Chapter 100: The Purpose of the Cult
Barnett, Primo, and Philip seeing Darm suddenly intervene, came to a screeching halt.
"What are you trying to do?" Darm asked, positioning himself in front of his three companions, his gaze fixed warily on the silver-haired man.
Given the speed displayed by the intruder, Darm knew that a confrontation would be unfavorable for them. Thus, he chose to use negotiation to avoid a fight.
Reno, noticing that the leader of this group had caught a glimpse of him, realized that even if this person wasn't very strong, he was likely a superpowered individual.
"Don't be alarmed. I mean no harm," Reno said, extending a hand in a gesture of peace.
"I'm Reno, a Level 2 Bounty Hunter. My companions and I are here to meet with the Void God Kassadin."
"Are you here seeking the power of the Void as well?" Reno asked. "If so, we might have some common ground to discuss."
"Who knows, we might become allies in the future."
Reno's attitude was friendly, and he took a couple of steps back, opening his hands.
Upon hearing that Reno was seeking power, Darm's eyes flickered. He initially thought of mentioning that he had already received the great blessing of the Void.
"I'm Darm, a member of the city guard from Xandar," Darm introduced himself.
"We are indeed here seeking power as well," Darm said, recalling Kassadin's advice to be adaptable and cautious.
Darm remembered Kassadin's words well—always speak appropriately to the situation to get by. Over the past month, he had learned to hide his abilities, making him more cautious.
Barnett, Primo, and Philip, who followed Darm's lead, fell silent.
"Good. We arrived this morning and were planning to fish for some food," Reno said.
"Would you wait for us? We could exchange some insights later."
Although Darm claimed to be from Xandar's guard, Reno was skeptical about their true identities. With Lacey alone at the temple, there was a risk that something undesirable might happen if they encountered her.
Even a moderately strong superpowered person could cause significant problems compared to an ordinary person.
"Sure, let's fish together. How about a friendly competition to see who catches more?" Darm suggested with a smile.
"Alright, and how about the loser buys a drink for the winner?" Reno responded, his competitive spirit ignited by the proposal.
"Deal," Darm agreed.
Reno hoped to join the Void Cult, and if successful, he would have time to deal with Darm and his group later. Even if he didn't succeed in joining, he would become stronger and not be deterred by differences in power or status.
The group agreed and headed to the sea to fish, stripped down and ready for the task.
Back at the villa, Harvey observed everything while having his meal.
Although Reno, Kael, and the Seer had not received his blessing yet, they didn't seem overly anxious. Instead, they seemed to be settling in for a prolonged stay.
Harvey had not immediately accepted them into the Void, planning to keep them waiting a little longer.
If they remained a few more days, he would consider allowing them to join the Void.
He could offer anyone a chance to join, but only those who were prepared and truly eager to become stronger would be given that chance.
As for Darm and his group, Harvey decided to leave them alone for now.
"Mr. Kassadin, the gravity devices you asked for will be delivered tomorrow morning," Sonya said, standing by.
"Do you have any plans for their use?"
The hundredfold gravity chambers, far more useful than the standard devices, allowed Kassadin to move freely inside them.
Sonya wondered what else Kassadin might use the standard devices for, besides equipping other cult members.
"Just find a place to store them and let me know where. I'll have a use for them in a few days," Harvey instructed.
He hadn't returned to Earth in months, and once he handled the busy initial phase of spreading the message, he intended to go back.
His establishment of the Void Cult on Xandar was not only because the environment and population were similar to Earth, aiding in spreading the Void's doctrine.
More importantly, Harvey didn't need to actively search for the Infinity Stones.
In a few years, Star-Lord would deliver the Power Stone to Xandar's Nova Corps.
By then, if he wanted the Power Stone, he just needed Sonya to notify him when Ronan arrived on Xandar, and he could retrieve it directly.
Given a few more years to grow stronger, even Thanos, who would just be starting to collect the Infinity Stones, would find it impossible to take the Power Stone from him.
"Alright, I'll place it in Storage Room No. 1 in the basement after it arrives," Sonya replied promptly.