Chapter 34 - The Power of the Mind Stone

Silence.

The command room of Temple-One was completely still.

No one spoke. No one dared to move.

Everyone had just witnessed something impossible.

The Wanderer—an entity immune to physical and energy attacks—had been devoured alive, like a mere snack.

Lin Fan sat on his throne, his expression unreadable.

The air was thick with unease. Even among his most loyal subordinates, there was something different now—something deeper than fear.

It was the realization that Lin Fan was more terrifying than they had ever imagined.

Then—

A hand reached out.

Lin Fan picked up the golden gemstone resting at his feet, his fingers curling around it.

"The first Infinity Stone," he murmured, inspecting the gem with interest. "That went smoother than expected."

The Mind Stone pulsed softly in his grasp.

He exhaled. A small breath, but one that sent a ripple of golden dust scattering from the stone's surface.

For the first time in countless years, the gem was free of dust—revealing its true form.

It was flawless, a radiant gold with an oval shape. The largest of the Infinity Stones.

Lin Fan held it up, staring into its depths.

Something was… off.

A strange sensation tugged at him, as if the longer he stared, the more he wanted to keep looking.

His mind felt like it was sinking.

He immediately snapped his fingers, breaking his gaze.

'Sneaky little thing,' he thought, smirking.

The Mind Stone wasn't just powerful—it was dangerous.

It had a will of its own.

It wanted to control him.

Lin Fan chuckled, rolling the stone between his fingers. "So, that's how you play, huh?"

Then, without hesitation, he raised his hand.

A metallic gauntlet gleamed in the dim lighting—the Infinity Gauntlet.

And with a single motion, he placed the Mind Stone into its socket.

CLICK.

A surge of golden light rippled outward.

A wave of energy spread across Temple-One, like an unseen storm.

Every person in the room felt it—a primal, instinctual fear.

It wasn't just power. It was something far worse.

Ebony Maw took an unconscious step back. Supergiant gritted her teeth, sweat forming at her brow.

Then—without warning—

Everyone dropped to their knees.

Not from choice.

From pure instinct.

It was as if their very genes screamed at them—telling them they were standing before something they should not defy.

Lin Fan didn't react.

His consciousness drifted—floating through the endless vastness of the cosmos.

For a brief moment, he saw everything.

Every flicker of thought, emotion, and willpower across the universe.

It was overwhelming.

And then—

His mind snapped back into his body.

The golden glow in his eyes faded.

He flexed his fingers, feeling the power of the Mind Stone settling within him.

The command room was still silent.

Lin Fan rested his elbow on the armrest, tapping his fingers lightly against it.

"The Mind Stone…" he muttered, glancing at his hand. "So it can do more than just boost Psionic energy."

His thoughts drifted to the Vision, the synthetic life form created using this very stone.

Could he do the same?

Could he create life itself?

A grin spread across his face.

That was something to test later.

For now, there was one more thing to do.

He closed his eyes, focusing inward.

The Wanderer was still within him—his essence barely lingering inside his body.

Time to digest him completely.

The Mind Stone flickered on the gauntlet.

A flood of memories surged into Lin Fan's mind, racing through like a film on fast-forward.

He saw everything.

A planet, once teeming with life. The Wanderer's homeworld.

A civilization of scholars, monks, and scientists—dedicated to unlocking the mysteries of the universe.

And among them, a young man obsessed with power.

He had no name—only hunger.

Then, an event. A catastrophe. A meteorite crashed into their world, and within it—

The Mind Stone.

Lin Fan saw the moment the young man touched it.

A surge of power—an awakening.

The people of his planet saw him as a god.

But gods do not share their thrones.

One by one, they fell before him.

With the Mind Stone in his grasp, he drained their Psionic energy, absorbing their knowledge, their minds, their very souls.

Until nothing remained.

The Wanderer stood alone, in the ruins of his civilization.

And still, it wasn't enough.

He wanted more.

He sought stronger beings, greater minds—traveling the universe, consuming, discarding, growing stronger.

Until, finally, he came here.

To Lin Fan.

And he made his final mistake.

Lin Fan's eyes snapped open.

The Wanderer… was gone.

Completely erased.

His entire existence—his millennia of power and ambition—had been swallowed, digested, and erased.

Lin Fan leaned back, a slow chuckle escaping his lips.

'A fitting end for a parasite.'

Then, just as he was about to relax, another memory flickered into view.

A planet.

Not far from the Death Star.

A primordial species, hidden away in the darkness.

Lin Fan's grin widened.

'A symbiote?'

He leaned forward, fingers tapping against the armrest.

So, that's where they were hiding.

How… interesting.

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