Chapter 79 : Infinity Stones!

"I will die wearing the armor?"

Tony Stark wore a complicated expression as he watched the images unfold.

[The pictures were disjointed, flashing the story of this man. Next, everyone saw how this man, named 'Tony Stark' in Japanese, created steel armor with limited resources step by step in a cave.

They watched him soar into the sky in his armor, defeating the Iron Monger!

Witnessing his determination and calling him 'Iron Man'!

They saw how he faced danger and found his way back with the guidance of his father.

Until the Great War of New York when the Chitauri army invaded, they watched him shoulder a nuclear bomb and rush into a wormhole without hesitation!

At that moment, everyone realized that this man had completed his transformation.

Countless viewers then saw Tony Stark's vision of death at the hands of Wanda, where the deceased Captain America asked him why he didn't do more.

This sentence struck the man's most vulnerable spot!

He became impatient and anxious, but he only wanted to protect the Earth and humanity better.

Before long, he was betrayed by one of his closest friends, Rogers.

This man was filled with pain!

He didn't resent his father's death at the hands of the Winter Soldier; he resented Rogers' cover-up and lack of apology. He despised the fact that the other used a shield made by his father to fight him.

Captain America left with the Winter Soldier.

But Tony chose not to seek revenge, instead regarding the other as a passing acquaintance.

The images dimmed at this point, allowing the viewers time to process.

Countless viewers had mixed emotions.

This Tony Stark was a true hero!

He was the one who prevented the enraged and irrational Hulk from causing further destruction!

He was the one who saved an airborne fortress from crashing, nearly losing his own life!

He was the one who sent a missile into outer space, falling into unconsciousness when his power ran out!

Despite his scholarly genius, billionaire status, and philanthropy, this proud man repeatedly displayed vulnerability in front of the government and his teammates.

He didn't owe the world anything, unlike other superheroes who, once they removed their masks, were ordinary people. Yet, he willingly donned the Iron Man suit and risked his life daily on the front lines.

He didn't owe the Avengers anything, yet he invested heavily to upgrade their equipment and construct the Avengers Tower.

What left everyone baffled was Captain America's words: 'Concealing is for your own good.'

If anyone else had been in Stark's shoes, they might have perished long ago.

And when Hawkeye cursed Tony in the underwater prison, countless viewers experienced absurd emotions.

Was he giving his all for this...

Marvel World?

Thor paid no mind to what unfolded behind him. He excitedly shouted to Odin at his side:

"Father, Loki lives! He's not dead!"

Odin, lost in thought, didn't seem to hear him. He pondered why the Ancient One had not intervened. He suspected that she used the Time Stone to peer into the future once again, acting only to combat a mysterious threat.

In S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury and Alexander Pierce found themselves deeply troubled. The former dreaded the numerous catastrophic events unfolding in the future, while the latter was astonished at the vast Hydra conspiracy.

As for the thawed Captain America, he hung his head in shame. He was relieved that Stark hadn't died, but he couldn't face himself after the revelations. He realized he had been selfish too.

In another world, Deadpool knelt on the ground, pounding his fists in frustration.

"It's not fair! How much does it cost for special effects in such a grand scene? Why can't I have a decent X-Men in this place?!"

"No, I'll do it myself if you won't take me along!!"

With that, Deadpool entered a nearby public restroom, flushed the toilet, and, when nothing happened, cursed the Underworld Police Department for playing tricks. He forcibly opened a ventilation duct and skillfully wriggled in, seemingly heading for another world.

[The dark scene brightened once more.]

[In a shattered spaceship, a three-meter-tall purple giant ruthlessly gripped a slender figure.]

Off-screen, Loki couldn't help but touch his neck. The next moment, his body became invisible rapidly. Panic consumed him. 

He had been attacking Earth for the adversary in the previous footage. How could he now be throttled to death? And he was on a spaceship under Thanos' control. He needed to escape.

[The tyrant Thanos tossed Loki's body aside and clenched his right fist, unleashing the power of the gem throughout the ship.]

[The space gem ignited, enveloping him and Obsidian Five as they vanished instantly.]

[The spaceship exploded, and the camera shifted.]

[Tony Stark reappeared, looking a few years older, suggesting that three to five years had passed since the previous events.]

Suddenly, a rift opened, and a figure emerged.

Stephen Strange, who had been on vacation, watched in astonishment.

If he saw correctly, the wizard calling himself Doctor Strange looked exactly like him. Just as he marveled at this, identical sparks surrounded him, and a bald woman stepped out.

"I apologize, Strange. It's early for you, but you'll have to endure a little more."

Ancient One smiled as she spoke, leaving Strange pale with fright.

[In the New York Sanctum, Tony sat on a sofa, and the story of the universe's origin unfolded before him.]

While using magic to narrate, Wong explained:

"At the universe's inception, chaos reigned."

"Then, a big bang gave rise to six elemental crystals, traversing the nascent universe."

"Each Infinity Stone governs a distinct attribute!"

"Namely space, reality, power, soul, mind, and time!"

[The scene transitioned to a spaceship in outer space.]

[A green-skinned woman gazed out the window at the universe, speaking slowly:]

"As far as I know, Thanos has always had a singular goal: to eliminate half of all life in the universe to maintain balance!"

This revelation shocked countless viewers. Who could have expected someone to be so ruthless?

Half of all life in the universe! The numbers were beyond imagination!

What shocked them even more was the following revelation:

"If Thanos acquires all six stones, he can, with a single snap of his fingers, instantly erase half of all life in the universe!"

Instantly wipe out half of all life in the universe! This was a level of power that even beings like the God of Destruction would find terrifying!

There was more to come.

*****

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