At this moment.
Upon hearing Syd's explanation, both Star-Lord and the others were stunned and bewildered.
"What's with this talk of the universe before? Are you kidding me? Who would believe that?" Star-Lord scoffed.
"I think he's just messing with us," Rocket Raccoon agreed.
"Destroy an entire civilization with this tiny thing?" Rocket didn't believe it at all.
Not just Rocket, but also Star-Lord and the others found it hard to believe. It seemed too far-fetched—how could something so small be capable of destroying an entire civilization? And if a single one could do that, what about the rest of them? Star-Lord and the others wondered where the others might be and how such a story could hold up.
Syd raised an eyebrow at their skepticism but didn't pay it much mind. Instead, he continued examining the cosmic orb in his hand.
He found that the orb was quite difficult to open, seeming to require a specific method. Of course, he could use brute force to open it, but that might not be ideal. After all, while the Infinity Stone itself was nearly indestructible, destroying its outer casing wouldn't be too challenging. However, if he destroyed it, he'd need something else to contain the Power Stone, which was a problem he hadn't yet figured out.
The Power Stone, unlike other stones, could cause a backlash upon contact. Anyone who touched it would almost certainly die from the energy's annihilation.
Syd, confident in his divine resilience, was sure that he could handle the Power Stone without dying. This meant he was qualified to use it.
"But if I just leave it exposed in my bag, will it trigger any kind of chain reaction or explosion if it comes into contact with other Infinity Stones?" Syd pondered.
Because of this concern, he was hesitant to forcefully open the orb.
"It looks like I'll need to follow Star-Lord and the others to the Collector's place after all."
Syd considered. He remembered that Star-Lord and his crew would eventually take the cosmic orb to the Collector, who would then use technology to open it.
Speaking of the Collector, Syd recalled that he was a notorious collector of rare items and was also one of the so-called Elders of the Universe—an ancient group of powerful beings. Ego the Living Planet, a Celestial, was one of them.
Syd contemplated this. After deciding to follow Star-Lord to the Collector's place, Syd refocused his attention on the Power Stone itself.
He recalled that when Star-Lord and his team visited the Collector, the Collector had shown them some footage about the Infinity Stones, including one of a Celestial Group member named Explorer Ethan.
Ethan, once the master of the Power Stone, had wielded it with a staff and obliterated an entire planet.
"The power of the Infinity Stones truly depends on the user…" Syd shook his head.
The Celestials could destroy an entire planet with the stones, a feat that would be impossible for him to match. For instance, if Ronan or Star-Lord were to use it, even destroying a small piece of land would be questionable.
It could only be said that the upper limit of the Infinity Stones depended on the strength and resilience of the user. Thanos, if he had this power, could easily outmatch the Avengers with just the Power Stone.
Syd shook his head. "Each member of the Celestial Group is essentially at least Celestial-level or above. They're generally universe-level entities with sizes in the hundreds of meters. They're simply in a league of their own."
In terms of physical prowess alone, they surpassed almost all other life forms. However, Syd was confident that with time, he would eventually catch up to these so-called Celestials.
With a flash of red light, Syd used Chaos Magic to place the cosmic orb into his backpack, then closed his eyes again, waiting for time to pass.
From a distance, the prisoners who had witnessed his extraordinary power looked on in shock and fear.
Star-Lord and his crew, who were already aware of Syd's powers, were not as surprised, but they began to wonder about the contents of the mysterious figure's backpack.
Among them, Star-Lord and Gamora were particularly interested. Besides the cosmic orb, they were curious if there were other valuable items in Syd's backpack.
Soon, it was time for bed.
Suddenly, the sound of struggling came from a distance, and Syd opened his eyes.
He glanced over and saw a group of prisoners grabbing Gamora, with a knife pressed against her neck.
A voice came through, "Take her to the showers. It's easier to clean up there, and the blood will wash away easily…"
At that moment, Star-Lord woke up and rushed outside.
Rocket Raccoon also awoke and asked, "Quill, where are you going?"
"Quill?"
Meanwhile, in the showers.
The prisoners had pushed Gamora against the wall.
"Gamora, you've committed unforgivable crimes across the galaxy!"
"Now, you are sentenced to death!"
As they spoke, the prisoners prepared to carry out the execution.
"You dare?" A muscular figure covered in red stripes, named Drax the Destroyer, approached.
Star-Lord and Rocket, hiding in the shadows, initially thought Drax had come to rescue Gamora. However, they soon heard him declare that Ronan had killed his wife and daughter and that he intended to kill Gamora himself.
The prisoners, intimidated by Drax, handed over the knife.
Seeing the distraction, Gamora seized the opportunity to fight back.
After a fierce struggle, she was subdued again and was about to be killed by Drax.
At this moment, Star-Lord stepped out.
"Hey, hey, hey, you want to avenge Ronan's victims, but this approach isn't exactly top-notch…"
After some verbal persuasion, Drax was convinced to join them in eliminating Ronan.
At that moment.
"Why are you saving me?" Gamora asked, puzzled.
"I don't care if you live or die," Star-Lord hesitated.
"Then why didn't you let him kill me?"
Star-Lord, with a hint of mischief, said, "Simple. Because you know where to sell that orb."
Gamora frowned. "We're all trapped here. How can we talk about selling the orb?"
Star-Lord glanced at Rocket and said, "Our good friend Rocket has broken out of twenty-two prisons."
Rocket Raccoon proudly declared, "No prison can hold me. But once we're out, we'll turn you over to Yondu for the bounty."
"Uh…"
Star-Lord shifted the topic, asking Gamora, "How much would your buyer pay for that orb?"
The scene fell into silence.
Gamora finally replied, "Four billion."
"What?" Rocket Raccoon's voice cracked.
"My God," Star-Lord exclaimed in disbelief.
Suddenly, he thought of something and murmured, "Four billion? If it's worth that much, could the mysterious figure's story about the stones be true?"
His face was filled with shock.
(End of Chapter)