Chapter 155: The Devil Returns
The Mad Titan, Thanos, was infamous across the universe, and his movements were closely monitored by all major cosmic factions. Because of this, Alex easily pinpointed Thanos' current location.
To Alex's surprise, Thanos was heading toward Terra—Earth.
In the vastness of space, Terra was relatively insignificant, but its inhabitants called it Earth. Thanos' destination meant he was planning to confront Earth directly.
Alex immediately deduced Thanos' intentions. Thanos must have learned of Alex's reappearance and, anticipating a future conflict, intended to seize the Time Stone from the Sorcerer Supreme. With the power of the Infinity Stones, he hoped to counter Alex's immense strength.
Furthermore, Alex suspected that Thanos had likely already acquired the Soul Stone.
Obtaining the Soul Stone required the ultimate sacrifice—the life of a loved one. In the original timeline, Thanos had no choice but to sacrifice his daughter, Gamora, due to various constraints. However, without the urgency of that timeline, Thanos now had more freedom to find someone else to make the sacrifice.
This was better for Alex. Once Thanos acquired the two Infinity Stones, Alex planned to take them for himself, sparing himself the trouble of hunting them down.
With all six Infinity Stones in his possession, Alex would gain the power to snap his fingers, wielding the unimaginable strength of the Infinity Gauntlet. Although such power couldn't affect cosmic entities of a singular universe like the Celestials, it would still significantly enhance Alex's strength.
Moreover, Alex's unique Vector Manipulation could further amplify the Infinity Stones' power.
When the time came, Alex would singlehandedly annihilate the Celestials.
---
The fleet set course for Earth, but on the way, they encountered the High Evolutionary's ship.
For Rocket Raccoon, the High Evolutionary was a hated enemy. Seeing him again made Rocket's blood boil. Without hesitation, he donned his portable space suit and launched a lightning-fast assault on the High Evolutionary.
Of course, Rocket alone wasn't enough to defeat the High Evolutionary. But the Guardians of the Galaxy, including Star-Lord, two versions of Groot, and other members, weren't going to sit idle. Together, they attacked and destroyed the High Evolutionary's ship, freeing the experimental subjects aboard.
These experimental subjects, who had undergone countless experiments, now possessed various superhuman abilities. Even the children among them could contribute and wouldn't become burdens.
As for the High Evolutionary himself, Rocket didn't kill him. Instead, he imprisoned the villain and subjected him to periodic electric therapy.
For Alex, an immortal being, entertainment was crucial. Without it, the endless passage of time would erode all emotions.
Even though Alex could have opened a portal and reached Earth instantly, he chose to experience the journey through space.
---
During the voyage, one of Alex's skills leveled up:
["Purple" +1 experience]
["Purple" +1 experience]
["Purple" +1 experience]
[Congratulations, your skill "Purple" has leveled up!]
["Purple" lv5 (1/20,000): By combining the Flow Style "Blue" and the Reversal "Red," a conceptual mass is created. This mass can be manipulated with precision and even preserved for extended periods. If a massive amount of energy is consumed, the conceptual mass can be made permanent!]
"Purple" was one of Alex's most powerful skills, second only to his mastery over the Root and the Third Tree: Abyss.
Due to its immense strength, leveling up this skill was incredibly challenging. But through relentless practice, Alex had finally achieved its next evolution.
As the skill leveled up, a torrent of information surged into Alex's mind, threatening to overwhelm him. However, Alex quickly absorbed the influx, preventing it from affecting him.
After half an hour, Alex fully assimilated the knowledge and gained a detailed understanding of the upgraded "Purple".
The newly enhanced skill allowed the conceptual mass to persist for extended durations, even under normal energy consumption. If Alex expended massive energy reserves, the mass could become permanent, defying the constraints of time.
Additionally, the strength of the conceptual mass had increased significantly. If Alex simultaneously entered the states of the Third Tree and the Abyss while deploying the conceptual mass, even he couldn't fathom its true limits.
Thinking ahead to his confrontation with Thanos, Alex drew upon the power of the Infinity Stones. He used this energy to form several conceptual weapons, crafted from imaginary mass, and distributed them among Rocket Raccoon and the others, further enhancing their abilities.
---
Meanwhile, on the other side of the universe, a global war was raging on the blue planet—Earth.
