SWNOVELXO Chapter 130: Chapter 130
"Wait! Wait, wait, wait!"
Before the Ravagers could act, Star-Lord yanked the cosmic orb out of his backpack. Perhaps he was too nervous, for he didn't hold it steady and it clattered to the deck, producing a resonant metallic clang. He stammered and picked it up again, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
Yondu watched the scene, a wry smile gracing his blue lips. "The plan for a good first impression is ruined. This Star-Lord element is truly potent!"
Kurohane took the cosmic orb that Yondu handed over. Its surface was rough and far from smooth, clearly untouched. His golden Infinity Gauntlet on his left hand squeezed the orb tightly, but he couldn't crush it at all. "Right, a metal ball that can contain the Power Stone would naturally not have low hardness," he thought, a faint admiration creeping into his mind.
He cleared his throat lightly, covering his brief awkwardness, then Kurohane said, his voice thundering, "The six Infinity Stones emerged at the dawn of the Universe; they represent six existing aspects of the Universe, and are also the most powerful items in the Universe, namely Power, Time, Space, Soul... Mind and Reality."
Saying this, Kurohane displayed his Infinity Gauntlet, letting its golden light shimmer under the ship's dim lights. The two Infinity Stones, one yellow (Mind Stone) and one red (Reality Stone), embedded within, were shown to the Guardians of the Galaxy, a mysterious sheen radiating from their surfaces. "That's right, shock your jaws right off, these are two stones in my gauntlet."
Gulp!
The loudest gulp in the room came from Gamora. As Thanos's daughter, who had sought the Infinity Stones her entire life, she knew full well what these two Infinity Stones represented. She naturally knew about Loki taking the Mind Stone to invade Earth. "So this person named Kurohane must be the one who defeated Loki and the Chitauri army. He even has the Reality Stone in his hand!" Gamora realized, a new tension gripping her.
"Your luck is good, this cosmic orb also contains an Infinity Stone. It represents the most destructive power in the Universe! As long as this stone touches the surface of a planet, the power contained within it can obliterate an entire planet in an instant!" Kurohane continued, his voice calm yet fraught with danger.
Gulp X5!
Only then did all the members of the Guardians of the Galaxy understand how terrifying this object was, even more so than a nuclear bomb. How dangerous Star-Lord's clumsy dropping of it had been just now; it could have easily caused the entire team to be annihilated! "And this Star-Lord even casually kept it in his backpack!"
Star-Lord forcefully controlled his slightly trembling legs, trying hard to appear nonchalant as he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "Boss Kurohane, so now, how should this Power Stone be handled?"
"How should it be handled? It's in my hands, so of course it's mine!" Kurohane thought of Carol Danvers, whom he had trapped in the Mirror Dimension, and his teeth gnashed with hatred! "Now that I have the Power Stone, I'll get my revenge after I settle everything here!"
"What about our reward?" Rocket, the greedy little raccoon, immediately remembered Gamora's words; if they could sell the cosmic orb to the Collector, it would be a huge sum of money! Enough money for him to spend until he died, just lying around!
"I didn't say I planned to buy it from you, did I? I'm confiscating stolen goods. Also, the matter of you five escaping prison has put you on Xandar's most wanted list. If I hand all of you over, I'll have extra income!" Kurohane had indeed never intended to buy it from the start, especially since he currently had no money. "I look like I've become the boss of Yondu and the Collector, but my personal assets are still zero. Even the clothes I wear are sponsored by the Collector!"
Kurohane's rather shameless declaration caused the five members of the Guardians of the Galaxy to fall silent, their eyes wide, processing the information. Handing over the cosmic orb had indeed saved their lives, but after going in a circle, they would return to prison. "One can only say they escaped prison half-dead, only to return as prisoners!"
"Going to prison is fine, but before that, I want revenge on Ronan." Drax, the good guy who had no savings and wore no shirt, didn't care about Kurohane's words at all. His voice was filled with burning resolve. "As long as you let me kill Ronan, I can stay in prison for life!"
Kurohane tossed the cosmic orb up and down, drawing everyone's attention with his casual movements. He looked at all the Guardians of the Galaxy members with his eyes and said: "What about you? Is there anything else you want to say before I send you to prison?"
"Yes!" Star-Lord blurted out, quickly, his mind racing.
Star-Lord's mind was the quickest to react, which was how he survived in the Universe! "Can we not go to prison?" He asked, a thin thread of hope in his voice.
"Yes!" Kurohane was very satisfied with Star-Lord's reaction speed; "Though he's a bit of a Star-Lord, he seems quite clever!"
"I'm not afraid to tell you, your bounty list was issued by Xandar. If you don't want me to send you to prison, then try to obtain an official pardon from Xandar!" Kurohane explained, a faint smirk appearing on his lips.
"You mean, we go kill Ronan?!" Rocket's mind was also quick; he could conceive of this as a way to be pardoned. As long as they could save Xandar, which was in crisis under the shadow of Ronan's ship, they could obtain a pardon. And the simplest way was to go kill the crazy Ronan who started the war!
"How you specifically do it is your business; in consideration of you bringing this cosmic orb, I've already decided to give a little special treatment, Yondu!"
"Ready!" Yondu answered, his voice firm.
"Find them rooms on the ship that are poorly ventilated in the north and south, cold in winter and hot in summer, and don't withhold their food." Kurohane commanded, his tone cunning.
"Yes, Boss!" Yondu grinned, understanding the implication behind the order.
After the Ravagers escorted the Guardians of the Galaxy away at gunpoint, Kurohane tugged Yondu's ear and whispered: "Loosen the guard a bit, find some smart old hands, and make sure Star-Lord's ship is short on fuel and ammunition. Also, put some weapons you like in there, giving you a chance to help them."
"Boss!!!" Yondu truly didn't expect such words to come from Kurohane's mouth. He was just about to declare his loyalty to Kurohane or something, but Kurohane stopped him with a hand.
"Those five are clearly Star-Lord; they'll drag down the average IQ of the organization in the future. Though your original subordinates aren't very bright, they're still much better than those blockheads!" Kurohane quipped, a sly glint in his eye.
Yondu looked at Kurohane, a faint smile etched on his blue face. "I knew it, being moved is unnecessary!"
Although Kurohane heard Yondu's mental complaints, Kurohane had no objection to Yondu's thoughts. He wasn't good at creating characters who suffered greatly and were moved, and his arrangements had reasons from the beginning. "These five Guardians of the Galaxy members are plot triggers; I've already found the location of Planet Ego in Yondu's mind. But Chinese tradition is to have a just cause; what kind of thing is it if you just show up and fight without a word! At the very least, Star-Lord, this Star-Lord, needs to realize who his biological father is!"
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