Collecting the Infinity Stones was actually simple.
Leaving aside the fact that Avengers: Endgame had already demonstrated the exact process, the Time Variance Authority alone had a whole pile of Infinity Stones from different timelines sitting around at headquarters, where they were treated like paperweights.
If glimpsing the truth of the universe could be this easy, then all that really said was that this was Marvel. Even its creator gods were this flippant, so naturally the world they made was no different.
The Time Stone was in the hands of the Ancient One. If Skyl wanted it, he could borrow it anytime. The Reality Stone was hidden in a pocket dimension, and its exact coordinates were recorded in a sealed Asgardian archive. Counting the Space Stone he already had, that made three Stones that could be obtained from Earth.
Of the remaining three, the Mind Stone was, unsurprisingly, most likely in Thanos' possession. The Power Stone was on Morag, and the final Soul Stone was on Vormir. He could pick those up along the way during his travels.
The only real difficulty was the Soul Stone. To obtain it, one had to sacrifice the person one loved most, a soul for a soul. A wandering wizard like Skyl had no such beloved. If he did, he would never sacrifice them. And he certainly would not force someone else to make that choice. So on that front, he could only adapt when the time came.
Obtaining the Time Stone and the Reality Stone went smoothly enough. He simply went and got them.
The moment the Ancient One heard he wanted to borrow the Stone, she opened a tiny portal and tossed it over.
It had only been a short while since Skyl last saw her, but her command of magic had already become even deeper and more unfathomable. He suspected that if she spent a few more years studying at Eternity's side, she might be able to solo Dormammu.
The entrance to the pocket dimension holding the Reality Stone was in London. Under the normal course of history, it would only open naturally during the Convergence of the Nine Realms. But Skyl now held two corresponding Infinity Stones, giving him extraordinary control over time and space. He could open wormholes to any corner of the universe, or travel to any point along a timeline.
That pocket dimension was like a bubble floating on the surface of water. All Skyl had to do was extend a slender reed from beneath the surface, puncture the bubble, then slip through the hollow reed into it.
The Reality Stone had once fallen into the hands of the Dark Elves, who forged it into the Aether to fulfill their ancient ambition: snuff out the stars of the universe and cast the Nine Realms back into darkness.
The Aether was extremely dangerous. Skyl was still flesh and blood, and if he touched it recklessly and let it possess him, it would drain away his life force.
As it happened, he also needed to forge something like an Infinity Gauntlet to wield the power of the Stones.
The Infinity Gauntlet had been forged from Uru metal. Skyl had seen that material during his stay in Asgard. Compared with Ebony from The Elder Scrolls, Uru was tougher, though slightly worse at conducting magic.
Still, Skyl had access to materials that were even better, and more than one of them.
One was the remains of creation used to forge the shell of the Eye of Magnus. This material was on the same level as the Infinity Stones. Whether in terms of durability or energy compatibility, it was top-tier. Its only flaw was that the production requirements were unbelievably harsh, making the yield pitifully low.
The other was the fork that had crossed worlds with Skyl.
The material of that thing had long since undergone some inexplicable change. Its energy compatibility surpassed even the remains of creation, and its durability was impossible to measure.
Skyl had stopped using the fork a long time ago. He simply could not find a situation where it was useful, so he had left the treasure gathering dust. Now, at long last, it finally had a job again.
"Long time no see, old friend."
Skyl took the fork out of the Tower of Tomes' bedside drawer, remembering how he had used it to seize the Eye of Magnus. That felt like something from a lifetime ago.
He plunged the fork into the fluid-like Aether, hooked the deep crimson substance out as though twirling a clump of noodles, and drew it free.
[Transfiguration]
The shape of the fork began to twist and reform, turning into a plain silver scepter. The shaft was three and a half feet long, and the head resembled a small pumpkin. It fit comfortably in the hand, and it had six slots built into it, five set around the sides and one at the top. The layout was similar to the Gauntlet, with the top slot reserved for the Mind Stone as the central core.
"I'll call it the Infinity Scepter."
The Aether flowed into its designated slot and condensed into the crimson Reality Stone. Then Skyl set the Time Stone and the Space Stone into place as well. When he gripped the scepter, the power of the Stones was channeled through it and fed gently into his body. Aside from a brief electric tingle, it caused no unbearable pain.
Both Thanos and the Hulk had suffered immensely when using the Infinity Gauntlet.
The comparison made the benefits of high-grade materials obvious. They not only brought out the Stones' power more effectively, but also greatly reduced the backlash.
By the time Skyl had recovered the Aether and returned to Earth, a Dark Elf warship hidden in an asteroid belt somewhere along the Orion Arm of the Milky Way had already received the signal.
The moment their leader, Malekith, learned that the Aether had reappeared, he was overjoyed. He immediately ordered the signal tracked and the fleet sent to Earth at top speed.
