"Given away?"
Thanos drew back his blade, yet the edge of the Titan Slayer still hovered dangerously close to the Collector's throat.
"Who did you give it to?"
His expression was calm, his voice even quieter, but the pressure behind it was suffocating.
"Rock Tech… Nolan Locke of Rock Tech!"
The Collector blurted it out in a panic.
At this moment, nothing else mattered to him. Survival came first.
And he had no intention of truly handing over the Space Stone.
Sooner or later, the truth that he possessed it would be exposed. But if he could buy even a little time, he could escape this place.
He was already planning his exit.
This planet had been his domain for countless years. Yet no matter how valuable it was, the moment he realized he could not defend it, he would abandon it without hesitation.
The universe was vast.
Surely there was a corner where Thanos could not reach.
As long as he still had the Space Stone, as long as he himself remained alive, as long as his power endured, he would still be the Collector. No one could take that identity from him.
A flicker of calculation even crossed his mind. Perhaps Rock Tech and Thanos would destroy each other.
After all, Rock Tech possessed that extraordinary mechanical creation, something even he had found impressive.
Of course, in his view, the more likely outcome was that Rock Tech would be crushed outright.
Either way, it had nothing to do with him.
"Rock Tech…"
Thanos repeated the name, his tone unreadable.
He had heard of their technology. It was formidable, even by his standards. But a mere tech company daring to lay claim to the Space Stone?
And even managing to take it from the Collector?
Doubt lingered.
And when Thanos doubted something, he confirmed it.
Ebony Maw stepped forward from behind him.
"My lord, I could attempt a magical probe."
The Collector glanced at him, a trace of disdain in his eyes. The sorcerer was powerful, yes, but reading his mind would not be so simple.
"No need," Thanos said.
"I do not believe Rock Tech is capable of this."
In the next instant, he raised the Titan Slayer high and brought it down.
If there was doubt, then eliminate it.
If the Collector had spoken the truth, Thanos would simply hunt down Rock Tech next.
If not, then the Space Stone was still somewhere on this planet.
The Collector froze in disbelief.
Thanos had attacked without hesitation.
But he had no time left to react.
His strength was considerable, yet before Thanos, it meant nothing.
One strike.
His head separated cleanly from his body.
Even in death, his eyes remained wide open.
"Search the planet. Find the Space Stone," Thanos ordered calmly.
"Turn this entire world upside down if you must. And contact Rock Tech. If they refuse to hand it over, then our next destination will be the Ravager planet."
With that, he stepped into the palace and took his seat upon the high throne.
The grand hall lay empty before him.
He set the Titan Slayer beside the throne and leaned back, almost lazily.
"Why can no one understand…"
He had a vision.
There were too many lives in this universe.
If half were gone, balance would be restored. The universe would become something closer to perfection.
To achieve that, he needed all the Infinity Stones.
A pity…
He glanced at his right hand. Only a single purple gem remained embedded there.
The Power Stone.
He had bathed Xandar in blood to obtain it.
But this was only the beginning.
He already knew the locations of the others.
Most of them were concentrated on Earth.
He also knew that Earth's Sorcerer Supreme was dead, and the King of Asgard was nearing his final rest.
When that moment came, it would be his perfect opportunity.
"It won't be long now…"
A faint smile touched his lips.
The movements of Thanos' army did not escape Nolan's notice.
"Looks like the Collector is dead."
Nolan shook his head, not particularly surprised.
The Collector had ruled this place for ages, relying on both his strength and the uniqueness of Knowhere. Yet when faced with Thanos, he had fallen quickly, without causing even the slightest trouble.
Pathetic.
The only question now was whether the Space Stone had fallen into Thanos' hands.
According to Odin, the Space Stone had been entrusted to the Collector long ago, while the Reality Stone had been hidden somewhere no one would ever think to look.
Training Thor and Loki had earned Nolan a reward from Odin, one of which was the location of the Reality Stone.
For Nolan, that was good news.
The fewer Infinity Stones left unguarded, the less power Thanos could gather.
From the intelligence he had gathered, Xandar had already fallen. The Nova Corps had been wiped out, and the Power Stone was now in Thanos' possession.
The Soul Stone was a different matter. Acquiring it would take time.
But the Space Stone…
That one was critical.
No matter what, Nolan intended to clash with Thanos here.
"Sir, all combat units are ready."
Red Queen's voice echoed through the ship.
Nolan nodded.
Beyond Knowhere, countless mechanical warships had entered complete silence mode. Each vessel carried the accumulated technological might of Rock Tech.
Even Netero, who had been guarding the dimensional realm, had been recalled.
This was a full deployment.
For the first time in a long while, Nolan felt a flicker of anticipation.
Even if he could not defeat Thanos, crippling his army would be enough.
When Thanos eventually turned his sights on Earth, he would be far weaker.
Inside the palace, Thanos waited.
"Where is the Space Stone?"
Impatience crept into his voice as he looked toward Ebony Maw.
Ebony Maw himself seemed uneasy.
