Finney had once considered meeting the Ancient One. After drawing the "Sumire Chicken Nugget Roll," he worried about whether he should seek out the Ancient One to learn magic.
However, at the time, he was still too young, and Skye had just moved in, so the idea was never put into action. Later, he discovered that the "Golden Great Method" could be trained and improved, and that temporarily set aside his thoughts of pursuing magic.
As Iron Man's iconic debut grew closer and Finney's strength increased gradually, the thought of becoming the Ancient One's apprentice began to stir again. He had actually planned that, if his third draw turned out to be disappointing, he would head to Kamar-Taj to seek out the Ancient One—and ideally, find a way to stay there.
In Finney's mind, there was no safer place on Earth than wherever the Ancient One was. Aliens? Hulks? They wouldn't stand a chance—this was the power of the absolute top tier. The Ancient One alone safeguarded the entire planet.
As such, Finney had envisioned his meeting with her in a specific way: devout, respectful, like a pilgrim approaching a holy shrine. He pictured himself taking reverent steps, his expression filled with admiration as he approached her—a truly poetic scene.
But reality... was far from that.
There he was—dirty, lying on the ground, having just badmouthed someone behind their back... and worst of all, that someone had heard every word.
Dream: shattered.
Finney felt that if he knew how to use the Time Stone, the first thing he'd do would be to go back in time and tape his own mouth shut before this moment ever happened.
"You… You…"
The sudden appearance of the Ancient One left Finney speechless. He couldn't wrap his head around why she was here of all places!
"Hello. First time meeting you, Mr. Hellsetts!"
The Ancient One smiled gently, looking down at Finney. Her expression was kind, but to him, that smile felt chilling.
Struggling to sit up and calm himself, Finney tried to feign ignorance and nervously asked, "Who are you?"
"Hmm? Am I not the 'bald head' you just mentioned?"
She tilted her head with mock confusion, her smile deepening as she gazed at him.
"…"
Finney was at a complete loss for words. From what he remembered, the Ancient One was firmly on the side of good. And with the Time Stone in her possession, not only was she unmatched in power, but also unrivaled in her control over the past and future.
Future!?
A realization hit Finney. He looked at her more carefully, fell into thought, and finally sighed, "First time meeting you, Master Ancient One."
Based on her demeanor, Finney felt that the Ancient One must already know a lot about his future—possibly even that they had a close relationship down the line. He had always planned to rely on her, so it wouldn't be strange if they ended up becoming quite close.
The Ancient One gave a small nod and remained silent. She didn't seem surprised that he knew who she was.
"So… Ancient One…"
Though she hadn't said anything, Finney couldn't contain his curiosity. He didn't have the Time Stone, nor could he peek into future events like she could, so he asked directly, "Is there a reason you came to see me?"
Upon hearing that, the Ancient One shook her head and casually replied, "Not really. I was just a little bored, so I thought I'd drop by."
You're the Supreme Mage, responsible for the safety of Earth, and you're *bored*?!
Finney silently complained. Though this was technically their first meeting, it somehow didn't feel like they were strangers at all.
Now that things had gotten to this point, Finney figured there was no use being nervous anymore. He took a breath, then asked directly, "Master Ancient One, how do you even know about me?"
"That's what *you* think," she replied cryptically, sitting down beside him.
She didn't seem the least bit concerned about Finney's stunned reaction to her answer.
That's not even an answer...
Finney didn't know what to think anymore. The Ancient One probably had countless ways of knowing about him—he couldn't even begin to guess. So instead, he tried a different approach.
"Is it because we know each other in the future?"
The Ancient One's deep eyes met his. She didn't nod or shake her head. She simply said, "Maybe."
Ugh.
Finney felt exhausted. The thought that she might know everything about him while he knew barely anything about her was unsettling. For now, he decided to let the whole "how do you know me" thing go.
She was, after all, the most powerful magic user on Earth—a true boss of the mystical world. Since they'd already met, it would be a waste not to take advantage of this opportunity to latch onto her and maybe earn a few favors.
With that in mind, Finney quickly put on a sincere expression and said, "Master Ancient One, I've admired you for a long time. I've always wanted to learn magic from you. Could you maybe check my potential?"
The Ancient One pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Just average."
Finney's heart sank. That was like when you're trying to compliment someone but can't say they're smart or handsome, so you settle on something extremely neutral.
Though he strongly disagreed with her assessment of his talent, Finney didn't argue. Instead, he quickly followed up, "So that means I *do* have the talent to learn magic, right? Would you be willing to teach me?"
The Ancient One didn't reject him outright. Instead, she looked at him curiously and asked, "Why do you want to study magic?"
"I want to protect the universe!" Finney responded without hesitation.
It wasn't a lie. He truly wanted to become strong enough to stop Thanos from committing "universal family planning"—erasing half of all life. If he could prevent that, then he *was* a protector of the universe.
A trace of astonishment seemed to flicker in the Ancient One's eyes. She smiled softly, then changed the subject.
"How has your sister been all these years?"
Finney was caught a little off guard by the sudden question about Skye, but still answered honestly, "She's doing well."
Then, unable to resist, he asked, "Master Ancient One… is there something wrong with my sister?"
"Nothing," the Ancient One replied with a hint of emotion. "I just remembered… someone once changed the rules of the world just because they wanted a sister."
"…"
At that moment, something clicked for Finney.
He suddenly understood why the "Golden Great Extension Technique" had succeeded the first time he used it—and why it had gained so much experience so quickly.
It must have been the Ancient One, secretly helping from behind the scenes.
The "Golden Great Technique" was unbelievably powerful. If anyone had the ability to sense it, analyze it, and give it a little nudge to help it develop—surely, it would be the Ancient One.
And if she could help in secret… she could probably also destroy it.
Finney's illusion that the "Golden Great Extension Technique" was invincible suddenly shattered.
At that moment, he recalled something a certain wise father once said:
**Only magic… can defeat magic!**