Surging shockwaves roiled and tumbled like volatile explosives detonating, triggering thunderous roars of successive blasts.
As if in a chain reaction, deafening explosions echoed without end. After the Power Stone's terrifying might utterly destroyed the life form that touched it, it scattered in all directions like purple fireworks.
Amid the dense radiance, powerful currents of energy shot out like billowing flames, forming a terrifying storm that annihilated all nearby matter.
Taneleer Tivan's meticulously crafted Collection Center was instantly shredded by this raging vortex. The towering Tivan Group building at the heart of Knowhere shook violently, its structure collapsing.
Those who sensed the disturbance turned their gazes to see the structure teetering like a toppling mountain peak, rubble flying, on the verge of total disintegration...
"The hell is going on?!"
Star-Lord, having found cover, finally regained his senses from the blast's aftermath.
He stared wide-eyed at the devastated Collection Center, too shocked to speak. He had never imagined that the Orb, an object worth a four billion bounty, could be such a dangerous weapon.
'And I'd casually carried that damned thing around in my backpack!' he broke out in a cold sweat.
Everything the Collector had shown in those projections wasn't exaggeration... the gem flickering with purple light truly possessed the horrific power to destroy planets.
Seeing the energy storm weaken, the agile Gamora rushed to the research station, only to find the purple gem containing that fearsome energy had vanished, leaving only the silvery metallic shell floating silently, "Dammit! The gem's gone!"
As they frantically searched for the Power Stone, a clamor erupted outside. Powerful winds tore through the air, and thunderous roars echoed over Knowhere. The Kree Empire's Necrocraft fleet had forcibly entered this lawless zone.
"Secure the area. Find the Orb."
At the cold command over the comms, the Necrocraft fleet swarmed in like locusts, unleashing torrents of eerie green flames.
Caught off guard, the Tivan Group's private security was no match for the disciplined Kree fleet. After a few rounds of fierce bombardment, they collapsed in a rout, the engagement turning into a one‑sided slaughter.
Within moments, the Kree Necrocraft fleet seized the spaceport. Mercenaries trying to flee the chaos and space pirates seeking to profit amidst confusion were blasted into brilliant fireworks.
"He's finally here! I've waited so long for this day!" Drax roared with laughter at the sight of the incoming Necrocraft fleet.
The flames of hatred had eroded his sanity; only by truly killing Ronan could he find inner peace.
"You brought Ronan here?!" Star-Lord asked incredulously as he ran out of the Tivan building.
The Orb wasn't in their hands now, yet their most terrifying enemy had come knocking. If captured without a bargaining chip, their fate would be worse than death.
The Nova Corps would at most imprison them, but Ronan the Accuser was a lunatic. His brazen intrusion into Knowhere showed that rules meant nothing to this Kree.
Considering the consequences of falling into Ronan's hands, Star-Lord decisively grabbed Gamora and made a run for it. Team loyalty be damned at a time like this. Besides, Drax was clearly unhinged, a textbook liability...
By the time Kree starfighters landed, Knowhere was in chaos. Panicked crowds ran in all directions, fearing they'd be caught in the crossfire.
A tall man clad in black armor descended, radiating an aura of raw power like a top‑tier cosmic predator, exuding immense oppressive force.
No one dared stand in his way, as if lingering even a second longer would invite immediate death.
"Prepare to die! Ronan the Accuser!" Drax roared excitedly, a dagger in each hand, ready for a life‑and‑death duel with his nemesis.
"You are the one who sent the message?" the Kree Empire's dictatorial Accuser asked.
"My wife and daughter, my people and home… all destroyed by you! Today, we settle this for good!" Drax bellowed, his eyes bloodshot, the flames of hatred blazing within.
"Do you have the Orb?" Ronan ignored the furious roars, cutting straight to the key question.
Drax faltered slightly at the question.
Seeing this, Ronan had his answer. He turned away disdainfully, no longer bothering with him, and dispatched his subordinates to track down the Orb.
He had struck a deal with the infamous mad Titan Thanos: the Orb in exchange for Xandar's destruction. Though he had never met the cosmic warlord directly, Thanos was known to keep his word. That was beyond doubt. Deliver the item, and Xandar was doomed.
"No! You're not leaving today!" Seeing his sworn enemy turn away, Drax charged forward in a rage, daggers slashing wildly.
He had to avenge his dead wife and daughter.
Ronan was a dominant force within the Kree Empire, with formidable personal combat prowess that bred his utterly domineering style. His reckless invasion of the Collector's domain, Knowhere, spoke volumes.
The Kree Accuser didn't consider Drax a threat. Watching the muscular man charge like a rampaging beast, he smirked contemptuously.
He casually parried the attack with one hand, then clenched his other fist and slammed it into the fool's chest with brutal force, like a thundering train collision.
*Thud!*
With a muffled impact, the dual-dagger-wielding Destroyer crashed heavily into a metal panel, his body feeling like it had come apart, unable to move even a finger.
Drax, who had once dominated the Kyln and earned the title 'Destroyer', was utterly helpless against the Kree Accuser.
Ronan strode up to him, eyes cold, and gripped Drax's throat with one hand. This man might be physically strong and incredibly powerful, but his combat skills were crude, with no control over his power.
"I don't recall killing your family, and I probably won't remember killing you either." Ronan said indifferently, then casually tossed Drax into a chemical vat, sending splashes of murky yellow spinal fluid flying.
"Pathetic insect." With a cold sneer, he turned to leave, but a flicker of purple light caught his attention.
On the desolate street reduced to ruins, a tall, straight‑backed man emerged calmly from the billowing dust, his steps steady, his demeanor composed.
Ronan's pupils constricted sharply as he spotted the object in the figure's palm surging with a dazzling light, a terrifying aura slowly gathering.
"You're looking for the Orb?" Sean asked softly, his gaze meeting Ronan's calmly, showing no fear of the other's ferocious stare.