[Frog] Chapter 421-430

### Chapter 421: Collaborating with the Enemy of the Enemy

When Proxima Midnight saw Thanos remain silent, along with the wound on his cheek, she immediately assumed the opponent must have used some underhanded method.

She had never heard of the name Hela before, and now this woman was calling herself the Queen of Asgard. Then who is the King?

At this moment, she wished Thanos would issue the command to attack Asgard—use their blood to nourish the weapon Thanos had forged for her.

“Father, please give the order! We have every reason to go to war. Hela killed Ebony Maw and then came to Titan to stir up trouble. Are we really just going to let her go like this?!”

Proxima Midnight pressed on, unwilling to believe Thanos would hesitate when the justification was so clear-cut.

Meanwhile, Corvus Glaive rolled his eyes thoughtfully. When it came to Asgard's enemies, they could definitely be used to their advantage.

For example—the Dark Elves and the Frost Giants. They all despised Asgard. If they joined forces, the situation might take a dramatic turn.

Thanos remained silent, eyes fixed on the distance, pondering a single question—who holds the Infinity Stones now?

Information about the Stones had seemingly vanished into thin air, even his sensing artifacts couldn’t locate a trace of them—not even the Time Stone, which had once passed through his hands.

Could it be that Hela had swallowed the Time Stone for herself?

“Father, why don’t we consider working with the Dark Elves…”

Corvus Glaive respectfully bowed to Thanos, offering his most loyal suggestion.

He wholeheartedly supported Thanos in becoming the ruler of the entire universe!

Thanos slowly retracted his gaze from the horizon, his hand gently resting on his chin. After taking a few punches from Hela, his jaw still throbbed faintly with pain.

He now seemed to have learned a lesson—never take off his armor until the very last moment.

“Corvus Glaive, what brilliant idea do you have?” Thanos asked, his thoughts a bit scattered ever since he lost his sense of the Stones.

And then there was that thing Hela had said—it deeply unsettled him. That the King of Asgard was actually Emperor. How could that be possible?

Odin had passed the throne to someone other than Thor or Loki? Thanos found it hard to believe.

He needed to rework his strategy. As Proxima Midnight had said—Hela must be killed.

“Join forces with Asgard’s enemies. Attack Asgard. Once we bring that realm down, the other planets will be at our mercy!”

Corvus Glaive grew more and more excited as he spoke, as if victory was already waving at him from afar. Soon, the name “Corvus Glaive” would be known throughout the universe.

“No. Absolutely not.”

Thanos flatly rejected Corvus Glaive’s proposal, leaving the general frozen in place, his excitement immediately deflated.

He couldn’t believe it—Thanos had rejected his plan.

“Why?”

Seeing her lover’s suggestion shut down, Proxima Midnight quickly asked. She couldn’t understand why it was turned down.

“Hela is Odin’s firstborn. When I fought her, I noticed something…”

Thanos gazed meaningfully into the distance, the memory returning to him—Hela’s power significantly waned after leaving Asgard.

“For now, let’s shift our target. Attacking Asgard is still necessary, but with Hela around, it’ll be an uphill battle. She’s a sorceress…”

Thanos knew full well—battling a sorcerer was far more troublesome than one could imagine.

...

### Chapter 422: Figuring Things Out

"Besides... Asgard is the source of Hela’s continuous power. If we want to kill her, we must first lure her away from Asgard. Without her, attacking Asgard will be much easier."

The proud Thanos had no desire to seek allies, even if the Dark Elves held a grudge against Asgard.

"Also, if Emperor finds out his queen is dead, he'll definitely be devastated. Who knows? Maybe he has all the Stones. When the time comes, we can kill him too and take the Stones."

Thanos began laying out a new plan in his mind. He could temporarily put the search for the Stones on hold.

As he touched his jaw—the one that had been kicked by Hela—resentment swelled in his chest. If he didn’t tear Hela into pieces, he wasn’t Thanos.

"As expected of Father, what a brilliant suggestion! The other realms are under Asgard’s protection. We can start by conquering a single planet!"

Proxima Midnight gave a sinister smile.

She hadn’t thought that deeply earlier. She had even worried that Thanos might be shaken by getting punched a few times.

