"Zzzzt!" As the Power Stone's energy developed into a new form, a beam of purple light shot from the Power Stone embedded in the Universal Weapon and surged toward the sky.
Nowhere, being the severed head of a Celestial rather than an actual planet, had only been modified to function as a kind of space fortress. When the Power Stone's energy impacted the sky, the structure of Nowhere began to destabilize.
"Shhh!" As the purple light in the sky grew brighter, purple snowflakes started to fall. However, the eerie part was that as soon as the snowflakes touched a building, the structure shattered into pieces.
It wasn't the type of destruction you'd expect from something burning; rather, it was like a breakdown or fragmentation. This effect resembled the destructive energy associated with the God of Destruction, a form of raw annihilation!
These purple snowflakes were just the beginning. As more of them drifted down across Nowhere, buildings and unfortunate people who came into contact with them disintegrated into dust. The chaos in Nowhere, already in turmoil, grew even more frenzied.
"What the hell? What are these things? Is this also from the Power Stone? How are we supposed to avoid this?" Star-Lord cursed as he looked at the falling purple snowflakes with fear. He didn't think for a second that his mortal body could withstand the snowflakes' corrosive power. After all, even the buildings couldn't hold up against them, so he definitely wouldn't stand a chance.
"Buzz!" Just as Star-Lord was still worrying, an invisible barrier appeared over him and the rest of the group, blocking all the descending snowflakes. Although Robert wasn't familiar with Rocket and the others, Star-Lord had provided crucial information about the Power Stone. Star-Lord was also an unofficial member of the Avengers, so Robert couldn't let anything happen to him under his watch.
"An illusion? No, something is blocking the snowflakes!" Gamora breathed a sigh of relief as she noticed the snowflakes had failed to reach them, quickly realizing what had happened.
"It must be the Saiyan. But why doesn't he just get rid of the snowflakes altogether?" Star-Lord looked puzzled. After all, Nowhere still had countless beings, and if they were killed by these Power Stone snowflakes, it would be a pointless massacre. Robert had the power to stop it all, so why didn't he?
Robert didn't bother answering Star-Lord's question, nor did he have any intention of saving the others. In truth, there were few "good" people in Nowhere, and their very nature and positions in the universe were diametrically opposed to Robert's. He saw no reason to waste his energy saving people who, by all appearances, didn't deserve it.
"You arrogant fool! You'll pay for your arrogance!" On the other side, Korath, seeing that Robert wasn't stopping him, roared in anger, his eyes glowing purple. At the same time, the beam of purple light in the sky continued to condense until it formed yet another Power Stone manifestation, which shot down toward Robert's location.
Star-Lord and his team had never seen such a move before, but Star-Lord couldn't shake the sense of déjà vu. When the Collector had described the Power Stone's history, Star-Lord had seen a vision of an ancient Celestial wielding the Power Stone to destroy an entire planet.
While the two attacks weren't identical, the sheer power and devastation of this one brought the same feeling. It made Star-Lord anxious, knowing that whether Robert lost or Nowhere was destroyed, he wouldn't survive long in the vacuum of space.
His specially designed helmet could help him survive short bursts in zero gravity, even providing oxygen for a limited time. But it couldn't sustain him indefinitely, let alone protect the others.
"This is somewhat interesting, but still not the full extent of the Power Stone's capabilities," Robert murmured as he watched the Power Stone's projection descending like a bolt of lightning.
Such attacks, capable of destroying planets, required a certain threshold of power. But once that threshold was crossed, they became less rare. What mattered more in battle was the mastery of energy. At this point, the Power Stone's energy had reached a level that could make Robert take things more seriously.
"Buzz!" In an instant, Robert gathered a pure energy wave in his hand and sent it colliding with the Power Stone's manifestation in the sky. The two opposing forces clashed fiercely, destroying everything in their vicinity.
Even Nowhere, the massive severed head of a Celestial, couldn't remain intact. If it had been a real planet, the overwhelming energy would have long since shattered it or caused its core to explode.
"I have to admit, this is impressive, but still not enough!" Robert muttered as he continued to release his energy wave against the Power Stone projection. When he realized that the Power Stone's output was still unsatisfactory, Robert released another energy wave—not aimed at the projection but directly at the Power Stone embedded in the Universal Weapon!
Robert doubted that the Power Stone would tolerate this direct attack. Based on his previous encounters with Infinity Stones, he had learned that these stones possessed a form of intelligence, even more so than sentient weapons like Thor's hammer. The Power Stones rarely interacted with others, but those who received their blessings were likely beings that the stones found at least somewhat favorable.
"No!" On the other side, Korath trembled as he saw Robert's energy wave coming straight for him. A sense of impending death filled his heart, making him instinctively try to dodge. Yet, even with his enhanced speed, he couldn't avoid Robert's energy wave.
Of course, Robert wasn't targeting Korath directly, but Korath happened to be too close to the Power Stone. His unfortunate position meant he was caught in the attack's wake.
