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Chapter 350: Give Me the Infinity Gauntlet!
"In my life, I have seen many remarkable young men, and you are one of them."
The voice of Odin suddenly rang in Tony's ears.
"It is an honor to receive praise from the God-King." Tony was very calm. Watching Thor's departing back and the sound of Dormammu's unrestrained laughter from outside, a faint smile appeared on his face.
Odin's gaze crossed the Nine Realms and landed on Tony. Even for Odin, this was a very troublesome matter. It wasn't because he was worried about Loki, but because he was worried about his heir, Thor.
With such a cunning Guardian of Earth, he was genuinely worried that after his death, Thor would be tricked to his doom.
At his level, one understands just how important the existence of a powerhouse is to a faction. And Tony, holding three Infinity Stones, barely had the capital to speak with him.
"I regret what happened on Earth, but that is not a reason for you to imprison my offspring. You intentionally let the Chitauri into Earth. You can deceive Thor, but you cannot deceive me. Speak plainly. What will it take for you to release Loki?" Odin said.
"What I want is very simple. Give me the Infinity Gauntlet, and I will release him immediately." Tony raised his head and said calmly.
"Impossible! That is absolutely impossible!" Odin refused flatly, his expression terrifyingly grim.
Even though Tony had three Infinity Stones, Odin was not worried that his aged self would be defeated, because he knew very well that Tony could not perfectly wield the power of three Stones.
But with the Infinity Gauntlet, it would be a completely different story. Tony would have the capacity to perfectly control the full power of the three Stones!
The situation in the Nine Realms would collapse. No one would be able to check Tony's power!
Not even him!
That is the Infinity Gauntlet! An Infinity Gauntlet forged specifically to control the power of all the Stones!
Each Infinity Stone has its own vessel for its power, for example, the Tesseract that carries the Space Stone, and the Eye of Agamotto that carries the Time Stone. The purpose of these vessels is to allow those who are not as powerful to use the Stones' power.
But the Infinity Gauntlet is the ultimate upgraded version of these carriers. Not only can it simultaneously carry the power of multiple Stones, but it can also unleash their full power with perfect efficiency.
Unlike ordinary carriers that can only unleash a portion of the power!
Tony remained calmly seated. This result didn't surprise him in the slightest. If Odin were willing to trade the Infinity Gauntlet for a mere Loki, he would be a true fool.
Without giving up the gauntlet, Odin could still maintain pressure and deterrence against Tony. If he handed it over, even that pressure and deterrence would be gone. A single Tony could sweep through the Nine Realms.
The negotiation between the two broke down as soon as it began, with no room for compromise.
Thus, a miserable Loki could only continue to be imprisoned in the prison.
Odin was also helpless. Come to Earth and take the person by force? Not to mention he didn't have much time left, even if he risked his remaining lifespan to kill Tony, what then? The previous Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One, was still missing, and could return one day. What would happen to Asgard then?
It's very simple. The Ancient One would definitely march on Asgard and wouldn't rest until she had slaughtered a million people.
Besides, he might not even be able to kill Tony. Tony could completely use the Space Stone to escape, and no one could stop him.
Tony listened intently. After a cold snort, Odin cut the connection. That psychic power gradually faded, disappearing into the distance.
"Looks like he hasn't gone senile yet. He knows that if he doesn't give me the gauntlet, his son still has a chance. If he does give it to me, his son will surely die." Tony smiled and shook his head, taking a pleasant sip of tea.
That's right. From the very beginning, Tony had planned to go back on his word; it was just a matter of when. Because Loki was simply a menace.
A complete menace.
Try to redeem this guy? Impossible. Loki can never be redeemed. That treacherous heart of his will forever guarantee the pursuit of self-interest.
In the comic, the countless crises caused by Loki have proven this point. Time and time again, one after another, he is simply incapable of repentance.
Tony would certainly not let this guy run free just because he had done a few things that benefited the side of Justice.
"But what surprises me is that he actually didn't demand the Infinity Stones from me..." Tony squinted, holding the scepter in his right hand and the Tesseract in his left.
According to Asgard's usual style, good things must be shared. This both weakens others and strengthens themselves, while also reducing the possibility of being coveted by unknown enemies in the universe.
Perhaps Odin also knew very well that Tony would never hand the Stones over to him.
If he hadn't shown up at all, Thor would certainly have taken at least one Infinity Stone away. But Tony had forcefully seized all the Stones, and he possessed the strength and capacity to use them. This left the Asgardians helpless.
Threats? Would Tony, who possessed three Stones, fear threats?
Tony lowered his head, his gaze first falling upon the scepter resting across his lap.
