In the dark Universe, a giant skull floated silently—it was the remains of a Celestial, its long-decayed cranium transformed into the most notorious black market in the Milky Way Galaxy: the Land of Nihility.
Its scale was comparable to a small Planet, and eerie purple light flickered in its hollow eye sockets, as if still gazing into the abyss of the Universe. The surface of the skull was covered with metal structures and docking platforms, and countless spaceships buzzed around it like flies, coming and going.
Golden liquid seeped from the cracks in the broken bones—one of the rarest resources in the Universe, Celestial marrow, which The Collector acquired at an exorbitant price.
"Whoa…" Star-Lord leaned against the viewport and whistled, "Looking at this thing gives me the creeps."
Rocket stood on the control panel, his paws excitedly patting the navigator: "Welcome to the most lawless place in the Milky Way Galaxy! Criminals, smugglers, mercenaries, lunatics—all the villains in the Universe love to come here to fence their goods!" He bared his sharp teeth, "Here, if you can afford the price, you can even buy a Nova Corps warship!"
Gamora stared coldly at the skull: "As soon as the Cosmic Orb appears here, Ronan will know immediately."
Drax suddenly slapped the table and laughed, "Excellent! It saves us the trouble of finding Ronan!"
Groot tilted his head, "I am Groot?" (Meaning: Are we really going in?)
Star-Lord put on his helmet, a roguish smile playing on his lips: "Of course we're going in, guys—four million is waiting for us!"
Rocket was already impatiently adjusting the course: "Buckle up, you bastards! Let's go meet that perverted Collector!"
The Milano slowly descended onto the chaotic D-section landing pad of the Land of Nihility, the rusted metal platform groaning under the spaceship's weight. Star-Lord had just stepped out of the hatch when he stepped into a puddle of suspicious green slime, and white corrosive smoke immediately rose from the sole of his boot.
"Damn it! This place is disgusting!" He cursed, shaking his foot, and casually pulled out the Orb, tossing it in his palm. The purple light drew an eerie arc in the dim landing pad, immediately attracting over a dozen greedy gazes.
Rocket jumped onto Groot's shoulder, his paw pointing to the spire in the center of the skull city, which glowed with colorful neon lights: "The Collector's lair is over there! But…" His ears suddenly perked up, and three energy guns simultaneously extended from the shadows.
Three Xandarian natives blocked the passage, their scales glowing with a sickly yellow hue. "We heard you have something valuable?" The leader hissed with a forked tongue, "Hand it over, and we'll leave your bodies intact."
The moment Gamora's twin blades were unsheathed, Drax had already knocked two people flying. Star-Lord casually whistled, his elemental gun accurately hitting the third bandit's crotch. "The forty-seventh cosmic law—" He raised his index finger amidst the other party's screams, "Don't block a handsome guy carrying a Cosmic Orb."
This sentence spread like wildfire. As they passed through the black market, whispers came from every dark corner: "It's that four-million-credit orb…" "Ronan's bounty…" A half-cyborg suddenly lunged, its mechanical eye frantically focusing on Star-Lord's pocket: "Let me see!" Rocket blasted its head off with a cannon, and the fragments knocked over three aliens from who-knows-what-Planet.
"You two idiots!" Gamora dragged Star-Lord into an alley, her blade at his throat, "Now the whole Universe knows what we're carrying!" From outside the wall came the sound of dense footsteps; at least twenty armed individuals were gathering.
Groot suddenly extended his branches to block the alley entrance: "I am Groot!" (Hurry up!)
As the group rushed towards a secluded path, a blue-skinned person, completely covered in a robe, tapped a few times on a tablet on his wrist.
In the narrow alley, Star-Lord and his group were chased and fled in disarray. Rocket's gunfire blasted smoking holes in the walls, and Gamora's twin blades drew deadly arcs in the dim light. Drax charged like an angry bull, directly ramming several pursuers into a roadside garbage heap.
"Left! There's a ventilation duct on the left!" Star-Lord shouted, sliding into the metal pipe. The others followed closely, and Groot sealed the entrance with his branches, temporarily blocking the pursuers.
