CHAPTER 176

[Draul St. Cross POV]

A few days has passed since that nightmare and now I was preparing to fuse with the Power Stone. 

Whether I liked it or not, the time to get off my butt had arrived. The only stone out of my reach currently, which was just a portal away, was the Reality Stone. The Time Stone being in my possession was already an assured fact.

Before me were the three people that had been with me during my last evolution. 

"Another one? You do realize that there are only six of these stones scattered around the most obscure corners of the universe, right? And you coming in possession of two within such short time frames kinda throws away the importance of their scarcity." Strange said from the side, pointing at the fact that I was able to find two Infinity Stones in the span of a few months back. 

"Well, let's just say I'm insightful. How about we get this over with quickly and everyone can go home early, cool?" Without even waiting for them to answer, I nodded at the silent Ancient One and then proceeded to cut my right palm and implanted the Power Stone inside my body before closing it.

Unlike the last time, Bucky, Steve, Natasha and Yelena were here this time to watch the evolution since they wanted to be, likely still worried about me, and I agreed, no reason not to. 

"I know I shouldn't say this in spite of your resolve, but this endeavor will change everything about you. The Power Stone holds a special place among the Infinity Stones, and also do not forget about your mental evolution. If I'm correct, you will need the Mind Stone to smoothly direct the process and stop it from directly influencing you." The Ancient One's voice filtered into my ears as she started the spell with Strange and Wong following behind. 

I also started my process since the sorcerers had already erected their shields and consequently, a huge influx of volatile energy flowed into my body, giving it a purple hue. 

Since I already know the process to fuse with the stone, I started it and immediately my world view changed. 

If the Space Stone gave me the feeling of omnipresence, the omnipotent feeling I was getting as the Power Stone flooded my body completely dwarfed it. 

It felt as if I was a sun and every other being of power revolved around me. I could snuff out the life out of them if I decided that I didn't want to shine my light on them. 

I could feel myself accessing different types of energies in the universe; magic, psychic, chi, dark energy, light energy, radiations… everything came flooding to me like a vacuum and I immediately knew that some fucking shit must have been happening in the real world. 

It felt like every being was giving me a part of their power, or I was taking a part of their power as I was becoming the source. 

Different from how the Space Stone filtered my very essence into every nook and cranny of the universe, the Power Stone drew it all to me, giving me authority over every concept. 

From my right hand, I could feel it seeping into every part of my being. Joining them together to create a vessel that could handle any influx of power. Every bone in my body, every joint and every blood vessel, even down to the atoms were being drugged up with power and that was the go ahead I needed. 

I needed an equilibrium when fusing with the stones in order to create a balanced system like Thanos' gauntlet but this time my entire body was the gauntlet so I directed all the excess energy, near-infinite in amount, to the black hole inside me. 

The Power Stone was already making me a viable vessel to use any sort of power, or integrate any power system into my being and boosting my already ridiculous hulk-like strength to astronomical degrees was the first step. 

What the Power Stone did was ultimately remove the limiter on my body. Even though I always got stronger by the day, most of that strength lay in my energy reserves and the abilities I could use. 

But now? I was essentially Darwin. My adaptation and evolution had been energy based, different from people like the Hulk, Darwin and even Doomsday who had a higher degree in physical adaptation and the Power Stone just changed all that. I was even feeling excited about how strong I would be in my base self and then how much that strength would be multiplied by after I augmented myself and then to my chaos form, and that wasn't even factoring the use of the Infinity Stones… damn! 

The Power Stone was just unfair, not that life was any better. 

I could even feel my control over each and every one of my abilities getting stronger and better and that was just the basic boost of being the Power Stone. 

BOOOM! 

It felt as if a sky in my mind rumbled and the next thing that filled my vision were beings – each wielding powers like no other in the universe. 

I saw some I recognized, the knowledge of which almost made me swear, and some I didn't. Some looked back at me while some didn't even feel my gaze. 

It was all well and good until they turned and looked at me. 

The heads under a veil. 

Three pair of eyes, each shining wilh authority that even surpassed that of the Power Stone. 

A giant bigger than any planet I've ever seen. 

The Living Tribunal. 

Everything seemed to stop as I was under his gaze, even my evolution halted as I felt like his eyes were judging me. 

"YOU ARE UPSETTING THE NATURAL LAWS… BE WARNED." Was all he said before he disappeared and my evolution continued on. 

Just another reminder that I was now I the big leagues. 

