Marvel: Empire of Power-Chapter 162 - 160: A Galaxy Awakened, the Titan’s Silence, and the Sorcerer Supreme’s Gaze

The aftermath of Ronan the Accuser's defeat at Xandar, and the temporary "containment" of the Power Stone by the Nova Corps, sent shockwaves across the known galaxy. Warlord Kryll of the Skrulls, while publicly feigning disinterest, privately conveyed his grudging admiration (and increased wariness) to "Thorne Ascendancy," his messages to Elias now tinged with a respect bordering on fear. The Kree Empire, reeling from two catastrophic fleet defeats (Varr-Gohl's Purifiers and Ronan's renegades), retreated into a period of bitter internal strife and re-evaluation, their immediate threat to Earth significantly diminished, though their long-term desire for vengeance undoubtedly festered.

For Elias Thorne, this period, roughly from late 2015 through to the cusp of 2018, was one of profound, if covert, consolidation and preparation for the true cosmic endgame he knew was coming: the inevitable return of Thanos, now undoubtedly aware that Earth was not just a primitive world, but a wellspring of potent Infinity Stone activity and unorthodox, formidable defenders. Elias's [Prime Essence Shard Reserve] stood at a formidable [5.7/???]. The choice again loomed: another, deeper personal Apotheosis, or further evolution of his True Legionnaire cohorts into something that could genuinely contest cosmic entities.

He chose a hybrid path, a testament to his evolving System mastery and his long-term vision.

First, he authorized [PROJECT AEGIS PRIME – LEGIONNAIRE TIER 4 UPLIFT]. This would consume [3.0 Shards (Reserve: 2.7)] and vast System energy, but it would elevate his entire current cohort of ten active True Legionnaires (Marcus "Nox," David "Technopath," Dubois "Inferno," Macgregor "Phantom," Miller "Argent," Elena "Scythe," Hiro "Ronin," Zara "Bastion," Klaus "Jaeger," Akachi "Nova," plus Lexicon "Vex" already cosmic tier) to a stable [Tier 4 Prime – "Star Sentinel" Hybrid] status, building upon the earlier "Stellar Sentinel" prototype template. This wasn't just a power boost; it was a fundamental re-engineering, integrating refined Kree/Skrull/Chitauri technology directly into their bio-organic armor (which could now seamlessly shift from terrestrial combat forms to fully vacuum-sealed, FTL-micro-jump capable exo-suits), granting them enhanced cosmic energy manipulation, psionic resilience that could withstand even minor Infinity Stone emanations, and a direct, networked tactical link to Elias's Sanctum Umbra AI and each other. They became true interstellar demigods, extensions of his will across the void. The other ten Legionnaires would be brought up to this standard as Shards became available.

Second, he initiated [HOST AUGMENTATION (MK.V) – "COSMIC NEXUS ATTUNEMENT"]. This utilized the remaining [2.5 Shards (Reserve: 0.2)] and a harrowing, week-long deep immersion in the System Core, this time specifically focusing his will on attuning himself to the "Nexus of Worlds" energies Dr. Finch had identified. He didn't seek to control these dimensional gateways (not yet), but to perceive them, to understand their ebb and flow, to potentially draw upon their unique energies, or even, if necessary, to seal them against unwanted intrusions. The process left him with an even more profound understanding of Earth's hidden esoteric architecture and a chilling awareness of the entities that slumbered or clawed at the dimensional veils. His ability to manipulate localized spacetime was no longer "vestigial"; it was now a [Tier Gamma "Reality Anchor/Warp (Localized)"] ability, allowing him to create temporary pocket dimensions for his operatives, subtly distort enemy FTL jumps near his assets, or even "anchor" an area against dimensional incursions. His [System Core Harmonization] also reached a new level, allowing for near-instantaneous energy regeneration and an almost passive, global sensory awareness via the System's tendrils. He was becoming less a user of the System, and more its living, breathing heart.

