Thanos did not answer immediately, just turning his gaze toward him.
Ebony Maw bowed slightly and continued, "The words of that devil are full of ignorance and arrogance; the honor of the Black Order cannot be tarnished."
"I will secure a victory and prove to the entire Universe that the great Thanos does not need to rely on the help of Hell!"
"The victory that belongs to you shall be plucked by your child personally!"
Thanos pondered for a moment.
The current score is a two-to-two tie, and the remaining three matches are crucial.
Among the Black Order, Ebony Maw's abilities are the most unique and the most powerful.
His telekinesis has reached an absolute pinnacle, and in this tournament format full of variables, he is capable of handling most unknown situations.
If Ebony Maw can secure this match, the Black Order will reach match point.
Then, for the next match, he can send Dago out.
If he wins, the tournament ends immediately. If he loses, he himself still has one last chance to salvage everything.
"Very well," Thanos said slowly.
A flash of joy crossed Ebony Maw's eyes, and he bowed deeply once again.
"Wait."
Thanos extended his massive palm, and a dark purple polyhedral crystal could be seen floating above it.
Some kind of viscous energy was slowly flowing inside the crystal.
"Take this," Thanos said.
Ebony Maw stepped forward and respectfully took the crystal with both hands.
As soon as he touched it, he felt an extremely violent energy trying to burrow into his skin.
"What is this, Father?" Ebony Maw asked, slightly surprised.
"An energy amplification core," Thanos explained expressionlessly. "Place it on your forehead, and when you encounter danger you cannot overcome, activate it. In a short amount of time, it will increase your telekinesis tenfold, or even twentyfold."
Ebony Maw gripped the crystal tightly: "Thank you for your generosity; I will use it to bring back victory for you!"
He turned and walked toward the teleportation zone, his pace elegant and composed.
Thanos watched Ebony Maw's retreating figure, his eyes devoid of any fluctuation.
There was one thing he hadn't told Ebony Maw.
Any power gained without cause comes with a price.
And the price is that after the short burst, not only will Ebony Maw lose his telekinesis, but in severe cases, his life will irreversibly wither away.
But what of it?
For the balance of the entire Universe, there is nothing that cannot be sacrificed.
Including his own life, and including his promise to Eros.
"Sorry, Eros. Sorry, Ebony Maw," Thanos said silently in his heart.
His will was as firm as steel, impossible to shake.
Meanwhile, arriving at the preparation platform of the Earth camp, the atmosphere was much more relaxed.
Little Spider Peter Parker's stunning turnaround yesterday had greatly boosted morale.
Tony, Steve, Quill, and the others were chatting and laughing.
Thunder God Thor was holding that bamboo lot container, shaking it vigorously.
"Please, please," Thor muttered, "Let me go on! I've had enough of standing here as a spectator; the Crown Prince of Asgard needs to fight!"
A bamboo lot fell out.
Thor immediately picked it up and checked the bottom. Blank.
"Damn it!" Thor threw the bamboo lot to the ground and spread his hands.
"This thing is definitely broken! Why can I never draw one?"
Tony turned his head and teased, "Maybe it's some kind of cosmic probability. Your brain-to-muscle ratio is too high, and this container judged you as unsuitable for high-intelligence duels."
Thor glared at Tony: "Stark, you should thank me for my mercy, otherwise you would have already been turned into iron-plate barbecue by my lightning."
Homelander stood to the side, watching them bicker with a smile on his face.
Afterward, he looked at the Ancient One: "Teacher?"
Sorcerer Ancient One walked forward quietly.
She had now returned to her original, simple appearance.
She reached out and casually drew a bamboo lot from the container.
Flipping it over, the word "Glory" was carved on the bottom.
"It seems fate has made its choice," the Ancient One said in a flat tone, as if she had just drawn a supermarket discount coupon.
Peter Parker immediately jumped up in excitement: "Awesome! Master Ancient One! You will definitely win!"
Tony also walked over and nodded: "Honestly, seeing it's you, I feel much more at ease. You'll definitely be fine."
Although everyone didn't have an accurate measure of the Ancient One's specific strength, the protection spells and substitution spells she casually cast on Nebula and Peter yesterday had fully proven her unfathomable magical attainments.
More importantly, she was Homelander's "teacher."
How could an existence capable of teaching a monster like Homelander be weak?
"That's great, Master," Steve Rogers let out a long sigh of relief. "With you fighting, this round is in the bag."
Facing everyone's well-wishes, the Ancient One only nodded slightly, her expression indifferent.
Her attitude was humble, but she always carried a sense of detachment from worldly affairs.
Afterward, she turned and walked toward the teleportation zone.
When passing by Homelander, her footsteps paused slightly.
"Be careful, Teacher," Homelander said in a gentle tone. "Remember what I said, don't push yourself. If you encounter danger, I will terminate the match immediately. Earth can lose, but I cannot lose you."
She didn't speak, just revealed an extremely soft smile toward Homelander.
This smile was fleeting, but it was caught entirely by Homelander.
Homelander felt a secret thrill inside.
The holographic projection lit up above the arena.
Grandmaster's giant, heavily made-up face appeared on the screen.
"Citizens of the Universe! Welcome back to the Ultimate Arena!"
"The current score is a two-to-two tie! Earthlings and the Black Order are evenly matched! This is simply the best script I have ever seen!"
A burst of cheers erupted from the audience.
"Now, let us go straight to the climax! The fifth duel, officially begins!"
"Let us invite the contestants from both sides to enter!"
Two beams of light landed on opposite ends of the arena.
"Representing the Thanos camp, it is the strategist of the Black Order! He needs no weapons; his brain is the deadliest weapon. Everyone, cheer for Ebony Maw!"
Ebony Maw's figure appeared within the beam of light.
His feet were half a foot off the ground, hovering in mid-air.
His hands were behind his back, his posture elegant and arrogant.
"And representing the Earth camp!" Grandmaster drew out his tone, "It is a mysterious woman! She is known as the Sorcerer Supreme! Let us see if her magic can withstand the fury of the Butcher of the Universe. Let us welcome the Ancient One!"
The Ancient One stood in the beam of light.
Her hands hung naturally at her sides, her expression as calm as water, without any superfluous movements.
"Now!" Grandmaster shouted, "The exciting moment has arrived. Viewers across the Universe, pick up your voting devices. The terrain that determines their life and death is for you to choose!"
The giant screen above the venue began to scroll through various terrains crazily.
Ten seconds later, the image froze.
"Micro-Universe!" Grandmaster laughed, "Everyone, you are truly too cruel. This is a place with no gravity, no footing, only destruction and collision!"
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