CH-151. Connection between Stones

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The Collector looked at his fortress, which had finally escaped the space loop created by Luke. He saw that Luke seemed to be briefly held back by the two collectibles he had thrown out, and a hint of joy appeared in his heart. However, all of a sudden, the fortress came to a sudden stop, making the Collector furious.

"What are you doing?" The Collector angrily questioned the subordinate piloting the fortress.

"Lord Collector, it's not that we want to stop, but the spaceship seems to be trapped by something!" The subordinate was just as frustrated. He had already pushed the spacecraft's power to its maximum, but it wasn't moving at all.

"Get out of the way, idiot! I'll do it myself!" The Collector yelled, kicking the subordinate aside and preparing to take control of the fortress himself.

But just as he sat down, he heard a chilling voice from behind him, "Collector, where do you think you're going?"

The next second, Luke appeared inside the Collector's spaceship, carrying the unconscious Beta Ray Bill.

When the Collector saw Luke, he was terrified. He scrambled to his feet and instinctively took several steps back, his face pale with fear. This was the first time he had felt such intense emotion in countless years.

Perhaps he once thought that eternal life was a curse, but as he lived longer, his fear of death grew. Now he didn't want to die, and that fear consumed him.

"You... you..." The Collector, leaning against the wall, pointed at Luke, unable to form a complete sentence.

"Don't worry, you won't die... for now," Luke said. "But first, open this Cosmic Spirit Orb for me. And don't damage it, or else I'll make sure a part of your body disappears."

Casually, Luke tossed the Cosmic Spirit Orb containing the Power Stone to the Collector.

The Collector hurriedly caught the orb, terrified that it might be damaged. His panic made him forget that the orb was a container meant to seal the Power Stone, one of the most destructive Infinity Stones. Not only was it impossible to damage the orb by accident, but even an interstellar cannon couldn't blast it open.

However, as the Collector examined the Cosmic Spirit Orb for a few seconds, the horror on his face slowly faded, replaced by a burning desire. For someone in the advanced stages of obsession with collecting, nothing was more enticing than a unique treasure from the universe.

"It's so beautiful!" The Collector gazed at the orb in awe, holding it reverently as if he were on a pilgrimage.

He carefully placed the Cosmic Spirit Orb onto a special instrument, which began to hum as it activated. The orb spun under the influence of the device, gradually opening, and a brilliant purple light radiated from within.

When the orb was fully open, a purple gem, emitting an overwhelming power, floated gently in the air.

"Is this the Power Stone that grants its user supreme power?" The Collector's eyes gleamed with obsession as he stared at the stone, speaking in an almost dazed tone.

Luke stretched out his hand, and the Power Stone flew toward him.

"You can't touch the stone directly with your body!" The Collector, knowing the dangers of the Power Stone, quickly warned Luke.

The Power Stone was different from the other Infinity Stones. It had the highest requirements for its wielder, and anyone who touched it carelessly would be violently attacked by its raw energy.

The next second, the stone landed in Luke's hand. He could feel an endless surge of power flowing into his body like a raging river. A brilliant purple light seemed ready to explode, and the Collector, terrified, shut his eyes tightly.

However, the destruction he expected didn't come. The Collector cautiously opened his eyes, only to find that Luke was calmly holding the gem between two fingers, toying with it without any sign of the gem devouring him.

"What did you just say?" Luke asked the Collector, still holding the stone.

The Collector was speechless.

Seeing that the Collector had nothing more to say, Luke ignored him and placed the stone onto his gauntlet. The inlay slot on the Infinity Gauntlet released a powerful suction force, instantly absorbing the Power Stone.

The moment the gem locked into place, it connected with the other two Infinity Stones already embedded in the gauntlet. Luke immediately sensed the locations of the remaining stones.

"So this is the connection between the Infinity Stones." Luke murmured. His gaze traveled beyond the Collector's fortress, through the vast, star-filled void of space. In a strange dimension, he saw a dark red fluid sealed by Asgard's magic—this was the Aether, also known as the Reality Stone.

Elsewhere, he could see a gathering of Chitauri warriors, and among them, a leader held a scepter. At the core of the scepter was a gem glowing with strange energy—the Mind Stone.

Although Luke already knew the location of the Soul Stone, its exact form was currently hidden within a chaotic fog, preventing him from seeing it clearly.

"Now, let's settle our business." Luke said, his gaze returning to the Collector, who was staring at the Infinity Gauntlet in fascination.

Hearing this, the Collector shuddered violently. At that moment, he finally snapped out of his trance from the overwhelming allure of the universe's treasure. He couldn't help but feel annoyed with himself for being distracted by anything other than the threat to his life in this situation.

"Tell me! What do you think I should do with you?" Luke asked, handing over the decision of the Collector's fate to the man himself.

"As long as you let me go, I am willing to give you everything I've collected over millions of years. I don't even want the Land of Nothingness anymore. I'll give it all to you!" The Collector, suppressing the pain in his heart, was ready to surrender all his collections in exchange for a chance to survive.

"You still don't seem to understand the situation." Luke replied coldly. "If I kill you, everything you own will still be mine, don't you think?"

Upon hearing Luke's words, the Collector felt a chill in his heart, and his pained expression immediately froze.

"I need a carrier that can contain a special energy. You'll find the most suitable one for me, won't you?" Luke asked.

The Collector was stunned for a moment, but then a glimmer of hope sparked within him. "Hundreds of thousands of years ago, I collected the core of a vibrant star. I'll go retrieve it immediately."

Without wasting any time, the Collector hurried off to search for the star core among his vast collection. In his eyes, that star core had now become his lifeline.

At that moment, Jean had finished dealing with her enemies and came to join Luke. Luke casually handed her the now-empty Cosmic Spirit Ball that had once contained the Power Stone.

"Teacher, this..." Jean asked, slightly puzzled.

"You think this thing is pretty, don't you? I've already removed the Power Stone, so it's useless now. You can keep it." Luke said nonchalantly.

This small gesture almost brought Jean to tears.

Before she could respond, the frantic Collector returned, carrying the enormous star core, desperate to beg for his life.