But now that Thanos had taken action, Proxima Midnight completely understood—she was overthinking it. Thanos wasn’t some weakling.

"Which one should we take?"

Black Dwarf asked casually. She couldn’t wait to help Thanos achieve his goal.

That way, Thanos would fulfill his promise—kill her.

Originally, Black Dwarf had met Thanos while trying to commit suicide. She had long grown tired of living but could never manage to die.

After hearing Thanos’s vision, she realized something deeply—only Thanos could truly end her life.

And so, she agreed on the spot to become his follower and serve him loyally.

In every battle, Black Dwarf was always the first to charge in. She even longed to die in the midst of carnage.

But time and again, her wish was never granted. This only strengthened her belief that only Thanos could grant her death. No one else.

“Sovereign… how about that? It's a planet filled with high-tech. If we take the Sovereign planet, we essentially control the most advanced technology in the galaxy.”

Corvus Glaive made another suggestion. He believed that if they could harness the Sovereign’s technology, the Chitauri genome might be further enhanced.

That would dramatically increase their chances of recovering the Stones!

All three of them turned to Thanos, awaiting his decision.

Thanos sneered coldly. “We’ll split into two groups. Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight—you go to the Sovereign. Black Dwarf, you're with me—we're going to Nidavellir.”

“Nidavellir?”

Corvus Glaive was momentarily confused. Splitting up was good—as Asgard would be forced to send forces to assist.

But why did Thanos insist on going to Nidavellir himself? That meant there would be no true leader left to lead the assault on a weakened Asgard.

“The weapons forged by the Dwarves of Nidavellir are renowned across the universe. If we want to kill Hela and destroy Asgard, using ordinary weapons would be a joke.”

Thanos gripped the armrest of his throne tightly—cracks spread instantly across it, a testament to his seething rage.

“I’ll make Hela and Emperor pay for meddling in things that aren’t their concern!”

As he finished speaking, Thanos slammed his weapon into the ground with force.

...

### Chapter 423: Meeting Strange

On Earth, Alan figured that Stephen Strange should be waking up around now—judging by his prideful personality and the speed at which he burned through money.

After this surgery, the remaining medical expenses would probably be too much for Strange’s wallet to handle.

“It’s about time to go see an old friend,” Alan muttered, taking a bite of his sandwich. These days, all three meals were prepared by Wanda, and Alan was starting to get used to this kind of life.

Wanda, who was spreading cheese, looked up at him gently but said nothing. She never interfered too much in Alan’s decisions.

Because she knew—if Alan wanted to say something, he would say it without being asked. And if he didn’t want to, no amount of questioning would get an answer out of him.

“Heading out now?” Gwen was about to ask Alan to take her with him, but she had her own matters to handle as well.

Ever since Alan heard Strange’s name, he had asked Red Queen from time to time to monitor any news related to Strange.

That kind of genius doctor—if he woke up and discovered his hands were basically useless, Gwen imagined he might actually lose his mind.

“Yes,” Alan said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. He needed to get to the hospital before Strange’s mental state collapsed.

Too many unexpected events had already happened. If Strange missed his chance to become Ancient One’s disciple, who knew how much else could go off track? Alan didn’t want to even think about it.

All he wanted was to quickly move things forward to the point where he could kill Thanos. Once Thanos was dead, the universe would be far more peaceful.

After all, without the universe’s number-one madman, maybe he himself could get a moment of peace.

“Sigh... sometimes I wish I could just have a whole week—no, even just a day would do—I’m not asking for much. I just want to fully zone out and do nothing,” Alan sighed with helpless frustration.

The three women around him were already used to Alan saying strange things from time to time. They exchanged knowing smiles and returned to whatever they were doing.

Inside the hospital, the beeping of the ventilator and heart monitor gradually slowed.

Stephen Strange lay in a hospital bed, both hands suspended and connected to metal rods running through each finger.

The bruising around his left eye hadn’t faded, and both his lips and the corner of his eye had been stitched several times. Alan stood silently by the window.

He agreed with Gwen and Wanda’s suspicions—Strange’s car accident had clearly been orchestrated.

And the most severely injured part of him? His hands.

As a doctor, especially one who often wielded a scalpel, his greatest tools weren’t just his knowledge and experience—it was also those hands, capable of intricate surgery.

