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Chapter 375 Red Skull: The Soul Stone requires a soul for a soul... Why the fuck did you kick me down!!!
On the ten-thousand-meter-high cliff, a fierce wind howled. The biting gale, strong enough to easily overturn a truck, was bone-chillingly cold, rapidly draining one's body heat.
Tony stood firm on the cliff's edge, as if nailed to it. No matter how strong the wind blew, to a powerhouse at the peak of Level Seven like him, it was no different from a gentle breeze.
On the Infinity Gauntlet on his right hand, five stones glowed faintly, each radiating its own unique brilliance.
The distinct powers of each stone were unified by the Infinity Gauntlet and absorbed into Tony's body.
The difference between having the Gauntlet and not was night and day. Before he had it, the number of stones he possessed was almost irrelevant.
Without the Infinity Gauntlet, even when Tony possessed three stones, his power increase was limited. His body simply couldn't handle the power of three stones simultaneously; it would have killed him.
His limit was wielding two at once for a short period. To use a third stone, he would have had to stop channeling the first two.
But with the Infinity Gauntlet, Tony could now use the power of all the stones at once, and his power level skyrocketed.
Space, Time, Mind, Reality, Power.
Each of these powers was profound enough for countless beings to spend a lifetime exploring. Mastering just one could make one a powerhouse renowned across the region.
Yet, under the coordination of the Infinity Gauntlet, Tony had easily mastered them all.
These were the Infinity Stones, artifacts that had fascinated countless people for eons.
"Having wielded five stones, an unprecedented feat, you now have the right to speak with the Soul Stone."
"The Soul Stone is the most unique of the Infinity Stones. It has its own requirements and refuses to be controlled by the mediocre."
Red Skull stood behind Tony, his low, raspy voice carrying clearly to Tony's ears.
But awkwardly, Tony just stared down from the cliff, showing no interest in responding to him at all.
This made Red Skull feel incredibly frustrated.
He clearly knew Tony's past, yet his rhythm was thrown off time and time again.
Resigned, Red Skull continued, "The Soul Stone's requirement is simple. A soul for a soul—a very fair trade."
"A trade?" Tony finally spoke, asking a single question.
"That's right. The Soul Stone does not accept a mediocre master. Anyone who wishes to obtain it must offer the soul of their most beloved as a sacrifice," Red Skull said, a glint in his eyes.
*If it were you, how would you choose? Sacrifice Wanda?*
*Heh, what a pitiful man at the end of his rope... Without the Soul Stone, what can you do? What will you use to fight that enemy... just five stones?*
*It's not enough. It's far from enough. The power one wields with the Soul Stone versus without it is on a completely different level.*
*That is a despair-inducing, multiverse-level chasm.*
The wind howled, and heavy snow began to fall.
Soon, everything was dyed a stark white.
Tony stood like a solitary peak, his eyes numb. The snow covered him, and in a few seconds, he was turned into a snowman, his body buried.
Around the cliff, countless giant stone pillars that reached for the sky seemed to come to life at this moment, bowing their heads to watch him silently, awaiting his choice.
At the bottom of the cliff was a gigantic altar. The altar was surrounded by numerous spikes, all pointing to the sky, pointing at every visitor who harbored a desire for the Soul Stone.
The snow danced wildly in the air, but not a single flake left a trace upon the altar. It seemed as if all the snow was drifting toward Tony, obscuring his vision and chilling his heart.
"If I want to get the Soul Stone, I have to offer it my most beloved?"
Tony finally moved. He slowly raised his right hand, his expression indescribably stiff, and stared at the golden gauntlet. Forged primarily from Uru metal, the Infinity Gauntlet felt cold to the touch as it silently awaited his decision.
The five stones glowed in their respective colors as always.
A hint of amusement flashed in Red Skull's eyes.
He had always been a schemer, the man who single-handedly built Hydra; he understood the games of the human heart better than anyone. But in Tony, he saw something very interesting.
A man who came to protect, a man who was powerful yet still held onto such tedious emotions... how would he ultimately choose?
If he didn't choose, everything would march toward annihilation. This universe had long been abandoned by the many beings of the Sphere of the Gods. When Trigon descended, no one would be able to stop him.
But if he chose to make the trade... would he really... sacrifice Wanda to the Soul Stone...?
His fist suddenly clenched, then slowly relaxed.
Tony spun around abruptly, his right hand landing on Red Skull's shoulder.
