The Cosmic Cube, also known as the Space Stone.
For Steve Rogers, who was sitting in front of Ronan, he only knew the name of the object—the Cosmic Cube.
As for what the Cosmic Cube could do, even Hydra, which had studied it for years, hadn't figured out its true purpose.
It could be said that both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra had completely misunderstood its function.
"Yes, I did take the Cosmic Cube."
"But can I ask why you're so curious about it?"
Ronan didn't bother hiding it and straightforwardly admitted that he had taken it.
After all, there was no way he would hand it over now, so whether he admitted it or not didn't matter.
"If you took it, then I feel much more at ease."
"At least you wouldn't use it to develop weapons, right?"
Steve Rogers nodded, seemingly relieved.
How did Loki come to Earth in the first place? It was because S.H.I.E.L.D. had been experimenting with the Cosmic Cube, which set off the chain of disasters.
If the Cosmic Cube could be kept safe, it would be a great benefit not only to Steve Rogers but also to humanity on Earth.
"I can only say that this thing is a weapon in itself."
"But a weapon is just a weapon. Whether it's good or evil depends on the person wielding it."
"At the very least, I can say that your research on it was completely misguided."
Ronan smiled. Using the Space Stone to develop weapons?
That was practically sacrilege!
There are only six Infinity Stones in the universe, each with its own power. They are among the most powerful weapons in existence.
What S.H.I.E.L.D. did back then was like riding a donkey while looking for a horse—utterly pointless!
If the other Infinity Stones heard about the Space Stone's ordeal, they'd probably laugh at it!
After all, the Mind Stone not only created two incredibly powerful mutants (at least Scarlet Witch's power is undeniable), but it also gave birth to an AI named Vision.
No, Vision can't even be called an AI anymore—he's a living being.
Thinking about it, even robots have partners now. Could it be that some people are still single?
"Do you know what the Cosmic Cube is for?"
Steve Rogers was surprised.
Both Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. had studied the Cosmic Cube for years without uncovering its secrets.
But from the way Ronan spoke, it seemed like he knew something.
Ronan shrugged. Instead of answering Steve Rogers directly, he glanced around.
"Tony, can you guarantee that no one is eavesdropping or recording here?"
Ronan asked out of the blue.
Although he didn't understand Ronan's intention, Tony Stark still answered.
"Don't worry, this place is absolutely secure."
Tony Stark was confident about that.
However, after careful consideration, Ronan decided not to take any risks.
With a hand seal in front of his chest, an invisible wall instantly enveloped the three of them.
The next second, Tony Stark threw out the earpiece he was wearing, clutching his ear in pain.
The intense electronic noise had made his ear uncomfortable.
"What did you do?"
"JARVIS just went offline."
Tony Stark, still holding his ear, looked at Ronan.
He had lost contact with JARVIS.
Ronan tilted his head, and under the gaze of the two, the space around them began to change in a bizarre way!
With a gentle push of his hand, Steve Rogers, who was sitting across from him, was suddenly pushed back over ten meters.
Steve Rogers didn't even have time to react.
Because he didn't feel any force touching him.
The neatly laid floor tiles began to rotate in the same manner.
What shocked Tony Stark even more was that the glass window, which had been seven or eight meters behind him, suddenly appeared right at his back.
The bottles of liquor that had been neatly arranged on the wine rack now floated to the ceiling, spelling out the letters "TS."
Simple enough—Tony Stark's initials.
"What... what did you do?"
Tony Stark looked at the now chaotic room, his mind filled with shock.
Redecorating his house was one thing, but why did his precious liquor have to end up on the ceiling?!
If they fell, it would be a huge loss!
"I just created a safe space for us to talk."
"Here, all electronic devices are disabled, and no one can interfere with us."
"Steve, how do you like it here?"
Ronan looked at Steve Rogers, who was now over ten meters away.
The reason Ronan had created the Mirror Dimension was not only to provide a safe space for conversation but also to showcase his abilities.
