"Pah! I'm becoming less and less human."
While eating delicious food, Artoria noticed her silver chopsticks were suddenly much shorter. She pursed her lips and spat out a small piece of the chopstick she hadn't yet swallowed, but a large portion was still missing. It seemed she had accidentally swallowed it. Artoria stared distractedly at the bitten-off segments of the chopsticks. She felt she was becoming less and less human. Ever since placing the four Infinity Stones into the Infinity Gauntlet, Artoria's physical constitution had strengthened again. The layer of invisible Dragon Scales on her skin had shed, replaced by smaller, tougher ones. Now, even holding a small knife made of Adamantium, Artoria couldn't leave a single mark on herself; instead, sparks flew.
"Will I turn into a Giant Dragon later? A Half-Dragon Form, somewhat like a Non-human Girl, is acceptable, but I really can't accept the size of a Giant Dragon. This pot-bellied lizard look—the Huaxia Dragon is definitely better looking."
Throwing away the now unusable chopsticks, Artoria quickly grabbed the steak in front of her with her hand and tossed it straight into her mouth. She extended her pink tongue to lick the delicious sauce residue from her hand, feeling genuinely worried about her future transformation. This wasn't a good trend. Although her strength was increasing, it wasn't aesthetically pleasing. Moreover, Dragons don't have a good image here—greedy for wealth, kidnapping princesses, defeated by Heroes—there are plenty of such stories.
"Forget it. I should hurry and go see Ancient One Master!"
Although this change wasn't necessarily a bad thing in some respects, who could guarantee that after turning into a pot-bellied dragon, she could change back into a human? Carrying a trace of worry, Artoria decided to pay a visit to Ancient One Master, who had shown her kindness. Bringing some fine tea produced in Taiwanese, Artoria took out the Infinity Gauntlet. However, she noticed another anomaly with the Infinity Gauntlet: a portion of it had turned from gold to silver, becoming increasingly similar to her Spirit Gear. It seemed to be assimilating with the Spirit Gear. She wondered why Odin had forged this Infinity Gauntlet in the first place and what materials he used that allowed it to be assimilated by the user. That old man was truly interesting; he must have put a lot of effort into this aspect.
"Master, I'm here."
Not thinking too much, Artoria used the Space Stone to open a blue spatial door, with Kamar-Taj's library as the destination. Artoria was lucky; the Ancient One was in the library, accompanied by a very familiar fellow. Artoria happily went forward to greet the Ancient One, embracing her like a child, a scene that left the fellow beside them dumbfounded.
"What a big child."
Ignoring Artoria's playful clinging like a large feline, the Ancient One showed no hint of disdain. Her gaze towards Artoria now held the same doting affection as if looking at her own child. She casually stroked Artoria's head, but the ahoge on Artoria's head disdainfully avoided the Ancient One's hand. Their intimate gestures made the fellow standing nearby quite awkward, unsure if he should leave to give them some private time. Just as he was deliberating, their reunion concluded. After all, with an 'outsider' present, Artoria couldn't fully let loose.
"This is Mr. Stephen. I believe you've met him before, Artoria."
The Ancient One introduced her newly taken in 'Deliverer' to Artoria. If the future she had seen was not mistaken, then this Mr. Stephen was very likely one of the Deliverers, and her position would eventually be passed on to him. In that case, she could finally retire.
"Long time no see, Miss Artoria."
The two were indeed familiar. Artoria knew this guy from movies in her previous life, and he had also attended parties hosted by Tony. They had met a few times, and he had once eagerly pursued Artoria, only to be beaten up by Tony. Don't be fooled by his outwardly loyal demeanor towards his girlfriend; he was actually a playboy. With his superb medical skills, he accumulated a considerable fortune, and being eloquent, he had many young ladies rolling in the sheets with him. Stephen awkwardly greeted Artoria, not expecting to meet an 'acquaintance' in this mysterious place, especially after being beaten up by her brother. Coupled with his recent misfortunes, Stephen was quite embarrassed.
"Hello, Mr. Stephen."
Artoria didn't dwell much on Stephen's embarrassment. The only thing about this guy that Artoria found noteworthy was his powerful magic talent. Other than that, Artoria couldn't see any other shining points in him. When fighting Dormammu, his reckless, almost crazy style of driving opponents mad was indeed a bit frightening. Was this guy really crazy?
"Kaecilius and Baron Mordo are gone. It seems the plot has already deviated from the original. So, who will teach Stephen recently? Is the Ancient One planning to teach him personally?"
Artoria thought to herself while looking around. Without Kaecilius and Baron Mordo, there was only a chubby, Taiwanese-faced presence. This person was 'Wang,' the new librarian of the library. Artoria had met him before and greeted him. He was very humble but also a bit slow. He didn't even come up to greet an acquaintance, just stood quietly in the distance like a child who had made a mistake. With this thought, Artoria silently stood beside the Ancient One.
"You can browse the magic here freely, but remember to return them to their original place and don't damage the books."
Artoria's sudden visit did not interrupt the Ancient One's subsequent actions. The Ancient One introduced Stephen to the most important place in Kamar-Taj. After the introduction, the Ancient One had Wang take Stephen on a tour. The subsequent matters were not something they should know at the moment.
"Everyone's gone, so tell me! You, child, rarely come here unless you need something. You came to me today, so there must be something, right?"
Once only Artoria and the Ancient One remained, the Ancient One spoke to Artoria. She understood this Little guy; she was the type who wouldn't visit unless she had a purpose. Why would she suddenly change her ways and come to see her today? There must be something. The Ancient One's guess was very accurate, and her words surprised Artoria, though she was still somewhat reluctant to admit it.
"How do you know I only come when I need something, Master Ancient One? Who says I can't just come to see you?"
Feigning anger, Artoria raised her eyebrows and spoke defiantly to the Ancient One. But seeing the Ancient One's calm expression, Artoria could only give up her stubbornness and state her purpose. After all, her body was the most important thing; she couldn't put her health aside for a small matter. If something really happened, Artoria would regret it too late. She thoroughly explained the changes she had experienced during this period to the Ancient One.
"Rather than saying you are undergoing 'Dragonification,' it's more accurate to say you are evolving towards a higher dimension."
Listening to Artoria's question, the Ancient One fell silent for a moment, then had Artoria put on the Infinity Gauntlet. She thoroughly examined Artoria's body and finally reached a conclusion: this evolution had great benefits for Artoria, but also certain drawbacks. This evolution was irreversible and could not be stopped. Once stopped, the domineering cells, if'starved,' would begin to devour Artoria's life force to complete the evolution. However, reassuringly, this evolution was very gentle with sufficient energy. In other words, Artoria would ultimately be perfectly fine, evolving into a high-dimensional life form, most likely evolving into a 'god-like' existence. The power of the Infinity Stones was merely a catalyst; the true culprit for Artoria was still that gun, and the golden liquid coiled around Artoria's heart. The Ancient One saw this but didn't say anything. This was something she didn't want to and couldn't say. It was Artoria's own power, and the final outcome didn't harm Artoria, which was a good result for her.
From an individual or world perspective, Artoria's increasing power was a good thing, but the Ancient One suddenly remembered Artoria splitting the Earth with a single sword. She wondered if she had done the right thing or the wrong thing.
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