Lord of Cinder in American Comics

The human body begins to disappear, eventually transforming into a phantom mimicry. Within that phantom body, you seem to see all the familiar figures. But upon closer inspection, they appear to be complete strangers.

A strange yet familiar voice resounded in everyone's heart, saying, "These are the rules: one soul for another."

"It's just your twisted sense of humor! You possess some independent self-awareness and a thirsty soul. You merely crave souls greedily; there's no exchange involved! Odin abandoned you back then because he saw through your true nature!"

The greedy ones ruthlessly exposed the Soul Gem's scheme.

This gem is essentially the entrance to a miniature universe, as beautiful as an idyllic pastoral scene. What this universe lacks most is the essence of life—the soul.

The sacrifice exchange is merely an excuse for it to build its own universe.

The Soul Stone did not object; it said, "If you don't make a deal, you won't be able to draw upon my power..."

The power of an Infinity Stone is within reach; the choice lies with the greedy.

However, the greedy person did not hesitate and turned around and left.

The group was still somewhat dazed, reeling from the overwhelming amount of information that had just been revealed. More importantly, they were advised not to go near Hela or the Greedy Ones.

At the bow of the ship, Hela stood side by side with the Greedy One, while Fenrir, who had stood imposingly behind them for a while, couldn't stand the silence and went to play with the old Demon King.

"You should agree to it..."

Hela's voice suddenly rang out. Although she was saying things she regretted, there was joy in her tone.

"No need. There's no point in arguing with an idiot who doesn't understand the situation. It will know who the true master of the soul is!"

The greedy one held a flame in his palm—the First Flame that Hela knew so well. Now that things were out in the open, the greedy one no longer needed to pretend.

"In ancient times, before the world was divided, everything was shrouded in a great fog. There were gray rocks, towering trees, and immortal ancient dragons everywhere. But one day, the first fire was lit, and all differences arose from it. Cold and heat, life and death, light and darkness! This flame was the power that laid the foundation for the world!"

Having said that, the Greedy One threw the flame in his hand down towards the planet Vormir below.

In an instant, the original ocean planet Vormir was evaporated, and lava flowed across the land.

Seeing this, the old Demon King shook his great hammer and summoned the most powerful force of demons: a small fragment of chaos.

The fragment of chaos, like a spark splashed with gasoline, instantly contracted upon contact with Vormir, causing the entire planet to collapse. This instantaneous contraction triggered a massive explosion.

The First Flame ignited the world; the chaotic flames could give birth to souls like the Soul Gem, and could also prevent them from escaping.

The planet slowly burned away, leaving only a pure orange gem.

(End of this chapter)

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cuckoo

The author is still alive; the story hasn't been abandoned. They're writing the ending and preparing to conclude it.

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Chapter 492: The End

The terrified Earth ultimately did not receive the Kree fleet. In order to counter the Kree attack, Earth hastily assembled a joint fleet.

However, it did not encounter any enemies nor interfere with Earth's steps out of Earth.

When most people ventured into the vast universe, they realized that playing house on Earth was far too small a concept.

Thus, the moon became the first supply station, and for safety, mages were stationed there as a backup for retreat and emergency response.

As fleets ventured into space, Earthlings gradually began to make their mark in the universe.

But what about the promised Kree fleet?

The remote Earth received no news from the universe. Recently, the most shocking event in the universe was the collapse of the Kree Empire.

Thanos, the director of the family planning office dedicated to maintaining the harmonious development of the universe's ecology, quietly wiped out the entire Kree homeworld.

The other Kree who were fighting abroad, upon receiving news from the Supreme Intelligence of the destruction of their home planet, were not given orders for revenge, but rather to flee.

After this message, no matter how many times the Kree called upon the Supreme Intelligence, they received no response.

Some of the Kree impulsively returned to their home planet, only to find the skull of the Supreme Intelligence hanging high on the central Kree building, surrounded by Kree warriors.

Before the head of the Supreme Intelligence, Thanos's floating throne floated, and Thanos on the throne was idly playing with the Mind Stone in his hand.

Before the Kree could even get close to Thanos, the Black Order cleared away the intruders who were disturbing his thoughts.

Thanos's power terrified the entire universe; an entire super empire was suddenly destroyed. But after destroying the Kree Empire, Thanos did not change his position, which led to speculation and gave others a brief respite.

On one of Earth's fleets, Hill, who was directing the ship's movement from the bridge, was beckoned out by Geralt, who was standing at the bridge entrance.

