What?
Is this a time machine or a ticking bomb?
Ronan felt that this time machine was just like the bomb he had encountered earlier.
It seemed like it was designed to recognize him and then launch an attack.
If he hadn't dodged quickly enough, this explosion might have taken off some of his hair.
"So, this is a hidden weapon?"
Ronan looked at the timekeeper, his face full of confusion.
The timekeeper shook his head frantically, unable to utter a single word.
Because he had never seen something like this happen before!
With the machine exploding, the projected image disappeared.
It had to be deliberate!
Ronan raised an eyebrow, feeling that this matter was far from simple.
"Let's go, take me to find the other time machines."
"I want to see if they're willing to blow them all up!"
With that, Ronan grabbed the timekeeper by the collar, signaling for him to lead the way to the remaining time machines.
The timekeeper had no choice but to lead Ronan, and they soon reached another interrogation room.
Inside, there was another similar time machine.
The same process—search, select, press play.
Boom!
Another familiar explosion.
Ronan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
You like bullying people?
You like playing tricks?
"Next one!"
Boom!
"Keep going!"
Boom!
"Damn it!"
"Next!!!"
Boom!
Boom!
This time, Ronan smashed the table in the interrogation room.
"Heh, keep going, next one!!!"
Boom!
Boom!
Bang!
Crack!
One after another, the onomatopoeia rang out, and Ronan nearly dismantled the entire interrogation room.
With these skills, if he worked on a construction site demolishing walls, he could easily earn twenty thousand bucks a month.
No other reason—he just worked too fast!
"Next!"
Ronan struggled to calm his throbbing veins, issuing the command to continue.
But this time, the timekeeper hesitated, nervously looking at Ronan.
"Um... um..."
The timekeeper seemed to have something to say but didn't dare to speak up.
"Spit it out, I haven't gagged you."
Ronan gave the timekeeper a glance. He wasn't going to vent his anger on this poor guy.
After all, this guy had been taken from the timeline by Kang the Conqueror, enslaved, memory wiped, and then put to work.
Who knows how many years he'd been working here.
No point in making it harder for him.
"The last one we tried was the only one I knew of."
"I'm not sure if there are others in the facility."
The timekeeper pointed at the blown-up machine, looking innocently at Ronan.
The last one???
Is the TVA really that poor?
Shouldn't they have these devices in abundance?
Ronan couldn't help but roll his eyes.
Pathetic!
No wonder their field agents wore such outdated gear—they must have scavenged it from some old era.
Turns out it's because they're broke!
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Suddenly, a buzzing alarm sounded throughout the hall.
The timekeeper's face changed instantly!
Outside, countless footsteps approached, and many people had already started exclaiming.
This seemed...
Something big was happening!
"What's going on?"
"Did someone invade the TVA, or did your Timekeepers die?"
Ronan looked at the now-dark red interrogation room and raised an eyebrow.
Could it be that destroying too many time machines triggered some serious alarm?
"N-no!"
"This alarm is of the highest level—it means that a timeline has developed a massive anomaly."
The timekeeper's eyes widened, looking as if he'd never seen anything like this before.
Ronan rolled his eyes.
"Speak plainly!"
What do you mean by a massive anomaly?
Why not say there's a big hole somewhere?
"It means that a timeline has broken off from the Sacred Timeline, and there's a sign it might completely break free from the TVA's control."
"That's why it's called a highest-level alarm."
The timekeeper quickly took out a small device, projecting an image on the wall.
On the lengthy Sacred Timeline, a large branch had suddenly appeared at one point, seemingly out of control like a wild horse—destined to never return!
Wow!
Ronan couldn't help but give a thumbs up.
Seeing this image, he already had a pretty good guess as to what caused it.
It was likely that Loki and Sylvie, in their doomsday scenario, had confessed their feelings for each other, holding hands.
Just that alone had caused this massive crisis!
What does this say?
It says that even Kang the Conqueror, when creating the Sacred Timeline, hadn't anticipated one thing.
That someday, someone might fall in love with another version of themselves from a parallel universe.
And it wasn't one-sided—it was mutual!
Two people holding hands and sharing their feelings had caused this chaos.
What does this say?
It says there's no good outcome for romance!
It can easily lead to the end of the world.
So, the wise steer clear of love—no truer words were ever spoken.
To protect Earth, Ronan decided that once he became the Sorcerer Supreme, he would spread this belief across the planet.
"Relax, I know what's happening."
"You stay here, and the crisis will be over soon."
At this point, Ronan was in no rush at all.
Since there were no more time machines, he might as well sit back and enjoy the show.
The only thing Ronan regretted now was that Loki and Sylvie hadn't kissed.
Otherwise, the Sacred Timeline might have actually collapsed.
Then again, judging by how things were unfolding, the subsequent effects would probably be similar.
"No, no, no! I need to see what's happening!"
The timekeeper was in a panic, and this time he didn't even bother looking at Ronan for permission before running out the door.
He genuinely looked like he was facing the apocalypse.
Seeing this, Ronan couldn't help but sigh.
Indeed, public displays of affection across so many parallel universes truly had unimaginable consequences.
Look how it terrified this kid.
Watching the timekeeper leave, Ronan's smile gradually faded.
His gaze shifted to a piece of empty ground not far away.
In that moment, his playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a serious expression.
Because over there stood someone he was very familiar with—someone who had yet to show themselves.
