Chapter 259: The Mission Is Dangerous, and Allen Is Reckless
Aside from the Symbiote Illusion and Frank, everyone else put on oxygen masks.
While Hela could maintain normal bodily functions using divine power, regenerating that power took time.
Moreover, the gods of Asgard only had an endless supply of divine power while in the Realm of the Gods.
In the future, Hela would throw herself into the underworld and become the ruler of death, drawing her divine power from her own territory.
"Boss, what should we do now?"
At this moment, Yondu looked out at the endless wasteland, a confused look in his eyes.
Everyone instinctively turned to Allen. After all, as the team leader, he was the one expected to make decisions.
Allen proposed seriously, "First step—locate the Kryptonian ship."
Of course, that was stating the obvious.
The real problem was how to find the wreckage of the House of El's ship.
"There's a radar scanner on the ship—it can detect alloy materials," Thanos suggested.
From the moment he took on the role of pilot, he'd thoroughly familiarized himself with all the ship's systems so he could handle it with ease.
"Then let's board. Guardians of the Galaxy—move out!"
With that, Allen turned and slipped back inside the ship.
The others were left speechless. So getting off the ship earlier had been pointless?
The ship lifted off again, and the radar scanner spread its sweep in all directions, beginning its search in a set trajectory.
On this planet, there were no Earth-like plants. Instead, there were crystalline tree-like structures.
At the same time, the strange terrain before them was completely unlike that of any typical ecosystem planet.
The universe was vast and full of wonders.
What seemed exotic here was actually quite ordinary among the countless stars. Environments similar to Earth were simply more likely to give rise to highly intelligent life. What humans considered harsh conditions had, over long eons, produced life—and eventually, intelligent species—with natural advantages.
At the very least, their ability to survive was especially strong.
"Found it."
Before long, a signal appeared on the radar screen.
It came from a unique frequency band that reflected off metallic alloys.
To travel at high speeds in space, ships required specially made alloy hulls, which made them easily detectable by radar.
Unless the cloaking system was still operational, they wouldn't escape detection.
The ship quickly headed to the signal's location.
What came into view were several intact ships.
Among them, the one parked in the center bore a prominent "S" emblem—clearly the missing exploration vessel from the House of El.
The rest had various shapes and sizes and were most likely bounty hunter ships abandoned here after failed missions.
As the ship touched down nearby, everyone looked to Allen, awaiting his orders.
"According to classic sci-fi horror logic, splitting up always gets someone killed. So—we move together."
Allen spoke like an expert.
Everyone nodded in agreement. In the face of unknown threats, splitting up was a stupid move.
The first target to search was the exploration ship.
Allen said, "Yondu, bring the camera."
"Boss, the oxygen masks have built-in recording features."
Yondu pointed to two small holes on the sides of his mask, indicating the hidden cameras.
"Of course I knew that. I was just testing you."
Allen kept his cool and refused to admit his oversight, maintaining his stubborn confidence.
Several exasperated looks were exchanged. The team's future seemed bleak.
Thanos was already thinking about bailing—he hadn't wanted to join in the first place.
Uxas was completely unfazed. Hiding within an unreliable team made it easier to conceal his movements.
Yondu, deeply attached to his ship, would follow even the most incompetent leader if it meant protecting it.
The Symbiote Illusion had no say, just tagging along in the background.
Frank was only here to look after a fellow countryman.
Hela didn't care either way—she planned to leave eventually.
They approached the exploration ship.
Knock knock...
"Moshi moshi, anyone home?"
Allen knocked on the hull. "Shopee Express—your discreet package has arrived!"
"No one's home, huh."
He turned to his teammates with a shrug.
Everyone stared at him in disbelief.
The mission log clearly said the ship had lost contact—obviously, something had gone wrong. Why would anyone answer?
"Looks like I'll have to show off a little."
With that, Allen manifested a chainsaw and began cutting an entryway into the hull.
Everyone's faces registered shock.
When Allen finally paused, Yondu couldn't help asking, "Boss, are you a Green Lantern?"
"Ah…"
Allen looked slightly dazed, then said shyly, "No, I'm not."
Huh?
Wait a minute.
Why are you blushing?
"I'm a Creepy Lantern!"
At that moment, Allen's cheeks turned red, and he seemed confused about why he was even embarrassed.
But it wasn't hard to understand.
In the main timeline, Allen had once lent the Creepy Lantern ring to Deadpool—who had hidden it in his underwear.
So every time Allen used it, he couldn't help but remember that awkward proposal scene with Deadpool.
"Let's go, let's go!"
Chainsaw in hand, Allen took the lead into the ship, and the others followed at a steady pace.
In the dark corridor, the green glow of the chainsaw lit their path, revealing broken machinery strewn about.
One-meter-tall security bots had been violently dismantled and tossed aside like junk.
They kept moving, finding no trace of any living creature.
"Can't someone just turn on the lights?"
Allen pressed the raised "S" symbol.
Sure enough, the interior lit up instantly.
"You must leave this planet…"
"Who's there!?"
Thud!
Suddenly, a voice whispered in Allen's ear.
Startled, he kicked at the source of the sound.
Bam!
"My leg's stuck."
His kick landed in empty space, and his entire leg was driven into the wall—up to his thigh.
Allen turned to see a middle-aged man's holographic projection.
It had to be a projection—his leg had passed right through it.
"Who the hell are you?"
Allen growled, "Jumping out and scaring me like that—this isn't gonna end without at least eight million in damages. Haven't you heard? Gotham's number one badass is me."
"..."
The holographic AI explained, "This planet is dangerous. You shouldn't be here. Please leave immediately, or you may bring catastrophe to the galaxy."
"And who the hell are you to boss me around? Pay up first."
Allen tore open the metal wall and yanked out his trapped leg, swaggering like a total delinquent.
"Boss, maybe hear it out before making a decision," Yondu advised.
The presence of a projection-equipped ship meant Kryptonian tech was extremely advanced, and it likely had a solid risk assessment system.
If the AI was urging them to leave so persistently, there had to be a serious danger here.
"Fair point."
Allen flicked his hair and struck a listening pose. "All right, let's hear it. What kind of danger are we talking about?"
"..."