The shoulder felt strangely insubstantial, but Tony didn't care. His grim eyes stared intently at Red Skull as he spoke, word by word:
"The Soul Stone... wants to make a trade with me?"
"That's right, a soul for a—"
"Red Skull, I actually know you quite well. I've heard of your deeds since I was a child. You were once an idol I worshipped, a guiding light in my life."
Tony suddenly regained his composure, earnestly brushing off the non-existent snow from Red Skull's form.
Red Skull: "...So?"
Bang!
Tony viciously kicked Red Skull, the immense force sending him flying right off the cliff!
Red Skull was dumbfounded!
Even the Soul Stone was shocked!
"One for one! I'll trade you Red Skull! A very fair trade!" Tony yelled down at the altar below.
Red Skull: "..."
The Soul Stone: "???"
A blood-curdling scream echoed. Even for Red Skull, who had been imprisoned for eighty years with a mindset as unshakable as time, he couldn't help but curse at this moment!
"Why the fuck did you kick me down?!!"
With a wretched scream, Red Skull fell through the blizzard. Cold and desolation were his companions. His inevitably plummeting body, the mournful wail of the wind, and the soft whispers of the snowflakes composed a tragically beautiful scene, like the world's most magnificent poem.
Like a meteor streaking across the sky, falling to the earth, it was the cruelest of sceneries.
Red Skull, the leader of Hydra, sacrificed himself for the greater good by jumping off a cliff!!!
With a thud, Red Skull smashed into the center of the altar, his body shattered and only barely held together. If not for the power of the Soul Stone, the fall would have killed him instantly.
The scene froze in that instant, suspended in silence.
The Soul Stone also trembled in silence, stunned by Tony's shamelessness.
"So it still didn't work?" Tony sighed, sounding helpless.
Red Skull: "..."
The Soul Stone: "..."
Tony stood there for a while, his expression gradually turning cold and hard. The muscles in his face tensed as he said icily, "I will absolutely not trade my beloved for a tool."
"So, whatever you're planning, you're dreaming!"
"I will never hand Wanda over to you!"
Tony's face became ferocious. All the power in his body was mobilized, and an immense pressure swept forth, rushing directly toward the altar below.
If you won't give it to me, then I'll take it by force!
How could he, in the name of protecting someone, first abandon that very person?
What meaning would anything he did have then?
(end of chapter)
On the ten-thousand-meter-high cliff, a fierce wind howled. The biting gale, strong enough to easily overturn a truck, was bone-chillingly cold, rapidly draining one's body heat.
Tony stood firm on the cliff's edge, as if nailed to it. No matter how strong the wind blew, to a powerhouse at the peak of Level Seven like him, it was no different from a gentle breeze.
On the Infinity Gauntlet on his right hand, five stones glowed faintly, each radiating its own unique brilliance.
The distinct powers of each stone were unified by the Infinity Gauntlet and absorbed into Tony's body.
The difference between having the Gauntlet and not was night and day. Before he had it, the number of stones he possessed was almost irrelevant.
Without the Infinity Gauntlet, even when Tony possessed three stones, his power increase was limited. His body simply couldn't handle the power of three stones simultaneously; it would have killed him.
His limit was wielding two at once for a short period. To use a third stone, he would have had to stop channeling the first two.
But with the Infinity Gauntlet, Tony could now use the power of all the stones at once, and his power level skyrocketed.
Space, Time, Mind, Reality, Power.
Each of these powers was profound enough for countless beings to spend a lifetime exploring. Mastering just one could make one a powerhouse renowned across the region.
Yet, under the coordination of the Infinity Gauntlet, Tony had easily mastered them all.
These were the Infinity Stones, artifacts that had fascinated countless people for eons.
"Having wielded five stones, an unprecedented feat, you now have the right to speak with the Soul Stone."
"The Soul Stone is the most unique of the Infinity Stones. It has its own requirements and refuses to be controlled by the mediocre."
Red Skull stood behind Tony, his low, raspy voice carrying clearly to Tony's ears.
But awkwardly, Tony just stared down from the cliff, showing no interest in responding to him at all.
This made Red Skull feel incredibly frustrated.
He clearly knew Tony's past, yet his rhythm was thrown off time and time again.
Resigned, Red Skull continued, "The Soul Stone's requirement is simple. A soul for a soul—a very fair trade."
"A trade?" Tony finally spoke, asking a single question.
"That's right. The Soul Stone does not accept a mediocre master. Anyone who wishes to obtain it must offer the soul of their most beloved as a sacrifice," Red Skull said, a glint in his eyes.