… 

[Asgard, Odin Borson POV] 

"How did it go?" Frigga asked after she welcomed me back from the meeting. 

"I was able to persuade Zeus to leave the human alone, unless he goes after them. They did throw a fuss about not wanting or waiting to be attacked which we all knew was just our Godly insecurities." I needed wine, a barrel of mead should do. 

Frigga removed my robes while my staff/spear floated a few meters away from me. "I think it's better this way. The Gods don't attack and the human don't retaliate."

"You assume we would lose to a human?" I frowned at what she insinuated. 

She scoffed at my question before leading me to a table where she began pouring the drink I had so dearly wished for. "Whether he is human or not no longer matters. What matters is that he is in possession of the Infinity Stones, having them in collection than any other person has ever had in the universe. You yourself confirmed it that he is strong and he had also shown that if we pushed him too far he won't be opposed to killing us."

Aye. Even if it somehow strained my warrior's pride, it couldn't stop me from admitting the fact that the man called Draul was strong. He was utilizing the stones in a way that I thought was impossible. 

Zeus also knew this and that was why he agreed to let the human grow on his own instead of going on a paranoid fit and causing damage to his pantheon. Because like it or not, an Infinity wielder, especially one who had multiple stones, would be very hard to put down without incurring some damages which was even more so when the wielder had a mastery over the workings of the stones. 

'Those scavengers are only looking for the first corpse and then they will descend like vultures.'

It said a lot about Gods and how they behaved, which was vastly different than the perceptions most mortals had of us, if they are willing, even hoping, to see the downfall of others just for their entertainment or fear. 

"Bunch of cowards be the lot of them, *sigh*. How did the boys do?" I scratched my temples as a barrage of migraines hit me hard like the blunt of Thor's hammer which was a gross understatement, considering how strong that thing was. The Council of Godheads was just that annoying. 

"They are no longer brooding which is great and they are now focused more than they ever were which is a great thing to see. I don't think we should worry about them going to pick a fight with the Midgardian now or any time soon." A stout warrior should know a battle that isn't worth fighting. Bravery, courage, determination, loyalty, resolve – these are all qualities of a great warrior, even more so a protector, but the one indispensable factor is strength. Without strength, none of the other qualities can hold on their own. 

"By Bor, it's about damn time they focused on improving themselves than seeking adolescent vainglory." The Allfathers knows how long I've been praying that they get out of their hard head phase which was something every single one of the warrior race of Asgard went through, and them being stronger than their peers and also Asgardian nobility only made it worse. 

"The oracle told me something: 'darkness creeps ever so slowly as the night comes'. I have been trying to do one more from the universe but I can't expand on it more than I already could. It was also at that time that I felt it… which going by your expression you did too. I believe we might have underestimated the existence's worth, Odin. This is not darkness… This is unbridled ruin. One so terrifying that darkness will be akin to a shining beacon of hope." Frigga spoke softly but the words hit me stronger than any mead of the realms ever could. 

It was not only I who felt it but also every God in attendance, both big and small. We felt it because we all had something in common. If one were to trace back the lineage of every major God back to their Primogenitor, the end root will always be darkness and chaos. Unlike the mortals, from darkness we came and darkness we shall go. 

It was also the reason why Zeus agreed with me to leave the Midgardian be. The damage had already been done when the man fused with the Space Stone and opened a bridge to Chaos, even if it was brief and also one so small, no one knows what type of monstrosities crawled through that breach. 

"I hear thee, Frigga. It was bound to happen at one point or the other and the fact that it happened now shouldn't change things all that much. A gamble is to be made. I believe it is time we had a discussion with the Midgardian, do you not?"

"I also think so. At least this will be a way to smooth out whatever misgivings he might have against Thor and his brother along with their friends." Frigga said but I shook my head at her, causing me a drawn eye. 

"He cares not for misgivings, not for their lineage or malice. Not to mention he seemed more mature than they both are and that is even hoping Thor doesn't challenge him, so rather than inviting him here I'll take a trip to Midgard to talk to him. I also need to have a word with Yao." Even speaking her cursed name was enough to spoil my mood, but it had to be done. She knew something, something that no other God did and even if she was willing to take it to her timely grave, I was not. 

It was at that moment I felt something in me tremble, humming in confusion before it subsided in affirmation. 

"What happened?" Frigga asked 

"The Power Stone, Frigga. The man just fused with the Power Stone."

========================

Don't forget to vote.

Read up to 35 chapters ahead at pa*treon.com/Draul_TheOminous.