Chapter 328 : Collecting Stones (I)

"Blood God, please refrain from being arrogant. In Knowhere, my robot army is the strongest."

The Collector hid behind the defensive dome and shouted sternly, "Also, don't forget, I am a member of the Elders of the Universe. If you dare to attack me, the Elders of the Universe will not let you go."

"The Elders of the Universe?"

Upon hearing this name, Bert couldn't help but laugh and said, "Let's not even discuss whether I'm afraid of the Elders of the Universe. Even if I am, so what? What can you do to me?"

The Collector's expression changed slightly, and then he shouted, "You can't escape."

Following the Collector's voice, a large number of robots flew over and surrounded the crowd. Bert shook his head, retrieved what looked like a mobile phone from his arms, pressed it down, and said, "It's useless."

After the command was issued, all the robots simultaneously initiated the shutdown procedure, lowered their heads, and landed on the ground. The red light in their eyes quickly disappeared.

Collector was dumbfounded, and he shouted incredulously, "How do you have the highest authority over these robots?"

Bert smiled and said, "I told you, we're good friends."

"Did you kill me in that world?" Collector let out a sigh. A true friend wouldn't even grant their spouse the highest authority, let alone a mere acquaintance.

"I did kill the Elders of the Universe, but not you." Bert smiled and said, "After all, you are quite generous. Not only did you give me what I wanted, but you also handed over your entire collection."

"I'm not that generous." Collector understood what Bert meant, and he snorted coldly, "The Reality Stone, plus a non-unique collection, in exchange for my freedom. How does that sound?"

"Someone who knows how to adapt to the situation is wise."

Bert nodded with satisfaction and said, "To prevent you from giving any warnings, please confine yourself for seven days. After that time, you will find that nothing has happened, except that your collection is diminished."

Bert didn't intend to kill the Collector. He considered him a valuable asset, like a chicken that lays golden eggs. Once the eggs are laid, he can seize them again.

Furthermore, he was wary of the Collector's potential efforts. After all, possessing the actual gems could be troublesome and arduous.

Fortunately, the Collector was famously afraid of death. He glared at Bert with hatred and said, "Fine, let's see if you can gather all the Infinity Gems within seven days."

"Probably."

Bert smiled and extended his hand. Collector didn't waste time and took out a box from the room, handing it to Bert.

Bert opened the box, revealing a gem that appeared to be made of blood — the Reality Stone.

"It's slightly different from the Aether."

Bert raised his right hand, and the nanoparticles automatically formed an Infinity Gauntlet. Then, under Chi's control, the Reality Stone flew into the socket beneath the ring finger.

As soon as the Reality Stone returned to its place, a significant amount of red energy poured into Bert's body.

"Excellent, the first stone is now in my possession."

Bert nodded contentedly and said to the Collector, "Hand over the rest of the items."

"They're all here. You can take them yourself. We'll see you in seven days."

Collector snorted and entered a jar that emitted a gust of cold air, freezing him inside.

"An advanced sealing technology, really?"

Bert grumbled as he rummaged through the Collector's collection, contemplating which stone to acquire next.

"According to Collector's information, In-Betweener has also been sealed. I should visit him first since he won't be able to escape."

After collecting all the items, Bert teleported to the edge of the galaxy and maneuvered the spaceship towards In-Betweener's location.

"Hmm?"

Dark Phoenix, who was flying towards Knowhere, was momentarily taken aback and changed her course unhappily.

"Hmm?"

The Avengers, who were following the Dark Phoenix, were also taken aback and quickly adjusted their direction.

...

On the second day (Earth time), Bert located In-Betweener. He looked at the chaos unfolding ahead and asked in surprise, "Is this the edge of the universe?"

"It could be considered as such, or it could be seen differently."

A surge of mental power emanated from the bubble at the chaotic boundary, and Bert turned his head to gaze at In-Betweener within the bubble.

Indeed, In-Betweener was sealed inside a bubble positioned at the convergence of chaos and reality. Even someone as formidable as In-Betweener couldn't break free from it.

Furthermore, In-Betweener had been sealed here by the 'Lord Chaos' and 'Master Order'.

Bert gazed at the Soul Stone on In-Betweener's forehead and inquired, "In-Betweener, did you go out of your way to find me?"

In-Betweener questioned, "What do you want?"

"The Soul Stone on your forehead." Bert spoke frankly, "Let's make a deal. I'll release you, and you'll give me the Soul Stone."

In-Betweener's eyes brightened, and he asked, "How dare you release me? You're quite bold. Do you even know who sealed me here?"

"I do, but what does it matter?"