Once they reached a secluded spot, Geralt handed them a necklace with a wolf totem.

"This is your token for entering and leaving Fran. With this, you can come and go as you please. I left something for you in Fran's house. Remember to take good care of the Mushroom Folk in Fran. They recently received a job in ecological terraforming on Mars. These Mushroom Folk are all very stubborn, so don't let anyone fool them..."

Geralt's words made Hilton tense. Such detailed instructions could only mean one thing: the man before him was about to face an enemy he himself wasn't confident in.

"You... I'll only take care of you for a while, remember to come back soon!"

Hill kept her head down, so her expression couldn't be seen, but her hands kept adjusting Geralt's collar, as if she could prolong the time.

Suddenly Hill loosened her grip, and Geralt vanished before her eyes.

Geralt wasn't the only one who disappeared. After finishing his last class and smoking a whole pack of cigarettes, Constantine of the Dragon Academy was blocked at his office door when he tried to leave quietly.

Oubek looked at Constantine with a hint of anger, holding his staff and staring at him.

"Ashfall, do you want to handle those problems all by yourself again?"

Orbeck called Ash Grimm by his real name, which means that Orbeck was really angry at this moment and had no mood to play house with Ash Grimm.

Constantine said with a wry smile, "Teacher, I really have no confidence this time. I've encountered an enemy I can't fathom. You also have the Dragon Academy to look after, so please don't go..."

"I enjoyed those imitation academy things, but my greatest pride is you, my disciple! I was once a spy for Piheim. A killer who wore the guise of a mage and did things for money. I was so stupid back then, firmly believing that one day I could learn orthodox magic. You brought magic into my hands and established the Dragon Academy. Everything I have is only about you! I've had enough of my dreams, my foolish disciple!"

Obek's voice was somewhat agitated as he expressed his concerns to Constantine.

However, Constantine still refused, saying, "But teacher, this could be a battle with no return. I can't lose you all..."

Seeing Constantine's refusal, Oubek angrily raised his staff as if to strike him.

Just then, a gentle voice came from the shadows beside them, saying, "Foolish disciple, are you confused? You must remember this well. As the saying goes, only those who have a path to follow will get lost. This is proof that you are a hero. Heroes are fearless in the face of difficulties, and we, your followers, will escort you to the throne."

As Karula spoke, she slowly emerged from the shadows. At this moment, Karula had changed into her usual witch outfit for battle. The gentle words she spoke from under the large hat carried a firmness and an unyielding tone.

Constantine was about to say something when Karula interrupted him.

Karula said, "Did you think it was just us this time? My disciple, you are no longer alone..."

As Karula finished speaking, the Dragon Academy, whose curtain had already fallen, was illuminated by various raised flames.

Comiccus and Kacalus of the Great Swamp, the sisters Julia and Friede, Anri and Horace, and even Gale all entrusted their young lady to the care of the village chief of Raven Village, and came to help with their weapons. In the shadows behind them stood the silent Needle Knight Kirk.

This scene wasn't limited to Dragon Academy; Hawkwood and the Undead Legion were waiting for Geralt on the road. Yin Guo, already in armor, along with Jack Baldo and Silithus, had also intercepted Ash.

Everyone sensed Ash's anxiety and wanted to lend a helping hand to their friends, family, and their king at this time.

And so, Ash came together again, but this time, Ash wasn't facing the crisis alone to keep the world going. He had the support of the entire world behind him.

Rudolf had already forged weapons for everyone, and the Nameless King, as always, displayed the might of the Dragon Slayer God, paving the way for everyone's advancement.

The deep bishops chanted dirges, drawing upon the power of the overlord Wolnir and displaying the might of the King of the Dead.

The hero Gundyr rides Bordeaux, following the nameless king on his journey, while the demons stand shoulder to shoulder with their butcher, Prince Lorian, and Lothric's battle blessing is evenly bestowed upon everyone.

After slaying all the enemies, Ash's four clones arrived before Thanos.

Even after seeing his men killed or wounded, Thanos did not rise from his throne.

Thanos looked at the four people in front of him, held the Infinity Stone in his hand, and flicked it slightly with his fingertips, sending it flying in front of them.

The Mind Gem jingled and rolled on the ground, yet not a single person glanced at that cosmic treasure.

"Visitor from beyond the realm! I've been waiting for you for a long time..."

