Rocket Raccoon and Star-Lord were still there behind the scenes, one moment shooting at someone, the next tripping another. Before long, the entire hall was in chaos.
The High Lord had just stepped out of the elevator and nearly got hit by a bullet. The Cosmic Elder wasn't the kind to tolerate such things; he flew into the center of the room, and with a gust of wind, everyone was toppled over.
"QUIET!!!" he shouted.
The gamblers lay sprawled on the ground, seeing a tough guy had arrived, they dared not make noise, simply playing dead on the ground.
However, the members of the Guardians of the Galaxy were rather energized. Star-Lord immediately jumped up and said, "You actually have the nerve to show up?! We only came here because of your reputation, High Lord. Who knew you'd play such a dirty trick! I'm telling you, others might fear you, but we, the Guardians of the Galaxy, do not! If you don't give us an explanation today, I'll let the entire cosmos know your dirty deeds tomorrow!"
Seeing Star-Lord, the High Lord also felt a headache. He knew this kid but feared his adoptive father more. The Ravagers were a force to reckon with, and if the interstellar pirates learned about this, within three days the whole cosmos would know.
By then, not only would his casino lose business, but the investors would also trouble him. Thinking of this, the High Lord glared fiercely at his Butler, but he knew now was not the time to blame. He had to pacify these people quickly.
"About the pinball machine, I am very sorry. I'm sure you've heard of my reputation. Even with the biggest bets, I've never welched on a debt, so why would I cheat for a bit of money?"
"Then what's going on?!"
"To be honest, you guys have actually done me a big favor today. If not for someone crashing the machine, I wouldn't have known there was a magnet inside. Whether it was the supplier or a dishonest employee, I'm not sure yet. But I swear on my reputation as the High Lord, I didn't cheat, and had no intention of scamming money!"
In fact, most people still believed him, as the High Lord had a good reputation. He bet boldly and his skills were superb, earning admiration even from those who lost.
Moreover, Cosmic Elders never lacked money. Having lived so long, their accumulated wealth was unimaginable. Bored from having earned enough, they indulged in hobbies to pass time.
Besides, the issue was with the pinball machine, something only beginners played with; seasoned gamblers played cards. Tampering with it wouldn't yield much money, making it pointless.
Star-Lord didn't intend to fall out with the High Lord, he merely snorted coldly, saying: "You know my temper. If not for the Cosmic Elders, I'd have smashed this black market long ago."
"Yes, yes," the High Lord admitted his mistake, trying to appease him: "Everyone knows, the Guardians of the Galaxy is a well-known name, renowned since your adoptive father's time. Today's incident was truly an accident; there's no need to make a big fuss about it. Whatever you want, just ask, and I'll do my best to satisfy you."
Star-Lord thought of directly requesting the Infinity Gem, but Rocket Raccoon pulled his hand. After considering, he decided to go with the original plan. He said: "Let's make a bet. If I win, I want one of your treasures."
"Of course, that's no problem, but what do you want?"
"The Infinity Gem."
The High Lord immediately frowned. Given what Shiller said earlier, he quickly realized this person might be sent by the human race, targeting his Infinity Gem to gather all the gems and win the war.
Since he had previously rejected Shiller, he obviously couldn't let Star-Lord have his way. However, since the opponent proposed a wager instead of demanding outright, refusing would ruin his own reputation.
The High Lord had absolute confidence in gambling and accepted the challenge on the spot.
"Okay, no problem. Since it's to compensate for your loss, you decide what to bet on. I won't ask for stakes; losing is fine, but if you win, I'll naturally give you what you want."
Just then, Star-Lord noticed Constantine behind the High Lord. He knew Constantine, the very guy who had jailed them.
And now, seeing Constantine with the High Lord, who clearly knew him, he wondered if he might be too late.
Star-Lord increasingly felt something was off: if Constantine arrived first and wanted the Infinity Gem, and the High Lord didn't give it, they'd have clashed by now.
But if Constantine hadn't asked, why was he here?
Star-Lord wasn't particularly clever, unable to untangle such complicated thoughts. The damn Devil didn't mention this when sending him over, leaving him to improvise. He was clueless.
He couldn't help but glance around, searching for the Devil, wondering if he'd followed. Suddenly, he looked up and saw a figure atop the chandelier, immediately relieved, thinking: "What now? Could they be teaming up against me? I can't beat them!"
What worried Star-Lord was that if the High Lord had already given Constantine the Gem, even winning the wager meant he'd have to snatch it, but having been caught by Constantine before, he stood no chance, rendering his trip useless.
"You're too late," a voice sounded in Star-Lord's ear, "He's already given the Gem to Constantine. Now, if you want it, you'll have to grab it."
"But I can't beat him!!!" Star-Lord roared.
"Don't worry, I told you I'd help."
Before finishing, a blood-red light shot from Star-Lord's eyes, striking the High Lord in the chest, sending him flying unprepared.
The High Lord, caught by surprise, was furious. He roared and punched at Star-Lord, who reflexively raised an arm in defense, finding a blood-red shield blocking the attack, rendering the High Lord powerless.
Ecstatic, he let out a strange cry, raised One Hand, and unleashed another beam, hitting the High Lord again, burning a large hole in the wall.
An incredulous Star-Lord, experiencing such power for the first time, stared at his hands, jumped up and down, and swung his fist vigorously, forgetting all about the Infinity Gem, just wanting to thrash these people.