Time passed slowly.
Darm and his group, along with Reno and his companions, had hit it off right away.
"Darm, with your physique and strength, why didn't you join the Nova Corps? Why settle for being part of the city guard?" Reno asked casually, carrying two large fish over his shoulder as they walked toward the temple.
He could tell that Darm's powers were physical. While not as strong as his or Kael's, it was clear that Darm was much stronger than the average person.
On a planet like Xandar, with physical abilities like his, it wouldn't have been hard for Darm to pass the test and join the Nova Corps.
"To be honest, we were too afraid to go to the front lines, so we didn't take the test and ended up with a cushy job in the city guard," Darm said with a chuckle. "It's easy work, but it doesn't pay well. I've been thinking about testing for the Nova Corps recently to make some real money."
Darm casually gave a believable excuse when Reno asked him about it.
Through their conversation, Darm had learned that Reno and his group had come to meet Kassadin, but so far, they'd only met with Sonya.
It was clear that Kassadin had decided to grant them his blessing, so Darm didn't dare get involved any further.
"Joining the Nova Corps would just tie you down. You'd be better off becoming a bounty hunter like us. One big job can let you relax for a year or more," Kael chimed in, carrying five or six fish balanced neatly on his shoulder. "Mansions, fine wine, beautiful women—you'd have it all, and you wouldn't be taking orders from anyone. Doesn't that sound better?"
Kael's voice was full of pride. He and his companions took great pride in their bounty-hunting profession.
"Bounty hunting does sound appealing, but I'd feel safer with the Nova Corps armor," Darm admitted, his voice tinged with envy, though he still preferred a more stable path.
As they chatted, they made their way to the temple. Even though night had fallen, the temple remained brightly lit.
Darm, seeing the statue of Kassadin, clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect.
His three companions had initially intended to kneel in worship, as they had received Kassadin's blessing. In just a month, it had significantly improved their lives and fueled their ambitions.
Seeing Darm's more subdued gesture, they followed his lead and mimicked his actions.
Reno, observing their synchronized behavior, glinted in his eye. When they first met, Darm had referred to Kassadin as "Lord" with a tone full of admiration.
Despite Darm's attempts to conceal the truth during their conversation, Reno could see that Darm couldn't hide his respect when facing Kassadin's statue.
But since Darm didn't mention it, Reno didn't press the matter.
Darm and his companions had joined the Void Cult, likely gaining some abilities in the process.
This only solidified Reno's desire to join the Void Cult himself.
From what he could tell, Kassadin didn't seem to issue many orders to his followers. This meant that joining the Void Cult wouldn't come with many restrictions.
Only in rare cases would Kassadin likely assign tasks for members to complete.
Reno went to call down Lacey, and the group started a fire around the temple, roasting the fish they'd caught.
They all sat around the fire, talking, and decided to stay there for a while.
Meanwhile, the news about Kassadin's message had spread throughout the galaxy in just one day.
"Join the glorious evolution?" Star-Lord muttered, eyebrows raised in doubt as he scrolled through the newsfeed on his ship while listening to music.
"Is this Kassadin guy trying to fool people?"
"Kassadin's building up his power base. He's offering something, but how much he'll deliver is anyone's guess," came a reply from Yondu.
"Just don't go knocking on his door looking for trouble," Yondu added. "He says 'everyone,' but that doesn't necessarily include us bounty hunters."
"But the fact that he chose Xandar for his base means we'll be seeing some action there soon enough."
Yondu grinned at Star-Lord, his expression full of mischief.
"If the Nova Corps have any sense, they'll avoid getting involved. But if they try to interfere with whatever Kassadin's got going on with his Void Cult, they're done for."
"If I had to pick sides, I'd rather go up against the Nova Corps than Kassadin. This guy's like a god who came out of nowhere, and he seems to be planning something big."
"But whatever it is, I'm happy to sit back and watch. As long as I keep my distance, I've got nothing to worry about."
"I'm confident in my abilities, but I'm not stupid enough to pick a fight with him," Star-Lord said, intrigued but cautious. He knew better than to rush in blindly.
They were avoiding Kassadin for a reason, and only someone with a death wish would go looking for trouble.
"I wonder how the Kree will respond to all this," Star-Lord mused. "Xandar and Hala are two of the galaxy's biggest empires."
"We'll just sit back and let them fight it out," Yondu said, laughing. "The more chaos, the better for bounty hunters and scavengers like us. Chaos breeds hatred, and hatred means profit."
On a planet scarred by devastation, a towering figure sat on a dilapidated throne. His skin was a deep shade of purple, his body clad in armor. Thanos' deep-set eyes flickered as he looked at the news spreading rapidly across the galaxy.
Kassadin's name was becoming famous, and Thanos had taken note of his recent activities.
But more than Kassadin's power, Thanos was interested in the fact that Kassadin's language and origins seemed to be tied to a place called C53, also known as Earth.
This was no ordinary planet. It was part of the Nine Realms, under the protection of the mighty Odin and the Ancient One—two legendary figures in the universe.
With those two guarding it, few dared to approach the planet.
But once the time was right, none of that would matter.
Thanos moved slowly because he knew that few in the universe truly understood the power of the Infinity Stones.
As long as Kassadin didn't interfere with his plans, Thanos had no interest in what this so-called Void God was doing.
But if Kassadin ever stood in his way, Thanos wouldn't hesitate to kill him—for the sake of the universe's balance and survival.
In Asgard, the God-King Odin had also received word of Kassadin's activities in the galaxy, particularly his founding of the Void Cult.
However, Odin wasn't particularly concerned. Kassadin may have killed various cosmic threats and appeared strong, but Odin had lived for millennia and had seen countless beings rise and fall.
Establishing a lasting force was no easy task. Even if Kassadin wanted to create a vast empire, it would take centuries, if not millennia, to succeed.
After all, gathering a group of disorganized people didn't make for a true force. A great power requires time, loyalty, and generations of consistent leadership.
To create a true lasting power, one needed structure, hierarchy, and a well-defined set of rules to ensure loyalty.
Kassadin seemed intent on giving everyone an opportunity, seeking to quickly establish his power base on Xandar. But Odin saw it as nothing more than a gathering of rabble—destined to fall apart.