MCU- CH-156. Thanos became strong

The three witch sisters looked at Thanos, who broke away from the stone statue with an extremely domineering posture. They felt that the freedom they had lost for billions of years was about to return to them.

"Lucky Titan, congratulations on passing the quarry test." One of the witches said, "Your power has been restored, and you have acquired part of the legacy of the ancient gods."

"You can leave now!" They all spoke to Thanos in the same eerie, synchronized tone.

Hearing this, Thanos looked up at the witches still standing in the air, their expressions unchanged. His eyes narrowed with solemnity.

Even though he now possessed terrifying power that even he once had to look up to, Thanos still felt a sense of unease when he gazed at the three witches in front of him, 'What kind of existence are these three?' He wondered, 'How many secrets does this universe have that I still don't know?'

'I thought that with this newfound strength, I would stand above all,' Thanos mused grimly, 'Yet I still feel a terrifying threat from them.'

Thanos once believed that the Dark Quadrant he ruled was one of the most powerful forces in the universe. And he, the Mad Titan, considered himself among the most formidable beings alive.

However, the appearance of Luke and Jean made him realize his own weakness, especially since he had been killed by Jean—a woman whose power seemed overwhelming at that moment. It had been a humiliating blow to his pride.

But Thanos wasn't one to dwell on failure. Though he didn't understand how he had been resurrected, he would seize this rare opportunity.

'And that woman who appeared during the ordeal—was she real?' Thanos wondered, 'Was the voice that urged me to maintain balance through death really hers?'

He needed answers, and he would figure them out one by one. Of course, what burned brightest in his mind was vengeance. He couldn't forget the look of disdain Luke had given him. The desire for revenge burned deep in his chest.

Without a word, Thanos took a deep look at the three witches before flying away from the strange quarry, leaving the eerie space behind.

The three witches watched him go, excitement swelling in their hearts. Freedom seemed so close. But then their joy was abruptly extinguished, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over them.

"Why? Why are we still bound?" One of them asked.

They looked at the chains still wrapped around their hands, unbroken. And there was no sign of any imminent escape.

"Damn it, have we been deceived all along?"
"I won't accept this, I won't accept it!" Wailed the witch on the left.

"The Immortal Wall. It must be because of its existence that we can't escape." Another one growled, "I'll destroy it!"

Raising her hand, the witch unleashed a terrifying wave of energy at the Immortal Wall. But the energy—powerful enough to destroy the universe—left no mark on the stone. Instead, it only obliterated the stone statues of the sealed beings that had come to accept the trial.

"It's useless." Said the witch in the center, her voice calm and resigned, "Our power comes from that unknown existence. We can't destroy this place."

"Twelve billion years." She continued, "We've been trapped here for twelve billion years. During all that time, our only companions have been dead gods and stone statues. I can't stand it anymore! Sister, please, destroy me!"

The witch on the left begged desperately for release.

"Give up." The elder sister replied, "We don't have the power to choose extinction. We can't hurt each other at all. How many times have we tried over the years?"

Hearing her sister's words, the weeping witch finally fell silent, giving up. The quarry returned to its eternal silence.

Just after Thanos had left the quarry, he reappeared in the universe, instantly releasing a surge of terrifying power.

"This force… it's multiverse-level." Several powerful beings murmured from hidden corners of the cosmos, "Who is it?"

Thanos's resurgence hadn't gone unnoticed.

"I didn't expect the last Titan to obtain such power." Mused the Vishanti, "It seems the universe is about to fall into turmoil again."

From his throne in a dimension outside the multiverse, the great demon Chthon opened his eyes slightly, "Thanos… Perhaps I can use him to achieve my goals."

Meanwhile, in the hell dimension, Mephisto seethed with rage, still nursing wounds from his previous encounter with Luke, "Thanos may be just what I need to exact my revenge." Mephisto muttered darkly.

After his humiliating defeat—being beaten by a mere newcomer to the single-universe level while in an incarnation carrying 90% of his power—news quickly spread back to Hell. The other lords of Hell ridiculed him relentlessly, making him despise Luke to the core.

Now, speaking of Thanos, who had been promoted to the God of the Multiverse, everything seemed different when he re-entered the universe he once knew.

"I never imagined that everything in this universe would feel so fragile." Thanos mused, his voice carrying a strange wonder, "It seems I no longer need the power of the Infinity Stones!"

He looked out into the universe, realizing the broader scope of reality, "Besides this universe, there are countless others. This feeling is... truly wonderful."

In that moment, Thanos found that he could perceive the universe from the viewpoint of an observer. His awareness expanded beyond the familiar stars and galaxies, allowing him to glimpse universes beyond the one he currently inhabited.

'Death.' He thought with a twisted smile, 'This little toy of yours has gained an unimaginable power!'

As Thanos immersed himself in the vastness of existence, in an unknown and distant place, a faceless, blue-green figure suddenly spoke to a cloaked skeleton standing nearby.

