"Are the flames of war about to be ignited again?"
He thought that the only race that would be attracted by the sealed Aether Particle was the Dark Elves. This race was too extreme; they wanted to use the Aether Particle to pull the Nine Realms into eternal darkness. He had also struck lucky, using the power of the Bifrost to launch a surprise attack on their key locations, seizing the Aether Particle and winning that battle. Otherwise, he really would have been defeated by those madmen; those life-burning Cursed Warriors, who feared not Death and fought with a wound-for-wound style, gave him quite a headache.
"Once they get the Aether Particle again, their primary target for revenge will be Asgard. But I really can't leave here right now. It's such a hassle. Should I ask the Sorcerer Supreme for a small favor?"
Divine power flowed continuously from his body, but Odin was thinking about other things. While he was distracted, Artoria, with Gaea's help, successfully entered the space within the seal. She didn't alert Odin in the slightest, showing just how strong Gaea's power was—at least much stronger than Artoria's (without using her Noble Phantasm).
"This space is full of oppression; it's very uncomfortable."
Arriving in such a place for the first time, Artoria looked around carefully. Aside from some floating debris, there was only dark nothingness. Artoria felt very uncomfortable seeing this. There was no air here, so the magical energy in Artoria's body began to nourish her cells, which started providing oxygen internally. The seal here hadn't completely failed yet, so Artoria had to be cautious; otherwise, it would be troublesome if she tripped a trap.
"Hurry up and search. Once I find it, I'll head back immediately."
Braving the pressure within the sealed space, Artoria began to search for the legendary Aether Particle. Without much effort, she found a mass of squirming, crimson liquid. The moment she saw it, Artoria suddenly didn't want this Infinity Stone anymore. It looked like a swarm of tiny red flying insects, making her skin crawl. Moreover, it felt as if it had its own consciousness; the moment Artoria saw it, it saw her too and began flying toward her.
"Really, I remember this thing likes to host in other people's bodies and drain their life force."
She suddenly remembered watching 'Thor 2: Loki Finds Mom, Mom Don't Go' in her previous life, where Jane accidentally entered this space and became a host for the Reality Stone. Although it could unleash a certain amount of power, it would consume the host's life force. This Infinity Stone was simply too evil. Artoria swiftly dodged the Aether Particle's pounce.
"Spirit Gear Manifestation."
Silver Spirit Gear instantly draped over Artoria's body. At this moment, that Infinity Stone had completely become part of the Spirit Gear, including the Infinity Stones on it. Artoria glanced at the Infinity Gauntlet, which had turned silver; the four stones on it were shining brightly. Artoria focused her gaze on the Aether-state Reality Stone. The Soul Stone lit up, and an orange beam of light flew toward the Reality Stone. In an instant, the Reality Stone was hit. The golden light seemed contagious, as all the particles were tinged with a hint of gold.
Artoria silently reached out her hand wearing the Infinity Gauntlet. A strange thing happened: the particles that had been like living organisms began to gather toward the Infinity Gauntlet. When all the liquid-like red substance entered the Infinity Gauntlet, a crimson gem appeared on it. Artoria had successfully obtained the Reality Stone.
"We can go back, Gaea."
Since she had already obtained the Infinity Stone, leaving this wretched place as soon as possible was the right move. Artoria took out a small leaf and crushed it, saying those words, and a spatial portal silently opened in front of her. Seeing the portal, Artoria hurried inside without staying for a second longer.
"Got it."
Back in the real world, the first thing Artoria saw was Gaea looking at her with concerned eyes. Artoria happily clenched her fist, indicating she had gotten what she wanted. Seeing the happy Artoria, Gaea couldn't help but smile. For some reason, she cared a lot about this child's opinion now.
"Next time I'll go; you shouldn't."
These ten or so minutes of waiting felt far too long for Gaea. It had been a long time since she had felt such anxiety. Even when she was sealed or about to break the seal, she hadn't been this anxious. These ten minutes felt like tens of thousands of years to her.
"This is my business; I can't involve you. Help is fine, but I can't let you risk danger with me, or my conscience won't be at ease. I hope you can understand, Gaea."
Hearing Gaea's words, Artoria was moved. But being moved was one thing; Artoria was unwilling to accept Gaea's kindness. Some things she had to face herself. After all, she didn't like causing trouble for others. If it were her enemies, she might not care and would even kick them while they're down, but if it involved her good friends, she would truly feel guilty.
"Fine! Since you insist. But I still have to say, if you encounter a life-threatening situation, I will definitely not sit idly by, Artoria."
Gaea hadn't expected Artoria's firm attitude, but Artoria's words were heartwarming. This was a child who valued friendship very much. Even though she was refusing, she said it so pleasantly that Gaea truly couldn't refute her. Without thinking, Gaea blurted out words that sounded like a confession. Once she spoke, Artoria didn't realize Gaea's meaning, but Gaea's jade-white cheeks turned slightly red, clearly out of shyness.
"I'll remember this sentiment."
She didn't know why Gaea was blushing. Could a Planet blush? It was hard to imagine. Artoria, whose joy at obtaining the Infinity Stone was currently hard to suppress, didn't notice how unusual Gaea's emotions were at all. Artoria held the Infinity Gauntlet in front of her, savoring the beautiful sight of the five stones together.
"Wait a minute, there seems to be a coordinate on this."
In her shyness, Gaea didn't hear what Artoria said, but she soon noticed it. The crimson gem was automatically emitting a signal, which made Gaea very uncomfortable. She quickly stepped forward to look at the Infinity Stone and spoke to Artoria with a frown.
Hearing Gaea's words, Artoria then remembered why the Dark Elves could locate Asgard. It turned out they had certain means. Artoria realized that because she had been too happy just now, she had forgotten this issue. It seemed this battle was unavoidable. She wondered just how strong the opponent was.
"Help me remove this coordinate, okay?"
"Of course."
Readily agreeing to Artoria's request, Gaea's hand flashed with divine power, and the signal emitted by the Reality Stone vanished instantly. Even if Artoria hadn't asked, Gaea would have helped clear it. This signal was like bait, attracting those with ill intentions.
"Leader, the coordinates were found, but they've disappeared again."
"Where did the coordinates last disappear?"
"Midgard."
On a Planet without a single ray of light, a pitch-black ship was quietly moored. On this Planet that other creatures could not explore, a group of white-skinned, long-eared elves were in hibernation. Soon, one fellow jumped out of a hibernation pod and ran to report to the one sitting on the throne.
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