Earth's overt superhuman landscape continued its chaotic evolution:

The Avengers: Officially disbanded after the "Age of Ultron" and the Sokovia Accords debacle (which Elias had subtly influenced to ensure maximum global discord and a fractured hero community), its core members were now operating largely independently or in smaller, ideologically opposed factions. Tony Stark, driven by guilt and a terrifying vision of a future alien invasion (a vision perhaps subtly amplified by the Mind Stone's residual influence during his Ultron experiments, or even by Elias's long-range psionic nudges), was pouring his genius into global defense initiatives and increasingly advanced Iron Man armors. Steve Rogers, Captain America, now a true fugitive from the Accords, led his "Secret Avengers" (including Black Widow, Falcon, and a now hesitant, conflicted Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, whose reality-warping chaos magic was a power source Elias and Finch watched with extreme interest and trepidation), fighting injustice in the shadows, often clashing with official government forces. The Hulk remained a global wildcard. Thor, after dealing with Loki and securing the Tesseract on Asgard, had largely vanished into cosmic concerns, though his bond with Jane Foster (whom Elias discreetly ensured remained "safe" and well-funded for her astrophysical research) provided a potential future leverage point.S.H.I.E.L.D. & its Successors: Officially dismantled, but its tendrils remained. Nick Fury operated from the deepest shadows, trying to rebuild a network loyal only to him. Peggy Carter, heartbroken by Rogers' fugitive status and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s moral collapse, had retreated from overt operations, but her network of loyal wartime agents and her "Mr. Blanchard" contacts still provided her (and thus Elias) with crucial intelligence. Various governments scrambled to create their own superhuman response teams, often with disastrous, poorly controlled results, creating more minor Shard-harvesting opportunities for Elias's assets.Mutantkind: The uneasy truce between Xavier's X-Men (who were now a global, if still largely covert, mutant rescue and defense force, their numbers swelled by young recruits from around the world, including a volatile but immensely powerful young telekinetic named Jean Grey, whose Phoenix potential was a constant, terrifying thrum in Elias's psionic senses) and Magneto's more militant Brotherhood (who advocated for a mutant nation, perhaps Genosha reborn, but were wary of another direct confrontation after Apocalypse) largely held, mostly due to their shared fear of a far greater common enemy they both sensed was coming: Thanos, and the forces that would follow him. Both Xavier and Magneto had, on separate, incredibly discreet occasions, sought counsel from "Mr. Blanchard," recognizing him as an enigmatic but undeniably powerful player who understood the true cosmic stakes. Elias offered them both the same chilling, pragmatic advice: "Prepare your people. The true war is not between mutant and human. It is between life and cosmic nihilism. Choose your banners wisely."

Elias's own Prime Conduits were now positioned for the ultimate confrontation:

Logan (Berserker Ascendant): His senses now so acute he could "smell" dimensional disturbances and incipient cosmic threats, he became Elias's planetary early warning system, often deployed with Miller "Argent" (whose Legionnaire powers had stabilized into a formidable cryo-kinetic/regenerative hybrid) to investigate and neutralize pre-emptive incursions.Namor (King of Atlantis, Lord of Oceans): His "Planetary Defense Concord" with Elias was absolute. Atlantean deep-sea sensor nets, augmented with Thorne-tech, monitored the entire Sol system for FTL signatures. His Royal Guard was on permanent wartime footing, ready to engage any Kree or Thanos-aligned forces that dared enter Earth's oceans. He and Elias even began collaborative research into using Element X to power ancient Atlantean "Tidal Forge" weapons – city-sized hydrokinetic cannons.Bucky "Wraith" Barnes & Anya Petrova: Were Elias's terrestrial puppet masters. Wraith's Spectre Cell systematically dismantled any organization – governmental, corporate, or superhuman – that threatened Elias's "New World Order Protocol" or accumulated too much independent power. Anya, from her Geneva nexus, managed Elias's vast global intelligence network, her influence reaching into every capital, every boardroom, every hidden superhuman enclave, subtly shaping policy, fomenting useful discord, and ensuring "Mr. Blanchard's" hand remained unseen but ever-present.Nox & Vex (Klyntar Legionnaire Primes): Were Elias's cosmic scalpel and shield. They spent increasing amounts of time aboard the Nightfall III (now a true interstellar exploration and combat vessel, captained by O'Malley), patrolling the outer Sol system, engaging Kree remnants, disrupting Skrull reconnaissance efforts (Kryll's "alliance" was, as expected, purely opportunistic), and investigating anomalous cosmic phenomena Finch detected, particularly those related to the "Nexus of Worlds" or whispers of other Infinity Stones.

