The inspection process went without any incidents.
Apart from the chubby woman named Carina who frisked Arthur and gave him a pat on the backside when she finished, the whole procedure was quite smooth.
"Hey, I think she likes you!"
Peter was waiting just outside the checkpoint. When he saw Arthur, he threw an arm around his shoulder and said, "Interested in having some 'deep conversation' with a lady of a different skin color?"
"She's your type," Arthur replied expressionlessly, resisting the urge to shoot someone.
"No way, she's too big. She'd crush me."
"…"
Arthur gave Peter a helpless glance before speaking. "If you think she could crush you, wouldn't she do the same to me?"
"You're made of tougher stuff!"
Peter said in a matter-of-factly tone, "Yondu's broken arrow couldn't even pierce your skin!"
Not wanting to continue the conversation, Arthur scowled and ended the discussion.
After passing through the checkpoint, they needed to board a shuttle.
The shuttles came every five minutes. After paying the fare, the two of them blended in with a large crowd of interstellar visitors and boarded a shuttle to the capital of the planet.
—
Bustling yet well-organized streets, towering buildings, suspended trains whizzing overhead, and aliens of various shapes and colors crowding the streets— this was the first scene Arthur saw after stepping out of the shuttle station.
The streets were lined with stalls, divided by yellow lines, with items neatly displayed within their boundaries, creating a series of interesting little grids.
Most of the people on the street had their faces covered as they weaved through the stalls, stopping occasionally to inquire about prices when something caught their eye.
Quietly releasing *The Eye of Horus*, Arthur pushed his ability to its limits and couldn't help but marvel, "Now I understand why this place is called the largest junk market in the nearby star systems! Their entire capital is a trading market!"
Although *The Eye of Horus* couldn't scan the whole city, what he saw was enough to confirm the scope of the market.
"Not bad,"
Peter chuckled as he came up beside Arthur. "To be precise, the entire planet is one giant junk trading market."
"And those towering buildings?" Arthur pointed to the sky-scraping steel structures.
"They are residences, bars, hotels, floating train stations, and so on…"
Peter Quill shrugged as he continued to speak. "The city's streets are filled with all kinds of buyers and sellers. No vehicles can move on the ground. The city is divided into different areas, each selling different types of items. The fastest way to get around is by the floating trains…"
Arthur nodded. His initial research on this planet had focused solely on its military background and defense capabilities.
As for local customs, city management, or shopping guides… he hadn't bothered to check.
"Alright, let's go. It's time for a shopping spree!!"
Peter grinned widely. "We're going to spend every last bit of our money here!!"
Arthur blinked at him and sighed. "You'd better take it easy. The grand will of the universe tends to interfere with me, and it might cause some unexpected events."
"Huh? What's that?"
"It's malice from all over the universe!"
Arthur shrugged.
"That's pretty sad and strange at the same time," Peter sighed.
Arthur suddenly felt the urge to punch him.
—
Only by being in the midst of this city— no, this planet— could one truly appreciate its wonders.
There were buyers and sellers everywhere, and the sound of haggling filled the air.
For Arthur, the most fascinating thing was the odd assortment of beings passing by on the street.
There were some who had towering figures with a height of three meters or more, some had stone-like faces and their bodies covered in rock, wielding primitive weapons. Their cold, emotionless expressions never changed.
Next to them might stand a lifeform resembling a giant toad.
It was as if rocks and toads had somehow come to life, it was a sight that constantly challenged his understanding of the world and the universe.
As he wandered alongside Peter through the market, Arthur kept his eyes open for anything useful.
However, his findings weren't as impressive as he'd hoped…
Just like in an antique market where many items are fakes, this vast trading hub was full of counterfeits too.
For example, not long after they started browsing, Arthur spotted something incredibly familiar— a blue, glowing cube that looked almost too dazzling to be true.
Arthur was momentarily stunned when he saw that. The last image in his mind before crossing over into this universe was of Hulk throwing the Tesseract away.
Could it have somehow ended up in space?
Otherwise, why would he see it here?
But as he expressed interest in the cube, the stall owner casually picked it up bare-handed and began spinning an elaborate story about its origins. Arthur's expression became increasingly exasperated.
When he touched the "Tesseract," his Disassembler system gave a cheeky message:
**"Would you like to disassemble item 'Tesseract (Fake White)'?"**
Arthur promptly turned and walked away, leaving the stall owner shouting after him, claiming that he had just missed out on a chance to become the ruler of the universe.
Suppressing the urge to throw the fake cube at the seller's face, Arthur continued searching for something of value.
After just a few steps, he spotted a familiar-looking stone tablet at another stall.
Bending down to inspect the other items, he casually picked up the stone slab. Instantly, the Disassembler system popped up again:
**"Would you like to disassemble the mystical item 'The Eye of Horus (Purple)'?"**
Arthur's breath nearly caught in his throat.
The *Eye of Horus* had been an invaluable asset, making infiltration tasks incredibly easy.
Having foresight like this was an unbeatable advantage.
He had previously tried to find other versions of *The Eye of Horus*, scouring every old bookstore in New York but finding nothing. Now, here in this far-flung market, he had stumbled upon a stone tablet recording it!
"How much for this?" Arthur asked casually.
The stall owner looked at him, raised three fingers, hesitated, realized he only had three fingers, and then used his other hand to bend one finger, signaling five in total.
Arthur handed over 5 Units.
The stall owner hesitated, then shook his head.
Seeing his hesitation, Arthur was sure the seller didn't fully understand the value of the stone slab. Or if he did, it wasn't of much importance to him.
After a brief moment of consideration, Arthur pulled out another 5 Units. "No more than this— it's just a decorative piece."
The seller pondered for a moment, then nodded.