Rampage in Knowhere

In the pitch-black universe, a colossal head floats silently—the remains of the Celestials, their long-decayed skull transformed into the Milky Way's most infamous black market: the Knowhere.

Its size rivals that of a small planet, and its hollow eye sockets gleam with an eerie purple light, as if still gazing into the abyss of the universe. The surface of its skull is covered with metal structures and docking platforms, and countless spaceships swarm around it like flies.

Golden liquid seeped from the gaps in the broken bones; it was one of the rarest resources in the universe— the Celestial marrow, which was acquired by Collector for an astronomical price.

"Wow..." Star-Lord whistled, peering out the porthole. "Just looking at that thing gives me the creeps."

Rocket stood on the control panel, his claws slapping the navigator excitedly. "Welcome to the most lawless place in the Milky Way! Criminals, smugglers, mercenaries, lunatics—villains from all over the universe love to come here to sell their stolen goods!" He grinned, revealing sharp teeth. "Here, if you can afford it, you can even buy a Nova Corps warship!"

Gamora stared coldly at the skull. "As soon as the Orb appears here, Ronan will know immediately."

Drax suddenly slammed his fist on the table and burst into laughter. "Great! Saves us the trouble of going looking for Ronan!"

Groot tilted his head. "I'm Groot?" (meaning: Are we really going in?)

Star-Lord put on his helmet, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Of course we're in, guys—four million is waiting for us!"

The Rocket had already eagerly adjusted its course. "Hold on tight, you bastards! Let's go meet that perverted Collector!"

The Milano slowly landed on the most chaotic D-sector helipad in the Knowhere, its rusted metal platform groaning under the weight of the ship. Star-Lord stepped out of the hatch and immediately stepped into a pool of suspicious green slime, his boot emitting corrosive white smoke.

"Damn it! This place is disgusting!" he cursed, kicking his foot as he casually pulled out a spirit orb and tossed it into his palm. The purple light drew an eerie arc in the dimly lit helipad, immediately attracting more than a dozen greedy eyes.

Rocket leaped onto Groot's shoulder, its claws pointing at the neon-lit spire in the center of Skull City: "The Collector's lair is there! But..." His ears suddenly perked up, and three energy guns emerged simultaneously from the shadows.

Three Sakaaran blocked the entrance to the passage, their scales gleaming with a sickly yellow light. "I heard you have some valuables?" the leader said, sticking out his forked tongue. "Hand them over, and we'll leave you with your corpses intact."

The moment Gamora drew her twin blades, Drax had already knocked two men away. Star-Lord casually whistled as his Element Gun precisely struck the third robber in the groin. "The forty-seventh law of the universe—" he said, raising his index finger amidst the man's scream, "Don't stop the handsome guy with the Orb."

The words spread like wildfire. As they passed through the black market, whispers echoed from every dark corner, "It's that four-million-dollar sphere..." "Ronan's bounty..." Suddenly, a cyborg lunged forward, its mechanical eyes frantically focused on Star-Lord's pocket. "Let me see!" A Rocket blast blew its head off, and fragments knocked over three aliens from some unknown planet.

"You two idiots!" Gamora dragged Star-Lord into the alley, pressing a blade against his throat. "Now the whole universe knows what we're carrying!" Dense footsteps echoed outside the wall; at least twenty armed men were gathering.

Groot suddenly stretched out a branch to block the alleyway. "I am Groot!" (Run!)

As the group rushed toward the secluded path, a blue-skinned man shrouded in a long robe tapped a few times on the tablet on his wrist.

In the narrow alleyways, Star-Lord and his companions were being chased and forced to flee in disarray. Rocket's fire blasted smoking holes in the walls, Gamora's twin blades drew deadly arcs in the dim light. Drax charged like an enraged bull, smashing several pursuers into roadside piles of garbage.

"Left! There's a ventilation duct on the left!" Star-Lord yelled, sliding into the metal duct. The others followed closely behind, while Groot used branches to block the entrance, temporarily halting the pursuers.

They crawled through the intricate pipes for ten minutes before finally tumbling from an exhaust vent onto the plaza in front of the Collector's Tower. Star-Lord got up, covered in dust, still clutching the purple- Orb tightly in his hand.

