"Damn it!"
Odin raged, his white beard bristling with fury. Veins pulsed visibly on his forehead.
What is this accursed System doing?
First it stole Gungnir. Now the Infinity Gauntlet.
Is it plucking the wool from my sheep until they are naked?
This was bullying. Pure and simple.
But no matter how angry Odin became, he faced a frustrating reality: He had no idea how to enter that magical Livestream Room. He was powerless to intervene.
After a few seconds of fuming, Odin suddenly sneered, his shoulders relaxing.
He remembered the System's initial announcement clearly.
Once the four participants finished the Q&A session, they would be allowed to leave.
In other words, that mustachioed mortal who won his Gauntlet would eventually return to the real world.
And when he does... the Gauntlet will return to its rightful owner.
The White Void.
[Binding Complete.]
[From this moment, Tony Stark is the sole master of the Infinity Gauntlet.]
As the notification faded, everyone's eyes were glued to Tony. Their expressions ranged from shock to awe.
"Is that... did you just steal that from the Purple Monster?"
Peter Parker blinked rapidly, gasping. "No way! That's awesome!"
"No. This isn't Thanos's gauntlet."
Tony reached out, carefully plucking the massive golden glove from the air.
The moment it left its levitated state, the weight hit him. It was shockingly heavy. Tony staggered, nearly dropping it on his foot.
"What is this thing made of? Lead? Depleted uranium?"
Staring at the shimmering, intricate metalwork of the gauntlet, Tony's eyes burned with curiosity.
"It is made of Uru," a low voice spoke from the side. "The most potent magical metal in the universe."
Everyone turned. Loki stood there, his face dark, his eyes fixed on the gauntlet in Tony's hands. He spoke slowly.
"I remember. When I was a child, I followed Father into the Royal Vault. I saw an identical gauntlet there."
Loki was in a foul mood.
As a genius, he had deduced instantly that Tony's logic regarding the "death question" was sound. But emotionally? He refused to accept it. He refused to believe he would die like a dog.
His hesitation had cost him dearly. Because he wavered, he missed out on the Infinity Gauntlet.
He glanced at Megatron, who stood silently guarding Tony like a silver tower. Even if Loki wanted to steal the glove, he didn't have the courage to face that cannon again.
The fear of his future death mixed with jealousy toward Tony, creating a toxic brew in his gut.
Kamar-Taj.
Wong and Mordo stared at the screen, gulping in unison.
"Sorcerer Supreme... is that truly the artifact capable of harnessing the Infinity Stones?"
Hearing Wong's question, the Ancient One nodded slightly.
Her heart was not as calm as her face.
While she couldn't see the specific details of the Infinity War future, she knew for a fact that in the current timeline, the Infinity Gauntlet should never have fallen into Tony Stark's hands.
The future has already changed.
The Ancient One made a decision. She turned to Mordo.
"Since you can communicate with those inside the room, tell them everything. Reveal the secret of the Infinity Stones."
"Master! Such dangerous knowledge... given to ordinary people?" Mordo's eyes widened in disbelief.
But seeing the Ancient One's firm gaze, he lowered his head in obedience.
[Baron Mordo: You, Stark. Do you have any idea what you are holding?]
[Tony Stark: Oh? That tone. Are you trying to make a deal with me?]
[Baron Mordo: Hmph. Do not flatter yourself. I am merely obeying the Sorcerer Supreme.]
[Baron Mordo: Listen well. Before creation itself, there were six singularities. Then the universe exploded into existence, and the remnants of these systems were forged into concentrated ingots... Infinity Stones.]
[Tony Stark: What? What kind of pseudo-science is that? The Big Bang doesn't work like...]
[Baron Mordo: Silence! Listen! Each Stone controls an essential aspect of existence.]
[Baron Mordo: Space. Reality. Power. Soul. Mind. Time.]
[Baron Mordo: In the future you just watched, Thanos acquired Power and Space. This alone makes him the most powerful being in the cosmos.]
[Thor Odinson: Lies! My Father is the strongest in the universe!]
[Baron Mordo: Think what you will. But merely holding a Stone is not enough to wield its full potential. Unless...]
[Tony Stark: Unless you slot all six into this glove?]
[Baron Mordo: Correct. But I warn you. The power of the Stones is not something a human body can withstand.]
[Baron Mordo: Unless you wish to commit suicide, do not trifle with them.]
[Tony Stark: Hahahaha! You say that, but now I'm even more curious.]
Tony looked down at the empty sockets on the gauntlet.
A thought—dangerous and undeniable—took root in his mind.
He wanted to study this glove. He wanted to crack its code.
And... he wanted to collect the six Infinity Stones.