Chapter 475: The Time Stone is Ours
"Defect to me? You mean running away at the critical moment?"
Silas dragged the massive double-bladed sword toward Ebony Maw. The blade was still stained with the blood that had sprayed from the back of Thanos's neck.
"No, not at all, my Lord. I took action, but clearly, your power is unrivaled." Maw stammered, his eyes darting to the blood on the steel. "That is power only a god could possess. How could a mere mortal like me dare to oppose a god?"
Maw quickly buried his head in the dirt, terrified that Silas would strike him down next.
"So, you're saying if a real god comes to fight me later, you'll be the first to run?" Silas used the tip of the blade to lift Maw's chin, the razor-sharp edge easily nicking a small cut.
"No! That's not it!" Maw's entire body shook. He felt as though he already had one foot in the grave.
"Isn't it?" Silas withdrew the blade and chuckled.
"No! I will be absolutely loyal to you! I will have no second thoughts! I would die for you!" Maw blurted out.
Silas only gave a disdainful smile. Subordinates? He already had a legion of shadows who were truly loyal. "Actually, I really want to kill you, but I need you to do something for me."
Silas opened a rift to the Shadow Kingdom and tossed the heavy sword inside. It was a good weapon; he'd keep it.
"Rest assured, Master! I am willing to go through fire and water for you! You can kill me after I've finished the task!" Maw grovelled. Even if death was the eventual end, at least he'd live a little longer.
Silas said no more. A deep, crimson light began to bloom from his body, and a black, oval-shaped sphere manifested at his chest.
"What is that?" Maw could feel an incomprehensible power radiating from the sphere.
Silas looked at the sphere and finally let out a genuine smile. "It's a success."
This was a Newborn Universe—a pocket dimension created using the combined powers of the Reality Stone, the Soul Stone, the elemental essence of the Eight Demons, and the spatial dimensions of the Twelve Zodiacs.
While it couldn't compare to the vastness of the actual universe, its power was not to be underestimated. If Silas threw this sphere at someone, it would be the equivalent of a small world colliding with them. Even a body as tough as Thanos's would be disintegrated, and the soul absorbed.
Currently, Silas could only create one. To make another would take fifty years.
"This is a world of my own. The people and events inside will operate according to the laws of this universe," Silas explained. "Your job is to go inside. Go to Earth, to New York, and find a man named Silas Parker."
"You must guide and hint to him so that he obtains the Infinity Stones within that world. Once that is done, I will let you live."
Silas held the Newborn Universe out toward Maw. Life or death—it was Maw's choice.
"I'll do it! But how do I enter?" Maw asked excitedly.
"I'll send you in."
The Newborn Universe began to rotate like an abyss. Maw's eyes were instantly drawn into the swirling vortex, and he fell into the dimension, unable to resist. When he came to, he found himself in a vast space surrounded by stars.
"Is this the Newborn Universe?" While Maw was marveling at the creator's power, a small warship drifted nearby. "Hmph—I'll borrow that." His confidence returned; he felt like he was back in the days when he first became a member of the Black Order.
The Outside World
Silas stowed away the Newborn Universe. The "Virtual Silas" inside was his own creation. He had given that version of himself a chance to transcend, allowing him to travel back to the time before he died to hand the metal shard to his sister, Qiu Yu.
With that finished, Silas opened a portal and returned to Earth.
"It seems you have completed your task," the Ancient One said, sitting by her tea table.
The black armor concealing Silas dissolved, revealing his handsome face. "Only the Time Stone remains, Sorcerer Supreme." He took a seat and helped himself to some tea.
Neither spoke. They were waiting for the right moment.
One Year Later
"Hand it over, Strange." Silas stood fully armed before Stephen Strange.
Strange didn't argue. He removed the Eye of Agamotto from his neck and tossed it to Silas. Having inherited everything from the Ancient One, Strange had received one final instruction: When the mysterious man in black comes for the stone, do not resist. Give it to him.
Catching the stone, Silas vanished from Kamar-Taj and went to the uninhabited planet BE2078.
"The final stone."
In this parallel universe, having acted without hesitation, he had secured every Infinity Stone and their respective powers. He wondered—if he had done this from the start in his own world, would he have saved himself so much trouble? No. Back then, he didn't have the Dog Talisman. He didn't have the luxury of being reckless.
"Time to go back."
Silas merged the final stone. His body glowed with six-colored patterns: orange, green, yellow, purple, red, and blue.
BOOM!
The multiversal barrier was forcibly torn open by Silas's sheer power; he no longer needed the Rabbit Talisman's speed to bridge the gap. He stood in the center of the multiversal void, watching different realities play out like movies on a screen.
"Now, let's find my real home." He needed to find the "Black Light" AI he had left behind.
Original Marvel Universe
"Argh!" Professor Hulk collapsed in pain.
Peter Parker rushed forward, activating his nano-suit to spray a cooling mist over the Hulk's scorched arm. "How do you feel?"
"I'm... fine," Hulk wheezed through gritted teeth.
"Don't push it." Peter began to apply bandages.
As they worked, Scott Lang looked out the window at the sky. "I think we—"
BOOM!!!
Countless missiles rained down, and the Avengers Compound collapsed in an instant! Scott managed to shrink just in time to avoid being crushed. Professor Hulk stood up amidst the rubble, holding up a massive slab of falling ceiling with one hand. "Get out! Go!"
The Avengers scrambled out of the ruins. Clint Barton made sure to grab the Nano-Gauntlet before escaping. As the last of them cleared the debris, Hulk finally gave out and fell.
"Banner!" Steve Rogers shouted.
Once outside, the Avengers saw a massive warship hovering above them. Seated on a piece of wreckage was a familiar, terrifying figure: Thanos.
"I once thought by doing this, the world would become better," Thanos said, slowly removing his helmet. "But I didn't realize how stubborn you are. You are beyond saving."
Steve gave Clint and the others a look. They understood the signal and moved to get the gauntlet to safety. Thanos didn't stop them; his army would bring it to him eventually.
"This time, I'm going to cut your head off!" Thor erupted with lightning, Stormbreaker and Mjolnir appearing in his hands.
Steve raised his shield. Silas Parker's brother, Peter, tightened his nano-suit and engaged "Instant Kill" mode.
"This time, I will wipe out everything," Thanos said, standing up with an air of disappointment.
Thor charged first. "Die!"
Clang! Thanos's blade met Stormbreaker, and with a single strike, Thor was sent flying. Steve threw his shield, but Thanos caught it mid-air.
"I hear you're the Captain?" Thanos hurled the shield back with such force that it knocked Steve off his feet.
"Give them back!" Peter shot webs that snared Thanos's upper body, digging his mechanical spider-legs into the ground to anchor himself. Thor saw the opening and swung his axe at Thanos's head.
Thanos roared, tearing through the webs and pulling Peter directly into the path of Thor's axe to use him as a shield!
CRASH!
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