For Ronan, his understanding of Chaos Magic could not be any more superficial.
The reason is very simple—because in the movie plot from his previous life, nothing was ever explained.
It was only introduced that Scarlet Witch's origins came from the power of the Mind Stone.
But later, the setting was revised, stating that Scarlet Witch always had magical talent, and the Mind Stone merely enhanced it, allowing her to master Chaos Magic more quickly.
How should he put it? This explanation just didn't seem very reliable.
With so many bizarre things happening already, Ronan naturally couldn't just rely on the movie's narrative to understand it.
So, he sought out the person in this world who knew the most about it.
At least among the people he knew, the one who knew the most.
His teacher—The Ancient One.
However, to Ronan's surprise, when he returned to Kamar-Taj, Mordo gave him some bad news.
The Ancient One had gone out!
??????
Hearing this news, Ronan was undoubtedly shocked.
He had lived in Kamar-Taj for over a decade, and basically, whenever he wanted to see The Ancient One, he could.
The number of times The Ancient One left Kamar-Taj could be counted on one hand.
As long as there was nothing major happening, The Ancient One generally wouldn't leave.
Could it be... she went to fleece Dormammu again?
Though this guess was highly possible, Ronan had no way to confirm it.
However, he had another method.
That was the library of Kamar-Taj.
Within Kamar-Taj's library lay a vast and complex array of knowledge.
Besides recording information related to Kamar-Taj, there were also many other things.
For example, cosmic-level artifacts like the Infinity Stones were all introduced within Kamar-Taj's archives.
Something as powerful as Chaos Magic was definitely recorded there.
So, Ronan sought out Wong.
At this time, Wong wasn't yet the sole dedicated librarian of Kamar-Taj—he still shared the job with someone else.
"Yo, now this is rare."
"What brings you to the library today?"
Seeing Ronan, Wong had a look of surprise on his face.
After all, Ronan hadn't been here for a long time.
"A human's life is limited, but knowledge is infinite."
"Dedicating my limited life to the pursuit of infinite knowledge—isn't that something to be praised?"
Ronan raised an eyebrow, completely ignoring Wong's slight sarcasm.
Rare, my foot! Wong just wasn't used to seeing him here.
"Yeah, yeah, you've got a point."
"But if you'd been coming to the library more often, your words would be more convincing."
Wong closed his book and smirked.
Clearly, he saw right through Ronan's nonsense.
"Stop!"
"As a librarian, does talking so much really align with your profession?"
"I'm here to read. Help me find a book!"
Ronan knew he was guilty of bluffing. Though he wanted to argue with Wong, he decided against it.
He was in a hurry to find information on Chaos Magic.
"Alright, alright, since you're asking nicely."
"What book are you looking for?"
"Is it Advanced Spell Understanding and Application or Three Years of Theory, Five Years of Practice?"
Wong casually listed a few book titles.
"I've already read those. Not what I'm looking for."
"Does the library have any books that describe or record Chaos Magic?"
"Or any related materials would work too."
Ronan stated his request.
The books in Kamar-Taj's library weren't arranged in a straightforward way. If someone wanted to find a specific book, they had two options.
Either search for it book by book.
Or ask the "living catalog"—the two librarians.
"When did you read those books?"
"With your level, you shouldn't even have access to..."
Wong suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
His expression shifted from confusion to shock.
"Wait a second!"
"You're looking for information on Chaos Magic?"
Wong repeated Ronan's words.
"Yes, that's right."
Ronan nodded, not understanding why Wong looked so surprised.
When Wong heard Ronan confirm it, he grabbed Ronan's shoulders, his expression shifting from shock to alarm.
"Tell me, where did you see someone using Chaos Magic?"
"And you didn't provoke them, right?"
"No, wait, knowing you, you could probably make them furious just by talking."
"I need to report this to the Sorcerer Supreme!"
Saying this, Wong turned to rush out the door.
However, before he could take a second step, Ronan grabbed him back.
"First of all, Master is out and not in Kamar-Taj."
"Second, I didn't provoke anyone using Chaos Magic. I just encountered a villain recently."
"Just as I was about to take them down as the hero, they were saved by a burst of red magic."
"I suspect that the red magic looked very much like Chaos Magic."
Ronan didn't outright confirm it was Chaos Magic.
First, he wasn't sure if it really was.