They crawled through the complex pipes for ten minutes, finally falling out of an exhaust vent onto the plaza in front of The Collector's tower. Star-Lord scrambled to his feet, covered in dust, still clutching the glowing purple Cosmic Orb.
"Damn it, we're here!" He panted, pointing to the strange, neon-lit building in front of them, "Quick! Let's sell this trouble to The Collector and then run!"
Outside The Collector's residence, a red-skinned, twin-tailed alien receptionist stood before the carved main door. She wore a well-tailored uniform and a standard professional smile, but her amber vertical pupils revealed a struggle.
"Welcome to the collection of His Excellency Taneleer Tivan." Her voice was as pleasant as synthesized music but devoid of emotion, "My Master has been waiting for a long time; please follow me."
Star-Lord warily eyed the eerie receptionist, and Rocket's paw had already quietly rested on the trigger. The shouts of the pursuers in the distance grew closer, and the sound of chaotic footsteps echoed on the metal ground.
"Decide quickly, idiots!" Gamora whispered, "Either go in with her, or stay and fight those lunatics!"
The twin-tailed receptionist seemed not to hear their quarrel, maintaining her perfectly curved smile. She mechanically turned, and the grand door slid open silently before her, revealing a dazzling corridor inside.
"Please." She made a standard gesture, "My Master is… very much looking forward to the item in your hand."
Star-Lord gritted his teeth, clutched the Cosmic Orb, and strode forward: "Lead the way, beautiful. But let me warn you, if anything seems off, don't blame me for tearing down The Collector's house." After speaking, he glared back at his companions, "No one is allowed to touch anything in the display cases!"
— — — —
Inside the jump channel
Brilliant energy streams rapidly swept past outside the transparent cabin wall, changing colors like a kaleidoscope. Chen Tian was languidly slumped in the sofa, rotating the Azure Rose in his hand, playing with it like a magic trick.
"Wow—" Kiana's entire face was pressed against the observation window, her ice-blue eyes reflecting the dazzling light of the jump channel, "This is way cooler than the simulation training at HQ!" She excitedly turned, "Commander, can we often travel through galaxies like this?"
Saitama sat cross-legged to the side, his eyes sparkling: "I heard there are many strong people in the Land of Nihility?" He clenched his fist, his bald head reflecting the colorful light of the jump channel, "I wonder if they can withstand one punch from me."
Bayonetta walked over with a cat-like stride, a glass of bubbling purple drink clasped between her slender fingertips. She handed the glass to Chen Tian, then straddled his lap, her red lips close to his ear: "My Lord, we will soon arrive at the Land of Nihility."
Chen Tian took the drink and took a sip, his eyes narrowing in satisfaction: "It tastes good, where did you get it?"
"Nova Prime prepared a lot of supplies~" Bayonetta winked slyly, her red lips pressing a light kiss on Chen Tian's cheek, "So… My Lord, what is our combat strategy this time?"
"Strategy?" Chen Tian looked up with a blank expression, "What strategy?" As he spoke, he gave a mischievous smile, "This isn't Blue Star, fight freely, I'm really looking forward to seeing the demons you summon."
Bayonetta chuckled at his words, "Oh, since My Lord says so… then I won't hold back~"
Kiana put her hands on her hips, her cheeks puffed out as she looked at Bayonetta, "Bayonetta! Don't seduce the Commander!"
Bayonetta covered her mouth, laughing as she stood up, and extended a finger to lift Kiana's chin, "Our little kitten is jealous."
Kiana's face flushed slightly, "I am not! It's just that you're too… explicit with the Commander!"
Saitama suddenly interjected: "Um… what exactly are we going to do?" He scratched his bald head, "I think I only understood the part about fighting…"
Chen Tian stood up and stretched his neck: "Saitama is right." A hint of cunning flashed in his eyes, "We just fight, as for the Cosmic Orb? That's secondary."
"Huh? Isn't that robbery?" Kiana tilted her head.
Bayonetta chuckled softly, correcting her: "My dear, this is called 'strategic resource redistribution'~"
Just then, the spaceship AI's mechanical female voice sounded: "Exiting jump, destination: Land of Nihility. Countdown: 5, 4, 3…"
Chen Tian walked to the observation window, a smile playing on his lips: "Get ready for a big show, everyone."
