Marvel: Starting as a Time Criminal, Stealing Powers

It was her.

Russell showed an expression of "just as I expected."

The Sorcerer Supreme who stepped out of the final portal was none other than the one he had met twice before—on the Sacred Timeline.

But upon confirming this, he felt it was... outrageous.

He could only travel between timelines by relying on the Time Tablet—and even then, only within the Sacred Timeline.

If he wanted to reach a suppressed world, he had to enter the Quantum Realm first.

But this woman... could bypass all of that?

If he was right, then this version of the Ancient One was likely the most powerful existence in the entire Supreme Alliance.

"Your Excellency."

The other four bowed their heads in unison.

The Ancient One raised her finger slightly. At once, the magic array stopped running, and all five portals behind them closed.

She looked at Russell, nodded, then sighed:

"To only sense time when the timeline trembles… How frustrating."

She glanced around the space and said with faint disappointment:

"Is it just you five?"

Supreme Tony shrugged and pouted:

"They're all a bunch of rookies."

"Russell jumped into a suppressed timeline. That caused a massive vibration, but the rest still couldn't sense the time shift."

"If you ask me, we should start trimming members. Numbers don't mean much if most of them are deadweight."

As he spoke, he gestured toward the stars shining above them:

"Each star is a mark of a Supreme Alliance member. But most of them are still frozen in their timelines and can't respond to the summons."

"Even the Ancient One from the Sacred Timeline can feel it—but she can't leave."

Russell nodded in understanding.

He had been wondering why the Supreme Alliance had so few people present. Now he understood: many were still bound by their respective timelines.

But that didn't matter.

He turned to the Blue-Light Ancient One and asked:

"So what do I do next?"

"Also, we should probably sign the contract. Better to make things formal."

Upon hearing that, the Old Man Ancient One sighed dramatically, as if heartbroken by Russell's lack of trust.

Supreme Tony looked indifferent.

The stern Ancient One said nothing.

Blue-Light Ancient One smiled calmly and replied:

"Of course."

"Even if you hadn't brought it up, I was going to mention it."

At that, the old Ancient One reached under his robes—specifically, toward his stomach—and after rummaging around for a moment, pulled out a yellowed parchment scroll and handed it to Russell.

Russell took the scroll and carefully examined it.

This contract might look ordinary, but since it was given by the Supreme Alliance, and Mephisto once used similar ones, he couldn't afford to be careless.

Even the Ancient One couldn't be trusted blindly.

He activated his divine power—Light—to peer through all disguises.

After a few seconds of examination, the glow in Russell's eyes faded.

He returned the parchment.

"Looks clean. Let's proceed."

"As for the terms, just as we discussed before."

The Blue-Light Ancient One nodded and summoned a floating quill pen from the void. It began writing the contract on its own.

The general contents were clear:

Russell would anchor five timelines for the Supreme Alliance.

Once two timelines were completed, he would be eligible to receive a promotion to the Single-Universe Realm as an advance reward.

The contract also stated that while the promotion wasn't guaranteed, the success rate would be very high.

Russell didn't object.

He understood this kind of thing—whether it's a promotion to a single-universe or multiverse level—nothing is ever truly 100% guaranteed.

Next came the signing.

In the mystic world, a handwritten real name carried binding power tied to the rules of reality.

Russell signed his name—in traditional Chinese characters.

Seeing it, the old man Ancient One clapped enthusiastically:

"Oh! You're from the same homeland as me!"

"We're fellow villagers!"

Supreme Tony shot that down instantly:

"Come on, it's been hundreds of timelines. Stop pretending to be relatable, Jinping."

The old Ancient One snorted and said no more.

Then the Blue-Light Ancient One signed the parchment as well.

The moment her pen lifted, the parchment spontaneously ignited in golden flames and burned away—leaving not even a trace of ash.

Russell's spiritual sense stirred.

He instantly understood: the contract was now established.

Seeing that no traps were triggered, Russell grew excited.

"Alright then! What's the first timeline? What's the mission?"

After the ritual where he awakened the Four Divine Powers, not only had his divine power increased significantly, but his overall strength had reached the peak of a Godfather-level being.

He could now sense the barrier of the realm ahead.

A cage.

One that still bound him to this ordinary world.

Only by breaking through would he step into true reality and freedom.

If he had to rely solely on cultivation, Russell knew it might take three hundred years—at least.

He needed an opportunity.

And the Supreme Alliance was that opportunity.

However, just after Russell asked his question, he noticed that the four Sorcerer Supremes in front of him were all staring at the ground like they were looking at ants... well, if there were actually ants.

Suddenly, a bad feeling welled up in him. He turned to the Blue-Light Ancient One and asked,

"You don't actually know how to anchor a timeline, do you?"

"That's not it," the Blue Ancient One replied, spreading his hands innocently.

"We do know how to anchor. I just don't know where the anchor point is."

That's what you call leaving it all to fate!

Russell felt like he'd been completely duped.

If he had to search the entire timeline manually for an anchor point, it might take him over ten thousand years!

He might as well go back to cultivating on his own. At least then he had a chance to break through in a mere thousand years!