Bert nonchalantly dismissed the question. After all, in three days, he would be long gone. It wasn't his concern who had sealed In-Betweener.

To be honest, the feeling of acting without constraints was quite enjoyable. Thankfully, Bert was ultimately on the side of justice and wouldn't go too far.

If Bert were on the side of evil, this universe would undoubtedly be consumed by his actions.

In-Betweener burst into laughter and exclaimed, "Haha, today's youth are truly arrogant. Alright, I agree. We will cooperate to break the bubble soon."

Bert stated, "Don't worry, I once made an agreement with Seth, the Serpent God, but that shameless fellow broke the pact. For the sake of safety, let's sign a contract first."

"That's why you're naive. Among the Elder Gods, Seth is the most untrustworthy. If you're looking for someone to cooperate with, the Beholder (Shuma-Gorath) and the Crimson Devil (Cyttorak) are the better choices."

In-Betweener explained, "Cyttorak may be a violent maniac, but he holds great respect for contracts. As for Shuma-Gorath, even though he leans towards chaos, as long as he lacks intelligence, he generally abides by the terms."

"Thank you for your advice."

Bert raised his right hand, the Reality Stone glimmered, and soon the red light transformed into a contract in the air.

"After you regain your freedom, surrender your Soul Stone and promise not to divulge its existence to others within seven days. Should you break this promise, your soul shall turn to ashes."

In-Betweener glanced at the contract and remarked, "You wish to gather all the Infinity Stones?"

"Yes."

Bert nodded, "Though it is the duty of the Elders to safeguard the Infinity Stones, I believe your freedom holds greater importance."

"Of course not. At worst, we can reclaim it within seven days. I doubt you can gather all the Infinity Stones within such a short time." In-Betweener replied, "I accept this contract."

With the In-Betweener's declaration, the contract transformed into a red light and embedded itself between his brows. Since he did not resist, the contract did not demand substantial sacrifices.

"Let's begin!"

Bert wasted no time in small talk. His left hand morphed into a spinning drill bit and pierced towards the bubble, causing the surrounding space to shatter rapidly and merge faintly with chaos.

'This individual is astounding. When did such a young powerful being emerge in the universe?' In-Betweener expressed surprise mixed with awe. He summoned the power of chaos and reality, striking at the point where the drill bit was advancing.

Before long, a small hole was drilled through the bubble, and In-Betweener transformed into a beam of light, flying out. He laughed joyously, having regained his freedom after countless years of being sealed.

Then, In-Betweener removed the Soul Stone from his forehead and tossed it to Bert, stating, "See you in seven days. I will reclaim the Soul Stone then."

Upon finishing his words, In-Betweener swiftly disappeared. Observing this, Bert opened a portal and made his escape. Judging by In-Betweener's circumstances, it seemed likely that others would arrive soon.

Just as Bert and In-Betweener departed, two colossal human faces materialized out of thin air. They were the 'Master Order' and the 'Lord Chaos'. Sensing the escape, they pursued the In-Betweener.

At Knowhere, Bert sat in the collection hall and inserted the Soul Stone into the slot of the little finger on the Infinity Gauntlet.

As the Soul Stone settled, Bert's consciousness drifted into a mysterious realm where numerous souls wandered. Simultaneously, a message transmitted into Bert's mind: "I hunger for more souls."

"You possess full consciousness?" Bert narrowed his eyes. While the other Infinity Stones could be considered spiritual, akin to the essence of an artifact, the Soul Stone possessed genuine consciousness.

The Soul Stone urged, "Yes, the more souls I possess, the greater my abilities will become. I can even bestow power upon you, surpassing the God of Creation and the Court of Life."

"Consider it," Bert replied, though inwardly he sneered. It was merely a gem attempting to dictate his actions.

It seems the next sacrificial targets have been determined.

'Could the Soul Stone be connected to Nemesis?' Bert pondered, a flicker of realization in his eyes. However, he quickly shook his head and regained control over his consciousness, realizing that regardless of any connection, his primary goal was to gather all the Infinity Stones.

Silently contemplating, Bert resolved, "The next step is the Power Stone, capable of amplifying the energy of all the stones. With it, alongside the Soul Stone and the Reality Stone, acquiring the remaining gems will be effortless."

As for the difficulty of obtaining the Power Stone, Bert considered it to be no challenge at all. Champion guarding the Power Stone possessed a fatal flaw — a tidbit of information provided by the Collector.

Meanwhile, the Dark Phoenix uttered curses as she changed direction yet again. Doctor Strange, sensing her change, wore a stern expression and directed everyone to alter their course.

