The Savior of American Comics? I'm the Subspace Evil God!

Chapters 420, 756, and 757: A Bet with the Collector

Thanos's Territory.

【Sanctuary】.

"Thanos, if I may be so bold, if your daughter Gamora hadn't betrayed me and helped those petty thieves escape, I probably would have already given you the Orb of the Universe."

Ronan looked at Thanos sitting opposite him on the 'Stone Throne' made of rocks and small anti-gravity devices, which was suspended in mid-air, and said with a hint of dissatisfaction:

"But now, her foolish actions have not only disrupted my original plans, but have also made me a laughing stock among the accusers of the Kree Empire..."

You need to give me a reasonable explanation for this!

Before Thanos could speak, a commander of the Chitauri army standing below sternly reminded Ronan:

"How dare you, Kree! The most powerful ruler in the universe is right in front of you. If you don't want to be killed on the spot, you'd better keep your voice down."

However, Ronan ignored him and continued loudly, "Gamora first lost to those useless thieves and barbarians in the attempt to seize the Orb, and then she was captured and imprisoned by the Nova Corps..."

"But your informant says she never intended to hand over the [Cosmic Orb] to me, and was already planning to betray us. Isn't that enough to prove the point?"

The commander of the Chitauri Legion, seeing that the other party had ignored his warning, interrupted somewhat angrily:

“Ronan, you should understand that my master Thanos entrusted Gamora to your command, so whatever problems arise should be your responsibility.”

"If you were truly as capable as you claim, you wouldn't have failed to discern her loyalty. So... the problem still lies with you."

"Also, Thanos's master clearly warned you before that besides the [Phoenix Orb], there is also the [Tesseract] on Earth, which is readily available. You yourself actively chose the former as your primary target... But now you're coming here to complain like a woman?"

“The Cosmic Cube?” Ronan sneered, looking at the commander of the Chitauri Legion, and said mockingly:

"If it's really as easy to obtain as you say, then why don't you send your Chitauri army to retrieve it and present it to your master Thanos?"

"Oh, let me guess, have you been scared out of your wits by Earthlings?"

“I’ve heard that your main force was wiped out by a ragtag squad on Earth without 'Extinction' Carol Danvers intervening at all… not to mention, it seems that an even more powerful guardian has recently appeared on Earth!”

"Tsk tsk tsk, a piece of trash like you actually dares to try to use the strategy of using one tiger to devour another on me. It's laughable. I really don't know how you have the face to stay by Thanos's side?"

Unlike the idiot in the movie who was literally mortified by Star-Lord's awkward dance moves, this Ronan is much smarter.

After learning about the Tesseract from Gamora and Nebula, he realized that Thanos was deliberately using him to test the depths of Earth's 'water'.

That is why he prioritized the [Cosmic Orb] as his target.

He wouldn't be foolish enough to fall into the other party's trap, even though he was already prepared to go to Earth, but that would only be after he obtained the [Cosmic Orb]!
"You're talking nonsense! I'm not afraid of those little bugs on Earth. Last time was just because I was careless!"

The commander of the Chitauri Legion was immediately taken aback and retorted hysterically, "But haven't you also failed to achieve anything worthwhile?"

"In all these years since you broke away from the Kree Empire, you've only dared to slaughter unarmed women and children on planets at the edge of the galaxy..."

However, before he could finish speaking, Ronan on the other side used the energy field released by the hammer-shaped "omnipotent weapon" in his hand to snap his neck, and then his body crashed straight to the ground.

Xingyun, who was watching the show from the sidelines, immediately showed an expression of disbelief. She did not expect that Ronan would be so brave as to kill the other party's subordinate in front of her father.

Does this guy have a death wish?

Ronan had been secretly observing Thanos's every move on the throne. Seeing that Thanos remained unmoved even after he had killed his subordinates, Ronan grew bolder and said with righteous indignation:
"Thanos, I am willing to obey your orders, but regarding this incident, I only hope that you can handle it properly and give me a reasonable answer!"

"Boy."

Thanos, who had previously remained unmoved even when his subordinates were killed, now looked at Ronan expressionlessly. He uttered just two words, and an immense sense of oppression instantly enveloped Ronan, causing him to quickly abandon his contempt and dare not act recklessly in the slightest.

"Hmph, such trivial matters are not worth my attention..."

"Just like the political tactics you practice, which are utterly boring, you act like a spoiled child."

"Clearly, it must be your foolish actions that drove away my beloved daughter Gamora, who had previously conquered countless planets for me."

“However, since we made a prior agreement, I will still keep my promise... but on the condition that, Kree, you must bring me either the Orb or the Cosmic Cube next time.”

"If you dare to come to see me empty-handed again, I will tear you apart with my own hands and destroy the Kree Empire!!"

Faced with the overwhelming pressure emanating from Thanos, Ronan, who had been incredibly arrogant just moments before, immediately fell silent and could only obediently bow his head.

Although Ronan was arrogant and conceited, he wasn't stupid enough to dare to confront Thanos to his face.

After all, with his current strength, he couldn't even defeat Thanos alone, let alone any one of Thanos's Black Order.

However, this temporary bowing does not mean that Ronan has completely surrendered.

He was just waiting for an opportunity.

And the time to turn things around is clearly fast approaching!
……

【KnowHere】

A colossal head of the Celestial Race, comparable in size to an asteroid, floats silently in the dark depths of space. Within this head, however, over the centuries, a unique kingdom has gradually developed, independent of the major planets.

