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Chapter 371: Infinity Gauntlet
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
The arrival of Trigon had caused many changes, but these terrible transformations would take time. Many places in the cosmos were still preoccupied with their own concerns. Even when abnormal omens appeared, they often failed to comprehend them, or simply chose to ignore them. Compared to a distant, great demon, their own lives were undoubtedly of greater importance.
Asgard. A vast continent, shaped like a flat land under a domed sky. Soul-stirring, surging rivers flowed across it in one direction, then cascaded down from immense heights at the continent's edge. The ceaseless, terrifying waterfalls, with billions of tons of water plummeting from the continent's edge, created one of the most breathtaking spectacles in the cosmos.
The Rainbow Bridge, thousands of meters long, manifested as a physical, corridor-like structure at the entrance of Asgard. At a glance, it seemed to pierce straight through to the continent's distant end.
Heimdall stood at his gate, as ever, his pale yellow eyes constantly monitoring the movements within the Nine Realms. He could perceive any individual within their bounds. But today, he was compelled to take up his weapon, resting it across his shoulder.
At the terminus of the Rainbow Bridge, a blue vortex suddenly appeared. The vortex was about the height of two men, and from it surged countless plumes of thick mist, roiling and swirling in the space around it. Most unsettling were the subtle streaks of lightning that occasionally flashed within the mist. These fleeting bursts of electrical energy easily tore through space, capable of instantly shattering a soul. Even Heimdall felt waves of immense pressure.
Tony walked out of the vortex. In his open palm, the Space Stone glowed brilliantly, continuously flashing with an intoxicating blue light. What made Heimdall's brow furrow most was the sight of twelve tall, metallic figures walking out behind Tony. Twelve behemoths, each twenty meters tall and wielding terrifying greatswords, stepped onto the Rainbow Bridge. Their heavy footfalls, landing in perfect unison, caused the bridge to tremble. Identical bodies, identical faces, identical movements. They were deathly silent, like zealous death soldiers saturated with killing intent. A piercing, cold glint emanated from their brandished greatswords.
"Heimdall, you know why I've come to Asgard. Call Odin out!"
Tony walked at the forefront. Though his steps were unhurried, each one seemed to traverse vast distances, leaving a deep, indelible mark upon the sturdy Rainbow Bridge.
Heimdall's expression shifted subtly. He drew a deep breath, unsheathed his war sword, and stood before Tony like an immovable rock, faithfully guarding Asgard.
"Guardian of Earth, to set foot in Asgard uninvited will incite a war between worlds," Heimdall said slowly.
"Shut up, Heimdall! I'm not here to negotiate with you, I'm here to negotiate with Odin!"
Tony's expression was cold and grim. With a flick of his hand, two other Infinity Stones floated before him, shimmering alongside the Space Stone. Their brilliant colors, however, symbolized a terrifying power. The Space Stone glowed faintly, and a small vortex opened. A figure stumbled wretchedly out of it, only to be seized by Tony's hand, gripping their neck, and lifted into the air.
It was Loki. His neck was caught in Tony's death grip, his face ashen and contorted in agony. He clawed at Tony's pincer-like arm with both hands, striking it weakly.
"Either give me the Infinity Gauntlet, and I'll return Loki to you, or I'll choke him to death right now!"
Tony's face remained cold. He ignored Loki, whose throat was making gurgling sounds, and incrementally increased the pressure as time passed. Any later, and Loki would truly be choked to death.
He would likely go down in Asgard's history as the god who suffered the most humiliating death.
"You are declaring war on Asgard!" Heimdall's expression remained impassive. As the God-King's loyal hound, Loki's life or death mattered little to him; after all, they still had Thor. He was very clear about his position: he was loyal only to the God-King. Whoever the God-King commanded him to attack, he would attack. As for who held the title of God-King, that was unimportant.
The pressure steadily increased. Loki's face had begun to turn blue, his eyes shot with blood, and he was not far from death. Tony showed no intention of releasing his grip. He continued to increase the pressure, reaching a critical point. In just a few more seconds, Loki's neck would be snapped.
Even Loki, a Frost Giant, was nothing more than a pathetic wretch before Tony. And Tony certainly wouldn't show any mercy to such a menace. If he had the choice, he would have killed Loki without hesitation. If Odin weren't still alive, he would never have let Loki live this long. The evil nature of the God of Mischief could never be changed. One major crisis after another had been instigated by the very Loki he now held in his grasp. People only ever cared about the heroic exploits of superheroes. Who ever paid attention to the civilians who died like ants in event after event? For now, however, Loki's sole value was as a bargaining chip for the Infinity Gauntlet.
