Chapter 120: With a Splat, Gorr Saw a Xenomorph Fall from the Sky
Author: Great Demon Spirit
It turned out that when Du Wa gradually loosened his restraints on the Xenomorphs, allowing these killing machines to blossom and develop freely across the universe, the Xenomorphs would expand at an astonishing rate. This species was naturally suited for slaughter and was obsessed with propagating and strengthening their race.
If one had to name those who contributed most to the growth of the Xenomorph race, it would undoubtedly be that group, the Marauders. The Marauders, represented by Kruger, had always been searching for suitable planets to deploy the Xenomorphs onto.
Of course, they weren't doing a good deed, nor had they truly sworn loyalty to Du Wa. They certainly hadn't been subjected to Xenomorph parasitism. It was purely because by doing so, they could hire the Xenomorphs.
"Hahahaha, another transaction completed! It's great to have these good fellows as teammates."
Yondu boarded the starship, unable to stop himself from laughing heartily. He was overjoyed. Looking at this multi-million-credit transaction, a successful heist accomplished in an instant, was like a giant cake falling from the sky.
Efficient, precise—they were simply the most perfect Mercenaries. Even planets renowned for producing mercenaries couldn't compare to these Xenomorphs in many respects. This was Yondu's evaluation of them.
Yondu mused that in all his time knocking about the universe and seeing all sorts of races, this was the first time he had encountered a species with such a high average quality. Even the lowest-level Xenomorph could be called a killing machine. It took only a few short hours to go from birth to adulthood, and without any form of training, they could fight with perfect efficiency. Against most ordinary, untrained life forms, they constituted an overwhelming assault, like an attack from a higher plane of existence.
As for the fact that deploying Xenomorphs everywhere would lead to the Xenomorph race expanding at an exponential rate, Yondu, of course, knew this—he wasn't an idiot. However, even if the universe were filled with Xenomorphs, that would be many years from now. Yondu considered it and figured he might not even live that long. Perhaps he would only need to worry about such tedious matters in a few hundred or thousand years. After all, the universe was vast, with innumerable galaxies.
Most importantly, how could someone like Yondu possibly consider the future of the universe? He would only choose the most beneficial outcome for himself: hire more Xenomorphs for more missions, earn more money, and achieve greater status and fame.
Just ask any of the Villains who entered Knowhere—which one of them didn't know of his, Yondu's, renowned name? Who didn't know he was on close terms with the Xenomorphs, and that only the Marauders he led could hire them for battle?
Yondu looked on in satisfaction at the twenty-odd Xenomorphs standing behind him, as silent as an iceberg.
For every batch of Xenomorphs he deployed on a habitable planet within a galaxy, he would gain the service of a single Xenomorph.
They felt no fear and would never retreat, executing orders absolutely. To achieve the objective of killing their enemies, they would not hesitate to self-mutilate or intentionally sacrifice themselves.
Time and again, Yondu's perceptions were shattered, leaving him both horrified and thrilled by this creature's combat power and ability to execute orders.
"Kruger, let's discuss our next move. We'll find a new galaxy, then the Xenomorphs..." Yondu turned to confer with his top assistant. Just then, the starship he was on let out a dull thud.
"Yondu, it's Quill! That guy rammed his ship right into us! Should we activate the starship's cannon system and take him out?"
"No! That damn bastard, the traitor I raised, should be killed by me! He must have a reason for doing this. Bring him here, now!" Yondu immediately roared.
That little brat actually returned on his own initiative? Since he'd become a traitor, why didn't he flee far, far away? Why come back to die? Back in Knowhere, Quill had taken advantage of the chaos to make a run for it, escaping his control.
And now he dared to return? Had he fallen on hard times? No, that couldn't be it. Otherwise, Star-Lord wouldn't be worthy of having been raised by him.
"Well, look who it is. I seem to see a stray dog, wagging its tail as it runs back to its master." Yondu stood up, coldly sizing up the sturdily built man. Seeing that he wasn't seriously injured and his spirit was high, a satisfied expression appeared on Yondu's face.
