"What do you mean by that?!" Gamora's heart tightened at Ego's words. She glared fiercely in the direction of Ego's planet, her voice heavy with suspicion.
"Have you not confessed your feelings to each other yet? How slow," Ego's mocking voice rang out, followed by a light chuckle. "Back when I met Peter's mother, we were far more decisive than you two."
"Although, this might be for the best. At least Peter won't be too influenced by you."
"Fire!" Gamora snarled, recognizing the taunt in Ego's tone. She couldn't stand Ego speaking about her and Star-Lord's relationship, especially now that Ego had shifted from Star-Lord's father to their sworn enemy.
Gamora, like Yondu, made the same choice: destroy Ego's defensive barrier and storm the planet to rescue Star-Lord!
The Guardians' ship unleashed a terrifying energy beam. Thanks to Rocket's modifications, the ship no longer had to worry about energy constraints. Furthermore, Star-Lord's high-end spaceship boasted firepower far superior to Yondu's vessel.
Yet, despite this tremendous firepower—capable of annihilating planets—the ship's attacks only caused faint ripples on Ego's energy shield.
"This is why I didn't want Peter associating with you. You mortals don't understand the gap between us. You're mere mortals, while we are true Celestials," Ego's face began to fade from the planet's surface, his voice carrying a hint of derision.
"Keep firing if you like, but save some energy. If you run out and get stranded in space, don't expect me to rescue you. Your deaths wouldn't concern me…"
Inside the palace, Star-Lord, now awakening his divine power, remained unaware of the events unfolding outside. Ego was careful not to let any accidents jeopardize his grand plan. He had learned from the past when an awakened child's uncontrolled emotions nearly derailed his efforts.
"Is this really our strongest firepower? Even that can't penetrate the shield?" Gamora's eyes burned with frustration as she stared at the shield, her voice trembling with unwillingness.
"Yes, that's everything we've got," Rocket admitted, shaking his head. "I've also tried contacting Quill, but there's no response. It's like the signal is completely blocked."
Rocket, though brilliant, couldn't perform miracles. He couldn't upgrade the already top-tier ship's firepower system any further.
"How is this possible? Ego's just a planet. Even if he's sentient, how can he have so many abilities?" Nebula frowned, struggling to understand. "He didn't mention any of this when he introduced himself."
"Don't forget—he took out the Sovereign's fleet with one strike," Rocket reminded grimly. To him, Ego was as fearsome as Robert. In fact, Rocket doubted even Robert would have a way to break through the barrier.
"Sayians…" An idea flashed through Rocket's mind. If Robert might not be Ego's match, he could at least restrain him long enough for them to rescue Star-Lord.
"Sayians?!" Gamora's eyes lit up briefly before dimming again. "But only Quill knows how to contact them. We don't."
"We could go to Earth. Once there, we could reach out to the Avengers and the Sayians," Rocket suggested, pointing toward Ego's planet. "Staying here is pointless. If we wait too long, who knows what might happen to Quill?"
"It seems like our only option," Gamora admitted, frustration flashing in her eyes. Once again, she felt how powerless she was—an echo of the same helplessness she felt under Thanos's shadow.
Yet, after encountering Robert and now Ego, Gamora began to reconsider Thanos's strength. Compared to these two, perhaps Thanos wasn't as invincible as he seemed. If Thanos were to face Ego, Gamora believed he would undoubtedly lose—unless he had some unknown ace up his sleeve.
"We'll get reinforcements. You keep an eye on Ego's planet and let us know if anything happens!" Gamora instructed Yondu through a message before switching the ship to hyperspeed, swiftly leaving Ego's orbit.
"Reinforcements? Do they really have someone who can take on Ego? Or are they just running away?" Yondu frowned at Gamora's words. Years of experience as a Ravager made him skeptical of the Guardians' loyalty.
In Yondu's eyes, the Guardians were a loose group held together by Star-Lord's leadership. Now that he was in trouble, Yondu doubted his team would genuinely risk their lives to save him.
More importantly, Yondu didn't believe there was anyone in the galaxy who could rival Ego. Over his years of traveling, he'd seen countless civilizations and powerful beings, but none that approached Ego's level.
Even if the rumors of the Kree Empire's fall held truth, Yondu knew such a figure had no connection to Quill. Yondu had raised Star-Lord himself and knew everyone in his circle. Before Yondu took him, Quill had lived only on Earth—a backwater planet Yondu considered insignificant.
Star-Lord, unaware of Yondu's concerns, was fully engrossed in exploring his newfound power. The sheer vastness of his abilities left him no room to think about anything else.
Ego's planet even simulated day and night cycles, though not through natural rotation. The shift was entirely controlled by Ego's will. When he wanted to rest, the planet would enter night mode.
"For the first time in years, I'll sleep without Mantis's help. Hopefully, I'll have a good dream," Ego murmured, lying in bed as his consciousness returned to his core. "Tomorrow, my grand plan begins."
Meanwhile, Star-Lord found himself restless. The events of the day were too overwhelming, and Ego's words echoed in his mind:
"Peter, we are not mortals. As long as the light inside this planet burns, we are eternal. With this light, we can create anything. Of course, it may take you millions of years of practice to build a planet like mine…"
"You can create whatever you want. But remember, Peter, with this power comes great responsibility. We alone can reshape the universe. We alone can steer it toward its rightful destiny."
As these words replayed, a flame of divine energy flickered to life in Star-Lord's hand. The sight startled him from his bed.
"Immortal, huh? That's better than most gods, isn't it?" he mused excitedly, before his thoughts darkened. "But what about Gamora? If I'm immortal, what happens to her?"
His excitement turned to doubt. He glanced at the communicator on his wrist, realizing he hadn't asked where Gamora and the others were staying. Knowing Ego's personality, he doubted anyone else was allowed in the palace.
He tried contacting Gamora, but only static met his ears. Assuming she was asleep, Star-Lord decided to look for her. To him, Gamora remained more important than Ego, despite the bond he had started to feel with his father.
As he wandered the palace, he stumbled upon a room he didn't recognize.
"A collection room?" he muttered, taking in the odd assortment of items. "I guess it makes sense. Ego's been around for ages. He'd naturally have some collections."
Just as he turned to leave, a familiar glow caught his eye—a spark of energy like his own, radiating from a vase. Curious, he touched the vase, and the ground beneath him trembled. A hidden passage revealed itself, leading downward.
"An underground chamber? Could this be the source of my power calling to me?" Star-Lord wondered, recalling Ego's earlier explanations.
He hesitated briefly before descending into the mysterious space, a flame of divine energy lighting his path.
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