"Your toy, Death." The figure said, its voice both amused and contemptuous, "Seems to have stumbled upon something extraordinary."

There were two other figures standing near them, the creator gods of the four major conceptual entities. Their expressions remained unreadable as they regarded the situation. As for Galactus, no one could say which universe he was in, busily consuming planets to satisfy his endless hunger.

Death, cloaked and silent, turned her gaze toward the universe where Thanos stood, "He's just a slightly luckier Thanos." She said coldly, "There are always a few special beings like him in the infinite multiverse."

Death had been the guiding force behind everything that had led to this moment. For now, she remained certain of one thing: Thanos, among all beings in the universe, was the most suitable for her—no matter what would come next.

When Luke arrived on Xandar with Jean, the Nova Corps nearly went into a frenzy. They were the guardians of Xandar, and it was because of their presence that Xandar had managed to maintain peace for so many years. But just now, the super life computer, Worldmind, issued the most terrifying warning in its history—a terrifying energy, far beyond their understanding, had suddenly appeared on Xandar without any prior signs.

"Quick! Everyone, enter the highest level of combat readiness and prepare to meet the enemy. Sam, you must report the situation to Queen Adora immediately!" Ordered Richard Rider, leader of the Nova Corps, as he tried to manage the crisis.

"Teacher, is this what a true alien civilization looks like?" Jean asked, marveling at the futuristic technology around her. The sleek buildings and advanced infrastructure were unlike anything she had seen.

Luke glanced at the peaceful inhabitants of Xandar, far different from the savage and hostile beings they had encountered in the Void, "No, this is just an exception. Xandar has an ancient civilization. Before humans on Earth even formed civilizations, Xandar had already developed advanced intelligence and established the Nova Corps, the universe's first space force."

"It's the high level of their civilization and the rule of law that keeps this place one of the few peaceful havens in the universe." Luke explained to Jean.

Just as Luke finished speaking, an alarm blared, signaling an imminent disaster.

"Teacher...." Jean said, looking at him with a puzzled expression, "Is this the pure land you were just talking about?"

Luke felt a tinge of embarrassment. He had just praised the planet's peace, and now it seemed like trouble was about to erupt, "Uh, well, you know, no matter how democratic and free a place is, there will always be troublemakers—just like your home country." He replied, referencing democratic America to explain.

"Teacher, I feel like there's something in the sky... surrounding us." Jean said, sensing a faint but growing threat. Around them, the people of Xandar didn't appear to be too worried, a testament to the sense of security that the Nova Corps had instilled over the years.

At that moment, Richard Rider approached Luke with great trepidation. Worldmind had detected a terrifying energy within Luke's body, comparable to the power of countless suns. Richard had no choice but to confront him.

"I wonder if there's anything we can do to assist you on your visit to Xandar?" Richard asked, his voice betraying his fear. Standing before Luke, Richard felt that even Jean, who had once single-handedly annihilated an entire Kree fleet, wasn't as terrifying as the man standing before him. If Luke harbored even the slightest hint of malice, the threat to Xandar would dwarf that posed by Ronan or the Kree army.

The energy within Luke's body was so immense that, should even a fraction of it be released, Xandar would be reduced to ashes.

"I've heard that Xandar is a planet that advocates peace and equality among all races in the universe, so I brought my student here to observe." Luke responded casually, eyeing the slightly flustered Nova Corps commander in front of him.

Even though Luke displayed no hostility, sweat poured down Richard's face like a waterfall, as if an invisible force was bearing down on him.

"My two distinguished guests, please forgive my legion commander for any offense. On behalf of the royal family of Xandar, I sincerely apologize." A tall, slender woman approached. Her entire figure seemed to shimmer with a golden glow. This was Queen Adora, the supreme leader of Xandar.

"Your Majesty!" Richard and the Nova Corps guards hurriedly stepped aside and bowed.

"We mean no harm. We simply wanted to see for ourselves if the legends about Xandar's civilization were true. But I suggest you call back those invisible fighters in the sky, or I'll take it as a provocation. And if those scrap heaps end up dead, don't blame me." Luke warned calmly, though there was an edge to his voice.

Queen Adora's expression darkened slightly, but she dared not defy him. She, too, had seen the warning from the super life computer. Someone like Luke was not a threat they could afford to provoke.

Without hesitation, she ordered all the fighters in the sky to retreat to their original guard positions. Afterward, Queen Adora personally guided Luke and Jean on a tour, showcasing Xandar's advanced, intelligent interstellar civilization that had endured for tens of thousands of years.

As they marveled at the sights, Luke suddenly sensed a familiar and powerful presence.

"Thanos? He ascended that quickly?" Luke muttered under his breath, gazing in the direction of the Dark Titan's presence.

Thanos, newly empowered, didn't immediately seek revenge on Luke. Instead, he tore through space to return to his stronghold in the Dark Quadrant.

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