Deep in the murky depths of Morag, lying partially buried beneath layers of oceanic debris, was a corpse.
Not just any corpse.
The remains of a Celestial.
A godlike being of unimaginable power, long dead and forgotten beneath the waves.
Max floated silently, staring at the immense size of the fallen giant.
Its armor was shattered, its massive body covered in deep scars, and its once-radiant cosmic energy had long since faded.
Malaika hovered beside Max, her cosmic eyes wide.
"Master… this is… a Celestial."
Max smirked, crossing his arms. "Well, well… looks like we just hit the jackpot."
Malaika tilted her head, looking at him in confusion. "What do you mean by that, Master?"
Max grinned, turning to face her.
"This entire body… is made of a special metal—Adamantium. The strongest metal to exist."
Malaika's cosmic eyes widened in horror. "We are not going to harvest his body, are we?"
Her expression paled at the very idea.
Max chuckled darkly. "Oh, we are doing exactly that."
Malaika gulped. "But Master… what if the Celestials come after us?"
Max shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't worry, they won't. If they actually cared about him, they wouldn't have left him here to rot."
Malaika still looked uneasy, but Max had already moved forward, placing his hand on the massive Celestial's head.
"Let's see what I can do…" he muttered.
He tried using his Shadow Extraction, attempting to turn the fallen Celestial into one of his undead warriors.
For a brief moment, the shadow energy wrapped around the Celestial's body, but—
Nothing happened.
Max frowned, deep in thought. "So I'm not powerful enough to fully revive it yet, huh?"
Realizing Plan A wouldn't work, Max switched tactics.
Instead of raising it as an undead, he activated his Devouring Ability—
A black fog erupted from his body, spreading like tendrils over the Celestial's corpse, slowly breaking it down and absorbing its essence.
The strongest metal… the genetic code of a godlike being… all of it would soon belong to him.
Max stood still, his black fog spreading like an insatiable beast, devouring the fallen Celestial's body piece by piece.
The massive corpse trembled, its ancient cosmic energy trying to resist—
But resistance was futile.
The adamantium-infused body cracked, dissolving into pure energy, flowing into Max like a raging river.
Malaika watched in shock and awe, feeling the raw power surge around them.
Her knees weakened, her very being trembling from the sheer dominance radiating from her master.
"Master…" she whispered, barely able to remain standing.
Max's eyes snapped open, glowing brilliant gold with streaks of deep cosmic black.
A notification flashed before him.
[Host has absorbed Celestial Essence]
New Abilities Unlocked:
Celestial Adamantium Body – The hardest, most indestructible metal now reinforces your bones, muscles, and skin.
Cosmic Authority – A fraction of Celestial influence, allowing limited manipulation of cosmic energies.
Evolutionary Potential – Your body is no longer bound by mortal limitations; further evolution is possible.
****
Max nodded, taking a moment to process the immense power now coursing through him.
Malaika stepped closer, her cosmic-like eyes filled with curiosity.
"Master, you were just going to harvest the body… so why did you absorb him instead?" she asked.
"Harvesting and eating are two different things."
Max smirked, stretching his arm, feeling his newly enhanced body.
"Well, my power wasn't quite at a Cosmic Level before this, so don't worry—I'm not out here trying to become a Celestial."
He flexed his fingers, feeling how much denser and stronger his body had become.
"But now… I can fight them. And maybe even defeat those Celestials if they ever get in my way."
He winked at Malaika, who shivered slightly at his overwhelming presence.
Then, without missing a beat, Max turned away, eyes locked onto the ruined landscape ahead.
"Alright, enough distractions. Let's find that damn Orb."
With that, they resumed their search, determined to claim the Power Stone before anyone else could.
With his newfound power, Max led Malaika deeper into the submerged ruins of Morag, scanning the vast underwater temple structures that once belonged to an ancient civilization.
The ocean floor was littered with collapsed pillars, engraved stone pathways, and strange glowing symbols that flickered faintly under the water's pressure.
Malaika hovered beside him, using her Dark Matter Manipulation to push aside debris as they moved further into the temple.
After a few more hours of exploring, Max sensed something.
A faint energy signature.
Something powerful.
He grinned. "Found it."
Swimming deeper into the temple's inner chamber, he spotted it—
A large stone pedestal, covered in ancient carvings and glowing runes, standing alone in the center of the room.
And sitting on top of it—
The Orb. The Power Stone.
The Infinity Stone pulsed faintly, its energy contained within the metallic sphere that acted as a protective shell.
Max landed near the pedestal, cracking his knuckles.
"Well, that was easy."
Malaika, however, narrowed her eyes, scanning the room.
"Master, this temple was designed to contain the Power Stone. That means—"
CRACK!
Before Malaika could finish, the ground beneath them trembled violently.
Max grinned, completely unfazed. "Yep, looks like this place is collapsing without the Power Stone keeping it stable."
Without wasting time, they rushed outside as the temple walls cracked and crumbled behind them.
The entire structure began sinking, the once-grand ruins collapsing into the ocean depths.
Just as the last remnants of the ancient temple vanished, Max and Malaika broke through the water's surface, flying back toward their ship.
Once aboard, Max held up the Orb, his golden eyes gleaming.
With a simple twist, he unlocked the artifact, revealing its core—
The Power Stone.
A brilliant, pulsating purple gem sat within the Orb, radiating an overwhelming aura of raw destruction.
It was beautiful—yet devastatingly powerful.
An Infinity Stone, capable of eradicating entire civilizations with a single strike.
As Max held the Power Stone, a notification from his system appeared before him.
[Host can now easily wield all Infinity Stones without any backlash and can even use them at full power.]
A smirk spread across Max's face as he absorbed the information.
"Good."
***
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