The Void.
Floating rocks drift around the castle. Inside the classical, luxurious office, the floor is covered with a rug made from the fur of an unknown monster. A warm fire crackles in the hearth, and glowing gems are embedded in the ceiling.
"Please, have a seat. This is my favorite black tea, from the year 1821…" After bringing Cassius and the other person in, He Who Remains personally poured two cups of black tea and placed them in front of them, beginning a detailed explanation of the tea's origin.
It must be said that very few people were ever granted such an attitude by He Who Remains. Renslayer, meanwhile, stood obediently at a distance.
"Then, if you don't mind…" Cassius was about to take a sip when he realized the Loki variant, Sylvie, beside him seemed off.
Sylvie suddenly swept the teacup off the table, and a dagger appeared instantly in her hand. She pointed the tip of her blade at He Who Remains, her eyes filled with hatred.
"You damned monster…! You ruined my life!"
She had been waiting for this day for so long. Ever since she was arrested as a Variant, she had endured countless hardships. She had survived day after day in apocalyptic environments, and the only thing that kept her going was her desire to overthrow the damned TVA.
Seeing the Time-Keepers now, she couldn't possibly control her emotions any longer.
He Who Remains looked at Sylvie, who was pointing a dagger at him. He calmly walked to the side and poured himself another cup of tea.
"You violated the Sacred Timeline. I only made the correct decision." His tone was completely nonchalant. To him, this was simply a matter of doing his job. As for Sylvie, he couldn't concern himself with the suffering of every individual. He couldn't just stand by and watch Variants disrupt time.
"You never once considered my future! You only ever cared about yourself!" Sylvie gasped for breath, her eyes turning red with anger. No one knew what she had gone through. Her every waking moment was spent thinking about how to bring down these accursed people.
"I've never acted for myself. I have acted for all timelines." He Who Remains calmly placed the teacup on the table, his expression turning cold. Although he knew what Sylvie had gone through, he didn't believe he was in the wrong. To protect the future, a price must always be paid.
"You still think you're right, don't you?!" Seeing his apathetic expression, Sylvie gripped her dagger tightly, her body trembling uncontrollably. She stomped on the classical tea table and swung her blade, lunging to stab He Who Remains.
"Calm down." As Cassius spoke, he released his psychic abilities, instantly calming Sylvie's emotions. He was well aware of her painful past. She had been living a happy life, only for it to be destroyed by the TVA's interference. No one could possibly accept that.
Sylvie instantly felt her emotions stabilize. The hatred and pain in her heart vanished in an instant. She looked at Cassius beside her, understanding what had happened, but she didn't lower her dagger, still glaring menacingly at He Who Remains.
"They…" Sylvie looked at He Who Remains. Even though her emotions had stabilized, it didn't mean she could forget what had happened.
"I can take you back to your own timeline," Cassius said, breaking the silence.
"Really?" Sylvie asked cautiously, her voice filled with hesitation. All she had ever wanted was to go back to how things were. After all, her desires were very simple—just family and happiness.
"Impossible! A Variant can never go back to their own timeline!" Before He Who Remains could speak, Renslayer interjected with a grave expression, denying the possibility. This was one of the TVA's most fundamental rules, so Sylvie could absolutely not return.
"Oh?" A cold smile appeared on Cassius's lips. He spoke in a detached tone, "So if a Variant can't go back, what about me?"
Upon hearing this, Renslayer froze. In her haste, she had forgotten about Cassius's situation. After all, strictly speaking, Cassius was also a Variant. If Sylvie couldn't go back, then Cassius couldn't either. But Cassius's power was far too great; they couldn't possibly stop him.
"Renslayer, shut up! When did I give you permission to speak?" The moment the conversation shifted to Cassius, He Who Remains's expression turned grim. He immediately turned and angrily rebuked Renslayer.
If they didn't send Cassius back, they would all be doomed!
He could sense that Cassius's power wasn't limited to just ice. He didn't want to see the Void destroyed by Cassius. The best solution was to send Cassius back to his own timeline. If Renslayer's foolish words made this powerful being angry, he would have gladly torn her apart.