"Damn it, we're here!" he gasped, pointing to the strange, neon-lit building ahead. "Quick! We need to sell this nuisance to the Collector and run!"

Outside the Collector's residence, a red-skinned alien female receptionist with pigtails stood before the carved gate. She wore a well-tailored uniform and a standard professional smile, but her amber vertical pupils revealed a struggle.

"Welcome to Lord Tanlia Tivan's collection." Her voice was melodious, like synthesized music, yet devoid of emotion. "The master has been waiting for you. Please follow me."

Star-Lord warily eyed the strange host, Rocket's claws already stealthily on the trigger. The shouts of pursuers grew closer in the distance, and the sound of hurried footsteps echoed across the metal floor.

"Make a decision quickly, you idiots!" Gamora whispered. "Either go in with her, or stay and fight those lunatics!"

The receptionist with pigtails seemed oblivious to their argument, maintaining her perfect smile. She mechanically turned around, and the door slid open silently in front of her, revealing a brightly lit corridor.

"Please." She made a standard gesture. "The master is very much looking forward to the item in your hands."

Star-Lord gritted his teeth, gripped the Orb tightly, and strode after him. "Lead the way, beautiful. But let's make it clear first, if anything seems amiss, don't blame me for tearing down the Collector's house." He then turned and glared at his companions. "Nobody is allowed to touch anything in the display cases!"

Inside the jump channel

A dazzling stream of energy swept past the transparent bulkhead, changing colors like a kaleidoscope. Chen Tian lazily sank into the sofa, twirling Blue Rose in his hand as if performing a magic trick.

"Wow—" Kiana pressed her entire face against the observation window, her icy blue eyes reflecting the dazzling light of the warp drive. "This is way cooler than the simulation training at Schicksal Headquarters!" She turned around excitedly. "Commander, can we travel through star systems like this more often?"

Saitama sat cross-legged to the side, his eyes gleaming. "I've heard there are many powerful beings in the Knowhere?" He clenched his fist, his bald head reflecting the iridescent light of the jump portal. "I wonder if they can withstand a punch from me."

Bayonetta strode over, a glass of bubbly purple drink between her long, slender fingers. She handed the glass to Chen Tian, straddled his lap, and whispered in Chen Tian ear, "My lord, we'll be in the Knowhere soon."

Chen Tian took the drink, took a sip, and squinted his eyes in satisfaction. "It tastes good. Where did you get it?"

"The Nova Prime has prepared plenty of supplies~" Bayonetta winked mischievously, lightly kissing Chen Tian's cheek with her red lips. "So... sir, what is our battle strategy this time?"

"Strategy?" Chen Tian looked up blankly. "What strategy?" He then grinned mischievously. "This isn't Blue Planet. Go all out and fight. I'm really looking forward to seeing the magical beasts you summon."

Bayonetta chuckled softly upon hearing this, "Oh dear, since you've put it that way... then I won't stand on ceremony~"

Kiana, hands on her hips and cheeks puffed out, glared at Bayonetta. "Bayonetta! Don't you dare seduce the Commander!"

Bayonetta covered her mouth, laughed as she stood up, and reached out a finger to lift Kiana's chin. "Our little kitty is jealous."

Kiana blushed slightly. "I didn't! It's just that you were being too... explicit with the Commander!"

Saitama suddenly interrupted, "Um... what exactly are we going to do?" He scratched his bald head, "I think I only understood the part about fighting..."

Chen Tian stood up and stretched his neck. "Saitama is right." A sly glint flashed in his eyes. "We'll just focus on fighting. As for the Orb? That's a side effect."

"Huh? Isn't that a robbery?" Kiana tilted her head.

Bayonetta chuckled and corrected, "Darling, this is called 'strategic resource reallocation'~"

Just then, the spaceship's AI's mechanical female voice sounded, "About to exit warp drive. Destination: Knowhere. Countdown: 5, 4, 3..."

Chen Tian walked to the observation window, a smile playing on his lips, "Get ready to cause a ruckus, everyone."

