Meeting?
This reason was both incredibly powerful yet unbelievably ridiculous.
Asgard, as the realm of the gods, ruled over the Nine Realms, with Earth being one of the planets under its dominion.
Yet, Earth was the only planet that seemed constantly plagued by disasters.
Of course, compared to Asgard, which was doomed to be destroyed in the future, Earth was still the safer option.
The King of the Nine Realms, asking to meet the guardian of a subordinate planet, didn't use the term "summon" but instead said, "let's meet."
From the choice of words alone, it was clear the Ancient One wasn't just any ordinary sorcerer.
In some respects, the two of them were equals.
"Maybe I shouldn't go?"
"I've already met the future king of Asgard."
Ronan nearly slipped and said, "the future Asgard won't even exist."
Though the Ancient One surely knew this, saying it out loud was a different matter.
"Worried about encountering some unexpected trouble?"
The Ancient One smiled at Ronan, as if hinting at something.
Ronan blinked, surprised. He hadn't mentioned his adventures in that other universe to the Ancient One.
So, what did she mean by that?
Could it be that the Ancient One was so powerful she could even observe events from other universes?
"Relax, I don't know what you went through,"
"But I can sense that ever since you returned, you've become more cautious."
The Ancient One shook her head, smiling, denying Ronan's suspicions. She didn't need to ask—she could just tell.
"Ah..."
"Well, I guess being more cautious isn't a bad thing."
"After all, I'm already sixteen—I should mature a bit."
Ronan scratched his head. He had been thinking about how to tell the Ancient One about his experiences.
But now that she had brought it up, he really wanted to talk with her.
However, before he could begin, the Ancient One cut him off.
"There's no need to tell me what happened to you. This is your experience, your adventure."
"Likewise, these are things you need to handle on your own."
"This is your training, your journey in life."
The Ancient One patted Ronan's shoulder, turning her gaze toward the sky, which was now fully illuminated by daylight.
She smiled faintly, her eyes seeming to focus on something far off in the distance.
"What I can assure you is this:"
"As long as I'm here, in this universe, I won't let you face those dangers."
To be honest, Ronan was genuinely touched by those words from the Ancient One.
While her primary duty as the Sorcerer Supreme was to protect Earth and the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, Ronan had never heard of anyone else receiving such a personal assurance from her in all the sixteen years he had been there.
Suddenly, Ronan recalled what that woman had said to him.
He had always lived under the protection of the Ancient One, growing up safely because of her.
You could hear the jealousy in that woman's words.
Tsk, what's so bad about that?
I have that privilege, and I'm going to embrace it!
In the end, Ronan rather clumsily agreed to the Ancient One's plan.
However, she was considerate enough to let Ronan sleep for a bit. It wasn't until noon, after lunch, that the Ancient One brought Ronan to an open area.
"Master, how are we getting there?"
Ronan glanced around, noticing the spot was specially chosen by the Ancient One.
But wasn't the Bifrost destroyed by Loki?
Why were they waiting here?
"They were supposed to come get us, but the Bifrost was destroyed for some reason."
"So, we'll have to go ourselves."
The Ancient One lightly waved her hand, and a golden portal appeared in front of them.
It was the classic and fundamental sorcery spell—The Mystic Gate.
On the other side of the portal was Heimdall, guarding the entrance to the Bifrost.
With his all-seeing eyes capable of scanning the Nine Realms, Heimdall was the gatekeeper of Asgard.
The two stepped through the portal and arrived in Asgard.
"Sorcerer Supreme."
Heimdall bowed slightly in respect.
Seeing them arrive, Heimdall showed no surprise.
It seemed the Ancient One came here often.
"Hello, Heimdall. Long time no see."
The Ancient One responded with a smile.
Ronan, on the other hand, couldn't help but smirk. Classic. In this universe, everyone spoke English.
He had expected maybe a language Ronan didn't know, but Heimdall's fluent American English made communication effortless.
"And who is this?"
Heimdall finally noticed Ronan.
"This is my disciple, Ronan."
"He is also the next Sorcerer Supreme."
The Ancient One introduced Ronan.
Hearing that Ronan was the next Sorcerer Supreme, Heimdall gave a slight nod, acknowledging him.
Ronan returned the nod with a smile, though his attention was focused on Heimdall's eyes.
Those eyes, capable of watching over the Nine Realms, had once been suspected to be the Soul Stone itself.
But it was later confirmed that Heimdall's eyes were simply that powerful.
"Sorcerer Supreme, please proceed to the palace."
"Odin is already waiting there."
Heimdall gestured, and two Asgardian soldiers appeared beside him, bowing to the two of them.
Ronan couldn't help but feel a bit odd about this.
These people were battle-hardened warriors with countless kills to their name, yet here in Asgard, they acted like polite gentlemen.
It reminded him of the aristocratic "gentlemen" of the British Empire.
Led by the soldiers, Ronan and the Ancient One crossed a grand bridge, arriving at the palace.
From the bridge, the entire landscape of Asgard was visible.
This bridge would later serve as the lifeline for the remaining Asgardians.
As they entered the palace, Odin was seated on the central throne, quietly waiting for them.
From this perspective, it seemed like Odin held the higher status.
"Respected King of Asgard, Lord of the Gods, Odin."
"I greet you on behalf of Kamar-Taj."
The Ancient One gave a slight bow, as if paying respect to Odin.
Ronan quickly mimicked the Ancient One's movements, trying to follow suit.
"Respected Sorcerer Supreme, Guardian of Earth, the Ancient One."
"I greet you on behalf of Asgard."
At that moment, Odin stood from his throne and nodded in acknowledgment.
This simple gesture said everything about the relationship between the two.
It also confirmed Ronan's earlier suspicions.
If the Ancient One were only the Guardian of Earth, Odin wouldn't hold her in such high regard.
It seemed more likely that the Ancient One was a representative of the Vishanti on Earth.
Only with that status would Odin treat her with such respect.
As for Ronan...
He was just a minor character in the grand scheme of things.
The "next Sorcerer Supreme" was nothing more than a slightly bigger title.
Look at Thor—the so-called next King of Asgard. Until he ascended the throne, he was just the God of Thunder.
No, correction: God of Hammers.
At least for now, he was still the God of Hammers.
"Sorcerer Supreme, is this the successor you've chosen?"
"He seems far more promising than my two troublesome sons."
PS: Just finished watching She-Hulk again and noticed that in all scenes where Wong uses the Mystic Gate, he's always wearing the Sling Ring and performing hand gestures. It's confusing because many fans have said he doesn't need them (in the comics), but MCU always shows him using them. Makes me wonder...