As she spoke, the Ancient One reached into the air beside her. A golden portal instantly spiraled open.
"You see? The thinning of space isn't all bad. At least casting this particular spell has become much easier," she quipped.
While she made her joke, she reached into the portal and, after rummaging around for a moment, pulled out a...
"Pistol?"
Luca wanted to comment on her nonchalant review of the world's crumbling spatial stability, but his attention was immediately hijacked by the gun she had just pulled out of thin air.
Mainly because he hadn't expected it.
The Ancient One's "trade" item was a Core Component!!
"You... you... you can sense that this thing is different??!!"
Luca had always assumed the Golden Finger system was exclusive to him—that only he could see the "white glow" or understand the value of these items.
Seeing the Ancient One casually hand him one was a shock to his system.
However, the Ancient One remained calm, as if she had just handed him a cup of sugar.
"Different? I don't see anything different about it."
"Huh?"
Seeing Luca's bewildered expression, the Ancient One pursed her lips in a slight smile and explained.
"It's just that in certain timelines, I saw you getting very excited after obtaining this item. So... well, you know."
"This..."
Hearing her explanation, Luca's shock turned into exasperation.
"So, Master Ancient One, your so-called 'trade' is just giving me something I would have eventually found anyway?"
He didn't mind giving her the [Hex Core].
But this feels like you're scamming me.
"Actually," she corrected, "In over ten thousand futures, you only obtain this... pistol... in a very small handful of them."
Hearing this, Luca didn't feel grateful. He frowned.
You old witch! You said you weren't watching my timeline!!!
THWACK.
Another invisible blow to the back of his head.
"Ow! Wait, you're using mind-reading too?!"
The Ancient One rolled her eyes again.
"With that expression on your face, do I need mind-reading? I'm hundreds of years old. I know micro-expressions when I see them."
Chastised, Luca could only pout.
What was he going to do? Fight the Sorcerer Supreme?
Suppressing his rebellious thoughts, Luca took the "pistol" from her hand.
Calling it a pistol was generous. Structurally, it looked more like a competition air pistol—lightweight, with most of its mechanisms exposed.
But more importantly, the Golden Finger panel popped up in front of him.
---
[Dehydration Gun]
Source: Megamind Universe (2/5)
Creator: Megamind
Status: Core Component (Pneumatic Training Pistol)
Synthesis Materials Needed: 1 Baby Pacifier, 1 Small Hair Dryer, 1 Small Energy Storage Unit, 1 Dimensional Wormhole.
Item Description: Called a Dehydration Gun, it actually fires an energy beam that compresses matter into a small, thumb-sized blue cube. Regardless of the object's original size or water content, the resulting cube will always be lightweight and compact. When the cube comes into contact with water, the object instantly returns to its original state.
Warning: While compressed into a cube, the person or object exists in a state of suspended animation within a special spatial pocket. Isn't that a form of immortality?
---
Huh? Another item from the Megamind universe.
And looking at this description... this thing is kinda OP.
Just reading the text, Luca felt this item rivaled the [3D Puzzle Hammer] in utility.
Currently, his biggest headache was figuring out how to store and transport the Boxer.
The mech weighed over two hundred tons. Unlike in Pacific Rim, where giant helicopters carried Jaegers around, Tony Stark didn't have that kind of lift capacity yet.
Right now, Luca had parked the Boxer in a temporary warehouse, guarded by a massive security detail. He was constantly worried some spy would try to steal a piece of it.
And moving it was a nightmare. Every step it took on normal roads left a crater. Once the city was rebuilt, the Department of Transportation would sue him into bankruptcy just for taking it for a walk.
But with this [Dehydration Gun], which seemed comparable to Pym Particles, carrying anything would be trivial.
Not just storage. If I use it as a weapon... isn't it a one-shot kill?
Wait, does it work on ANY object? Or are there limits?
However, when Luca saw the final synthesis material required, all his other worries vanished.
"This..."
1 Dimensional Wormhole.
He had one right in front of him. The [Hex Core] had punched a hole in reality.
But the [Hex Core] was the item he was trading to the Ancient One. He couldn't keep the item and use the wormhole for synthesis, right?
Luca looked up at the Ancient One hesitantly. He wanted to explain, but he didn't know how to start.
If I say I want to keep the hole, she might actually smack me into next week.
The Ancient One, watching him hem and haw, grew impatient.
"Well? Are you satisfied or not?"
"Uh, satisfied, yes... but..."
"Young people these days, can't speak clearly. If you're satisfied, that's enough. What 'but'? I'm busy. See you around."
With a wave of her hand, she opened a portal and turned to leave.
"Wait! Wait, wait, wait! Master Ancient One? Your Dimensional Wormhole??"
Luca badly wanted to synthesize the [Dehydration Gun].
But he valued his relationship with the Ancient One more. Convenience could be solved other ways. Antagonizing the Sorcerer Supreme was a bad idea.
Besides, he might be able to find another wormhole later.
And she needed the [Hex Core] to fix the world barriers. He should just hand it over.
But...
Hearing his shout, the Ancient One paused with one foot in the portal. She turned back.
She gave him that familiar 'you idiot' look.
"Child, read more books. A Dimensional Wormhole is just a hole. What would I want with a hole?"
With that, she offered no further explanation and stepped through the portal, vanishing instantly.
Luca was left standing alone in the lab, stunned.
"Wait... if you didn't want the wormhole... then what did we just trade for...?"
He looked at the [Hex Core] still sitting on the table.
She left it.
She just gave me the gun... and left the Hex Core... AND left the wormhole?
Does that mean... I can keep both?