Outside the cabin, the massive Celestial skull was already close at hand, eerie purple light flickering in its hollow eye sockets, as if watching the arrival of these uninvited guests.
— — — — — —
Inside The Collector's display hall, a purple energy halo slowly flowed in the air. The Collector, Taneleer Tivan, used a mechanical claw to extract the Power Stone from the Cosmic Orb.
"How beautiful," The Collector exclaimed.
Star-Lord and the others clearly felt the energy 波動 from the stone, and their hearts were somewhat unnerved.
Star-Lord stared at the purple stone, his Adam's apple bobbing: "Four million… for such a small thing?"
"Small thing?" The Collector scoffed, "Peter Quill, this small thing, if used properly, can destroy a Planet."
As he spoke, he waved his hand, and a holographic projection appeared between them. On it was a giant in heavy armor holding a scepter, with the Power Stone embedded at the top of the scepter. He slammed the scepter onto the ground, and the entire Planet disintegrated in an infinite purple light.
The disintegrating scene changed again, and six gems of different colors rotated in the star river.
"Gentlemen, behold," The Collector's voice trembled slightly with excitement, "This is the purest form of power in the Universe."
Star-Lord stared at the image of the Planet disintegrating in purple light in the holographic projection, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.
"This… this thing is worth four million?" He gave a dry laugh, his voice trembling slightly, "It looks more like it's worth four million lives…"
"Now you understand?" She said coldly, "This is why Thanos is so obsessed with this 'little broken orb'."
The Collector, Taneleer Tivan, let out a nervous chuckle, and with a wave of his hand, the holographic projection dissipated into the air. He turned and gestured to the red-skinned maid: "Carina, transfer the money to them."
The maid nodded mechanically. She operated the holographic interface floating in the air, and a few seconds later—
"Ding!" Rocket's small tablet on his wrist emitted a crisp notification sound. He looked down, his eyes instantly widening: "Whoa! Five million, an extra million!"
The Collector smiled and said, "The extra million is to thank you for your hard work."
"Hahaha, as expected of the big boss of the Land of Nihility! So generous!" Rocket laughed loudly.
As he spoke, he jumped onto Groot's shoulder, his tail wagging excitedly, "Let's go, let's go! We've got the money! Let's get out of this cursed place immediately! This thing is too dangerous!"
Star-Lord stared at the dazzling string of numbers on his account balance, his eyes wide, the shock from earlier instantly replaced by ecstasy.
"Five... five million?!" He pinched himself hard. "Am I dreaming? Each of us gets a million! That's two hundred thousand more than planned!"
Drax scratched his bald head in confusion: "So how many knives can we buy now?"
"Enough for you to open a weapon museum, big guy!" Star-Lord clapped Drax on the shoulder, then turned to The Collector and gave him a thumbs up. "Generous, boss! I'll come to you next time I have good merchandise!"
Gamora, with a cold expression, grabbed Star-Lord's collar: "Idiot, let's get out of here first." She glanced warily at the Power Stone, which had been returned to the Cosmic Orb in the display case. "Our actions outside must have attracted Ronan!"
"Ronan? Where is he? I'll kill him!" Drax roared again, veins bulging on his muscular body.
"Right, right, hurry, hurry!" Star-Lord snapped out of his daze, pushing his companions towards the exit. "Before anyone finds out we have five million—"
Just as Star-Lord and the others stepped out of The Collector's mansion, the entire Land of Nihility suddenly trembled violently. A deafening explosion echoed from the Celestials' skull dome, and fragments rained down.
"What the hell—" Before Star-Lord could finish, several Kree Empire-painted spacecraft roared through a massive 裂口, with the Dark Aster hovering outside the 裂口 like a monstrous space Beast, its dark armor covered in religious-style reliefs.
"It's Ronan's flagship!" Gamora's twin blades instantly unsheathed. The 炮口 at the bottom of the Dark Aster glowed with dangerous red light. The next second, dozens of energy beams poured down like a storm, and the surrounding buildings collapsed in explosions, metal fragments and body parts splattering everywhere.
Rocket rolled behind Groot: "Damn it! This guy even skipped the negotiation part!"
