Kang the Conqueror sat at the head seat, seemingly like a lonely man, eager to open up his heart.
Ronan nodded, signaling that he wouldn't mind listening.
Then, Kang the Conqueror began to tell his story.
The story's content was quite similar to the version he would later tell Loki and Sylvie.
It was all about how the Time Variance Authority (TVA) and the Sacred Timeline came to be.
Essentially, it started when he traveled through time, discovering countless variants of himself.
Between these countless variants, a terrifying war eventually broke out.
In the end, this version of Kang decided it was better if there was only one version of himself across the entire timeline, so he eliminated the other versions and merged them into what became the Sacred Timeline.
Or rather, one could say, the other versions of Kang were sealed within this Sacred Timeline.
The key to unlocking this door was the person before Ronan, "He Who Remains."
As long as he died, the other versions of Kang would be freed from their seal.
Of course, that last part was just Ronan's own guess. Kang wouldn't reveal something like that to him.
In fact, while Kang was narrating this story, Ronan wasn't really focused on the story itself.
Instead, he kept observing the "ornament" on Kang's wrist.
Because that ornament looked so familiar, like he'd seen it somewhere before.
Where exactly had he seen it?
Suddenly, inspiration hit Ronan!
"Actually, there's something I've always wanted to ask you."
"Would you mind helping me figure it out?"
Ronan narrowed his eyes, looking at Kang, who remained calm as ever.
Kang nodded, not appearing surprised that Ronan had questions.
After all, this kind of thing would be mind-boggling to anyone.
However, Kang did not expect Ronan's question to have nothing to do with the story itself.
"According to what you said, you fused all the originally chaotic parallel universes into one."
"So, on this timeline, everyone has a predetermined role, right?"
Ronan looked at Kang, seemingly very interested in this question.
Kang blinked, not expecting Ronan to ask that.
Instead of answering directly, Kang asked back, "Is this question really that important to you?"
Ronan smiled. At that moment, he realized that Kang was evading the question.
"No, it's not that important to me."
"But to you, it should be very important, right?"
Ronan cut straight to the point.
Because when Ronan saw the ornament on Kang's wrist, he made a very bold guess.
Though it might not be entirely accurate, he felt he was very close to the truth!
"If I'm not mistaken, the item on your wrist is a Time Locator, isn't it?"
"Inventor: Tony Stark."
Ronan leaned back in his chair, hands crossed on his legs, entering detective mode.
He roughly understood Kang's intentions.
Kang raised his right arm, revealing a device on his wrist.
"You say you merged all the parallel universes into a complete Sacred Timeline, and for the safety of this timeline, you don't allow 'wrong' branches to exist."
"I can't confirm everything you said, but at least on this point, you're lying."
"Those so-called time offenders likely did something out of line, but in reality, the reason they were captured wasn't because their actions were inherently wrong."
"It's because..."
"They interfered with your plans!"
Ronan took a deep breath, a bright smile forming on his face.
He had figured it all out!
He remembered when he first arrived at the TVA, he met someone very much like Peggy Carter—a Captain America.
This incident itself was not a mistake.
Because in every parallel universe, anyone could be Captain America.
Steve Rogers could be, Peggy Carter could be, even Tony Stark could be.
And someone Ronan didn't even know could also be Captain America.
So, that wasn't an outlandish occurrence.
The only reason that Peggy Carter was taken in was because of the Tesseract—the Space Stone!
"You, He Who Remains, your so-called mission to protect the Sacred Timeline was just to ensure one thing."
"That is, you must make sure that in the countless parallel universes, at least one Tony Stark invents the Time Locator, successfully travels through time, and even crosses into parallel universes!"
"That explains why you capture those who disturb the timeline."
"Because their existence, even if it brings the slightest change to your plan, is unacceptable to you."
"Because only by ensuring Tony Stark invents the Time Locator can you use it to travel from the future to now, or even further back."
Ronan took a deep breath. This was the essence of the so-called "Time Variance Authority."
At least, in his theory, this was Kang's real intention.
Because only if Tony Stark invents that Time Locator can the future remain unchanged.
At least, the future where he can travel through time remains unchanged.
"So, what do you think my goal is?"
"Why would I go to such great lengths? Why wouldn't I just invent it myself and hand it to Tony Stark?"
Kang seemed to disagree with Ronan's analysis.
But Ronan shook his head.
"No, no, no, you wouldn't do that because you know one thing very well."
"If someone changes even a tiny part of history, the future could develop unpredictably."
"That's also why you've been capturing those 'time offenders.'"
"Because you've tried that method yourself."
"But in the end, it changed history."
"Tony Stark, who suddenly gained this ability, didn't snap his fingers. Instead, he survived."
"Surviving, Tony Stark studied to crack your Time Locator and accidentally invented an even more advanced time travel device."
"From that moment, the future became a complete mess."
"Although this is just an example, I'm sure it's something you've experienced as a mistake in the past."
"After countless attempts, you no longer dare force your intervention."
"In the end, you chose this relatively 'dumber' approach."