Now, it seemed his hands were completely ruined. If he could still hold a spoon or chopsticks, it would be a miracle.

Christine walked into the room, her eyes red from crying. She was holding a stack of medical bills.

She had already pawned off Strange’s second car, but the sky-high treatment costs were overwhelming.

She had often told Strange to save more money.

But the arrogant Strange had always believed that as long as he was alive, as long as he was still a doctor, he could earn money with every surgery he performed.

“You… who are you?” Christine noticed a man standing at Strange’s bedside—a face she’d never seen before.

Alan slowly turned around. Seeing the woman whose eyes were red from crying, he instantly guessed who she was.

...

### Chapter 424: Madness Upon Awakening

"I'm sorry. I came into this room without permission. My name is Alan," Alan introduced himself politely and with gentlemanly grace.

If he wasn’t mistaken, the woman in front of him was Christine, Strange’s girlfriend. His gaze shifted to the medical bills in her hands.

In that instant, Alan understood why her eyes were so red—Christine had done everything she could to save Strange.

"I don't think... I've ever seen you before. Are you a friend of Strange’s?" Christine sniffled. She didn’t want a stranger to see her in such a vulnerable state, so she quickly turned around and wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, forcing a strained smile.

"Uh, something like that. Is he waking up?" Alan had been standing in the room for a little while now and hadn’t noticed any signs of Strange regaining consciousness.

Even his heartbeat seemed to be growing fainter. Could it be that Strange was going to die today?

But Alan didn’t think that was possible. There was no way Strange’s story would end in a hospital bed.

"Not sure yet," Christine replied. She wanted to know just as badly when Strange would wake up. Seeing him lie there, weak and barely breathing, just didn’t fit the man she knew.

Just as their conversation ended, a weak sound came from the hospital bed.

"Stephen!" Christine no longer cared who Alan was. The moment she saw signs of life from Strange, she rushed to his bedside.

Alan stood to the side, eyes fixed on Stephen Strange as he slowly came to. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for the man’s fate—

It was truly a fall from the heavens into the mud. No wonder Strange couldn’t accept the loss of control over his hands.

“Ugh… Christine?” Strange slowly opened his eyes, though his left was still swollen and bruised, so it remained shut.

He felt as if he had been asleep for a long time. The pain coursing through his body helped bring his mind back to clarity.

Very quickly, he noticed both of his hands had been suspended and held together with metal rods, almost like they had been pieced back with rebar.

“What… what the hell happened?! Who operated on me? What happened to my hands?!”

As expected, Strange’s reaction was nearly identical to what Alan had anticipated—only his voice was even more anguished and tormented than he imagined.

“Stephen, you were in a terrible car accident. When we found you, you were unconscious and lying in a pool of blood,” Christine said, not directly answering his question.

She knew Strange’s prideful and arrogant personality—he might not be able to handle what came next.

All Christine wanted was for him to have finally woken up. She didn’t want him to suffer any more shocks.

However, Strange was fully immersed in his own panic. He couldn’t accept the condition of his hands at all.

He roared, “Who was the surgeon?! Does he even know what the hell he’s doing? How could he leave my hands like this?! Christine, bring him here—”

“If he doesn’t know how to operate properly, I can stand next to him and guide him through it! I don’t even need anesthesia!”

Strange couldn’t feel his hands at all. He was terrified they were permanently ruined. And if they were... what would be left for him in the future?

Christine, hearing his words, began to quietly sob—but her feet didn’t move an inch.

...

### Chapter 425: Use My Card

"Strange, they found you too late. And you've already missed the optimal window for treatment."

Alan stood to the side. Seeing that Christine didn’t know how to bring it up, he decided to take on the role of the bad guy himself.

Only then did Strange realize Christine wasn’t the only one in the room. He turned his head with difficulty toward the voice and saw the unfamiliar man.

The heart monitor labeled “660” began to spike violently.

Alan noticed the sudden escalation in the monitor's sound. Rather than letting Strange boil slowly like a frog in warm water, it was better to rip off the bandage.

Christine looked up sharply. “Alan, what are you doing…?! He can’t take any more stress right now!”

Even though she knew what Alan said was the truth, Christine had hoped to wait until Strange was in better shape before telling him.

Strange asked, “Christine, who is this man? Is what he said true?”

