Hollywood might not welcome Herman.
But that didn't mean Hollywood wasn't welcoming of the Franklins in his hands—or more accurately, the Franklins he had obtained from Professor Charles.
In America, money could solve anything. With it, nothing was impossible. So Herman managed to secure the filming location for The Boys in just one morning.
Even the street scenes that required permits were quickly approved, as Herman used money to smooth the way and got authorization from the relevant departments almost immediately.
Through this process, Herman experienced firsthand the true power of money… no wonder wealth was often called "cash power."
After being cheerfully escorted out by the smiling officials, he casually picked a Chinese restaurant and ordered a lavish spread of dishes.
...
Far away in the ancient East.
Within the sacred grounds of Kamar-Taj.
A woman dressed in plain linen robes, seated cross-legged in meditation, suddenly opened her eyes. Her deep green gaze was filled with shock.
Had any sorcerer of Kamar-Taj been there, they would have found it almost impossible to believe—that the usually solemn and composed Sorcerer Supreme could be startled?
Yes.
This meditating woman was none other than the Sorcerer Supreme, one of the strongest beings of the early Marvel Universe, a figure even the God King of Asgard regarded with caution.
The Ancient One.
Having defended Earth for countless years and ceaselessly fended off demonic beings from other dimensions, her power was unquestionable.
When Herman had first crossed into this world, he worried she would discover him. But with the help of the All-Seeing Eye, he managed to stay hidden from the Ancient One.
Even now, she remained unaware that the history of the universe had already been silently rewritten three times. That alone proved just how powerful the All-Seeing Eye truly was.
Not even the Eternity behind the Ancient One could perceive the anomaly.
"Such ancient fluctuations… Has some fortunate soul obtained primordial power?" The Ancient One didn't realize history itself had shifted. She only sensed that a long-dormant force had once again awakened on Earth.
In truth, the resurgence of Earth's primordial power wouldn't have stirred much emotion in her.
At most, it would mean the birth of a new generation of Earth's Gods.
For Earth, that could even be considered a blessing. As its guardian, the Ancient One would welcome the rise of more protectors.
The reason for her shock was simple—across all the futures she had glimpsed, not once had she seen such a change. Never before had a new god been born on Earth.
"What has changed?"
The Ancient One feared that some cosmic deity might be meddling. After hesitating for a long time, she finally cast a spell to trace the source of the disturbance.
A mist-like substance gathered before her. As she parted the haze, her sight revealed a handsome young man, feasting with great appetite inside a restaurant in Los Angeles.
"Is this unfamiliar child the one favored by ancient power?" The Ancient One fixed her gaze on Herman, a face she had never once seen in any of the futures she had observed.
She froze.
Moments later, she formed a seal with her hands. The Eye of Agamotto, always hanging at her neck, slowly opened.
Emerald light radiated from the Time Stone within. Guided by her control, it allowed her to peer into a frozen fragment of the past.
Her purpose was to discover what had led to the emergence of this anomaly—Herman. What she saw was the history of his existence in this universe.
There was nothing extraordinary.
Just a fortunate orphan who had grown up in an orphanage, struggled through life until he became a director by his own effort, obtained extraordinary power in a mysterious cave, and during one journey, stumbled into an ancient ruin infused with primordial energy.
Within that ancient site, Herman received the blessing of its primordial power, which then slumbered inside him for a long time.
Only today had it finally awakened.
"Truly... blessed with fortune." Having lived in the East for so many years, the Ancient One naturally understood the Chinese tongue. Watching Herman's path, she couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
The fabricated past revealed not a trace of flaw. Every part of his life carried the mark of his presence. The Ancient One examined every detail of Herman's experiences.
Nothing seemed amiss.
Which only made her expression grow heavier.
She knew very well.
The absence of problems... was the greatest problem.
The awakening of this ancient power in the hands of a stranger named Herman Chu should never have been part of history.
Even if he had once been blessed by such a force, by the true course of history that power should have remained dormant, never awakening—not even in the futures she had already foreseen.
But now... everything was different.
"Who has altered this history? And what role will this person play in the future?" The Ancient One could not believe this sudden change was mere coincidence.
So…
She once again called upon the power of the Time Stone, trying to peer into the altered future, to see what place Herman would hold.
The emerald glow of time surged once more, gathering into her eyes, granting her sight of what was to come.
She cast her vision forward along the currents of time… but before she could glimpse any clear future, her face twisted in sudden terror.
"No! What is this power?!"
In an instant, the Time Stone's power shattered. The Ancient One writhed on the ground in unbearable pain before collapsing unconscious. Her eyes, still tilted toward the doorway, could no longer close—the eyelids had been completely burned away. The eyeballs themselves bore a lattice of cracked lines.
Within those fractured eyes, golden filaments writhed as though they were burning. Soon after, fragments of her eyes began to crumble from the corners. In a short while, her darkened sockets were left utterly empty.
...
(50 Chapters Ahead)
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