Thanos gradually realized that, without even noticing, his attributes had already climbed into the late stage of the Celestial level.
Xandar truly lived up to its reputation. That planet was absurdly powerful, practically gifting him a massive boost in attributes just by being conquered.
Of course, that wasn't the whole story. The Obsidian Five ruling over more than a hundred planets had also fed his growth in a steady, ruthless stream. That accumulated potential was the real reason his strength had surged so dramatically.
And that, in turn, explained why Thanos continued to entrust most of the army to the Black Order, even though their individual strength wasn't especially impressive.
The truly powerful always had their own ambitions. You could never expect them to fight for him with absolute loyalty. The Obsidian Five, on the other hand, were different. They were loyal to the bone—no questions, no hesitation, no thoughts of betrayal. That kind of reliability was priceless.
After returning, Thanos decided to fully commit to the Star Absorbing Technique, aiming to force his power upward as much as possible while waiting for Gamora's news about the Soul Stone.
Only after obtaining the Soul Stone would he personally go to Earth to collect the remaining three Infinity Stones.
As for why Laufey and Hela were deliberately left behind, the reason was obvious: they were too dangerous to let roam freely. Leaving them unattended would just be asking for trouble.
Once the administrative matters were settled, Thanos departed for the newest target planet to absorb its energy.
Strictly speaking, most governance could be handed over entirely to the Obsidian Five.
Still, some decisions required his personal approval. Absolute delegation was a fast track to ambition breeding out of control—and Thanos had no intention of nurturing future traitors.
…
On Earth.
Because Thanos never sent Loki to lead the Chitauri invasion, the formation of the Avengers was significantly delayed.
However, fate—or perhaps something more subtle—had other plans.
Under the influence of a mysterious force, a new organization quietly took shape: the Illuminati.
This Illuminati was… unusual.
Its members included Professor X, Namor, Mister Fantastic, Black Bolt, and Iron Man. Soon after, Black Panther, Banner, Captain America, Thor, and several other heroes also joined.
And speaking of Thor—at some point, for reasons no one fully understood, he suddenly awakened a new power. This power began aggressively purging the destructive energy still ravaging his body, as if it had finally gotten tired of letting him suffer.
Once he regained part of his strength, Thor naturally joined the Illuminati as well.
Doctor Strange hadn't appeared yet, so his seat remained empty for the time being.
Meanwhile, Earth quietly slid into the events of the Doctor Strange storyline.
Although the grim news Thor brought left the Ancient One deeply uneasy—and she very nearly snapped Kaecilius' neck in what could generously be described as a "murder mystery incident"—she ultimately stuck to the script.
She was kicked off the building, "died," and gracefully retreated behind the scenes, where she continued manipulating events from the shadows like a professional chess player.
Doctor Strange's arrival eventually followed, and with it, his entry into the Illuminati.
With every new member, the organization grew more terrifying.
That growing strength gave the Ancient One confidence—confidence that Earth could survive whatever cosmic nightmare came knocking next.
…
Three years passed in the blink of an eye.
Perhaps cursed by the plot itself, even with Thanos's full support, Gamora still failed to uncover the Soul Stone's location. She wandered endlessly through desolate stars and forgotten worlds, always one step behind the truth.
During those three years, Thanos relentlessly absorbed stellar cores and annihilated hundreds of planets.
By the end of it, his power had reached the late stage of the Celestial Father level.
At that point, however, progress slowed to a crawl.
The problem wasn't effort—it was limitation.
This body's potential was finally struggling to keep up with the speed of his growth.
Meanwhile, as the Black Order expanded their rule to over a thousand additional inhabited planets, new threats began to emerge.
The surviving Asgardians returned.
So did the Alliance of the Gods.
Together, they fought their way back into the galactic stage.
Thanos personally intervened multiple times, each appearance ending with thousands of enemy warships reduced to drifting wreckage.
Still, the attacks never stopped.
The enemies avoided direct confrontation, instead bleeding his forces through endless harassment.
Eventually, a decision was made.
Hela and Laufey were dispatched to the front lines.
As for Thanos?
He remained where he was—standing before the burning heart of another star, calmly continuing his absorption.
After all, war could wait.
Power could not.
However, the boost he gained from absorbing star cores was slowing down—noticeably so. Each one still made him stronger, but the returns were diminishing, and that irritated him more than he cared to admit. It was the main reason he decided to return to the gravity chamber and resume focused training.
It took him a full week to make his way back to the temple on the planet Talo.
Unfortunately, reality had other plans.
As his strength increased, the gravity chamber in the temple simply stopped being useful. The ancient device could only reach a maximum of three thousand times standard gravity, and under those conditions, Thanos felt… nothing. No strain. No resistance. Not even a mild inconvenience.
It was like trying to train a leviathan with ankle weights.
That was when he began considering more extreme options. Perhaps cultivating directly on a star. If he could find one with gravity exceeding five thousand times the norm, it would not only temper his body but also push his heat resistance to a new level.
He was just about to act on the idea when Nebula suddenly sought him out.
"Father," she said quietly, "I think Gamora's behavior lately is… off."
Thanos turned his gaze toward her.
Nebula sat stiffly on the edge of the throne platform, head lowered, eyes fixed on the floor as though it might swallow her if she looked up. The sight stirred an old, uneasy feeling in him—like a faint ripple in an otherwise still pond.
Something was moving behind the scenes. Some unseen force, nudging events into place.
And eventually, it would turn the two sisters against each other.
"Are you a chess player?" Thanos asked suddenly."What happened to Gamora?"
At his question, Nebula finally lifted her head. "I've noticed she's been acting strangely. She disappears for long stretches without explaining where she's going. No missions. No reports. Just… gone."
Thanos nodded slowly. "I understand. You don't need to worry about Gamora."
Then his tone shifted, colder and sharper.
"But you—your strength hasn't even reached the planetary level yet. You need to intensify your training."
Nebula's shoulders slumped. Her expression darkened as she replied, voice subdued, "I understand, Father."
Thanos ignored the obvious attempt at looking pitiful and continued, unsoftened. "Go train. When you reach planetary-level strength, I'll allow you to command a fleet of your own."
That did it.
Nebula's eyes lit up instantly, her earlier gloom vanishing as if it had never existed. "Yes! I'll begin cultivating immediately."
She rose, swaying slightly as she turned and left the temple with renewed energy.
Watching her go, Thanos exhaled slowly. "My daughter has grown up."
After a brief pause, he stood and addressed the empty air. "Deep Blue, compile Gamora's schedule for the past three years."
"Yes, Master."
For a super artificial intelligence, the task was trivial. Moments later, lines of data and holographic documents filled the air before him—Gamora's voyage records, neatly arranged.
Thanos scanned them carefully. It didn't take long to notice the problem.
Large gaps.
Entire journeys missing, with no corresponding logs.
Upon further inquiry, Deep Blue confirmed the cause: Gamora had been traveling aboard an unidentified vessel, outside their surveillance network.
That explanation made Thanos's expression darken.
"Deep Blue," he said quietly, "where is Gamora now?"
"According to the latest available data, Miss Gamora is currently within the Large Magellanic Cloud. Her exact location cannot be determined."
She is not using our ships. Data linkage is unavailable.
Thanos clenched his fist slightly. "Send word. Have her return. I need to speak with her."
"Yes, sir. Transmitting message. Due to distance and signal limitations, there may be a delay."
Even with modern technology, communicating across hundreds of thousands of light-years was still far from simple.
Thanos nodded, then said, almost to himself, "This may be a good opportunity to check on Talo. I haven't returned in several years."
The board was shifting.
And the pieces were already in motion.
.....
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