With a snap of his fingers, the space around Sebastian and Gamora was immediately sealed off by magic. Their voices could not be heard even if someone was standing right next to them.
"Gamora, I think you should have seen by now that I intend to collect the Infinity Stones."
Looking at Sebastian directly, Gamora nodded with an incomprehensible expression on her face. She said carefully. "Yes, I did see that intention. But why are you telling me this information?"
Sebastian seemed not to hear what Gamora said at all. He said to himself as if thinking aloud. "I now have the Space Stone and the Reality Stone in my possession. The Mind Stone is in the hands of a friend who is like a brother to me. Although the Time Stone belongs to someone else officially, it is also in my hand now through an arrangement.
In other words, if I want to complete the collection, I only need the Power Stone in the hands of the Nova Corps here on Xandar. I also need the Soul Stone whose whereabouts are still unknown to most. Then I can collect all six Infinity Stones and destroy all the members of the Black Order under Thanos in one fell swoop.
As for the Power Stone, forgive me for being frank and direct. If I want to get the Power Stone at all costs, then Xandar and the Nova Corps cannot stop me at all from taking it.
So for me, the key lies in discovering the location of the Soul Stone."
Having heard all of this, Gamora could not help but reveal a somewhat stiff smile on her face. She said to Sebastian. "Why are you saying all this to me specifically? If you need to find something in the universe, you can go to Yondu and contact the Ravagers. Or you might find it faster through them. They have the most extensive information network in the universe."
Sebastian looked at Gamora with a half-smile expression. He said to her. "Gamora, many things do not disappear just because you play dumb about them. Since you want me to explain it more clearly and directly, I can tell you so that you cannot play dumb anymore.
Please tell me the exact coordinates of the Soul Stone's location. I know you know it."
Finally, Gamora's face turned extremely ugly with realization. She looked at Sebastian intensely and took a deep breath. Just as Sebastian said, she really could not play dumb anymore about this.
Looking at Sebastian, Gamora said in a deep voice with concern. "How did you know about this? I am absolutely sure I have not told anyone this news or information."
"You know, I am a magician with special abilities. Sometimes I can see a lot of things through my magic. Such as the fate of certain people. Such as some uncertain futures that may come to pass. So when I saw you, I knew a lot about you already. As long as I want to know, your past and future are not a secret in my eyes."
"Then you can go and see for yourself where the Soul Stone is located. There is no need to ask me directly, right?"
"As I said before, the future is uncertain and not set in stone. I can only see a rough outline of events. So I cannot see the exact location of the Soul Stone clearly. But I can see that you did find it at some point."
Gamora looked at Sebastian with a tired expression. She slowly leaned against the wall behind her for support. After a long silence, she spoke to Sebastian again. She said firmly. "Give up on this. I will never tell you the exact location of the Soul Stone. Anyone who gets the Soul Stone will eventually give up their kindness as a human being. At that time, you will be no different from Thanos in your actions. It is safest to let the Soul Stone sleep in that place forever."
"Are you sure about that?"
"I am sure this is the safest approach for everyone."
Shaking his head, Sebastian said to Gamora. "No, no, no, that is not what I am referring to. I mean, can you really guarantee that no matter what happens in the future, you can keep this secret location hidden?"
"Of course I can!" Gamora answered without hesitation or doubt.
"Heh..." With a chuckle, perhaps sarcastically or otherwise, Sebastian looked at Gamora carefully. He said. "Even if Thanos captured Nebula or Peter and threatened you with their lives? Even if he tortured them right in front of you while he threatened you? Are you really sure you could watch the people you love being treated like this by Thanos? Could you still harden your heart and keep this secret forever?"
Sebastian's words immediately struck Gamora as a threat at first. So she did not take them seriously initially. But then she realized what was really happening. The half-smile, slightly sarcastic expression on Sebastian's face combined with his previous words about seeing the future suddenly made her realize something terrible.
"You...what did you see in the future? What will Nebula and Peter's future hold..."
"Now, I am asking you again. Are you still not going to tell me the location of the Soul Stone? As you probably already know, I have a magic spell that can read memories directly from a person's mind. But we are on good terms as friends. So I will not use these methods on you forcefully. But if push comes to shove, I will not hold myself back."
Seeing Gamora's expression, clearly hesitant and conflicted, Sebastian did not press her any further. He ended the conversation immediately.
"Gamora, if you change your mind about this, crush this crystal in your hand. At that time, no matter where you are in the universe, I will come to you immediately. I will lead you to find the Soul Stone together. Similarly, if you crush this crystal, it means you have revealed the location of the Soul Stone to me willingly.
Also, if you are worried about the sacrifice required for the Soul Stone, rest assured. I have already solved that problem through my magic. Sacrificing a loved one is ridiculous to me. Probably no one except maybe Thanos would take it seriously as a valid requirement."
With that final statement, Sebastian turned and left the sealed space.
Gamora's expression darkened further after hearing Sebastian's final words about sacrifice. She was almost certain now that in the future Thanos would learn the Soul Stone's location from her somehow. And as Sebastian had said, Thanos had indeed chosen to sacrifice the one he truly loved to obtain it.
While the thought of Thanos having a true love was ludicrous to imagine, Gamora did not believe Sebastian would deceive her about something like this. After all, there was no need for him to do so.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Gamora placed the crystal close to her body after Sebastian had placed it into her hand. She then walked towards Peter and the other Guardians. Unlike her earlier relaxed demeanor, Gamora now looked grave and preoccupied with dark thoughts.
The Guardians of the Galaxy were curious about what Sebastian and Gamora had discussed in private. But no one asked her directly. Even Peter who was worried about Gamora did not ask her. His gaze lingered between Sebastian and Gamora. His thoughts were unsettled.
Gamora's face was solemn with worry. Meanwhile Sebastian remained calm as he spoke to Bill about preparations.
At this moment in time, the long-awaited vanguard forces of the Black Order finally arrived at the outer defense area of Xandar. They launched their attack on Xandar!
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