"Bul-Kathos, you're looking good now."
The Ancient One stood beside Bul-Kathos, commenting casually. She wasn't overly surprised to see his hair and beard restored to their golden sheen.
The time agreed upon with Odin was drawing near; in just three days, Odin would set aside time specifically to meet with Bul-Kathos.
The two were walking casually along the long path outside the Elder Sanctuary, a moment of downtime where there was little else to do.
"I think I forgot to tell you about some things." Bul-Kathos shook his now-lustrous golden hair, feeling a touch of a headache. He didn't know how to tell the Ancient One about Malthael. After all, even with the Dark Dimension as her backing, the Ancient One could only be considered a competent Wizard. And Barbarians were utterly incapable of conveying subtle messages.
"Oh? What is it?" The Ancient One asked placidly, her gaze serene like water.
After Bul-Kathos went to the Elder Sanctuary, she had immediately gone to Asgard, as one couldn't be too casual when arranging a meeting with Odin. The power surrounding the Ancient One convinced Odin of Bul-Kathos's strength, especially after she recounted the story of negotiating with Dormammu.
Though she was intensely curious about the aura emanating from Odin's Hammer, which was identical to Thor's, she didn't question Odin directly. Bul-Kathos would surely ask later, and she would naturally learn the answer then. She was oblivious to what had happened within the Elder Sanctuary.
"This world might be facing huge trouble."
Bul-Kathos stated the conclusion directly. Asking him to deliver a multilayered explanation, clearly outlining every step of an issue, was overly straining for a straight-talking Barbarian.
"This world is always full of all kinds of trouble, yet it still persists." The Ancient One didn't seem overly concerned by Bul-Kathos's warning of trouble.
Her current power was nearly on par with the Vishanti. After witnessing Death incarnate and having a brief skirmish with Bul-Kathos, she had a completely different understanding of what constituted true power. Since even Bul-Kathos called it "huge trouble," it was highly likely she wouldn't be able to help much anyway, so why fret over it?
"I intend to find an heir, appoint him as the Sorcerer Supreme, and then I can continue seeking deeper layers of power." The Ancient One preempted Bul-Kathos's explanation of the trouble's source, outlining her own plans. While concern lingered, maintaining ignorance was the simplest path to maintaining happiness.
Like that chubby, red starfish who was always yelling, he was truly happy.
In life, one always needs a confidant. Before Bul-Kathos, few people could even touch the level the Ancient One existed on. And those who stood on her same level were mostly adversaries. Odin, the only one she could count as an ally, frequently required long periods of slumber to soothe the increasing power within his body.
The Ancient One had always been relatively solitary.
Tony Stark was perhaps the next best candidate for Sorcerer Supreme after Strange. Though one of Odin's sons also had the potential to bear this responsibility, the Ancient One wasn't too keen on that boy who always needed to grab attention.
"The trouble I'm talking about might not be what you think."
Bul-Kathos stopped walking, turning to face the Ancient One.
Although Bul-Kathos also felt the Ancient One probably lacked the capacity to join the fight, this world needed to have someone informed. Barbarians generally weren't too distant with friends, but this matter needed to be addressed with complete seriousness.
Bul-Kathos made up his mind.
"Malthael might come to this world."
Bul-Kathos's words shattered the calm on the Ancient One's face. Having seen a portion of Bul-Kathos's memories, she knew what the name Malthael represented.
"You mean the Archangel of Death? I knew I shouldn't have listened to you talk about that 'huge trouble.'" The Ancient One sounded helpless. How could anyone calmly accept such news, especially knowing what the name Malthael represented?
"His power is now close to that of a Creator God." Bul-Kathos looked into the Ancient One's eyes, adding the grave detail. The people of this world deserved the right to know the truth.
"You'd have been better off not saying anything at all." The Ancient One's face grew progressively darker, her voice betraying her anxiety.
Even if this world had countless powerful beings, most of them were powerless when facing Death itself. Though the former Ancient One had observed countless timelines, those deities still failed on certain occasions, yet their power was ultimately beyond question. Now, Death itself, a seasoned warrior, had taken a decisive step toward becoming a Creator God, and this entity might soon arrive in their world.
This was horrifying news.
"The other Archangels and the Seven Great Evils followed my presence and Mount Arreat's to this world. Malthael is looking for them, so he will likely follow soon after." Bul-Kathos continued his explanation as concisely as possible. Seeing the Ancient One's face grow increasingly strained, he pulled a bottle of strong liquor from his pack and thrust it into her hand.
Bul-Kathos perhaps thought the Wizard needed a stiff drink to calm her nerves.
"Well, that's certainly good news. Perhaps those entities can provide enough fighting power." The Ancient One barely knew what she was saying.
"The problem is that trouble will arrive before Malthael does. The Seven Great Evils have never understood unity; they only pretend to be meek when faced with an overwhelming force." Bul-Kathos's expression darkened as he spoke of the Seven Great Evils. After all, the dreadful memories brought by the Seven Great Evils were more tangible than the threat of Malthael, whom he hadn't yet faced as a near-Creator God.
"What can I do?" The Ancient One took a deep breath, then raised the bottle and drank deeply. The glug-glug-glug sound and the liquor spilling onto her robes spoke volumes about her distress.
"I don't know." Bul-Kathos's direct answer made the Ancient One choke.
"Then why tell me this? To make me panic?" The Ancient One glared at the completely serious Bul-Kathos, her eyes wide.
"I think you people need to know this disaster exists." Bul-Kathos's expression shifted to one of contemplation. He had said what needed to be said; as for what to do next, he genuinely didn't know, so his mind began to empty itself.
"I will go talk to Odin again, but I think he might only believe you after you've beaten some sense into the old man." The Ancient One capped the bottle and tucked the rest into her sleeve.
"I truly don't understand what this world did to deserve facing something so unimaginable. I must be going mad!" The Ancient One ranted internally, but her outward expression gradually returned to serenity.
Controlling one's expression is the simplest lesson for elevating one's class.
Just as "remaining composed when a mountain collapses before you" is heralded as high praise.
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