Marvel: The Villain Chapter 396 A Pool of Water

Vormir is one of hundreds of billions of stars in the universe. It sits far from the nearest star in its system, and with much of its light blocked by another neighboring planet, it remains dim, freezing, and covered in endless desert. Despite possessing clean water and breathable air, no civilization has ever chosen to settle here.

After a long voyage of a month and a half, Jason, leading his three major fleets, finally appeared in the vicinity of Vormir.

"Orbit the planet! Begin scans!" Valkyrie stood in the cockpit, directing the soldiers to circle the planet for a comprehensive sweep. The ship was equipped with the most advanced sensors, capable of analyzing surface topography, life signs, air quality, and defensive systems. These were essential protocols before landing on an unknown world.

Several hours later, the monitoring concluded.

"No large-scale life signs detected. Air quality is good. No defensive weaponry..." Valkyrie reported the results while projecting a 3D surface map of Vormir.

Gamora stepped forward, sliding through the images to find the hidden location of the Soul Stone as described on the map. After a moment, she pointed to a specific spot. "The location on the map should be right here!"

Jason focused on the spot, discovering a low mountain peak less than a thousand meters high, showing signs of artificial carving.

"I hope this isn’t a wasted trip," Jason said, putting on his coat and turning to leave.

"Jason, do you want the three fleets to land on Vormir?" Valkyrie followed him.

"No need. Since there are no ground defenses, a fleet wouldn’t serve any purpose. You two come with me," Jason said casually.

"And... General Darth Vader?"

"We don’t know how long this will take. Let him command the . If any outsiders intrude, annihilate them immediately."

"Understood!"

The belly hangar of the slowly opened, and a small scout ship flew out toward Vormir. As the ship neared the mountain, it slowed down and eventually touched down on flat ground near the summit.

The hatch opened, and Jason was the first to step out.

"It’s so gloomy." Jason looked up. A red sun was partially obscured by the planet’s curve, leaving Vormir in a state of twilight, the air unnaturally cold. He took a deep breath and exhaled a cloud of white mist.

"God, this place is freezing!" Valkyrie and Gamora followed him down. The two women were shivering, rubbing their arms for warmth.

Seeing this, Jason raised a hand, releasing an energy shield to protect them. "Is that better?"

The shield didn’t just block attacks; it could convert energy into heat. Both women immediately felt the warmth. "Much better, thanks."

"Then let’s go. We still have a way to go before we reach the summit."

The three of them climbed the artificially carved steps toward the peak. Valkyrie led the way, while Gamora followed behind with her sword drawn, guarding against any surprises.

The path was quiet, but just as they were about to reach the top, a dark figure suddenly materialized in front of them.

"Who goes there!" Valkyrie reacted instantly, unsheathing her Dragonfang.

The figure was draped in a dark cloak, his face hidden, floating in mid-air like a demon greeting death. He opened his hands to the three of them.

"Welcome, Jason... Valkyrie... and Gamora."

"You know us?" Jason patted Valkyrie’s shoulder to signal her to relax, then stepped forward slowly.

As he drew closer, he finally saw the figure’s face. It was a crimson, gaunt, skeletal visage—a face of nightmares. Jason searched his memory but couldn’t place the man. However, if Steve Rogers had been standing there, he would have recognized him instantly. This was the founder of HYDRA, Captain America’s archenemy: Johann Schmidt, the "Red Skull."

Red Skull spoke: "My curse is to know everyone who comes here."

Jason didn’t waste words. "Where is the Soul Stone?"

Red Skull replied, "You should know that obtaining it requires a heavy price."

"I’m prepared."

"We all think we’re prepared... sadly, we are all wrong."

Hearing this, Jason frowned in annoyance. "Stop playing. You couldn’t scare anyone over the age of three. Take me to the Soul Stone now."

"If that is your wish, follow me." Red Skull turned toward the summit, and Jason’s trio followed.

At the summit stood dozens of stone pillars, surrounded by skeletal remains. Valkyrie walked at the front with Red Skull, asking curiously, "You seem to know this place well?" The terrain was complex, yet the figure moved through it as easily as walking down a street.

Red Skull lamented, "In my previous life, I too chased the Infinity Stones. I even held one in my hand. But it rejected me, exiling me here to be a guide. For someone like me, the cruelest punishment is to guide others to the treasure while I can never possess it."

He was referring to his final battle with Steve on the plane. After his defeat, he had grabbed the Tesseract in a desperate attempt to fight back, not realizing the Stone had a will of its own. It deemed him unworthy and teleported him to Vormir, where he had served as the Soul Stone’s guide for over seventy years. One stuck in a frozen glacier, the other on a freezing, lonely planet—the two fated enemies shared a strange similarity.

They reached the edge of the summit. A biting wind blew against them, and beneath their feet was a thousand-meter abyss. Red Skull stopped and turned. "Now you must face not only the treasure you seek but the fear in your hearts."

Seeing strange and ominous patterns carved at the base of the mountain, Jason asked, "What is that?"

Red Skull explained, "The Soul Stone holds a unique status among the Infinity Stones, for it possesses a wisdom of its own. To ensure its possessor understands its power, it requires a sacrifice."

"Sacrifice what?"

Red Skull said hollowly, "To obtain the Soul Stone, you must lose that which you love. A soul for a soul."

At those words, the faces of his two children flashed through Jason’s mind. Young, innocent, adorable...