Drax's muscles bulged, and veins were clearly visible on his bald head. He violently pulled out the daggers from his sides and hammered his chest, which was covered in revenge totems: "Ronan!!!" His roar even drowned out the explosions. "Come out and face me!"
The Commander ship that flew into the Land of Nihility slowly descended into the area cleared by artillery fire, raising a cloud of dust as its bottom hatch opened. A team of fully armed Kree soldiers marched out, and the last to appear was Ronan himself.
He walked slowly down the gangway, holding his universal war hammer. His blue skin looked particularly sinister in the firelight of the explosions. He was clad in the black battle armor of the Kree Empire's Supreme Accuser, and the Kree battle markings painted in black on his face made his countenance appear exceptionally fierce.
"Cosmic Orb." Ronan's voice was like metal scraping. "Where is it?"
Star-Lord subconsciously lowered his voice: "Rocket, do you still have that plasma bomb?"
"I do..." Rocket grimaced as he pulled a glowing red orb from his backpack. "But this much won't even blast off the coating of his armor!"
The door to The Collector's mansion suddenly closed behind them, making a heavy metallic clang. Gamora quickly looked around: "There's an underground passage on the east side, I'll count to three—"
"None of you are leaving." Ronan raised his war hammer and walked towards them. "Especially you, Thanos's daughter." He stared at Gamora. "My Lord Thanos specifically instructed me to bring you back... intact."
Ronan's war hammer slammed heavily onto the ground, and a purple Impact wave spread out in a fan shape. Groot immediately extended his branches to form a shield, but it was blasted into splinters the moment it touched the Impact wave. "I am Groot!" (Run!)
The entire black market was already in chaos, with alien vendors screaming and fleeing in all directions. Rocket seized the opportunity to throw the plasma bomb at the Kree soldiers' formation, and the explosion's flash temporarily obscured their vision.
"Now!" Gamora dodged an energy beam with a side roll. "Run to the east!"
Star-Lord and the others were all preparing to flee as Gamora instructed, but Drax suddenly let out a Beast-like roar, his eyes bloodshot: "Ronan!!!" He violently swung his daggers and charged at Ronan. "Pay for my wife and daughter!"
"Drax! No!" Gamora cried out in alarm, but it was too late.
Ronan's lips curved into a cruel sneer. With a swing of his universal war hammer, he accurately struck Drax's chest. The Avenger flew backward like a broken kite, crashing heavily into a metal remnants wall twenty meters away, creating a deep human-shaped indentation.
"Foolish." Ronan retrieved his war hammer, his cold gaze sweeping over the remaining Guardians of the Galaxy. "Since you refuse to cooperate, then—"
"My Lord Ronan!" The Dark Aster's communication officer's urgent voice suddenly came from Ronan's communicator. "We detected—"
The communication was interrupted by a deafening explosion. Ronan suddenly looked up, and Star-Lord and the others subconsciously followed his gaze—
The Dark Aster flagship, suspended outside the 裂口 of the Land of Nihility, suddenly trembled violently, an invisible Impact wave having already pierced through the entire warship.
With a deafening bang, this most powerful War Machine of the Kree Empire tore into countless pieces as if made of paper.
The thick armor plates twisted and deformed, engine compartments exploded one after another, and the entire warship turned into countless burning metal fragments in less than a second, scattering in space. These remnants continuously collided and exploded, forming a burning metal cloud outside the dome of the Land of Nihility.
"What the hell..." Star-Lord's eyes widened.
"No!" Ronan let out an angry roar, slamming his war hammer heavily onto the ground, making the entire ground tremble.
— — — —
Just as everyone was still immersed in the shock of the Dark Aster's explosion, a soft chuckle suddenly came from the shadows at the top of The Collector's mansion.
Star-Lord suddenly looked up, his pupils contracting sharply—he saw a man in a black trench coat, with his hands in his pockets, a mocking, half-smile on his face.
"Damn it!" Rocket's fur bristled. "When did this guy—"
Gamora's eyes widened, her pupils dilated. She knew this man, Thanos's biggest headache at the moment—Chen Tian.
Above the Commander ship behind Ronan, the sound of high heels gently tapping metal was heard. Everyone turned and saw a black-haired woman wearing glasses sitting on top. Her long legs were crossed, one high heel gently swaying in the air, and one hand held a pistol, touching her red lips.
