Chapter 473: I Want the Soul Stone
Sacrifice the Misty of this world?
Silas shook his head. He had absolutely no emotional connection to the Misty of this universe, so it would be impossible to trigger the conditions for the Soul Stone.
Thus, Silas came up with a brilliant alternative: wait for Thanos to sacrifice Gamora first, and then step in to snatch the stone. Although it was a bit dishonorable, it was currently his only viable option.
Having arrived early at Xandar, Thanos began his slaughter. However, he maintained his personal principle of leaving half the population alive. But just as Thanos sat upon his throne, preparing to receive the Power Stone from Ebony Maw, a hand appeared right under his nose.
"Which piece of trash is this?!"
Thanos stood up abruptly, gripping his double-bladed sword and aiming it at the suddenly manifested hand.
BANG!
A powerful repulsive force actually sent Thanos flying backward, crashing into the warship behind him.
"Father!"
Ebony Maw looked around frantically, but he couldn't see anyone. It was as if what had just happened was a hallucination. If Thanos hadn't been lying in the wreckage of the ship, Maw would have believed it was all a dream.
The rest of the Black Order raised their weapons, scanning their surroundings with hyper-vigilance for any suspicious signs.
"Argh!"
Thanos leapt out of the debris in a rage. With a violent swing of his blade, he cleaved a small nearby spacecraft in two.
"Who exactly are you!" Thanos pointed toward the sky. Although he couldn't see anyone, he could sense someone watching him from above.
Seeing that Thanos had detected him, Silas no longer hid. His black-clad silhouette gradually manifested in mid-air.
"Go to hell!"
Proxima Midnight was the first to retaliate for Thanos, hurling her divine spear. The spear shot out like an arrow from a god, tearing through the void at a speed that surpassed time to reach Silas.
Under the watchful eyes of the army, Silas slowly reached out his right hand and caught the thunder-wrapped spear barehanded.
"What?!"
Proxima Midnight stared up at Silas in disbelief. This human had caught her divine spear with a single hand. This was a godly artifact specifically gifted to her by Thanos; its power was so great that even Thanos wouldn't casually try to catch it by hand.
"This move again. I wonder if I can kill two birds with one stone this time."
Silas playfully weighed the spear in his hand. He recalled the time in Antarctica when he had taken out both Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive with a single spear throw.
The moment he finished speaking, the spear flew from his hand. Like a falling comet, it trailed a shimmering golden light as it plummeted toward Proxima Midnight.
"Not good!"
Seeing his lover in danger, Corvus Glaive raised his glaive, intending to block the beam-like spear. Even though he knew he probably couldn't stop it—that it was like a mantis trying to stop a carriage—he was prepared to die. He feared nothing except losing her.
Just as the spear was about to hit them, Thanos intervened! He threw his massive double-bladed sword with all his might. The spinning blade whistled through the air, attempting to deflect the invincible spear, but in the next instant, the spear vanished.
"What?"
Confusion flickered in Thanos's eyes. Where did the spear go?
THUD!
The massive sword slammed into the ground, half the blade sinking into the earth. Corvus Glaive slowly lowered his weapon; the spear that was just about to strike them had disappeared into thin air.
Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian stood back-to-back, wary of a sudden strike from Silas in the sky. Proxima Midnight tried to sense her weapon. As she focused, her eyes snapped open, but before she could speak—
Pshhh!
The divine spear skewered Proxima Midnight through the chest.
"No!" Corvus Glaive screamed. He never expected the spear to reappear directly behind her.
Thanos's face was incredibly dark. Silas had killed Proxima Midnight right in front of him! This was a heavy slap to his face.
"Thanos, I don't want to waste too much time with you. I'll be waiting for you on Vormir."
Silas pulled a circular device from the void and let go; it dropped straight down. Ebony Maw immediately used his telekinesis to catch it. Silas vanished from the air as if he had never been there.
"Father..." Ebony Maw's voice trembled as he spoke. Thanos was like a powder keg ready to explode.
Filled with rage, Thanos took the device and squeezed. A holographic projection appeared before him.
"This is... a star map?" Ebony Maw hadn't expected the map to lead to Vormir. It was the location of the Soul Stone Thanos had always wanted, but since they hadn't known how to get there, why was the man in black helping them?
"This might be a trap, Great Father of Titans," Maw whispered, kneeling humbly. He hoped Thanos wouldn't go; the mysterious man's power was too dangerous.
"A trap? No one can outplot me," Thanos said coldly. Gamora and Nebula stood behind him in silence. Thanos was terrifying right now; no one dared to cross him.
Hearing Thanos's resolve, Maw dared not argue further, fearing the big sword might cleave him in two. The only sound was the sobbing of Corvus Glaive.
Thanos glanced at Corvus and said, "Keep up."
With that, Thanos led his soldiers back to the warship and set course for Vormir, following the map.
Vormir
Silas was already waiting. He stayed hidden so the Red Skull wouldn't find him. He needed Red Skull to guide Thanos into sacrificing Gamora. Soon, a wormhole opened above the planet.
To prevent an ambush on the ship, Ebony Maw, Cull Obsidian, and Nebula stayed behind. Only Corvus Glaive and Gamora followed Thanos down.
"Welcome! Travelers from afar~"
The Red Skull appeared before them, draped in a black cloak.
"Who are you? Where is the Soul Stone?" Thanos demanded, his eyes scanning the area. Where was the mystery man? Corvus Glaive reached for his weapon, but Thanos held him back; Corvus had clearly mistaken Red Skull for their previous attacker.
Thanos knew better. These two were nothing alike; one felt weak, the other had felt overwhelmingly powerful.
"Listen to me. In a past life, I too sought the stones. I even touched one with my own hands."
"But I did not realize it would cast me out here, guiding others to a treasure I can never possess."
"What you face now is not just finding the treasure, but facing your own fears."
Red Skull's expression beneath the hood was eerie. He was ready to watch a good show. They walked up to the edge of the cliff. Gamora looked down in confusion. "What is that?"
"The price. The Soul Stone holds a unique place among the Infinity Stones, for it possesses a wisdom of its own," Red Skull explained.
"Tell me what it wants," Thanos growled, tired of the storytelling.
"Hmph~ To ensure you are worthy, it demands a sacrifice. You must lose that which you love. A soul for a soul," Red Skull said slowly.
Thanos instinctively looked at Gamora. Corvus Glaive did the same; she was Thanos's favorite daughter. If the stone needed a sacrifice, Gamora was the only choice.
Gamora stepped back in disbelief, only to see two streaks of tears running down Thanos's face. Yes, Thanos was crying.
"Why?" Gamora couldn't believe it. Thanos actually loved her? Based on his actions, she thought he only used her.
"I'm sorry, daughter," Thanos said sincerely.
Sensing the danger, Gamora tried to turn, but Corvus Glaive grabbed her. Despite her struggles, Thanos took hold of her and dragged her toward the precipice.
From the Shadows:
"As expected, only Thanos could do it. Well, I suppose the Silas from the parallel world did it too," Silas noted wordlessly. It seemed the parallel version of himself had also sacrificed Misty.
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