Star-Lord could really be unreliable sometimes. If Ethan were truly going to kidnap all these people for labor, would he be hiring someone to help retrieve the Orb? Wouldn't he be worried they'd all run off, taking everything with them? Bah, he would never do something like that anyway—Ethan wasn't that kind of person.
"You're overthinking it. As for them, they're all from Earth."
"Earth?"
Star-Lord was stunned for a moment, then turned to glance at the people behind Ethan and, unusually, fell silent.
Ethan knew Star-Lord's background, but since they weren't familiar with each other yet, this wasn't the time to talk about personal matters. Right now, they were simply employer and employee. Maintaining an appropriate distance made both parties feel more comfortable.
"Your ship is nice. Can I buy one?"
Although Ethan was sitting in the pilot's seat, he didn't touch any of the controls. He knew nothing about flying a spaceship. The way it was piloted seemed similar to an aircraft, but he hadn't even flown a propeller plane, let alone a jet.
Star-Lord looked at Ethan in surprise. He hadn't expected this guy to be interested in a spaceship like the Milano—after all, it was a Ravager ship, and Ravagers didn't have a great reputation in the galaxy.
To put it nicely, they were mercenaries who took jobs for money. To put it bluntly, they were scum, bandits, and thugs. If someone blew up a Ravager ship, no one would worry about innocent casualties.
"You sure you want this kind of ship?"
Plus, the Milano could only be considered a small spacecraft. Calling it a space fighter would probably be more accurate, and it had very limited internal space.
It was fine with just a few people, but Star-Lord glanced back at Ethan's group. With this many people, they would definitely be crammed and uncomfortable.
Ethan also looked back and realized the issue. He had liked the ship's appearance but hadn't considered much else. Now it was clear this model wasn't suitable for him. Using it as a carrier-based aircraft on the Prinz Eugen's lift platform would be overkill.
"Never mind, forget I asked."
"What? What were you guys talking about?"
Tony had just finished inspecting the ship and was now standing by the pilot's seat. After examining everything that piqued his interest, he turned to ask Ethan what he and Peter had been discussing.
They had already exchanged names earlier. Tony found it odd that this guy was actually named Peter. It sounded like an Earth name. Was it a translation glitch?
"I was originally asking Peter where I could buy a spaceship like his, but I've decided not to."
"Oh, that." Tony waved it off casually. "Honestly, you don't need to rush to buy one. Once I finish analyzing the data I've gathered, I can build one tailored just for you."
Just like Star-Lord, Tony also felt this spaceship was too small for Ethan's situation. There wasn't enough space for equipment, let alone proper living quarters.
"Considering you'll probably have even more companions in the future, you'd better get a big enough ship."
Tony continued speaking, but the previously quiet Star-Lord finally couldn't hold back his curiosity.
"You can build spaceships?"
His tone didn't sound like genuine curiosity—it was more like suspicion.
Tony stood next to him and gave him a disdainful look. "What? You doubt me?"
"Oh no, nothing like that. I was just curious about what kind of spaceship you'd build."
"It'll definitely blow your mind."
"I'll be looking forward to it."
At that moment, Thor walked over. Unlike the others, he wasn't interested in exploring every part of the ship. He had simply taken a walk around to familiarize himself with the space, confirmed where food and drinks were stored, and then taught the others how to use the ship's basic facilities.
Having finished those tasks, he now came to Ethan with a few questions. He still didn't fully understand what they were doing or what the Orb actually was.
"Huh? Didn't I tell you?"
Thor and Tony looked at him with exasperated expressions. "No. You haven't said a single word about that… Orb."
Tony had wanted to ask earlier, but with Star-Lord around, he wasn't sure if it was safe to talk about it, so he had suppressed his curiosity.
Thor didn't care about that. Even if Star-Lord had bad intentions, he'd just beat him into submission.
"Actually, that so-called Orb is the Power Stone."
When Thor asked what the Orb was, Star-Lord had instinctively perked up his ears. He assumed Ethan wouldn't say anything in front of him—but Ethan didn't avoid the question at all and answered directly.
