章 304: Chapter 304: Flags, Don't Raise Them Willy-Nilly!
The power of the God-level BGM system is truly formidable! A seemingly deceptive melody, "Just Like Love", not only tricks people but even managed to deceive the Soul Stone!
Thus, Hela perished.
The immortal body granted to her by Asgard finally could not resist the law of equivalent exchange set by the Soul Stone.
At the moment when Hela's form vanished, Clark felt his soul leave his body, finding himself suddenly in a damp puddle, feeling groggy as if he had just awakened.
Confusedly sitting up from the water, Clark suddenly discovered an orange gem, emitting halos of light, in the palm of his left hand.
The Soul Stone was his again!
Wait, why am I thinking "again"?
In the next moment, the Soul Stone returned to Clark's body along with his consciousness.
Among the six Infinity Stones, Clark always felt particularly wary of the Soul Stone, mainly because its acquisition conditions were extremely strict, daunting enough to deter anyone.
Unexpectedly, this very Soul Stone, which he so dreaded, seemed to be fated for him.
It always ended up in his hands for various reasons.
This was already the second time! Or perhaps, if considering the timeline, it should be considered the first time?
Casually storing the Soul Stone into his personal space, and before the deeply moved Red Skull could utter a word, Clark immediately activated the power of the Space Stone and vanished, returning to Asgard.
...
Reappearing on Asgard's Rainbow Bridge, Clark was met with a chilling scene.
Countless figures were frozen in place, starting from their heads, gradually turning into weightless gray dust that drifted away with the breeze, vanishing completely from this realm.
Wasn't this scene reminiscent of everyone turning to ash after Thanos snapped his fingers?
What had happened to Asgard?
Could it be that Thanos had secretly gathered all six Infinity Stones and snapped his fingers without Clark knowing?
Impossible!
Clark had already absorbed the Power Stone! And besides the Power Stone, he also possessed the Space and Soul Stones.
The Reality Stone was still sealed within the Dark Elves' stronghold, hidden even from his own reach.
The Time Stone was still with the Ancient One, and it wouldn't be easy for Thanos to take anything from her.
The Mind Stone was still embedded in Eris's forehead; that should also be safe.
No matter how he calculated, Thanos seemed to be nowhere near any of the Infinity Stones. How did he snap his fingers?
Unless...
Had Thanos also adopted the Avengers: Endgame strategy, somehow obtaining Pym Particles to travel through the timeline and gather the Infinity Stones, then returned to this timeline to snap his fingers?
Considering this possibility, Clark furrowed his brow deeply.
The situation couldn't be that bad, could it?
"Uncle!" Just as Clark was filled with doubt, Thor approached, flying in with Mjolnir and a grin, saying, "You actually managed to defeat Hela, that's incredible!"
Clark was slightly taken aback. If there really had been an incident where half of his comrades mysteriously vanished, Thor wouldn't be smiling like a kid who just won a candy store.
Could it be...
Looking around carefully once more, Clark finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Those who had turned to ash were not living beings but the undead army previously summoned by Hela, including Fenris the Wolf, who could rival Hulk in terms of combat strength. As for the Asgardian warriors and the superheroes from Earth, not one was missing, and everyone's faces bore the joy of victory.
So, it wasn't Thanos snapping his fingers; it was just the undead army turning to ash due to Hela's death...
With a faint smile, Clark couldn't help but show a bitter smile: "Speaking of which, due to my brother Odin, Hela could be considered one of my descendants. Yet, for the peace of Asgard and the Nine Realms, I had to take down such an exceptional descendant. It's really quite lamentable, a cruel twist of fate."
Impression points from Thor Odinsson +66666!
Impression points from Tony Stark...
Impression points...
...
Hearing Clark's melancholy words, everyone familiar with him simultaneously rolled their eyes.
You've just killed her, and now you're trying to act all sentimental?
Weren't you always more straightforward before?
Clark, you've changed!
Clark also realized the issue from this wave of frantic impression points and awkwardly chuckled, though he didn't explain further.
He couldn't very well say, "I've gotten used to acting this way during my time in the Avengers 4 timeline, right?"
Patting Thor's shoulder, Clark decisively changed the subject: "Hela is dead, and the crisis of Ragnarok is temporarily resolved. It's time for you to officially take over and become the new King of Asgard."
Thor opened his mouth as if to object.
Honestly, since being sent to Earth by Odin to gain experience, he had grown to enjoy the freedom of roaming around outside.
His obsession with the throne had lessened considerably, even turning into slight reluctance.
Becoming the king would mean he couldn't continue his adventures, right?
Clark guessed his thoughts and sternly said, "Do not refuse; it is your responsibility!"
But seeing Thor's reluctant demeanor, he added, "If you feel your capabilities are still lacking, and you can't handle the duties of king right now, consider appointing a prime minister to assist you with Asgard's daily affairs. Don't look at me like that, I'm busy, but Loki seems free..."
Thus, under Clark's direct guidance, Thor was crowned the new King of Asgard, and Loki became the prime minister, tasked with assisting Thor.
This outcome was acceptable for both Thor and Loki.
