Chapter 527

Amidst the floating debris and dust of the planetary ruins, a white figure stood motionless, bathed in deep crimson magical energy.

For the Ravagers, including Stanley, this man was unmistakable.

After all, the planetary explosion they had just witnessed? Caused entirely by him.

He had single-handedly destroyed a planet!

There was no way they wouldn't recognize him.

But what truly shocked them—

Was that he was still alive.

"Impossible! How can someone survive an explosion that massive?"

"Shouldn't he have been reduced to nothing but dust?"

The Ravagers couldn't believe it.

They couldn't comprehend how a single being could not only destroy a planet but also survive the aftermath.

"He obliterated a world, then withstood the resulting shockwave like it was nothing…"

"Just who the hell is this monster?"

Meanwhile, Syd's attention was elsewhere.

His eyes were locked onto a particular point in space.

There, a mass of black mist was rapidly coalescing.

Within moments, the shadowy mist took shape—

It was none other than Red Skull, reformed by the Soul Stone's influence.

Syd wasn't surprised to see him alive.

With a calm expression, he spoke:

"So, the Soul Stone still refuses to reveal itself?"

His voice, carrying the weight of cosmic law, reverberated effortlessly through the vacuum of space.

Red Skull, who had barely recovered from his terror, muttered under his breath.

"This guy is an absolute madman… White-Clad Hero, you're completely insane…!"

Surveying the countless fragments of Vormir, Red Skull felt himself on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Over the years, he had witnessed many desperate souls attempt reckless actions to obtain the Soul Stone.

But no one—

Not a single soul—

Had ever blown up an entire planet in pursuit of it.

"This is insanity!"

His voice trembled.

"If you have this much power, why do you even need the Soul Stone?!"

Red Skull's voice was filled with defeat.

He would have gladly handed over the Soul Stone if he could—just to stop this madness.

But…

It simply refused to appear.

Syd had realized this as well.

He had assumed the Soul Stone was bound to Vormir—that obliterating the planet would force it out.

Yet, after scanning the remains, he still saw no sign of it.

"Seems like I'll have to use a different approach…"

His voice, cold and absolute, rang through the emptiness.

Red Skull, still trembling, froze in confusion.

A different approach?

What could this madman possibly do now?

Then—Syd raised his hand.

Deep crimson Chaos Magic surged from his body, swirling violently around him.

A mass of energy formed in front of him, coalescing into a single point.

Slowly—

A brilliant, glowing orange gem took shape within the swirling energy.

Its radiance was eerily familiar.

A Soul Stone?

"Impossible!"

Red Skull's eyes widened in horror.

As the guardian of the Soul Stone, he knew its presence intimately.

And right now—

The gem floating before Syd looked exactly like it.

"The Soul Stone…? No! It can't be real!"

His mind refused to accept what he was seeing.

Had this monster just created a Soul Stone from nothing?

The Ravagers, still monitoring the situation from their ship, erupted into a frenzy.

"Did he just make one of those Infinity Stones?"

"This guy is just making things up as he goes, isn't he?"

"There's no way that's real… right?"

Even Stanley, the ship's technician, felt his hands tremble.

"What… did we just witness?"

Syd glanced at Red Skull.

His calm expression remained unchanged.

Truth be told…

The gem before him wasn't the true Soul Stone.

It was a forged replica, created entirely through Chaos Magic.

Yet—even as a fake, the amount of energy required had been staggering.

This was the first time he had ever attempted to construct an Infinity Stone seriously.

His previous attempts had been crude imitations, lacking any real substance.

But this—

This was a refined counterfeit, painstakingly crafted with Chaos Magic.

Although it wasn't perfect, he was confident that it possessed many of the real Soul Stone's properties.

But there was a limit.

"This thing won't last forever," Syd thought.

Like all constructs, this forged Soul Stone had a lifespan—it would eventually disintegrate once its Chaos Magic supply ran out.

And as for snapping fingers to wipe out half the universe?

That was definitely impossible.

Syd already knew—

The moment he attempted to use the Infinity Gauntlet, his replica would shatter instantly.

After consuming nearly half of his energy reserves, he ceased fueling the gem.

It absorbed the final trace of Chaos Magic, glowing like a morning star, suspended in the darkness of space.

Raising his hand, Syd allowed the orange gemstone to float into his palm.

Meanwhile, the Ravagers debated among themselves.

"That thing… it looks insanely valuable."

"Should we steal it?"

Some of them, filled with greed, started plotting.

Then—

Stanley suddenly spoke up.

"I don't know what it is… but I can upload its image to the black market. Someone there will recognize it."

The crew immediately agreed.

"Stanley, you're a genius!"

"That's a brilliant plan!"

At the same time—Red Skull spoke.

"White-Clad Hero, stop wasting your time," he sighed.

"That's not the true Soul Stone…"

But before he could finish—

Syd tightened his grip on the gem.

"Oh?"

The forged Soul Stone suddenly flared with brilliant orange light.

Red Skull's expression instantly changed.

He felt something was very wrong.

Then—

His body suddenly froze.

He couldn't move.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

Syd's voice, calm as ever, echoed through the void:

"The Soul Stone has the ability to manipulate and extract souls…"

"It can even control the dead."

His red eyes glowed ominously.

"How does it feel?"

"Being controlled by a Soul Stone?"

Red Skull stared in shock.

The forged Soul Stone… actually worked?

"This… this can't be real…!"

His mind reeled in disbelief.

Meanwhile—

Syd paid him no further attention.

He had only one goal left.

To use this fake Soul Stone…

To track down the real one.

(End of Chapter)

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