"Mr. Kang, how long do you plan to observe?"
"Why not... show yourself for a chat?"
That's right, standing there was none other than Kang the Conqueror.
Though he hadn't appeared, Ronan's heightened perception had already detected him.
Since Ronan started using the Space Stone, his awareness of surrounding spaces had grown tremendously.
Although this area was considered a "magic-restricted" zone, it didn't prevent perception.
Or rather, this place couldn't restrict perception.
Sure enough, after Ronan spoke, a familiar figure slowly materialized.
A muscular man—a Black man.
Even though both were Black, compared to Nick Fury, this guy looked like a true powerhouse.
After all, this Kang had probably trained for hundreds, if not thousands, of years—his physical prowess was off the charts.
"Mr. Ronan, we meet again."
Kang the Conqueror bowed slightly, showing none of the humorous demeanor he had in the TV series.
Ronan knew that his so-called humor was all an act—meant for Sylvie and Loki.
The purpose was simple.
To make Sylvie or Loki kill him, thereby ending his mission.
Honestly, this version of Kang was rather pitiful.
His mission was to ensure the safety of the Sacred Timeline.
In other words, the Sacred Timeline had sealed all of Kang's variants.
The only way to break the seal was for this version of Kang to die.
It was evident he had grown tired of this life.
"Last time we met, you spoke in riddles, dropping several clues."
"What mystery do you have for me this time?"
Ronan looked at Kang, sighing.
It must be said that this Kang was relatively easygoing.
So Ronan didn't feel too pressured interacting with him.
"No riddles this time."
"I just want to invite you to watch a show."
Kang smiled warmly, looking very much like a hospitable host.
Ronan paused, trying to figure out what Kang's intentions were.
The TVA was in chaos, yet he showed no urgency. Was he confident the crisis would pass, or had he already seen part of the script?
Or perhaps the script he saw didn't match what was unfolding?
"You invited me to watch a show, but what you really want is to verify the integrity of your script, isn't it?"
"You want to confirm if what you've seen is flawed."
"Am I right?"
Ronan looked at Kang.
This was yet another riddle, though Kang hadn't explicitly stated it.
After all, while Kang seemed friendly, he was still the Conqueror.
No matter how polite he acted, one couldn't let their guard down around him.
"I must say, Mr. Ronan, you are very clever."
"You certainly live up to... that title."
Kang glanced at Ronan, but this time he didn't reveal any information about the future.
Bear in mind, Kang hailed from a distant future. His primary weapon was technology far superior to that of humanity, along with his extraordinary intelligence.
According to his character setup, Kang didn't have any superpowers.
Thus, this "He Who Remains" version didn't seem to possess much future technology but did seem to have many future memories.
"Whatever, it's not like I can do anything to you."
"Didn't you invite me to watch a show?"
"What's the performance?"
Ronan crossed his arms over his chest. Surely it wasn't an invitation to watch Sylvie kill him live?
Though that was an iconic scene, Ronan had already "seen" it.
"No, it's not exactly a show."
"After you arrived, I've been observing you."
"You seemed to be searching for something about the future."
Kang looked at Ronan, clearly implying he had been watching him all along.
This didn't surprise Ronan at all.
After all, the TVA was Kang's toy.
Installing a few cameras wasn't illegal.
"I was just trying to confirm something."
"Now, I'm mostly certain."
Ronan also gave Kang a smile. Both were secretly probing each other.
Perhaps in Kang's memory, there was indeed a Ronan, and maybe they had even interacted.
But now, Ronan leaned towards another possibility.
Kang's memory didn't include Ronan at all.
Or maybe Ronan appeared in it, but Kang forgot, or it was blocked.
From the start, Kang had been baiting Ronan.
He talked about Ronan's future, mentioned that Ronan was worthy of certain titles.
In essence, he was testing Ronan.
Kang's goal was simple—he wanted to know if Ronan had also come from the future.
Because, in the "script" Kang possessed, Ronan didn't exist!
This also explained why those time machines could accurately display everyone's future.
To Kang, those futures were simply history.
Nothing special.
This was why the time machines didn't seem technologically advanced.
They were just video players.
"In that case, Mr. Ronan, please come with me."
"After all, the two protagonists have now taken center stage."
"The next act is all about them."
Kang bowed slightly, gesturing for Ronan to follow.
Ronan nodded, not particularly worried about any potential traps.
After all, this Kang seemed eager for death.
Or perhaps it's more accurate to say he was tired of this life and wanted a change.
For instance, to unleash all his evil variants.
If he died, then every other Kang could run free.
"Alright."
As Ronan agreed, their surroundings shifted.
They were no longer inside the TVA but had moved to Kang's "office."
Calling it an office was an understatement; it felt more like Kang's home.
A person defined as "He Who Remains" might have lived here for countless years.
"Please have a seat."
Kang gestured for Ronan to sit.
How should one describe it?
Now, the two looked like a wealthy young master and his Black butler.
If some people saw this scene, they'd surely accuse Ronan of discrimination.
Ronan sat in a chair casually, taking in his surroundings.
Honestly, judging by the decoration and layout, Kang the Conqueror didn't seem like someone from the future.
The room lacked any futuristic design.
Instead, it felt incredibly old-fashioned.
"Mr. Ronan, while we wait for the protagonists to take the stage, why don't I tell you a story?"
"Would you be interested in hearing about the TVA and... 'me'?"