The moment Soren mentioned the Goddess of Death, the Collector's face twisted into a mask of alarm.
For Taneleer Tivan, this wasn't just idle name-dropping. The reason he and several high-ranking members of the Elder Group could enjoy their so-called "immortality" was a secret tied directly to her.
Many years ago, a reckless wager between the Grandmaster and Death had sealed their fate: the members would be barred from the Land of Death, unable to die, but not truly free either.
It was a curse disguised as a blessing.
But what Soren threatened… that wasn't death.
If he truly wielded the powers of time and space, he could obliterate the Collector from the timeline entirely, destroy every memory, every trace, as if Tivan had never existed at all.
That kind of annihilation, true nothingness, terrified even a being as old as him.
"Soren Macaluso!" The Collector blurted, his voice trembling.
"I was mistaken earlier. My words were careless. If you have anything to discuss, I~I'm more than willing to cooperate!"
Soren didn't smile.
"Now that you've glimpsed what I hold, suddenly you remember your manners?"
With a flick of his hand, the magic circles vanished. The crushing pressure that had blanketed the chamber dissipated instantly, like a storm passing.
"I'll give you one chance." Soren said calmly. "Let's try this again… with a little more honesty."
"Of course!" The Collector said, nodding vigorously. "Let's speak like civilized beings. Please, if you see something you like in my collection, consider it yours."
Soren was amused at how quickly Tivan folded. The man was a snake, proud, conniving, but not stupid.
He knew when to kneel.
Still, Soren let his posture ease a little. He didn't need to be excessively hostile.
After all, despite the Collector's arrogance, he was still a gatekeeper to a great deal of cosmic knowledge… knowledge Soren now intended to pry from him.
"Very well." Soren said, voice firm. "I have a question for you. And I expect a truthful answer."
Tivan nodded, now far more reserved. He smoothed out his robes, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity.
"Ask, and I shall answer, whatever I know."
Soren stepped forward, his gaze piercing.
"The Reality Stone, Do you know how to use it?"
The Collector fell silent for a moment, shoulders tightening.
"The Reality Gem?" He repeated, voice lower now. "You mean… the Aether particles?"
As the words left Soren's mouth, a spark of alarm flickered in the Collector's eyes, quick, but not unnoticed.
This was no idle traveler.
This Earthling, standing casually before him, had already revealed mastery over both the Time Stone and the Space Stone, and now he was speaking of the Aether, as if it, too, was within reach.
He's not just dabbling in Infinity Stones, the Collector realized with a chill. He might be trying to collect them all.
And that idea was terrifying.
Legends whispered across the stars said that anyone who gathered the full set of Infinity Stones would become supreme, a god above gods, capable of rewriting the laws of the universe itself.
If Soren truly sought that power…
The Collector's mouth went dry.
"Reality, Time, and Space…" He murmured, feigning curiosity, but his thoughts raced. "What exactly are you trying to become, Soren?"
Soren said nothing, his expression unreadable.
Too calm, the Collector thought.
Not daring to provoke him further, the Collector put on his best smile, tight, thin, and utterly false.
"Ah, well… I must admit, my knowledge of the Aether is limited." He said smoothly. "You see, the Infinity Stones or Rough Stones, as the ancients called them, have passed through the hands of many beings far beyond my reach."
"Each has its own nature, its own will. Mastering them isn't merely about power. It's about… resonance."
He shifted uneasily and added, almost too quickly:
"The elders I once served, powerful beings, yes, they briefly controlled the Power Stone, but even they could not use it alone."
"It required multiple entities working in unison. Eventually, the burden was too much. The gem was lost… as many of them tend to be."
Soren listened carefully, though he was clearly unimpressed. The absence of new information was disappointing.
So even the Collector doesn't know how to control the Aether, he thought. Then I'll have to rely on the translations from Asgard…
Still, Soren's goal remained clear. Whether the system issued new quests or not, he would hunt down the Infinity Stones one by one.
No matter how long it took.
He let the silence hang for a moment, then broke it with a sudden change of subject.
"Fine." He said casually, strolling toward the edge of the platform. "This celestial skull… it's impressive. I assume that's why you're here personally, overseeing the operation?"
The Collector blinked, caught off guard by the shift.
"Yes." Ge said, recovering quickly. "The skull belongs to a long-dead Celestial. My company, Tivan Industries, manages extraction here. You could call it… my little empire."
Soren smirked.
"Little? You undersell yourself. I hear the spinal fluid alone is worth a fortune. Some say it can even enhance physical potential, under the right conditions."
The Collector hesitated, his forced smile faltering for just a moment.
"Ah… yes. Quite so. Very rare, extremely volatile. We've extracted for decades, and still the yield is minimal."
"What we do gather… sells for astronomical prices on the black market."
"Then you won't mind showing me your supply," Soren said, voice light, but his eyes sharp.
There was a brief flicker of pain in the Collector's expression, like a miser asked to part with gold.
But he bowed slightly, masking the bitterness.
"Of course. Right this way."
He led Soren down a winding corridor that shimmered with alien metals and pulsing conduits.
Eventually, they arrived at a grand vault door, which hissed open to reveal... a museum of madness.
Rows upon rows of artifacts, suspended in energy fields. Containers of liquid time. Shattered fragments of dimension-bound weapons. A mirror that didn't reflect your body, but your soul.
And in the far corner, enclosed in reinforced stasis glass, floated vials of glowing spinal essence… pure, golden, alive.
Soren's eyes swept across the chamber, mildly impressed.
"You really do live up to your name, Collector."
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
PhantomDream