At this point, combining the clues of the Soul Gem with intelligence about its requirements, even if Thanos suspects something, he will definitely give it a try.
Otherwise, if this purple potato freak could drag on despite knowing the intel, his patience would truly be impressive — but it would also delay his grand plans.
"As long as Thanos takes Nebula as a hostage, Gamora will eventually compromise. As for whether Thanos will play a bait-and-switch in the end, that’s his concern."
Tao Yu glanced at Rocket, then spoke to him,
"You can fly the ship, right?"
"Don’t underestimate me!"
Rocket seemed to sense the doubt in the question. When it came to mechanical modifications and ship controls, Rocket was brimming with confidence.
"Ah, I was planning to go to the Land of Nihility with you."
Thor looked a little disappointed.
"You’re the God of Thunder. What would happen if Asgardian warriors lose ground without your leadership?"
Tao Yu casually flattered Thor, which immediately made him puff out his chest.
"You’re absolutely right. After what those Ziritans did, they really owe us an explanation."
The fleet of three Zirita motherships heading toward Earth had been nearly annihilated in an instant, unable even to send back a signal.
Blackout, Black Dwarf, and the Mind Scepter had all disappeared without a trace — a catastrophic loss for Thanos’ forces.
At a time , if the Asgardians came knocking furiously, the chances of the Ziritans panicking were slim. At most, they’d shift the blame onto Loki.
After all, dragging Loki into the matter would turn it into Asgard’s own issue. The Ziritans would just be seen as external collaborators, making it much easier to explain...
A small delta-winged spacecraft landed directly on the rooftop platform of a building.
The ship measured just about forty meters in length, coated entirely in silver-white. It had no tires, only a simple supporting frame keeping it docked.
In terms of size, it was smaller than even passenger planes, giving it a rather compact appearance.
The streamlined hull looked sleek and elegant. As Tao Yu approached, the ship’s recognition system slowly lowered its boarding ramp.
Rocket climbed up the stairs with enthusiasm, saying in high spirits,
"Not bad! This is the latest model. Not easy to get your hands on. The Nova Corps really gave the Asgardians some face — with this, we’ll reach the Land of Nihility in no time."
Rocket was so excited that he started rubbing his hands together in glee.
Dropping onto all fours, he scurried through the ship’s interior before leaping onto the control panel.
Comparatively, the control levers were even larger than Rocket himself.
But that didn’t faze him. He immediately pulled out a pile of tools and began dismantling the control stick with reckless abandon.
Although his movements seemed chaotic, Tao Yu, who had trained with Tony for quite some time, could still sense Rocket’s level of proficiency.
This guy had a remarkable talent for mechanics. In just a few quick moves, he dismantled the original control panel and modified it himself.
Using a few wrenches and metal rods, he crafted a smaller joystick more suited to his size.
"Cool! Buckle up, boss, because now it’s Rocket time!"
Rocket let out a whoop before swiftly activating an array of buttons on the ship’s panel. Lights flickered and indicators beeped in succession.
When all the instrument lights began blinking in a synchronized rhythm, he shoved the control stick forward and yanked it hard.
The spaceship, docked on the rooftop platform, roared to life with flames shooting out as it shot skyward and accelerated instantly!
As a product of an interstellar civilization, this Sandaar-provided spacecraft seamlessly transitioned from within the atmosphere to outer space.
Its resistance to gravitational pull was also exceptionally robust.
Though small in size, its technological sophistication was impressive.
For instance, the Zirita motherships, despite their massive size, lacked the capability to directly enter Earth’s atmosphere — they risked being torn apart by gravitational forces.
Rocket pushed the acceleration so hard that the sensation of being thrown back into the seat was overwhelming. Grul had to extend some roots to tie himself down, muttering a complaint under his breath,
Rocket noticed that Tao Yu wasn’t even seated or strapped in. He was just casually floating beside Rocket without any protection, which prompted a double-take.
"You superpowered types really don’t play by the rules. Is everyone from Asgard ?"
Amid Rocket’s grumbling, the spaceship smashed into a nearby space channel, transforming the surroundings into a prismatic pattern of flashing rhomboid shapes as they rapidly jumped through the void.
In terms of piloting skills, Rocket and Star Lord were among the best.
Experiencing space-jumping from a spacecraft for the first time, Tao Yu noticed how it felt completely different from the Rainbow Bridge.
Even though he could achieve better effects with the Space Gem, that didn’t stop him from collecting related data. Observing the multi-colored textures during the jump, he realized the principle was somewhat similar to the Rainbow Bridge.
The key difference was that the Rainbow Bridge absorbed energy from the Tree of the World, effectively functioning as a weapon that pierced through space directly at its source. Meanwhile, these interstellar jump paths relied more on naturally occurring weak points in space, reinforced for travel purposes.
Each pathway demanded different requirements for a ship’s mass and velocity.
"Actually, the essence of true teleportation still lies in the Realm Will’s transfers. Systems like Marvel’s can’t function once they leave their universe, so all I can do is collect data and experience."
Tao Yu’s eyes glimmered with streams of data as he attempted to record the phenomenon using his innate talents while casually remarking to Rocket,
"I have to admit, I’m a bit curious about you as an individual. Mind sharing your story?"
Tao Yu had divined that Rocket could offer him something valuable. Since the prediction wasn’t vague or cryptic, it probably wasn’t about the Infinite Gems this time but instead related to another secret Rocket carried.
There seemed to be hidden depths to Rocket’s past — for instance, the mystery of his origins. This naturally piqued Tao Yu’s interest.
He figured that since they were here, he might as well ask.
But as soon as Rocket heard Tao Yu’s words, his initial excitement about the ship visibly drained away. He seemed to recall something he’d rather bury forever.
"Boss, I’m just on your payroll; I’m not obligated to answer questions irrelevant to the mission."
Rocket’s voice turned dry and curt.
"Oh, did I touch a nerve?"
"Not at all! What’s there for me to be upset about? I’m Rocket, the best Bounty Hunter around."
Rocket vehemently denied it, but Tao Yu could still sense the emotional ripples beneath his words.
It made sense, though. A talking raccoon with signs of heavy modification on him — perhaps he’d endured something too painful to share.
"If Rocket really is an artificial creation, then whoever designed him must have incredible expertise in biological science. Could my fortune with him be tied to the ’Life Equation’?"
Tao Yu thought of the yet-to-be-decoded Life Stele.
If all the Infinite Gems were collected while this one puzzle remained unsolved, it’d be kind of ridiculous.
Perhaps it was worth digging deeper...
As Tao Yu cataloged various jump parameters, using his Spatial Talent and Space Gem to mark Flying Thunder God coordinates, Rocket lived up to his word.
Relying on the Nova Corps’ cutting-edge high-speed ship, he brought them to the Land of Nihility in just a few days.
With a flash of prismatic rhomboid light in the deep starry sky, a spacecraft emerged from the passage.
Fragments of meteorites floated around, while the distant glow of a star gave the environment a dim and eerie ambiance.
Looking ahead, a massive skull-shaped structure appeared, now repurposed as a space station.
Even from a considerable distance, the outlines of the colossal skull were distinct. Floating in the desolate void of space, it emanated an unsettling vibe.
Ships constantly buzzed in and out of the skull’s eyes, mouth, and other openings, clearly signifying that this mysterious giant creature’s remains had been converted into a thriving hub.
Tao Yu fixed his gaze on the enormous skull ahead.
Even after countless millennia, it retained a thick, lingering aura.
The remnants of a Celestial God’s head...