"Goodbye."

He waved without hesitation and turned to return to the Quantum Realm.

After all, the contract didn't include any penalties—so if someone else wanted to waste their time on this, they were welcome to it.

Supreme Tony quickly blocked his way and offered:

"Wait, wait! If it doesn't work out, let's hit a nightclub later. You pick the girl!"

Russell's mood improved slightly at that.

The Blue Ancient One gave a helpless smile and explained patiently:

"Please don't rush, Mr. Russell. I didn't intend to deceive you."

"Each timeline moves forward with time. As long as you return to reality and let time pass normally, you'll eventually encounter a spiritual guidance—then you'll naturally sense which event to anchor."

Russell frowned.

"And what if I don't encounter it for ten thousand years? Do I just keep waiting?"

Time was still the greatest constraint.

Plus, he had two wives waiting for him in the Void!

The Blue Ancient One responded calmly:

"No. Those outside of fate will inevitably meet new fate.

You are the key."

Russell rolled his eyes.

"Don't give me this fortune cookie nonsense. Be specific."

Supreme Tony gave him a discreet thumbs-up from the side.

The Blue Ancient One shot Tony a glare, then closed his eyes and meditated briefly.

After a few seconds, he opened them again and said:

"Each timeline will take no more than ten years. If it goes beyond that, we'll give you the promotion reward anyway."

That actually surprised Russell.

If that's the case, it was acceptable.

Honestly, he would have agreed even if it was a hundred years.

"Alright, then which timeline do I start with?" he asked again.

The Blue Ancient One looked at Tony Stark, considered the possibility of Russell and Tony triggering a nightclub-related anchor event, and instead turned to the Old Man Ancient One.

She pointed at him.

"Start with his."

Supreme Tony immediately looked crushed.

The Prince of the Nightclub had lost his soul.

The serious-faced Ancient One gave a solemn nod:

"Then we'll return first. We can't remain away from our worlds too long."

The Blue Ancient One activated the magic circle again, reopening the previously closed portals.

With a wave of her hand, Tony Stark was instantly tossed through his portal against his will.

Jelly Supreme and the Stern Ancient One also said their goodbyes and departed.

Only three people remained in the pocket dimension.

The Blue Ancient One gave a final instruction:

"The method of anchoring a time node involves the Time Stone and Reality Stone. You'll find the specific incantations and spellwork in the Kamar-Taj library."

"Also, don't father any children in this timeline. It could cause serious disruptions."

"As for everything else, don't worry. I'll hide this timeline. TVA won't find it."

Russell was speechless.

What is this old lady talking about?

He already had wives in the Void—why would he have a child here?

Still, that last part was good news.

At least he wouldn't need to leave immediately after finishing a mission.

The Blue Ancient One gave him a warm smile and stepped into her portal.

Once she was gone, Russell finally relaxed.

He turned to the old man beside him and asked curiously:

"By the way, why is that Ancient One... blue?"

He quickly corrected himself.

Almost slipped and called her an old woman.

The Old Ancient One chuckled and explained:

"That's because she died long ago. What you saw was her soul form."

"For most magicians, death is not the end."

Russell immediately thought of the Ancient One from the Sacred Timeline.

Ridiculous.

That version was stabbed by Kaecilius and fell off a building like a regular NPC.

Now it was obvious—she had just retired.

Naïve Strange actually believed that...

Who knows how long it'll take him to see the truth?

"Let's go."

The Old Ancient One gestured, and together they stepped into the next portal.

Kamar-Taj.

The two emerged from a ground portal like ghosts.

Now Russell understood why the old man had looked so relaxed entering last time.

Just then, a voice rang out from behind:

"Sir, could you not teleport through the floor next time? It's spooky as hell."

Russell turned around and saw a familiar ugly face.

It was Wong.

"Who's this?" Wong asked.

The Ancient One stroked his beard, posing like a true master, and said solemnly:

"This is the next Sorcerer Supreme. Get to know him."

"And also, prepare a bigger dinner tonight. He prefers Chinese food."

"The serious kind."

Wong looked respectfully shocked.

"Understood! I'll go buy groceries immediately."

Russell watched the scene and felt a sense of déjà vu.

After Wong left, he glanced at the Ancient One.

Same world, same scam.

Poor Wong. No matter the timeline, he was always the one getting duped.

Seems like Russell would need to be cautious around this Ancient One too.

The old master had no idea what Russell was thinking.

He opened the gateway to the New York Sanctum and invited Russell to sit.

Familiar room. Familiar tea.

Russell took a sip, then asked:

"Tell me about this timeline. It has to be different from the Sacred Timeline, right?"

The Ancient One raised an eyebrow:

"Very different. We have mutants here."

"If you're looking for a wife, I recommend Mystique. Not only is she single, but she transforms better than Stoll."

"And more importantly, her genes are unique—it's hard to have a kid with her."

Pffft!

Russell spat out his tea all over the Ancient One's face.

The old master's expression twitched.

He wiped the tea from his bald head and muttered:

"If you don't like her, I can suggest someone else. Damn, that tea was expensive… now Wong's going to have to work overtime again."

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