It was undeniable that Jason was a selfish and brutal man. To achieve his goals, he would sacrifice anyone’s life. Even the brothers or allies who fought and died for him would be cast aside without hesitation. But deep within his cold, stone-like heart, there was one soft spot reserved for those two children. For them, Jason was willing to sacrifice everything, destroy everything, and give up everything...

"Go to hell!"

Jason turned and glared at Red Skull, a massive energy claw snatching the specter’s body and hoisting him into the air.

"Arrgh! Don’t... don’t kill me..."

Jason’s fingers tightened slightly. Red Skull’s bones began to crack and pop; the pain was unbearable.

"Bullshit! You ugly piece of crap, you probably want the Soul Stone for yourself, so you made up this story. Speak! Where is it?"

"No, I’m telling the truth!"

"Still lying at death’s door. No matter, I have ways to make you talk." Jason stared at Red Skull, his pupils instantly turning golden.

A moment later, Red Skull was still wailing in the grip of the energy claw, showing none of the signs of mental control.

"This... how is this possible?" Jason frowned in confusion.

"Gods... you already possess the Mind Stone. Then you should understand that the effects of the Stones can cancel each other out," Red Skull hurried to explain. "The reason I stay here and cannot flee is because I am cursed by the Soul Stone. As long as this curse remains on me, no matter how much you try to control me with the Mind Stone, it won’t work. This is the proof."

Jason stared into his eyes, trying to judge if he was lying. To his disappointment, Red Skull’s gaze and body language were perfectly consistent with the genuine reactions of a person under intense fear and stress.

After a moment of hesitation, Jason suddenly reached out his left hand, and a wave of purple energy enveloped Red Skull. This was the power of the Power Stone. Jason had tested it before; the result could be described in one word: invincible. Unfortunately, the moment the purple energy touched Red Skull’s body, it dissipated into the air.

This bastard was actually telling the truth!

Jason released his grip, looking lost. His heart felt heavy, as if a giant boulder were pressing down on it. Red Skull, having cheated death, immediately scrambled away from the summit.

Jason stood at the edge of the cliff, looking completely defeated. Valkyrie and Gamora looked at each other, feeling a deep ache in their hearts. If sacrificing themselves could help Jason obtain the Stone, they would have gone to their deaths willingly. Unfortunately, they both knew that they were not Jason’s greatest love.

"No! I don’t believe it! The Stones resonate with each other. Even without sacrificing anyone, I will get it!" With that, energy erupted from his body, and he flew out alone.

Jason went without food or water, searching every inch of Vormir for ten days and nights. The result was nothing. He eventually returned to the ship, looking like a hollow shell of himself.

The crew wanted to comfort him but didn’t know how to start. From Valkyrie’s account, they all knew the situation on Vormir. Everyone gathered, pooling their wisdom to find a solution. But after ten days and nights, they couldn’t think of a single method worth trying.

To get the Soul Stone, one had to sacrifice a loved one—that was a certainty. Although Jason couldn’t bear to sacrifice his children, the universe was vast; they could surely find someone willing to do it. Even if they weren’t willing, the Mind Stone could control them.

However, most people were mere mortals with no capacity to wield a Stone. Even if they sacrificed a loved one, they would likely just end up as another skeleton on the mountain. And those with the power to wield a Stone were almost all cold-blooded individuals—selfish and incapable of true love. People like Ronan or Thanos. It seemed like an interlocking deadlock with no way to break it.

In the bath of the captain’s quarters, Jason soaked alone in the water, silently washing himself. He continued the same motion for an unknown amount of time until the bathroom door suddenly opened, pulling him out of his daze.

"Why are you here?" Jason asked curiously.

"Who were you expecting?" Gamora countered.

Jason had expected Valkyrie. "I thought... Never mind. What are you here for?"

"Valkyrie locked herself in her room to think of an idea, so she asked me to check on you." Gamora found two bottles of wine in the room and sat cross-legged by the edge of the bath.

Jason took a bottle, downed more than half in a hearty gulp, and let out a melancholy sigh.

"Don’t sigh. Talk to me." Gamora took a sip.

"Talk about what?"

"Talk about your true love."

"Heh..." Jason laughed bitterly. "What kind of true love would a man like me have? I only love myself."

"I used to think that too, but seeing your reaction that day, I realized I was wrong." Gamora pierced through the lie in one sentence.

"What is this? A woman’s intuition?" Jason felt a bit speechless.

"Think of it however you want. Then let my intuition guess again... your true love... is your children, right?" Gamora said.

Jason was momentarily stunned, then he gave a thumbs up in admiration. "Impressive!"

Gamora smiled. "It wasn’t that hard to guess. I was once the love of my parents too. As long as it was for my sake, they were willing to endure any hardship. Thinking back to my childhood, even though life was tough for the three of us, that was when I was happiest. Until Thanos invaded my home and cruelly slaughtered half the residents, including my parents."

Speaking of her childhood tragedy, Gamora’s face contorted in pain, and she fell silent for a long time. After a while, Jason took the initiative to break the silence.

"Alright, tell me about you and Thanos. Nebula has complained more than once that Thanos practically dotes on you."

"Dotes!" Gamora sneered. "The only reason I survived back then was because he saw my combat talent. He gave me a blade, made Nebula and me train day and night, eventually turning us into cold-blooded killing machines to help him plunder planet after planet. For all these years, my hatred for Thanos has only deepened, and now it is in my very marrow. If I could kill him, I would give up everything!"

"Hmm..."

Listening to Gamora’s account, Jason frowned and pondered for a moment. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and his mood brightened instantly. Like a traveler lost in the desert discovering a pool of water.

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It is completed on pat reon.

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