"The function of this Mind Scepter is nothing more than mind control, which is completely useless to me. Moreover, those who are controlled are loyal not to the scepter's wielder, but to the scepter itself... This piece of junk is completely useless."
Tony reached for the tip of the scepter, where a large, dazzling gem was embedded. With a powerful grip, his palm clamped down, veins bulging and twisting like worms.
Power from the Allspark was transmitted, directly crushing the scepter's outer energy-protective barrier. It shattered with a boom, releasing a subtle energy wave.
This was psychic power, but to Tony, it was laughable. In his current state, not even Professor X or the Martian Manhunter could invade his mind. The Allspark's advancement of him was all-encompassing.
Crystals of psychic power dissipated one after another. Tony tossed the broken scepter to the ground like trash. In the palm of his right hand, only a small, yellow-glowing Infinity Stone remained.
The gentle light seemed to have a life of its own, spreading outwards in soft ripples, as gentle as a calm blue sea, making one unable to resist immersing oneself in it.
"Strictly speaking, this is the first Infinity Stone I've obtained. After all, I've never opened the seal on the Eye of Agamotto, nor have I ever directly touched the Time Stone." Tony smiled in admiration. The Mind Stone made direct contact with his body but caused no adverse effects.
It seemed the destructive properties of the Infinity Stone on flesh and blood were completely ineffective against him, a demigod.
In fact, a demigod was already qualified to directly control an Infinity Stone without needing a vessel.
Tony closed his palm, concealing the Mind Stone. He then looked at the Tesseract in his left hand and pondered for a moment, not destroying it as he had the scepter.
The Tesseract was different from that trashy scepter. It was a cosmic artifact in its own right. It's just that most people were only concerned with the Space Stone inside it, ignoring the cube itself.
Many even believed that the seemingly infinite energy displayed by the Tesseract all came from the Space Stone within.
On the contrary, the Tesseract itself is a terrifyingly powerful energy crystal. The energy weapons developed by the Red Skull during World War II absorbed energy from the Tesseract, not the Space Stone.
"The Tesseract can be used to research the pressing energy problem. The super-energy crystals must be successfully developed as quickly as possible. I'll leave this matter to Shockwave and Soundwave, who have awakened their scientist genes, to solve."
Tony pondered for a moment and made his decision.
(end of chapter)
"In my life, I have seen many remarkable young men, and you are one of them."
The voice of Odin suddenly rang in Tony's ears.
"It is an honor to receive praise from the God-King." Tony was very calm. Watching Thor's departing back and the sound of Dormammu's unrestrained laughter from outside, a faint smile appeared on his face.
Odin's gaze crossed the Nine Realms and landed on Tony. Even for Odin, this was a very troublesome matter. It wasn't because he was worried about Loki, but because he was worried about his heir, Thor.
With such a cunning Guardian of Earth, he was genuinely worried that after his death, Thor would be tricked to his doom.
At his level, one understands just how important the existence of a powerhouse is to a faction. And Tony, holding three Infinity Stones, barely had the capital to speak with him.
"I regret what happened on Earth, but that is not a reason for you to imprison my offspring. You intentionally let the Chitauri into Earth. You can deceive Thor, but you cannot deceive me. Speak plainly. What will it take for you to release Loki?" Odin said.
"What I want is very simple. Give me the Infinity Gauntlet, and I will release him immediately." Tony raised his head and said calmly.
"Impossible! That is absolutely impossible!" Odin refused flatly, his expression terrifyingly grim.
Even though Tony had three Infinity Stones, Odin was not worried that his aged self would be defeated, because he knew very well that Tony could not perfectly wield the power of three Stones.
But with the Infinity Gauntlet, it would be a completely different story. Tony would have the capacity to perfectly control the full power of the three Stones!
The situation in the Nine Realms would collapse. No one would be able to check Tony's power!
Not even him!
That is the Infinity Gauntlet! An Infinity Gauntlet forged specifically to control the power of all the Stones!
Each Infinity Stone has its own vessel for its power, for example, the Tesseract that carries the Space Stone, and the Eye of Agamotto that carries the Time Stone. The purpose of these vessels is to allow those who are not as powerful to use the Stones' power.
But the Infinity Gauntlet is the ultimate upgraded version of these carriers. Not only can it simultaneously carry the power of multiple Stones, but it can also unleash their full power with perfect efficiency.
Unlike ordinary carriers that can only unleash a portion of the power!
Tony remained calmly seated. This result didn't surprise him in the slightest. If Odin were willing to trade the Infinity Gauntlet for a mere Loki, he would be a true fool.
