Chapter 177: The "Lickspittle" Thanos

Blood splattered across Thanos's face, but he didn't feel the slightest discomfort. Instead, the cruel expression on his face intensified. He paid no mind to the fact that he had just casually ended the life of a deity on the verge of ascending to Skyfather status.

Raising his hand toward the blood-spewing severed neck, a faint blue glow appeared on his palm, absorbing the divine blood of the sea god.

In the blink of an eye, the sea god's form withered, resembling the desiccated figures seen in the ruins of Vanaheim.

Thanos licked his lips, savoring the death of his opponent. Moments later, his cold, ruthless voice echoed through the small, isolated realm.

"My Heart of the Universe has grown stronger. It's time to start collecting the Infinity Stones. With these two powers combined, nothing in this universe can contain me!"

As he spoke, his gaze turned to a dark corner of the cosmos, where a shadow began to coalesce into the figure of a person.

When the figure fully formed, Thanos's face lit up with excitement. He exclaimed, "Death! Did you see that? This is the gift I brought you—a Skyfather-level deity. You'll love it, won't you?"

The figure that emerged was a woman, her form shrouded in tendrils of black mist, her alluring silhouette faintly visible. Her beauty was indescribable, surpassing the capacity of words to do it justice.

This woman was the Goddess of Death, one of the five primordial beings of creation—and the object of Thanos's unrequited love.

However, as she glanced at the lifeless body on the ground, her breathtakingly stunning face remained utterly indifferent. She didn't even spare Thanos a direct look.

Her serene and detached demeanor, combined with her complete disregard for Thanos, only thrilled him further. Thanos's excitement grew as he interpreted her silence as interest.

It was for her—only for the Goddess of Death—that he waged war across the universe, offering the deaths of countless beings in the hope that she might one day accept him.

The Goddess of Death bent down briefly to inspect the area where the sea god had been cleaved by Stormbreaker. Her face betrayed no emotion. Without a word, she straightened up and vanished, never once acknowledging Thanos.

Thanos, however, grew even more exhilarated, convinced that her mere appearance was a sign of interest. After all, why else would she show up unbidden?

"Just wait. I'll bring you the deaths of even more living beings—all of them as offerings to you!"

If Han Yu were to hear Thanos's twisted thoughts, he would sum them up in just two words:

"Simp. Absolute simp."

Earth

Back at the general store, Han Yu was met with odd stares from Ultron and Quicksilver. Quicksilver, in particular, kept clicking his tongue and smirking knowingly as he clapped Han Yu on the shoulder.

"Not bad, boss. Just a few days away, and you've already brought home another pretty girl. My sister just left, and here you are with a new girl. Quite the charmer, huh? Don't worry, I won't tell Wanda," Quicksilver teased with a mischievous grin.

Han Yu rolled his eyes, choosing not to engage, and instead led Gamora upstairs to find her a room.

After settling in, Gamora mentioned wanting to take a shower. Han Yu left the room, only to find Ultron and Quicksilver immediately turning their backs to him, whistling innocently as if they hadn't been eavesdropping.

Seeing Han Yu's exasperated expression, Ultron let out an awkward laugh and said, "Boss, she's taking a shower. Aren't you going to join her?"

"I'll join your head!" Han Yu snapped, too tired to explain.

No matter what he said, the two of them remained convinced that there was something deeper between him and Gamora. Their lecherous expressions said it all.

As long as those two didn't say anything reckless, Han Yu didn't care what they thought. If their loose talk upset Gamora and she gave them a good beating, Han Yu would happily watch it unfold.

"I get it," Quicksilver said, winking at Han Yu. "Wanda's off training at the Sanctum Sanctorum and probably won't be back for a while. You're a man; you've got your needs. I just didn't expect the girls you bring home to be this high quality. Where'd you find her? Introduce me to someone too!"

"Look at you, talking like you're worthy. Scram," Ultron quipped.

Han Yu, uninterested in continuing this topic, changed the subject. "Did anything happen while I was away?"

Hearing this, both Ultron and Quicksilver grew serious. Ultron replied, "There was, actually. The Avengers' reputation hasn't been great lately."

Han Yu raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue.

Ultron explained, "There have been a few incidents recently, and the one causing them is none other than Dr. Banner—no, I should say the Hulk."

Han Yu frowned. "What happened?"

Ultron led him to the gaming room and turned on a computer, pulling up a news report. The headline read: "Hulk Out of Control? Rampaging Destruction Leaves Authorities Helpless."

Beneath the headline was a video. In it, a massive green figure with bulging muscles leaped and rampaged through the city, smashing everything in sight. A parked bus was treated like a toy, picked up and swung around, crushing nearby cars into scrap metal.

Several tanks arrived on the scene, their massive cannons firing round after round at the Hulk, kicking up thick clouds of smoke and debris. Before the soldiers could confirm his condition, a green blur shot out of the dust.

The Hulk charged directly at the nearest tank, grabbed its cannon with both hands, and ripped it off effortlessly.

Han Yu watched the video with a deepening frown. Dr. Banner was usually excellent at managing his temper. Even under frustrating circumstances, he could control his emotions well enough to avoid letting the Hulk emerge unnecessarily.

One incident might be written off as a fluke, but several in quick succession? That was suspicious.

"Have you confirmed it's really Banner?" Han Yu asked.

Quicksilver nodded. "We've confirmed it—it's him."

"What's the public reaction?" Han Yu pressed.

"The situation's bad for the Avengers, especially for the Hulk," Ultron replied. "After the first rampage, there were small-scale protests. But as the incidents kept happening, the protests grew. Now there are over a thousand people demonstrating!"

A protest of that size was no small matter. It wasn't just barely hitting the thousand mark; it had swelled to several thousand participants—enough to fill an entire street.

Ultron tapped a few keys on the keyboard and added, "Some people were already dissatisfied with the Avengers. This just gave them an excuse to escalate. They've even started an online poll called 'The Superhero You Hate the Most.'"

Han Yu glanced at the screen. The poll was displayed as a simple bar chart. Every member of the Avengers had their own bar, and the title at the top read: "The Superhero You Hate the Most."

Scanning it quickly, Han Yu was surprised to see that the Hulk had an overwhelming number of votes.

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