Although these two men seemed trustworthy, and Tony Stark could even be considered a friend of Ronan's, showing off his "arsenal" was a way to facilitate better communication.
It also made Ronan's words more credible.
"I think it's... quite impressive."
Steve Rogers looked around, unsure of how to describe it.
After all, this was his first time seeing something like this.
It was like close-up magic...
No, it was far more dazzling than close-up magic!
"Your voice is too soft. Let's get closer."
With that, Ronan beckoned to Steve Rogers.
Steve Rogers was about to stand up and walk over when the couch beneath him moved on its own.
It didn't stop until he was back in his original position.
"Your ability..."
Tony Stark took a deep breath. He couldn't find the right words to describe it.
"It's a shame you're not performing magic."
In the end, that was all he could say.
Ronan smirked.
Performing magic?
If it weren't for the Ancient One's disapproval, Ronan would have used this trick to perform magic and earn some extra cash!
At least then he wouldn't be living like a broke student now!
"You should be quite familiar with this ability."
"After all, it's thanks to this that you didn't make headlines in all the major American newspapers last night."
Hearing Ronan's words, the events of last night flashed through Tony Stark's mind.
He had been wondering why, as a celebrity, there had been no coverage of what happened that night.
After all, there were reporters stationed near his home and company 24/7, ready to snap photos at any moment.
How could such a big event go completely unnoticed?
It had made Tony Stark wonder if he was no longer famous.
What Ronan didn't mention was that Tony Stark's ability to contact JARVIS and have his Iron Man suit fly out from the rooftop that night was all an illusion.
Ronan had used an illusion to mimic JARVIS's voice and the scene of the Iron Man suit flying out.
Why? For the sake of realism!
"That night, you used this ability?"
Tony Stark couldn't help but ask.
Although he didn't want to relive that experience, his curiosity got the better of him.
They say curiosity killed the cat, and that saying couldn't be more true.
"Let me introduce this little trick to you two."
"Simply put, I created a Mirror Dimension that mirrors reality and brought you into it."
As if to complement Ronan's explanation, the elevator door on the other side opened at the same time.
Pepper Potts stepped out of the elevator.
Tony Stark stood up in a panic, wanting to explain to Pepper what was happening.
But Pepper acted as if she didn't see him, glancing around the room with a look of confusion.
It was as if she couldn't see anyone there.
"Everything that happens in this Mirror Dimension is unknown to the outside world. They can't see us."
Ronan pointed at Pepper, who was now walking back into the elevator, and continued his explanation.
Steve Rogers also stood up, extending his right hand to feel the air.
He seemed to be searching for the wall.
Ronan smiled and waved his hand. A cracked wall appeared not far from Steve Rogers.
To be precise, it was a mirror.
Steve Rogers walked up to it and touched the wall, as if trying to sense something.
Seeing this, Ronan's expression turned a bit strange.
This man had once touched Mjolnir and then concocted an entire set of techniques for using it.
He had even secretly practiced some ultimate moves.
Now that he was touching the Mirror Dimension, would he surprise Ronan with something new next time?
"Since you've set up such a secretive space, what you're about to tell us must be important, right?"
By now, Tony Stark had recovered from his initial shock.
He had thought he was getting used to Ronan's tricks.
But every time, Ronan managed to surprise him with something new.
And these new tricks were things he had never seen or even heard of in his over forty years of life.
"Aren't you curious about the Cosmic Cube?"
"So, I'm going to give you a popular science explanation."
"Legend has it that Hydra is everywhere. I'm worried there might be Hydra agents within your company."
Ronan shrugged. Who knew if there were still hidden Hydra agents around?
Someone like Tony Stark definitely had them nearby.
"So, what exactly is the Cosmic Cube?"
"Why do you say it's a weapon?"
By now, Steve Rogers had returned to his seat.
He knew that Ronan had gone to such lengths for a reason.
Better safe than sorry.
As someone who had survived the battlefield, he understood this better than anyone.
"Do you know how the universe was formed?"
