Chapter 13: Apprenticeship

In an endless darkness, I floated like a log in an ocean. I felt relaxed and soothed in this strange environment. As I drifted alone inside this empty blackness, light began to illuminate. Slowly, the light conquered the darkness, and before I knew it, I was awake, welcomed by the sight of a strange room.

I rubbed my eyes, believing that my own eyes were playing games with me. However, it seemed my sight was working just fine. I was indeed kidnapped again to another location. Yet, this time, the environment was strangely familiar. Even the word 'strange' had this weird feeling of familiarity.

The room appears ancient. For starters, everything in the room is made out of wood. Upon inspecting the table in front of the bed, I can see numerous marks littered all over, with certain spots showing signs of withering. The details noticed on the table are also present on other furniture in the room.

During my time observing the room, I hear a creaking sound coming from the direction of the door. I glance over to see a Black man, dressed in what I presume to be traditional clothing. "May I come in?" the man asked.

I nodded, and he walked toward me, handing a similar set of clothes. "Mr. Alexanderander, I know you might have questions, but before that, please wear these clothes." he said.

I complied with the demand, reaching my hand out to grab the clothes. Right then, just when I made contact with the clothes, I came to realize something; something that explained everything. "Of course, it all makes sense now," I muttered upon the revelation.

"What makes sense?" The man's question snapped me back to reality, making me realize that I might have revealed a secret. Quickly, I scrambled to give an answer, "Oh, nothing. I just realized that this place might be a temple."

The man looked at me with scrutiny, but didn't push for clarity. "Since you don't have any question. I will be waiting outside." He said, before walking out of the room. 

After the man left the room, my expression shift into dread. "Things are moving fast," I whispered before absentmindedly walk toward my bed and putting down the clothes in my hand.

While succumbing to despair, my mind wandered on the ways I was found. The most obvious reason is that my actions have influenced the timeline, changing it into something new. The Ancient One, in possession of the time stone, would obviously catch changes that I've made to the timeline. Everything makes sense so far, except for one thing: the time it took for The Ancient One to find me.

Being the leader of an organization specialized in tracking mystical threats, including dimension lords, one would naturally assume The Ancient One possesses exceptional skills in detecting foreign entities from alternate dimensions. Then again, I am from another universe, not dimension, so that variable might have delayed her search. Yet, given The Ancient One's extensive knowledge and immense power, it's entirely plausible to think that she is well aware of the expansive multiverse.

Just as I was about to dive deeper into more theories, I could hear a knock coming from the door. It seems my contemplation must have been quite prolonged for the man to be prompted to urge me. While I wanted to continue on what I am doing, I decided otherwise, realizing that there's little point in developing hypotheses when you can obtain the answers directly from the source.

I must confess, the time I spent dressing up was embarrassingly lengthy. Slipping into the shirt and pants posed no challenge, yet it was the belt that proved troublesome. Fastening the belt to unite the shirt and pants would always result in failure. Each time I tied it; the knot would come undone. Despite my repeated attempts, I couldn't, for the life of me, achieve the desired result. It was only after a taxing five minutes that I finally succeeded in securing the belt, though by then, my outfit had become crumpled and appeared quite untidy.

Stepping outside after getting dressed, the first thing I noticed was the man's changing expression. It didn't require a genius to grasp that I had put on the outfit comically wrong. Despite wanting to ask for help, embarrassment sealed my lips. Instead, I chose to push through the embarrassment and simply move on. 

The man, being a professional, quickly composed himself and offered his assistance, asking, "Do you need help?"

I nodded stiffly; that was enough confirmation for the man to begin working on dressing me properly. The speed at which he accomplished it was phenomenal and efficient, taking around half a minute. When he was finished, my outfit had undergone a complete transformation and now looked fantastic, akin to something from the movies.

While I was appreciating my own outfit, the man tapped my shoulder, capturing my attention. "Follow me," he said, before walking forward. 

Following his instruction, I walked after him. Our pace was steady, slow enough for me to appreciate the scenery. After seeing more of the place, I could definitely ascertain that I am in Nepal. The architecture had an Asian look to them, and considering the training ground of the Masters of Mystic Arts, Kamar Taj, is located there, it seemed like a fitting location.

I did have the assumption that I was in Nepal, but there was still some doubt in my mind. However, that doubt faded away after the glaring evidence in front of me. This would also mean that the person guiding me right now is Mordo.