After finishing that business, Skyl spent two days touring London with Gally and Jormungand. In a sense, he counted as half a local himself, so he made a decent guide. The two foodies had no interest in Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, or any of that. They only came alive when it was time to check out restaurants.
Because Jormungand's appearance was rather unusual, she usually hid inside Gally's sleeve. At mealtimes, she would poke her head out and clear an entire plate in a single bite.
After the three of them had seen all the major sights in London and were preparing to leave, Skyl ran into a familiar face, Steven the magician. In the Harry Potter world, Skyl had once crossed paths with him in a bakery and traded tricks with him there.
Of course, the Steven of this world did not know Skyl. He was performing close-up magic on a London street, with a cameraman filming him the whole time. He already seemed to have built up a fair amount of fame.
Today, Steven was preparing to stage an unprecedented large-scale illusion. He intended to walk across the surface of the Thames, reenacting the story of Jesus.
The stunt had taken a long time to prepare, and it required the right weather and water conditions. Today, the Thames was calm and placid, making it the perfect environment.
Before officially beginning, though, a strange gust started sweeping through London again. Steven decided to warm up the crowd first, so he began pulling passersby over for close-up tricks.
Skyl and Gally were right beside him, so naturally they became his first choice.
"Hello, I'm Steven Frayne, a magician. Ready to be amazed?"
Jormungand quietly poked her head out and answered happily, "Ready."
Steven turned his head and looked around. Who said that?
"Go ahead. If you need us to help, just say so," Skyl said, playing along.
Steven snapped back to himself, took out a deck of cards, and asked Skyl to pick one.
The three of hearts.
"Now tear off one corner of the card, and don't throw that piece away."
Skyl did as instructed, then showed the card to the surrounding onlookers. The magician never saw the face of the card at any point.
Steven took the card, produced a lighter, and set it on fire.
Then, under everyone's eager gaze, he coughed twice and pulled a plastic bag from his throat. Inside was a folded playing card. When it was unfolded, it turned out to be the same three of hearts that had just been burned. Even the missing corner matched perfectly and fit seamlessly with the torn piece Skyl still held.
The crowd applauded.
Gally yawned. Her eyesight was exceptional, and she had clearly seen Steven switch the card. In a small voice, she muttered, "The one he burned was fake. I thought he could actually bring back the burned card."
Skyl gave a soft shushing sound, telling her to be quiet.
"His performance was already excellent. No need to nitpick. He's a magician, not a wizard."
Steven heard that and looked mildly offended. With a grin, he said, "Maybe I am a wizard. Guessing at my tricks from thin air will only take you further from the truth."
Skyl studied Steven carefully for a moment, then nodded with absolute certainty. "No, you really aren't a wizard. Not even a trace of talent. You're a pure Muggle through and through."
Steven's face darkened. Come on, man. It wasn't like he had never read Harry Potter.
Gally asked with a cheerful smile, "Can I try?"
That sudden reversal caught everyone off guard. Steven saw only a young woman and, thinking little of it, went along with her request.
To his complete shock, Gally reproduced the trick with effortless ease.
Steven: This is bad. I've run into someone here to wreck my show.
The surrounding spectators loved the chaos and started cheering at once.
Steven refused to give in. He performed several more tricks in a row, but Gally repeated every one of them effortlessly. She was learning them on the spot. With the senses of a super-alien, she caught every sleight of hand as clearly as a high-speed camera.
Watching several of his own original methods get copied right in front of him, Steven looked like he was on the verge of tears. Who was he? Where was he? Was he even really a magician anymore?
The strange London wind blew harder and harder, leaving him utterly adrift.
Then, suddenly, the wind stopped.
Steven's gaze sharpened. He stared at Gally and said, "I've got one trick you absolutely cannot copy. Watch closely."
The magician strode through the crowd, climbed over the riverside barrier marked Do Not Cross, and walked down the stone steps to the embankment, stopping at the shimmering edge of the river.
Everyone on shore shouted at him, "Young man, don't do anything crazy! You can always perform magic again, but you only get one life!"
Steven spread his arms and slowly stepped onto the surface of the water.
He walked farther and farther toward the middle of the river. The cries from the banks stretched out, then gradually faded from his world, until only the gentle wind moving along the Thames remained.
At that moment, Steven cast aside all the frustration from earlier. He stood steadily on the glass supports hidden beneath the water's surface and moved forward one step at a time, like Jesus returned to the world.
Perfect.
Standing in the middle of the river, Steven looked around and waited for the stares and the gasps of amazement.
But strangely enough, no one was looking at him.
They were all staring at the sky.
What was in the sky?
A vast shadow blotted out the midday sun.
The magician looked up and saw a Dark Elf warship, enormous as a mountain range, hovering above London.
His legs gave out.
He splashed straight into the river.
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