章 252: Chapter 252: Daughters Sell Out Thanos
While Nebula was subtly betraying Thanos, Gamora was openly providing an in-depth guide...
It was like a market scene where two vendors ruthlessly undercut each other's prices to attract customers.
One says, "Fresh Thanos here, hot and ready, ten bucks for a pound, twenty for three."
The other retorts, "My Thanos comes with a health inspection seal, only one dollar a pound, buy now while stocks last."
The first vendor then declares, "My Thanos is free."
The second one ups the ante, "I'll even throw in a Power Stone!"
So, Clark decides to take both offers.
...
But seriously, how much of a failure is Thanos as a person?
Maybe not wanting to be outdone by Gamora, Nebula glares at her sister and adds sourly, "What you say is true, but the precondition for all this is Clark's ability to defeat, or even seriously injure Thanos. Do you think that's possible?"
"He does possess two Infinity Stones, which qualifies him to fight Thanos. But it's uncertain if he can harness their true power. In a real battle, he might still die by Thanos' hand, turning his Infinity Stones into Thanos' trophies."
"I disagree!" Gamora counters firmly, "While the power and backlash of the Infinity Stones are immense, special artifacts can help wielders control the stones and reduce backlash. You know Thanos planned the same way. If Thanos can, why can't others?"
"Ha!" Nebula scoffs in disdain, pretending not to know about Clark's Asgardian royalty and Nidavellir's connection, "Unless he can find Nidavellir and get the Dwarf to assist, how can one easily acquire such artifacts?"
The two step-sisters, in their back-and-forth, not only thoroughly exposed Thanos' weaknesses but also started brainstorming ways for Clark to defeat Thanos, showing remarkable dedication and effort.
After listening to them, Clark retrieves the Orb from his personal space, previously opened by the Collector. He then reaches for the Power Stone inside, glowing with purple light.
Seeing this, Gamora yells, "Be careful!"
Clark, however, ignores the warning.
In truth, mortals cannot physically touch Infinity Stones.
But this rule only applies to mortals.
Being half-divine, even an unawakened Star-Lord can handle it, and Ronan also endured its power. This suggests that the backlash is constant, but how one bears it varies.
As a sub-Skyfather level being, Clark grasping the Infinity Stone poses no issue, similar to Thanos at the same level.
Under everyone's stunned gaze, Clark easily pinches the Power Stone between his fingers and moves it towards the left collar of his cloak.
"Ding!"
The stone fits perfectly into a circular indentation on the cloak.
Only then do Nebula, Gamora, and others notice the three identical indents on each side of the cloak's collar. Seeing the Power Stone in place, the purpose of the other five becomes obvious. What they've discussed, Clark had already anticipated and even forged!
With the Power Stone set into the cloak, a surge of energy courses through Clark, causing a tremor. This establishes a vague connection between him and the stone, subtly enhancing and transforming his body while also subjecting him to its backlash.
"To wear the crown, one must bear its weight," he muses. "To use the stones' power, one must shoulder their burden."
After resolving key issues, Clark takes out the Tesseract, using the Power Stone's energy on it.
One second, two seconds…
Despite his efforts, the Tesseract remains unscathed until after five minutes, a barely visible crack appears. Comparing this to Thanos effortlessly crushing it in the movie, Clark admits the significant gap between them.
Maintaining his power, more cracks appear on the Tesseract, and after three more minutes, it finally shatters.
Relieved, Clark picks up the Space Stone from the remnants, setting it into the right collar of his cloak, opposite the Power Stone.
Another wave of intense energy engulfs him, revealing another issue.
The pressure from the Infinity Stones increases exponentially. While the first was bearable, the second already poses a significant challenge. With only two stones, it's manageable, but a third might be beyond his control.
Clark suspects that Thanos being defeated by Thor's axe might be due to the overwhelming pressure of all six stones.
The Infinity Stones are a double-edged sword.
Luckily for Clark, his immediate goal only requires three stones. The remaining three are particularly tricky, with the Mind Stone possibly affecting the user's psyche and the Soul Stone demanding an unbearable sacrifice.
In the meantime, Ronan's followers realize their leader is dead. Knowing not to provoke someone who easily killed Ronan, they choose survival over vengeance, strategically retreating.
Clark doesn't let them escape easily. He intercepts the fleeing ships through portals, capturing Ronan's main ship and 34 others. He allows the larger fleet to escape to avoid full-scale conflict with the Kree.
For the captured ships, Clark opts for mercy, sending the prisoners back in a small vessel.
After these events, another hour passes.
When Clark returns to the ground, the Guardians of the Galaxy are still there. Gamora addresses him, "Mr. Clark, we've seen your ability to protect the Power Stone. It's yours now. We'll be leaving if there's nothing else."
Nodding, Clark responds, "Thanks for the intel earlier. If you need help in the future, just ask. I'll assist if I can."
He then advises Star-Lord to visit Earth, which has changed much since his departure 26 years ago.
Star-Lord is surprised by Clark's knowledge of his past, but Clark only smiles in response.
After the Guardians leave in their ship, Clark turns to Nebula, "As Thanos' daughter, you doubt I can defeat him? Well, congratulations, you're now my prisoner. I'll let you witness how I surpass that 'purple spud'."
Nebula, resigned to her fate, is shocked when Clark suggests restoring her flesh and blood body, trembling at the possibility.
Clark assertively states, "I dislike repeating myself. I said I'd try, not that it's guaranteed, although I have a rough plan."
Keeping Nebula, knowledgeable about cosmic powers, by his side as a prisoner, Clark takes over the room next to the Collector's, openly selling Kree ships and buying unique ores from the Void, directly challenging the Collector who monopolizes these trades.
Clark's intention is clear: provoke the Collector into confrontation.
He holds no good impression of these ancient cosmic beings and is ready to confront the Collector, knowing their life-extending cosmic energy doesn't make them skilled fighters.
Successfully assimilating the Collector could significantly boost Clark's power, possibly matching or even surpassing Thanos.
Moreover, the Collector's immense wealth and treasures are a lucrative target.
Inheriting them legitimately would be ideal for Clark.
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