Qin Li thought for a moment and then spoke, "So, after being discovered, Mephisto must have found such a rare entity to possess in order to see what I'm all about, right? The Light can conceal me, which is interesting."
Ancient One didn't respond immediately and simply continued drinking her tea. Qin Li didn't mind; after all, Mephisto was nothing but a big shot in Hell, unable to even enter the human realm easily. Even if he did enter the human world, Qin Li could easily overpower him. In the face of absolute power, demons and monsters were nothing.
By chance, Qin Li noticed the armor on the wall and recalled the funny moment when Doctor Strange had used it to trap Kaecilius. He then asked, "Master Ancient One, how's your retirement plan coming along?"
Though called a retirement plan, what he meant was that Ancient One had been fighting off demons and monsters from dimensions beyond Earth for hundreds of years. She was weary and wished to put down her responsibilities. Although drawing power from the Dark Dimension kept her body immortal, her mind was exhausted from years of resisting the temptation and corruption of the Dark Dimension while protecting Earth. While regular people get vacations after working for a year, she had been doing this tirelessly for centuries. Finally, when she found a worthy successor, she surely wanted to retire. That's what Qin Li thought.
Ancient One calmly took a sip of tea and, with a somewhat strange look, said, "Without your timeline, this should be the normal beginning."
Qin Li was puzzled and asked, "Without my timeline? Then what about now?"
Ancient One didn't answer immediately. She placed her teacup down and closed her eyes as if deep in thought. After a few seconds, a soft glow emanated from her back, slowly forming a golden cross. When the cross was fully formed, Ancient One opened her eyes, and golden light flickered in her pupils.
Qin Li was stunned. "Isn't that the special effect of a class change in the game, where the Holy Priest becomes a Holy Father after switching roles?" he thought.
Seeing the shock in Qin Li's eyes, Ancient One spoke, "Previously, borrowing your energy didn't produce this effect. I'm quite curious about this new energy system."
Qin Li asked in curiosity, "Then what's going on now?"
Ancient One, with a slightly awkward expression, replied, "Out of curiosity, I researched deeper and discovered that your energy seems to have its own will, and it's transmitting a message."
Qin Li was confused. "What message? I didn't feel anything... Is this the system?"
Ancient One, seeing Qin Li's expression, guessed that Qin Li wasn't aware of this either. She continued, "The message is just one thing: faith, but it doesn't specify the object of that faith. I then speculated that it might be faith in you."
Qin Li was shocked and pointed at the golden cross behind Ancient One, slowly asking, "So, Master Ancient One, you tried to believe in me, and that created this?"
Ancient One didn't answer but simply nodded. Even powerful beings cared about their dignity.
Qin Li continued, "Then what else? Is there anything else?"
Ancient One raised her hand, and the holy light behind her transformed into a spear of victory. She said, "I can form such a weapon, and I feel there's more powerful magic within reach, but it requires stronger faith."
Qin Li frowned and asked, "But isn't this just another type of energy manipulation for you, Master Ancient One?"
Ancient One shook her head and replied, "If it were just that, I wouldn't be saying all this. After I completed the process, the Holy Light entered my body and eradicated Dormammu's Dark Dimension energy, which led to my rebirth."
"Ah, I see," Qin Li muttered, stroking his chin.
Ancient One then shrugged and said, "I tried to use the Eye of Agamotto to observe my future, but I saw nothing but fog. So now, I'm not sure about my retirement plans anymore."
Qin Li looked at her and suddenly smiled, "That's actually not bad. What's so good about seeing the future? It's the uncertainty that makes life interesting."
Ancient One agreed with his sentiment but replied, "For ordinary people, that's true. But for us, it's different. So, my retirement plans must continue. I just hope the next Ancient One won't be clouded by your influence and lose sight of the future."
Qin Li waved his hand nonchalantly and said, "Well, I don't know about that. It's getting late; I should head home. Master Ancient One, would you mind opening a portal for me?"
With a wave of her arm, a portal to the church entrance appeared. Ancient One made a gesture inviting him to go through.
Qin Li stepped toward the portal and said, "Thanks. I'll come back to visit when I have time."
As he arrived home after being away for over ten days, Qin Li couldn't help but reflect on the events. Tony Stark's transformation, Ancient One using the Holy Light to switch roles into a Paladin—though the role change was odd, requiring faith in oneself. He sighed and rubbed his temples.
"Well, one step at a time," Qin Li thought as he pushed open the doors of the church. Just then, he heard a boy's voice.
"Accept the judgment of the Holy Light!" A boy, missing a leg, stood on a bench with his arms raised, shouting at Jessica. Jessica, sitting behind the bar, didn't react to his antics, clearly not the first time he'd done this.
With the sound of the door's bell, Jessica looked up and stood excitedly when she saw Qin Li enter. The boy, seeing her stand up, quickly sat properly.
"Jessica, I'm back. Anything happened while I was away? And this is Nick, right?" Qin Li waved and said.
"Nothing much happened. Kingpin came by once, but other than that, it's just been us," Jessica replied.
Nick Castor stood up, clasped his hands together, and said, "Father Li, yes, I'm Nick Castor. Thank you for saving me that day and letting me stay here."
Qin Li, unsure where to start with Nick's gratitude, replied, "No problem. Do you remember your parents?"
Nick lowered his head. Qin Li immediately realized his question was too direct and was about to comfort him when Nick raised his head and said, "I lived with my mother. She said my father was a national hero, always too busy to visit. Then, a while ago, our house was broken into by a gang. My mother died protecting me, and I was sold to demons." Listening to Nick's story, Qin Li's face darkened. He cursed inwardly, wondering how Nick Fury could have thought his friends' families would be safe.
"Alright, just make yourself at home. There are a few vacant rooms on the second floor. Pick one you like," Qin Li said to Nick.
"Thank you, Father Li," Nick replied gratefully.
Just then, they heard Tony Stark's voice from the TV, "Can everyone please sit down?"
Qin Li glanced over and knew it was time to start.