"This..." Ronan frowned deeply, he had never seen anyone approach him so silently.
Kiana stood beside Chen Tian, hands on her hips, deliberately raising her chin: "Hmph! Is this the legendary Kree Empire Accuser? He doesn't look like much!"
The ground suddenly exploded into a deep pit, and from the dust, Saitama stood up, scratching his bald head: "Huh? Is that it? That warship looked so powerful, how could it not even withstand one punch from me?"
Star-Lord's eyes widened, and he pointed at Kiana, shouting: "Ah! It's that little girl from Xandar! You were the one who got us caught by the Nova Corps last time!"
Kiana wrinkled her small nose at Star-Lord, hands on her hips, and shouted: "You Universe fugitive! This time I'm going to bring you back!"
Ronan's gaze, however, was fixed on Chen Tian. He could feel that this man, lazily standing at the edge of the rooftop, was the core of these uninvited guests. He tightened his grip on the war hammer, his voice low: "Who are you?"
Chen Tian chuckled softly, gracefully leaping down from the rooftop. "Didn't Thanos tell you?" He tilted his head. "It seems your standing in Thanos's heart is nothing more than that."
With that, he snapped his fingers and said to his team: "Let's take care of the cannon fodder first."
Bayonetta smiled charmingly and pushed up her glasses: "As you command, My Lord~" Her figure instantly transformed into countless black butterflies and dissipated into the air. The next second, the screams of Kree soldiers rose and fell.
Saitama scratched the back of his head, looking around with a hint of disappointment: "Alright... even though cannon fodder isn't very interesting..." Before he finished speaking, his figure had already appeared tens of meters away, and a Kree soldier, without even time to react, turned into a pile of minced meat in the air.
Kiana excitedly wanted to rush out, but Chen Tian grabbed her wrist. She turned back displeased: "Commander!"
Chen Tian had a faint smile on his lips: "You and I will go together." His gaze turned to Ronan. "This Accuser My Lord seems quite displeased with our appearance."
Ronan's face was terrifyingly grim. He raised his war hammer and pointed it at Chen Tian: "No matter who you are, if you dare to interfere in my affairs, there is only one path—death!"
The war hammer erupted in dazzling purple light, and an energy wave shot straight towards Chen Tian. Kiana instinctively tried to shield Chen Tian, but she saw Chen Tian simply raise his hand, and the energy wave, as if hitting an invisible wall, exploded with a roar about a meter away from them, the air current lifting the corner of Chen Tian's coat.
"That's it?" Chen Tian raised an eyebrow. "Are Thanos's subordinates all this weak?"
Ronan's pupils contracted sharply. He had never seen anyone block his attack so effortlessly.
What shocked him even more was that in just a few short seconds, most of his elite soldiers had fallen—the woman with glasses moved through the battlefield like a dance, each appearance accompanied by the fall of a soldier.
And the bald man was even more terrifying; he was like he was taking a stroll, and with a casual wave of his hand, soldiers were beaten into a pulp.
Star-Lord and the others were completely dumbfounded. Rocket mechanically counted the fallen Kree soldiers: "Seventeen, eighteen... Damn it, what are these guys anyway?"
Gamora stared intently at Chen Tian, muttering: "He's the one Thanos has been looking for recently... Chen Tian."
Just then, Bayonetta's figure suddenly appeared behind Ronan, her pistol pressed against his back: "Accuser My Lord~" She whispered in his ear, "Would you like to... dance with me?"
Ronan roared and swept his war hammer backward, but only scattered a cloud of black butterflies. Bayonetta had already gracefully landed to the side, blowing a kiss gesture at Ronan.
Kiana stomped her foot in frustration: "Bayonetta! Can't you not be so~~"
Chen Tian ruffled her hair: "Don't rush, your opponent is over there." He pointed at Star-Lord, who was trying to sneak away.
Kiana's eyes lit up: "Ah! Almost let you get away!" She darted forward.
Star-Lord yelped: "Wait! We can talk!" and turned to run.
Chen Tian then redirected his gaze to Ronan, the smile on his face gradually fading: "Now, it's our turn."
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)