But before she could answer, Strange began muttering to himself. He simply couldn’t accept the reality being laid out.

“It must be the doctors in this hospital. They didn’t know what they were doing. Christine, help me schedule an appointment with the top specialists.

If they’re not sure where to start, I can guide them myself!”

Alan sighed softly. As expected, Stephen couldn’t accept the truth. Christine’s emotions were also on the verge of collapse.

She simply couldn’t bring herself to say something that would utterly destroy Stephen’s hope.

Unfortunately, Alan didn’t seem intent on giving them time to process.

“Strange, you don’t have enough money. And as I said, your hands have already missed the best window for treatment.

As a doctor, you should understand what that means.”

Alan knew how cold his words sounded—but facts were facts.

There was no reason to lie just to preserve Strange’s emotions.

If Strange found out the truth later, it would be even more devastating.

“No, this can’t be happening…” Strange wailed in anguish. He glared at Alan with hatred. “Who the hell are you? Don’t compare me to those other doctors!”

“I’m not like them! Look at my hands! This—this disaster is their masterpiece! If I’d done it, it wouldn’t look this hideous!”

Christine covered her mouth and began sobbing uncontrollably. She knew Strange just needed to vent his emotions.

Through tear-filled eyes, she looked at Alan and shook her head gently…

As if to tell him: Let Stephen get it out of his system. Don’t argue with him yet. Maybe once he’s vented, he’ll calm down.

“Christine, step outside for a moment. I need to speak with Stephen alone.” Alan had no intention of following her advice.

Getting Stephen Strange to calm down wasn’t going to happen through comforting lies.

The man knew perfectly well there was zero chance of his hands being saved.

All this rage—this outburst—was just a way for him to find someone to blame.

“But he…” Christine hesitated as she stood up. From what she heard, it didn’t sound like Stephen even knew Alan.

Yet this man claimed to be Stephen’s friend, which felt strange and suspicious.

“Go handle the payment first. Use my card.” Alan pulled a credit card from his pocket and handed it to Christine.

“I’ll talk to Stephen and help him calm down.”

...

### Chapter 426: Come Find Me When You’ve Calmed Down

When Christine found a credit card suddenly placed in her hand, her first instinct was to refuse it. She still had some savings—and if worst came to worst, she could mortgage Strange’s house.

She didn’t want to owe this man any favors. But Alan's grip didn’t budge, and she couldn't push the card back into his hands.

“Mr. Alan, this doesn’t feel right,” Christine said, her eyes brimming with tears. These past days of caring for Stephen had completely drained her.

“Trust me, Christine. Go pay the bills—Stephen has me here with him,” Alan replied calmly. Right now, money was the last thing he lacked.

Besides, Stephen Strange never had the habit of saving money. In his current weakened condition, what he needed most was proper treatment.

Seeing how firm Alan was, Christine finally accepted the card. “Alan, we’ll treat this as a loan from you to Stephen and me. We will repay you.”

Alan smiled. This was the only way Christine would accept the help. As she turned and left the ward, Alan turned back to look at Stephen Strange, whose face was still twisted in despair.

“Have you calmed down a little?”

Strange clearly didn’t want to communicate. His eyes were shut tight, lips pressed into a hard line. He refused to even look at Alan.

“Whether you're pretending to sleep or not, I’ll be blunt—your hands are completely ruined.

But if you’re willing to cooperate now, while they may never fully recover, they can be better than they are.”

When Alan mentioned Strange’s hands, the two locked eyes—and what stared back was pure unwillingness to accept reality.

After a long silence, Strange finally muttered, voice trembling, “If it were me... I could’ve done better…”

“But in your current condition, you couldn’t do anything at all.” Alan spoke the harsh truth without hesitation.

Someone consumed by despair could never succeed.

“This is my number. Once you’ve calmed down and thought carefully about what I’ve said, call me.”

“You came here just to provoke and mock me?” Strange said bitterly.

“No. I came here to save youonly if you’re willing to understand.”

With those final words, Alan vanished in the blink of an eye.

Strange’s eyes widened in disbelief. He didn’t believe anyone could disappear like that—he was convinced it had to be a hallucination.

He blinked again, trying to see through what he assumed was a trick, but there was nothing. Alan was gone.