Odin would have to make a choice. Unless the God-King could kill Tony right here and now, he would be forced to compromise. Even if he succeeded in expelling Tony, he would forfeit Asgard's future, because Tony was young and had more than enough time to slowly dismantle Asgard. But Odin was out of time; he was going to die soon.
"Give me the Infinity Gauntlet now. If I'm fortunate enough to survive what's coming, I won't target Asgard in the future." Tony said, his tone light.
Immediately after, a streak of light flew out from the depths of Asgard. It was a large, golden gauntlet.
"Take it and leave. From this day forward, you are forbidden from ever setting foot on Asgardian soil again." Odin's voice drifted over, filled with an ancient weariness.
Without a word, Tony caught the gauntlet and discarded Loki to the ground like a piece of trash.
The large gauntlet was nearly half a meter long, as if it had been forged to the standards of giants. But Tony wasn't surprised in the slightest. He held out his right hand and slowly slid the gauntlet on. The moment the golden gauntlet touched his hand, it flashed with light and rapidly shrank until it was a perfect fit.
A strange sensation quickly emanated from the Infinity Gauntlet, permeating Tony's flesh and blood, and seeping into his very soul. It was a field akin to an ultra-high-intensity energy resonance. Every cell in his body seemed to be drawn together by the gauntlet's power, connected by an imperceptible energy link that wove all the usable energy within him into a single, web-like network. His entire body and soul instantly achieved an astonishing state of unity. Of course, this merely facilitated the exertion of power. If Tony himself were a weakling, it would be useless.
Above Tony's left hand, three Infinity Stones—blue, green, and yellow—floated. A faint pull emanated from them, drawing them toward the golden gauntlet on his right hand. Tony paused for a moment, then took hold of the three Infinity Stones. One by one, as if filling a candy dispenser, he settled them into their designated positions. The empty slots on the back of the index, middle, and ring fingers were filled, one after another, by these three Infinity Stones!
In an instant, a terrifying power erupted, like the might of an entire cosmos! It burst forth in an explosive torrent.
(end of chapter)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
The arrival of Trigon had caused many changes, but these terrible transformations would take time. Many places in the cosmos were still preoccupied with their own concerns. Even when abnormal omens appeared, they often failed to comprehend them, or simply chose to ignore them. Compared to a distant, great demon, their own lives were undoubtedly of greater importance.
Asgard. A vast continent, shaped like a flat land under a domed sky. Soul-stirring, surging rivers flowed across it in one direction, then cascaded down from immense heights at the continent's edge. The ceaseless, terrifying waterfalls, with billions of tons of water plummeting from the continent's edge, created one of the most breathtaking spectacles in the cosmos.
The Rainbow Bridge, thousands of meters long, manifested as a physical, corridor-like structure at the entrance of Asgard. At a glance, it seemed to pierce straight through to the continent's distant end.
Heimdall stood at his gate, as ever, his pale yellow eyes constantly monitoring the movements within the Nine Realms. He could perceive any individual within their bounds. But today, he was compelled to take up his weapon, resting it across his shoulder.
At the terminus of the Rainbow Bridge, a blue vortex suddenly appeared. The vortex was about the height of two men, and from it surged countless plumes of thick mist, roiling and swirling in the space around it. Most unsettling were the subtle streaks of lightning that occasionally flashed within the mist. These fleeting bursts of electrical energy easily tore through space, capable of instantly shattering a soul. Even Heimdall felt waves of immense pressure.
Tony walked out of the vortex. In his open palm, the Space Stone glowed brilliantly, continuously flashing with an intoxicating blue light. What made Heimdall's brow furrow most was the sight of twelve tall, metallic figures walking out behind Tony. Twelve behemoths, each twenty meters tall and wielding terrifying greatswords, stepped onto the Rainbow Bridge. Their heavy footfalls, landing in perfect unison, caused the bridge to tremble. Identical bodies, identical faces, identical movements. They were deathly silent, like zealous death soldiers saturated with killing intent. A piercing, cold glint emanated from their brandished greatswords.
"Heimdall, you know why I've come to Asgard. Call Odin out!"
Tony walked at the forefront. Though his steps were unhurried, each one seemed to traverse vast distances, leaving a deep, indelible mark upon the sturdy Rainbow Bridge.