Quill said seriously, "Hey, I came back specifically to find you, not to joke around, Yondu. I've got a big transaction, and I need to discuss it with you."
"I taught you how to kill, how to rob, but it seems I didn't teach you how to be polite to me."
"Hey, old man. Politely, I'm asking you, do you want in on this deal or not?"
All the Marauders roared with laughter. Some even gave Quill a thumbs-up, praising him as truly being Yondu's protégé—a qualified scumbag through and through.
This didn't stop them from itching to take Quill out, but one look at the big guys behind him, and they immediately suppressed the urge.
"Looks like you've been doing well for yourself," Yondu sneered. "But I need you to explain what's going on with these Xenomorphs behind you. You shouldn't have taken the Marauders' helpers with you after leaving the Marauders."
"Ha, it seems your recent string of successes has gone to your head. Wasn't it Kruger who brought these guys in the first place? They are still cooperating with you as equals. You don't really think the Xenomorphs are fighting to the death, constantly taking casualties, for your sake, do you? Why don't you try saying that to the Xenomorphs behind you and see if they don't turn on you and tear you to pieces immediately."
Behind Quill were two Xenomorphs of his own. At this moment, Star-Lord confidently confronted Yondu.
Yondu's face instantly turned ugly. To be mocked like this by his own adopted son in front of so many subordinates was a complete loss of face.
But he had to admit, that little brat Quill was right.
Did Yondu truly not covet the Xenomorphs? Did he really not want to bring them permanently under his command, rather than just using them as teammates for a limited number of times? Of course he did, but he knew with absolute certainty that to do so would be to court death.
These Xenomorphs had distinguished themselves in wars that shook countless planets, fighting against the God Race and their vassal races. It was rumored that there were extremely powerful hero-grade individuals among them who could fight a mighty Skyfather to a standstill, and even confront beings beyond the Skyfather level.
This meant that control over the Xenomorphs was not something a person of Yondu's caliber could even dream of touching. Only that young, mysterious, and unbelievably powerful man from Earth was their eternal master.
That person held absolute authority over these Xenomorphs, possessed supreme status, and was rumored to have a wisdom that struck fear into the hearts of all—though Yondu found it hard to believe. How could there be such an all-around powerful human?
Faced with such a person, who possessed both power and authority, Yondu had no idea how one could possibly snatch a vassal race like the Xenomorphs from his grasp. It was impossible.
"You idiots who only know how to laugh, haven't you realized yet? As time goes on, the various enemies we face will also most likely be able to hire Xenomorphs. Think about it, what will the scene be like then? We'll lead a group of Xenomorphs to fight another group of guys with Xenomorphs? An even worse result is that we get a robbery order, take Xenomorphs to rob someone who is also protected by Xenomorphs."
Quill was in a foul mood, unhesitatingly mocking the Villains who had practically watched him grow up: "I fucking suspect that in a few years, the entire universe will be full of employers and Bounty Hunters bringing Xenomorphs to their fights. Those who haven't hired Xenomorphs will do whatever it takes to get them, because all their enemies will have them, so they'll have to get them too."
It reminded Quill of one of his few memories of Earth.
It was like the summer mosquito net phenomenon. Either no one used a net, or everyone did. The moment one person put one up, everyone else, whether they wanted to or not, had to get one too if they didn't want to be the sole target for every mosquito in the area. That's how the arms race began.
Looking back at the entire history of the universe, it seemed such a ridiculous situation had never occurred. Regardless of one's willingness, regardless of whether one was righteous or evil, it seemed that in the future, not having a few Xenomorphs at your side would be the biggest mistake in the entire universe. To use an Earth term, it was politically incorrect.
"Alright, let's get down to business. Thanos gave me a mission, asking me to seize something called the Cosmic Orb. He offered me one hundred and eighty million!"
"What? Thanos, that famous cosmic butcher?"
"One hundred and eighty million! Oh, he's truly a generous lord. That much money is enough for us to live lavishly for a long time."