He had been so nonchalant with Sylvie because he knew her capabilities. He just hadn't expected Cassius, who he had just met, to want to help her. In that case, he had no intention of stopping him. Getting Cassius to leave peacefully was the most important thing, to prevent any greater chaos.
"Mr. Cassius, you and Sylvie may return together," He Who Remains said, taking a deep breath. He continued, "And we will never again interfere with your timeline."
He had already observed this timeline. Cassius hadn't caused any significant changes. Since a being like this had made a request, he certainly wouldn't refuse.
Renslayer was completely stunned, looking at He Who Remains with an expression of disbelief. How could this be? The Sacred Time-Keepers would actually make such a concession. He was even breaking their original principles! It was unbelievable! She couldn't even begin to comprehend it.
Cassius wasn't surprised by this outcome. The bizarre, shadowy figure in front of him certainly didn't want him to stay here. For one thing, his power was already enough to give him a terrible headache.
Ding!
[You have successfully convinced He Who Remains not to interfere with your timeline!]
[Reward obtained: Phoenix Force Fragment (Will-less)!]
[Phoenix Force Fragments: (5/12)]
'There's a reward for this, too?' Cassius was first stunned, then a smile crept onto his lips.
The four Phoenix Force Fragments he had before were already enough to make him this powerful. With an additional one, he was one step closer to collecting them all. If he could gather all the Phoenix Force Fragments, his power would be unimaginable!
As he obtained the fifth fragment, Cassius felt a torrent of energy surge through his body. The torrent erupted from within, seeping along his veins and into every cell. He could feel his cells rejoicing inside him.
He slowly closed his eyes, and in his mind, the rebellious Phoenix Force bowed its noble head. Its terrifying power was no longer able to affect his soul in the slightest.
With the new Phoenix Force Fragment, the energy within his body became even more abundant. In the next moment, something within his body seemed to break open with a resounding pop.
With a soft sound, the invincible Phoenix Force erupted from Cassius. A terrifying, dark red energy surged in all directions. The air itself rippled the moment it came into contact with the Phoenix Force.
In an instant, the Phoenix Force swept across the entire Void, affecting countless Sacred Timelines and causing fluctuations in innumerable worlds!
'Is this… what true power feels like?' Cassius took a deep breath.
Just now, he could feel that his power was able to affect the entire multiverse!
This meant he now possessed multiversal-level power!
He even had a strange feeling that by simply using his power, he could accomplish anything he wanted.
He Who Remains, sitting across from him, shivered. He couldn't understand what had just happened. The man in front of him had only closed his eyes for a moment, and his terrifying aura had skyrocketed. In the blink of an eye, he felt that Cassius was many, many times stronger than before.
He didn't know how this was even possible. Accumulating power was a gradual process, but this completely exceeded his expectations.
'Good thing I didn't offend him,' He Who Remains thought, looking at Cassius with relief. He was glad he had made the right choice.
With Cassius's current power, he could probably destroy this universe with a single thought. What was even more terrifying was that the man's power had suddenly surged again, just from sitting there and drinking a cup of tea.
"Your power… it grew again?" Sylvie asked, her voice trembling. She had also felt a terrifying power wash over her body. She was fortunate it didn't intend to harm her, or she would have died in an instant. She also felt that while Cassius's previous power was like a bottomless ocean, his current power was like the starry sky itself, making it impossible for her to comprehend just how powerful he was.
"Congratulations, Mr. Cassius, on your newfound strength!" He Who Remains quickly stood up to offer his congratulations.
"It's nothing," Cassius said, waving a hand, his eyes filled with a placid calmness. But the more casual he was, the more shocked He Who Remains became. He could tell Cassius wasn't being humble; he was acting as if it were a minor inconvenience.
"I suppose it's time for me to return now." Cassius stood up and stretched. He had been gone for a long time, and he was sure Wanda was worried sick by now.
"Won't you stay a little longer? I have many fine wines in my collection." He Who Remains quickly invited Cassius to stay. If he could build a good relationship with such a powerful being, it could be a great help to him.
