Chapter 420: All of It Nothing but Kyōka Suigetsu
Reed stared wide-eyed at Kang, sitting calmly on the sofa.
How could he talk about something so insane so lightly?
A dangerous and selfish man... Reed chewed the assessment over again and again, his guard rising a notch each time.
He realized Kang's plan wasn't just insane. It was an extreme challenge to the order of the universe, disregarding the safety of countless lives purely to achieve his own hidden ends.
Reed's mind raced. He began analyzing every detail of the plan, trying to find a logical hole or a weak spot in Kang.
Reed's thirst for power burned like a blazing fire. But he also knew that working with someone like Kang was like negotiating with a tiger for its skin.
One misstep, and he wouldn't just lose everything. He might not even escape with his life. He had to tread carefully and not let a moment's greed blind him.
His instincts told him Kang hadn't revealed his whole plan. There had to be more secrets and schemes behind it.
So Reed decided to press harder, probing Kang's limits with a string of sharp, penetrating questions.
"Your plan looks airtight, but it's riddled with holes," Reed said, a barely detectable sneer in his voice. "How can you be sure the Dynasty of Kangs and the Council of Reeds will fight the way you want? There are too many variables. One slip and we lose everything."
"And," he went on, "even if they do fight, how are we supposed to steal a cosmic Celestial's power right under their noses without them noticing? That's pure fantasy!"
"How much do you actually know about a Celestial's power? How can we be sure we won't be consumed by it when we take it?" Resolve glinted in Reed's eyes. He knew this was a huge gamble, with their lives at stake, and the future of the entire universe.
Faced with Reed's doubts, Kang showed no sign of alarm. He unhurriedly put his freshly cleaned glasses back on and stood, his gaze deep and sharp.
"As for how to get them fighting," he said with a faint smile, "that will take your intellect and skill. I'm sure that when it comes to manipulating people, you have a gift no one can match. As for how we profit while they're at each other's throats, I already have a preliminary idea..."
"As for your second point: I already told you that, for certain reasons, it's very hard for either the Dynasty of Kangs or the Council of Reeds to come to our universe right now. A Celestial alone isn't nearly enough to tempt them. So a third party has to enter the picture. And we need S.H.I.E.L.D.'s help to open the portal to bring them here."
A small disc glinted in his hand in the sunlight, as if it held some mysterious power.
"This is the device for bringing the Dynasty of Kangs' people over. But to activate it, it needs energy. According to the Kangs, that means either an enormous amount of power or the power of an Infinity Stone. I've thought it over, and apart from the Illuminati, I can't think of anywhere else to get that kind of energy."
"So you don't need to worry. I'm telling you this plan because it can't be done without your help. Without you, it fails."
"As for your biggest worry, whether you'd be consumed by it: for an ordinary person, yes, you would! This is a Celestial's power, the authority of the cosmos. If it were that easy to get, it would be laughable."
"Me, thanks to the Golden Serum, I can absorb any laws as long as they aren't too violent."
"As for you..." Kang paused and glanced at Reed, who looked a little disappointed.
"Others might not manage it. But your body isn't an ordinary person's body either. With the power of an Infinity Stone, you can absorb it. It's a pity most of our world's Infinity Stones are in Ethan's hands."
"But don't worry. If I remember right, several of your variants in the Council of Reeds have gauntlets with all six Infinity Stones. You can borrow from them."
"And of course, to work with you, I have to show my good faith. This is part of the data on the golden blood. I'm sure it's enough to trade for an Infinity Stone in the Council of Reeds."
With that, Kang produced a file.
All the while, he was watching Reed closely. Sure enough, when he mentioned the Infinity Stones, he caught a flicker of delight in Reed's eyes.
"When exactly will the Celestial wake up? How much time do we have? This plan is still too flawed. As much as I want power, I won't gamble with the Earth." After reading through the file, Reed still had his doubts. But he didn't raise a single question about the Infinity Stones.
From Reed's behavior, Kang caught a hint of something.
"I can't say for sure, but it'll be soon. Didn't you see the Eternals have already arrived?"
"And remember: don't tell anyone about this plan. Especially not the Eternals. That bunch exists to protect the Celestials. Strictly speaking, they're enemies of us Earthlings too."
Reed frowned at that, clearly still weighing the pros and cons.
But one thing Kang said was like a key that unlocked the shackles in his heart.
"If you truly want to control the Illuminati, if you want to stand up out of Hell's Kitchen's shadow, don't you want to defeat Ethan? This is your only chance.
"With enough power, you can have everything you want. Protect the Earth. Become the Earth's guardian god."
"Or are you actually quite satisfied with how things are? If so, I'll just have to kill you and go back on the run," Kang said coldly.
Reed frowned hard. The struggle inside him flickered like a candle flame in a gale.
In his ears, a voice grew ever clearer, irresistibly tempting: Reed, stop hesitating! This is the chance of a lifetime. For the Earth's peace, for all those innocent lives, you have to become stronger! Power isn't just for yourself. It's to protect every life beneath these stars.
In the end, the lofty ideal of protecting the Earth slowly faded from Reed's heart, replaced by an endless craving for power.
He was confident he was no less than Kang in intellect or ability.
So the two began a long, in-depth discussion.
Their words were sometimes heated, sometimes soft, but every one carried a longing and determination for the future.
By the time night had fully fallen and the stars dotted the sky, their plan had finally taken shape.
"Well then. To a pleasant partnership." Reed and Kang both smiled complicated smiles. Their eyes met as if in a silent contest. Then they slowly extended their hands. As their palms met, each tested the other's strength in the handshake, while on the surface maintaining an air of harmony.
When Reed closed the conference room door, both men's smiles vanished at once, replaced by grim resolve and confidence, and by distrust of each other.
They both knew this so-called partnership was extremely fragile.
They both knew they had to win this gamble.
Neither of them raised the question of who would get the Celestial's power.
Because in each man's heart, that power would belong in the end only to whoever could master it and protect this world. And that person would, of course, be himself.
This partnership, Reed thought, is just a stopgap. The real contest has only just begun. He gently rubbed the Reality Stone in his hand. The stone, holding limitless power, glowed faintly in his palm, like an omen of his victory.
I'm the one who'll win. In his hand, the Reality Stone seemed to become a weapon to conquer everything.
"Hmph. A man drunk on power. It's all nothing but Kyōka Suigetsu. A flower in the mirror, the moon on the water."
With that, Kang elegantly pushed his glasses up his nose, turned, and left the conference room, his steps carrying a detached, unhurried ease.
When he walked out the front gate of S.H.I.E.L.D., something remarkable happened. Not a single security guard or surveillance agent noticed him leave.
Kang's figure seemed to melt into thin air. He vanished silently from everyone's view, as if he had never been there at all.
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