When Christine returned to return the credit card, she found the room empty.

“Stephen, where’s Alan?” she asked. She had assumed Alan would leave some kind of message—how could he just vanish without a word?

She still had his credit card. Did he really not want it back?

“I… I don’t know. He said he had something to do and left.” Strange, still reeling from Alan’s sudden disappearance, couldn’t understand where he’d gone.

This was the 28th floor. Alan hadn’t gone near the window, and the door was far from where he stood…

“Christine, are you sure they didn’t give me any medication? Something that causes hallucinations?” Strange asked.

“No. I checked everything they gave you. At most, you were on painkillers to ease the discomfort. Are you feeling better now?”

Christine noticed that his mental state was far better than before, so she continued,

“Why have I never heard of a friend of yours named Alan?”

...

### Chapter 427: Always Distracted

Inside the Sanctum Sanctorum, Ancient One was teaching her disciples magic and how to comprehend it, just as she always did. Ever since her clash with Ebony Maw, she had become more vigilant.

Ancient One now clearly understood Thanos’s ambition. Perhaps one day in the future, Thanos would invade Earth—and by then, relying solely on the Emperor might not be enough.

Because Thanos’s goal wasn’t just to destroy Earth; he aimed to wipe out all life in the galaxy.

While talented sorcerers weren’t rare, the path of cultivation was treacherous—many could easily stray into darkness. Just like one particularly gifted disciple under her tutelage.

The sorcerers she’d sent to retrieve him had mostly returned injured—some had even been killed by Kaecilius.

Kaecilius had once been her pride. Unfortunately, his heart wasn’t in the right place. He was never satisfied with the magic he’d already mastered and yearned for more—longing for eternal power.

He was willing to pay any price to study dark magic. Now, he had long fallen into madness. Ancient One couldn’t allow Kaecilius to continue down this path.

He had to be captured and executed. Only his death could restore some peace to the world.

Ancient One didn’t even want to imagine what might happen if Kaecilius succeeded in summoning the dark entity Dormammu and bringing him to Earth. What would become of the planet then?

If Dormammu emerged from the Dark Dimension, Thanos might notice—and the worst, most terrifying possibility was the two joining forces.

By then, the universe would descend into chaos. Even ten of her wouldn’t be able to stop it. What worried her most was that relying on the Emperor alone might not be enough to protect the universe.

“Master Ancient One, why are you so distracted again?” Alan’s voice suddenly rang out from behind her. She hadn’t even noticed his arrival.

It reminded him of how she must have looked when Hela returned the Time Stone—lost in deep thought.

“Emperor!” Ancient One exclaimed, startled. Immersed in her thoughts, she hadn’t sensed anyone appear.

“You’ve been out of sorts a lot lately,” Alan observed. He noticed the fatigue in her expression. After all, who knew how many lifetimes she had lived?

She had always protected the sanctum, preventing the dark elves from invading. If the sanctum ever fell, the dark elves in the other dimension could potentially invade Earth.

“Is it because of Kaecilius?”

The moment Alan mentioned the name Kaecilius, Ancient One lifted her head sharply, eyes fixed unblinking on him.

“Seems like nothing can be hidden from the Emperor,” Ancient One sighed softly. She even missed Hela’s occasional visits to bother her.

When Hela had time to come pester her, it meant Asgard and the other realms were at peace.

But ever since Hela had returned the Time Stone, she had never appeared on Earth again. Could it mean they were preparing for war against Thanos?

“What’s the current situation?” Alan wanted to know whether Kaecilius had already snuck into the library where the spellbooks were kept, and if he’d torn out the pages containing the spell to summon Dormammu.

“Kaecilius flees the moment he’s spotted. He’s killed many of our own.” Ancient One still considered Kaecilius her disciple.

After all, she had personally taught him how to learn and control magic. It pained her to see what he had become.

“Has he come back?” Alan asked directly.

...

### Chapter 428: Offering Suggestions

Ancient One shook her head. If Kaecilius had returned, she would’ve captured him personally. Unfortunately, he hadn’t come back.

“My suggestion, Ancient One: the library… it’s time to assign some more capable people to guard it.” Alan clasped his hands behind his back.

With this, he could confirm that Kaecilius hadn’t yet stolen the book on how to summon Dormammu.

