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Arthur still remembers the unease he felt when he first arrived in this world, his instinctive resistance to all dangers.
If someone had told him back then to dig a hole and bury himself, promising that the deeper he dug, the safer he would be, he might have just dug all the way through the planet.
At that time, his dream was to hide.
Why fight in life?
If he could simply and safely secure the means to survive, why not just do it?
But the events that followed relentlessly forced him to move forward. The more he resisted, the more danger seemed to close in.
After a conversation with Odin, Arthur finally decided to face the challenges head-on.
Since being passive had never allowed him to control his future, he would take matters into his own hands. He might still not be able to fully control his future, but at least he would witness everything firsthand.
So, he worked tirelessly to get to where he is today.
However, when Nova Prime posed that question today, Arthur took a moment to reflect and realized that, in some ways, he hadn't changed at all.
He still longed for a life of safety and peace.
It was just that his approach to achieving it had completely transformed.
In the past, he had been passive, hoping that one day a hero would casually defeat Thanos, ensuring the future would be free of danger.
Now, he had decided to be that hero himself, combining forces, organizing an effective combat strategy, and when Thanos arrived, delivering a full-strength right hook to his face, knocking the purple menace senseless.
Only then could he live in peace.
The ultimate goal… was still a peaceful life. Nothing had changed.
Unfortunately, this reasoning didn't convince Nova Prime. Her expression was a bit odd as she studied Arthur, paused to think, and finally shook her head with a smile. "I'm sorry, but I simply can't accept that answer."
Arthur smiled. "Yes, even I find it hard to believe. But honestly, if 'fate' hadn't been pushing me along, maybe I'd still be hiding, still unwilling to step forward… and everything today would be different. So, I think your question might be wasting our time. My answer is sincere, but you don't believe it."
Nova Prime was silent for a moment before speaking again. "Actually, I could agree to all your demands, but I don't want Xandar to be used as a stepping stone for anyone's ambitions."
"There are no ambitions." Arthur looked at Nova Prime with absolute sincerity. "If I must talk about ambitions, all I seek is the power to protect myself."
Nova Prime was taken aback. Though she didn't believe Arthur's unusual reasoning, when she looked into his eyes, she saw the sincerity in his words.
She nodded slowly and said, "Then let's discuss this alliance in more detail?"
"In this regard, you're actually not at a disadvantage…" Arthur said. "First, this isn't about the entire planet of Xandar, just a small permission from you. We want to use this to establish connections across the universe. In return, Xandar will be protected as one of the civilizations under Asgard."
"Asgard?"
Nova Prime looked down at Thor, who was sitting with Banner, having a drink. "When we met, you introduced him as a god from Asgard?"
"He is Odin's son, Thor Odinson," Arthur confirmed.
Nova Prime's expression shifted. Then, as the pieces fell into place, she understood. "No wonder…"
No wonder this small team possessed such terrifying combat power.
Even a god from Asgard was just one member of their group. It was clear how formidable the whole team must be, likely made up of the best warriors from various races.
Of course, Nova Prime had overestimated things.
Aside from the newly allied Star-Lord team, the rest were all Earth-born superheroes, Thor included.
Now, these superheroes, who had been enjoying themselves on Earth, were like country folk entering the big city, wide-eyed and awestruck by the dazzling cultures of the universe, thinking about how they could absorb these new ideas and make them their own.
However, Arthur had no intention of explaining this to Nova Prime.
The more she misunderstood, the better.
It was time for Arthur to paint a grand vision for Nova Prime, how a universal protection network could be established, the mechanisms that would govern it, and how it would respond to potential threats...
And so on. Nova Prime listened intently.
She wasn't easily deceived. Sitting in such a high position, if Arthur had tried to trick her with a few well-chosen words, she would have seen through it instantly.
The so-called deception wasn't really deception at all, it was more a matter of her not wanting to dig any deeper.
For instance, earlier, Arthur had mentioned that he had gained control of Ronan's fleet.
To this day, Nova Prime was still unsure about the specifics of this, but she had never pushed the issue. It seemed like Arthur had pulled the wool over her eyes with a few words, but in truth, she respected his secrecy.
After all, they were after results, not a detailed explanation of every "why." There was no need to be overly curious about every little thing.
But this was different.
Once Xandar was integrated into this kind of system, numerous changes would inevitably follow.
There were many aspects to consider, and what Arthur was discussing with her now was merely a rough outline. The more detailed issues would have to be ironed out over time.
They spent over half an hour discussing just the draft.
With questions and answers flowing, both of them were satisfied with the outcome of their talks.
Finally, Nova Prime raised her glass. "In principle, I agree. I hope we can finalize this quickly."
Arthur also raised his glass. "I'm glad you could make such a decision."
Otherwise, the future of Xandar would have turned into scorched earth.
They clinked glasses, and then Arthur casually added, "My friends are quite interested in Xandar's culture. I wonder if there's an opportunity for them to learn a bit?"
"Of course, but gaining access to all the knowledge of another civilization is no small feat."
Nova Prime was quite generous. "I could even arrange for the most patient mentors to teach them."
Arthur shook his head. "No need, just let them observe freely."
Nova Prime nodded but couldn't help but smirk inwardly, thinking that merely observing wouldn't teach them much!