Marvel Qi looked extremely anxious. He suddenly jumped up from his seat, his eagerness for knowledge as intense as the Monkey King seeking teachings from his master.
"Master, please! I beg you. Give me another chance!"
Seeing the worried expression on his disciple's face, the ancient Sorcerer Supreme, Master Ancient One, felt puzzled but still answered honestly.
"My child, have you ever truly understood my ability to foresee the future?"
"The Eye of Agamotto?"
Marvel Qi's mind raced. The moment the Ancient One said those words, he faintly sensed something important.
"So… you mean…?" he asked cautiously.
"Yes, my good child."
The Ancient One sighed softly.
"The remnant dimension known as the Iron Hell still has a connection to you."
"However, something is currently missing from you. Because of that, you cannot complete this opportunity in another timeline."
Marvel Qi's heart tightened.
"Then… do I still have a chance?"
After hearing the question, the Ancient One sighed again, disappointment flashing across his face.
"Let us wait a little longer. I believe time will eventually give us the correct answer."
It was obvious that even the Sorcerer Supreme, a man who had spent his life dealing with timelines and the flow of time itself, felt confused by this strange phenomenon surrounding Marvel Qi.
Marvel Qi quietly wondered to himself.
What exactly am I missing?
For a moment, master and disciple both fell into deep thought.
Then suddenly a spark flashed in Marvel Qi's mind.
Maybe… I'm still missing some part of Mickey's nature?
At that exact moment, the Ancient One withdrew from his state of foresight, closing the Eye of Agamotto.
He had found a clue.
"Divinity. What you lack right now is a fragment of divinity that should originate from yourself."
The Ancient One spoke with certainty.
Marvel Qi immediately leaned forward.
"Master, please explain!"
Without hesitation, the Ancient One revealed everything.
"A moment ago, I used the Eye of Agamotto to approach that Iron Duke in another timeline. In that possible future where you become a Demon Grand Duke, he left me a clue. Divinity."
"Sugoi! Master, that's incredible! You can even enter a hypothetical future and bring back important clues!"
Marvel Qi praised him enthusiastically.
The Ancient One stroked his white beard and chuckled awkwardly.
"My child… discussions about the future are not illusions."
"If something exists, then it must be real."
"Just because it belongs to another timeline does not mean it will never intersect with you."
Marvel Qi frowned slightly.
"So that Duke… and I…"
The Ancient One smiled mysteriously, as if he knew far more than he was revealing.
"Do not overthink it, child."
"For now, your task is simple. Prepare yourself before you gain control of that dimension."
"As for knowledge involving the multiverse, that belongs to the stage after you become a dimensional demon god and step beyond a single universe."
Marvel Qi nodded obediently.
"Yes, Master. I understand."
Now that he possessed the blueprint left behind by the Iron Duke from another timeline, Marvel Qi no longer worried about the Hell Dimension falling into someone else's hands.
He would advance step by step.
Slowly.
Steadily.
All he had to do now… was wait for that missing divinity.
Marvel Qi understood that clearly.
Meanwhile, in a distant world…
At the exact moment the master and disciple were waiting for, that fragment of divinity was finally born.
"Gurgle… gurgle…!"
A young man struggled underwater, choking as enormous waves dragged him deep beneath the sea.
It seemed he was about to drown.
Then suddenly…
A thunderous roar echoed through the ocean.
Lightning surged through the depths and wrapped around his body.
The handsome young man who should have lost consciousness suddenly opened his eyes.
Tiny streaks of lightning danced before his vision like glowing sea serpents, allowing him to see the dark underwater environment.
This moment marked the birth of a demigod who wielded the power of thunder.
"Huh? What is this?"
Using lightning to separate oxygen from the surrounding water, the young man suddenly discovered he could breathe underwater.
He looked down at himself and reached a shocking conclusion.
Does this mean… I'm the son of Zeus?
Thinking about it, he immediately remembered the massive wave that had dragged him into the sea.
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
What kind of ridiculous Greek joke was this?
The waves of the Sea God had dragged him down, yet the son of the King of Heaven had awakened here.
If the two divine brothers saw this, they would probably find it hilariously ironic.
After calming his thoughts and understanding his situation, the young man lifted his eyes toward the chaotic storm raging above the sea.
The tsunami was still roaring.
Thunder crashed violently from the heavens.
Even though the sky was hidden behind dark clouds, the disaster had not yet ended.
The young man considered the situation carefully.
Better to play it safe.
He could breathe underwater, and since he was still near the coastline, the danger was limited.
So why not take advantage of the moment to gather valuable items from the sea floor?
