Chapter 52
Riley: Have I become the destroyer of the world?
"...It seems you are not only smarter than I expected, but also know more about the future and secrets of this world...but precisely because of this, you are also a huge threat to this world. Even greater than that Titan who calls himself Thanos."
Seeing that her identity had been exposed, the Ancient One was only slightly taken aback. Then, amidst her intrigued whisper, she removed her cloak, revealing her signature bald head.
He then leaned back and sat down in the chair that had appeared out of nowhere, casually crossing his legs while looking into Riley's eyes, and continued speaking slowly and deliberately.
"Then you should know why I noticed you. Up until now, you've manipulated at least five key moments, like getting Banner and Hulk to reconcile earlier, thus saving Ben Parker from death... Oh, let me guess, you probably think you've done a great job, right?"
"..."
Although he knew that even if he used all his trump cards, he would never be a match for this reclusive master, Riley resolutely followed his heart and chose to remain silent in response to the Ancient One's questions, appearing as if he was humbly learning from her.
But deep down, Riley still believed that he had been making the right choices and had successfully prevented more than one tragedy from happening. It was only because he was an "outsider" that he was targeted by the Ancient One, and he felt somewhat resentful.
"Alright, you Chinese always like to say that seeing is believing and hearing is deceiving... Well then let's see what kind of ending your so-called good deeds will ultimately lead to."
Of course, even if Riley believed he had perfectly concealed his emotions, to the Ancient One, it was still like trying to hide something obvious – utterly childish.
However, the Ancient One smiled slightly and did not directly rebuke or deny it.
Instead, he lightly waved his left hand, causing the surrounding environment to spread rapidly, like spilled watercolors.
Before long, Riley saw a series of flowing bands of light, like rolls of film, connected to each other.
Then, as the image within the light band magnified, the Ancient One's voice rang in Riley's ears once more.
"Look, this is the result of your choices that you believed were 'correct'..."
Because Ben Parker survived, Peter Parker failed to grasp the true meaning of "with great power comes great responsibility." His reckless and impulsive actions ultimately led to his downfall. He was followed by his enemies on his way home, resulting in the tragic deaths of Ben Parker and Mae Parker. His personality drastically changed; he adopted the identity of "The Punisher," using his own moral compass as a guide to relentlessly hunt down his targets. This ultimately provoked public outrage, leading to his death in a combined attack by villains and heroes.
"Dr. Banner, having reached a premature reconciliation with Hulk, lacked the composure and calmness one would expect after enduring immense suffering. This caused Hulk to gradually spiral out of control, transforming into a terrifying demon capable of destroying the world. Consequently, the world was forced to unite various forces to completely eliminate him. As a result, the world paid a heavy price. Furthermore, due to the severe decline in overall combat power, when Thanos descended upon Earth, no one was able to stop his evil deeds, and Earth was thus headed for destruction."
"And this... Oh, this is a bit novel, a timeline I've never encountered before... Because of your scheming, the leader of a criminal organization called Valmont ruthlessly killed Tru, preventing him from joining Jackie Chan's Dragon Team. Then, when a girl named Cheng Xiaoyu covered herself with a demon tattoo, she couldn't escape the demon's influence in time, completely falling into the trap of becoming the queen of the Shadow Legion, declaring war on the world, and personally killing her loving father and Uncle Dragon."
"So, do I need to list even more devastating futures that your 'good deeds' have created?"
Although the Ancient One's tone remained unchanged, Riley, who had initially been somewhat defiant, was struck dumb by the flashing images of despair, his gaze fixed blankly on the spot.
Even so, the Ancient One had no intention of letting go of the "culprit" in front of her.
With an indifferent gaze devoid of joy or sorrow, he stared at Riley, each word like a heavy hammer, relentlessly striking Riley's fearful and uneasy heart.
"No rainbow without rain..."
"Every elevation and growth of the soul requires a corresponding price."
"And you think you're being kind to them, helping them erase their painful past experiences..."
"In reality, they themselves deprived them of the possibility of becoming true heroes, pushing them into an even more terrifying abyss."
"And do you know what's most ironic?"
"You believe that you must change these tragic fates and protect those around you..."
"Even in your two lifetimes, you have never revealed your secret to anyone you care about. You have never asked them in person whether they are willing to accept this change before making your own decision."
"Furthermore, I never considered that even a true god, in the course of countless deliberations, is bound to make one or two mistakes. How can you guarantee that future events will unfold exactly as you planned?"
"...No...this is impossible...!"
As the Ancient One finished speaking, Riley, who had remained silent and tried his best to hold onto his true self, finally saw Peter holding Ben and May, who were lying in a pool of blood and had lost all signs of life, crying desperately and helplessly to the sky in the future that the Ancient One showed him. At that moment, his Dao heart was completely shattered.
Clutching my chest in empathy, I felt waves of excruciating pain, my eyes bloodshot, and tears streaming down my face. I wished I could jump into the scene and torture those bastards who dared to kill my parents in the most cruel way, making them wish they were dead, to vent my hatred!
"As I said before, Mr. Riley, suffering is both a torment and a catalyst for growth... Just like Strange, if someone had stopped that car accident and saved his hands, would he have put aside his pride, given up his lifelong medical skills, and started as the most devout apprentice, step by step becoming the Doctor Strange who saves the world, the new Sorcerer Supreme?"
Seeing Riley lose his usual composure, as if his whole being was about to shatter, his mouth agape in extreme grief, silently wailing.
The Ancient One's words then softened somewhat.
As if comforting a child who has gone astray but still has a chance to be redeemed, he continued speaking in a gentle and soft voice.
"Moreover, among the countless people who have passed away, being given a second life is already extremely rare... You have already suffered greatly in your previous life, so why can't you be kinder to yourself, live the rest of your life as an ordinary person, and live out your remaining years in peace?"
As she spoke, the Ancient One waved her hand again, causing the scene to change.
This time, however, what is revealed is no longer a dark future filled with despair.
Rather, it is a foregone conclusion, belonging to Riley... or rather, the past of the transmigrator soul within Riley's body.