After a few more quiet minutes, we arrived at our destination. Mordo gestured for me to go through the door upon arrival. "The Ancient One is waiting for you inside," he said before bidding me farewell.

I reciprocated the formality before opening the door in front of me. Inside, I could see The Ancient One peacefully drinking, gesturing for me to sit at the table.

As I walked towards the table, I took the time to analyze her expression, attempting to guess her intentions in bringing me here. I had already assumed she knows I am from another universe, and the fact that she didn't come to kill or detain me showed that she had already checked my future and knew I had no intention of bringing harm to Earth. So, what could her intention be for this meeting?

I tried to think of an answer to the question but realized midway that I am incapable of predicting someone's mind, especially someone as ancient as The Ancient One. Still, that wasn't the only reason; there was one more realization I came to during my time of contemplating a possible motive.

I had assumed that The Ancient One's future vision isn't able to look into a definite timeline. Although cliché, I believed the idea wasn't improbable because, as established, I am a "variable"—one whose mere existence changes time. 

However, after scrutinizing the hypothesis once more, a major flaw became evident. The hypothesis crumbled really quickly when considering that the system has added my existence into this universe. That means I am not foreign to this world anymore; I am a native. My life has been added into the timeline, so my action from this point onward is already determined. 

This realization meant that everything I had thought and assumed so far was wrong, and that the reason I had been found wasn't because I am a variable but because of something else. Witnessing the collapse of every one of my ideas made me realize that perhaps I am not suited to formulate hypotheses, since I can't even determine if the foundation of my ideas is correct.

Returning back to reality after a long contemplation, I was welcomed by The Ancient One, patiently enjoying her tea. "Sorry for making you wait," I muttered, feeling wrong for ignoring her.

"No worries, Mr. Alexanderander. I have all the time in the world," The Ancient One said in a soothing tone.

"Though I am curious, Mr. Alexanderander. What was so captivating that made you so lost in your thoughts?" The Ancient One asked.

Hearing the question made me consider my options in answering. Should I tell her the truth or tell a lie to test the limit of what she knows? "I was wondering how you found me?" After careful consideration, I decided to tell the truth, since this truth doesn't reveal much of my origin.

The Ancient One smiled upon hearing my inquiry, "It wasn't hard to find you, Mr. Alexanderander, when you continuously brought about changes to the world."

Strange, why is her answer aligning with my flawed hypothesis? That doesn't make sense. "What changes?" I asked, confusion in my tone.

"There are lots of changes, Mr. Alexanderander, but the most noticeable one is when you brought upon this world another form of energy," The Ancient One stated.

"What!!!" I shouted in shock.

"John's mana is different from the one utilized by The Masters of the Mystic Arts. His mana not only can be used to cast spells but also amplify the strength of magical artifacts," The Ancient One explained.

Her explanation made sense, since mana from the Marvel Universe is different from Mana in the Terraria Universe. Additionally, it seems that my existence didn't change the timeline one bit, and I am truly native to this world. That would mean that like other characters in the Marvel Universe I have a predetermine destiny that I will follow. Any action of mine from now on will not be my own. 

While I was grappling with an existential crisis, The Ancient One spoke, reassuring me, "I can sense your worries, and I assure you, your destiny isn't set in stone."

I'm not entirely sure how she managed to grasp my thoughts, but I'm deeply appreciative that she did. Her words were enough to instill a sense of relief for my future.

"Thank you," I responded.

"No worries, Mr. Alexanderander. I am simply relaying what you will eventually come to realize yourself," The Ancient One replied before continuing, "While I would like to discuss important future events, present matters take precedence."

The topic of the present struck me, making me realize how my focus had been fixated on the future. How could I contemplate the future without having a plan for the present? This realization jolted me into thinking about my immediate needs.

The foremost need is undoubtedly time, as having ample time would allow me to acquire an array of weaponry. Alongside time, another high priority is acquiring combat skills. The recent encounter with the assailant highlighted a glaring weakness: our lack of combat experience. While my arsenal of weapons may compensate for this shortcoming, it's inevitable that an adversary of similar strength will emerge sooner or later. Engaging in combat without adequate skills would be suicidal. In fact, the opponent needn't be of equal power; even someone slightly weaker could defeat me without proper combat prowess.

"I request your assistance in training us to become skilled fighters. As you might have witnessed yourself during our battles, both John and I lack combat skills, and I am determined to address that weakness," I said with conviction in my voice.

The Ancient One smiled upon hearing my request. "I had the same thought in mind."