Half-asleep, Qin Xiao suddenly heard the system notification.
In an instant, he was wide awake.
"The Ancient One… ate the Devil Fruit!"
He immediately checked his system.
[Devil Fruit Trading System]
Self-consumption: Develop fruit abilities independently (limited quantity)
2. Others consume: Extract abilities from others (unlimited quantity)
[Consumed Fruits and Users]
Swamp-Swamp Fruit: Punisher — Frank CastleBomb-Bomb Fruit: Kingpin — Wilson FiskRevive-Revive Fruit: Iron Man — Tony StarkAge-Age Fruit: Sorcerer Supreme — Ancient One
[Extracted Abilities]
Swamp-Swamp Fruit, Punisher's Weapon MasteryBomb-Bomb FruitRevive-Revive FruitAge-Age Fruit, Mirror Dimension, Portals
[Fruit Ability Amplification: 0%]
The Ancient One's name had indeed appeared.
And Qin Xiao had gained her ability.
More than that—
she had immediately fed back a spell to him.
Portals.
This meant her integration with the fruit had already reached a certain level.
And this—
was unprecedented.
When Kingpin ate the Bomb-Bomb Fruit, nothing extra was gained.
When Tony ate the Revive-Revive Fruit, the same.
Even Frank's Weapon Mastery had only come after extended development.
But the Ancient One—
granted feedback instantly.
That alone spoke volumes about how terrifying she was.
While Qin Xiao was reveling in his gains—
the Ancient One stood before a mirror.
For once, her calm expression wavered.
Her reflection kept changing.
Old.
Young.
Child.
Adult.
Middle-aged.
Her appearance shifted continuously.
For centuries, she had lived—
yet never truly seen herself change.
Even with the Time Stone,
she couldn't fully predict when the next Sorcerer Supreme would appear.
Nor when the next crisis would come.
So she never allowed herself to age.
She had to remain at her peak—at all times.
And that was only her life in reality.
Within the countless futures she had observed—
she had lived through even more time.
Her body, sustained by Dormammu's dark energy, remained vigorous.
But her soul—
had wandered through endless time.
That brought benefits—
learning more magic, experiencing battles beyond reality.
But it also brought immense burden.
Time without end.
How many times had she nearly fallen into darkness?
Again and again, she clawed her way back.
All for this world.
If she had a choice—
would she still endure all this?
In those futures that abruptly ended—
was it not her own decision to let go?
If living weren't so exhausting…
perhaps she would have chosen to continue.
She had even forgotten what she once looked like—
when her hair was still bound and dark.
And now—
the mirror showed her everything.
Her younger self, fragile and small.
Her youthful self, full of innocence.
Her prime, sharp and radiant.
Her mature years, graceful and composed.
Her later years, steady and wise.
Her old age, marked by time.
For the first time in centuries—
she truly felt life again.
This—
was what it meant to live.
Not as the Sorcerer Supreme.
Not as a detached observer of timelines.
But as a person.
She gently touched her face.
Then—
she fixed her appearance.
Slightly younger than her usual form.
Just… a little.
After all—
the desire for beauty was universal.
For the first time in ages—
the Ancient One seemed a little more human.
Alive.
"Qin Xiao… envoy of a devil?
The Age-Age Fruit… is indeed mysterious.
Only by experiencing it can one truly understand these fruits.
This fruit doesn't grant overwhelming power—
but something beyond power."
Her voice was soft.
"For centuries… I have once again felt the desire to live."
She paused.
"What exactly is the entity behind you?
How can it grant such precise power…
so perfectly suited to individuals?
How does it choose?"
With that, she pushed open the door.
It was time—
to meet Qin Xiao again.
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