But Star-Lord had no idea what the Power Stone even was. He just thought to himself, Did I really go through all this trouble, even preparing to fall out with the Ravagers… for a stone? What a ripoff. Fortunately, he had already found a buyer. As long as he got paid, it was all worth it.
On Earth, things like gold and gems were considered precious. But in the vast universe, they weren't that special. There were countless planets just in the Milky Way, and the value of most common minerals wasn't high. Only those with unique and irreplaceable functions were truly valuable.
However, the reactions of the two men next to him made it very clear—this wasn't just any gem.
"Another Infinity Stone?"
Thor's expression turned grim. He was starting to understand why his father had been so eager for him to improve his strength. Aside from Odin's declining health, the continuous appearance of the Infinity Stones clearly pointed to a looming crisis.
To handle it, he had to become stronger. His trip to Nidavellir to forge a powerful weapon was now even more necessary.
Even setting aside unknown threats, Loki had already informed him that the infamous Thanos had been eyeing the Infinity Stones for a long time. No one really knew what that lunatic was after. But everyone knew this madman could casually slaughter half a planet. If he got the stones, Asgard and even the Nine Realms would be in grave danger.
"You already possess two Infinity Stones. Why go after the Power Stone too?"
Tony focused on another angle. He had learned a lot from Ethan about the Infinity Stones and knew Odin had always tried to keep the stones apart. It was common knowledge that even the strongest beings couldn't wield more than one at a time.
Even Ethan could only perfectly control one stone. Tony had once asked him during a break in their training, "If you can suppress Thor with just the Space Stone, what would happen if you used two at once? Could you challenge the God-King?"
The answer Ethan gave at the time was, "If I tried to use two Infinity Stones simultaneously, the most likely outcome would be me blowing myself to atoms. I might not even leave a soul behind."
Ethan had clearly stated that he only acquired the Reality Stone for training. Once his plan was complete, he intended to place it in a secure location instead of keeping it on him.
He was even planning to give away the stone he already had—so why was he going after another one?
"Is there something special about the Power Stone?"
"No, there's nothing special. In fact, I can't even control the Power Stone."
Ethan estimated that he could at most withstand the Power Stone's impact and unleash its power in a brute-force way. But he wouldn't be able to control it precisely like the Space Stone or incorporate it into his combat system.
"Then why still go after it?"
"Because I don't want Thanos to have it."
Thor nodded. That was a perfectly reasonable answer.
Thanos was already formidable. If he obtained another Infinity Stone, it would only make him more difficult to deal with. Since they had already uncovered some of Thanos's plans, it made sense to interfere.
"So, you want to find the Power Stone first and hide it somewhere safe?"
"A safe place?"
Ethan didn't quite get that idea. Odin might have done something similar, but that was probably because he didn't have the strength to protect the stone himself anymore.
So why were Thor and Tony still thinking that way?
"When you're up against someone like Thanos, where in the universe is actually safe?"
Thor had no answer to that. But Tony suddenly had an idea.
"Can't you just take the stone to another universe?"
Ethan paused. He really hadn't thought of that. It was like he had fallen into a mental blind spot.
"That's actually a good idea. If things get bad, to prevent Thanos from getting it, I could throw the stone into another dimension."
Ethan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. If Thanos really did manage to collect all the stones, he could just drag Thanos into another world for the final battle. That way, Thanos could snap his fingers all he wanted, and it still wouldn't matter.
Still, that would be a last resort. For now, he preferred to stick to his original plan. "But have you ever considered using the stones yourselves? Using their power to fight Thanos?"
Thor might have once thought his strength was enough. But after getting personally thrashed by one of the Infinity Stones, he had changed his mind.
Tony, standing beside him, immediately caught on to Ethan's idea. "You want to give the Power Stone to Thor, let him master it, and use it to fight Thanos?"
"That's exactly what I'm thinking." Then he turned to look at Tony. "And you, Tony, could control a stone too."
(To be continued.)
***
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