“You know something, don’t you, Emperor?” Ancient One gazed intently into Alan’s eyes. In that moment, it was as if she realized something.

“I’ll send other sorcerers to guard the library. But I suspect you didn’t come here today just to remind me about that, did you?” Ancient One smiled.

“Smart,” Alan thought to himself. This shouldn’t violate the laws of time—after all, some disasters could be prevented, and should be, if possible.

Aside from not being allowed to kill Thanos directly, he had to wait until Thanos made his own move to ensure the story stayed on course.

Alan knew better than to blindly rush in and kill Thanos on Titan like Hela had. That could trigger a cascade of unintended consequences.

“Stephen Strange,” Alan said plainly, offering only the name to Ancient One.

“A doctor. He hasn’t had much luck lately.” As soon as she heard the name, a flood of information about Stephen Strange appeared in Ancient One’s mind.

After a moment of contemplation, her eyes suddenly widened.

“Well? Isn’t he someone with great talent and a strong will?” Alan raised an eyebrow slightly, catching every detail of her reaction.

“But right now, his will isn’t that strong. To be precise, he’s a bit arrogant,” Ancient One said thoughtfully, rubbing her fingers together.

Still, a recommendation from the Emperor carried weight. Stephen Strange truly was a promising individual, though his arrogance might be an obstacle.

“For you, that shouldn’t be too difficult. He’ll become your best weapon against Kaecilius,” Alan said calmly.

Ancient One considered it. Changing someone’s mindset wasn’t easy, but Stephen was currently in a state of despair.

To change his arrogance now wouldn’t be too hard.

“When do you plan to send him?” Ancient One looked up at the ceiling. In her mind’s eye, she could already see Stephen Strange as the next Sorcerer Supreme.

All it would take was a little miracle—and she could finally rest.

She couldn’t even remember how many years she had lived on Earth. If someone worthy appeared to inherit her legacy...

She would pass on her knowledge without hesitation.

And now, it finally seemed like such a person had arrived.

“No rush. He needs to figure it out for himself.” Alan had expected Ancient One to accept Stephen. With the two of them working together, Earth would be that much safer.

Thanos wouldn’t be a match for Ancient One. He was just a butcher who dreamed of retiring to farm after committing mass murder—what right did he have to enjoy peace?

Alan harbored a deep hatred for Thanos. If he couldn’t stand to see overpopulation burdening other planets...

Then Thanos had two choices: gouge out his own eyes, or go die.

...

### Chapter 429: Soothing a Wounded Heart

Just like that, after running around all day, Alan returned home and found that Gwen was already back and Wanda was preparing dinner.

He hadn’t expected that just visiting two places would take up nearly the entire day.

Soothing Strange’s "wounded" heart had taken quite a bit of time.

Gwen looked up toward the entrance and saw Alan coming in. She had actually been wondering whether he would even return tonight.

She closed the book in her hands, quickly got up from the sofa, and walked over to Alan, scanning him from head to toe.

The way she looked at him made Alan feel a bit strange—like she was checking whether he had been out fooling around.

“What is it?” Alan couldn’t help but ask. “Is there something weird on me?”

Gwen’s body stiffened slightly, her cheeks turning a little red. “No... No, it’s just that I couldn’t reach you all day, and now you’re back so late, I thought maybe...”

“Gwen thought something might’ve happened to you. We were really worried. Didn’t you check your phone?” Wanda, still wearing her apron, was standing in the kitchen with a glass bowl in her hands, stirring something.

Alan froze for a moment, then quickly pulled his phone from his pocket—no matter how he pressed it, there was no response. Was it broken?

“That’s weird. I remember turning off silent mode!” Alan kept pressing the power button, but the phone stayed completely unresponsive.

Just then, Red Queen walked out of her room, giving the three people standing in the entryway a helpless look as she sighed.

“Master, if your phone could talk, it would definitely start complaining to you.”

The three of them looked at her in surprise, unsure what she meant.

“When was the last time you charged it?”

A sheepish smile appeared on Alan’s face. So that was the problem—the phone wasn’t broken. He had simply forgotten to charge it.

No wonder he’d been confused why Gwen and Wanda hadn’t contacted him. Red Queen extended her small hand in front of him, and Alan handed over his phone.

