"If your secret is valuable enough."
Loki smiled.
The boundless starry void.
Knowhere.
A colossal, star-sized skull drifted through smoke and cloud—rumored to be the head of a fallen member of the Celestials, whose lingering might still made countless beings shy away.
The Collector was the current owner of that Celestial skull. No one knew his true name; even he had forgotten it. Time had blurred everything. He couldn't remember how long he had lived. To pass an eternity, he developed certain…hobbies—like collecting.
At this moment, ribbons of Bifrost light fell out of the void and landed upon the desolate skull-world.
Saitama, Loki, Thor, Valkyrie—and Surtur, who had taken the form of a bulldog.
According to Surtur, the six Infinity Stones would inevitably bring a cataclysm. Until the end of the world, they were ill-omens likely to invite disaster.
The "third princess" was bluffed right there on the spot. If someone else had said it, Loki would have scoffed; but Surtur's lifespan far outstripped Odin's, and with his life held in their hands, he had no reason to spout nonsense.
So, for the sake of life and property, "Princess" Loki chickened out.
The Collector was an obscure powerhouse Asgard had dealt with before—one who specialized in storing rare and mighty artifacts and could safeguard them on commission. For one with eternal life, fame and status had lost all appeal.
"Please, follow me. Master Collector is within."
A curvy attendant with a ponytail and faint purplish-red skin approached. The group followed her down corridor after corridor until, in a room piled with innumerable curios, they finally saw the Collector himself.
White, curly hair. A face that looked oddly familiar. Clothes of bizarre taste, out of step with normal people.
Understandable, though—he was an ancient monster who'd lived for ages. Most of his collection was made up of things even Saitama couldn't name.
"Oh? Gods of Asgard? Thor? And these others~?"
The Collector cast a casual glance at Thor—the only one he remembered at all—because, many years ago, a young Odin had brought Thor to meet him.
Sadly, the All-Father Odin was now dead; the age of gods had entered its dusk.
But one person in the crowd made the Collector's brow knit slightly.
That bald man?
And the woman!
From them he felt a familiar aura—his brother's aura. Had these people met his brother?
"I am Thor, a god of Asgard, but the Nine Realms of the World Tree are now ruled by my brother Loki."
Thor stepped forward and pointed at Loki.
After defeating Hela and neutralizing Surtur's threat, the rulership of Asgard had, in practice, fallen into Saitama's hands. And since Saitama was a salted-fish who hated management, the work naturally fell to Loki.
What surprised Thor was that Loki clapped his shoulder, handed him the Odin Scepter, and told him, "Ani-ue, that throne suits you better."
To be fair, Loki was currently Saitama's proxy, administering the Nine Realms.
"Loki?!"
The Collector blinked. He'd never met Loki—just a small-fry, normally. But now Thor was calling him the administrator?
"That's right. I'm Loki, the current ruler of the Nine Realms—and Saitama-sama's subordinate besides."
Loki offered a gentlemanly smile and dipped his head slightly toward Saitama.
"Saitama?"
Expressionless, the Collector swept his strange eyes up and down Saitama and the others. After a long contemplation, he finally spoke, slowly.
"You and I are the same kind."
Huh?!
The non sequitur froze everyone.
"Me?" Saitama pointed at himself, scratching his shiny head, not sure what the guy meant.
"An eternal life is dreadfully boring, isn't it? Perhaps we'll be friends someday."
The Collector smiled, gently patting Saitama's shoulder.
Everyone's faces twisted into marvelous expressions.
Eternal life?
What a joke!
Could Saitama's life be eternal, too?
Thor and Loki found it hard to believe.
"I see limitless possibilities in you, Saitama. Perhaps you were one of the Celestials to begin with. Otherwise, how could the famed Surtur debase himself as a…pet?"
The Collector's meaningful smile slid toward the bulldog on the floor.
Being called out, Surtur's eyes grew dangerous. His transformation trick was rarely seen through, yet this man seemed utterly unafraid of a sky-father-class fire giant.
"…Infinite life, huh?"
Saitama muttered, lost in thought. After breaking his limiter, had even his lifespan stretched beyond sight?
He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Now then—state your business."
Satisfied with his little show of force and the wariness in their eyes, the Collector invited them to speak.
"We want you to safeguard an Infinity Stone—the Reality Stone."
Loki spoke. The Space Stone was being left in the Tenth Realm for now; at least it was handy for running away.
Loki had previously fused half of the Reality Stone into himself, greatly boosting his power. Removing it now wouldn't hurt much.
Stones in this world were peculiar. The Scarlet Witch, for instance, was influenced by the Mind Stone, yet her Chaos Magic rivaled, even surpassed, a Stone's power.
Likewise, Loki had already grown; the Reality Stone was more a danger than a boon to him.
At the words "Infinity Stone," the Collector's calm mask cracked; his eyes locked, unblinking, on Loki.
A special black cube appeared and floated into the air, slowly opening.
A crimson, liquid-like gem writhed within, exuding tendrils of awe-inspiring, terrifying power.
"This is…an Infinity Stone!"
Thoughts raced through the Collector's mind. For all his rare treasures, he had never collected anything so difficult.
The Celestials themselves coveted the Stones—and one had been delivered to his door.
"Excellent! No problem. I will keep it most securely. Perfectly safe."
He could hardly bear to blink, eyes glued to the Stone. Behind him, the attendant's gaze flickered with turmoil.
A Collector's attendant did more than receive guests; at night she had to satisfy his perverse demands. Every day of life was suffering. In her eyes, the spark of vengeance blazed.
While they were negotiating next steps, she suddenly lunged for the Reality Stone.
(End of Chapter)
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