Ronan smirked, having dissected the key parts of the issue.
In his view, managing the universe was just to make sure the story unfolded like the "script" that Kang had seen.
This way, Kang could ensure that he would "survive."
Many of these things had hints along the way.
For example, Ronan mentioned that the Time Locator was quite similar to the one Tony Stark had made.
And then there was Mobius, the TVA agent.
Who he was didn't matter, but his name was crucial.
Because the root of Tony Stark inventing the Time Locator was a Mobius strip.
These hints were small, but they explained many things.
Coupled with what Ronan previously theorized about himself.
He could be certain that, in Kang's script, he wasn't supposed to be there at all.
This was why Kang always thought Ronan came from a more distant future.
But what Kang didn't know was that Ronan's arrival was not bound to any point on this timeline—he was the one who had unknowingly broken the fourth wall.
"If you knew this through some means, perhaps I wouldn't be surprised at all."
"But if you pieced it together from tiny clues, you're terrifyingly smart."
Kang gave Ronan a long look. The previously relaxed atmosphere had vanished without a trace.
Perhaps in Kang's eyes, Ronan had now become a major threat to his plan.
If he could get rid of Ronan, he could fix this loophole.
But...
Kang took another deep look at Ronan, and instantly dismissed that idea.
"Some people appear to be just ordinary Supreme Sorcerers on the surface."
"But in reality, they're incredibly intelligent and quite the handsome fellow."
Ronan smiled slightly, pretending to adjust nonexistent glasses in front of him, once again admiring his clever little brain.
Sure enough, people as smart, young, and handsome as him were quite rare.
"Alright, I must admit, you guessed right."
"So, what do you want?"
Kang spread his arms, seemingly admitting to everything.
He looked unusually sincere, as if he didn't intend to fight Ronan at all.
But Ronan smiled.
Admitted it?
No, no, no, it might seem like he admitted everything, but Kang was hiding even bigger secrets.
Although Ronan didn't have concrete evidence yet, he could already see the signs.
"Rest assured, I have no intention of stopping your plan."
Ronan smiled. Not only would he not stop Kang's plan, he would even turn a blind eye to it.
The reason was simple.
If Marvel had no multiverse, would it even be Marvel?
In this universe, there were no Fantastic Four, no mutants, so it lacked a lot of interesting elements.
Dominating such a universe, what would be the point for Ronan?
Even if Kang didn't break the so-called parallel universe, one day Ronan would.
After all, he was here now. How could he not live life to the fullest?
"But I am quite interested in your TVA."
"Can you tell me how you established the TVA?"
Ronan tapped the table with his right hand. To be honest, he really was interested in the TVA in front of him.
The ability to travel to any point in time, even across different universes, and brainwash people—that was a power that could belong to Ronan.
No, no, no, he couldn't say that!
After all, Ronan was the future Sorcerer Supreme. How could he brainwash people?
It could only be said that it was a power that belonged to him, filled with people loyal to him.
If he had to name such an organization, what would it be?
What should it be called?
The Illuminati?
No, no, no, too common, and could easily be confused with people from parallel universes.
How about Tarot Society?
Hmm...
Ronan shook his head, putting that idea aside for now.
Naming could wait for another day. Perhaps someday, inspiration would strike.
In some mysterious way, many people would help him name this organization.
And at that time, he would just pick one.
"You're actually interested in this?"
Kang raised an eyebrow, seemingly incredulous.
Ronan was also puzzled, not knowing why Kang looked like that.
Was it strange to be interested in this?
Or perhaps this device wasn't that sophisticated?
"Don't get me wrong, I just thought that with your skillset, you wouldn't be interested in such a small gadget."
Kang shook his head, as if explaining his previous surprise.
Ronan curled his lips.
A small gadget?
Alright, to someone from the 30th century, this thing probably was just a small gadget.
In today's age, people could replicate the Infinity Gauntlet and snap with the six Infinity Stones.
Who knew what technology would be like a thousand years from now?
Maybe tampering with the timeline would be commonplace.
"I'm a bit interested, that's all."
Ronan remained calm, not wanting to lose momentum.
No matter what, he first needed to get the device. Even if it was just a trinket, Ronan would still consider it a win.
"No problem, as long as you don't interfere with my plan, I can give you all of this."
Kang took a deep breath, as if a great burden had been lifted.
It was as if Ronan was the last stumbling block on his path to success.
Ronan curled his lips, feeling a bit insulted that Kang viewed him as an obstacle.
At least give some respect.
How could his promise not be considered a promise?
At that moment, a massive rumbling sound suddenly came from outside the window.
Kang raised an eyebrow and stood up from his chair.
The moment he had been waiting for had finally arrived.
Perhaps this was the moment he had anticipated for so many years.
The fragments he had been longing for so long—he finally inherited them all. The last two missing pieces would soon complete a full puzzle.
Now, the last two pieces were here.
It was time!!!
"Hold on a second."
Just as Kang was about to celebrate, Ronan spoke up.
All that enthusiasm was immediately interrupted.
"First, give me the stuff."
"Don't wait until you die and try to back out."
