The two followed behind The Ancient One, crossing the damaged square. Holloway looked around curiously at the Supreme Mage, while Su Ming was calculating in his mind.
They bypassed craters filled with dark ashes, charred pine trees, and the varied corpses of mages as The Ancient One sighed incessantly.
The loss this time was not small, almost equal to the battle against Dormammu's descent centuries ago.
A childhood friend who became an enemy, Kalu, surprisingly left Alternate Space and became a Supreme Mage of a dimension.
The days ahead would only become tougher.
The so-called side hall no longer existed; only four broken columns and a chair still smoldering remained where it used to be.
The Ancient One held up the Eye of Agamotto, weaving a sign with one hand, and began twisting in the air as if turning a screw.
It was like an invisible beast regurgitated the ruins, and they flickered back to their original state as time flowed backward. She retrieved the room from the river of time.
Holloway watched all of this in amazement. He couldn't comprehend the principles involved, as it clashed intensely with his decades of materialist worldview.
Su Ming, however, was quite relaxed since he understood what it was: "A very strong power."
"And very dangerous," The Ancient One turned around, the golden magical artifact on her chest slowly closing its eyes, and the green light instantly receded: "Restoring objects is fine, but resurrecting humans carries infinite risks... so the deceased should not be brought back into this world."
In the Marvel World, there are many ways to resurrect someone, and using the Time Gem is among the most troublesome.
If someone dies here, there aren't many places for souls to go.
True warriors and heroic spirits often end up in Asgard's Heroic Spirit Hall or the Netherworld after death, enjoying themselves, as a benefit fought for by Odin.
Most beings in the cosmos generally go to the 'Goddess of Death's domain, the largest soul haven and gathering place, where they serve the goddess, awaiting reincarnation.
If mages haven't served other evil gods or demons, their souls generally return to Emperor Vishanti, becoming part of their magical power, like returning to the source.
Of course, there are indigenous beliefs that can intercept souls, like Wakanda's Black Panther totem, where the souls of successive kings belong to the Black Panther.
So in the Marvel World, when you die, your soul isn't yours anymore. The moment of death determines your soul's destiny based on your actions and beliefs in life.
In other words, a new master appears above your head.
To resurrect someone, if the Time Gem's power acts only on the deceased, it means snatching the soul directly from its post-death 'owner'.
Imagine 'Death' sipping her drink and singing in her Realm of the Dead, counting her slaves, suddenly finding someone stole her belonging, a soul snatched under her nose.
Don't you think she would chase to reclaim her slave and punish the thief?
'Death' is not Asgard's Nether God Hel; she is a Creator God. For Earthlings, if she wants someone dead, they must die. Though usually, she doesn't act personally, various Death Gods and Lords of Hell would willingly serve her, and she just needs to instruct and wait for accounts.
This means that the one attempting resurrection will be entangled by many divine and ghostly entities. As it's known, ghosts and gods are undying in the Main Dimension, and they will constantly harass you, using all sorts of underhanded means to eliminate you to please the Goddess of Death.
Even if the Time Gem could handle these Dimension Lords and Demon Kings, and further could handle 'Death', she has relatives like 'Infinite', 'Annihilation', 'Eternal'. Facing Creator Gods with just the Time Gem is suicidal.
To avoid pursuit by 'Death' and still use the Time Gem for resurrection, one must revert the entire universe's time, rolling back to when the deceased was still alive, before anything happened.
Yet even when Doctor Strange negotiated with Dormammu, both were enclosed in Dormammu's small space, not daring to play like this in the Main Dimension.
Because reversing the entire world is an immense burden, even if driven by White Magic through the Eye of Agamotto, the cost is unaffordable for the average person.
"May the deceased enjoy peace by Emperor Vishanti's side," Su Ming comforted, not wanting to get involved in someone else's family matters, opting for some nice-sounding words to finish the topic.
The Ancient One pushed open the side hall's door, smiling as she welcomed the two in: "I have witnessed many deaths; to me, it's all... If I hadn't found a suitable successor, I too would like to lay down the burden of Supreme Mage and return to Emperor Vishanti's side. Death is not scary, it's just another beginning."
