As the light grew brighter, Ronan's heart rose to his throat.
Could it be that he was wrong?
According to Ronan's guess, each universe's Infinity Stones are connected to that specific universe.
In other words, if the universe is destroyed, then the Infinity Stones of that universe would become mere ordinary rocks.
After all, according to legend, the Infinity Stones were born from the Big Bang of the universe.
So Ronan had concluded this theory.
But now, seeing it, it seemed like he was wrong?
However, what Ronan didn't expect was that they were indeed glowing, but that was all they did.
The imagined pain did not appear.
"A powerful flashlight?"
Ronan twitched his lips, feeling a bit disdainful.
You can only glow? Do you think you're cosplaying as a flashlight?
Besides, isn't a flashlight more useful than this?
"Space Transfer!"
"Time Rewind!"
"Triple Strike!"
Ronan only knew how to use the Space Stone and the Time Stone, so he tried all three moves consecutively.
Unfortunately, none of them worked.
It could be said that the six Infinity Stones in this gauntlet were just like colored light bulbs.
They were even less useful than Christmas lights.
Unwilling to give up, Ronan put on his own Infinity Gauntlet again.
The moment he wore it, the Space Stone immediately connected with his mental energy.
Ugh!
Useless trash!
Ronan spat at the Infinity Gauntlet on his right hand and quickly put away his own Infinity Gauntlet.
He couldn't afford to get infected!
He definitely couldn't afford to learn from these lazy, useless Infinity Stones.
He was still the future hope of Kamar-Taj—he had to work hard, reject laziness.
At this moment, Ronan looked exactly like those motivational speakers in his past life.
Indeed, as one grows older, one eventually becomes the kind of person they once hated most.
This is a universal truth.
After the failure of the first experiment, Ronan didn't have high hopes for the second one either.
The reason he brought two sets of Infinity Stones was to avoid the so-called "survivor bias."
If one set worked, it didn't mean they all would.
And if one set didn't work, it didn't mean they all wouldn't.
So Ronan conducted two very meticulous experiments.
However, both experiments yielded the same result: these Infinity Stones were utterly useless except for glowing.
When wearing both gauntlets, Ronan did feel a bit like an evil boss though.
"Forget it, let me take a picture."
"Later, I'll bring you guys back and put you on display at Kamar-Taj."
"If anyone dares to provoke me, I'll bring them here to meet you."
Ronan sighed, and after glancing around, found a place with a nice view.
He used the Form of Aiken to create a clone.
The clone held Ronan's phone, pointing the camera at him.
Ronan struck an incredibly cool pose, his hands spread, crossed just below his face.
It captured his peerless appearance and all twelve Infinity Stones in one shot.
Handsome and wealthy!
Click!
An artistic photo was born.
After taking this photo, Ronan wasn't satisfied, so he lowered his right hand, leaving only the left.
With his thumb and middle finger pinched together, he struck a snapping pose.
"I am inevitable!"
With this classic line, the camera shutter clicked again.
Click.
From now on, Thanos would be imitating Ronan's pose.
If Thanos ever got the chance to gather all six Infinity Stones again, Ronan would definitely slap this picture onto his face.
Imitating my pose requires a royalty fee!
"What the...?!"
At that moment, a surprised voice came from behind Ronan.
The voice was familiar.
Ronan raised an eyebrow and turned around to see a familiar figure.
Loki and female Loki?
Oh no, she should be called Sylvie.
"Wow, I didn't expect to meet the second heir to Asgard here."
"The Frost Giant kingdom's top reject."
"The invader defeated by Earth's heroes."
"And... the puny god beaten by Hulk."
Ronan listed four of Loki's nicknames in one go.
With each nickname, Loki's face grew darker.
These were all Loki's embarrassing moments, perhaps even traumatic memories.
If Ronan said them when they were alone, Loki might have handled it better.
But, Sylvie was standing right there beside him.
How do people say it again...
An alternate me?
No, in this case, a cosmic version of me.
"You're the one who took the Tesseract before."
"Why are you here?"
"Are you also a time criminal?"
"No, I asked Mobius—he didn't know you."
"And I've seen my future—you weren't in it, so who exactly are you?"
For some reason, Loki had become quite the chatterbox.