Ronan wasn't about to trust this guy.
For all he knew, Kang would just lie back on his chair, announce his death, and Ronan would get nothing.
That would be a huge loss for Ronan.
Kang paused briefly, feeling a bit annoyed. Just as he was getting into the mood, this threw everything off.
But, after a few seconds, Kang managed to regain his composure.
After all, both were old foxes. One must have thick skin.
How could someone with thin skin achieve great things?
"This is the technology to extract from the timeline, and how to create a time loop."
"I've recorded everything in here."
"Of course, with the technology of this era, no one could crack what's inside."
Kang said, tossing something resembling a USB drive to Ronan.
According to Kang, you just needed to put it into a special device, and your brain would be able to read the information.
Kang also gave Ronan one such special device—a bracelet-like metal piece.
With the bracelet on and the "USB" inserted, Ronan's brain began processing the contents.
Seeing Ronan's actions, Kang narrowed his eyes.
He seemed to be expecting something.
But as massive information flowed into Ronan's mind, something else also occurred—a familiar system prompt.
[External information detected being input into the brain...]
[Calculating information volume...]
[Information volume: Massive.]
[The host's mental strength can fully accommodate the information content.]
[The detected information includes the technology for 'Extracting Timelines' and 'Creating Time Loops,' as well as partial time travel and brainwashing technologies.]
[The system can convert these technologies into system skills, but the host must use skill points to unlock them.]
[If conversion is not chosen, the host can research and utilize these technologies independently.]
When Ronan heard the system prompt, he almost burst out laughing.
He hadn't expected his system to have such a function!!!
"Convert, of course convert!"
Ronan made the decision in his heart.
After all, using skill points to unlock something was no big deal, right?
Though it might seem like Ronan was wasting his skill points, that wasn't the case at all.
Trying to understand and utilize these technologies was like asking someone with an education below graduate level to understand this stuff.
It was like asking for the impossible.
Ronan was smart, yes, but being smart and learning this technology were two different things.
Ronan's intelligence was unique, exceptional.
But it had little to do with academic achievement.
As some wise predecessors once said—
Study?
Study my foot!
Of course, studying was still important, otherwise, how would successors build a beautiful nation?
"Of course, if you like, the TVA can be yours after this."
"But only within this universe."
Kang smiled, knowing that after his death, the TVA would appear in countless other parallel universes.
By then, he'd be dead. Why would he care about anything after that?
"And what about that thing outside?"
"Alioth, the gaseous creature supposedly beyond time."
Ronan pointed to the haze outside the window.
This "pet" was incredibly powerful. No, no, no, it wasn't just powerful—it was freakishly powerful.
If it was the legendary Alioth, not only could it transcend time but it could also create enormous temporal disturbances and wreak havoc across entire time dimensions.
Legend had it that this creature lived at the end of time, denying time energy, constantly preventing it from crossing over to a time before it existed.
If he had this little pet...
That would be amazing!
But this time, Kang shook his head.
"It is the real Alioth, but only a part of it."
"Long ago, the strongest version of me reached an agreement with it, which is why it left a part of itself here."
"Once my plan is complete, whether it rejoins its main body or stays, I have no control over it."
"Whether you can keep it depends on you."
"But let me give you a warning."
"It's dangerous."
Kang smiled, but his words were full of caution regarding Alioth.
For someone who could travel through time, facing something as irrational as Alioth meant having no resistance at all.
Even the strongest Kang merely reached an agreement with it.
Nobody knew the exact details of the agreement.
But one thing was clear—this pet wasn't as simple as it appeared.
"Then forget it. I still prefer obedient little kittens."
Ronan shrugged. He wasn't the type to tame a wild beast like that.
He wasn't cut out for it.
"As an honored audience, it's now time for the most exciting moment."
"Our two protagonists have already reached the edge of the stage."
"Allow me to bring them to the center."
Kang bowed slightly, reverting to his previous polite demeanor.
It looked a bit comical but also a bit eerie.
At the same time, as he bowed, Ronan's position shifted.
He moved from the table to the side of the hall.
From this vantage point, he could observe everything happening in the hall perfectly.
It was the ideal viewing position.
Ronan gave Kang a thumbs-up, thoroughly appreciating his consideration for the audience.
Some directors could learn to be more considerate; maybe they wouldn't make so many lousy films.
Kang even placed a mirror on the table for Ronan to see the whole sequence of events.
In the mirror, Loki and Sylvie appeared.
The two were holding hands, battling Alioth.
It wouldn't be long before they broke through Alioth's defenses and entered this place.
"I'm curious, what made you choose these two, in some mysterious way?"
Ronan leaned back in his chair, intrigued by Loki and Sylvie in the mirror.
Two trickster gods from Asgard, both Lokis, both variants.
Why them? Surely, Kang had his reasons.
"The reason is simple."
"These two are both people who broke the script of destiny."
"Their past actions have unknowingly altered the course of the future, causing significant changes."
"People like them..."
"Are easy to control!"
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30 advanced chapters on p@treon.com/EdgeOfSky