Chapter 134: The Time Gem

The night in the jungles of Pandora is exceptionally perilous, as various predators emerge to hunt, such as the viperwolves. Although the forest is filled with bioluminescent flora, these lights are not present everywhere. Jake, unfortunately, found himself in a patch of the forest where glowing plants were scarce, and the dense canopy overhead obscured the light emitted by the gas giant Polyphemus.

Listening to the growls of the pack drawing closer, Jake tied his jacket to a stick and ignited it, hoping to ward off the viperwolves circling him. The creatures, naturally fearful of fire, kept their distance, yet the pangs of hunger prevented them from easily abandoning the easy meal within their reach. They prowled around him, constantly harassing the terrified Jake in an attempt to wear down his energy and exhaust the torch in his hand.

Not far away, Neytiri, wielding a mechanical recurve bow, observed the scene and reported it to the United Government Embassy.

"Bring him back to the tribe, but do not let him see the embassy," ordered Wang Lei, who was in charge of the facility.

After ending the call, Neytiri drew a shock-arrow from the quiver on her back and fired it at a viperwolf that had leaped onto Jake. The powerful electrical discharge instantly stunned the beast just as it was about to bite into Jake’s head. Jake, trapped beneath the creature, was also jolted by the current, causing his body to convulse.

Other viperwolves in the vicinity tried to seize the opportunity to attack the twitching, fallen Jake, but they too were stunned by Neytiri’s subsequent shots. The pained shrieks of the electrocuted viperwolves deterred the rest of the pack, leaving them hesitant to advance. Knowing these creatures were not yet deterred, the experienced Neytiri fired three more shock-arrows into the pack. Realizing the Na'vi meant business, the surviving viperwolves whimpered and scattered into the darkness.

Once the danger had passed, Neytiri approached the unconscious Jake. She retrieved her spent shock-arrows and pulled the stunned viperwolf off him. After securing Jake with rope—who had been forced out of his link due to the electrical shock—she dragged his avatar toward the tribe. Before long, she encountered Tsu'tey and the others who had come to provide support. With the help of their direhorses, they quickly reached the tribal village.

Tsu'tey lifted the still-unconscious Jake from his mount and tied him to a large tree to await his awakening.

Minutes after Jake was brought back, Wang Jing received the news. Just as he was preparing to check on the newcomer, the Ancient One returned to the base, clad in power armor. Ever since diplomatic relations were established with the Na'vi, the Ancient One had been exploring Pandora alone. Wang Jing had initially refused, given that the Ancient One was technically a mortal and exploring Pandora alone was far too dangerous. However, after witnessing her combat prowess—even Liu Peiqiang, an expert in hand-to-hand combat, could not last two moves against her—Wang Jing had reluctantly agreed. It was understandable, after all; as the progenitor of melee sorcerers and a centuries-old master, her combat skills far surpassed those of an ordinary human, even without magic.

"How was your exploration these past few days, Master Ancient One?" Wang Jing asked with a smile.

The Ancient One nodded in satisfaction. "This planet is truly miraculous. By following the light emitted by the seeds of the Tree of Souls, I found the soul of this world."

"The soul? You must mean Eywa, the planetary consciousness."

"You could put it that way. She knows you come from another world and wishes for your help in driving away the humans mining at Hell's Gate. But before that, you should discuss the terms. Seek out Mo'at; she will help you meet Eywa."

"Understood. I was heading to their tribe anyway, so I can speak with Mo'at while I'm there."

"I will accompany you," the Ancient One said. "You can send me back from there."

"Are you returning already?" Wang Jing asked, surprised by the haste.

"Indeed. I am the Guardian of Earth. With me gone for so long, the creatures of the Dark Dimension will surely attempt an invasion."

"Then I shall send you back first; your mission is more important than mine."

The Ancient One accepted his offer gracefully. After Wang Jing returned her to the Marvel universe, she called out to him just as he was about to depart. She formed an eye shape with her hands before her chest, and with a flash of green light, the Eye of Agamotto appeared. She removed it and handed it to Wang Jing. "This is for our agreement."

Wang Jing took the Eye of Agamotto with solemn respect, but the expected surge of energy did not occur. Looking up at the Ancient One, he asked, "How do I activate it? It seems I can only absorb the power upon direct contact with the Time Stone."

The Ancient One nodded and waved her right hand. Wang Jing felt as if he had been transported, though the environment remained unchanged. "This is the Mirror Dimension, just as a precaution." She performed a gesture, and a green magical circle manifested from the Eye of Agamotto, revealing the Time Stone at its center.

Wang Jing reached out a finger and touched the stone. The moment contact was made, a vast surge of energy flooded into his body. It felt as if the entire universe were channeling its power through him, and his vision was filled with nothing but green light.

In reality, from the Ancient One's perspective, the Time Stone emitted a brilliant blue light, all of which was being absorbed by Wang Jing’s body. She could sense the immense magnitude of the energy. After about a minute, fearing that Wang Jing's body might be overwhelmed, she ceased her spell. The Time Stone was once again encased within the Eye of Agamotto.

As the energy transfer stopped, the light faded. Wang Jing took a deep breath, feeling his body coursing with newfound strength. He felt as though he could knock down Optimus Prime without his armor, though he knew deep down this was merely an illusion born of his sudden power boost; in truth, he likely couldn't withstand a single blow from the Transformer.

"Thank you, Master Ancient One," Wang Jing said with a slight bow.

"You are welcome. It is what you deserve. The stronger you are, the greater our hope in facing Thanos in the future," she said with a kind smile.