Second, Chaos Magic was difficult to identify—not all red-colored magic was Chaos Magic.
In Kamar-Taj, there were many spells with a red appearance.
Simply put, Ronan needed to find some information to confirm his guess.
"I see, you scared me."
"You need to understand, Chaos Magic has been lost for who knows how many years."
"But every user of Chaos Magic throughout history has been undeniably powerful."
Hearing Ronan's explanation, Wong finally breathed a sigh of relief.
From his reaction, it seemed he had indeed read about Chaos Magic before.
"Alright, hurry up and take me to the books."
"Don't you think that if that magic really is Chaos Magic, it's the most terrifying thing?"
Ronan rolled his eyes.
The existence of Chaos Magic was already almost a certainty.
The world Ronan was in had already diverged significantly from the movie's plot.
Who knew if Scarlet Witch would undergo even greater changes?
If Ronan's presence accelerated HYDRA's brainwashing of her, leading her to solely focus on destroying the world—then what?
To know one's enemy is to be victorious in a hundred battles.
This was wisdom passed down for generations.
"Alright, follow me."
Calm again, Wong nodded and led Ronan deeper into the library.
One book after another, Wong pulled them from the shelves and stacked them into Ronan's arms.
Origins of Magic, Witch Families and Gypsies, On Various Forms of Magic…
One book after another piled up in Ronan's hands until his vision was nearly blocked, at which point Wong finally stopped.
And the only reason he stopped was because Ronan's sight was completely covered—not because there weren't more books.
Several more were still in Wong's hands.
"Alright, that's all for now."
"Some additional materials aren't stored in Kamar-Taj's library."
Wong glanced at the bookshelf, nodding in satisfaction.
Seeing the sheer number of books, Ronan frowned.
Even if he used three clones to read simultaneously, it would still take days to finish.
Should he use Astral Projection to let his soul read while his body sleeps at night?
He immediately dismissed that idea.
What if his soul fell asleep while reading?
"Where is the other part?"
Ronan instinctively asked this question.
Wong just glanced at Ronan, then shrugged.
"Of course, it's in the Supreme Sorcerer's head."
This sentence left Ronan speechless.
Kamar-Taj had always claimed that all knowledge about Kamar-Taj was shared.
Note, all knowledge about Kamar-Taj.
But they never said that knowledge unrelated to Kamar-Taj was also shared.
After all, there are many things that ordinary people or even ordinary sorcerers are better off not knowing.
For example, some unspeakable evil gods—when you read about their deeds, or even just speak their names, they will notice you.
The final outcome is either becoming a super-powered being or going insane.
As for the probability of the former...
Better not mention it.
Compared to them, Dormammu is actually one of the kinder ones.
"Alright, the information you want is all here."
"As long as you finish reading these books, you'll more or less understand what Chaos Magic is."
Wong heavily placed the last few books into Ronan's arms, completely blocking his view.
Looking at these books, Ronan couldn't help but roll his eyes.
Although he didn't dislike reading, reading this much at once, and with most of the content likely being obscure and difficult to understand...
Where would Ronan find the time?
He still had homework to do, classes to attend, and even a part-time job at Stark Tower.
How could he possibly have time to study all this?
"Of course, you have another option."
"I heard Burger King recently released a new item. If you can help me buy it, plus a Triple Whopper meal..."
"Then you can receive a mission reward."
"The mission reward is—I will extract the essence of these books for you."
Wong whistled, very considerately offering Ronan a better choice.
And the cost? Ronan needed to spend money.
"You're just using this as an excuse to extort me!"
Ronan poked his head out from the thick stack of books and looked at Wong with strong dissatisfaction.
This was definitely extortion!
Previously, a Triple Whopper meal was enough—now, he even had to add a new item?!
If this wasn't extortion, what was?
"You can also choose not to accept."
"Knowledge is priceless, and so is time."
"Using priceless time to exchange for priceless knowledge—this aligns with what you said, right?"
"Of course, for some people, time can have a price, and some knowledge can also have a price."
Wong gestured toward the pile of books, signaling Ronan to take another look at their sheer volume.
Hiss.
Ronan couldn't help but take a sharp breath.
How did Wong suddenly level up in intelligence after just a few days?
Not only did he learn to exploit Ronan's weaknesses for extortion, but he could even use Ronan's own words against him.
This didn't make sense!