Then, a new, profoundly disturbing piece of intelligence reached Elias, not from his own network, not from Namor or Kryll, but from a source he had long monitored but never directly engaged: The Ancient One, Sorcerer Supreme of Earth, operating from the hidden sanctuary of Kamar-Taj.

For centuries, the Masters of the Mystic Arts had guarded Earth against extradimensional threats, magical incursions, and beings like Dormammu from the Dark Dimension. The Ancient One, an immortal human who had achieved unparalleled mastery of mystical energies, had largely remained aloof from terrestrial superhuman conflicts, seeing them as... fleeting, childish squabbles compared to the true cosmic horrors she faced daily.

But now, her most trusted disciple, a brilliant but arrogant former neurosurgeon named Dr. Stephen Strange (whom Elias's System had flagged years ago as a [POTENTIAL PRIME CONDUIT – MYSTICAL/DIMENSIONAL ARTS – HIGH LATENCY] after a career-ending accident), had stumbled upon knowledge of the Infinity Stones and, more alarmingly, upon evidence of Thanos's active pursuit of them. Strange, in his desperation to understand and counter this threat, had inadvertently breached Kamar-Taj's most sacred wards, revealing his discoveries to the Ancient One.

The Ancient One, knowing her own time was drawing to a close (a fate she had long foreseen), and recognizing the unprecedented scale of the threat Thanos represented, did something she had never done before: she reached out. Not to S.H.I.E.L.D., not to the Avengers, not even to Asgard. But to the one being on Earth whose power, whose reach, whose cold, pragmatic understanding of cosmic stakes, might just rival her own: Elias Thorne.

Her message, delivered via a shimmering, rune-etched astral projection that bypassed all of Elias's technological and psionic defenses and appeared directly before him in his Sanctum Umbra, was simple, and terrifying.

"Lord of Shadows, System-Wielder," the Ancient One's voice was timeless, ageless, echoing with the wisdom of countless dimensions. "The Mad Titan Thanos gathers the Six. He seeks to rewrite reality with a snap of his fingers. You have interfered with his designs. You have acquired... trinkets of power. But you do not comprehend the full scope of his ambition, nor the true nature of the Gauntlet he seeks to complete. I have guarded one of its keys, the Eye of Agamotto, the Time Stone, for centuries. My watch is ending. Another must bear its burden. Or all timelines, all realities, will burn."

She paused, her spectral gaze piercing Elias. "Are you prepared, Thorne Ascendancy, to face not just the shadows of your own world, but the infinite, consuming darkness of a universe where such power can even exist? For the true game has just begun. And the Infinity Gauntlet... it beckons."

Elias Thorne, True Prime Conduit, Lord of a hidden global empire, commander of demigods and monsters, looked into the spectral eyes of Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. He had [0.2 Prime Essence Shards] left from Strucker's defeat, having recently used his modest surplus on a minor, critical upgrade to his Legionnaires' FTL jump stabilizers for rapid global response. But this... this was beyond Shards, beyond System empowerments. This was a call to a war for all of creation.

He thought of his Legion. He thought of Logan. He thought of Namor. He thought of Anya, Finch, Thomas. He thought of Earth, his Earth, the world he had so ruthlessly, so patiently, remade in his image.

A slow, cold smile touched his lips. "Tell me more, Ancient One," he said. "Tell me about this... Gauntlet."

The final act was about to begin.