Chapter 143: See These Infinity Stones? They're Mine Now!
Author: Great Demon Spirit
Chapter 143: See These Infinity Stones? They're Mine Now!
Throughout the entire Multiverse, all sorts of strange and wondrous races exist.
Among them, one of the most ancient, advanced, powerful, and mysterious of the higher races is undoubtedly the renowned Watchers.
This race can be regarded as the historians of the Multiverse.
The antiquity of this race was enough to make younger races feel suffocated; it was a long history they could neither fathom nor trace.
Many Multiversal generations ago, the Watchers already existed, having witnessed the great destruction of the Multiverse time and time again, and with their own eyes, watched it reboot again and again.
Once, the members of this race interfered in the evolution of species, causing one civilization after another to go extinct. After this painful lesson, they decided to only observe and not interfere from then on.
Regardless of the pitiable and lamentable fate of the observed subject, or the magnificent and grand life they led, the Watchers would only observe and record from another dimension, never intervening.
Currently, the Watcher stationed in these MCU universes is an individual named Uatu.
The mission of the Watcher Uatu was to roam through the various universes within the MCU. As soon as a major event occurred in any universe, he would rush over at the first opportunity and immediately begin recording it.
There was no need to worry about Uatu not making it in time. He possessed the most advanced technology in the Multiverse, commanded the most powerful battleship, and had the most efficient space-traversal technology. Even without using high-tech, his own raw power was sufficient to pierce the barrier of the universe, allowing him to traverse from one universe to another with ease.
Now, Uatu had once again arrived in Universe 199999.
"Hmm, I originally thought a major event similar to those in other universes would occur, but I didn't expect such a huge surprise this time. An intervener from a parallel universe has arrived?"
Uatu was a being with a massive, bald head. His eyes, like electronic screens, emanated a soft glow—a manifestation of him activating his ability to observe the universe.
He himself stood in another higher dimension, watching the various events unfolding in the other world as if watching a movie, separated by a barrier.
Logically speaking, Uatu shouldn't have held much hope for this major event in Universe 199999.
The reason was simple: the drama of the Avengers besieging Thanos, whether it ended in successfully killing him or being wiped out by him once more, was a scene that had been played out many times in other universes. Uatu had already recorded it many times and felt no novelty in it at all.
"Although Universe 199999 is the center of this cluster of universes, it doesn't hold an absolutely core position in the multiversal system like Universe 616. This means it's impossible for a major event erupting within it to directly affect the operation and stability of the entire Multiverse..."
Uatu's eyes widened with excitement as he carefully observed every event happening in this universe, frantically writing down and recording every last detail.
This time was different. A transmigrator had actually broken in, and it was through a form of possession akin to astral projection, completing some sort of descent.
What made Uatu even more ecstatic was that this fellow didn't come from a universe within the MCU system, but from further out—a true visitor from the Multiverse.
Alright, based on his overall assessment of Universe 199999, facing the group of extremely vicious beings from outside the MCU, the native humans of this universe seemed incapable of mustering the strength to deter a powerful enemy.
But Uatu couldn't care less about that. He only cared about the brand-new change that was now appearing, something he had never imagined—it was new, unfamiliar, and fresh. This meant the event taking place inherently had immense observational value.
That's right, what the Watchers loved most were these unheard-of, far-reaching transformations. They would observe and record them all.
"Extremely strong. He's controlling Iron Man's body, can use Mjolnir perfectly, and in just a few rounds, he's beaten Thanos to near death, almost as if he's toying with him... Xenomorph? Let me check the data. In Universe 199999, this parasitic creature is an artistic creation from a movie? I see. It's likely because this universe, under the mechanisms of the Multiverse, was influenced by a distant, unknown universe, and so it was expressed in the form of a movie?"
Uatu knew far too much secret information and had a look of someone unfazed by strange occurrences.
He even knew of a place called the Zombie Universe, which was a microcosm of the newly born concept of the zombie initially integrating into the native Marvel Universe.
