Although the Ancient One no longer intended to fight Clark, he still wanted to understand why Clark had come to Earth. After all, he couldn't be certain what kind of impact such a powerful variable might have on the planet's future.
"If I told you I didn't know why I'm here, would you believe me? I'm actually a human—but not from this world. I was just sleeping… and somehow, when I woke up, I was here."
Knowing the Ancient One could use magic to perceive souls—and that his own magic resistance was almost zero—Clark decided to tell the truth, though he deliberately left out some important details, such as the fact that this world was originally just a movie in his previous life.
Perhaps the Ancient One had indeed cast a spell to detect lies, but even so, he showed no reaction to Clark's explanation.
He only furrowed his brows, a thoughtful gleam flickering in his eyes. He didn't know what kind of Earth Clark came from, but with his deep understanding of the universe, he was fully aware that this was a multiverse, and they were merely one of countless realities.
"I've traveled the world and seen all kinds of life forms. I've even had the fortune to sense the presence of Eternity itself. Your kind of experience… isn't actually that rare. Over the centuries, I've encountered many beings who've died or crossed into Earth for one reason or another."
"But you're different. Even among the strongest of those outsiders, the kind that could kill me if I wasn't careful… none of them were quite like you."
"How am I different?"Clark's heart tightened. Was it because he'd come from one version of Earth to another? What made him stand out?
"I don't know. The universe is vast—filled with mysteries and unknown forms of life. There are special spaces and alternate dimensions even I don't fully understand."
The Ancient One shook his head and then looked up at the sky.
"But no matter the lifeform, if it doesn't belong to Earth, its arrival will usually trigger the sanctum's defense systems. However…"
He turned back to Clark:
"You're different. You're clearly not of this Earth, yet your presence didn't trigger any sanctum defenses. It's as if you truly belong here."
"If I hadn't noticed that the timeline of the future had recently been distorted, I might never have sensed your presence at all. I might have lived and died without ever knowing you existed."
"Died?"Clark suddenly remembered that this was the most powerful sorcerer in history—and yet he would soon be gone.
But listening to the way the Ancient One spoke of death, it sounded like he accepted it as destiny, showing no fear or resistance.
Clark thought again: This was one of Earth's two mightiest protectors. Even when Thanos was alive, he dared not invade Earth directly. When he wanted the Space Stone, he only dared send underlings—Chitauri soldiers led by Loki, an Asgardian traitor.
So if the Ancient One were still alive, and still guarding the Time Stone, would the events of Avengers: Infinity War even happen?
"Great Sorcerer… If I told you when, where, and by whose hand you would die—could you change that future?"
The Ancient One smiled at Clark.
"Knowing everything… isn't always a good thing. I've lived for over 1,500 years. In order to guard Earth longer, I once sought greater power—and ended up drawing on the energy of the Dark Dimension."
"But no power comes without a price. My soul is constantly tormented by whispering voices. Evil spirits try to drag me into the abyss. Even though I can resist… the moment I touched darkness, I became part of it."
As he spoke, a faint red mark appeared on the Ancient One's forehead—a curse mark from the Dark Dimension. Fanatics of Dormammu bore similar markings, symbols of those who had offered their souls to a dark god in exchange for power.
And yet the Ancient One had found a loophole in this forbidden pact: he could draw on dark energy without fully succumbing to it.
But when Clark saw that red mark, he immediately became more alert. After all, he had just fought the Ancient One moments ago—and the battle hadn't been resolved.
Sensing his tension, the Ancient One chuckled.
"Relax. There's no need for such wariness. Continuing this fight would serve no purpose. After all, you're not like other invaders. Your life force is something Earth can't reject."
"Even though the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj aren't too fond of 'stowaways' like you, detaining or eliminating you would come at a heavy price."
"Rather than pay that cost, I'd rather let you remain on Earth. Your presence has introduced infinite variables to this world. It's… fascinating. Maybe it's a good thing. Maybe not. Who knows?"
Clark was startled. Could it really be that simple?
But remembering what the Ancient One had said earlier, he began to suspect: as a wielder of dark energy, the Ancient One's very existence acted as a beacon for the dark dimension. The more he used it, the more visible Earth became to those dark entities.
That would explain why the Ancient One hadn't intervened during some of Earth's biggest crises. It wasn't that he didn't want to—it was that he couldn't afford to. His very presence was already pushing Earth toward danger.
That might also explain how he was defeated so "easily" by a former student. Not because he was weak—but because using his full power could have doomed Earth.
Then Clark suddenly had a wild idea:
If Superman is weak to magic… what if I learned magic?
After all, growing stronger as Superman mostly meant basking in sunlight. He had all the time in the world to learn magic on the side.
"Then tell me, Sorcerer Supreme… does Kamar-Taj still accept students?"
The Ancient One just smiled and said nothing. Then he raised his hood and gestured with his hand.
Clark saw fractures form in the space nearby, like cracks spreading across a mirror. Then with a sharp crack, the space around them shattered, and the battle-damaged landscape around them instantly reverted to its original, undisturbed state.
Clark didn't even realize it at first—but he was already back in the real world.
Just as he realized that, he saw the Ancient One draw a circle in the air, then step into it and vanish.
"Hey!"
Clark frowned at the sudden disappearance.
"Are you ever going to answer me? Whatever. If you won't tell me, I'll just go to Kamar-Taj myself… Though I have no idea where it even is."
—
While Clark was having his encounter with the Ancient One, Tony Stark was staring at a video of his father.
"I'm bound by the limits of my time," his father had said."But you… you will change the world."
Then, suddenly, Tony remembered something important.
"That city model!"
In the last message his father had sent, he'd mentioned that model repeatedly.
"There's something wrong with that model!"
Acting on instinct, Tony got in his car and headed for Stark Tower in Los Angeles. Strangely, Coulson, who had been tailing him and saying he wanted to check on Tony, didn't even try to stop him.
So Tony simply left his still-unfinished mansion behind.
As for Coulson?
While he was still keeping tabs on Tony, Nick Fury received an urgent report: something strange had appeared in New Mexico.
How strange?
It looked like a hammer.
But no one could lift it. Not even with trucks.
And it was emitting an unknown electromagnetic signal—clearly not something of earthly origin.
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