*If it were you, how would you choose? Sacrifice Wanda?*
*Heh, what a pitiful man at the end of his rope... Without the Soul Stone, what can you do? What will you use to fight that enemy... just five stones?*
*It's not enough. It's far from enough. The power one wields with the Soul Stone versus without it is on a completely different level.*
*That is a despair-inducing, multiverse-level chasm.*
The wind howled, and heavy snow began to fall.
Soon, everything was dyed a stark white.
Tony stood like a solitary peak, his eyes numb. The snow covered him, and in a few seconds, he was turned into a snowman, his body buried.
Around the cliff, countless giant stone pillars that reached for the sky seemed to come to life at this moment, bowing their heads to watch him silently, awaiting his choice.
At the bottom of the cliff was a gigantic altar. The altar was surrounded by numerous spikes, all pointing to the sky, pointing at every visitor who harbored a desire for the Soul Stone.
The snow danced wildly in the air, but not a single flake left a trace upon the altar. It seemed as if all the snow was drifting toward Tony, obscuring his vision and chilling his heart.
"If I want to get the Soul Stone, I have to offer it my most beloved?"
Tony finally moved. He slowly raised his right hand, his expression indescribably stiff, and stared at the golden gauntlet. Forged primarily from Uru metal, the Infinity Gauntlet felt cold to the touch as it silently awaited his decision.
The five stones glowed in their respective colors as always.
A hint of amusement flashed in Red Skull's eyes.
He had always been a schemer, the man who single-handedly built Hydra; he understood the games of the human heart better than anyone. But in Tony, he saw something very interesting.
A man who came to protect, a man who was powerful yet still held onto such tedious emotions... how would he ultimately choose?
If he didn't choose, everything would march toward annihilation. This universe had long been abandoned by the many beings of the Sphere of the Gods. When Trigon descended, no one would be able to stop him.
But if he chose to make the trade... would he really... sacrifice Wanda to the Soul Stone...?
His fist suddenly clenched, then slowly relaxed.
Tony spun around abruptly, his right hand landing on Red Skull's shoulder.
The shoulder felt strangely insubstantial, but Tony didn't care. His grim eyes stared intently at Red Skull as he spoke, word by word:
"The Soul Stone... wants to make a trade with me?"
"That's right, a soul for a—"
"Red Skull, I actually know you quite well. I've heard of your deeds since I was a child. You were once an idol I worshipped, a guiding light in my life."
Tony suddenly regained his composure, earnestly brushing off the non-existent snow from Red Skull's form.
Red Skull: "...So?"
Bang!
Tony viciously kicked Red Skull, the immense force sending him flying right off the cliff!
Red Skull was dumbfounded!
Even the Soul Stone was shocked!
"One for one! I'll trade you Red Skull! A very fair trade!" Tony yelled down at the altar below.
Red Skull: "..."
The Soul Stone: "???"
A blood-curdling scream echoed. Even for Red Skull, who had been imprisoned for eighty years with a mindset as unshakable as time, he couldn't help but curse at this moment!
"Why the fuck did you kick me down?!!"
With a wretched scream, Red Skull fell through the blizzard. Cold and desolation were his companions. His inevitably plummeting body, the mournful wail of the wind, and the soft whispers of the snowflakes composed a tragically beautiful scene, like the world's most magnificent poem.
Like a meteor streaking across the sky, falling to the earth, it was the cruelest of sceneries.
Red Skull, the leader of Hydra, sacrificed himself for the greater good by jumping off a cliff!!!
With a thud, Red Skull smashed into the center of the altar, his body shattered and only barely held together. If not for the power of the Soul Stone, the fall would have killed him instantly.
The scene froze in that instant, suspended in silence.
The Soul Stone also trembled in silence, stunned by Tony's shamelessness.
"So it still didn't work?" Tony sighed, sounding helpless.
Red Skull: "..."
The Soul Stone: "..."
Tony stood there for a while, his expression gradually turning cold and hard. The muscles in his face tensed as he said icily, "I will absolutely not trade my beloved for a tool."
"So, whatever you're planning, you're dreaming!"
"I will never hand Wanda over to you!"
Tony's face became ferocious. All the power in his body was mobilized, and an immense pressure swept forth, rushing directly toward the altar below.
If you won't give it to me, then I'll take it by force!
How could he, in the name of protecting someone, first abandon that very person?
What meaning would anything he did have then?
(end of chapter)