"My lord, we have not located it yet. It is possible the Collector truly passed it to Rock Tech. Our intelligence indicates that Nolan Locke appeared in Knowhere not long ago and likely met with the Collector."
Thanos rose to his feet, gripping the Titan Slayer.
"In that case, have you established contact with them?"
Energy churned around him, barely restrained.
"We are attempting to, my lord. However, if they do possess the Space Stone, they may already be preparing to flee."
Thanos narrowed his eyes.
"So the Collector truly handed it over?"
Even now, he found it hard to believe.
Minutes later, a connection was established.
Nolan sat within his ship, clad in his Mjolnir-class armor.
It was his first face-to-face exchange with Thanos.
Thanos sat upon the throne, the bloodstained Titan Slayer resting in his grasp.
"The Collector claimed the Space Stone is in your possession. Hand it over."
Direct. Unyielding.
Nolan frowned slightly, then replied,
"He lied to you. I do want the Space Stone, but do you really think the Collector would hand it to someone like me?"
A hint of amusement flickered across his face.
Thanos studied him.
"You are right. I do not believe he would. But you were here. You met him."
His tone hardened.
"So you have one option. Come before me and submit to inspection. If you are clean, you may leave."
He paused.
"Otherwise, the Ravager planet will be destroyed. No life will remain."
"How domineering," Nolan said lightly, though his expression did not change.
"If you want me to show up, it's simple. I'm right outside Knowhere. Come and try."
That single sentence sharpened Thanos' gaze.
There was no fear in this man. Only provocation.
"Seeking death," Thanos said coldly.
The transmission cut.
Nolan looked out at Knowhere and spoke calmly,
"Red Queen, initiate full fleet attack. Let's light up this place with some fireworks."
In the next instant, the hidden fleet revealed itself.
Countless psionic cannons ignited.
Before Thanos' forces could react, beams of energy tore through space.
Explosions roared.
Ship after ship in Thanos' fleet was struck, turning the void into a storm of fire.
Even within the palace, Thanos could feel the tremors beneath his feet and hear the thunder echoing across the sky.
His expression darkened.
There was no need to guess.
He was under attack.
And the attacker was Rock Tech.
A missile streaked toward the palace.
Just before impact, a barrier of magic flared to life, enveloping the entire structure.
Ebony Maw stood with his staff raised, shielding the palace.
Thanos stepped outside, unhurried, and looked up at the blazing sky.
"It has been a long time since anyone dared challenge my authority. I hope Rock Tech proves worthy."
Several figures appeared before him.
The Black Order.
Proxima Midnight, Cull Obsidian, Corvus Glaive, and the rest.
Corvus Glaive spoke first.
"My lord, we have confirmed the attackers are from Rock Tech. They are positioned beyond Knowhere's perimeter. Our forces failed to detect them."
Cull Obsidian snorted.
"A bunch of incompetents. Letting the enemy get this close without noticing."
Proxima Midnight shot him a cold glance. Those troops were under her command.
Still, she said nothing.
He was not entirely wrong.
But Corvus Glaive stepped in smoothly.
"In that case, why not prove your strength? If you can wipe out Rock Tech, our lord will be pleased."
Cull Obsidian said nothing.
Unlike the others, he did not follow Thanos out of admiration.
He followed to survive.
Volunteering for battle was not his style.
Thanos glanced at them and spoke,
"Cull Obsidian, since it has been suggested, you will go. Do not disappoint me."
With a resigned breath, Cull Obsidian hefted his massive axe.
"Yes, my lord."
He looked up at the distant battlefield.
Far away.
But distance meant nothing at his level.
He crouched slightly, then launched himself upward like a meteor, shattering the ground beneath him.
In an instant, he smashed into a warship.
The explosion tore it apart.
Without pause, he kicked off the wreckage and hurled himself toward another vessel, cleaving it in two with a single strike.
Nolan watched, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
"Sir, scans confirm the attacker is Cull Obsidian of the Black Order," Red Queen reported.
Information on Thanos' elites was widespread across the universe.
This was their true strength.
Far beyond what most had imagined.
And clearly, this was only a test.
Nolan did not hesitate.
He might not possess Thanos' raw power, but he had his own advantages.
"Deploy Netero. If Thanos wants to test us, then let's make him pay a price. Fighters of Cull Obsidian's level are not easy to replace."
A faint smile curved his lips.
The hatch opened.
A figure vanished, then reappeared in front of Cull Obsidian.
Cull Obsidian sensed it instantly.
He stared at the silent humanoid figure, caution flickering in his eyes.
Still, confidence in his strength drove him forward.
He attacked.
Netero moved at the same moment.
They collided.
A thunderous explosion erupted.
One figure was sent flying.
But it was not Netero.
It was Cull Obsidian.
Even the other members of the Black Order were surprised.
Cull Obsidian was not the strongest among them, but being overpowered so easily was unexpected.
Still, there was no panic.
His greatest strength was his durability.
In the next instant, the two figures charged again.
Rage twisted across Cull Obsidian's face.
He might not crave battle.
But defeat?
That, he would never accept.
Whatever that thing was…
He would kill it.
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