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"Oh, the Ancient One, this is already your fifth visit this month. Don't you have anything better to do? Aren't there other-dimensional invasions for you to fend off?"
Ji Yuan rubbed his temples in frustration. Ever since he arrived in the Marvel world, the Ancient One had been stopping by his clinic every few days. She never really did anything—just observed him silently, occasionally casting a few spells as though she were conducting research.
The Ancient One ignored Ji Yuan's pointed question. Instead, she sat down, picked up a teacup, poured herself some tea, took a slow sip, and finally exhaled a breath before saying:
"Mr. Ji, you saved an entire plane of people last night. It seems you truly are on the side of lawful good."
"What? So everything I've told you before meant nothing?"
Ji Yuan could barely contain himself.
From her very first visit, he had demonstrated the power of Ultraman's light—the energy of hope and harmony. How could anyone see that and still think he was evil?
But the Ancient One had insisted on regularly observing him. In retrospect, Ji Yuan could understand her caution. As someone who held back multiversal threats single-handedly, the sudden appearance of a being as powerful as him in her territory must have set off every alarm. A single misstep could mean the end of Earth.
"No, Mr. Ji. It's not that I don't believe what you've said. Your light is purer than I could've imagined. Even a god of light would struggle to match its clarity."
She began with praise, but then continued:
"I came here today to ask a favor."
Ji Yuan gave her a wary look but still asked, "What kind of favor?"
He wanted to hear it, but whether he agreed or not would be his decision.
The Ancient One let out a relieved sigh, her face lighting up with a smile.
"I hope that if Earth ever faces a crisis it cannot overcome, you will lend your aid."
"That's it? Sure. As long as I can ensure my own safety, I'll help."
Ji Yuan had been expecting something dramatic, but it was just a request to step in during dire times.
Truth be told, that had always been his plan. He wasn't someone who sought out crime to fight. But if something happened right in front of him, he wouldn't turn a blind eye. Just like with last night's terrorist attack on the plane—he saw it and acted. There were too many injustices in the world for him to fix them all, and his own life was still his top priority.
Ji Yuan's dream was simple: he admired many characters and stories in the Marvel universe, but some endings always felt incomplete or unjust. He just wanted to witness heroes in action and maybe change a few of those unsatisfying conclusions. Saving the world wasn't his destiny—that's what superheroes were for.
Just as Ultraman wasn't humanity's babysitter, Ji Yuan wasn't either. But if a catastrophe ever came that even the superheroes couldn't stop—then, as someone who had inherited part of Ultraman's will—he would intervene without hesitation. That much was certain.
He had no interest in playing the cat-and-mouse games between heroes and villains. It was a waste of time. He'd rather focus on developing his abilities. Honestly, he wasn't even aggressively pursuing his evolution. If he had been, his current progress wouldn't still be sitting at just 13% after months in the Marvel world.
After receiving Ji Yuan's firm response, the Ancient One's smile grew even brighter—so bright it made Ji Yuan, the mighty Ultraman, a little uncomfortable.
"Well then, I won't disturb your work any further."
With that, the Ancient One opened a portal and vanished back to the Himalayas.
Ji Yuan sat back in his chair, stroking his chin. Her sudden visit likely had a deeper purpose. Perhaps she had foreseen her own "death." No, not death exactly—more like a sabbatical. After all, the films hinted that she continued to exist in some other form.
"Could my presence have triggered some kind of butterfly effect? One that creates a problem only I can solve?"
Theoretically, she had the Time Stone. She could see countless futures. And she was usually calm and composed. Her emotional state today had been unusually turbulent.
That, too, was one of Ji Yuan's abilities—he could sense people's emotions and even thoughts. The stronger someone's will, the harder they were to read. And the Ancient One? He had never felt such intense emotions from her before today.
"Strange... I really need to improve this empathic skill. It's still unreliable."
One reason Ji Yuan had opened a psychological clinic was to practice controlling his emotion-based powers. Treating people with psychological disorders gave him steady exposure to emotional energy. It also gave him something to do—and provided the positive emotions needed to fuel his evolution. A triple win.
How did he start the clinic? With enough money, anything is possible. And when it came to healing, he was the real deal. His "Ultraman Healing Light" could fix both mental and physical issues in one go.
In New York, people spoke highly of the Noah Psychological Clinic. Every patient left with glowing reviews.
"Come to think of it, Stark must be suffering from palladium poisoning right about now. He's probably debating whether to open his father Howard's research files… and confused about his feelings for Pepper. I wonder if he'll end up seeing a therapist."
Ji Yuan chuckled. If Stark came to him, that would skyrocket his reputation.
An endorsement from the richest man on Earth? Nothing could beat that.
"Well, time to open up shop."
With a thought, Ji Yuan lifted the mental barrier enveloping the clinic. As long as that barrier was active, even with the door wide open, no one could find their way in—it made them subconsciously ignore the place.
Knock, knock, knock!
Barely moments after removing the barrier, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in!"
Ji Yuan looked up—and instantly recognized the figure.
Phil Coulson. A dependable S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, beloved by many. A genuine good guy and a workaholic. From Iron Man to Thor, and even The Avengers, he had always been present. His death had been the very reason Earth's mightiest heroes united.
At one point, he'd been Ji Yuan's patient. The stress from his work with S.H.I.E.L.D. had left him mentally exhausted. Ji Yuan had treated him successfully.
But now… it looked like the burden had returned.
"Oh, Coulson, you don't look well."
"No, Dr. Ji. Work's been rough lately."
Coulson tugged at his tie, as though trying to breathe. Since the silver giant incident, he'd been tasked with gathering intel. And with his previous assignments—like monitoring Stark—unfinished, this new mission only made things worse. Sometimes, it felt like he was the only person working at S.H.I.E.L.D.
Ji Yuan could hear the chaos in his mind and guessed that investigating the silver giant—himself—had fallen to Coulson. A true workhorse. Hydra S.H.I.E.L.D. really did treat its people like machines.
"Coulson, maybe it's time for you to take a real break. Tension and relaxation go hand in hand. That's the only way to live longer."
Ji Yuan shook his head and handed over a cup of tea.
Coulson accepted it, took a bitter sip, and sighed. The world still needed him, after all.
(End of Chapter)