Ch.44 I, Thanos, Only Slaughter Half the Population

Titan Star.

Charlie and the others strolled down a street full of exotic charm.

Perhaps it was because of Lizard Parker, but everyone could sense the curious gazes from passersby.

Lizard Parker didn't mind these stares because they weren't filled with disgust or fear, just simple curiosity.

On Titan Star, a humanoid lizard wasn't considered a particularly frightening creature; much uglier beings were everywhere.

This realization gradually put him at ease.

Surrounded by various geometric buildings, Charlie gazed up at the towering structures, feeling an itch in his heart.

"You look like you're itching to do something," Carter suddenly asked.

Charlie took a deep breath. "I've never swung my webs through an alien city like this. And those skyscraper walls, they look like some kind of gemstone. I wonder how they'd feel to climb on."

He scratched his wrist instinctively, struggling to suppress his Spider-Man instincts.

Carter: "..."

She glanced at the Titan Guard flying overhead.

"Hold it in. If you get caught using an illegal transportation method, you'll be arrested, and we'll miss the mission."

"I know."

Charlie sighed, reluctantly giving up the idea.

He glanced around at the shop signs, which were illuminated with various colorful lights. The aesthetic wasn't too different from Earth's, but the goods on display were unlike anything he'd ever seen before.

"What's this?"

Finally, he stopped in front of a transparent display window, looking curiously at the irregularly shaped crystals inside.

"That's a Stone Man's heart. Wearing it can lower the risk of heart attacks," the octopus-faced shopkeeper enthusiastically explained to Charlie.

"You guys have heart attacks too?" Charlie asked in confusion.

The octopus-faced man looked just as puzzled, but his expression was unreadable.

"Is this your first time on Titan Star? Here, aside from the purest-blooded Titans, most creatures have a risk of heart attacks," the shopkeeper patiently explained.

Charlie seemed to ponder this, while Lizard Parker grew impatient.

"Imposter, let's go! We have business to attend to!"

Charlie ignored him and continued chatting with the shopkeeper.

"How much for the Stone Man's heart?" he asked.

Hearing the question about price, the shopkeeper became even more enthusiastic.

"Customer, you've got a good eye. It's only ten gold coins, but it's the discount season right now, so you can have it for seven." As he spoke, he took the item from the display and handed it to Charlie for closer inspection.

Charlie didn't refuse, taking the stone while holding out his hand to Infinite Tony.

"Give me some money."

"You're buying this?"

Infinite Tony frowned. "Buying things here and taking them away is pointless. It's a waste."

"You don't understand. It's called 'investing for information.'"

"Fine, my nano device only sold for this much, so use it sparingly."

Infinite Tony seemed to catch on and handed Charlie a small pile of gold coins the size of quarters.

Gold, as a non-renewable resource, was a hard currency on Titan Star as well.

Seeing the gold coins in Charlie's hand, the shopkeeper's eyes lit up, and his tentacles twitched with excitement.

He's a fat sheep! Today's a good day!

He instinctively reached out but saw Charlie return the crystal to him.

"Ever heard of Thanos?" Charlie suddenly asked.

The shopkeeper was taken aback, then nodded. "Of course. That terrifying guy was arrested a few days ago and is scheduled to be exiled to Planet M78 tomorrow."

"Planet M78?" Charlie's mouth twitched. It felt like they'd stepped into the wrong story.

Staring at the gold coins in Charlie's hand, the shopkeeper replied casually, "Yes, Planet M78. It's a terrifying place. Thanos won't survive long after being exiled there."

"Alright, where is Thanos being held?"

"I don't know."

The shopkeeper suddenly realized something, his eyes darting between Charlie, Infinite Tony, and the others.

"Are you here to get information on Thanos?"

Charlie toyed with the gold coins in his hand, looking indifferent. "What do you think?"

For the sake of the coins, the shopkeeper invited them into the shop.

"I know Thanos has attracted a lot of attention. You're probably here to witness the exile ceremony. After all, Titan Star hasn't had anything like this happen in many years."

He poured everyone a cup of greenish drink before continuing.

"Thanos is one of the purest-blooded Titans. If nothing had gone wrong, he would've been the best candidate to lead Titan Star in the future and the youngest planetary leader.

"But on the day of his coming-of-age ceremony, he mysteriously fell into a coma. When he woke up, it was like he was a different person.

"He first had a huge argument with the Titan Council and then went on a rampage, slaughtering villages and cities around the world. He only killed half of the population each time, in the most brutal manner, and he's now considered the Dark Titan who betrayed Titan Star.

"This time, when the Titan Guard caught him, his biggest crime was treason against the planet. It's a shame Titan Star doesn't have the death penalty. Otherwise, how could he have lived this long?"

The shopkeeper's face was full of indignation as he recounted the events, while Charlie was puzzled.

"If Thanos was that dangerous, how did the Titan Guard manage to capture him? Was it because of this?" He raised his wrist to show the identification band.

The shopkeeper looked surprised. "You didn't know? As long as you're ten meters away, the Titan Guard can't execute their control program on you.

"It seems Thanos was betrayed by his allies from Chitauri, which is why he got caught by the Titan Guard."

Infinite Tony seemed to have an epiphany. "No wonder those fake Avengers weren't knocked out the moment they started killing. The Titan Guard needs to get close before the devices work."

The Titan Star network selectively blocked certain "common knowledge," so this was the first time they'd learned the control range of the identification bands was ten meters.

As for Thanos' location, it remained a mystery.

Charlie thought for a moment and asked again, "So where is Thanos being held?"

"I told you, I don't know."

The shopkeeper shook his head. "After all, he's the only criminal to be exiled in the last hundred years. His location is kept a secret."

Hearing this, Charlie casually handed over some of the gold coins.

"One last question. What are the conditions for being exiled, like slaughtering a large number of people like Thanos?"

The shopkeeper's expression grew increasingly peculiar, but the lure of the gold prevented him from hesitating.

"If it's someone from another planet, they could blow up the entire Titan Star, and they'd still only be deported back to their home planet and imprisoned for life.

"But for those with a Titan Star identification, unless they kill over 1,001 people, they can't meet the conditions for exile."

Hearing this, everyone exchanged glances.

1,001?

Titan Star's laws were absurd.

But for Charlie, it wasn't much of a problem.