Loki even hinted to his brother, "If you want to wander, go ahead. Leave Asgard to me, and rest assured!"
As the prince designated by the former king, Clark naturally had to attend the funerals of the fallen warriors and Thor's coronation ceremony, also taking Tony, Captain America, and Hulk to experience Asgard's culture.
The people of Asgard, natural-born warriors, loved the strong and brave. The three Avengers became somewhat of celebrities at the feast, mixing in well with the Asgardian warriors.
An Asgardian warrior woman even tried to flirt with Tony, but the reformed playboy politely declined.
The celebration lasted three days and nights, and by the fourth day, when Clark returned to Earth with the Avengers, the festivities were just winding down.
Hank Pym convened all the Avengers for a routine meeting, with Clark as the main character. He recounted his adventures through time and the war in Asgard, which everyone found thrilling.
"By the way, Uncle Pym, Tony, Dr. Hulk, and little Surya," Clark named the most prominent scientists among the Avengers one by one, smiling cunningly, "I didn't come back from this time travel empty-handed. I've brought something interesting that needs your brilliant minds to study and see if there are any gains to be made."
With a wave of his hand, a three-meter-tall, scarred purple alien corpse appeared on the conference table.
Seeing the body, Starfire's eyes flashed with recognition, but she remained silent. Daisy, on the other hand, couldn't help but ex
claim, "Oh my God! Whose body is this? Why do I feel like I've met him before?"
Clark looked at Daisy with a half-smile and explained, "He's your big cousin, Thanos!"
Daisy, wide-eyed, asked, "My origins... are they related to Thanos?"
"Of course, they are," Clark nodded and continued, "After using the Terrigen Crystals to evolve, the Inhuman genes in your body have reverted to the form of the Eternals, also known as the Titan race in the universe. And Thanos, as far as I know, is one of the few surviving Eternals in the universe."
Daisy sighed in relief, finally understanding the connection. She had worried that besides the details of her background that had already been uncovered, there might be other secrets.
Pausing slightly, Clark added, "The genes of the Eternals were created by one of the cosmic progenitors, aiming for near perfection. If you can achieve some results from studying them, it could revolutionize current human genetics. However, this also comes with great risks, so it must be conducted in secret."
Glancing at the eager four scientists, Clark continued, "As the saying goes, to specialize is to excel. Let Dr. Banner lead this project, with the others assisting."
Dr. Banner immediately assured that he could handle the task without issue.
Clark's gaze swept over the attendees, noticing Captain America's somber mood due to his damaged shield. He quickly said, "Additionally, there are a few more things to discuss."
Drawing everyone's attention, Clark said, "First, Steve's shield was damaged in the battle with Hela, and I've also acquired some rare materials recently. It's a good time to update everyone's gear. I'll take you all to Nidavellir soon to get the shield repaired and the new equipment forged."
"And Ava, contact Nebula when you can. We don't need to continue searching for the Soul Stone; tell her to come back soon. It's a good opportunity for her to meet Starfire and get acquainted."
"Lastly, have Erik monitor the stellar movements. If there are signs of the alignment of nine stars, notify me immediately."
These tasks seemed simple enough; hopefully, nothing unexpected would happen.
Shaking his head, Clark quickly dismissed this dangerous thought.
What a joke! They had just settled the matter with Hela, and having such thoughts was just like carelessly raising a flag.
Flags, after all, are not to be raised carelessly!
...
In the depths of the universe, on an unnamed planet...
"Oh, no need to inquire about the Soul Stone anymore? And you want me to return to Earth as soon as possible?"
"Okay, okay, no problem. I'll head back as soon as I wrap up here."
After ending the communication, Nebula casually wiped her sword clean using a corpse nearby, then scanned her surroundings, silently counting the bodies—exactly 35, no more, no less, all notorious cosmic outlaws with none missed.
These unfortunate souls were just the latest in a series of notable cosmic thieves Nebula had eliminated recently.
Although Clark hadn't asked her to do anything specific and had provided her with enough funds to search for clues about the Soul Stone, Nebula felt it was important to prove her worth now that she had pledged loyalty to Clark. In the universe, exploiting other criminals was an excellent way to gather resources.
She thought this way, and she acted this way.
To date, she had amassed a collection of rare treasures, ready to report her achievements upon her return.
What good things might she find on these unlucky cosmic thieves this time?
With these thoughts, Nebula's gaze settled on a spaceship that had belonged to the thieves.
But her brow furrowed at the sight of another spaceship approaching from a distance, its design unmistakably from Titan technology.
Could it be that Thanos had discovered her whereabouts and come looking for her?
With this thought, Nebula's gaze began to wander, contemplating an escape plan.
Just then, a pale blue beam shot down from the approaching ship, depositing two figures she recognized but wasn't close with onto the planet's surface.
These two were none other than Thanos's brother Starfox and one of the cosmic elders, the Champion!
Each possessed formidable strength, well beyond Nebula's ability to confront.
But why would these two appear together on this unremarkable planet?
Was it a mere coincidence, or was there a deliberate plan behind their arrival?
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