Ronan didn't start explaining right away but instead asked a question.
"That topic is too profound. Even the most top-tier scientists today can't explain how the universe was formed."
Tony Stark shook his head, but soon, he seemed to realize something.
"Or are you saying that the Cosmic Cube is related to the formation of the universe?"
As he said this, he himself seemed to have an epiphany.
Why was it called the Cosmic Cube and not the Earth Cube?
Could it really be as Ronan said?
"At the beginning of the universe, the world was in chaos."
"Then, with a bang, the Big Bang created six elemental crystals."
"During the Big Bang, these explosions scattered the six Infinity Stones across the depths of the universe, and each of these stones controls a specific attribute."
"The blue one is known as the Space Stone. It controls the power of space throughout the universe."
"This is what you call the Cosmic Cube."
As Ronan explained, the "projector" technique that every sorcerer from Kamar-Taj had to master was once again displayed.
The scene, like a slideshow, appeared before the two men.
This imagery was familiar to Tony Stark because Ronan had used the same technique when explaining Dormammu to him before.
"The Mind Stone, the yellow one, allows the user to enter the minds of others."
"On S.H.I.E.L.D.'s flying fortress, you've probably already witnessed its power."
"Of course, it has many other abilities, some of which I'm not even aware of."
Ronan glanced at the two men and smiled.
"That staff Loki was holding?"
"The one with a stone-like object at the top—that's the Mind Stone you're talking about?"
Tony Stark recalled the details.
Back then, he and Bruce Banner had studied that staff together.
"Yes, that's it."
"But it's worth mentioning that the reason Loki couldn't control you with the staff was largely thanks to your Arc Reactor."
Ronan pointed at Tony Stark's chest.
Although the Arc Reactor had been removed from that spot, a light still shone there.
"The Arc Reactor?"
Tony Stark asked in return.
"Yes, the new element you used in the improved Arc Reactor was derived from the Space Stone."
"To be precise, the new element your father discovered was just an isotope of the element within the Space Stone."
When S.H.I.E.L.D. had the Cosmic Cube, Howard Stark had naturally participated in the research.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to create this new element out of thin air.
Hearing Ronan's words, Tony Stark couldn't help but touch his chest.
He didn't dare imagine what would have happened if Loki had controlled him back then.
"Besides these, the remaining stones are the Reality Stone, the Power Stone, the Soul Stone, and the Time Stone, which we sorcerers have generationally protected."
"These Infinity Stones make up the universe as we know it."
Ronan didn't go into detail about the other stones.
Because explaining them would be pointless—they hadn't seen them, so understanding would be difficult.
"Their names reflect their abilities, right?"
Tony Stark was clearly more perceptive.
The Mind Stone controls minds, the Space Stone controls space.
So the others must have abilities that match their names.
"Exactly, you're very smart."
"However, of the other three stones, I've only seen the Reality Stone."
"Not long ago, when aliens invaded London, they were searching for the Reality Stone."
"But the Reality Stone was eventually taken back to Asgard by Thor. They're responsible for protecting it."
Ronan kept the location of the Reality Stone hidden.
Not because he didn't want to tell them, but because it wouldn't be useful to them.
Let Asgard take the blame for now.
"If you can generationally protect the Time Stone, why don't you hold onto the other stones?"
"And if you don't plan to hold the other stones, why did you take the Cosmic Cube... I mean, the Space Stone?"
Steve Rogers also caught on.
If Ronan's sorcerer organization was so powerful, why didn't they collect all the stones?
"No, you misunderstand the reason for our existence."
"We generationally protect the Time Stone because the first sorcerer on Earth used it as a tool to save the planet from impending doom."
"From that point on, to prevent invasions from non-physical dimensions, the Time Stone became our tool."
"You could say that ever since the Time Stone appeared on Earth, it has been our weapon against non-physical dimension invasions."
"For all these years, it has been passed down."
Ronan shook his head. In a way, Kamar-Taj could have collected the stones.
But they chose not to.
