Seeing Aaron's serious expression, the Ancient One handed Agamotto to him without hesitation.
"Although you've promised to use the Time Gem solely for the magic net, I still need to emphasize something," she said.
"Time is dangerous. It is highly unpredictable."
"Interfering with the space-time continuum is forbidden."
"It is extremely risky behavior."
"Even for someone like you—especially for you as you are today."
"It is best not to attempt to manipulate or tamper with time."
"If you're not careful, you could create a new time branch or open an unstable dimensional rift."
"Or worse—you might trigger a spatial collapse or a time loop."
"If you lose focus for even a moment, you could be erased from existence entirely."
The Ancient One spoke earnestly. She sincerely hoped that Aaron's intentions for the Time Gem were strictly limited to enhancing the magic net and nothing beyond that.
"I understand this well, and I assure you that I won't use the Time Gem recklessly until I have advanced further in my knowledge," Aaron replied.
He understood the Ancient One's concerns. He wouldn't be arrogant enough to believe he could freely manipulate time without consequences.
Even though his intellect had advanced tremendously in recent times—having mastered technologies far beyond Earth's capabilities, even surpassing Asgardian knowledge—he still lacked the confidence to control time completely.
People often mention Kang the Conqueror as a master of time manipulation in the Marvel universe, but does he truly have full command over it?
Not at all.
Time is profound, elusive, and far more complex than it appears.
What Kang controls is just a fraction of its true power.
After all, in the grand scope of the Marvel universe, Kang the Conqueror is merely an early-stage antagonist. In the presence of the true cosmic powerhouses, he is insignificant.
That said, Aaron hadn't ruled out the idea of mastering time in the future.
For now, he wouldn't use the Time Gem outside of its intended purpose, but he wasn't making any promises about the future.
When his strength reached a higher level, he would explore time manipulation further.
For now, he would study parts of its power and put the gem to proper use when needed.
The Ancient One sensed Aaron's underlying thoughts, but she chose not to press the issue further. She simply nodded and then asked,
"I assume you plan to collect all six Infinity Gems?"
With three gems already in his possession, Aaron's goal was clear.
Having already acquired half of them, it was unlikely that he hadn't at least considered collecting the rest.
Of course, the Ancient One didn't yet know that Aaron had deliberately set aside the Mind Gem for later.
Now, with the Time Gem in hand, the only ones missing were the Power Gem and the Soul Gem.
"I do have that goal," Aaron admitted without hesitation. "I plan to harness the power of the Infinity Gems to further upgrade the magic net."
There was no point in hiding it—anyone paying close attention would figure it out sooner or later.
"It seems you've made up your mind," the Ancient One said. "But I must remind you—gathering all six Infinity Gems will draw significant attention."
"I hope you are prepared for the consequences."
"If you're only collecting them temporarily, that's one thing. But if you intend to keep them long-term, you may face unexpected trouble."
The Ancient One didn't specify what exactly would happen.
Even she wasn't certain.
But she firmly believed that there were forces in the universe that would not allow all six gems to fall into a single person's hands.
"I know the risks," Aaron acknowledged.
As it was written in the cosmic laws, the Living Tribunal prohibited anyone from wielding all six Infinity Gems simultaneously.
If this were the MCU universe, Aaron wouldn't be as concerned.
Thanos, Hulk, and Tony Stark had all demonstrated that it was possible to gather and use all six gems without immediate cosmic intervention.
At least, short-term possession didn't seem to trigger any drastic repercussions.
Perhaps their presence had already attracted attention, but as long as they didn't cause major disturbances, higher cosmic beings chose not to interfere.
Aaron's goal was to enhance the magic net, not to trigger a universe-wide catastrophe like a timeline reset.
That level of threat wouldn't be enough to provoke an "excessive" response.
However, since this universe wasn't definitively the MCU universe, everything was uncertain.
To prepare for any potential crisis, Aaron decided to further strengthen himself before gathering the remaining gems.
Next Target: The Power Gem
The Soul Gem was another matter.
The price of acquiring it was steep.
Aaron had no intention of sacrificing a loved one just to claim it.
For now, five gems would suffice.
The Power Gem, combined with the abilities of the Space and Time Gems, would allow the magic net to expand and conceal itself throughout the entire real universe instantly.
The Mind Gem would be used for supercomputing.
With these gems, the magic net could rapidly grow in scale and capability.
As for enforcing contracts within the system, the previous measures would suffice for now.
Anyone within this universe wouldn't be able to break an agreement once bound by the magic net.
The real challenge would be spreading the magic net's reputation.
How would Aaron make civilizations across the universe aware of its existence and encourage them to connect willingly?
Surely, he couldn't visit every planet himself to promote it?
There were far too many planets and intelligent species. Even if he hired an army of ten thousand messengers, it wouldn't be enough.
It would be far too inefficient.
"Hmm, I need to consider this," Aaron mused.
"The best approach would be to make the leaders of various civilizations come to me. Then, they can return and connect their people to the magic net themselves..."
Meanwhile, Elsewhere...
Just as Aaron bid farewell to the Ancient One and returned home to continue his research, two women arrived at his doorstep.
They held a photo album, comparing it with the directions given by a local, and finally confirmed the location.
One of them, a woman with a generous figure, grinned excitedly.
"This is it! Let's rent the place next door!"
She then turned to her companion.
"Well, you're paying for it, of course."
In the Suburbs of New York...
A beam of Bifrost energy pierced through the sky.
Thor emerged from the light.
He had finally made his way out.
Thor's thoughts were simple.
If magic was involved, so be it.
Either way, he might as well come to Midgard early for his so-called "transformation."
Coincidentally, he had another objective.
A personal matter.
"Now, what was the old man's description of that place again?" Thor muttered to himself.
"Oh, right—Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters."
"What a troublesome name."
"All this effort just to find Magneto."
Looking up at the sky, Thor called out, "Heimdall, help me contact Charles."
Meanwhile, on Jotunheim...
An uninvited guest arrived.
It was Loki.
But he no longer appeared as an Asgardian.
Now, he looked like a Frost Giant.
Albeit a much smaller one.
After the last battle on Jotunheim, the Frost Giants had lost their leader, plunging their entire race into chaos.
They despised Asgard.
They despised Aaron, the God of Magic.
Any Asgardian who set foot here would be immediately surrounded and slaughtered.
No exceptions.
But Loki wasn't here for war.
He planned to use these fools for his own rise to power.
Even though he had gained Level 5 authority through the Mind Gem, he still fell short compared to Thor.
And as the saying goes:
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Loki had no problem winning over a few Frost Giants.
And when the time came, he wouldn't hesitate to betray them.
A sinister smile crept onto his lips.
And thus began Loki's deceptive journey.
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