This led to an ordinary universe within the MCU also suffering a reflection from the Zombie Universe, giving birth to a highly localized and weakened version of the zombie virus—the Quantum Zombie Virus.
Uatu had just rushed back from that universe.
He was extremely curious about this fellow named Du Wa. Which universe did he come from? Like the zombies, did he also exist as a nascent concept of the "Xenomorph"?
...
Du Wa did not notice Uatu's presence. At his current level, he couldn't see through high dimensions at a glance. Generally, that was a domain that, at the very least, a being at the single-universe omnipotent tier, or even one with a multiversal standing, could see through at a glance.
Although, he had his suspicions, suspecting that Uatu or other Watchers were carefully observing his every move.
After all, this wasn't the remote, unnumbered universe where his main body resided, but the core region of a universal cluster. It was destined to have at least one Watcher observing it.
However, it didn't matter. It made no difference whether the Watchers were watching or not.
As for the Watchers' so-called non-interference principle, anyone who knew anything about it knew it was a load of nonsense. When push came to shove, the Watchers would still get involved. But as long as Du Wa didn't make a move against them, he theoretically wouldn't face any interference from them.
"Thanos, you are about to die. Do you have any last words?"
Du Wa looked down from on high at the giant man before him.
His casual tone made it seem as if he had just completed a trivial matter, and for Du Wa, it truly was just that.
But when this scene entered the eyes of Thor and the others, especially when witnessed by the other heroes who had just struggled to crawl out of the ruins, they were instantly stunned by the sight before them.
"That's Thanos, the tyrant who once defeated all of us with ease and wiped out half the population of the universe. How could he lose so miserably in just a few rounds..."
Thor was utterly dumbfounded. He knew clearly how strong Thanos was, and the Thanos before him was one who had abandoned his so-called "mercy," with every move being a killing blow.
"Thor, what's going on? Have you already successfully defeated Thanos?"
"Great! I see this good news as soon as I get out. When we were being bombarded, I thought we were all done for."
"Tony is actually wielding Thor's hammer! He has a heart of justice too! No wonder he could defeat Thanos."
"Look at Thanos's ghastly appearance, it looks like his skull is about to be peeled back. Serves him right!"
One by one, the surviving Avengers gathered, incredibly excited. Amid their mutual embraces, they even wept with joy.
"Scott, do you see it?" Banner said in a low voice.
Scott's face was solemn. "Yes. I feel an agitation in my chest. That's not Tony, it's Du Wa."
"He doesn't need a weapon like the Infinity Stones, or even his main body. Just by using Tony's body and our power, he can beat the incredibly powerful Thanos into such a state... It's unbelievable. How strong must he himself be, the one we saw back at the Weyland Tower? And that endless legion..."
Banner looked at the terribly battered Thanos, and along with his relief, he felt a deep sense of helplessness.
Thanos could back them into a corner step by step, but Du Wa? He could easily tear down that corner, then shove them, and even the entire Earth, into concrete, with no one escaping.
Their conversation left the other heroes even more bewildered.
But the heroes' attention soon shifted, because they saw Nebula.
"How can this be? Thanos actually lost... How long has it been? How could he lose so miserably! This is an illusion! You used the Reality Stone on me, didn't you?!" Nebula was captured on the spot by a group of heroes. She had no mind to resist or flee, but stared with wide eyes, looking at her nominal father in disbelief.
Nebula felt as if her world was collapsing. It was true she hated Thanos, but the deeper her hatred ran, the more fanatical her admiration was.
Under the gazes of all, every breath Thanos took was excruciatingly painful. The sound of his heavy breathing echoed across the battlefield like a broken bellows.
"I have never lost so miserably. The power you possess is beyond my expectations. Even after coming to this world and using the power of these people, you can still defeat me so easily..." Thanos felt the fountain-like gash on his head, his face ashen.