If Red Queen hadn’t pointed it out, he honestly wouldn’t have realized. With all the powers he now possessed, and Red Queen around as a supercomputer assistant, he rarely used or even thought about his phone.

“You scared me to death. I couldn’t reach you all day. If you hadn’t come home by eight, we were going to go out looking for you.” Gwen finally let out a sigh of relief.

Alan walked straight to the sofa. Considerate as always, Red Queen handed him a cup of warm water—she had detected that he hadn’t drunk enough water today, which was bad for his health.

“I went to see Ancient One and Stephen Strange today,” Alan said, tilting his head back and finishing the cup. He had spoken more today than he had drunk water.

Gwen tilted her head curiously. “You saw Stephen Strange today? That genius doctor?”

Wanda perked up her ears in the kitchen, listening to the conversation without interrupting. Her curiosity was piqued. Red Queen then projected a video of the car accident.

That terrifying crash—and Strange was still alive? His luck was truly something else.

“Yeah.” Alan looked up just as Wanda glanced over at him with curious eyes. “He’s out of danger now, but his hands... are practically useless. Whether he’ll even be able to hold chopsticks steadily in the future is still a question.”

Thinking about who Alan had met today, Wanda spoke slowly: “You went to ask Ancient One for help, didn’t you?”

...

### Chapter 430: Covering Up the Awkwardness

As someone who also used magic, Wanda had sensed the moment she saw Ancient One that she was a formidable figure.

The magic that radiated endlessly from her body left no doubt. Wanda still remembered that her first encounter with Ancient One had been when Alan brought her along.

Back then, the chaos magic within her had been spiraling out of control, and she had no idea how to rein it in. Without Alan and Ancient One’s help, she might have lost control and harmed—or even killed—a lot of people.

Wanda didn’t want to see that kind of future come to pass.

Thankfully, Alan had been there. Thinking of this, Wanda looked at Alan with a gaze full of tender emotion.

Alan awkwardly raised a hand to his lips and pretended to cough. “Sort of. Ancient One needs a better assistant.”

Gwen let out a surprised gasp. “Alan, you mean Strange? He... he really doesn’t seem like magic-user material.”

It wasn’t that Gwen looked down on Strange—she had actually been curious about him and had asked Red Queen to collect everything about him.

Even videos of him performing surgery were easy to find online, and from what she’d seen, he came across as extremely arrogant.

“He has the talent,” Alan said simply. He didn’t feel the need to explain more. In time, everything would become clear.

Red Queen naturally believed every word Alan said. If Alan claimed something could be done, then it could be done.

“Let’s hope Strange doesn’t let Master down.”

Wanda and Gwen were already used to how Red Queen addressed Alan. Although they remembered hearing that she was supposedly a friend’s child, they couldn’t understand why she kept calling Alan “Master.”

They figured Red Queen must be going through some awkward teenage phase—one of those confusing stages—so they didn’t press the issue or try to correct her wording.

Roughly three days passed. Alan wasn’t in a rush to see changes in Strange, but Ancient One was full of interest and would appear from time to time, asking Alan about Strange.

Ancient One had already held high expectations for Strange, and after Alan told her he intended to recommend him, she was even happier.

If Strange were to take over, she could finally get some rest.

Initially, her plan had been to find a suitable successor to the title of Sorcerer Supreme, and then go seek out death...

But after talking with Alan, Ancient One changed her mind about seeking death.

Maybe fighting alongside Strange to protect Earth would suit her better.

Just then, the phone rang, interrupting Alan’s thoughts. When he saw the unfamiliar number on the caller ID, he instantly knew—Strange had probably made up his mind.

“Hello?” Alan answered unhurriedly. Truth be told, he was a bit surprised. He had originally estimated Strange would need at least two weeks to process everything.

Yet here it was, only the third day, and he was already calling.

“Mr. Alan, it’s me—Stephen Strange.” A weak voice came through the phone.

A gleam flashed in Alan’s eyes—it really was him.

After a short exchange, they agreed Alan would come by later and take Strange to meet Ancient One.

“Was that the surgeon?” Gwen asked after overhearing someone call Alan. She didn’t recognize the voice, and her curiosity got the better of her, so she chose to ask directly.

...