How Many?

Protecting them for 10 years and even directly killing Hela, the mess Odin left behind, was already more than enough.

Seeing the fearful looks in everyone's eyes as they stared at him, Zane gave a faint smile.

"Now that the duel is over, you may all leave."

As soon as Zane finished speaking, the rulers of the civilizations in the back row scrambled to get up from the ground. They fled back to their spaceships as if running for their lives, disappearing without a trace, as if afraid that Zane would propose a few more duels.

Watching other duels might cost money, but watching Zane's duels could cost lives.

After all, weren't there just a few fallen rulers lying there, dead with unclosed eyes?

Soon, the overlords of the Nine Realms also departed, each with their own calculations. Even if they had plans, they knew better than to act under Zane's watchful eye while he was still in Asgard.

Satan and God exchanged a final, meaningful glance at Zane before quickly tearing open two space rifts and retreating to their domains. Their hurried departure even seemed somewhat undignified.

It's easy to understand why. No one would want to place their life in another person's hands.

Right now, Zane gave them the unsettling impression that he could wipe them out at any moment. Sitting there felt like being trapped in the jaws of a tiger. Only in their own divine realms could they feel even a hint of safety.

Finally, only a few remained in the vast arena: the Asgardians, Thanos, the two from the Celestials, and the dwarves who had been quietly standing at the edge of the stage.

At that moment, the Collector and Grandmaster exchanged a glance and nodded.

They both stood up and silently walked toward the arena.

Zane turned his gaze toward them.

"Honorable Lord Zane, greetings."

The Collector was the first to step forward and bow deeply to Zane. Though his gesture was quite formal, his tone was rather odd.

His brother, the Grandmaster, cast a disdainful glance at the overly theatrical Collector, then smiled kindly at Zane and waved.

"Mr. Zane, that duel was truly spectacular."

But in Zane's eyes, a flash of caution appeared as he looked at them.

Even though he had now ascended to a mid-level god, reaching the sixth-dimensional level of existence, he still couldn't fully discern the nature of these two ancient beings. He could only vaguely sense that they, like him, were also six-dimensional life forms.

"Do you two have something you wish to discuss with me?" Zane asked calmly.

He couldn't quite figure out what their true attitude toward him was.

They might seem respectful now, but having lived for who knows how long, they had undoubtedly mastered the art of concealing their true emotions. It was basic for them to hide their joy and anger.

They might call him with respect now, but in the next moment, they could very well launch an attack.

Zane glanced at Thanos, who had come with them, and began to piece together a suspicion.

"Honorable Lord Zane, may I ask, how many Infinity Stones do you currently possess?"

The Collector lifted his head, staring intently into Zane's eyes as he asked.

He didn't ask if Zane had Infinity Stones; he asked how many. Clearly, through his own methods, he had already confirmed that Zane had some Infinity Stones. The only thing he didn't know was exactly how many.

At the same time, the Grandmaster also dropped his previously kind expression, turning serious as he stared intently at Zane's face.

After all, Zane's answer would determine their attitude toward him—whether they would be friend or foe.

The three of them stared at each other for a while, then Zane's face slowly broke into a smile...

"What does it matter to you two how many Infinity Stones I have?"

Zane looked at the Collector and Grandmaster with a smile. Though his face smiled, his eyes remained cold, devoid of any warmth.

Zane hated being questioned the most.

If someone's power completely overwhelmed his, fine—he'd endure it.

But now, even though Zane couldn't fully gauge the extent of their abilities, his instincts told him he could hold his own against them.

So, he straightforwardly fired back.

At the same time, the people behind Zane also geared up, warily eyeing the Collector and Grandmaster.

As Zane's words fell, the atmosphere on the platform instantly grew tense.

Although none of the three moved or released their auras, they stood like three ordinary people with strange attire.

But the pressure that filled the air weighed heavily on everyone's hearts, making it hard for them to even breathe as they stared at the trio locked in a standoff.

In that moment, time seemed to freeze. It felt like a second had passed—or maybe a year.

The Grandmaster was the first to break the silence with a smile.

"Mr. Zane, don't misunderstand. We're not questioning you," he said.

"We merely want to understand. This relates to how we evaluate you."

Zane looked at the Grandmaster, who was smiling without true warmth, and after a brief silence, he replied:

"Evaluate? Heh."

"Who are you representing, or what organization are you evaluating me for?"

Upon hearing Zane's question, the Collector and Grandmaster immediately dropped their false expressions and stood upright.

Without a sound, two suits of armor appeared on their bodies. Though different in design, their styles were strikingly similar: both round and seamless, with multiple eyes on their faceplates.

"We represent the Celestials!"

"Mr. Zane, please tell us how many Infinity Stones you possess."

An emotionless, synthesized voice came from the Grandmaster's armor.

Seeing the armor that perfectly matched the style from the comics suddenly appear in front of him, Zane's pupils contracted sharply.

He had long suspected that these two ancient beings were far more formidable than portrayed in the original movies.

But for them to suddenly declare themselves members of the Celestials was still a bit of a shock.

The Celestials were a supreme and mysterious organization, even in the sprawling, chaotic Marvel universe.

There was a group of beings in the Marvel universe, enormous in stature, clad entirely in armor, never revealing their true faces.

Their numbers were unknown, and they were scattered across every corner of the universe, but few had ever heard of them.

They mostly acted independently, only gathering at critical moments.

These were the Celestials.

The Celestials had existed since the dawn of the Marvel universe, and their influence on it was immense.

Like the Living Tribunal, which oversaw the universe, the Celestials were more like scientists.

However, unlike the Living Tribunal, who remained silent and only intervened at crucial moments, the Celestials constantly meddled with the universe's affairs.

Sometimes, they acted purely on whim, interfering with a civilization and altering its course.

Earth itself had been reshaped several times by them.

The legendary civilizations of Atlantis and the Maya vanished overnight because of the Celestials.

Even Thanos' race, the Titans, had been created by them.

And the reason they created such races? To satisfy their curiosity. More accurately, the Titan race was merely an experiment to them.

In their endless existence, they needed something to pass the time. To the Celestials, the universe was their playground.

Creating a race was just a way to observe the progression of its civilization, a means to alleviate their boredom.

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