Chapter 303: The Notion of Conquering the Nine Realms

"Emperor, why do you never take off your armor?" Hela asked playfully aboard the ship. She approached Alan with a mischievous glint in her eyes, as though she had already deduced what lay beneath the Emperor Armor.

"Uh... well, you know, battles can break out at any time, so I prefer to keep my armor on," Alan replied hastily. To avoid further questioning, he quickly moved to where the others were gathered.

Gamora was talking to Nebula.

"Has Thanos asked you to return?" Gamora asked.

Nebula glanced at Gamora and then at the Guardians of the Galaxy standing behind her.

"You betrayed him. And now you've made so many friends," Nebula remarked coldly.

Gamora replied, "It was Emperor who brought us together. He can defeat Thanos."

Nebula's sharp gaze turned toward Alan, who had just arrived. "Him?"

Gamora nodded. "Yes. I didn't believe it at first either, but he already has the Power Stone. I think he might be the only one in the universe who can stop Thanos' ambitions."

Nebula lowered her head, cast one last glance at Alan, and walked away. All she wanted was to escape Thanos' control. Where she went after that didn't matter.

"Where are we headed now?" Quill asked Alan as he approached.

"We'll stay nearby for a while. Once the Aether Particle is extracted, we'll decide our next move," Alan replied.

Just then, Hela caught up to the ship. "Emperor, that little girl said she's successfully extracted the Reality Stone. She wants you to check it out," Hela called out.

Alan hurried back to their ship. With the Reality Stone now in their possession, it also meant that Jane Foster had awakened. At last, the mystery that had troubled Alan for so long could be unraveled.

Aboard the ship, Jane was weakly leaning against the bed. Red Queen had thoughtfully given her some nutrients. As Alan entered, Jane immediately recognized the armor he wore.

"You saved me, didn't you, Emperor? I remember hearing your voice," Jane said softly.

Alan nodded and asked gently, "Do you remember how you ended up in space?"

"What?! Where am I?" Jane exclaimed, alarmed. She scrambled out of bed, pushing past the others, and stared out the window at the vast darkness speckled with stars. Overwhelmed by the sight, her legs gave out, and Gwen quickly helped her sit back down.

"Don't be afraid," Alan reassured her. "You were in a coma earlier. I'll explain everything to you in due time. You were transported into space through a distortion in reality caused by some unique circumstances. We've removed what was inside you, so you're safe now. I'll take you back to Earth."

Jane gradually calmed down, her voice hoarse as she asked, "Where are we now?"

"...Asgard," Hela interjected as she entered.

Jane's expression shifted. Alan knew her backstory in the Marvel universe—that she was Thor's girlfriend and, in some parallel universes, even became the Mighty Thor. However, her alternate life was far more tragic than her current one.

"Can I visit Asgard?" Jane asked Alan, her gaze filled with curiosity.

"Go ahead. Let Hela accompany you," Alan replied.

Jane slowly lay back down, her body still weak. Alan instructed the others to leave, then sought out Red Queen privately.

Red Queen extended her hand, presenting a glowing Infinity Stone—the Reality Stone.

"So this is the Reality Stone?" Alan murmured. It was said to grant its wielder the ability to realize anything they imagined, reshaping reality itself. Malekith had once tried to use it to exact his revenge on the universe.

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