With that thought, Peter wasted no more time, ordering directly in his mind:
"System, sacrifice the Power Stone!"
The instant the command fell, the Power Stone in Peter's hand vanished out of thin air.
Not even a single trace of energy fluctuation remained behind.
In its place, Peter's sacrifice point balance exploded upward by a massive amount!
This surreal scene once again sent the crowd on the deck into an absolute frenzy.
"Where... where is the Stone?!"
Irani Rael's voice nearly cracked from sheer panic.
"Mr. Parker, that is a universe-ending hazard capable of obliterating entire star systems!"
"We cannot afford even the slightest mistake!"
Peter dusted off his hands—which didn't even have a single speck of dirt on them—and offered the Nova Prime a warm, reassuring smile:
"Relax, Prime Minister."
"I just felt that little glass marble was far too dangerous to leave lying around, so I sent it to a place where no entity in existence will ever be able to reach it."
"From this day forward, no matter who tries to scheme for this Stone, it will remain nothing more than a delusion."
"Even if Thanos himself brings his entire armada to hunt for it, he won't be able to detect a single trace of its whereabouts."
Hearing his confident assurance, and recalling the terrifying display of combat power Peter used to crush Ronan like a bug, Irani's tightly wound nerves finally began to unwind.
After all, if Peter could effortlessly handle a monster like Ronan, what right did they have to second-guess his decisions?
If they actually managed to displease this absolute powerhouse, wouldn't Xandar risk inviting a second planetary apocalyptic crisis?
"If that is the case, then I shall press the matter no further!"
Irani let out a long, heavy sigh of relief, then enthusiastically stepped forward to take Peter's hand:
"Mr. Peter Parker, thank you for your extraordinary contribution to Xandar."
"You haven't just saved Xandar today—you have saved the entire galaxy!"
"To express our utmost gratitude, the Nova Corps will immediately host the highest-standard victory banquet in the capital for you!"
"The doors of our planetary treasury are wide open for you as well. Anything you desire, we shall present with both hands!"
Faced with such a generous reward, Peter naturally had no intention of declining.
However, he didn't leave with Irani right away. Instead, he walked over to Star-Lord, whose body was still covered in spiderweb cracks:
"Looks like you could use a hand, kid."
Without waiting for Star-Lord's reaction, Peter pressed his hand firmly against Quill's shoulder.
In the next second, the power of the Horse Talisman activated.
A gentle, soothing white light enveloped Star-Lord's entire body, instantly mending his cracked, semi-crystallized frame back to perfection.
"WTF!" Star-Lord blurted out an immediate curse:
"Are you really from Earth?! How are we from the exact same planet, yet I've never seen such ungodly power before?!"
"Kid, there are a lot of things in this universe you've yet to understand."
Peter patted his shoulder lightly, a sly, merchant-like smile spreading across his face:
"Now then, down to business. How do you plan to settle the medical bill for my treatment?"
Star-Lord: ???
"Bro, come on, I thought..."
"Thought this was American universal healthcare?" Peter looked at him with an amused smirk: "Did you honestly think America ever had a thing like that?"
"Alright, fine~" Star-Lord raised both hands in mock surrender:
"Name it. What do you want? Considering you saved my life, as long as I have it, I promise it's yours!"
However, the very next second, noticing Peter sizing him up from head to toe, Quill felt an uncomfortable chill run down his spine. He instinctively crossed his arms over his chest, stammering with a panicked expression:
"B-but paying with my body is strictly out of the question! I'm a man with principles!"
Peter: ...
Before Peter could calculate how much force to put into a slap without accidentally taking Quill's head off, Sif—standing beside him—had already drawn her dual swords.
Daring to insult her man? He's asking to be executed!
"Forget it, Sif."
Peter held Sif back, turning to glare at Star-Lord with a forehead full of black lines:
"I have no interest in taking anything physical from you. All I need is for you to lead me to your biological father. That will be more than enough."
"My... biological father?!" Star-Lord tilted his head, looking completely lost.
"Man, don't tell me we're actually half-brothers or something, and you got dumped by that deadbeat dad of ours just like I did."
"Though I know that kind of drama happens all the time back in the States..."
Wiping a cold sweat from his forehead, Peter retorted:
"Unfortunately for your imagination, I know very well who my parents are."
Turning his gaze toward Yondu, who was standing nearby with a solemn, heavy expression, Peter added:
"As for the details, you can ask your adoptive father first. Once you've thought it through, come find me."
With that, Peter took Sif's hand and smiled:
"Let's go, babe~"
"Now that the game's over, it's time to enjoy the fine wine and food Xandar has to offer."
"Oh, but before we head out..."
Remembering something, Peter suddenly pressed his palm down onto the ruined hull of the Dark Aster beneath their feet.
Leaving Ronan's ship here without plucking its value would be a waste of good resources.
[Detected Purple-Tier Sacrifice Item: Severely Damaged High-Tier Starship]
[Sacrifice Value: 20,000 Points]
SWOOSH~!
The moment Peter uttered the command in his mind, the giant Dark Aster beneath everyone's feet vanished into thin air!
The Guardians of the Galaxy: HOLY SHIT—!
While Peter squeezed the last bit of value from Ronan's leftovers and left with Sif to attend Xandar's grand victory banquet...
On the far side of the galaxy—
Earth, Cape Canaveral Space Center.
Under dim, flickering lights, several figures draped in dark robes sat gathered around a metallic round table.
Their facial features continuously morphed and distorted in the shadows, eventually settling into green-skinned, sharp-chinned, sinister countenances.
"That Peter Parker guy has been off Earth for more than three full days now!"
"Not only that, but our orbital satellites haven't picked up a single trace of his energy signature. That means there's zero chance he can return from deep space anytime soon!"
"Doesn't that make this a heaven-sent opportunity for us?"
"But... what about General Talos...?"
Before the speaker could finish, a tall, heavily built Skrull sitting at the head of the table slammed his fist down hard!
"There are no 'buts'!"
He stood up, his sharp, icy gaze sweeping across every face in the room:
"What? Do you honestly still believe that old, washed-up relic—who gets run in circles by a one-eyed human—can actually lead us to the promised land?"
"Do you really believe Peter Parker will genuinely find a new homeworld for us out of the goodness of his heart?"
The Skrulls exchanged uncertain glances with one another. Eventually, a senior Skrull spoke up tentatively:
"Gravik... what are you trying to say?"
"What am I trying to say?" Gravik, the tall Skrull, let out a menacing, vicious laugh:
"I am saying we overthrow Talos's senile rule this instant! And while that monster of a human is trapped deep in outer space, we take complete control of Earth for ourselves!
We don't need anyone's charity. Earth IS our promised land!"
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