"There's no need." Cassius shook his head. "I'll be heading back. But you'd better keep your promise, or… you'll have to face the consequences."
He had explored what he wanted to explore, and there wasn't anything left that was interesting. So there was no need to waste any more time here.
"You can rest assured, I will never send anyone to interfere with your timeline," He Who Remains nodded repeatedly. He would have to be insane to willingly provoke Cassius.
"Very well. I'll come back for a visit sometime," Cassius smiled faintly, glancing meaningfully at Renslayer before opening a portal.
After obtaining the fifth Phoenix Force Fragment, he now had the ability to travel freely through any timeline!
After Cassius left, He Who Remains let out a sigh of relief.
"Sacred Time-Keeper, who was that man just now?" Renslayer asked, her brow furrowed, a look of dissatisfaction still on her face.
He Who Remains turned to Renslayer with a cold expression. This woman had brought him so much trouble! He slowly walked to a button on the side and pressed it.
"Ah!!!" In the next instant, a bright blue flame erupted around Renslayer. The intense pain made her entire body tremble as she screamed and cried. After only a dozen seconds, she was incinerated by the flames amidst her agonizing screams.
....
The Nine Realms.
On Asgard's Bifröst.
Hela lay on the ground, her armor scorched. She had lost her usual icy beauty and majesty, lying unconscious.
Thor looked at the scene, his mouth slightly agape, his face filled with disbelief. He knew Thanos was powerful, but he hadn't expected just one move to defeat Hela and leave her on the brink of death.
"It's over… it's all over!" Loki's eye twitched as he saw this. They had had the upper hand just a moment ago, but Thanos still managed to turn the tables.
What was even more unbelievable was that Thanos, despite being surrounded by the undead, was only injured by the scorching from the Power Stone!
Now, even the most powerful Hela had lost!
This meant they had no hope left.
"Go and save her!" Wanda suddenly reacted, flying toward Hela. The most important thing now was to protect Hela!
Thor and Loki reacted and quickly followed her.
But at that moment, Thanos was already standing by Hela's side. He raised his massive sword over her head. "Hand over the Tesseract, or she will face death!"
"Thanos, you will regret this!" Thor said, his face contorted in rage. "When Cassius returns, he won't let you off the hook!"
"Who? Never heard of him." Thanos's face showed disdain. He was the most powerful being in the entire universe. And he had never heard of this so-called Cassius.
"Are you sure you're not going to hand over the Tesseract?" Thanos asked in a detached voice, bringing the massive blade closer to Hela's neck. Even if they refused, he would just kill them one by one until he found the Tesseract.
"Give it to him," Wanda said, taking a deep breath. She gritted her teeth, her expression grave as she looked at Loki and the others.
"But…" Loki had once served Thanos. He knew Thanos's purpose for collecting the Infinity Stones. The more gems Thanos had, the stronger he would become. They couldn't stop him now, much less when he had all the stones.
"Give it to him!" Wanda's voice was firm, and her breathing became ragged. They couldn't just stand there and watch Hela die!
Reluctantly, Loki opened his right hand, and the Tesseract slowly appeared in his palm. He gritted his teeth and threw the Tesseract toward Thanos.
"Good. You've made the right choice." Thanos took the Tesseract, a smile spreading across his face as he kept his promise and turned to leave. Watching Thanos leave after causing such chaos, everyone's veins bulged on their foreheads.
"Cough, cough, cough…" Inside the palace, Hela slowly opened her eyes with a pained expression. "Where is Thanos?"
"He's already gone…" Thor said, his head bowed, his face filled with frustration.
"If that monster gets all the Infinity Stones, we're all doomed!" Loki grumbled, pouting.
"Don't worry. As long as Cassius comes back, he'll be able to fix everything," Wanda said in a gentle voice, trying to reassure everyone. She always believed Cassius was the strongest.
Loki didn't say anything, but he muttered internally, "Cassius is strong, but can he be as strong as all six Infinity Stones combined?"
"What happened?" At that moment, everyone heard a familiar voice. They turned to see Cassius walking through the door.
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