"Shhh!" Just as the energy wave neared the Power Stone, the stone itself seemed to sense the danger, unleashing an energy far stronger than the projection in the sky. It collided with Robert's energy wave head-on.
This time, unlike the previous evenly matched collision, the Power Stone's energy actually pushed back Robert's attack. Robert could feel his energy wave being corroded and broken down by the Power Stone's energy, forcing him to channel even more power to maintain its form and strength.
This was the first time Robert had fallen behind in a contest of raw energy. It only reinforced the Power Stone's reputation as one of the universe's six ultimate forces. Far from discouraged, Robert felt a surge of excitement, increasing the output of his energy wave while carefully observing the Power Stone's energy patterns and trying to learn from them.
"No! I don't want to die!" Meanwhile, Korath, who had been caught in the crossfire, let out a final wail. His body, unable to withstand the clash of energies, exploded.
With Korath's death, the Power Stone lost its host and returned to its dormant form. Not only did the projection in the sky vanish, but the Power Stone's aggressive energy dissipated as well.
With the Power Stone retreating, Nowhere, which had been on the verge of annihilation, returned to a state of relative calm. Though the damage already done couldn't be undone, at least the entire structure wouldn't collapse into cosmic dust.
"Why'd he die so quickly?" Robert sighed in frustration. He had barely begun studying the Power Stone's energy, only to be interrupted. He wondered if anyone who accessed the Power Stone's power through the Universal Weapon could receive its blessing. This shallow form of energy was undoubtedly easier to comprehend than the stone's true essence. If possible, the Power Stone needed a new host.
"Saiyan, is it over?" Star-Lord breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that the immediate danger had passed. He cautiously asked Robert, worried there might still be another battle awaiting them.
"Ronan and the Kree are finished, but there's still a rat hiding in the shadows. It's quite annoying," Robert responded, shaking his head. He casually unleashed another energy wave toward a nearby ruin.
"Boom!" A loud explosion followed, but Robert raised his eyebrows in surprise—his attack had missed its target.
In that moment, a figure appeared next to the Universal Weapon and reached out to grab it. The person was none other than the Collector, who had been absent since the Power Stone's earlier outburst.
The Collector hadn't died in the Power Stone's explosion. Having sensed Ronan and the others' arrival and recognized the danger, he had wisely hidden himself. However, now he too was drawn by the Power Stone. Even though Robert had demonstrated terrifying strength on par with the Power Stone, the Collector couldn't resist the temptation. He believed that with his escape and concealment abilities, he could take the Power Stone and Universal Weapon and flee before Robert could stop him.
Typically, the Collector wouldn't take such risks. But when the Power Stone went out of control earlier, he had lost countless valuable items. Without the Power Stone to make up for his losses, he was close to financial ruin.
"Buzz!" As soon as the Collector grabbed the Universal Weapon, the Power Stone unleashed a powerful energy surge into his body.
As one of the Elders of the Universe, the Collector's individual strength wasn't top-tier, and his body had weakened over the centuries. However, he still possessed extraordinary abilities, and his high level of existence allowed him to withstand the Power Stone's energy. His aura now far surpassed Korath's and even neared the threshold of the Sky Father level!
Even so, the Collector had no intention of confronting Robert. He had lived for too long and knew better than to underestimate Robert's power. As long as he could retreat, he had no reason to fight head-on. The fate of Nowhere was irrelevant to him—
he just wanted the Power Stone and Universal Weapon.
"Whoosh!" As soon as the Collector stabilized his new power, he disappeared. At the same time, what remained of his collection vanished as well, swept away before any further damage could be done.
"Stealing the Power Stone and running away? Not that easy," Robert muttered, his eyes gleaming. Compared to Korath, an ancient being like the Collector was a much more fitting opponent, and there was no way the Collector could escape Robert's tracking.
"You all stay here. If anything happens, contact the Avengers. I'm going after that old man!" Robert said to Star-Lord and the others before vanishing.
"So, is it really over this time?" Star-Lord mumbled, staring at the spot where Robert and the Collector had disappeared.
"That old guy, the Collector, didn't die? He was hiding this whole time? What a sneaky bastard!" Rocket Raccoon muttered, frowning. "I can't believe I thought he was a good person before."
"Anyone who forces their servants to wield the Power Stone to fight back isn't a good person," Gamora said, shaking her head. She didn't approve of what Carina had done, but she saw the parallels between her and Carina, just as she had with Nebula. If there had been another option, Carina wouldn't have rebelled against the Collector, just as Gamora and Nebula wouldn't have dared to rebel against Thanos.
"Do you think the Saiyan can catch that old guy?" Nebula asked, her eyes gleaming as she stared at the now-destroyed Collector's lair. "By the way, if the Collector never comes back, maybe we could loot his lair?"
"Right! We didn't get that 4 billion, so we should at least get something!" Rocket excitedly agreed, nodding toward Nebula. "Let's see what valuable stuff the Collector left behind!"
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