasing his debts, making everyone wary of him.
If the debt is large enough, no company will dare to visit you alone.
This is no longer considered a deadbeat.
This is the protective shield formed by debt.
"Don't worry, after I die, my body will still be yours."
The Ancient One said softly, "There is still a considerable amount of dimensional power remaining within it, which may be helpful for your evolution."
That's more like it.
Chen Mo nodded subconsciously, then his expression froze.
Wait a moment.
Death's reward for his mission was the Ancient One's physical body.
Dormammu also wanted to reclaim the dark power, and the other creditors were also eyeing this body.
Chen Mo slowly raised his head, his eyes becoming incredibly strange.
"Old man."
"What's wrong?"
"Just how many times has this body of yours been sold?"
The Ancient One winked playfully, picked up her teacup, and didn't answer.
Chen Mo finally realized what was happening.
This old man not only owes money but also refuses to pay it back.
He also sold multiple items!