If it were any other opponent, he would take advantage of this moment of dialogue to make a desperate gamble. He might succeed in a counter-kill, which would save him and turn the situation around.
But now? Even if he managed to kill this Du Wa before him, it didn't take a genius to know that a new Du Wa would soon descend upon this universe in the same strange manner.
That fellow holding the shield was still watching from the side, and he too emanated that strange aura, indicating he was also a suitable "container."
"You've won. After all my years of scheming, in the end, an outside God has destroyed all my accomplishments."
"Thanos, in this timeline, you're an outsider too. In the eyes of the natives, you're more detestable than I am. But you don't have to be discouraged. The number of people and gods I've defeated is countless. You are nothing special among all the losers. There's no need to wallow in self-pity over this; it will lower my opinion of you."
Du Wa continued, "My promise still stands. Since you are so insistent on extending the lifespan of this universe, then let's do it my way—although I have no intention of giving this universe a life extension, if you nod, I will do it. It only requires a few small means."
"If an outside deity wants to bring about a transformation for the entire universe, the native gods will not let you off."
"Wouldn't that be better? Wouldn't that be more to your liking? A war between gods would inevitably affect many galaxies, destroying a large number of living planets and slaughtering countless people along the way. Wouldn't that be equivalent to achieving your goal of reducing the total population to extend the universe's lifespan?" Du Wa said.
Thanos thought about it and concluded that what Du Wa said made a lot of sense. He had been doing this for many years, except he only killed half and left the other half to continue reproducing, instead of blowing up the entire planet.
"Are you trying to recruit me?" Thanos's expression was cold, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him. In the face of his shattered ideals, life and death held no significant distinction for him.
"Recruit? You can understand it that way. If you want to understand it another way, you can also consider it enslavement. It's all up to you. But whatever you think, it makes no difference to the outcome." Du Wa spread his hands.
If he had to pick a Thanos to be his subordinate, he would much rather choose the Thanos from Universe 199999.
In any case, he couldn't stand those insane versions of Thanos who acted like simps for Death.
Although the Thanos from Universe 199999, aside from his strong muscles and top-tier cosmic fighting skills, had no other special abilities, if he were to face a Thanos from outside the MCU system, even a regular one, he would most likely be brutally killed.
But it didn't matter. Du Wa wasn't picky. As long as he recruited the right person, things like strength could be improved through various means. Xenomorph parasitism would already provide one boost, and then using other methods to continue improving him would be no problem at all.
"Give up. You think you can recruit me? What I want to do is something even the gods cannot achieve." Thanos said this coldly, reaching up to grab his half-missing skull. With a little force, he caved it in.
"NO!!!" Nebula shrieked, her eyes seeming to split with fury. She was about to charge forward, but she was held back tightly by the Avengers.
"He was a butcher, and now he's dead! Are you going to mourn him? Impossible. The one who killed him is a god," Rhodey berated, his eyes filled with deep dread.
Du Wa watched Thanos die with his eyes open.
He turned to look at Banner and held out his hand. "Hand it over!"
Banner hesitated for a moment. "Which one?"
"All of them."
With a long sigh, Banner tossed out the mechanical gauntlet, which was embedded with four Infinity Stones.
The other heroes were stunned, especially Hawkeye, who was the most agitated. "What in the world is going on? Is that person really Tony? What's wrong with you all? What god? Natasha gave her life to gather those Infinity Stones..."
But no one could stop the Infinity Stones from falling into Du Wa's hands.
Du Wa put on the mechanical gauntlet, clenched his fist, and slightly twisted his wrist.
One of the four stones, the Reality Stone, let out a hum. A red light flashed, altering reality and restoring Thanos.
Looking at Thanos's expression, which had become extremely grim after he understood what had happened, Du Wa smiled and whispered, "Welcome to reality. Now you understand why I said I don't care what you think, don't you? You can't escape. I don't care one bit whether you're willing or not. Your body is mine."
(end of chapter)