The Mad Titan Thanos, a terrifying overlord who struck fear into countless galactic factions and the most powerful member of the Titan branch of the Eternals, had launched a sudden invasion of Earth.
Thanos came equipped with technology far more advanced than anything Earth had ever seen, along with an army composed of numerous species with physiques vastly superior to humans.
Previously, when Alex had roamed Earth, Nick Fury had used his pager to call Captain Marvel. She had since arrived on Earth.
Because of Alex's influence, Tony Stark had taken up the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme, wielding powers that had grown exponentially stronger compared to the original timeline.
In addition, heroes like Captain America and others now possessed symbiotes that Alex had personally enhanced.
As a result, Earth's defenders were far stronger than Thanos had anticipated.
At first, Thanos' forces caught Earth off guard, dealing a significant blow. However, the tables quickly turned. Captain Marvel, Sorcerer Supreme Tony, and the symbiote-enhanced Avengers retaliated with overwhelming force. Even with two Infinity Stones in hand, Thanos found himself outmatched.
The Avengers defeated Thanos, capturing most of his lieutenants. While scattered soldiers from his vast army continued wreaking havoc across the globe, their efforts were increasingly futile.
Under normal circumstances, this timeline's Thanos would have been destined to fail. But something unexpected occurred.
---
During his battle with Captain America and the others, fragments of their symbiotes had unknowingly bonded with Thanos.
The symbiotes enhanced by Alex were far more potent than their original versions, with heightened vitality and the ability to rapidly create offspring.
Due to the symbiotes' generational rule—where offspring are stronger than their progenitors—Thanos' symbiote evolved into something terrifying.
As a Titan, Thanos could easily withstand the immense influx of genetic and ability information carried by the symbiote.
Abilities from Captain America and others were dismissed, but traits from the Hulk and other Eternal beings within the symbiote were activated.
Something more extraordinary happened: Thanos established a connection with a Great Will and replaced this universe's Hulk as the one linked to The One Below All (TOBA). Through this connection, Thanos gained near-limitless power.
As the antithesis of The One Above All (TOAA), even a fraction of the TOBA's power was unimaginable—far exceeding the complete Phoenix Force in scale and magnitude.
---
Thanos' newfound abilities were staggering. Most notably, he inherited the Hulk's power to grow stronger with rage. As the Mad Titan, he could control his emotions with precision, fueling himself to become angrier and exponentially more powerful.
Breaking free from the S.H.I.E.L.D. prison where he had been confined, Thanos stormed Kamar-Taj, reclaiming the two Infinity Stones stored there. With them, his power surged even further.
The freed Thanos unleashed chaos upon the world. Enhanced by his symbiote and fueled by rage, he became nearly unstoppable. Not even the combined might of Captain Marvel, Sorcerer Supreme Tony, and the other Avengers could subdue him.
Thanos' original plan had been to leave Earth once he reclaimed the Stones. However, his heightened strength and rage began to cloud his judgment. Consumed by fury, he vowed to annihilate all the heroes opposing him.
---
As the Avengers struggled to hold their ground, and Thanos grew ever stronger, salvation came from beyond the stars.
Outside Earth's atmosphere, countless wormholes opened.
From these portals, hundreds of massive starships emerged, descending upon the planet's orbit.
Hidden high in the atmosphere, the S.H.I.E.L.D. aerospace carrier quickly detected the incoming fleet of alien starships. Nick Fury, his face grim, relayed the alarming news to the gathered superheroes:
"More alien warships are arriving through the wormholes, and their numbers surpass Thanos' fleet. They represent a variety of styles and civilizations. I see Kree warships, Xandarian designs, and even Ravager vessels among them!
I can't determine their purpose here, but we must prepare for the worst: they may share the same goal as Thanos—to conquer Earth!"
Tony Stark's expression was equally severe. He stood clad in a highly advanced magical battlesuit, vastly different from his earlier designs. His latest suit had undergone multiple upgrades, now brimming with unprecedented energy readings. It even allowed him to channel arc reactor energy as a substitute for magical power, eliminating his reliance on external sources.
Clenching his hands tightly, Tony spoke in a grave tone: "Damn it. What's going on lately? First, the that ball sac comes to Earth, declares war, gets stronger, and snatches up two Infinity Stones.
