NABC Chapter 83 The Collector
Chapter 83 The Collector
The power of the Soul Gem continuously releases energy within this space.
Unfortunately, it chose the wrong person to test. The Holy Lord did not come to be tested; he only came to reclaim what was rightfully his.
The power output of the horse talisman increased, and the Mind Gem marked by the talisman wilted like a frostbitten eggplant, its light quickly dimming.
Under the guidance of the Holy Lord, the Soul Gem came into the Holy Lord's hands.
On the other side, Stephen led Wang and Mordo through a narrow tunnel, where vendors hawked their wares, including specimens of alien creatures, lost technological artifacts, and magical items of unknown origin.
Wang looked around warily. He could sense various chaotic energies permeating the air, constantly intertwining to form a strange balance.
"Shouldn't there be many mages stationed here?" the king asked in a low voice.
Stephen answered without turning his head: "Kamar-Taj in this timeline is no longer responsible for protecting the Unknown Realm. After the Ancient One died, it became the Collector's territory."
Mordo conjured dark magic in his hands, ready to break the magical balance here if needed.
"It's just ahead." Stephen pointed to a huge metal door at the end of the passage.
The door wasn't closed; with the collector's resources, he was confident that no one would dare cause trouble on his turf.
The three entered the collector's museum, which contained countless artifacts from all over the universe that they had never seen before.
"Welcome, welcome." An aged voice came from deep within the museum.
A person dressed in a magnificent purple robe, with pale skin and a full head of white hair, emerged from the depths of the museum.
"The sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, and guests from the main universe," the collector said in a hoarse voice. "These are rare guests. May I ask what brings you three here?"
Stephen stepped forward and stated his purpose directly without beating around the bush: "We need the Mind Stone."
The collector's expression remained unchanged, a slight smile playing on his lips: "My rule here is barter. The Power Gem is one of my most prized possessions. What do you intend to offer in exchange?"
"No exchange," Stephen said coldly. "That's an order."
The collector laughed wildly, as if he'd heard a joke: "Orders? Order me around on my turf? Young man, do you know where the last person who acted like a liar here is right now?"
The collector clapped his hands, and a dozen fully armed guards emerged from the shadows of the museum, various high-tech weapons and magical artifacts appearing in their hands.
Mordo snorted coldly, and dark magic emerged from his hands, transforming into tentacles that wrapped around the guards. The guards were immediately corrupted by the dark power and collapsed to the ground as soon as they touched the tentacles.
The collector's smile froze; he hadn't expected the other party to make a direct move, especially using dark magic.
"Dark magic?" The Collector's tone turned serious. "Did the Ancient One know you used dark magic?"
"The Ancient One is dead," Stephen said coldly. "I killed her."
The Collector's pupils contracted slightly. When he heard that Stephen had killed the Ancient One, a storm raged in his mind. He knew the Ancient One's power very well; how could she, the Sorcerer Supreme, die so easily? And he hadn't received any news about it.
There is only one possibility now: Stephen's power far surpasses that of the Ancient One, so much so that the Ancient One did not release any information before her death.
"The Power Stone can be lent to you." The collector took a deep breath. "However, I have one condition: I need to know what you're doing with the Mind Stone."
Stephen paused for a moment before slowly speaking: "Dedicated to our master."
"Owner?"
The collector was stunned. He couldn't imagine that a mage of Stephen's caliber would have a master, and how powerful his master must be.
Just then, the museum doors slowly opened, and the figure of the Holy Lord appeared at the entrance: "It seems I have arrived at the perfect time."
The collector looked at the Holy Lord, his eyes filled with fear. He had lived for so long and seen countless powerful figures, but none of them had ever made him feel this way—a fear and submission from the depths of his soul.
"Who...who are you?" The collector's voice trembled.
The Lord did not answer him, but Stephen's expression said it all: "Master."
The Holy Lord nodded slightly and slowly walked towards the collector. With each step closer, the collector's fear deepened. When the Holy Lord stood in front of the collector, he was so weak that he collapsed to the ground.
"Where is the Power Gem?" the Holy Lord asked.
The collector pointed tremblingly to a sealed, transparent container deep inside the museum, where a gemstone emitted an eerie purple light.
The Holy Lord walked towards the container, raised his hand and smashed it, and the Power Gem fell into his hand.
Purple light flickered in the Holy Lord's hand, and the Power Gem resisted, trying to leave his grasp.
The Holy Lord snorted coldly and activated the rune mark on the Power Gem, instantly silencing the gem that had been resisting.
The purple gemstone melted in the Holy Lord's palm, turning into a liquid that seeped into his skin and entered his body.
The collector was completely dumbfounded by what he saw. He couldn't believe that someone could absorb the Infinity Stones with their bare hands. It was a complete violation of the fundamental laws of the universe, yet the man who terrified him had done it so easily.
"Who...who are you?" the collector asked, trembling.
The deity looked down at the collector who was slumped on the ground and said calmly, "The master of divine grace that you speak of."
The collector was greatly shocked. Divine grace had descended upon the entire universe, and everyone would receive it. As far as he knew, only the pedantic gods of Asgard had not accepted it. However, Loki's invasion of Earth had failed, and it wouldn't be long before they too would receive divine grace.
"grown ups."
The collector knelt on the ground, his tone devout: "I did not know it was you who graced us with your presence. Please forgive my sins."
The Holy Lord looked at the Collector's Stone lying on the ground, a look of disgust on his face: "Where is the Reality Stone in this timeline?"
After taking a deep breath to compose himself, the collector said, "The Reality Stone was sealed by Malekith in a dimensional rift, and its coordinates have been lost. However, I've heard a rumor."
"Stop talking nonsense," Stephen said.
The collector shuddered: "The seal on the Reality Stone is related to an ancient building in London on Earth, but I don't know which one it is."
The Lord of the Underworld did not react. The Collector felt that he had not revealed enough information and continued, "There is one more thing. Thanos in the main universe is also collecting the Infinity Stones. The Mind Stone and Time Stone in the main universe have disappeared. He is trying to collect the Infinity Stones from other parallel universes. It is said that he has equipment that preserves the abilities of the stones from other universes. He has already discovered this timeline."
Shendu sneered, "Thanos? A lowly being from Titan dares to covet what's mine?"
The collector lowered his head, not daring to say anything more.