155 & 156

Chapter 155: Promise Me, Kill Me!

"How far to Asgard?"

Star-Lord broke the silence.

Rocket Raccoon, who was piloting the spaceship alone, replied without looking back, "It's not far now; we probably have two more jumps to go. Sit tight—there's one more jump coming up!"

With a "whoosh," the spaceship entered the jump point and shook violently.

"Oh, damn raccoon, are you drunk or something?"

"No, Quill, it's your spaceship's clutch that's broken! I've told you it needs major repairs, and you keep procrastinating!"

"Je you you jeje you you D

"Boom—"

The violent shaking caused Groot to fumble. Seeing "Game Over" on the screen, he angrily threw the game console, which smashed against the windshield in front of the driver's seat.

"Dammit!" Star-Lord roared, rushing over and shouting, "How many times have I told you not to break things? If you break another one, no one will buy you a new one!"

"I'm Groot!"

"You should talk back!!!"

"Quill…" Rocket's voice broke through.

"Don't stop me! I'm teaching it a lesson today!"

"No, look at that..."

When Star-Lord looked up, his eyes widened in shock.

"What the hell is that!" Star-Lord's voice was filled with awe.

What they saw was a massive structure that nearly covered half of the starry sky.

Star-Lord struggled to determine that it was not a planet but a spaceship.

No, "star fortress" was more fitting!

Star-Lord had thought Thor's Millennium Falcon was extravagant, but compared to this colossal spaceship, it seemed insignificant!

"This is bad!"

Gamora exclaimed with disbelief and fear, "That's Sanctuary. 2! It's Thanos' ship! Almost all of Thanos' forces are aboard!"

"What??!!!"

Everyone was startled, and Rocket's ears and tail stood on end.

"Just our luck!"

Drax sneered, "Today, I will avenge my wife and daughter!"

"Drax, calm down!" Gamora pulled him back.

"Shut up, you idiot!"

Gamora snapped, "Sanctuary2's firepower can obliterate a planet. One round of artillery fire, and we're all dead!"

Star-Lord suddenly calmed down, saying, "Stay calm! Stay calm! Don't panic, everyone!"

He explained, "If they wanted to kill us, they'd have done it by now. They haven't fired yet, which means their goal isn't to kill us!"

Everyone looked at him with skepticism.

In the hands of Thanos, things usually didn't end well. It was either death or a fate worse than death...

Seeing their expressions, Star-Lord quickly added, "I mean, He must be trying to capture us alive for some reason. We could try to act like we're surrendering and then launch a surprise attack!"

"But what could their purpose be for capturing us?" Rocket asked.

Gamora's expression changed as she seemed to recall something and pulled Star-Lord aside.

"What's wrong?"

Gamora pointed to the next room.

Star-Lord understood and said, "Rocket, come up with a plan. I'll be right back!"

He followed Gamora to the adjacent room and closed the door.

"Is there something you want to tell me privately?" Star-Lord asked.

Gamora hesitated, then gritted her teeth and said, "Quill, promise me something!"

"What is it?"

"If—if your so-called plan fails, I need you to promise me you'll kill me immediately!"

"What? No way!" Star-Lord firmly refused.

"Promise me, Quill!"

Gamora stared intensely into Star-Lord's eyes and explained, "Because I know a secret he doesn't. If he finds out, it could threaten the entire universe!"

Star-Lord was taken aback, "What secret?"

Gamora shook her head, "If I tell you, you'll know too. Fewer people knowing means it's safer."

Star-Lord placed a hand on her shoulder, "If it's that crucial, shouldn't I know?"

"Unless you want to die!"

"Why does anyone have to die?"

Star-Lord was unconvinced.

"I beg you!" Gamora's eyes were filled with desperation, "Swear to me by your mother's name!"

Star-Lord locked eyes with her.

After a long pause, he whispered, "Alright."

Chapter 156: Surprise Change

In Asgard, the duel for royal power had been ongoing for an entire day. It had been more than half a day since the battle began that morning.

"Boom!"

With a fierce clash, the two combatants quickly separated.

Hela glared at Thor with a mix of respect and fear.

Thor's strength was overwhelming. Even though her Night Sky Sword struck him, it only left a minor scratch—barely a threat. Only a full-force attack could pose any danger to him.

Thor's Stormbreaker, however, was an exceptionally powerful artifact. In Thor's hands, it had increased his strength significantly. Hela dared not confront him directly, relying instead on the agility of her Night Sky Sword to battle him.

Despite her best efforts, Hela was seriously injured. The power of Stormbreaker was not only overwhelming but also its enchantment suppressed her recovery ability.

The once-feared goddess of death now found herself in a position where she feared direct confrontation—quite an ironic twist!

"No! I won't lose!"

Hela gritted her teeth, chanted an incantation, and the Night Sky Sword in her hand instantly extended to tens of meters long, slashing fiercely with deathly force.

"Boom—"

Seeing her full attack blocked by Thor's axe, Hela's eyes widened in shock.

"Are you still unwilling to give up?"

Thor looked at Hela and gently urged, "Our power should be used to conquer all, not wasted here."

Hela sought to subdue Thor, just as Thor wished to subdue Hela. If Hela could be brought to surrender, it would significantly enhance Asgard's combat capabilities.

Meanwhile, the Fenrir wolf lay on the ground, struggling to rise and roaring.

"Boom..." A barrage of raging flames descended from the sky, overwhelming the beast once again.

The black dragon proved to be too powerful for it.

Observing the dire situation of her old ally, Hela sighed deeply, "Tell them to stop."

She flicked her hand, sending a crystal flying.

Thor caught it and asked, "What's this?"

"It contains what you desire—Valkyrie's soul," Hela explained.

Thor examined the crystal and saw that it contained 28 souls, one of which was notably stronger.

Though currently weak, these souls would soon become an invincible army again.

Hela, with a pained expression, gritted her teeth and knelt, showing her submission.

The audience cheered.

This was expected. Even though Hela had been reaccepted, for most Asgardians, she was still seen as an outsider. Thor was the heir they recognized.

Thor commanded, "Lower the shield."

In the control room of the arena, the technician nodded and attempted to activate the mechanism but noticed no suspicious figures approaching.

"No, who are you? Ah—"

The protective shield began to lower, and Thor observed with growing concern.

Had Ragnarök been resolved?

Suddenly, the shield stopped lowering, then quickly rose and reactivated.

"What's going on?" Thor shouted, "Where is the person in charge?" An ominous feeling gripped him.

Soon, a report came in: "Your Highness, the arena management office was attacked by unknown assailants, and the control mechanism was destroyed!"

"What?" The assembly was shocked.

Today was a crucial day, with all Asgard's eyes focused on the events. At such a moment, an invasion by foreign enemies was alarming.

Could it be related to Thor and Hela?

"Boom…"

Thor struck the shield heavily with his axe, creating a crack that slowly began to heal.

Thor frowned.

The shield couldn't contain him for long, and the attackers wouldn't let this opportunity pass. So...

"Who dares to challenge Asgard?"

Next to him, Hela's expression was one of fury.

"I don't know," she said. "The attackers seem to be aiming to trap us temporarily as part of a larger scheme."

Thor pulled out the Sling Ring, intending to use a portal.

Golden magical energy flickered as he activated it.

The shield blocked space transmissions. In other words, Thor's current skills in this area were still insufficient.

Perhaps true space teleportation that bypasses Asgard's defenses could only be performed by the Ancient One himself or through the Tesseract...

Wait, the Tesseract?

Thor was suddenly covered in cold sweat and shouted, "Forget me, go and check the treasury!"

As the command was given, the situation began to unravel...