The Planeswalker remained in synchronous orbit above Vormir. Tony and Jojani stayed aboard the ship, while everyone else descended to the surface together.
Tony stared at the fleet of starships a thousand kilometers away, able to imagine the scene of a full artillery barrage turning the planet's surface into a sea of fire. According to Gamora, Thanos was a madman with an unshakable will. He would invade other civilizations without reason, destroy their ability to resist, then slaughter half of their population.
An interstellar terrorist like that could not help inspiring fear.
Tony secretly worried for his homeworld, Earth. Earth's civilization had yet to leave the cradle, and in the face of malice from the depths of the stars, it had no ability to resist at all.
"Maybe it's necessary to build a global defense network… use AI and magical armor to arm the people of Earth…" Tony murmured thoughtfully.
Vormir.
Skyl took Stan's slow legs into consideration, so everyone slowed their pace. It was currently winter in the northern hemisphere. Snow had begun falling across Vormir's barren, vast stone plains, and beneath the shroud of dark clouds, the sky was dim. Skyl raised a ball of fluorescent light high above his head, illuminating the area for miles around. On the sacrificial cliff, Thanos gazed at the striking light source on the plain, his heavy, solemn purple-potato face betraying nothing.
Beside him stood four capable subordinates. They had spread Thanos's terrifying theory of balance for him, planned and contributed to massacres across civilizations, and accumulated a fearsome reputation.
There was also Nebula, Thanos's adopted daughter and Gamora's sister. Unlike Gamora, Nebula could be called utterly loyal.
"He is here." Thanos's voice was like that of an old whale. Though he was known as the Mad Titan, he was, in fact, rational, calmer, firmer, more decisive, and more ruthless than the vast majority of people.
He believed he had to take responsibility for the future of civilization in the universe. By reducing the population of every civilization by half, he would lessen the pressure placed on the natural environment and reduce the endless demand for resources, thereby extending the history of civilization.
This towering blood debt was Thanos's burden, but it did not make him feel guilty. If one hesitated before killing, one would be destined to fail in carrying out such an unparalleled great work.
Ebony Maw, the strategist, gently inhaled the icy air on the cliff and finally gathered the courage to advise his majestic and cold master.
"My lord, please allow us to obtain the Infinity Stones for you. There is no need for you to take this risk yourself."
"Do you think I will lose to him?" Thanos heard the implication in his words. "Ebony Maw, you have always been thorough in your considerations. You should be advising me to take the legions and flee Vormir, perhaps even flee the Milky Way, and go to Andromeda, or to some even more distant galaxy."
Ebony Maw bowed and apologized.
Thanos looked at his subordinates. Aside from Nebula, that child, who was impulsive, aggressive, and filled with hot-blooded courage, the rest all wore grave expressions. Even Cull Obsidian, the general who had always been reckless and straightforward, was solemn.
A rare treasure like an Infinity Stone was enough to make anyone who possessed even one of them a top-tier powerhouse in the universe, let alone someone who possessed four at the same time.
"Since his goal is also to collect the Infinity Stones, then under the arrangement of fate, we would eventually meet. I am very curious about what kind of person he truly is, and what wish he carries as he collects the Stones. Today, perhaps I will die in battle, or perhaps I will achieve my long-cherished desire. May destiny be with me."
The Mad Titan sat on a massive stone at the edge of the cliff, closed his eyes, and slowly sighed.
The guide of the sacrificial cliff descended the rugged mountain path to welcome the travelers from afar.
Skyl had no good impression of this guide. The man had once been the leader of a secret organization in World War II Germany, the head of HYDRA, a warlord whose hands were drenched in blood, Red Skull.
Of course, compared to Thanos's "great achievements," Red Skull's deeds were nothing but a small-time villain meeting a true cosmic butcher.
"I know you," Skyl said to Red Skull. "Guardian of the Soul Stone. I suppose we are both from Earth."
"The past is already a distant memory to me." Red Skull's withered cheeks could form no expression, and no emotion could be heard in his voice. "If you wish to avenge the dead, then act. However, I believe you have come for the Stone. In that case, I must offer you some counsel. To obtain the Stone, one must sacrifice the one they love. A soul for a soul. You brought so many people with you. Have you decided who you will sacrifice?"
The crew's expressions became rather strange. There was not much panic, because everyone trusted Skyl's character. Their discomfort mainly came from the rule of a soul for a soul itself.
Skyl asked Stan, "Do you have a way?"
"Well…" Stan blinked, wearing the expression of a senile old man.
"All right. I'll think of something else."
Upon reaching the sacrificial cliff, the first thing Skyl noticed was not Thanos, but the Mind Scepter in the hands of Corvus Glaive, one of Thanos's subordinates. Embedded at the tip of that scepter was the Mind Stone.
"You keep your word, Lord Thanos." Skyl placed a hand over his chest in greeting.
Thanos opened his eyes. This purple-potato spirit, who had once beaten the Avengers into complete helplessness, had yet to fulfill his grand ambitions at this moment. He still carried boundless tyranny and ambition. Otherwise, he would not have worn armor and held a great blade, looking as though he intended to fight Skyl in a grand battle.
But when he opened his mouth, even Skyl was somewhat surprised.
"I can give you the Mind Stone." Thanos waved his hand, and Corvus Glaive took the initiative to present the scepter containing the Stone.
Naturally, Skyl accepted it without the slightest hesitation. He pressed the Infinity Scepter against the Mind Stone. As the most important core, the socket at the head of the staff had always been reserved for the Mind Stone.
The fifth Stone was in his hands in an instant. Five-colored torrents of energy surged along the scepter and into Skyl's arm, bringing him a faint tingling sensation like electricity passing through him.
Thanos stared closely at the Infinity Scepter and asked in astonishment, "What material is that made from?"
"A ramen fork," Skyl answered truthfully.
"Before you sacrifice your beloved and obtain the final Stone, can you tell me why you are collecting them?"
"For truth," Skyl answered truthfully again.
He slowly walked past Thanos and his subordinates. The crew followed close behind. When Gamora passed by Thanos, the cosmic tyrant's gaze flickered, but in the end, he said nothing.
Lady Moonshadow radiated the mind of a Daedric Prince across Vormir, but she found no trace of the final Soul Stone. She then activated prophecy and saw the truth. It was indeed just as Red Skull had said. She laughed softly and said to Skyl, "Little Skyl, to obtain the Stone, you must perform the sacrifice. If you say that you love me, I will jump off the cliff for you without the slightest hesitation."
"Professor, don't tease me." Skyl took the Genesis Pen from his robes. Ever since he had recovered this supreme treasure, he had not used it before, mainly because its ink had run dry. "Stan, help me out."
Hadn't he gone through all the trouble of finding this old man precisely for this moment?
What "eternal transaction"? What "a soul for a soul"? What a load of crap. This wizard wasn't buying it.
The old man grumbled endlessly and reluctantly took out an ink sac, replaced the dried-up one inside the Genesis Pen, then handed it back to Skyl.
With the Genesis Pen in hand, Skyl took out a sheet of white paper, then used Transfiguration to make himself a work desk.
Everyone gathered around the desk and watched Skyl draw. What flowed beneath that pen was history, the past, the present, and the future.
//Check out my P@tre0n for 30 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[email protected]/Razeil0810.