"In the end, it still fell into my hands."
In the cockpit of the giant warship hyperion, Artoria comfortably rested her long, straight, beautiful legs on the table, her right hand toying with the Cosmic Orb. What she had thrown to Star-Lord was just an ordinary gem infused with Gem Magic; the one in Artoria's hand was the real one. After Yondu left, Artoria didn't accept the Nova Corps' invitation. After resupplying, she said goodbye to the Guardians of the Galaxy and left Xandar in the hyperion. With only herself left, Artoria confidently took out the Power Stone she had obtained through a bait-and-switch.
"I'm still the cleverer one. This way, no one will know the Cosmic Orb is in my hands."
Gently opening the Cosmic Orb, the Power Stone emitting a purple glow lay quietly inside. Artoria didn't dare reach out to take this Power Stone. One must know that even Thanos's seemingly bug-like skin could be corroded by an Infinity Stone. Without the Infinity Gauntlet, anyone who touched an Infinity Stone was in for bad luck.
Although it is possible to use 'A Knight Does Not Die with Bare Hands' to realize the idea of controlling the Infinity Stones with bare hands, that is just a beautiful idea; Artoria has not tested it yet, and she does not want to waste the effort to experiment—no one wants to look for trouble for no reason.
"The Soul Stone is on Vormir, but the conditions for obtaining this stone are extremely harsh."
Artoria hesitated. After all, this is a stone that can only be obtained by sacrificing one's most beloved. Artoria thought for a while and finally decided to go and take a look, to test whether she could obtain the Soul Stone. Although there was little hope, well, one had to say! Clutching a glimmer of luck, Artoria still wanted to go and take a look at that stone with the most memes.
Fortunately, when Artoria was resupplying, she collected some new star charts. After inputting them into Saturday, the massive hull of the hyperion began to fly toward unknown territories. Artoria did not tell anyone about her actions, and she would not say anything. However, the Guardians of the Galaxy, who remained on Xandar, were currently receiving the highest treatment from the Nova Corps. After all, they had contributed a lot of effort when Ronan attacked. Although Artoria, who deserved the most credit, had already left, they still had to give Rocket and the others the treatment of heroes.
"Excuse me, what is your relationship with that beautiful lady, and what is her name? Does she have a boyfriend? What does she like to eat? Is there anything she likes?"
"Sorry, no comment."
Star-Lord said with a livid expression to a group of newbies from the Nova Corps. He hadn't even been able to get intimate with that beautiful goddess, yet you guys actually want to eat swan meat like a toad. Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you, although I don't know either.
"What's wrong with you? Gamora."
Compared to Star-Lord, who was dealing with the somewhat agitated newbies, Gamora in the other room was resting her chin on one hand, looking at the sky outside the window with the appearance of a melancholic young girl. This made Rocket, who was maintaining his equipment nearby, very curious. This woman had been like this from the beginning until now, and he didn't know why.
"I don't know either!"
Gamora's current emotions were very complex. It wasn't about being lovesick; rather, she was feeling a bit lost. She had already betrayed her Father, Thanos, but she didn't know why. She suddenly felt a sense of relief, as if a heavy stone that had been pressing on her heart had finally fallen to the ground. However, she didn't know where it was appropriate to go. The Universe was simply too big, yet she was still somewhat afraid of her Father's abilities; this was a shadow that had been with her since childhood.
"I am Groot."
Groot, who was acting as a potted plant nearby, looked at Gamora and then at Rocket, opening its mouth to speak a sentence. However, it always repeated this one sentence, and only Rocket could understand its meaning. Just because he understood Groot's meaning, Rocket's eyes showed surprise; Groot actually wanted to let this woman join them, but it was indeed a good suggestion.
"How about we form a team together? Let us complete some difficult missions together, earn tons of money, and live the most carefree life."
Rocket, holding his weapon, said happily to Gamora. Rocket's other words didn't make Gamora feel anything, but the last sentence moved her heart. Carefree—she had indeed left Thanos for the sake of freedom and those innocent lives. She had already seen the true nature of this 'Father' of hers; he was a madman, a devil, and even more so, a cold-blooded killing machine.
"I agree with what this rodent said, I have decided to join."
Before Gamora could speak, a voice suddenly appeared in the room, startling everyone. Turning their heads to look, it was indeed Drax, covered in needles. He had just been lying on the hospital bed unconscious; no one expected him to be awake now, and even able to talk and chat. It was truly monstrous recovery power.
"You black-skinned fatty, you actually woke up so fast, you really have a tough life."
Although Drax's words made Rocket very unhappy, he ultimately forgave him for the sake of him being a wounded person, especially since he agreed with Rocket's suggestion, which was enough. Such bickering and fighting made Gamora's heart warm, giving her a hint of the feeling of home. Where Thanos was, there was only endless training and fighting, as well as her sister's hostility and battles with various monsters, just like hell. After Gamora bowed her head in silence for a moment, she raised her head and brushed her red hair.
"I join."
Regardless of the Guardians of the Galaxy that had already taken shape, Artoria's clone on Earth was currently encountering some trouble, and it was not a small one. The clone looked at the woman in front of her with a numb scalp—yes, it was that giant woman. At this moment, she had become the size of a normal person, interestingly examining the clone.
"Why hasn't the Ancient One appeared yet? This is an Old God! Why did she come to me?"
The clone prayed for the arrival of the Ancient One while accepting Gaia's inspection. This made the clone very uncomfortable, as if sitting in front of a giant beast, but fortunately, it was a clone and would not die; at most, the shadow clone technique would just be dispelled.
"You are very special, child. This does not seem to be your true body. Is it a split body?"
Through the memory of the Earth, Gaia quickly found some clues. During the Battle of New York, the Noble Phantasm that Artoria unleashed had its special energy remembered by the Earth. By comparing it with the residual energy on the seal, Gaia confirmed the person who helped her break the seal. She didn't expect it to be such a cute child. Especially the state of the clone made Gaia very interested; such an existence like an energy body that would not dissipate was truly interesting.
"This lady, we don't seem to be very familiar, right!"
Knowing the other party's identity was one thing, but the other party's attitude toward her left the clone very confused. She didn't seem to know this Old God, right! Ancient One, please hurry over and deal with this monster! I can't hold on much longer. But the clone didn't know that the Ancient One had been there the whole time; she was in the Mirror Dimension, watching all along but never coming out. It seemed she was still very wary of Gaia. Although she didn't know why Gaia was looking for Artoria, she could only stand there and watch, hoping to figure out Gaia's purpose. Moreover, this was a clone; if not necessary, it was better not to expose herself.
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