Chapter 175: The Heart of the Universe
A fully complete Heart of the Universe, however, could overturn the fabric of reality. In an instant, it could bring about massive changes to the universe, even reducing it to mere specks of dust. It was an unimaginably terrifying weapon of destruction.
"Han Yu, what are you thinking? What's going on? What is this Thanos and this Heart of the Universe?" Hela asked.
The Heart of the Universe was so ancient that even a being like Hela had never heard of it. She had spent eons in Hel, and Thanos, being a relatively newer player, was equally unknown to her.
After all, what happened across the universe didn't often reach isolated corners. The universe wasn't a small apartment where a sneeze in the living room could be heard in the bedroom. Being famous across even a single galaxy was already a significant feat.
At the mention of "Thanos," Loki's expression visibly froze. That name—he was all too familiar with it.
"Could Thanos be one of the reasons behind this invasion of Asgard?" Loki asked, his disbelief evident.
"Also? You know him?"
Hela immediately caught the nuance in Loki's words. By saying "also," he implied he had been involved in battles orchestrated by Thanos.
Loki fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly. "Yes, I know him. The last time I invaded Earth, it was because of him. He gave me a scepter embedded with the Mind Stone and a massive army, which gave me the power to attack Earth."
"If it's him, this situation just became a lot more complicated."
For someone to casually hand over an army capable of conquering a planet as advanced as Earth, Loki already suspected that Thanos wasn't simple. Still, he hadn't imagined Thanos operating on such an unimaginably high level.
But for Thanos to manipulate events that drove the Sea God to invade Asgard? That was terrifying.
In Loki's impression, Thanos was just an oversized alien warlord, with a body like a tank and a face resembling a wrinkled yam. He was nothing more than a galactic tyrant.
The idea that Thanos might be tied to Vanaheim and its gods was utterly baffling.
Hela turned her gaze to Han Yu. She knew Earth was Han Yu's home and wanted to confirm if such a thing had indeed happened.
Han Yu nodded.
Hela asked, "And what is this Heart of the Universe? I've never heard of such a thing."
Han Yu paused, gathering his thoughts about the Heart of the Universe's lore. But no matter how much he racked his brain, the pieces wouldn't fall into place. Suddenly, he remembered he had something that could help—something perfect for this situation.
He raised his right hand, curling his fingers inward. A purple conch shell appeared in his palm. The long-lost Mystical Conch!
Hela and the others gave him a puzzled look. Even Gamora, who had been playing a game nearby, glanced over with curiosity. The sudden appearance of a conch shell was baffling.
Han Yu chuckled, ignoring their bewildered expressions, and spoke to the Mystical Conch: "Oh, great Mystical Conch, what is the Heart of the Universe?"
Hela and the others stared at Han Yu with increasingly bewildered expressions. Was this man seriously asking a conch shell for answers? Just how desperate must he be to resort to something so ridiculous?
As soon as Han Yu finished asking his question, Hela was about to suggest using more conventional methods to search for information about the Heart of the Universe. Watching someone interrogate a conch shell was hardly productive.
Before she could speak, however, the conch shell emitted a dazzling light. Words began to form in mid-air as if the shell itself possessed sentience:
"In response to the question 'What is the Heart of the Universe?': The Heart of the Universe, as its name suggests, is the heart of the cosmos. The wielder of this artifact essentially becomes the universe itself, with omnipotent control over all within it. After the universe's formation, the Heart of the Universe was split into four fragments and scattered across the cosmos. A single fragment alone grants immense power, capable of dominating tens of thousands."
The glowing text lingered in the air for half a minute before dissipating. Han Yu and the others had read every word.
"This thing is amazing. Would you sell it?" Hela asked.
Having spent countless years in Hel, detached from much of the universe's happenings, she found the idea of owning such a device irresistible. With it, she wouldn't need to rely on conventional methods to gather information—she could just ask the conch.
Han Yu turned his head, carefully tucking the conch away with a protective air, and replied, "It's not for sale. If you need answers, just ask me."
"Stingy," Hela muttered, pouting slightly. Then she continued, "So, what's the plan now? If Thanos truly possesses even a fragment of the Heart of the Universe, it won't be easy to deal with him."
"There's another way," Han Yu said thoughtfully. "We can collect the Infinity Stones to counter him. Based on the conch's information, Thanos hasn't launched a full-scale attack yet because he doesn't have the complete Heart of the Universe. He's likely working on gathering the fragments. We need to act faster and secure the Infinity Stones. Five Infinity Stones should be enough to counter a fragmented Heart of the Universe."
"I thought there were six stones?" Hela interjected. She had heard of these mysterious cosmic artifacts floating around the universe. "I've always been told there were six."
Han Yu nodded. "There are indeed six. However, the Soul Stone has unique conditions for acquisition. It requires a soul to be exchanged for another soul, and it must be the soul of someone deeply loved."
The group fell silent, disturbed by the eerie requirements. What kind of person would be ruthless enough to acquire such a stone?
"With all six stones together, one could achieve omniscience and omnipotence," Han Yu continued. "But even five stones combined wield incredible power. That's all we need."
The group nodded in agreement, seeing no reason to argue.
"Currently, the Mind Stone, Space Stone, and Time Stone are on Earth," Han Yu explained. "I have the Reality Stone. That leaves just one—the Power Stone."
"No problem," Hela said. "We'll spread the word immediately and have people start looking for it."
"There's no need to make it a public search," Han Yu said, raising a hand to stop her. Drawing on his knowledge from his past life, he revealed the Power Stone's location: "The Power Stone is on a planet called Morag. Simply focus your search there."
Hela didn't question how Han Yu knew this. To her, it seemed perfectly reasonable. She immediately instructed the Asgardian guards stationed outside to spread the word and dispatch a team to locate the planet.
"In the future, we need to be prepared for these kinds of situations," Han Yu said, changing the subject. "I'm thinking of forming a group. Would you join me?"
"What kind of group?" Hela asked.
"A force dedicated to tackling catastrophic, unnatural disasters across the universe and protecting it as a whole," Han Yu explained. "Think of it as a galactic defense corps. I'm calling it... the Green Lantern Corps."
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