Although Ronan was frustrated, he knew he was no match for Thanos. In fact, he was unaware that two of the Black Order had already fallen. Ronan even doubted whether he could defeat any member of the Black Order in a one-on-one battle. Especially when it came to formidable opponents like Corvus Glaive and Supergiant, Ronan didn't feel confident in winning.
The power gap between Thanos and the Black Order was immense, and since Ronan couldn't even defeat them, it was clear he wouldn't stand a chance against Thanos himself.
If Thanos were truly that easy to deal with, he wouldn't have made such a name for himself across the cosmos. His actions had not only made various empires and interstellar civilizations wary, leading them to halt their conflicts and stay vigilant, but many civilizations had also joined forces to defend against his inhumane slaughter.
Thus, Ronan ultimately compromised. While searching for information about the Orb, he also began looking for a suitable planet to attack.
If possible, Ronan would have preferred to annihilate an entire planet's population, leaving no trace or evidence. This way, no one would come after him, and they would simply assume that Thanos, who had recently taken a brief pause, had resumed his murderous spree.
Unfortunately for Ronan, Thanos wouldn't allow him to act this way. Ronan understood that this planet would serve as a token of allegiance, a gesture that would finalize his collaboration with Thanos.
"Any planet will do, preferably one that hasn't reached interstellar status…" Ronan's eyes gleamed as he calculated, thinking to himself, "Honestly, Earth seems like a good option. If I attacked Earth, would that lunatic Carol fight Thanos? Hmm... never mind, Earth is too dangerous. That Kryptonian died there for some unknown reason. I'd better choose another target."
Ronan pulled up the Kree Empire's database and randomly selected a distant, underdeveloped planet, heading off with minimal forces.
Even though Ronan's own power wasn't among the top, the Kree Empire's warships were no joke. These warships were some of the most advanced in the universe, and unless the target planet had a nearly invulnerable powerhouse like Captain Marvel, the Kree warships could easily dominate any battlefield.
After confirming his target, Ronan wasted no time and piloted his warship to the backward planet. Though this planet appeared innocent, Ronan had no intention of showing mercy. Even without Thanos, the Kree Empire had committed similar atrocities many times before.
Ronan's actions were swift. This remote planet, with technology even more primitive than Earth's, stood no chance against the might of Kree technology.
The natives of the planet tried to resist, but the gap between the two sides was akin to fighting with sticks against guns. After the mass slaughter of their people, the natives quickly gave up their resistance.
Ronan then revealed himself to the natives, offering a chilling ultimatum. He promised that the half of the population standing on his left would be allowed to live, while the half on his right would be killed.
Faced with the terror of death, many began to fight each other for a chance to live, scrambling to secure a spot on Ronan's left side. Some even attacked others to meet the numbers required on the right side.
Of course, just as there were those who fought for survival, there were also those willing to sacrifice themselves for their loved ones. One such individual was Arthur Samson Douglas.
Douglas, covered in wounds, did everything in his power to ensure that his wife and daughter made it to the left side, where they would be spared. But Douglas, not wanting another innocent to die because of him, warned those who had failed. He patted his daughter's head, nodded at his wife, and then resolutely walked toward the right side, awaiting death.
"Interesting." Ronan watched the drama unfold before him, his eyes gleaming with amusement. He was starting to enjoy the feeling of controlling life and death. This method of sparing half while killing the other half was far more satisfying than outright slaughter. It made him feel like a god.
"Perhaps Thanos enjoys this feeling, too," Ronan mused with a smirk. "The whole thing about resource shortages is probably just an excuse."
His mood lifted, Ronan found the arrangement more agreeable. "But it's not enough to just let these natives think they've gotten what they wanted. They need to remember this moment. It has to be unforgettable, right?"
With that thought, Ronan tapped the controls on his arm. Instantly, the warship's weapons powered up, and a terrifying laser shot out—not at the condemned right side, but at the left, where people had fought so hard for a chance to survive.
A massive explosion rocked the planet, leaving a deep trench hundreds of meters wide where the ground had once been. The people who had been so hopeful moments ago were obliterated without a trace, their bodies turning to dust.
"No!" Douglas cried out in agony. He had sensed something was wrong the moment the laser fired, but despite his strength, he couldn't move fast enough. He didn't have the power to stop the laser or the speed to reach his wife and daughter in time to die with them. All he could do was watch helplessly as they vanished into nothingness.
