One hundred thousand kilometers away from Earth, a colossal warship hovered silently in the void. Its enormous, eye-like structure dominated the surrounding space, its presence so vast that from the planet below, it appeared even larger than the moon itself.
This was Sanctuary II.
Inside the command chamber, Thanos stood motionless, his gaze fixed on the virtual projection floating before him. The image displayed the deep interior of Earth, where a massive embryonic entity lay dormant, radiating an overwhelming presence.
He felt no particular desire to provoke it.
After his recent encounter with a higher-level being, he understood very clearly that some existences were not meant to be challenged casually. He had nearly died once already. There was no need to repeat that mistake.
And yet…
His eyes shifted slightly, focusing on the immense energy flowing around the embryo. That power, dense and constantly shifting, carried a signature disturbingly similar to the Reality Stone. It pulsed like a heartbeat, tempting him, calling to him.
Just as he was about to make his move and descend into Earth's core, his vision abruptly darkened.
The surroundings vanished.
Silence swallowed everything.
He found himself standing in a void of endless black.
There was no panic.
This wasn't unfamiliar territory anymore.
Thanos remained still, his expression calm as he waited. He already knew who had brought him here.
A moment later, she appeared.
The embodiment of death itself stepped into view, her flawless features illuminated against the darkness. There was a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips, one that hinted at satisfaction.
"Well done," she said, her voice smooth and almost amused. "You didn't disappoint me."
Thanos lowered his head immediately, refusing to meet her gaze.
After what he had experienced before, he understood the danger. For beings at her level, even a glance, even the act of perceiving their form, could carry influence. It wasn't fear that drove his restraint, but calculation.
"I need power," he said simply.
She didn't argue.
Without hesitation, she raised her hand, and a stream of pure death energy poured into him. The power was cold and absolute, yet it fused seamlessly with his body, strengthening him from within.
After a brief moment, she spoke again. "I have a task for you. You need to go somewhere."
Thanos shook his head without hesitation. "I'm not going."
His priority was clear. The Reality Stone was within reach, and he wouldn't delay for anything else.
The smile on her face faded slightly, replaced by something colder. "This is not a request. It's an order."
A flicker of anger surged through him.
But it passed just as quickly.
He understood his position. He was not yet at a level where he could defy her openly.
"When?" he asked instead.
"When you're under someone else's roof, you bow your head," he reminded himself silently. The time to resist would come later—after he had gathered all six Infinity Stones.
She seemed pleased with his response.
With a casual wave of her scythe, she said, "Universe S. You'll assist someone there. Don't worry, the reward will be more than enough to satisfy you."
Her expression turned playful as she licked her lips, her gaze lingering on him with a hint of seduction.
It had no effect.
Thanos remained motionless, his head still lowered.
"Whose side am I on?" he asked calmly.
Her expression shifted instantly, boredom replacing her earlier amusement.
"My other piece," she said, her tone sharpening slightly, "the one you haven't seen yet. His name is Ultron."
There was a trace of irritation in her voice now. "Those fools couldn't defeat me, so they started pulling people from across the multiverse to deal with him. As if I didn't exist."
The name struck something in Thanos's memory.
Ultron.
A machine that had once gathered the Infinity Stones.
A being that had come dangerously close to absolute power—only to become a pawn in something larger.
Could this be another version, from a different universe?
His mind raced as possibilities unfolded. If multiple individuals were being summoned from across realities, then the scale of this conflict was far beyond a single opponent.
Celestials?
Multiversal guardians?
Something else entirely?
After a brief pause, he nodded. "When do we leave?"
The God of Death's smile returned.
She dismissed her scythe and clasped her hands behind her back, her posture deliberately accentuating her form. "Five minutes. Prepare yourself. I'll find you a few helpers as well."
"Understood," Thanos replied, his tone steady.
Her expression faltered slightly, a hint of disappointment flickering across her face. When she realized she still couldn't provoke any reaction from him, she straightened, her demeanor turning cold once more.
"One more thing," she said. "The embryo inside Blue Star, and the Reality Stone… neither of them are ready. You are not to touch them."
Her gaze sharpened. "I can save you once. I won't save you a second time."
With that, her figure dissolved into the darkness.
In the next instant, Thanos's vision returned.
He was back inside Sanctuary II.
He exhaled slowly, already accustomed to her sudden appearances and disappearances. But this time, her words lingered in his mind.
So it had been her.
She was the one who had pulled him out of that vision before, when he had nearly been crushed by that Celestial presence.
And now she was warning him again.
The embryo… the Reality Stone… not ready.
Waiting for something.
But what?
A specific moment?
A chain of events?
He considered the possibilities, but the more he thought, the more uncertain everything became. Even with the knowledge he had gathered, the gaps were too large to form a complete picture.
Still, one thing was clear.
There was a bigger game at play.
And he was only beginning to see the board.
Shaking his head slightly, he pushed those thoughts aside. Speculation without sufficient data was meaningless.
He had preparations to make.
"Bring me my armor and blade," he ordered.
As his subordinates moved to carry out the command, he turned inward.
"System," he said silently. "How many points do I have?"
A mechanical voice responded almost instantly.
"A total of 236,297 points. What would you like to exchange for, host?"
A faint smile appeared on Thanos's face.
More than two hundred thousand.
The God of Death had been generous this time, providing more than double the energy he had received before. It seemed Earth truly was a high-value battlefield.
"Can I accelerate the cooldown for the power of ten million stars?" he asked.
There was a brief pause before the system answered. "Yes. The cost is 10,000 points per year of cooldown reduction."
Too expensive.
He dismissed the option immediately.
Instead, he browsed through the available abilities, scanning them one by one. Most were either prohibitively costly or incompatible with his existing powers.
After careful consideration, he made his choice.
"One hundred fifty thousand points," he said. "Exchange for passive ability—Rebirth through a Drop of Blood."
The system confirmed the transaction.
In an instant, heat surged through his body, spreading from his core to every cell. It was brief but intense, like a flame igniting and extinguishing within him.
Then it was gone.
But something had changed.
The effect was simple, yet invaluable. As long as even a fragment of his cells remained alive, he could regenerate completely. There was no cooldown—only the cost of energy.
A perfect safeguard.
Thanos let out a quiet breath, satisfaction flickering in his eyes.
He retained the remaining eighty thousand points without spending them. Resources were meant to be used at the right moment, not wasted prematurely.
If necessary, he could still use them to eliminate cooldowns or enhance his power instantly.
For now, that was enough.
.....
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