The Downfall of the Infinity Gauntlet

To obtain a Marvel world artifact, Jos’s wish was neither too difficult nor too simple. In the Marvel universe, there was an endless array of strange and powerful artifacts—many seemed as if they were simply waiting to be picked up on the streets. Yet, apart from a handful of exceptions, most artifacts possessed the ability to recognize their master, much like the cultivation world’s spiritual objects.

The most iconic example was Thor’s hammer, which could not be lifted by anyone it did not acknowledge—a power often summarized as “unliftable.” As for the Infinity Stones, the top-tier artifacts of the cinematic universe, things were even more complicated. On a small scale, each stone acted like a proud, wild soul; only those who could earn their approval and subdue them could wield their power. Otherwise, even if one held a stone, it was nothing more than a rock.

During the Second World War, Loki sent the Tesseract to Earth, but despite Hydra’s extensive research, they never fully understood the box containing the Space Stone—let alone its contents. On a larger scale, Jos had no doubt that if he obtained such a treasure, within ten minutes, the top figures of Earth would come knocking for a conversation, regardless of whether the Holy Grail’s magic could bring it here.

“Hehehe… I can’t aim for the Infinity Stones, but tricking Thanos is absolutely necessary,” Jos mused. After careful consideration, he had made up his mind: in all of Marvel, the most suitable artifact for him—the one that would annoy Thanos after being taken—was that particular item. After meticulously crafting his wording to ensure the Holy Grail would not “misinterpret” his request, Jos finally made his wish.

As the vast, otherworldly magical energy was consumed, a massive object, nearly a third the size of Jos himself, appeared before him. Its dark golden hue, the distinct segmentation of its five fingers, and the five oval inlays on its back all clearly signified its identity.

It was the Infinity Gauntlet (without the stones)!

Although the Infinity Gauntlet was often considered a single entity with the stones, it was, in essence, something entirely different. Yet, whether in the comics or in the films, the gauntlet itself was always treated as a mere accessory—only becoming formidable when filled with the stones, its own existence seemingly inconsequential.

Jos, however, disagreed. As the vessel capable of containing all the Infinity Stones, the gauntlet itself was undoubtedly an artifact.

Taking a step back, the materials used to forge the Infinity Gauntlet must be at least on par with vibranium or adamantium—no, likely even more advanced. Such a treasure, even if Jos couldn’t use it himself, could be handed over to a genius scientist like Tony Stark for study; who knows what breakthroughs might emerge. Whether a new alloy forging method, insight into how to use the stones, or some other unknown scientific advancement, it was certainly worth a try.

Moreover, since Thanos always wore the gauntlet, it was clearly important to him. Regardless of whether he had spares or could forge another, losing it would surely delay his plans. After all, aside from the omnipotent Phoenix, Earth now had powerhouses like the Ancient One; Thanos would never dare rush over for a gauntlet without the stones.

“Still… if this thing ends up being useless, it’s a bit of a headache…” Jos gazed at the massive gauntlet before him, feeling a touch of regret. Thanos was larger than even the transformed Hulk, so the gauntlet was gigantic—Jos could practically wear it as a belt.

[Infinity Gauntlet detected…]

[Would you like the system to assist in transforming the gauntlet’s form?]

“Tsk… How much will it cost?” Jos asked, already suspecting the system was about to scam him out of more points. Still, the opportunity was too good to pass up.

[Transforming the gauntlet’s form: 3,000 points. Extracting all related technologies: 10,000 points.]

“Damn! Trying to trick me into debt again! I just finished paying you off—I won’t do it again!”

Jos had only thirteen points left—whatever he spent, he’d owe. With the system’s interest, he’d end up owing at least fifteen thousand points more.

[Host has demonstrated repayment ability. This loan allows for double the repayment period and a 0.1% reduction in interest.]

“That’s basically no reduction! Were you Scrooge in your past life?!”

Despite his complaints, Jos was tempted. The benefits of transforming the gauntlet were obvious—turning a mere display piece into actual fighting power would be a major upgrade. And if the appearance changed, Thanos wouldn’t recognize it when he came looking, sparing Jos from being hunted.

Extracting the related technology was even more enticing. Jos had originally planned to pass the gauntlet to Tony for research, but if he could directly extract all the technological secrets, he'd save a vast amount of development time—whatever the results, much trouble would be avoided.

“In that case… let’s do it. Extract the related technology and transform the Infinity Gauntlet!”

[Confirmed. Extracting technology…]

[Please select the new form for the Infinity Gauntlet.]

“As for the new form… a weapon is out of the question,” Jos mused. He quickly dismissed the idea of making an Infinity-series weapon. Unlike Thor’s hammer or Captain America’s shield, the gauntlet itself possessed no unique power; even if converted into a weapon, it would be nothing more than a tough, blank piece of equipment. As a defensive item, it would be far more appropriate.

“Let me think… Now that it’s mine, I can’t let anyone steal it. Helmets and shields are too conspicuous; it’s best to make it like the golden cicada vest or the soft hedgehog armor from martial arts novels—something highly concealed.”

As his thoughts coalesced, Jos envisioned a template for a top-tier piece of armor, and he relayed every detail to the system.

With Jos’s instructions, the Infinity Gauntlet melted into a pool of dark golden liquid, then, under the system’s power, reformed into a new shape.

The item took the form of a perfect equilateral triangle, five oval insets arranged in a V-shape across its surface. Though no stones adorned it, Jos could still sense the immense power contained within.

This was a **!

An Infinity **!