"Fine! I'll buy it!"
"I'll send you the money!"
Gritting his teeth, Ronan slammed the books onto the table.
The heavy books landed with a thud, even covering Wong's reading notes.
But Wong didn't get angry—he just smiled at Ronan.
Ding.
When the transfer notification arrived, Wong was immediately surprised to see that Ronan had sent him $100.
"Since when did you have this much money?"
Based on his understanding of Ronan, while Ronan surely had some pocket money saved up...
It wasn't nearly enough for him to give it away so freely.
"None of your business. I'm just rich!"
"Now, you must explain everything about Chaos Magic to me—otherwise, I'll make sure you understand what true suffering is!"
Ronan took a deep breath, feeling his heart ache.
Even though he had earned tens of thousands, he was planning to buy a new car!
Who knew how much would be left after that?
"Don't worry, even if I have to stay up all night, I will explain everything to you."
"Where do you want to start?"
Since he had been paid, Wong was very enthusiastic.
Hearing this, Ronan finally felt a little relieved.
"Just start with a simple introduction."
"If I have questions, I'll ask you later."
Ronan thought for a moment. He wasn't sure where to begin, so he let Wong start with the basics.
He wasn't worried about Wong refusing.
After all, he had paid!
"Alright, then let's first discuss—what is Chaos Magic?"
"According to these books, Chaos Magic is the ancestor of all magic, the oldest and most independent form of magic."
"At the same time, it is the impossible, the burning of the fire of life beyond comprehension, the light of cosmic awareness born from the universe's earliest random events."
Wong began explaining Chaos Magic.
However, before he could finish, Ronan interrupted.
Because in that passage, Wong had used too many convoluted words, including several adjectives.
This made Ronan very uncomfortable.
Was this an English vocabulary test?
"Wait, wait, wait—can we simplify this?"
"I recognize every single word, but when you put them together, it's hard to understand."
"So, let's use everyday language, okay?"
Ronan asserted his position as the paying customer.
Facing a hefty $100 transfer, Wong naturally couldn't refuse.
"No problem, I'll simplify it."
"Simply put, Chaos Magic is the origin of all magic—it represents infinite possibilities."
"It includes, but is not limited to: transmuting matter, altering causality, creating something from nothing, distorting time and space, creating clones, and so on."
"As long as you can imagine it, Chaos Magic can achieve it!"
This time, Ronan understood Wong's explanation.
But the more he listened, the weirder his expression became.
If Chaos Magic was this powerful, then why did the Scarlet Witch seem so weak?
Sure, against the Avengers it made sense—those guys all had protagonist plot armor, and plot armor could lower intelligence.
But against Thanos? Why did she seem so useless?
Her tech-based boyfriend got his head blown off, and all she did was sit on the ground crying—didn't do anything, and let Thanos snap his fingers.
Fine, Thanos snapped his fingers, but if Chaos Magic was so powerful, why couldn't it counteract the Infinity Stones?
Maybe the Infinity Stones were part of the universe's origin, making them too strong to fight.
But later, after she revived, she could only "almost kill" a Thanos without six Infinity Stones?
That totally disgraced the name of Chaos Magic.
"So, let me make a hypothesis."
"If someone has Chaos Magic and faces all six Infinity Stones, can she fight back?"
Ronan began a theoretical discussion.
"She?"
Wong keenly noticed that detail.
"I was just saying—it's made up, gender doesn't matter."
"After all, I believe in gender equality—our teacher is female too, isn't she?"
Ronan glanced at Wong and even brought up the Ancient One to cover up his slip.
Hearing the Ancient One mentioned, Wong didn't dare question further.
Women can hold up half the sky!
"Alright, your question is very interesting."
"But I don't have an answer."
Wong spread his hands, indicating he was powerless.
"Why?"
Ronan was surprised.
Was this question really so hard to answer?
"Not even mentioning the relationship between Chaos Magic and the Infinity Stones—there is no record of such a battle in any book."
"Using the Infinity Stones against Chaos Magic is already extremely rare."
"Let alone six Infinity Stones."
"Going through all the books, aside from a few ancient beings, it's unclear if anyone even gathered all six."
Wong rolled his eyes—he thought Ronan's question was pure fantasy.
Who could gather all six Infinity Stones?
Ronan twitched the corner of his mouth.
Then what was the Scarlet Witch vs. Thanos?