Seeing the expressionless faces of the four people before him, Thanos stood up and said, "When Loki didn't use the troops I gave him to open the gates to Earth as he did in history, it was only then that I belatedly realized that the timeline of this universe had undergone a drastic change..."

Approaching the four, Thanos said with a touch of reminiscence, "In the original universe, I should have wiped out half of all life to fulfill my long-cherished wish. Only in one or two special universes did the brilliant Stark create a machine to travel through time, giving their universe a chance to be resurrected..."

Thanos examined the four, trying to discern something unusual about them, and continued, "But this universe, which I knew perfectly well, is connected to other worlds. Mutants? They are special life forms found only in other individual universes. Not to mention those guests who crossed universes to come! Unfortunately, their strength is too low; the so-called Eight Great Demons are merely products of life balance!"

Thanos spoke of other universes with a hint of regret, but his tone was calm and descriptive.

Upon hearing this, Ash shook her head and said, "But all of this is in your eyes, and this universe is just your plaything. What should I call you? Infinite Thanos? Or Ultimate Thanos?"

Thanos shook his head and said, "I am just me. No matter how much power I create in other universes, it has nothing to do with me. I am just me..."

Ash said, "But you created this universe, you were originally destined to be its master..."

Thanos clapped his hands and said, "I didn't expect you to see through me? I thought I hid it well. Whether it was power, history, or even the elders of the universe, I tried my best to make them exactly the same as those in other universes. Where did things go wrong? Did the timeline jump allow you to see the future? Or did you get the Infinity Stones too easily?"

"This world has a history of the Celestials, but they are nowhere to be found. Each of the Cosmic Elders has their own unique hobbies, but none possess the power to match them. Let me see the key to this world clearly. Remember Yin Ge's brain? The power within it surpasses the universe itself..."

Thanos was somewhat surprised and said, "Yingo? That brain I left behind actually still has a soul? It seems the gods of the main universe really are immortal..."

Thanos plopped down on the steps, looking at the scene before him with a touch of melancholy, and said, "Want to hear my story?"

Ash gestured for Thanos to continue, warning that it might be dangerous to act rashly before understanding the truth of the matter.

Thanos said, "In other universes, I have been carrying out genocide, slaughtering half the life on each planet to send my love to my beloved 'death.' To maximize the benefit of each universe, I fairly ensure that the population size of each species is maintained at k/2, thus keeping all life at its maximum growth rate. Once they reach their maximum population size, I will return..."

But this kind of life only allowed me to briefly witness 'death,' and one day I grew tired of it. Why do I have to do so much to see 'death'? Why can't I become an existence like death?

So I began collecting treasures from every universe: the Heart of the Universe, the Infinity Gauntlet, the Mkraan Crystal, I even killed Adam Warlock and obtained his Soul Stone, pouring everything I had into the universe within the Soul Stone. I used the Heart of the Universe as a vessel, and I even obtained the 'Modifier' to erase the history of this universe and then regenerate my own power! For this, I was hunted down by everything above the main universe, and could only hide in this newly born world…”

At this point, Thanos became excited, the ladder to godhood was right in front of him, but his tone turned annoyed.

"But just as the power was about to be successfully conceived, the universe suddenly became like a fishing net riddled with holes. I initially thought my gestation plan had encountered a setback, and I could only act as a repairman, patching things up. Until, in the originally predetermined history, Loki's failure drew my attention to the changes on Earth..."

A non-existent person brought forth more non-existent lives, turning a predetermined history into reality.

But I changed my original plan. Since you also understand the predetermined future, you certainly won't give up the power you've gained. As long as I absorb you in the end, I can still ascend the ladder to godhood!

Ash asked in confusion, "Then why did you expose yourself? Wouldn't it have been better to let me gain the last bit of power before reappearing?"

"It seems you still don't understand. I thought you would be attracted by the Soul Gem and sacrifice yourself according to the rules to gain power. But who would have thought you would directly destroy Vormir and reforge the gem? Moreover, the Soul Gem is the most crucial item..."

Thanos's words made Ash understand. Breaking Thanos's previous rules and unintentionally disrupting the situation was the work of a god.

Thanos created worlds using the infinite universes within the Soul Stone in the main universe as a medium, and the Soul Stone in this universe must be linked to the main universe. Therefore, when the Soul Stone falls into Ash's hands, Thanos's plan will inevitably be exposed.

This is why Thanos rushed to destroy the Kree planet to lure Ash away after Ash obtained the Soul Stone.