He kept asking questions, then answering them himself, finally summarizing it all into one question.
Who is Ronan?
"Who am I?"
"I'm just a traveler, here for sightseeing."
"Instead of worrying about me, perhaps you should worry about your current situation."
Ronan shrugged. This one was also stubborn.
Unlike Tony Stark, who was stubborn but ultimately flexible, Loki was just proud and obstinate.
In simple terms, he was a brat who sought recognition while harboring insecurities.
"What? Sightseeing?"
"So, does that mean you have a time controller too?"
At this point, Sylvie seemed to have noticed something.
"Oh?"
"You seem smarter than him."
"And, what's the deal between you two..."
"Loki, are you hiding a girlfriend from Odin?"
Ronan seemed amused by the unfolding drama.
A girlfriend?
Both immediately stepped away from each other, creating distance.
"I have nothing to do with her."
"Right now, you just need to hand over your time controller, and I'll spare your life."
Loki took a step forward, magical energy already gathering in his hands.
It looked like he intended to take it by force.
Ronan sighed. This kid still hadn't learned his lesson after being beaten by Hulk.
"Do you see these?"
Ronan spread his arms, revealing the Infinity Stones on both hands.
Seeing them, Loki's face paled, and he took a step back.
Because Ronan had taken the Tesseract, he didn't have the sequence of trying to use it to escape.
Seeing Ronan wearing two gauntlets full of Infinity Stones, Loki was dumbstruck.
He couldn't believe this guy had so many Infinity Stones!
Two sets!
Two complete sets!
Suddenly, Loki felt a deep sense of injustice.
Even though he knew his fate, seeing the object of his lifelong pursuit, something he tried to protect until his death, in someone else's hands, worthless, was unbearable.
Two sets!
Why did this guy have two sets?
No, wait!
Suddenly, Loki realized something.
"Wait a second!"
"I've seen my 'correct' future—at that time, I had the Tesseract."
"But why do you have so many Infinity Stones here?"
Loki pointed at Ronan, as if he had found a flaw in his logic.
If his future was real, did that mean the Infinity Stones in Ronan's possession were fake?
Though proud, Loki wasn't stupid.
If the other person possessed so many Infinity Stones, and he could steal the Space Stone, it would practically be a fairy tale.
So, Loki immediately sensed something was wrong.
"Do you still believe in this so-called TVA?"
"Have you never thought that the future they showed you might be fake?"
Ronan sneered.
Perhaps the TVA showed Loki a future he was 'supposed' to have.
But it would never be this universe's, this timeline's future.
Because of Ronan's existence, every predetermined future would undergo massive changes.
"Fake?"
"What proof do you have that their words are false?"
Clearly, Loki didn't believe Ronan.
Ronan pointed at Loki himself.
"Look at you now. If you had accepted that 'correct' future, what are you doing here?"
"Normally, you would have been erased by the TVA by now."
"But you're still choosing to resist fate, resist this so-called future."
An old wizard once said that to defeat magic, one must use magic.
If Loki believed in that supposed future so much,
then Ronan would use Loki himself to defeat Loki.
Yes, he learned that trick from the hooded guy.
Hearing this, Loki was momentarily speechless.
If he had truly accepted that future, then what was he struggling for now?
Wouldn't it be easier to just quietly await death?
Since his future was already set, why go through all this trouble?
For a moment, Loki was at a loss for words.
"Enough talk! Stealing his time controller is our only way out of here!"
Sylvie stepped forward.
What could be said?
Compared to Loki beside her, Sylvie was clearly more like the God of Mischief.
Or rather, in terms of intellect and mentality, she was much sharper than this version of Loki.
Step by step, she had set traps, luring the TVA agents in, completing her plan, causing the parallel universes to split.
This was also why Ronan's timeline was suddenly full of demons.
Of course, if Star-Lord was the culprit for Avengers 4,
then this lady before him was the 'director' and 'screenwriter' for the opening of the Marvel Multiverse.
"What are you doing?"
"Hey, don't tell me you're interested in me?"
Ronan raised an eyebrow, looking at the two of them with surprise.
You two, with your level of fighting skills, aren't you like children playing house?
More importantly, didn't you see the intimidating Infinity Gauntlets in my hands?
