The Man of Steel in Marvel

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Jiro stepped into the room, his gaze lingering on the Ancient One for a moment.

She looked so ordinary… yet there was a depth to her presence that hinted at immense power.

"Sorcerer Supreme," Jiro gave a respectful nod. "Looks like my arrival didn't go unnoticed."

The Ancient One waved her hand gently, and a cup of tea appeared in front of Jiro out of thin air.

"Please, sit. Your presence is like a torch in the darkness—it's hard not to notice."

Jiro took the cup and sat down cross-legged.

The tea's aroma filled the room, carrying a faint but strange magical resonance.

"So… are you here to tell me to get off Earth?"

"Quite the opposite," the Ancient One said after a sip of tea. "I'm here to thank you."

Jiro raised an eyebrow. "Thank me?"

"You stopped Loki's plan, prevented a war among the Nine Realms." Her gaze drifted toward the window.

"And you taught Thor humility—something crucial for the future king of Asgard."

Jiro narrowed his eyes slightly. He wasn't sure what the Ancient One was playing at. Based on what he knew of her, she should be scolding him for messing with the timeline, not praising him.

Still, he chuckled. "I was just doing what I felt like doing."

"That kind of purity is rare," the Ancient One said, setting her cup down.

"Jiro, how much do you really know about this universe?"

"Plenty."

A golden gleam flickered in Jiro's eyes. "Like how Dormammu has his eye on Earth. Or how Thanos is collecting the Infinity Stones."

For the first time, the Ancient One's expression shifted. "You even know that…"

"I also know your secrets."

Jiro stared straight into her eyes. He was starting to get a clearer idea of how much the Ancient One knew about him.

Maybe she only knew he was an outsider… but not who he really was.

"The Time Stone inside the Eye of Agamotto. And the power you draw from the Dark Dimension."

The air in the meditation room instantly tensed. Outside the door, Mordo unconsciously gripped his relic tighter.

The Ancient One went quiet for a long moment, then suddenly smiled. "Interesting. Seems I underestimated you."

She stood, her robe fluttering even though there was no wind. "In that case, how about we go somewhere more private to talk?"

She drew a circle with her hands, opening a portal of golden sparks.

On the other side was the snowy peak of the Himalayas.

Jiro stepped through without hesitation.

The icy wind had no effect on him. The snow beneath his feet didn't even leave prints, thanks to his bio-force field.

The Ancient One followed. "It's quiet enough here. We can speak freely."

"What do you want to know?" Jiro asked bluntly.

"Your purpose." Her expression turned serious.

"With power like yours, you chose to stay on Earth. What are you really after? And where do you come from?"

Jiro looked out over the endless mountains. "A home."

That simple answer made the Ancient One pause ever so slightly.

"My origin? You probably won't believe it—but I'm actually a Kryptonian. I just ended up in this world by accident."Jiro came up with the lie on the spot and started making things up without hesitation.

He paused for a second, then went on,"I was reborn here. All I want is to live my life my way… and protect the things I think are worth protecting."

"Even if that means going against S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Even if it means doing whatever I feel like doing," Jiro replied, golden light flickering in his eyes."As long as they don't come looking for trouble."

The Ancient One thought for a moment. "What if I invited you to join Kamar-Taj… and become the next Sorcerer Supreme?"

That made Jiro freeze for a second. "Why me?"

"Because you can see things I can't." Her voice suddenly sounded tired."I've been protecting this world for a long, long time, Jiro.The Time Stone has shown me countless possible futures. But in every timeline, there's one thing that never changes—my death.Though… maybe that's just what I've come to believe."

Jiro quickly picked up on what she was implying. "You're preparing to pass the mantle."

The Ancient One nodded. "Doctor Strange still needs time to grow. But you—You're a variable. Something that's not supposed to exist."

"And ever since you showed up, the timelines have become too chaotic to read. I can't see anything anymore."

The wind and snow atop the mountain picked up, but an invisible barrier surrounded the two of them, and the snowflakes melted away quietly a few meters before reaching them.

"I can't accept." Jiro finally gave his answer. "I have my own path to walk."

The Ancient One didn't seem surprised. "Then at least promise me one thing—When darkness comes, and Earth needs you… you'll stand up."

Jiro smiled. "Depends on how I feel at the time."

She smiled too. "That's good enough."

She opened a portal again. "Care to visit the library?The books at Kamar-Taj might be useful to you."

Jiro's eyes lit up. "Now that sounds like a good idea."

Inside the Kamar-Taj Library, towering shelves stretched toward the ceiling. The air was filled with the scent of parchment and sandalwood.

Standing in the center, Jiro looked around. The golden patterns on his black battle suit shimmered faintly in the candlelight, contrasting sharply with the ancient, mystical vibe of the place.

"This is the most complete magical archive on Earth,"the Ancient One said, hands folded behind her back, her flowing yellow robes rippling slightly without any wind."It holds the knowledge of every Sorcerer Supreme, from the Vishanti to Agamotto."

Wong, the librarian, eyed Jiro warily. "Sorcerer Supreme, this guest is…"

"A guest," the Ancient One said gently. "He has the right to read anything he wants."

Wong's eyes widened in shock, but he quickly composed himself. "What kind of material are you looking for?"

"All of it."Jiro's super vision was already scanning the shelves. "Especially anything on the multiverse or the Dark Dimension."

"These texts are too dangerous!" Wong said in surprise. "Even experienced sorcerers need guidance before—"

"Let him read," the Ancient One interrupted softly, her gaze still fixed on Jiro."I trust Mr. Jiro knows his limits."

Jiro gave a slight nod. Activating his super vision, he instantly analyzed the entire structure of the library.

The bookshelf categories, the arrangement of the books, even the magically hidden sections—nothing escaped his senses.

Every title on every spine, every symbol on every page, even the secrets sealed by magic… all laid bare before him.

"Interesting."

He walked up to the nearest shelf and gently ran his fingers across a row of jewel-studded ancient tomes.

"Your magical system is nothing like Asgard's. They draw power from divine bloodlines… but you lot borrow it from different dimensions."

He moved to the section on spatial theory, letting his fingers hover over a row of sapphire-embedded books.

"Your magic is basically a loan from dimensional energy. That's why you need the Sling Ring as a medium."

Wong's jaw dropped. "You figured that out just by looking at the bookshelf labels?"

Jiro had already pulled down Fundamentals of Spatial Principles and started flipping through it.

His fingers moved so fast they blurred, each page taking less than a second to read.

Books that would take an ordinary person months to study—he memorized them all in under two minutes.

"Spatial folding… dimensional positioning… energy anchors…"

He shut the book, his eyes glowing with thought.

Lifting his right hand, he tried drawing the shape of a portal in the air, following the book's instructions.A few faint sparks appeared… and vanished.

The Ancient One smiled slightly. "Looks like even Superman has to follow the basic rules of magic."

Jiro didn't mind. "Just testing the theory."

He tapped his temple. "Everything's up here now. I just don't have the right energy channel yet."

"I'll figure out how to tap into the energy in my own body to cast spells later."

Wong's expression changed from cautious to pure disbelief."You… you memorized the entire book?"

"....."