Chapter 474: The Soul Stone is Ours
"No!"
Gamora reached out toward Thanos in agony, but she was already plummeting toward the base of the cliff. Corvus Glaive turned away of his own accord and left the scene.
Thud!
Thanos slowly closed his eyes, two streaks of tears flowing down once more. This would be the first stone he obtained, but the price was the sacrifice of Gamora.
Then, as he had wished, Thanos received the Soul Stone. The Red Skull had already vanished from the cliffside, his whereabouts unknown.
"Losing a loved one is quite painful, isn't it?"
Silas sat atop the altar, legs crossed, looking down at Thanos below.
"It's you!"
Thanos understood everything the moment he saw Silas. Silas wanted the Infinity Stones just as he did. However, Silas didn't want to sacrifice his own loved one, so he had led Thanos to Vormir to have him sacrifice Gamora instead.
"Die!"
Corvus Glaive suddenly appeared behind Silas, raising his war blade high. He would kill Silas! He would avenge Proxima Midnight!
But the blade stopped just an inch away from Silas.
"Why is this happening?!"
Corvus Glaive exerted all his strength but found himself unable to move, as if gripped by a pair of invisible, massive hands. Silas's body emitted a faint, ethereal glow, like starlight coiling around him.
"The Space Stone."
Thanos recognized the power of the Space Stone. His opponent was actually able to use the Infinity Stones without the aid of an artifact. Although Thanos himself could do this, he could not do so with the calm composure Silas displayed.
"Hand over the Soul Stone, Thanos. You are no match for me."
This was the first time Silas had spoken to Thanos with such confidence. Truly, one's confidence and strength were inextricably linked.
"No! Impossible!"
How could Thanos be willing to hand over the Soul Stone? He had sacrificed Gamora to obtain it. Silas naturally knew Thanos wouldn't surrender it willingly, and conveniently, he had no intention of letting Thanos go either.
Crack!
Corvus Glaive behind him was crushed into meat paste by the localized warping of space, leaving only his war blade floating in the air.
Thanos took his double-bladed sword and embedded the Soul Stone into the center of the hilt. Instantly, the blade emitted an orange halo. The battle was about to begin again.
"Perhaps in the past, the odds between us were 40/60 or 30/70, but now I possess the strength to crush you."
Boom!
Silas landed heavily on the ground. The entire altar trembled, and the piled stones slowly began to collapse.
Bang!
Thanos moved! He charged straight at Silas with his massive blade!
Silas watched the incoming blade without drawing any weapon. Instead, he calmly raised his right hand.
Clang!
The blade, carrying the power of the Soul Stone, struck Silas's right hand. The expected scene of a severed hand did not occur; Silas stood his ground, completely unharmed.
Thanos's eyes widened. His enemy was unscathed! A blade empowered by the Soul Stone could strike directly at an opponent's soul; this was the source of Thanos's confidence in defeating Silas after sacrificing Gamora.
But now, the Soul Stone was useless against Silas. Conversely, the cliff they were standing on suddenly fractured.
Rumble!
Silas smiled faintly. The half-shattered cliff automatically restored itself, and the falling rocks all began to levitate.
"What exactly is this?"
Thanos was filled with curiosity about Silas's methods. An indestructible soul and body, and the effortless use of the Space Stone's power.
"Go ask your Mistress Death," Silas whispered to Thanos.
Then, Silas erupted with an unrivaled force. He snatched the blade from Thanos's hands and kicked him away. This was the combination of the Power Stone and the Ox Talisman; no one could withstand this level of strength.
Click!
Silas pried the Soul Stone from the hilt of the blade and merged it into his chest.
Boom!
An aura like the collapsing of the heavens swept out. Deep, invisible cracks appeared across the surface of the entire planet. The stars in the universe seemed to tremble at this moment, welcoming a new cosmic overlord.
Thanos was pressed down by the sheer weight of Silas's aura, finding it difficult to even breathe. The opponent was too strong. Unlike merely wielding the stones, Silas had directly absorbed them. Unless he died, the stones would remain within him forever.
But with the Dog Talisman, would Silas ever die?
"I understand everything now. The wisdom of the Soul Stone is indeed infinite."
Silas's vibrant eyes slowly opened, as if everything in heaven and earth had been revealed to him. He had absorbed the memories of the Soul Stone; the stories from the Big Bang to the present day were now known to him.
"Destiny? Do you truly believe this is your destiny?"
Silas picked up the fallen blade and walked toward Thanos with slow steps. With every step, it felt as though death drew closer to Thanos.
"Who... who are you..."
Thanos struggled to lift his head to look at Silas. He wanted to see through the mysterious veil, but he was powerless.
"Me? Just a passing ordinary person."
Silas stepped on Thanos's head, raising the blade high. He was going to execute Thanos!
Just then, a faint mental intent descended upon the blade, seemingly trying to stop Silas.
"You still haven't run away in this situation? It seems you're quite loyal to Thanos." A playful smile played on the corners of Silas's lips. He turned his gaze toward the massive warship hovering in the sky.
The Warship
"Not good! Run!"
Ebony Maw realized he couldn't control the blade in Silas's hand at all. That meant the opponent far surpassed him even in the realm of telekinesis. If he was being crushed in his own specialty, there was no point in fighting. Time to go!
Nebula hesitated upon hearing Maw's order; her father, Thanos, was still down there.
Thump!
Cull Obsidian, standing nearby, pushed Nebula aside and grabbed the engine controls.
Roar!
The warship, idling in the air, suddenly roared to life. The thrusters erupted with intense energy. A dark wormhole began to form in front of the ship; they were preparing for an immediate interstellar jump.
Cull Obsidian felt no loyalty toward Thanos; he had joined purely to ensure his race would not be wiped out. Nebula looked at him with hatred. While she also lacked loyalty—after all, her cybernetic "upgrades" were Thanos's doing—she was terrified of him. If Thanos survived, they would all die!
Below
"Look at that. It seems none of your subordinates are actually loyal," Silas said mockingly, looking at the fleeing ship.
Thanos said nothing, but the fire in his eyes was already burning.
"Don't worry. They're all going to die." Silas reached out and made a crushing motion toward the warship.
The forming wormhole was dissipated by an invisible force, and the energy in the thrusters instantly ran dry.
"Where's the wormhole!" Maw screamed in rage.
Cull Obsidian was at a loss, frantically hitting the jump switch, only to be met with:
"Wormhole analysis error."
"Wormhole analysis error."
"Wormhole analysis error."
"It's him!" Maw immediately thought of the man standing on Thanos's head below.
While everyone else was panicking, only Ebony Maw secretly grabbed an EVA suit, forming a blue protective film around himself. Without a word, he opened the hatch and flew out. At the moment he cleared the ship—
KABOOM!
The entire warship disintegrated, sliced into pieces as if by an incredibly sharp, divine weapon. The debris was quickly caught by the planet's gravity, turning into a rain of bright meteors across the sky.
When Thanos saw this, instead of becoming more enraged, he actually let out a faint smile.
Squelch!
As the blade fell, Thanos's massive head rolled onto the ground, eventually tumbling off the altar and toward the base of the cliff.
"Come out, Ebony Maw. Thanos is dead." Silas stowed the blade and smiled slightly. Maw's departure could not hide from his eyes.
"Great Lord, I can be your most loyal servant."
Ebony Maw ran out from behind a rock and knelt directly at Silas's feet. He knew he couldn't hide, so he chose to defect to Silas.
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