The black hole in the Marvel Universe is profound and terrifying, like an abyss suspended in the sky, daunting to anyone who dares to gaze upon it. Merely looking at it induces an involuntary sensation of falling, as if one more glance could suck in even the soul.
The Sanctuary III, now renamed Sanctuary I, hovered not too far from the black hole. Clark stood before the spaceship's window, looking through the glass made of special material at the black hole, appearing contemplative.
"What can you see from here?" Daisy, with a somewhat amused tone, glanced at Clark and joked, "Thanos jumped down there, and so did Starfox. If you're so interested, why don't you jump down and take a look?"
Daisy was, of course, only teasing him.
In reality, being in the presence of Clark, a person with godlike powers, decisive actions, yet approachable and humorous demeanor, combining nearly all human virtues, made one feel extremely secure. It was comfortable to be with him, yet it always prompted one to challenge him, like Daisy wanted to see if she could provoke a sign of fear.
Clark simply shook his head gently, not taking Daisy's bait. Instead, he said in a relaxed manner, "Try to feel the divine power fluctuations emanating from this black hole, and you'll find that this Quarry of the Gods is actually a very interesting place."
"The energy fluctuations here are incredibly complex, yet they are also comprehensive, as if any form of energy can find a similar counterpart here, like the eternal power of your kind, or power fluctuations similar to the Vibrational Force..."
Clark took the opportunity to share his understanding and insights about power with everyone: "Feeling the power fluctuations that resonate with your own, or are similar to them, is definitely beneficial for enhancing your abilities, at least as a reference. Who knows, it might suddenly boost your combat effectiveness significantly."
Champion suddenly spoke up, intrigued, "Is always thinking about how to enhance your own power the secret to your rapid growth at such a young age, even reaching the level you are at today?"
Champion's comment seemed casual but was laced with a hint of sarcasm, as if implying that Clark was a slave to power.
Clark, however, didn't bother to argue with such narrow-mindedness.
Was he going to explain to this fool about his 'golden finger' that even Dormammu envied and Death feared?
However, facing Nebula's inquiring gaze, he simply shrugged helplessly: "My advice was specifically for Daisy. Nebula, you don't have the same natural advantages as the Eternals; you need to find other ways to improve yourself. The method I mentioned is currently useless for you."
After receiving guidance from Clark, Daisy also began to try to feel the divine power fluctuations around her.
While the divine energy nearby was highly mixed and unclear, making it much harder for her to sense compared to Clark and nearly impossible to manipulate even a bit of the free-floating divine power, any small gain was incredibly valuable to her.
For Clark, even fully understanding these divine forces would only expand his knowledge and foundation.
At his level of power, there was only one path forward, and the help that other powerful beings could offer him had become negligible.
As everyone watched, Thanos and Starfox's robust figures were the first to disappear into the black hole, with Starfox following Thanos down to see what would happen.
After experiencing a disorienting spatial transition similar to what Spider-Man underwent, they finally arrived at their destination, the Quarry of the Gods.
They were met by three women clad in grey cloaks, their faces gaunt and their rough skin resembling chicken flesh. Their appearance and the malicious gleam in their eyes made them resemble the evil witches often depicted in fairy tales, almost explicitly screaming "I am a villain."
More importantly, these three witches looked exactly alike, indistinguishable from each other, with their hands bound by thick chains, entwined together as if they were prisoners.
These beings, were they the legendary Infinite Three Witches?
It seems in the Marvel world, anyone related to the word "Infinite" is not to be trifled with.
Upon seeing Starfox and Thanos, one of the witches spoke first: "Hehehe, the Quarry of the Gods welcomes two living demigods today, how interesting."
Another witch, with a similarly wicked smile, said, "From their looks, their powers are not beyond limits."
The last one scanned Thanos and Starfox before asking, "Do you two know the rules here?"
"Rules don't matter," Starfox stepped forward, his invisible power subtly radiating out, enveloping the immediate vicinity, including Thanos and the destiny-altering Three Witches. He smirked, his expression one of self-perceived charm, "I'm sure you three wouldn't dare deny a request from a handsome fellow like me, right?"
Eternals, closely linked to
the Inhumans, each possess unique abilities. Daisy's power as an Inhuman was to generate shockwaves, which evolved along with her transformation into an Eternal. As for flight, super-strength, super-intelligence, super-speed, super-endurance — those were standard for an Eternal and not considered superpowers.
As for Thanos, who cannot fly — he is a mutant Eternal and not representative of the norm.
Similarly, Thane, Thanos' son, has a more impressive skill set than his father. Beyond the Phoenix Force, he holds all the advantages of an Eternal and two bug-like abilities: energy beam shooting and trapping enemies in an orange cube, representing death and torture, respectively.
As for Starfox, his power is more underhanded.
He can manipulate others' emotions through his mind!
This ability is particularly effective on women, and for seduction, it's even more potent than Clark's looks. However, there is a limit to its effectiveness, which is why he doesn't flaunt it in front of Clark.
Now, he intended to use his ability to make the Infinite Three Witches fall madly in love with him, fulfilling any request he might have.
Undoubtedly, Starfox's taste as Thanos' brother was quite bold.
However, when he activated his power, the witches showed no signs of infatuation — only anger, disdain, and... a cold laugh!
"Hehehe!..." Amidst the harsh laughter, the witches quickly changed their positions, and a barrage of lightning burst from their hands, forming a large triangle that trapped Starfox within.
This "lightning" was merely a form resembling lightning; it was actually a special energy unrelated to actual electricity.
As the "lightning" completely immobilized Starfox, a strange event occurred.
Within the glow of the lightning, Starfox's body rapidly aged. His fair skin became dry and rough, his clear eyes clouded, and his flowing brown hair turned white and fell out...
As his hairline receded, Starfox aged rapidly, turning from a handsome Eternal into a decrepit old man struggling even to stand, his legs trembling uncontrollably.
Starfox felt he could die at any moment — of old age.
In just an instant, old age!
The power of the Infinite Witches could manipulate time within a certain range!
Even the lengthy lifespan of an Eternal was no match for the ravages of time.
He had aged!
"No!..." Even Starfox's cry was weary and hoarse as he uncharacteristically pleaded, "Please... please don't do this, I beg you... let me go!..."
Seeing Starfox capitulate, the witches finally showed satisfied smiles, the lightning disappeared, and they reformed the triangle in the opposite direction. In moments, the now aged Starfox was restored to his original form.
Was it because the Infinite Witches were more amenable to negotiation, or was their power simply incapable of permanently altering the time around Starfox?
Starfox couldn't tell, and he dared not test it further!
Seeing that Starfox had learned his lesson, Thanos stepped forward and directly asked, "I understand some of the rules here. What must I do to restore my power?"
Compared to Starfox's display, Thanos was indeed much more straightforward.
His demeanor also earned the respect of the Infinite Three Witches. They did not humiliate him as they did Starfox but led him to the edge of a massive quarry. Below was a terrifying sight — countless petrified divine corpses!
Some sat peacefully below, while others appeared to be struggling upward, but their movements were forever frozen.
"To gain divine power is simple; you just need to climb down from here."
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