"Can't you just stay in one place?" Dark Phoenix and Doctor Strange cursed in unison.

...

Bert had already obtained two Infinity Stones, while Tony Stark and the others had just encountered the Grandmaster, a demonic being.

The Grandmaster, with a single glance, recognized that they were not from his universe. He exclaimed, "Friends from different universes, welcome to my arena."

Tony stepped forward and said, "Grandmaster, we've come here to make a wager with you."

The Grandmaster, excitedly, replied, "I love gambling. As people from different universes, you are qualified to gamble with me. Tell me, what are we betting on?"

'Just as expected, an old gambling dog,' Tony thought. He continued, "The purpose of our visit to this universe is to collect the Infinity Stones. I bet that my companion can gather five Infinity Stones within seven days. If I win, you give us the Mind Stone."

The Grandmaster asked, "Collecting all the Infinity Stones in seven days? How many companions do you have?"

Tony replied, "Only one, and his title is the Blood God."

"Only one? I like this gamble," Grandmaster laughed. He then asked, "What are your stakes? Although I enjoy this game, the wagers must be equivalent."

"Of course," Tony responded, pointing to Fat Thor and Hulk. "If we lose, these two will join your arena and become your fighters."

Upon hearing this, Fat Thor and Hulk released a powerful aura simultaneously. The maids and guards behind the Grandmaster were frightened and retreated.

"I like these two. I accept the bet," Grandmaster said as he stepped forward and touched Hulk's muscular arm, nodding in satisfaction. "I am delighted to have a champion warrior and a strongman."

Angrily, Fat Thor retorted, "Strongman? Who do you think you're calling a strongman? In another universe, I defeated your champion warrior."

Amazed, the Grandmaster asked, "You won? Is the arena level in your universe that low?"

Fat Thor was furious and about to respond, but Tony pulled him back and whispered, "Learn from Hulk and endure it. Don't ruin the bigger plan."

Glancing at the frustrated Hulk, Fat Thor gritted his teeth and reluctantly agreed, "Just this once."

Tony said, "Grandmaster, the bet is in effect. By the way, within these seven days, you cannot inform the other Elders of the universe. Any attempt to do so will be considered cheating. Is that acceptable?"

"No problem. I am certain of winning this game," Grandmaster laughed. "Us Cosmic Elders are formidable."

Slightly unconvinced, Fat Thor remarked, "Really? In our universe, you are nothing but a comical character."

"A comical character? Me? Hahaha, did you know? The Arena holds a championship battle every few decades," the Grandmaster said with a smile. "The winners can make a request to me, and I will fulfill it unconditionally. Centuries ago, a champion proposed that he would rule the universe, and I agreed. The next day, he became the ruler of the universe."

Everyone was shocked. "No way? You can even grant rulership over the universe?"

"Then on the third day, he died," the Grandmaster chuckled. "I only promised him to be the Lord of the Universe, but I didn't promise him immortality."

'This guy is so cunning,' everyone thought to themselves. They glanced at each other and sensed the gravity of the situation.

Can Bert truly obtain five Infinity Stones within seven days? If he fails, this gamble, or rather a free bet, will end disastrously.

"Trust Bert. He has never let us down, has he?" Hulk said.

"Grandmaster, it's boring to just stand around. Arrange a few competitions for us to unleash our strength," Hulk suggested.

"I really like you, big man. You might be the next champion," Grandmaster laughed. "I will arrange the games immediately. You can compete freely, and I promise my formidable players will not disappoint you."

"Then let's have some fun. We didn't come all this way to sit idle," Tony said. Everyone looked at each other and nodded. They wanted to witness the strength of the powerhouses in this universe.

//** FUN FACT

In-Betweener is an agent of Lord Chaos and Master Order, two of the universe's principal abstract beings, whose appointed task is to maintain the universal balance.

On one occasion, the In-Betweener exceeded his mandate by attempting to overthrow and destroy Galactus, and his place in the cosmic hierarchy. With the assistance of the Elders of the Universe, he tried to gain control of the Soul Gem for his plans. The In-Betweener was defeated in part thanks to the Silver Surfer, Reed, and Sue Richards, and turned over to Lord Chaos and Master Order for punishment.

The In-Betweener was imprisoned at the apex of order and chaos in order to neutralize his powers, although his patrons allowed him the use of his abilities inside his crystal cage as a gesture. In-Betweener retained the Soul Gem from his previous adventure, making him a target for Thanos. The Mad Titan manipulated the In-Betweener into breaking out of his prison, drawing the ire of Order and Chaos while Thanos made off with his Soul Gem.

**//