And now, another alien faction shows up with hundreds, no, thousands of warships! It's obvious they're not here to make friends!"
As he spoke, Tony shot a sharp glare at Steve Rogers, clearly harboring resentment.
A year ago, when he discovered Bucky Barnes' whereabouts and sought to kill him, Steve had intervened. Although Tony ultimately defeated Steve with magic and captured Bucky, he hesitated to deliver the killing blow.
Realizing that Bucky had been brainwashed by Hydra and wasn't entirely at fault for his parents' deaths, Tony decided to imprison him instead. Using magic, he confined Bucky in the Mirror Dimension, where he continues to endure torment. Tony plans to keep Bucky there for nine years before releasing him as penance for his crimes.
This unresolved history left Tony and Steve on poor terms. Were it not for the immediate threat of Thanos, they might have reignited their old conflict.
Tony's frustration with Steve had only deepened in recent weeks. Somehow, Thanos had acquired a symbiote fragment from Steve, significantly amplifying his power. With this newfound strength, Thanos escaped the vibranium prison holding him and reclaimed two Infinity Stones, once again overpowering the Avengers.
The situation only added fuel to Tony's simmering anger toward Steve.
Thinking of this, Tony Stark's mind wandered to Alex, who had disappeared two years ago. Tony's feelings toward Alex were deeply conflicted. Alex had saved his life, but he had also secretly used the Mind Stone to control him. Even without that, while Tony might have felt gratitude for being saved, he would never have willingly cooperated so closely with a figure so distinctly anti-heroic.
But as he reflected on their current dire situation, Tony couldn't help but sigh: "Ah, if Alex were still here, things would be different. Before he left, he was powerful enough to stand against the Celestials. Even with Thanos' terrifying strength now, he'd be no match for Alex wielding three Infinity Stones!"
The moment Tony said this, silence fell across the aerospace carrier.
The name "Alex" had become taboo among everyone present in the past two years. For most, his memory was laced with hatred, though a few also felt a measure of gratitude.
The hatred stemmed from Alex's brutal actions. Single-handedly, he had toppled the U.S. government and military, plunging the world into chaos. Countless lives were lost because of him. Alex's ruthlessness knew no bounds, even extending to his own kind—mutants. He had once slaughtered all of Professor X's students and used the Mind Stone to seize control of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
Both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra, lurking in the shadows, had also fallen under his sway. If not for the sudden emergence of the Celestials, Alex might have succeeded in conquering the entire world.
Yet, despite the fear and hatred he inspired, it was Alex who had inadvertently given Earth a fighting chance against Thanos.
For as ruthless as Alex was to his enemies, he was fiercely loyal to his allies. Thanks to him, Tony Stark had become the Supreme Sorcerer, the most powerful among them. Others had been gifted symbiotes, which significantly enhanced their powers, making them tens of times stronger.
These symbiotes weren't ordinary either—they had immense reproductive capabilities. Now, even proud warriors like Thor and Captain Marvel wore symbiote suits, amplifying their abilities. Only Tony Stark had refused, relying on his arc reactor-powered magic instead.
Unfortunately, due to Captain America's oversight, Thanos had also acquired a symbiote. For reasons unknown, this had awakened in him the Hulk's ability to grow stronger with rage. This twist had once again turned the tide against the Avengers.
Breaking the heavy silence, Nick Fury finally spoke, steering the conversation away from Alex:
"I suggest we establish contact with the alien fleet and determine their intentions. If they're willing to ally with us against Thanos, that would be ideal.
If not—if they have hostile intentions—perhaps they can at least serve as a distraction.
But if they're here to reinforce Thanos, we'll need to focus on escaping Earth and preserving a seed of Earth's civilization elsewhere."
The superheroes nodded in agreement, accepting Fury's proposal.
Fury initiated a transmission to the alien fleet, anxiously awaiting a response. As the seconds dragged on, tension among the group grew palpable.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the communication was answered. This alone was a good sign, suggesting the newcomers were open to negotiation.
But when the screen lit up, the sight before them left everyone stunned.
Standing on the screen was a figure burned into their memories: white-haired, with familiar piercing blue eyes that gleamed with suppressed amusement. Pretending to be serious, Alex addressed the Avengers: "Hello, everyone. It's been two years since I've been gone. Did you miss me?"
°°°
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