Without giving up the gauntlet, Odin could still maintain pressure and deterrence against Tony. If he handed it over, even that pressure and deterrence would be gone. A single Tony could sweep through the Nine Realms.
The negotiation between the two broke down as soon as it began, with no room for compromise.
Thus, a miserable Loki could only continue to be imprisoned in the prison.
Odin was also helpless. Come to Earth and take the person by force? Not to mention he didn't have much time left, even if he risked his remaining lifespan to kill Tony, what then? The previous Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One, was still missing, and could return one day. What would happen to Asgard then?
It's very simple. The Ancient One would definitely march on Asgard and wouldn't rest until she had slaughtered a million people.
Besides, he might not even be able to kill Tony. Tony could completely use the Space Stone to escape, and no one could stop him.
Tony listened intently. After a cold snort, Odin cut the connection. That psychic power gradually faded, disappearing into the distance.
"Looks like he hasn't gone senile yet. He knows that if he doesn't give me the gauntlet, his son still has a chance. If he does give it to me, his son will surely die." Tony smiled and shook his head, taking a pleasant sip of tea.
That's right. From the very beginning, Tony had planned to go back on his word; it was just a matter of when. Because Loki was simply a menace.
A complete menace.
Try to redeem this guy? Impossible. Loki can never be redeemed. That treacherous heart of his will forever guarantee the pursuit of self-interest.
In the comic, the countless crises caused by Loki have proven this point. Time and time again, one after another, he is simply incapable of repentance.
Tony would certainly not let this guy run free just because he had done a few things that benefited the side of Justice.
"But what surprises me is that he actually didn't demand the Infinity Stones from me..." Tony squinted, holding the scepter in his right hand and the Tesseract in his left.
According to Asgard's usual style, good things must be shared. This both weakens others and strengthens themselves, while also reducing the possibility of being coveted by unknown enemies in the universe.
Perhaps Odin also knew very well that Tony would never hand the Stones over to him.
If he hadn't shown up at all, Thor would certainly have taken at least one Infinity Stone away. But Tony had forcefully seized all the Stones, and he possessed the strength and capacity to use them. This left the Asgardians helpless.
Threats? Would Tony, who possessed three Stones, fear threats?
Tony lowered his head, his gaze first falling upon the scepter resting across his lap.
"The function of this Mind Scepter is nothing more than mind control, which is completely useless to me. Moreover, those who are controlled are loyal not to the scepter's wielder, but to the scepter itself... This piece of junk is completely useless."
Tony reached for the tip of the scepter, where a large, dazzling gem was embedded. With a powerful grip, his palm clamped down, veins bulging and twisting like worms.
Power from the Allspark was transmitted, directly crushing the scepter's outer energy-protective barrier. It shattered with a boom, releasing a subtle energy wave.
This was psychic power, but to Tony, it was laughable. In his current state, not even Professor X or the Martian Manhunter could invade his mind. The Allspark's advancement of him was all-encompassing.
Crystals of psychic power dissipated one after another. Tony tossed the broken scepter to the ground like trash. In the palm of his right hand, only a small, yellow-glowing Infinity Stone remained.
The gentle light seemed to have a life of its own, spreading outwards in soft ripples, as gentle as a calm blue sea, making one unable to resist immersing oneself in it.
"Strictly speaking, this is the first Infinity Stone I've obtained. After all, I've never opened the seal on the Eye of Agamotto, nor have I ever directly touched the Time Stone." Tony smiled in admiration. The Mind Stone made direct contact with his body but caused no adverse effects.
It seemed the destructive properties of the Infinity Stone on flesh and blood were completely ineffective against him, a demigod.
In fact, a demigod was already qualified to directly control an Infinity Stone without needing a vessel.
Tony closed his palm, concealing the Mind Stone. He then looked at the Tesseract in his left hand and pondered for a moment, not destroying it as he had the scepter.
The Tesseract was different from that trashy scepter. It was a cosmic artifact in its own right. It's just that most people were only concerned with the Space Stone inside it, ignoring the cube itself.
Many even believed that the seemingly infinite energy displayed by the Tesseract all came from the Space Stone within.
On the contrary, the Tesseract itself is a terrifyingly powerful energy crystal. The energy weapons developed by the Red Skull during World War II absorbed energy from the Tesseract, not the Space Stone.
"The Tesseract can be used to research the pressing energy problem. The super-energy crystals must be successfully developed as quickly as possible. I'll leave this matter to Shockwave and Soundwave, who have awakened their scientist genes, to solve."
Tony pondered for a moment and made his decision.
(end of chapter)