Heimdall's expression shifted subtly. He drew a deep breath, unsheathed his war sword, and stood before Tony like an immovable rock, faithfully guarding Asgard.
"Guardian of Earth, to set foot in Asgard uninvited will incite a war between worlds," Heimdall said slowly.
"Shut up, Heimdall! I'm not here to negotiate with you, I'm here to negotiate with Odin!"
Tony's expression was cold and grim. With a flick of his hand, two other Infinity Stones floated before him, shimmering alongside the Space Stone. Their brilliant colors, however, symbolized a terrifying power. The Space Stone glowed faintly, and a small vortex opened. A figure stumbled wretchedly out of it, only to be seized by Tony's hand, gripping their neck, and lifted into the air.
It was Loki. His neck was caught in Tony's death grip, his face ashen and contorted in agony. He clawed at Tony's pincer-like arm with both hands, striking it weakly.
"Either give me the Infinity Gauntlet, and I'll return Loki to you, or I'll choke him to death right now!"
Tony's face remained cold. He ignored Loki, whose throat was making gurgling sounds, and incrementally increased the pressure as time passed. Any later, and Loki would truly be choked to death.
He would likely go down in Asgard's history as the god who suffered the most humiliating death.
"You are declaring war on Asgard!" Heimdall's expression remained impassive. As the God-King's loyal hound, Loki's life or death mattered little to him; after all, they still had Thor. He was very clear about his position: he was loyal only to the God-King. Whoever the God-King commanded him to attack, he would attack. As for who held the title of God-King, that was unimportant.
The pressure steadily increased. Loki's face had begun to turn blue, his eyes shot with blood, and he was not far from death. Tony showed no intention of releasing his grip. He continued to increase the pressure, reaching a critical point. In just a few more seconds, Loki's neck would be snapped.
Even Loki, a Frost Giant, was nothing more than a pathetic wretch before Tony. And Tony certainly wouldn't show any mercy to such a menace. If he had the choice, he would have killed Loki without hesitation. If Odin weren't still alive, he would never have let Loki live this long. The evil nature of the God of Mischief could never be changed. One major crisis after another had been instigated by the very Loki he now held in his grasp. People only ever cared about the heroic exploits of superheroes. Who ever paid attention to the civilians who died like ants in event after event? For now, however, Loki's sole value was as a bargaining chip for the Infinity Gauntlet.
Odin would have to make a choice. Unless the God-King could kill Tony right here and now, he would be forced to compromise. Even if he succeeded in expelling Tony, he would forfeit Asgard's future, because Tony was young and had more than enough time to slowly dismantle Asgard. But Odin was out of time; he was going to die soon.
"Give me the Infinity Gauntlet now. If I'm fortunate enough to survive what's coming, I won't target Asgard in the future." Tony said, his tone light.
Immediately after, a streak of light flew out from the depths of Asgard. It was a large, golden gauntlet.
"Take it and leave. From this day forward, you are forbidden from ever setting foot on Asgardian soil again." Odin's voice drifted over, filled with an ancient weariness.
Without a word, Tony caught the gauntlet and discarded Loki to the ground like a piece of trash.
The large gauntlet was nearly half a meter long, as if it had been forged to the standards of giants. But Tony wasn't surprised in the slightest. He held out his right hand and slowly slid the gauntlet on. The moment the golden gauntlet touched his hand, it flashed with light and rapidly shrank until it was a perfect fit.
A strange sensation quickly emanated from the Infinity Gauntlet, permeating Tony's flesh and blood, and seeping into his very soul. It was a field akin to an ultra-high-intensity energy resonance. Every cell in his body seemed to be drawn together by the gauntlet's power, connected by an imperceptible energy link that wove all the usable energy within him into a single, web-like network. His entire body and soul instantly achieved an astonishing state of unity. Of course, this merely facilitated the exertion of power. If Tony himself were a weakling, it would be useless.
Above Tony's left hand, three Infinity Stones—blue, green, and yellow—floated. A faint pull emanated from them, drawing them toward the golden gauntlet on his right hand. Tony paused for a moment, then took hold of the three Infinity Stones. One by one, as if filling a candy dispenser, he settled them into their designated positions. The empty slots on the back of the index, middle, and ring fingers were filled, one after another, by these three Infinity Stones!
In an instant, a terrifying power erupted, like the might of an entire cosmos! It burst forth in an explosive torrent.
(end of chapter)