On one hand, according to the Ancient One, it was the will of the Ancient One's predecessor.
On the other hand, it was to prevent future Sorcerer Supremes from repeating the mistakes of the past.
"As for why we don't collect the other stones, there are some special reasons I can't tell you."
"But what you can know is that we never intended to appear in the human world."
"Until the New York incident, my teacher saw that the world was changing."
"So, I was chosen as our representative to occasionally help you through crises."
This wasn't entirely made up by Ronan. Although the Ancient One hadn't explicitly said it, Ronan could guess her intentions.
Since she had told Ronan countless times that he shouldn't be bound by rules, whatever Ronan did should be justified.
"So you're saying that because of the New York incident, Earth is in extreme danger?"
Steve Rogers was shocked.
"Exactly. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s use of the Space Stone was sending a signal to the universe."
"Earth was ready to open its doors to face everything happening in the universe."
"In other words, if more aliens come or more dangerous events occur, you can only blame S.H.I.E.L.D."
"They opened Pandora's box."
Hydra had studied the Cosmic Cube for years without summoning Loki or any other aliens.
Maybe S.H.I.E.L.D. was just unlucky?
Or perhaps, due to technological advancements, S.H.I.E.L.D. broke through the bottleneck that Hydra had been stuck on.
Thus, everything that happened after Loki's arrival occurred.
Of course, blaming S.H.I.E.L.D. alone isn't fair, since that S.H.I.E.L.D. was practically Hydra.
"You asked me earlier why I took the Space Stone."
"Now I can tell you that these stones have been targeted by an extremely powerful alien in the universe."
"His goal is to collect all the Infinity Stones."
"That's why I took it."
Ronan had been considering whether to spoil some of the events of Avengers: Infinity War.
After some thought, he decided to reveal a bit to give them a sense of crisis awareness.
"A powerful alien?"
Tony Stark couldn't help but ask.
"Yes, his philosophy might align with some people on Earth."
"That is, to eliminate half of the universe's population to prevent resource crises on various planets."
"I'm sure you've heard this theory from certain sources, right?"
Ronan glanced at the two men and smiled.
This theory wasn't unique to Thanos. Even on Earth, some people had proposed it.
But such ideas were too anti-human, so they were like small waves drowned in the vast ocean.
But when one of those small waves suddenly became a tidal wave...
Well, that's another story.
"To achieve his goal, he must collect all six Infinity Stones."
"Then, using the power of these stones, he will eliminate half of the universe's population."
"This is the crisis that all Earthlings will face in the future."
Ronan leaned back on the couch and briefly explained Thanos's goal.
This was actually quite terrifying.
After all, with a 50% chance, who knows if you'll be the one to survive?
If you survive, then everything's fine.
But if you're part of the half that gets eliminated?
Who would want to die suddenly like that?
"Are you saying you can see the future?"
Steve Rogers frowned because this event had never happened before.
In other words, it was something from the future.
Tony Stark, on the other hand, didn't say anything. He wasn't even surprised by this.
Ronan had even stood alongside people from the future and predicted that Tony would have a daughter.
So what was there to be shocked about?
Predicting the future? That's nothing compared to standing next to someone from the future!
Especially when that person from the future was Tony Stark himself.
Although, according to Ronan, it was a parallel universe version of him, and time in that universe moved a bit faster.
But still, it was the future, wasn't it?
"I can't answer that question."
"Because the future is always changing, and what we can predict is only a general outline."
"Perhaps due to the butterfly effect, that alien might die because of some event."
"Then the 'future' I mentioned earlier would no longer exist."
Ronan spread his hands.
Honestly, he wasn't even sure he believed the "plot" he had seen in his past life anymore.
Because he had unintentionally changed so much of it.
"Then can you tell us what that alien is called?"
Steve Rogers thought for a long time before finally asking this question.
He chose to believe everything Ronan had said.
No, it was more accurate to say that even if he didn't believe it, he had no way to verify it.
Ronan looked at him and smiled.
"His name is..."
"Thanos!"
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