Oh, right, Thanos didn't have six Infinity Stones then—never mind.
Looking back, the Scarlet Witch never actually fought a fully powered Thanos.
"So, in other words, people who possess Chaos Magic are generally very powerful?"
"Those things you mentioned earlier—distorting causality and the like—do they really exist?"
Ronan was very skeptical of what Wong was saying.
Because the Scarlet Witch he knew didn't seem to have anything to do with things like "matter transmutation," "causality distortion," or "creation from nothing."
In fact, later on, she even got written off.
In his past life, when Ronan saw the Scarlet Witch being written off, he genuinely thought the screenwriters had lost their minds.
First, they made Doctor Strange look like an idiot, which was already bad enough. But then they had the Scarlet Witch, who was so obsessed that she chased Doctor Strange across multiple parallel universes...
And suddenly, she had a change of heart!!!
She even went on to destroy the Darkholds in every parallel universe!
How was this any different from playing a prank on a fool?
Even people pranking fools know to at least buy them some sunflower seeds.
Meanwhile, the people watching the movie had to pay for tickets and even bring their own popcorn and soda.
Wasn't this just watching a pile of shit and then eating it too?
Pure and utter foolishness.
Luckily, in his past life, Ronan had watched a "study version"—and in high-definition 4K—so he had only seen the pile of shit but hadn't actually eaten it.
"Very strong!"
"Every recorded wielder of Chaos Magic has been incredibly powerful!"
"And our Kamar-Taj founders encountered Chaos Magic users before."
"Their description was simple."
"Not human."
At this point, Wong's expression grew even more serious.
Kamar-Taj had existed for so many years; it was inevitable that they had encountered Chaos Magic users.
But every single one of them had unfathomable power.
As for how they ultimately died, whether they left Earth and went into space, or underwent some other transformation…
None of that was mentioned.
"Is there a possibility—I'm just saying a possibility—"
"That someone awakened Chaos Magic, but only awakened a tiny bit of it?"
Ronan rubbed his nose, thinking about all the things the Scarlet Witch had done.
After pondering for a long time, he finally came up with an appropriate term.
"Awakened a tiny bit?"
"What do you mean?"
"According to the books, once Chaos Magic is awakened, it's in an invincible state."
"There's no such thing as awakening just a tiny bit, or half, or even two-thirds."
Wong immediately shot down Ronan's theory.
"Then is there a possibility—I'm just saying a possibility—"
"That the books are wrong?"
Ronan blinked his innocent eyes and looked at Wong.
Wong, on the other hand, stared at Ronan speechlessly. If not for that $100, he would have turned and left immediately.
The books are wrong?
If the books were wrong, then wouldn't that mean all the knowledge passed down in Kamar-Taj for generations was incorrect?
"Are you saying that every Supreme Sorcerer before us never noticed this mistake?"
"And that those Supreme Sorcerers who faced Chaos Magic users deliberately wrote this knowledge incorrectly and passed it down?"
Wong's words were getting more and more absurd!
Hearing this, Ronan immediately jumped up from his chair.
He quickly covered Wong's mouth and nervously glanced toward the ceiling.
Fuck!
Why was this idiot Wong saying such things so openly?
Who knew if the past Supreme Sorcerers, like the Ancient One, had achieved some form of eternal soul existence?
If they were overheard talking like this, Ronan was doomed!
"Forgive me, founders, forgive me."
"This guy's brain isn't working properly. He speaks without thinking. Please don't take offense."
Ronan quietly muttered his apologies while nodding repeatedly to express his regret.
This really wasn't his fault, right?
The only Chaos Magic user he knew, the Scarlet Witch, was just that weak!
Wong, meanwhile, yanked Ronan's hand away and spat several times.
"Relax, the founders won't blame us."
"Asking questions is good, but let's not bring up such ridiculous ones."
Wong wiped his mouth, but he still felt like things weren't as simple as Ronan made them out to be.
Ronan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then do the books say how to deal with Chaos Magic if we encounter it?"
"Are there any weaknesses?"
Although, in Ronan's impression, the Scarlet Witch was very strong, she was also inexplicably weak at times.
But since this wasn't Universe 616, who knew what could happen?
What if the Scarlet Witch didn't just awaken a tiny bit, but instead fully awakened?
"A way to deal with Chaos Magic?"
"Yes, there is!"