Sylvie didn't respond. Instead, she drew her sword, took a stance, and stepped towards Ronan. Loki also moved in unison, flanking Ronan.
"Alright, I'll give you a new choice."
"Loki, I can bring you back to the proper timeline and give you a chance to change your future."
"All you need to do is help me deal with this woman."
"What do you think?"
Ronan spread his arms, his magnetic voice full of temptation.
Loki, who had been ready to fight, suddenly hesitated.
A chance to change his future?
Thinking of his mother, who died at the hands of the Dark Elves because of his own temper tantrum...
Every time Loki thought of that, he felt deep regret.
He wished he could change everything!
"For instance, in a little while, the Convergence of the Nine Realms will happen."
"What do you think will happen then?"
"Feel free to make a bold guess."
Ronan smiled at Loki, mentioning the crucial event.
The Convergence of the Nine Realms—the awakening of the Dark Elves, their infiltration of Asgard.
To get the Aether, also known as the Reality Stone, from Jane Foster, they invaded Asgard.
It was during this incident that Loki's mother, Frigga, was killed.
Of course, there was a small side story here.
That was what Loki regretted most.
The catalyst for his mother's death was his casual words.
Although it seemed like revenge on Asgard, it ultimately dragged Loki himself into despair.
"Are you sure you want to trust him?"
"An unknown figure with an unclear background?"
Sylvie clearly saw Loki's hesitation, and her steps towards Ronan stopped.
Whether looking at Ronan or Loki, her eyes were full of caution.
Because she knew that if she had a chance to change her future, she might be tempted too.
"Huff..."
At this moment, Loki took a deep breath and exhaled heavily.
The confusion in his eyes vanished, replaced by his original determination.
"It seems you've made up your mind."
Ronan watched him with interest.
Though he already had a sense of Loki's thoughts, it was still amusing to hear his impromptu reasoning.
"I don't believe you."
"I will change my future myself."
Loki spread his hands, and his signature weapons appeared.
Ronan rolled his eyes.
Not trusting him was one thing, but the reason was pathetic.
You'd rather trust a woman you just met than someone who clearly knew your future.
That sounded like the epitome of foolish love.
Or perhaps, Loki had some hidden, unseen 'sucker for love' trait?
"Attack!"
Sylvie commanded, and the two simultaneously charged at Ronan from both sides.
Though they had just met, they coordinated perfectly, blocking Ronan's escape route.
Should I say...
No wonder they were the same person?
Ronan sighed. As a single person, he felt like he was getting a beating from a couple again.
But in the next moment, as the two weapons simultaneously slashed towards him, they both hit nothing but air.
The Ronan in front of them vanished without a trace!
"Where is he?!"
Loki immediately looked behind him, highly alert.
Meanwhile, Sylvie somehow ended up back-to-back with Loki, guarding against attacks from behind.
"I've met narcissistic people before, but not like this."
"Loki, you've truly opened my eyes."
Ronan's voice echoed again, this time tinged with disbelief.
Loki quickly turned towards the voice.
Ronan stood with his right hand raised, left hand behind his back.
The six Infinity Stones on his gauntlet emitted a soft glow.
"I honestly don't know how to describe someone who falls in love with another version of themselves..."
"Is this a sci-fi love story?"
Ronan's words reflected his genuine thoughts.
Even though these two 'Lokis' were completely different in height, appearance, gender, and even age...
Even though they each had their own names...
Knowing they were both alternate universe versions of the God of Mischief 'Loki' gave Ronan chills.
Falling in love with oneself... what kind of experience was that?
Luckily, the Ancient One had once told Ronan that he was unique across countless universes.
Otherwise, if a cross-dressing version of himself suddenly appeared one day, Ronan wouldn't be able to handle it!
Hmm?
Wait, unique?
Ronan seemed to have stumbled upon something new.
"What are you even talking about?"
"If you're trying to mock me, just be clear about it."
Sylvie glared at Ronan from a distance, frowning.
She clearly saw the difference in their strength, at least from their previous attack—as long as Ronan didn't want them to hit him, they had no chance.
So, trying to steal the time controller from him was basically impossible.
"Forget it; you two probably wouldn't want to hear it anyway."
