NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 118: Chapter 118
Knowhere, a seemingly chaotic place on the surface, is largely composed of the severed head of a dead Celestial, floating in the cosmic void. It's a gathering point for the universe's villains; cosmic bandits, robbers, thieves, or wanted criminals can all come here. As long as you can ensure you're not killed by others, you can find sustenance here!
In reality, however, Knowhere isn't entirely lawless; the more chaotic a place, the more obedient its rules! All important figures want to control an area and become a local emperor, and they fear most those who are hot-headed and obey no rules. Therefore, they will wisely maintain certain regulations, even if those rules seem illogical!
The Collector, Tivan, established the most fundamental rule here: money is supreme! Murder and arson? Just pay a fine! Rape and plunder? Just pay a fine! Damaged goods during a fight? Just pay a fine! As long as you can afford the price, you can even package up all of Knowhere and take it with you!
And the one who can uphold this basic rule is naturally the Collector, due to his extraordinary power. Although he's never been seen fighting in the movies, the fact that Asgard dared to entrust the Reality Stone to him for safekeeping, and that for many years in Knowhere, no one has dared to break this rule, how could his combat ability be weak?
Furthermore, Tivan maintains a certain distance from various cosmic powers, mutually utilizing each other based on beneficial relationships. He shows no favoritism or bias; it's precisely because of his neutral behavior that Tivan's name holds terrifying value. In the eyes of many cosmic civilizations, even though Tivan collects various races from the universe, locking them like prisoners in cages, he still has a good reputation, as he has saved many races from total extinction through this method.
Judging by his actions of also collecting Infinity Stones, he must also have a grand plan. "Thanos, who possessed the Space and Power Stones, single-handedly turned Knowhere into a sea of fire and also plundered the Reality Stone along the way. Looking at it from this perspective, his combat power seemed ordinary?" Kurohane mused, shaking his head.
"This world looks like the universe in the movies, but based on some details, it's incredibly chaotic. This is a common issue in American comic worlds; creators love to put heroes into major trouble. When the storyline can't proceed, or the plot holes dug are too big to fill, they just reboot the timeline. With this kind of gameplay, let alone American comics, even a struggling writer writing American comic fanfiction can keep writing forever; it's just an infinite stream!"
While using the Reality Stone to mend the damaged Dark Elf spaceship, Kurohane's thoughts drifted. Their current method of advancement was truly inhumane. Kurohane didn't care about the Dark Elves' survival at all. Along the way, they passed through countless wormholes; the bodies of these Dark Elves began to deform, twisting and folding as if torn apart by invisible gravitational forces. Almost all of them collapsed to the ground. It was only after no one was controlling the spaceship that Kurohane ordered the wormhole travel to stop. He switched to using warp drive for propulsion, which allowed the Dark Elves, who were on the verge of death, to rest.
"Anyone who frequently sails and trades in the Atlantic Ocean knows that if goods die, they become worthless," Kurohane mumbled to himself. "They can only be thrown into the Atlantic Ocean to serve as a transformation template for mermaids in the sea."
As for Kurohane himself, with the Mind Stone enhancing him, what small effect did this have on him? As long as he told himself he could bear it, then he certainly could. As long as he told himself there was no discomfort, then there was no discomfort! Telepathy could certainly be used on oneself! Primarily, maintaining the Reality Stone was also very boring, and even more so without entertainment on the road!
Kurohane initially enjoyed the scenery in space, but after flying for an hour, in this part of the universe, besides pitch-black vacuum, there were only glittering, messy stars. Staring at them for too long would become boring!
Half an hour later, the leader of the Dark Elves, Malekith, crawled out of the ground, his body still trembling. He began to tell Kurohane about the rules in Knowhere; after they were defeated by Asgard back then, a desperate Malekith once sold a tribe member to the Collector. Their warship and some weapons, all thanks to that tribe member's selfless contribution. It could be said to be classic Dark Elf behavior, specializing in profiting from others' misfortune.
"However, after all these years, that tribe member, who didn't have many days left to live anyway, has most likely passed away," Malekith said expressionlessly, his voice robotic. "If we go now, his own tribe member will definitely fetch a good price! According to the Collector Tivan, he is a generous and rule-abiding person. In war, how could there be no deaths! But a tribe member sold to the Collector will definitely not die accidentally; they are guaranteed to live until they die! Selling his tribesmen to him is also a blessing for his tribesmen!"
Kurohane: (Eyes widening, expression disbelieving, jaw slightly agape.) "This person's abstract thinking isn't because of me! Telepathy can't change a person's worldview; this person truly thinks this way in his heart!"
When they officially arrived at Knowhere, the planet-sized skull-like structure truly astonished Kurohane. Seeing this thing in a movie was completely different from seeing it firsthand in the real world! Its scale and detail were incredible, making every groove and crack on its surface feel ancient and full of secrets.
The Dark Elves piloted the spaceship through the eye socket; Kurohane looked around like a curious child, his eyes scanning every corner. "There are good things inside this head; whether it's bones, brain tissue, or spinal fluid, they are all good things. Every civilization, when advancing towards biotechnology, will seek these things as specimens and research subjects. Celestials, as ancient life forms in the universe, can almost be considered the endpoint of evolution. A large number of biochemical agents in the universe contain celestial genetic tissue."
"So these things attract many merchants, also many mining companies." Kurohane saw countless mining robots and mining spacecraft continuously cutting and sending sparks flying into this skull. It was a scene of bustling activity, the clang of metal and flashes of light filling the air.
The cross-shaped spaceship landed steadily in a docking bay in the port; the Dark Elves walked out proudly, though their steps were still slightly unsteady. Kurohane, as their boss, walked slowly behind. As his foot left the spaceship, a red light quickly flashed across the spaceship's surface.
BOOMMM!
The previously intact spaceship instantly turned into a dilapidated mess; all the engines simultaneously broke down, after emitting a massive explosion, they fell to the ground with thick black smoke! After a series of other explosions, it turned into smoking scrap metal!
Malekith: (Gasped, eyes wide, body frozen.) "What—?!"
Kurohane: (Looking at the wreckage with a cunning grin, his lips curving upward.) "Come on! First, let's sell ourselves!"
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