Gustav was stupefied.
His mouth hung open, unable to utter a single word.
He felt his brain had completely stopped functioning from the sheer shock.
"Alright, the door's open."
Cloud dusted off his hands and flashed a brilliant smile at the two beauties beside him, who were also growing somewhat numb to all this.
"Ladies, welcome to Gustav's Wonderland of Collections."
"It's zero-dollar shopping time."
...
What followed was, once again, a one-sided "demolition."
Gustav's pride—the so-called "Divine Punishment" defense system built with Addes's most cutting-edge technology: laser cannons, electromagnetic nets, high-frequency oscillation blades...
Before Cloud, they were all as fragile as children's toys.
He didn't even need to lift a finger himself.
He just snapped his fingers.
"K-Style Chain Drive—Modified!"
Using the black technology he'd "borrowed" from NESTS, combined with the system's unreasonable "administrator privileges," he instantly seized control of every mechanical unit in the entire castle!
And so, a spectacular scene unfolded.
All the laser turrets swiveled their barrels and began wildly firing at their own allies!
All the combat robots started doing "breakdancing," then proceeded to disassemble each other's parts!
The entire castle transformed into a "cyberpunk"-style, joyful variety show stage!
"No... NO! My army! My technology!"
In the collection room, Gustav watched the comical scene of friendly fire on the screens and let out a wail of despair!
His greatest assets had just been neutralized in a way he couldn't begin to comprehend!
...
Soon enough.
Cloud brought Chun-Li and Lien along, strolling through the castle like it was his own backyard, arriving at the final collection room without a single obstruction.
BOOM!
Another punch.
That door forged from special memory alloy, completely airtight, was blasted to pieces.
Cloud walked in slowly.
He looked at Gustav, slumped on the ground with an ashen face, then surveyed the various hair-raising "collection pieces" displayed in the room's cases—Sagat's heart, the fist bones of some karate master, and even a small tuft of Akuma's red hair.
A flash of disgust crossed Cloud's eyes.
"Perverted hobby," he commented coldly.
"Who... who the hell are you?!" Gustav stared at him, mustering every ounce of strength to ask the question every villain loves to ask before death.
"Me?"
Cloud didn't answer him.
His gaze had been suddenly drawn to something displayed in a special crystal box at the very center of the collection.
It was a fingernail-sized, crystalline, irregularly-shaped blue crystal.
This tiny crystal was emanating a spatial energy that made even Cloud's heart skip a beat!
That energy was completely different from any power he possessed!
It felt like it didn't belong to this dimension!
[System: WARNING! WARNING! Detected ultra-high-dimensional Rule-level energy signature!]
[Initiating emergency scan... Scan complete!]
[Item Name: Infinity Stone—Space Stone (Microscopic Fragment)!!]
[Item Description: The physical manifestation of "Space," one of the six singularities that comprise the universe's most fundamental laws. Possesses the ability to warp, fold, teleport, and even create space. Although merely an insignificant fragment, it still contains terrifying energy sufficient to tear apart an entire galaxy!]
[System Recommendation: Host! Obtain this at all costs! This thing is worth more than all the junk you've collected before combined!!!]
When Cloud heard the system's voice-cracking, money-grubbing notification, he was completely stunned.
Infinity Stone?
Space Stone?
Wasn't this... wasn't this what that "Family Planning Commissioner" Thanos, who could wipe out half the universe with a snap, was after?!
How... how did this end up here?!
He instinctively reached out, ignoring the display case's barrier, and directly took the faintly glowing blue Space Stone fragment into his hand.
The instant his fingertips touched the fragment—
BOOM—!!!!!
A flood of cosmic information so vast it defied description instantly poured into his mind!
Before his eyes, it was no longer Gustav's collection room.
But an endless, brilliant sea of stars!
He saw a man in red-and-blue spandex swinging freely between New York's skyscrapers on webs!
He saw a flashy billionaire in steel armor firing devastating energy blasts from his palms!
He saw a super soldier wielding a shield, the embodiment of "American spirit," fighting bloody battles against Nazi forces!
He saw a god of thunder from Norse mythology summoning lightning across the sky with his hammer!
He saw a green giant of rage smashing wildly through a massive fleet from outer space!
Countless bizarre, fantastical fragments from another universe flashed through his mind like a slideshow!
Finally, all the images froze on an enormous figure with a chin like a "sweet potato," wearing a golden gauntlet embedded with six gems of different colors!
That figure slowly raised his hand.
And snapped his fingers.
Snap.
"NOOO—!!!"
Cloud's mind felt like it was about to explode from this massive information flood!
He let out a pained grunt and abruptly released the fragment!
All the visions instantly vanished.
He gasped violently, face pale, forehead drenched in cold sweat.
"What... what was that just now?"
He stared at the small fragment on the ground, still emitting that faint blue glow, his eyes filled with unprecedented shock and fervor!
A brand new world—vaster and more dangerous—was slowly opening its doors to him!
And the "key" to all of it was this small, unassuming stone fragment.
...
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