— New York, Greenwich Village, 177A Brick Street
Kagura Hitomi, wearing a hoodie with the hood up and hands tucked into its pockets, stood in front of a classical and elegant building.
Honestly, she actually liked this casual and convenient outfit. The recent black market operation proved that this kind of attire was very practical.
She looked up at the building in front of her and took a deep breath.
"Alright... walking in here might be more thrilling than stepping into some nightclub."
Right now, SHIELD was probably still busy studying the Tesseract.
Kagura didn't know what Nick Fury was thinking, nor did she know if he would continue making strange decisions.
However, one thing was certain—the alien invasion orchestrated by Loki and the Chitauri was fast approaching.
In preparation for the intergalactic invasion, Rhodes Island Industries was constructing a global defense system.
A large number of new weapons and rapid deployment systems were already operational.
Protecting Earth wasn't just about keeping her promise to Nick Fury, and it wasn't about cleaning up SHIELD's mess—it was Kagura's personal responsibility, as someone capable, to take on this task.
Beyond the preparations with all the hardware, there was still one problem she had to solve.
The task of "building a superhero organization" had not been completed.
Now, the Griffin Security Organization had been established, and the recruitment of core members and upgrades to their gear had been completed.
Whether it was Bucky Barnes, Natasha Romanoff, the consultant Tony Stark, or the external aid Thor Odinson, all could participate in global operations under the Griffin name at any moment.
Yet, despite all this, the task of "building a superhero organization" still showed no signs of completion.
This was a real puzzle.
Why was this happening?
What exactly do I need to do to consider this a real superhero organization?
Do I need to complete a mission?
Do I need to reveal our existence to the world?
But the Griffin Security Organization's concept was to remain hidden within the structure of society.
To the world, Griffin should not exist—it could not be influenced by any organization or institution in order to fulfill its role as a "monitoring chip."
Making Griffin public and accepted by the masses clearly went against the very reason for its creation.
Confused, she decided to seek help.
But her question was unique, and not just anyone could help her.
Luckily, there were still people in this world who could understand her struggles, people who could give her the answers she needed.
These were individuals who existed beyond the dimensions of the universe.
Shaking off her thoughts, the young woman took a deep breath, made up her mind, and stepped forward toward the entrance of the building.
"I just hope you don't enjoy tormenting people like your apprentice does."
'Knock, knock...'
It's polite to knock three times, but after the second knock, Kagura started regretting it.
'Whoosh—!'
Before she could knock again, the bustling street instantly fell silent.
"Wha... oh wow—!"
The next moment, the surrounding reality began to twist and change rapidly.
The door in front of her disappeared, and the tall building began to fold and replicate itself at impossible angles.
Everything looked absurd yet real, as if she was passing through a series of endless doors or trapped in an invisible vortex.
The scenes around her kept repeating, and a powerful force began pulling Kagura toward an unknown distance...
When she regained her senses, she found herself in a classical, elegant tea hall surrounded by vast snow-capped mountains.
It didn't look like any part of the U.S.
"My god... you nearly scared me to death! QAQ!"
Kagura placed her hand over her chest, breathing heavily. Annoyed, she muttered, "You people really love to mess with reality, don't you? I'm actually kind of thankful you didn't toss me into some weird place!"
The tea hall was empty, but Kagura knew the owner of the place could surely hear her.
"You seem to know a lot about us, Kagura Hitomi."
A woman's voice came from behind Kagura. "I imagine you wouldn't be surprised if I told you that I've been observing you and have been interested in you for quite some time, would you?"
"Not really surprising, Master Ancient One," Kagura said, turning to face the speaker and bowing. "But, out of politeness, should I show a bit of surprise?"
Ancient One.
The Supreme Sorcerer, protector of Earth and the entire reality dimension.
She was also the most powerful master of dimensional magic.
She had the ability to twist reality using the power of dimensions, even peering into the past and future. In essence, she was a kind of walking cheat code.
For centuries, the Earth has survived harsh cosmic conditions and countless dimensional-level crises thanks to the virtually unknown work of the Supreme Sorcerers.
The Supreme Sorcerers guard reality.
"Do you know why I'm interested in you?" Master Ancient One asked.
Ancient One was tall, with her hands clasped behind her back. She wore a simple yellow robe, a hood over her head, looking both mysterious and competent.
"Because... I'm not really human?" Kagura wasn't worried about revealing her true nature to Ancient One.
With her powers, she had probably already seen through Kagura's identity.
"No, it doesn't matter what your body is made of, and I'm not concerned with that."
Ancient One continued, "What puzzles me is that I cannot see your past, nor your future. This is the first time I've encountered such a situation."
"Wow!"
Kagura grinned mischievously. "Should I be honored?"
"You should be afraid." Ancient One became serious. "Inside you lies an incredibly powerful force. A force so strong it can nullify the Eye of Agamotto. If I were you, I would fear my own power."
"I'm not sure if I should fear myself, but I do know that if I have this power, I should use it to do what's right."
Kagura gazed at Ancient One with unwavering determination. "That is the purpose of my existence."
"Very well, it seems you're a strong girl after all."
Ancient One nodded. "It's good news for both of us that you think this way. Now, what is it that you came to ask me?"
"Well... it's a bit hard to explain. Lately, I've been feeling lost, like I've lost my purpose."
Kagura hesitated, then continued, "Ancient One, you already know what I want to ask you, don't you?"
"Hmm, I do."
Ancient One nodded. "But if the person asking the question can't even express their own issue clearly, how can I help you find the answer?"
As they spoke, reality around them began to shift rapidly.
In the next instant, Ancient One and Kagura found themselves sitting across from each other at a low table.
A pot of fine tea sat in the middle, with a beautiful tea set prepared.
Ancient One casually picked up the teapot and poured tea for both of them.
"Now, I'll ask you once more, Kagura, what is it that you wish to learn from me?"