Sakaar's Bitter Journey (Part 1)

"Now, we can talk about other things." Schiller turned the desk lamp back on and then dimmed the light.

When Loki looked at him, Schiller's gaze also fell on Loki, and then he said, "For example, your hospital bills."

"Actually, I think I can pay for it myself this time."

Schiller shifted his gaze to his still-forming body, then back to his head. Loki understood what he meant and said, "I think you have something more to want than money."

"For example?"

"Like fun."

Loki, whose only movement was his head, gave a sly smile and said, "Before sending Thor through the space portal to Planet Sakaar, I left something on him."

As he spoke, a glint flashed in Loki's eyes, and a magical vortex appeared in the room, gradually growing larger until it became a circular magical screen.

On the screen, a man with long blond hair leans against a piece of broken metal. Sweat drips down his hair, his soaked clothes cling to his body, and his face is covered in dirt, making him look extremely disheveled.

Beside him, a strange-looking large bird was talking to another Sakaaran with red skin and a ferocious appearance. The bird spoke in a high-pitched voice, "That's right, he's the trash I picked up over in Woka, just like those two unlucky guys last week."

"Listen, my bottom line is 200 Sakaarbi, absolutely no lower. Look at him, he's so strong, even stronger than many Sakaaran ..."

"You know, these days, there aren't many pieces of garbage of this quality left. Whether you take it to a mine or send it to the arena, it's a good choice."

The red-skinned Sakaaran shook his head, clicked his tongue, spat to the side, and said, "200 Sakaarbi? No way! Listen, we've been getting way too much trash thrown in lately, there's absolutely no way we're offering that price..."

"The arena is already full, so I can only take him to work at the mine. But those poor bastards at the mine won't offer a good price. Even though he's physically strong, he looks like his brain has been fried. Those Greed mine owners will definitely take the opportunity to lower the price."

"No, no, no." The big bird moved its two legs back into the tin shed and said to Thor, "Hey! What's your name? Tell him your name and where you're from, to prove you're not a fool."

Thor just leaned against the wall behind him, saying nothing. The big bird pecked him with its beak, and he cried out in pain. Then he lifted his eyelids and looked at the bird.

Seeing that he didn't speak, the large bird got a little angry. He whispered to Thor, "Don't cause me any trouble. Everyone in this area knows the name 'Red Wing.' I'm already the most lenient junkyard owner here. If you make me unable to sell my junk for a high price, see how I deal with you..."

The red-skinned Sakaaran poked his head in and said, "Don't bother trying. Haven't you seen enough people like this? Judging from his appearance and clothes, he should be a nobleman. They've dumped him here like trash; they'll definitely damage his brain to prevent him from revealing any important secrets..."

The large bird coughed, then opened its beak and pecked Thor hard on the shoulder. Its sharp beak pierced Thor's shoulder, tearing off a piece of flesh, and blood gushed out immediately. Thor let out a scream, but remained standing there with a dazed look in his eyes.

The large bird named Red Wings wore a human-like expression of disappointment and said, "Well, it seems I shouldn't have had too high expectations. He could talk when I found him, so what happened?"

"Listen, big guy, 150 Sakaarbi, absolutely no lower."

"I won't take him if it's over 120. After all, he's being sold to the mine owner. Although he looks strong, he won't live more than a month." The big red guy shook his head and said, "The mine owner will definitely not offer more than 150. You have to give me some room to make a profit..."

"Don't joke around. I gave him a lot of water and even some food before he regained consciousness. These things alone cost more than 120..."

The big red guy pulled something that looked like a cigarette from his clothes, and Redwing's eyes immediately lit up. It said, "Gray Grass Root? Where did you find this stuff?"

"The last convoy that came here was wiped out halfway. I found some good stuff in the cargo box. I can give you a bag, plus 120 Sakaarbi. Give me this blond hunk, and I'll be back to your business next time..."

Redwing flapped his wings and scratched the ground with his claws, looking hesitant yet tempted. He glanced back at the stunned Thor and said, "Alright, deal."

After saying that, it cursed again, "Damn it, I thought this would be a high-priced, good item, but it's still like this. This godforsaken place hasn't had anything good drop in ages..."

Then, it spread its wings and flapped Thor's wings on the ground, making him roll around a few times, covered in mud. The big red monster head walked up to grab Thor's neck, but Thor instinctively struggled and punched it in the arm.

The big red guy gasped and kicked Thor in the head. Redwing said, "This guy must have been a warrior before, it's normal for him to be a bit wild. Where's your chain?"