Outside the cabin, the enormous skull of the Celestials was almost within reach, its empty eye sockets gleaming with an eerie purple light, as if watching the arrival of these uninvited guests.

Inside the Collector's showroom, a purple aura of energy flowed slowly through the air. The Collector, Tanlia Tivan, used mechanical clamps to retrieve the Power Stone from the Orb.

"How beautiful!" the Collector exclaimed.

Star-Lord and the others could clearly feel the energy emanating from the gem, and they all felt a chill run down their spines.

Star-Lord stared at the purple gem, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Four million... for this little thing?"

"A little thing?" the Collector scoffed. "Peter Quill, this little thing, if used properly, could destroy a planet."

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and a holographic projection appeared between them. On it was a giant in full heavy armor holding a scepter with Power Stone embedded in it. He slammed the scepter on the ground, and the entire planet shattered in infinite purple light.

The shattered scene shifts again, revealing six gems of different colors rotating within a galaxy.

"Look, everyone," the Collector's voice trembled slightly with excitement, "This is the purest form of power in the universe."

Star-Lord stared at the holographic projection of the planet shattering in purple light, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.

"This... this thing is worth four million?" He chuckled dryly, his voice trembling slightly. "It looks more like it's worth four million lives..."

"Now you understand?" she said coldly, "That's why Thanos is so obsessed with this 'little broken ball'."

The Collector, Tanlia Tivan, let out a nervous chuckle, and with a wave of his hand, the holographic projection vanished into thin air. He turned to the red-skinned maid and gestured. "Karina, transfer the money to them."

The maid nodded mechanically, operating the holographic interface that floated in the air. A few seconds later—

"Ding!" The small tablet on Rocket's wrist emitted a crisp notification sound. He looked down and his eyes widened instantly. "Wow! Five million, an extra million!"

The Collector smiled and said, "The extra million is a thank you for your hard work."

"Hahaha, as expected of the big boss of the Knowhere! He's so generous!" Rocket laughed loudly.

With that, he jumped onto Groot's shoulder, his tail wagging excitedly. "Let's go! We've got the money! Let's get out of this godforsaken place right now! This thing is too dangerous!"

Star-Lord stared wide-eyed at the string of gleaming numbers on his account balance, the shock he had just felt instantly replaced by overwhelming joy.

"Five... five million?!" He pinched himself hard. "Am I dreaming? One million each! Two hundred thousand more than originally planned!"

Drax scratched his bald head in confusion. "So how many knives can we buy now?"

"That's enough for you to open a weapons museum, big guy!" Star-Lord put his arm around Drax's shoulder, turned to the Collector and gave him a thumbs up. "Generous boss! I'll definitely come back to you next time I have something good!"

Gamora face cold, grabbed Star-Lord's collar. "Idiot, let's get out of here first." She glanced warily at the Power Stone, now back in the Orb in the display case. "Our actions outside must have attracted Ronan!"

"Ronan? Where is he? I'm going to kill him!" Drax roared again, veins bulging on his muscles.

"Right, right, let's go, let's go!" Star-Lord snapped out of his daze, urging his companions towards the exit. "Before anyone notices we're carrying five million—"

The moment Star-Lord and his companions stepped out of the Collector's mansion, the entire Knowhere suddenly trembled violently. A deafening explosion came from the Celestials Skull dome, and fragments rained down.

"What the hell—" Before Star-Lord could finish speaking, several Kree Empire -painted aircraft roared into the massive rift. The Dark Aster, resembling a ferocious space behemoth, hovered outside the rift, its black armor covered with religious-style reliefs.

"It's Ronan's flagship!" Gamora's twin blades were instantly drawn, and the cannons at the bottom of the Dark Aster flashed with a dangerous red light. The next second, dozens of energy beams poured down like a torrential rain, and the surrounding buildings collapsed in the explosion, with metal fragments and pieces of flesh flying everywhere.

Rocket rolled behind Groot: "Damn it! This guy skipped the negotiation stage!"

Drax's muscles bulged, veins clearly visible on his bald head. He abruptly pulled out the daggers from beside his legs and pounded his chest, which was covered in vengeance symbols, with both hands. "Ronan!!!" The roar even drowned out the sound of the explosion, "Come out and face me!"