That way, when he returned home, he could improve his life.
Once the thought of making money appeared in his mind, it rooted itself like an ancient tree.
Not long after, lightning struck again. The shockwave pushed the young man farther into the depths.
He had no intention of swimming upward.
Yes, there might be more opportunities to benefit from the chaos above, but the chances of getting caught in the divine conflict were far greater.
He was still young.
He had no desire to die early.
After searching the seabed for a while, the young man could barely contain his excitement.
The reason was simple.
His harvest was incredible.
In a short time, he had gathered what would normally equal an entire month's worth of fishing.
Pearls, gemstones, shark fins, and precious abalone filled his makeshift cloth bag.
The bag had been torn from his old clothes and now bulged with treasure.
Fortunately, the young man had some basic understanding of organization.
He only kept the most valuable items.
Even so, the bag had reached its limit.
If he wanted to keep collecting, he would need a larger container.
Unfortunately, the only clothing left on his body was a small piece of underwear.
If he removed anything else, the story would definitely fail censorship.
With a sigh, the young man reluctantly abandoned the idea of gathering more treasure.
Instead, he looked up toward the sea surface where the conflict between the two divine "brothers" continued.
He decided to wait.
Once their fight ended, he would seize the brief moment of calm and return to his home city-state of Ethiopia.
Remaining underwater indefinitely was not a good plan.
Without the temptation of wealth, no sane person would stay in such a dangerous place.
After all, if a powerful sea monster suddenly appeared and bit off his arm, that would be a terrible ending.
Eventually, the conflict above began to calm down.
Seeing this, the young man immediately seized the opportunity.
Carrying his bag full of treasure, he began swimming toward shore.
He did not care about the remaining seafood scattered across the seabed.
This ocean did not belong to him, and he had no intention of fighting sea monsters over scraps.
However, as he swam, a drifting horse-shaped sea creature suddenly caught his attention.
It floated quietly in the water.
The creature looked like a powerful white horse.
Fortunately, it appeared to be unconscious.
If the young man possessed a colder heart, he might have ignored it and kept swimming.
But perhaps the blood of Zeus carried certain impulses.
When he saw the magnificent white horse with its flawless body, he could not help but feel fascinated.
He reached out and gently touched the horse's head.
Such a magnificent horse… it would be perfect for riding.
Unfortunately, his greedy gaze woke the creature.
The horse opened its eyes and immediately saw a naked man touching its body while holding a strange bag.
To the innocent creature, the situation looked extremely suspicious.
Terrified, the horse reacted instantly.
It opened its mouth and bit down with powerful teeth blessed by oceanic strength.
Bang!
Its teeth slammed shut.
The young man had barely withdrawn his hand in time.
His face turned pale with fear.
Just moments ago, he had nearly lost his right hand.
Anger quickly replaced his fear.
Lightning burst across his arm.
With a loud crack, he punched the white horse squarely in the jaw.
The powerful blow knocked the creature unconscious again.
"Hmph! You dare bite me? What a stupid animal."
The young man snorted.
The next day was bright and sunny.
Perhaps the storm had exhausted the clouds, because the sunlight over Ethiopia was unusually warm.
At the city gates, a breathtakingly handsome young man appeared, leading a strong white horse behind him.
"Hey! Isn't that Mickey?"
A sharp-eyed city guard quickly recognized him.
"I heard your boat sank. But judging by your appearance, it seems you turned misfortune into good luck."
"Just luck. Pure luck," Mickey replied shyly.
The white horse beside him looked completely stunned.
Is this really the same monster who knocked me unconscious?
But Mickey had no interest in the horse's thoughts.
He wanted to maintain his image as the handsome young fisherman of the city.
After all, that image helped attract more customers to his fish shop.
After chatting briefly with the guard and promising to save the best fish for the guard's wife next time she visited his shop, Mickey received a tax exemption permit.
Then he dragged the reluctant horse into the city.
The city-state of Ethiopia was large and prosperous.
Its wide streets could allow four horses to run side by side.
Even in the busiest district, a handsome young man leading a magnificent white horse naturally drew attention.
Soon, Mickey arrived at the entrance of his own shop.
He leaned close to the horse's ear and whispered threateningly.
"Behave yourself. Don't cause trouble, understand?"
The horse snorted angrily.
Its pitiful expression made it look like a reluctant bride forced into marriage.
Mickey patted its head.
"What kind of expression is that?"
"Back then, weren't you the one begging me to take you in?"
The horse let out an indignant cry.
But Mickey's friendly pat felt more like a heavy slap.