Chapter 240

[1000PS REACHED!! I think! Next Goal: 1500PS!]

As Syd glanced around his surroundings, he became curious about Xandar.

This planet was the capital of the Nova Empire and could be considered the most inclusive planet in the galaxy. On Xandar, one could find all sorts of species, without discrimination or war.

Syd slightly lowered his head, scanning the scene below, and found this to be true.

Apart from the remarkably clean environment, he also saw many strange-looking aliens. Most of them were humanoid, though their skin and facial features were odd.

As Syd observed from above, the inhabitants of Xandar, along with visiting aliens, stared upward, their mouths agape.

What were they seeing? Was someone actually floating in the air?

The people of Xandar were shocked by this sight. Even on their advanced planet, no one had the ability to float in the air. No matter what kind of alien species they were, none had ever seen someone fly.

Yet here was a person, defying all logic, floating in mid-air.

"Isn't this person the one who suddenly appeared here?"

"How is he flying? Who is this guy?"

The aliens below were filled with curiosity and confusion.

Moreover, some of them noticed the radiant blue cube Syd was holding in his hand.

"What is that thing?" someone wondered, intrigued.

Meanwhile, on another part of Xandar…

"The people of Xandar are a bunch of dimwits, all of them going about their pointless, meaningless lives. It's pathetic…"

A small raccoon-like creature, walking upright and carrying a silver gun on its back, was grumbling endlessly about the Xandarians.

This being was Rocket, an alien raccoon with enhanced intelligence due to genetic modification. Agile and skilled in all kinds of weapons, he was a sharpshooter and currently worked as a bounty hunter. Soon, he would join Star-Lord in forming the Guardians of the Galaxy.

"Right, Groot?"

Rocket turned to see his companion, a humanoid tree named Groot, bent over a fountain, eagerly gulping down water.

"Groot?"

"Could you stop drinking from the dirty fountain? That's disgusting!" Rocket complained.

Groot shook his head in denial.

"I saw you drink it with my own eyes. Why are you lying to me…"

Rocket was about to launch into another tirade when a sudden alarm beeped from the transparent panel he was carrying.

It seemed that a certain wanted target had appeared, triggering the alert.

"Oh?"

Rocket quickly checked the transparent panel and exclaimed in excitement, "Looks like we've got a job!"

"Let's see, unlucky guy… who's paying to catch you…"

As he spoke, the panel displayed a line of data.

Target for Capture: Peter Quill. Bring him in alive.

Employer: Yondu Udonta. Bounty: 40,000 units.

Seeing Star-Lord's picture and the information, Rocket's face lit up with joy. "Forty thousand units?"

"Groot, we're about to hit the jackpot!"

Turning to Groot, Rocket saw that he was still drinking from the fountain. With a sigh, Rocket lowered his head in exasperation.

A little later...

Rocket had been tracking Star-Lord, watching him enter a shop.

"Mr. Quill?"

Seeing the person who had just entered, a white-skinned alien who looked nearly human showed a look of surprise.

"Broker, I've got the Orb," Star-Lord said, pulling the Orb from his coat pocket and placing it on the table. "Mission complete."

"Yondu didn't come?" the Broker asked, puzzled.

At the mention of his adoptive father, Star-Lord was quick to deflect. Without betraying his plans to go rogue, he maintained a calm expression and replied, "He wanted to, but he sent me instead. He asked me to tell you that your eyebrows are the best in the business."

The Broker seemed to suspect something but said nothing more.

At this point, Star-Lord's gaze drifted to the silver sphere on the table. Curious about the object that had a high bounty on it, he asked, "What exactly is this thing?"

The Broker replied, "It's my policy never to disclose my clients' names or their requests."

Star-Lord frowned. "I almost got killed for this thing."

The Broker casually replied, "That's just part of the job. Risks come with the profession."

Realizing he wouldn't get any answers, Star-Lord remembered the aliens who had attacked him earlier. "Those freaks with tubes on their heads said they were working for some guy named Ronan."

At the mention of Ronan, the Broker froze, as if the name triggered something. He muttered, "Ronan?"

In the next instant, the Broker hurried over to Star-Lord, apologizing. "I'm sorry, Mr. Quill, but if Ronan's involved, I can't make this deal!"

With that, he grabbed the Orb from the table and shoved it back into Star-Lord's hands.

"Hey, what the hell…" Star-Lord protested as he was pushed back. "Who's this guy?"

The Broker explained, "Ronan is a radical from the Kree Empire who despises the peace treaty. He won't rest until Xandar, our civilization, is wiped out!"

Kree? Kree Empire?

Knowing how powerful the Kree Empire was in the galaxy, Star-Lord quickly understood why the Broker was so frightened.

Even though he got the situation, Star-Lord was still angry at being shoved out of the shop. "Calm down!" he tried to reason.

"I absolutely don't want to get involved with someone like that!" the Broker insisted, unmoved.

"Oh, but it's okay to mess with me?" Star-Lord snapped, irritated.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Quill, but I must ask you to leave!" the Broker declared, opening the door and forcefully pushing Star-Lord outside.

Standing in front of the shop, Star-Lord was fuming.

"Hey, we had a deal!"

Before he could argue further, Star-Lord turned and saw a woman with black hair and green skin walking by.

At a glance, Star-Lord was captivated by her appearance, feeling a little bashful.

"What's wrong?" the green-skinned woman, who had the same skin tone as the Hulk, asked.

Star-Lord, his tone softening, pointed at the shop and replied, "That guy inside broke his deal with me. I really hate people with no integrity."

Introducing himself, he quickly added, "Peter Quill, also known as Star-Lord."

(End of Chapter)