Su Ming nodded, yet he knew inwardly it wasn't like that. If things didn't change here, even after The Ancient One's death, she wouldn't rest, as the Creator God 'Eternal' intercepted her soul, taking her on endless cosmic journeys.
The Magic Floating Cloak slipped in through the door, presenting Dr. Manhattan's gemstone to The Ancient One like a treasure.
The Ancient One received the gemstone, her pale fingers caressing its smooth surface. She pondered for a moment, gazed deeply at Su Ming, then returned the gemstone to the cloak, patting its collar.
"Do you want to be the Supreme Mage?" The Ancient One suddenly asked.
"Huh?"
Su Ming, having removed his helmet, was pretending to admire the room's decor. The Nepalese style reminded him of the area around xz, and he nearly choked on his drink at the question.
Even with a super brain, Su Ming hadn't expected The Ancient One to say that. Not to mention that after acquiring X Metal, he was almost magic-insulated; even if he had a way to cast spells, he didn't want to bear the sufferings of casting.
Such as Doctor Strange's gastric perforation, caused by a debt-triggered curse. That hole would always be that size, and with Su Ming's self-healing ability, the perforation would turn into a tug-of-war on him, with constant stomach wall corrosion and healing, creating an endless loop....
He immediately wanted to leave.
"This gemstone proves you have the qualifications to become the Supreme Mage."
The Ancient One sat on a nearby chair, smiling, and with a wave of her hand, poured tea floated over, offering a cup each to Su Ming and the doctor.
Su Ming hesitated to leave and paused, sitting down nearby as well.
"Do you know what this is?"
The mystery of the gemstone had been ongoing for over a decade, and he was about to forget about it.
The Ancient One flicked her hand, and the tea from her cup floated into the air, forming a strange symbol that began to rotate slowly.
"Can you understand it?"
The symbol resembled a triangle, circle, and dot, each element interconnected, constantly transforming and interacting at a frequency.
He could recognize it as three geometric figures, yet the meaning behind them eluded him entirely.
Su Ming shook his head, anticipating The Ancient One's explanation.
"When the time comes for you to understand, you'll naturally comprehend. For now, all I can tell you is that such gemstones represent the recognition of a universe, and its abilities will manifest when you need them," The Ancient One smiled as she retrieved the tea, without further explanation: "Speaking of which, I think you could become the Supreme... Mage."
When The Ancient One stumbled over the word 'Mage', she looked around before managing to say it.
Su Ming couldn't help but laugh bitterly, finding The Ancient One's answer even more intriguing, gaining no new information apart from knowing the gemstone was akin to a medal.
And her insistence on foisting the Supreme Mage role on him seemed nonsensical. Was it an outbreak of post-casting syndrome?
"I... don't consider myself qualified to be the Supreme Mage."
The Ancient One quietly raised her teacup and drank, blending seamlessly with the room's atmosphere. She closed her eyes: "Then what do you think qualifies someone to be the Supreme Mage?"
"Uh... high proficiency in mana? Wide knowledge? Selflessness and courage?" Su Ming lifted his teacup and drank. The tea was good, but he was more focused on finding an excuse to decline.
"So, this is how you perceive me?" The Ancient One smiled, opening her eyes and nodding, seemingly pleased or amused: "But you saw earlier that the intruder was also a Supreme Mage of another dimension. Which of those qualities do you think applies to her?"
"Indeed, that woman is a bit crazy," the doctor interjected. He couldn't quite grasp what the Supreme Mage position entailed, or how it related to being the head of a hospital. Would it be alright for Deathstroke to take over, and perhaps keep the mages from playing with dangerous creatures?
A pit, a traitorous teammate—throwing the responsibility of Supreme Mage onto someone would crush them, with a tragic ending just a matter of time, Su Ming wished he could sew his friend's mouth shut.
As it stands, he's living a long, blissful life without death. Why take on that black pot?
The Ancient One nodded appreciatively at Holloway, indicating his comment was spot on. She sipped her tea, sighing contentedly.
"Your friend is right. Those aforementioned qualities are merely superficial, not what the Supreme Mage truly requires. For the Supreme Mage, what's most important is how well you can fight."