The planet Vormir.
After sacrificing his adopted daughter Gamora, Thanos awoke from the trance. He now possessed two Infinity Stones.
He also knew the whereabouts of at least two more stones—that remote place called Earth!
Since the Chitauri army's defeat, he had been carefully gathering information about this planet. Unfortunately, Earth hadn't even reached the interstellar age, so knowledge about it was scarce throughout the universe.
Still, he'd learned some things through intelligence from Asgard. The planet apparently had an extremely powerful sorcerer and a tough team of superheroes. Anyone who dared attack that world rashly would end up in trouble!
With this in mind, he had deliberately targeted the Elder of the Universe known as the Collector, attacking his sanctuary and seizing his treasure trove. Using the technology, magic, and various living specimens found there, Thanos successfully developed a powerful army of monsters.
Combined with his own Chitauri Legion and Outriders, he now commanded three major forces, with troop numbers exceeding 10 million.
Even with such extensive preparations, he remained cautious.
He ordered his forces to search for the remaining Infinity Stones. With three or four gems in his possession, he would feel confident enough to attack Earth.
At this moment, his scouts reported news that they'd located the Guardians of the Galaxy—the very team that had opposed him before. Moreover, they appeared to be carrying an Infinity Stone!
Simultaneously, his intelligence officers scattered throughout the universe reported that the Guardians seemed to be actively seeking ways to destroy the Infinity Stones!
Thanos weighed his options and gave the order to hunt down the Guardians. He understood that if the Stones were destroyed before he obtained the Time Stone, his grand vision would be impossible to achieve.
This was almost certainly a trap, but he had to confirm the truth no matter what.
Soon, his forces located the Guardians' trail. However, after Star-Lord and his team discovered they were being tracked, they led Thanos on a wild chase across the universe.
They opened one jump point after another, their trail covering almost half the universe before they arrived at the edge of the solar system.
Finally, the Guardians abandoned the jump points and instead pushed their ship's engines to maximum speed, flying straight toward the inner solar system.
Only then did Thanos realize they were deliberately luring him to Earth!
Standing on the bridge of his massive ship, he stared at the shining star at the center of the system and fell into deep thought.
This system appeared completely undeveloped. Yet somehow, his Chitauri army had been defeated here. How?
The ship's scanners searched the entire system but found no strong energy signatures or unusual fluctuations. Only a few planets near the central star showed signs of life activity.
In this situation, anyone would question whether previous intelligence reports had been accurate.
After pondering for a while, Thanos waved his hand decisively. If the Guardians escaped right under his nose, he would become the laughingstock of the galaxy!
He immediately gave the order: "Everyone, advance at full speed! Outriders, attention—perform space jumps and surround them!"
As he commanded, the massive engines roared to life, and many ships began accumulating energy, preparing to open wormholes for space jumps.
...
Jason sensed both the Guardians of the Galaxy and Thanos's fleet approaching the edge of the solar system.
Thanos truly deserved his reputation as a universal warlord. His armada was so vast it would blot out the sun, almost capable of covering an entire planet!
Jason seized the opportunity during Thanos's momentary hesitation, using the space formation to quickly occupy all the surrounding space. This meant Thanos had unknowingly entered Jason's domain!
Though the Guardians' ship was small, it was extremely fast—ordinary vessels couldn't match its speed.
While Thanos and the main fleet pursued from behind, the advance ships had already accumulated jump energy. Dozens of powerful energy beams suddenly shot out ahead of the fleet.
They were attempting to open jump portals to surround the Guardians.
But to Thanos's surprise, all the advance ships failed! They fired their beams, but the space before them remained completely unchanged—no portals formed!
Thanos turned furiously to his chief technician. "What's happening?"
The tech officer's forehead beaded with sweat as his fingers frantically tapped across a three-dimensional control sphere. After a tense moment, he replied, "Master, there's nothing wrong with the ships themselves! The operation was performed correctly. This situation is probably because..."
Thanos had already realized the issue. Staring into the void ahead, he muttered, "Something is wrong with the fabric of space here! No wonder they suddenly abandoned teleportation and flew directly into this region!"
The technician nodded. "This is most likely a trap they've set! I suggest we turn around and leave this area immediately, Master!"
Thanos remained silent. He knew there were at least two Infinity Stones on Earth. Sooner or later, he would have to come here.
Watching the Guardians' ship darting back and forth before him—almost mockingly—a smile suddenly appeared at the corner of his mouth as his eyes hardened with determination.
"All vessels, activate space shields, full power output!"
"But sir..." The technician quickly interjected, "The space protection array consumes enormous energy. Continuous high-power output may damage the ships..."
"I don't care!" Thanos shouted. "Everyone, listen carefully—I will conquer this system regardless of the cost!"
"Yes, sir!"
After receiving Thanos's order, all ships quickly raised light blue shields and rushed madly toward the interior of the solar system.
In Jason's perception, these ships were forcibly repelling his space array, moving within his domain like mice covered in protective shells.
The Guardians' ship was eventually overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and soon found itself surrounded by thousands of enemy vessels.
It was like watching a group of hulking brutes surrounding a helpless victim.
Quill, Rocket, Drax, and the others looked at the densely packed warships outside and collectively gulped.
They were now approaching the center of the solar system and could easily see Mars.
Rocket clasped his hands together nervously. "Let's just pray that Earth guy comes to rescue us soon. Otherwise, we'll be cosmic dust!"
Drax's eyes were steely with determination. He clasped Star-Lord's shoulder firmly. "Fear not, Quill! I face this murderous maniac at your side! As long as we never surrender, we will not die here! We will complete our revenge..."
Mantis nervously grabbed Star-Lord's other hand. "Oh god, I don't want to die yet!"
Star-Lord nodded vigorously. "Yeah, me neither!"