The command ship, having flown into the Knowhere, slowly landed in the area cleared by artillery fire, kicking up a cloud of dust as its bottom hatch opened. A squad of fully armed Kree soldiers emerged, with Ronan himself appearing last.

He slowly descended the gangway, holding a multi-purpose warhammer. His blue skin appeared particularly sinister in the Kakkō of the explosion. He wore the black armor of the Kree Empire's Supreme Inquisitor, and the Kree battle markings painted on his face with black paint made him look exceptionally fierce.

"The Orb," Ronan's voice was like the scraping of metal, "Where is it?"

Star-Lord instinctively lowered his voice. "Rocket, do you still have that plasma bomb?"

"Yes, yes..." Rocket grinned and pulled a glowing red sphere from his backpack, "But this dose isn't even enough to blow off his armor's coating!"

The Collector's mansion's gates slammed shut behind them with a heavy metallic clang. Gamora quickly glanced around. "There's an underground passage on the east side, I'll count to three—"

"None of you are leaving." Ronan raised his warhammer and walked towards the group. "Especially you, Thanos's daughter." He stared at Gamora. "Lord Thanos specifically instructed that you be taken back... intact."

Ronan's warhammer slammed into the ground, unleashing a purple shockwave that fanned outwards. Groot immediately stretched out branches to form a shield, but was blasted into flying splinters the instant he came into contact with the shockwave. "I am Groot!" (Run!)

The entire black market was in chaos, with alien merchants screaming and fleeing in all directions. Taking advantage of the situation, Rocket dropped plasma bombs at the Kree soldiers, the Kakkō temporarily obscuring their vision.

"Now!" Gamora dodged the energy beam with a side somersault. "Run to the east!"

Star-Lord and the others prepared to escape as Gamora had instructed, but Drax suddenly let out a Beast- like roar, his eyes bloodshot. "Ronan!!!" He brandished his dagger and charged at Ronan, shouting, "Pay for my wife and daughters!"

"Drax! No!" Gamora cried out, but it was too late.

Ronan's lips curled into a cruel sneer. With a swing of his multi-purpose warhammer, he struck Drax precisely in the chest. The Avengers was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into a metal wall twenty meters away, leaving a deep, human-shaped dent.

"Foolish." Ronan sheathed his warhammer, his icy gaze sweeping over the remaining Guardians of the Galaxy members. "Since you are unwilling to cooperate, then—"

"Lord Ronan!" The Dark Aster's communications officer's urgent voice suddenly came through Ronan's communicator, "We've detected—"

The communication was interrupted by a deafening explosion. Ronan looked up abruptly, and Star-Lord and the others instinctively followed his gaze—

Suddenly, the Dark Aster flagship, which was hovering outside the rift in the Knowhere, trembled violently, and an invisible shockwave pierced through the entire warship.

With a deafening explosion, the Kree Empire's most powerful War Machine shattered into pieces like paper.

The heavy armor plates twisted and deformed, the engine rooms exploded one after another, and the entire warship turned into countless burning metal fragments in less than a second, drifting in all directions in space. The debris kept colliding and exploding, forming a burning metal cloud outside the dome of the Knowhere.

"What the hell..." Star-Lord's eyes widened.

"No!" Ronan roared in anger, slamming his warhammer into the ground, causing the entire ground to tremble.

Just as everyone was still reeling from the explosion of the Dark Aster, a soft laugh suddenly came from the shadows at the top of the Collector's Mansion.

Star-Lord looked up abruptly, his pupils contracting sharply—he saw a man in a black trench coat, his hands in his pockets, a disdainful smile on his face.

"Damn it!" Rocket's hair stood on end. "When did this guy—"

Gamora's eyes widened, her pupils dilated. She recognized the man— Chen Tian, the guy Thanos was currently having the biggest headache for.

The sound of high heels lightly tapping on metal came from above the command ship behind Ronan. Everyone turned their heads and saw a black-haired woman wearing glasses sitting on top. Her long legs were crossed, one high heel swayed gently in the air, and she held a pistol to her red lips in one hand.