Staring at the deep abyss in front of him, Douglas knelt, his face blank with shock. Unlike Douglas, most of the surviving natives were overjoyed.
They had been ready to die, but now they were alive. How could they not be thankful?
Still, they were nervous. Ronan had promised to spare the other half, but now that the other half was dead, would they really survive?
"Why? Why did you kill them? You promised they would live!" Douglas roared in anger, charging toward Ronan.
"Relax," Ronan said, waving off his guards, who were ready to intervene. He smiled at Douglas. "What's wrong? Isn't living a good thing? Look at your fellow natives—they're happy to be alive. Shouldn't you be thanking me?"
"Thank you, my ass!" Douglas spat, launching himself at Ronan with fury.
Douglas no longer cared about the power disparity between himself and Ronan, or even the invaders. All he wanted was to vent his rage. If he died, so be it; at least he would reunite with his wife and daughter.
With a loud crash, Ronan swung his hammer, the Universal Weapon, sending Douglas flying.
Douglas's chest was horribly deformed, but he didn't seem to notice. He simply got up and prepared to charge at Ronan again.
"Not afraid of death? Or are you just determined to die by my hand?" Ronan raised an eyebrow, then smirked. He raised his weapon and fired a blast of energy, instantly killing one of the natives.
"My original plan was to leave after killing the other half," Ronan said, laughing. "But since you're so intent on defying me, I'll just keep killing your people. Every time you attack me, one more of your kind will die. Let's see how many die because of you."
Douglas froze as he saw the native's body explode into a cloud of blood. He hesitated, overwhelmed with anger, grief, and indecision.
"Douglas, stop! Do you want to get us all killed?" the other natives shouted, rushing toward him. They tied him up, desperate to prevent him from continuing his futile rebellion.
They didn't have the strength to resist Ronan, but they could certainly restrain Douglas, especially since they had the moral high ground of preserving their race.
"You're too selfish! Sure, you're strong, but what good is that?"
"Yeah! If you could beat them, we'd follow you. But if you're just going to throw your life away, why take us all down with you?"
"Exactly! If you don't want to live, wait until they leave and then kill yourself. Just don't drag us into it. We still want to survive."
Hearing the chatter around him, Douglas's face twisted into a bitter smile. He suddenly felt a sense of sorrow but couldn't find the words to express it.
"How boring," Ronan sighed, disappointed as he watched Douglas's spirit break. "I thought his people would kill him, or maybe they'd start fighting each other." He shook his head, but then a sly grin crept across his face.
"Go tell them," he said to his guard. "Let them know that we were just following orders. The real mastermind behind all this is Thanos, the Mad Titan. If they want revenge, they should know who to target."
"Yes, sir!" the guard replied, immediately relaying Ronan's message to the natives.
"Thanos?" Douglas muttered, fury burning in his eyes. But what could he do? He couldn't even defeat Ronan, let alone the mighty Thanos.
"Oh, and tell them," Ronan added with a smirk, "that Thanos won't stop at their planet. He'll continue wiping out half the population of many more planets. They're not the only ones to suffer this fate."
"There are others like me?" Douglas thought as the image of his wife and daughter's deaths flashed in his mind. His fists clenched tightly as rage coursed through him, his strength exploding as he knocked the others away.
"Douglas! Are you trying to get us all killed?" his people cried out in panic as they watched him begin to resist once again.
"From this day forward, I am no longer Douglas. I am Drax—Drax the Destroyer!" Drax took a deep breath, scanning his people as he spoke in a cold, determined voice. "You all can continue to live in hiding and fear. But I will seek revenge! Whether it's Thanos or him, I will kill them both. Not just for my wife and daughter, but to prevent others from suffering the same fate."
"You're crazy! You couldn't even beat this invader, and now you want to take on someone even stronger?"
"He's lost his mind! Just let him go, as long as he doesn't get us killed!"
"Yeah, as long as he doesn't mess with the invaders anymore, who cares what he does! We just want to live, even if it means living in fear."
The other natives couldn't comprehend Drax's resolve. To them, survival at any cost was the only option. Watching Drax walk away from his people, Ronan, intrigued by the development, chuckled.
"Thanos, I've found you a little problem. Hopefully, he can give you a bit of trouble, even if it's just a minor inconvenience."
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