"So, the two of you can just wait here for death... or perhaps... the final darkness before dawn."
Ronan smiled faintly, took out the time controller, and pressed it. A portal appeared behind him.
Seeing the portal appear, Loki and Sylvie both panicked.
Weren't you supposed to ramble on for a few more sentences?
Then we could take advantage of the distraction, steal your time controller, and leave you here.
Why aren't you following the script?
Ronan didn't give them a chance to react, stepping through the portal and vanishing.
On this cyberpunk-style planet, Loki and Sylvie once again felt despair.
On the other side...
Ronan reappeared inside the TVA.
He wasn't particularly interested in the story of Loki falling in love with himself.
Instead of watching them hold hands, he was more interested in seeing the "future machine" inside the TVA.
The machine that showed Loki his future.
Honestly, the machine looked pretty powerful at first glance.
It seemed to have a similar power to the Time Stone.
Of course, Ronan knew there must be a trick behind it.
He didn't know what it was, but he figured he'd find out by trying it.
Returning to the office, Ronan once again "greeted" the timekeeper and had him lead him to the interrogation room.
According to the timekeeper, the machine was considered quite valuable in the TVA.
Apparently, there was only one of them.
So the TVA placed a lot of importance on it.
But Ronan found that ridiculous.
Something so important, yet Loki could casually find it and watch his future?
Weren't they afraid he'd smash the machine in anger?
Only these brainwashed 'robots' would believe such nonsense.
Perhaps because Ronan seemed kind, the timekeeper appeared less frightened than before.
As they walked, he even chatted with Ronan about his work over the years.
He said he couldn't remember how long he'd lived in the TVA, but everyone here was immortal.
Because time didn't exist here.
So they never had to worry about their lifespan.
Ronan knew all this, but one detail piqued his interest.
The timekeeper said that after working for 200 days, they could choose a timeline for a vacation.
They would then get a 30-day break.
After working for forty years, they could retire and pick a timeline to enjoy the rest of their lives.
Hearing this, it seemed like good benefits.
But when Ronan asked what he did during his thirty-day break, the timekeeper looked bewildered.
He couldn't remember a thing about it.
He only remembered choosing a highly advanced timeline, meeting a black man who seemed very familiar with them.
But he couldn't remember their conversation or what the man looked like.
A black man familiar with the TVA?
Ronan's first thought was Kang the Conqueror.
But this also raised a new question.
Normally, Kang, who founded the TVA, wouldn't show up before these employees.
Their so-called vacation was likely just a memory wipe and re-brainwashing.
This explained why they couldn't remember what they did.
But why did this timekeeper retain those memories?
And why did they still exist after the brainwashing?
Could this be a hidden quest-giving NPC?
But this NPC couldn't provide the full quest—Ronan had to trigger it himself.
Truly annoying.
Of course, Ronan hadn't expected to get much information from him.
They soon arrived at the room, which was empty.
"That's the machine you're looking for."
The timekeeper pointed at the machine on the desk.
Ronan walked over, then sat down.
This was the machine that could supposedly predict someone's future.
It looked like a relic from the last century, yet it shattered Loki's worldview.
"How do you use this thing?"
Ronan eyed the antique, looking at the timekeeper.
He couldn't make sense of the interface.
"You enter a name here, then click search."
"This button projects it."
The timekeeper quickly demonstrated.
Ronan nodded, typing in the name "Ronan," with the surname "Yao."
Seeing this, Ronan couldn't help rolling his eyes.
Even in the TVA, everyone spoke English, and the machine's interface had first name then surname.
No wonder people complained that the world revolved around Americans.
He pressed search, and the machine responded quickly, finding several people with the same name.
After screening them one by one, Ronan finally found himself.
He clicked to open.
The machine began playing Ronan's life story.
Emmm...
Well, three seconds in, the machine froze.
Yes, froze.
The projector still showed an image—Ronan as a child at Kamar-Taj, led by the Ancient One on the training field.
But nothing about his birth, parents, childhood—nothing else appeared.
Just the scene of young Ronan with the Ancient One at Kamar-Taj.
Aside from that...
Boom!
Just as Ronan tapped the machine, about to make a comment...
The time machine exploded right before his eyes!