Centuries ago, Tanlia Tivan, a collector wandering the universe, accidentally discovered this skull. He then dispatched a large number of workers to mine the rare brain tissue, spinal cord, organic matter, and bones contained within.

For the entire universe, these substances, which are rich in rare elements and unknown energy, are all extremely scarce and important resources.

No matter which star system or planet it's on, it can fetch a good price.

However, this illegal mining work is clearly both dangerous and illegal!
Therefore, most of the workers employed by Tivan are outlaws wanted by various planets and organizations.

Over time, the Void Realm became a lawless mining colony.

At this moment, in the exhibition hall of [Collector] Tivan, Karl was leisurely sitting in a chair, sipping some alien wine of unknown type while admiring the dazzling array of so-called 'collections' enclosed in special rectangular glass display cases.

Here you'll find a 'dog' wearing a spacesuit and possessing some kind of superpower!
There are also 'duck people' who look like ducks but wear suits and ties and can speak human language!
A golden cocoon!
And living Chitauri soldiers, Dark Elf soldiers, and so on...

In short, looking up, the interior of this huge exhibition hall was filled with countless animals, objects, remains, and different species, the names and types of which even Karl couldn't recall.

without any exaggeration.

Even if you combined all the museum collections on Earth, they probably wouldn't be as comprehensive and diverse as those in Tivan!

Across from Karl, a middle-aged man with short silver hair, wearing a pair of somewhat exaggerated 'lens-like' glasses and a heavy gray-white fur coat, was looking him up and down with greedy and curious eyes.

This man is none other than Tanlia Tivan, known in the universe as the "Collector".

Despite his appearance, which makes him look like a person in their forties or fifties, he is actually at least several thousand years old.

The reason he has such a long lifespan is that he is actually one of the "Cosmic Elders," one of the earliest intelligent extraterrestrial life forms with humanoid forms to be born in the universe.

Under normal circumstances, their lifespan can reach at least around 10,000 years.

This is precisely the fundamental reason why he is so enthusiastic about collecting all kinds of 'collections', including alien animals and plants.

Because when a person's lifespan is long enough, they must find a pastime or hobby that can consume their time and energy to the maximum extent, and that will not easily 'reach the end'.

Otherwise, he could easily get lost in the flow of time and lose the will to live... or rather, he might really die of boredom!
"Honorable Earth Guardian Mr. Karl Mara, I offer you my sincerest apologies for the rude words of my servant Karina just now."

Tanlia Tivan forcibly suppressed the urge to collect that surged within her, feigning sincerity as she spoke to Karl opposite her:
"However, I never imagined that one day I would actually be able to witness the magnificence of the Sorcerer Supreme. That portal just now was truly astonishing..."

"As you've probably already seen, there's still an empty booth in the most prominent area of ​​the exhibition hall near the entrance. I haven't been able to find a suitable exhibit of sufficient quality yet..."

"So, if possible, sir, please be sure to sell your body to me after you die. I can pay right now, and you can pay the price yourself!"

Karl wasn't angry at this. After taking a small sip of his drink, he smiled and said, "I think you've misunderstood. I'm neither the Sorcerer Supreme nor a work of art... and most importantly, you can't afford me!"

"What? You're not the Sorcerer Supreme?"

Tanlia Tivan gestured exaggeratedly with her hands and said, "But what was that portal all about?"

"If I remember correctly, across the entire universe, only the arcane masters of Kamar-Taj would be able to open such a portal, right?"

"And you even call yourself the guardian of Earth? Apart from the Sorcerer Supreme, I really can't think of anyone else who could be worthy of such a powerful title..."

Tanlia Tivan misjudged Karl's true identity because, just minutes earlier, Karl, who had been refused entry, had activated the power of the Space Stone to open a portal directly into the exhibition hall.

Furthermore, during his self-introduction, Karl was afraid that revealing his identity as the "Dimensional Demon God" would frighten the other party, so he referred to himself as the relatively low-key "Guardian of Earth".

That's why Tanlia Tivan mistakenly believed he was the Sorcerer Supreme.

"Do not."

Karl declared with an air of dominance: "On Earth, it's not only the mages of Kamar-Taj who can open portals, nor is it only the Sorcerer Supreme who deserves the title of 'Guardian of Earth'!"

"I see."

Tanlia Tivan was not disappointed at all; instead, her curiosity deepened. "Excuse me... Mr. Karl, can you fly? Can you shoot lasers or something from your eyes?"

Karl nodded slightly, and Tanlia Tivan immediately rubbed his hands together excitedly, as if Karl were the ultimate collectible he had been dreaming of.

“Mr. Karl, please consider this. If you are willing to become part of my collection… Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. What I mean is, after you die, I’m willing to sell your body to me as part of my collection, no matter how much money it costs!”

It's not that I'm unwilling, it's just that you simply won't live to see that day!

You want to compare lifespans with mine?
I am a dignified [Dimensional Demon God]! You want me dead? Unless [Warspace] is completely destroyed, no one will live to see that day!
A sly smile played on Karl's lips as he looked at the Collector with a half-smile. "Tivan, how about we make a bet?"

"What kind of bet?"

“It’s simple,” Karl said calmly. “I know you’re looking for the [Cosmic Orb]. I bet you won’t get it in the end; it will eventually be taken back by the people who brought it to you…”

"What about the bet?"

Tanlia Tivan was clearly interested in the offer, and asked greedily, "Honorable Guardian of Earth, what do you want from me?"

(End of this chapter)