Although Ronan's words were harsh, they were easy to understand. Yet, it was these simple words that delivered the final blow to the hooded man.
Everyone who travels through time wants one thing: to change their tragic fate from the past. But in reality, the results are rarely successful.
Either the butterfly effect kicks in, or the influence gets erased by the will of the world.
This is precisely why the Avengers took an entirely different path. They could've just gone back to the events of Infinity War, killed Thanos early, and prevented all those deaths from happening.
But they didn't.
No one knows why for sure, but there's a reason they didn't.
Maybe it was the will of the world or something else entirely.
So instead, they chose a different route— they didn't alter the timeline itself. They only used the Infinity Stones from different points in time to change the final outcome.
It was, arguably, the best possible solution.
Now, this hooded man, standing before Ronan, was trying to change the future. But he had chosen the wrong method.
Though Ronan didn't know exactly who this man was, one thing was clear: he had failed.
"So, this is the outcome?"
"I worked so hard for nothing?"
Thud!
The hooded man collapsed to his knees, his entire body trembling.
He couldn't believe this was the end. He didn't want to accept it.
At this moment, his entire belief system shattered.
Ronan, however, merely smirked.
"So you tried to trick me from the very beginning, huh?"
"And now you expect me not to get my revenge?"
While Ronan wasn't sure if things were exactly as he suspected, a reasonable guess and a bit of suspicion never hurt anyone, right?
More importantly, American laws didn't apply to the future Sorcerer Supreme.
"All right, you've shown off enough. I've got what I wanted."
"So, I'm leaving now."
Ronan dusted off his clothes as if he hadn't a care in the world.
Actually, he wasn't taking anything with him— leaving all the worries and regrets for the hooded man instead.
Who told this guy to act like some mysterious villain, hiding his face under a hood?
Didn't he realize that the more secretive someone is, the more annoying they are?
"You'll regret this!"
"I swear you'll regret this!"
The hooded man suddenly lifted his head, his eyes filled with hatred as he stared at Ronan's retreating figure.
His hood, which had been tightly fitted to his head, slipped back, revealing his face.
Or rather— what could no longer be called a face.
From the top of his head, bulging veins extended across his entire face, like a mask that had fused with his skin.
These veins, twisted and grotesque, covered his features completely.
Even the eyes— glowing with a blood-red light— no longer had pupils.
He didn't even look human anymore.
Unfortunately for him, Ronan didn't see any of this, because by now, Ronan had already stepped through the portal and vanished.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
The hooded man let out a scream toward the sky, his voice hoarse and filled with boundless hatred.
"It's you... it's all because of you, Ronan!!!"
"You destroyed my last hope. I will kill you with my own hands, and then— bit by bit—"
"I will kill everyone you love!!!"
Thunk!
Before he could finish his hateful rant, a dagger plunged into his back.
The overwhelming rage in the hooded man's voice was replaced by disbelief.
He turned his head, trembling, and saw a very familiar face.
Ronan!!!
"Ha."
Ronan casually blew on his right hand, as if there was dust on it.
"You know, if you're going to talk behind someone's back, the least you could do is move farther away."
"See, I caught you this time, didn't I?"
Ronan released his grip on the dagger, showing his palm to the hooded man.
A golden symbol appeared in Ronan's hand.
"I really can't stand people who talk trash behind my back."
"Especially people who act all mysterious, talk nonsense, and— let's be honest— are ugly as hell."
"Unfortunately for you, you check all the boxes."
With that, Ronan took two steps back.
Golden light began to emanate from the dagger lodged in the hooded man's back.
"You… you…"
The hooded man staggered backward, trying to raise his arm to point at Ronan.
Slap!
But before he could, Ronan swatted his hand down with a quick slap.
"Stop with the 'you, you, you' already."
"You want to know why I killed you, don't you?"
Ronan sighed, as if disappointed, before his expression shifted into a cold grin.
"I already told you the first reason."
"I hate it when people badmouth me behind my back."
"The second reason is simpler."
"The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you had already embraced the darkness."
"The aura you carry, that twisted form— you're not even on Dormammu's level."
That was the real reason in Ronan's eyes.
From the moment he arrived here, he had sensed the dark energy pulsating around him.
There was no doubt in his mind that the hooded man was the source.
This was why Ronan had never trusted him from the start.
"You… you can sense… dark energy?"
The hooded man's eyes widened in shock. Dark blood began to leak from his eyes as the golden light from the dagger grew brighter.
"Sigh."
"How should I put this? It's a talent of mine."
"My master once said that this talent is both a blessing and a curse."
"That's why I rarely mention it."
Ronan opened his left palm, and the six-pointed star symbol there suddenly radiated a blinding golden light.
The golden light enveloped the hooded man entirely.
"Ahhhhh!"
In the next instant, the hooded man let out a blood-curdling scream.
A massive force began tearing him apart.
That force was coming from the symbol on Ronan's left hand!
Ronan closed his left eye, covered his right ear with his hand, and tilted his head slightly, using his shoulder to block his left ear.
He never understood why dark creatures had to scream so dramatically before they died.
Wouldn't it be better if they just went quietly?
Finally, the hooded man couldn't resist any longer.
His body was torn apart by the immense force, dissolving into a puddle of black liquid, all of which was absorbed into Ronan's left hand!
Once again, silence returned.
"7.26 seconds."
"Not bad. You lasted the longest so far."
Ronan glanced at the symbol on his left hand.
A pure, dark energy seemed to be struggling to break free, but it was all in vain.
[Experience +3000]
[Skill Point +1]
Two system notifications popped up before Ronan's eyes.
He had to admit— his system was quite cold and distant. Apart from reward notifications, it never said a word.
Still, what surprised Ronan more were the rewards themselves.
The 3000 experience points were the most he'd ever received at once.
And let's not forget the extra skill point.
This made Ronan suspicious.
Who exactly was this hooded man?
The question lingered for only a second before Ronan shrugged it off.
When the boat reaches the bridge, it will straighten itself.
That was his "shinobi path."
He crouched down and picked up the fallen dagger.
"In your next life, don't act so arrogant."
"Especially in front of me."