The big red guy spat again and walked out of the tin shed. Outside, there was a large cart pulled by strange insects. He rummaged through the cart and finally found a heavy iron chain with an iron ring at one end and a spike at the other.

"Are they going to tie him up?" Strange asked in front of the magic screen. "I don't understand what they're saying, but it looks like Thor is in trouble."

"They're speaking the Common Tongue of the Furnace Galaxy, and I can understand a little of it," Loki said from the bed. "That big red bird is the owner of the junkyard there; he picks up aliens that get thrown down there."

"The aliens who were thrown down, where aliens often fall from the sky?" Strange asked doubtfully,

"Planet Sakaar is also known as the interstellar junkyard, or rather, the entire Teyo System is like this. The cosmic environment there is very special, with special cosmic channels surrounding it. It is impossible to enter or leave through normal means. Many civilizations throw dangerous garbage into it to ensure that this garbage does not easily spread out of the system."

"Of course, this trash includes some difficult people." Loki said with a malicious grin, "That's why I said this suits him well; trash is best left where it belongs."

Schiller looked at Loki with apparent interest and said, "It seems you've been trying to understand me while I was counseling you. Well, your pay is certainly good."

"But I must remind you..." Schiller first tilted his head to look out the window, then looked into Loki's eyes and said, "When you treat others as amusement, you'd better be prepared to become amusement yourself."

Loki understood the implication but didn't realize what it was. Watching the images on the magic screen change, he smiled again and said, "This is certainly amusing. It seems they want to put a collar on Thor and leash him like a dog."

Loki glanced at Schiller and saw that his expression was somewhat strange, as if he had expected something, but he had no idea what Schiller was thinking and continued to stare at the images on the magic screen.

The big, red man carried the incredibly thick iron chain as he walked into the dilapidated iron shed, then picked up one end of the chain.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Strange, watching his movements from off-screen, said, "Is he holding it upside down? How come..."

As he spoke, the spiked end of the chain pierced Thor's body, passing through his shoulder blade. Thor let out a death scream, and blood gushed out.

The spike pierced through Thor's body. The big red guy took out a bolt, screwed it onto the tip of the spike that had burst through his body, and then tapped it in front of him. The entire spike was now fixed to Thor's shoulder. Thor screamed and gasped for breath as he trembled on the ground.

The big red guy picked up the ring on the other side of the chain and said, "That should make you behave. Let's go."

Strange, watching from outside the screen, put his index finger to his philtrum and said, "I thought..."

"It seems you're not the only one who thinks so..." Schiller turned to look at Loki, and seeing the smile on Loki's face gradually disappear, Schiller asked, "What are you all so surprised about? There's blood on the spiked end of that chain."

Thor's hands were tied behind his back, and the big red guy led him to the wagon pulled by the insects using the spike embedded in his body.

The big red guy slammed his fist on the back of the car. The oval-shaped metal car opened its rear door. The big red guy didn't seem to have any magic, but he was very strong. He jumped onto the car and dragged Thor inside.

His posture and movements were as if he were handling a piece of meat, showing no concern for Thor's wounds. Thor did not struggle at all, only letting out a low groan of pain as if he had truly become a piece of meat to be slaughtered.

Thor was crammed into the darkest compartment at the very back of the vehicle. The space was so cramped that Thor had to curl up to stay there. More importantly, the chains with spikes attached to his shoulders were fastened to his head.

The rear of the cart was the most bumpy part, and every time the cart started moving, Thor's shoulder would bleed profusely with each bump.

Thor's screams were not abrupt, because the entire carriage was filled with people like him, scavenged from the junkyard. Most of them were covered in blood, their eyes glazed over, screaming incessantly in the dark and cramped cage.

The pale green that blanketed the sky of Planet Sakaar was replaced by a mesmerizing reddish-purple. The enormous planet with its rings descended to the horizon, and the glow of the setting sun turned the red earth into the color of blood. The huge prison wagon looked incredibly small on the horizon.

The insects pulling the cart and the large cart behind them, backlit by the sun, became tiny black dots as they sped past in the sunset, raising thick clouds of dust. Bird-like beasts streaked across the sky, emitting sharp cries, and after smelling the blood on the cart, they chased after it, blending into the rising dust.

The insects pulling the carts emitted a low hum, their tires scraping across the rough ground, leaving charred tracks. With slow braking, the dust grew thicker and thicker, and with a loud thud, the entire convoy came to a stop.

Before them stood a large gate constructed of sturdy logs, the rows of wooden spikes at the top of the gate appearing even more menacing in the setting sun. Looking down, a huge plaque bore the words "Red Ring Mine" in bold characters.