"This..." Ronan frowned. He had never seen anyone approach him so silently.

Kiana stood beside Chen Tian with her hands on her hips, deliberately raising her chin. "Hmph! This is the legendary Kree Empire Inquisitor? He doesn't look so impressive!"

Suddenly, a deep crater exploded in the ground. Through the smoke and dust, Saitama, scratching his bald head, stood up. "Huh? That's it? That warship looked really powerful, how come it couldn't even withstand a single punch from me?"

Star-Lord's eyes widened as he pointed at Kiana and shouted, "Ah! It's that little chick from Xandar! Last time, it was you who got us captured by the Nova Corps!"

Kiana wrinkled her nose at Star-Lord, put her hands on her hips, and shouted, "You cosmic fugitive! This time I'm going to bring you back!"

Ronan's gaze, however, was fixed on Chen Tian. He could sense that this man, standing lazily on the edge of the roof, was the core of this group of uninvited guests. He gripped his warhammer tightly, his voice low and menacing. "Who are you?"

Chen Tian chuckled and lightly leaped down from the rooftop. "Didn't Thanos tell you?" He tilted his head. "Looks like your place in Thanos's heart isn't all that great after all."

With that, he snapped his the Snap and said to his team, "Take care of the minions first."

Bayonetta smiled alluringly and pushed up her glasses, "As you command, my lady." Her figure instantly transformed into countless black butterflies and vanished into the air. The next second, the screams of the Kree soldiers rose and fell.

Saitama scratched the back of his head, looking around with some disappointment. "Well... although the grunts aren't very interesting..." Before he finished speaking, his figure had already appeared dozens of meters away, and a Kree soldier didn't even have time to react before turning into a pile of minced meat in mid-air.

Kiana excitedly tried to rush out, but Chen Tian grabbed her wrist. She turned back, displeased, and said, "Commander!"

A faint smile played on Chen Tian's lips. "You'll come with me." He turned his gaze to Ronan. "This judge seems quite displeased with our presence."

Ronan's face was terribly grim. He raised his warhammer and pointed it at Chen Tian: "No matter who you are, anyone who dares to interfere in my affairs will only face death!"

The warhammer erupted with a blinding purple light, and an energy wave rushed straight towards Chen Tian. Kiana instinctively wanted to stand in front of Chen Tian, but Chen Tian simply raised his hand, and the energy wave exploded like it had hit an invisible wall, bursting apart a meter away from them, the shockwave lifting the hem of Chen Tian's clothes.

"That's it?" Chen Tian raised an eyebrow. "Are all of Thanos's henchmen this weak?"

Ronan's pupils contracted sharply; he had never seen anyone block his attack so effortlessly.

What horrified him even more was that in just a few seconds, most of the elite soldiers he had brought had fallen—the bespectacled woman moved across the battlefield like a dance, each appearance accompanied by the fall of a soldier.

The bald man was even more terrifying; he could casually wave his hand as if he were taking a stroll, and soldiers would be smashed into pieces.

Star-Lord and his crew were completely stunned. Rocket mechanically counted the fallen Kree soldiers. "Seventeen, eighteen... Damn it, who are these guys anyway?"

Gamora intently at Chen Tian and whispered, "He's the person Thanos has been searching for lately... Chen Tian."

Just then, Bayonetta suddenly appeared behind Ronan, a pistol pressed against his back. "Your Honor~" she whispered in his ear, "Would you... like to dance with me?"

Ronan roared and swung his warhammer backward, but only managed to scatter a swarm of black butterflies. Bayonetta had already gracefully landed to the side and blew Ronan a kiss.

Kiana stomped her foot angrily. "Bayonetta! Can you please stop being like this~~"

Chen Tian ruffled her hair. "Don't rush, your opponent is over there." He pointed to Star-Lord, who was trying to sneak away.

Kiana's eyes lit up. "Ah! You almost got away!" She dashed out in a flash.

Star-Lord yelled, "Wait! We can talk!" and turned to run.

Chen Tian then turned his gaze back to Ronan, his smile gradually fading, "Now, it's our turn."