The Marauders cried out in astonishment, practically drooling.
Yondu's expression remained unchanged, and he showed no reaction to his subordinates' loss of composure. After all, for Villains in the business of plunder, what would they be in it for if not money? Love and peace?
"Thanos? The Cosmic Orb? Logically, someone like him wouldn't notice small fries like us. Why would he insist on choosing you? Because of the Xenomorphs? Could that madman be secretly targeting Earth?"
Yondu muttered to himself, but seeing his over-excited crew, he decided he had to take the job. He had no choice. It didn't take a genius to figure out that his subordinates would find a way to get rid of him, their current boss, and then elect a new one who could lead them to more lucrative jobs. Someone like Quill.
Then again, Yondu thought, the Xenomorphs were standing right beside him. Even if the infamous Thanos wanted to use this as an opportunity to observe the Xenomorphs' characteristics and had some designs on Earth, it had nothing to do with him.
Though Thanos was ruthless, there was one thing everyone acknowledged: his credit was good. If he said he would pay, he would pay. He wasn't like some of the more foul-tempered clients who, after completing a transaction, would turn around and backstab you to take back the payment.
"To be safe, we need to hire a larger number of Xenomorphs as helpers. You understand, the more forces we have on our side, the higher the success rate, and the lower the risk we'll face," Yondu said.
Kruger said, "I must remind you, Kamar-Taj has also started sending Xenomorphs to various planets. The sorcerers of Earth are doing the same thing as us, but their efficiency might be even higher than ours."
"Whether Thanos and Du Wa will fight has nothing to do with us. We'll strike fast and finish this business. After that, we'll immediately retreat and hide in a remote galaxy for a while."
Yondu decided to go after that so-called Cosmic Orb. He didn't even care what it was. What if he found out? Would he run off with the Orb? The Marauders weren't Superheroes; they wouldn't fight a cosmic butcher to the bitter end just to protect the world.
The rampant expansion of the Xenomorphs had long since triggered alarm and dread among the various powers of the universe. The emergence of a new, colossal power, one destined to occupy a vast and endless star domain, was bound to incite new chaos.
In the Magellanic Galaxy and Andromeda Galaxy next to the Milky Way Galaxy, the Kree Empire and the Skrull Empire were the most worried. They were very concerned that Du Wa would invade their territories.
While they could still use high-tech weapons for wide-area attacks against most Xenomorphs, the average strength of the creatures was now increasing at an absurd rate, and each one possessed a Symbiote as personal equipment. Not to mention, if a war broke out, they would have to face those legendary Xenomorph heroes of supposedly superior strength. The thought was agonizing.
Neither the Skrull Empire nor the Kree Empire could withstand several Skyfather-level individuals.
No wonder Thanos also had to take action.
Some people saw the Xenomorphs as a threat, but likewise, some people saw these highly orderly beings as a boon.
Lapu Star.
This was a planet with an extremely poor ecological environment. Most of the surface was covered by desert, with only a very few oases still barely surviving.
If there was anything special about this planet, it was that an obscure pantheon had developed there. As previously mentioned, any race with a long enough history would eventually try to either recruit divine aid from outside or establish their own pantheon. The Skrulls were a typical example, having established the Skrull Pantheon, which was composed entirely of Skrulls.
But on Lapu Star, the natives worshiped Gods who were not of Rapu origin.
"My child, just hold on a little longer. As long as we can find the Deity who protects us, we will be saved soon. He will give us clean water and delicious food."
A man with grayish-white skin was holding his daughter, struggling forward through the desert, the look of despair on his face growing ever stronger.
He couldn't find an oasis. As far as the eye could see, there was only desert. In such a harsh environment, how much longer could he and his daughter last?
On the entire planet, one could hardly see any living Rapu people. This race had almost perished in the harsh natural environment.
Gorr felt that he could die, but his daughter must not end up like him. He wanted to seek help from the Deity, the God that all Rapu people had believed in for countless years.
The God was benevolent. He would surely not bear to see his loyal followers die tragically. He would certainly intervene to help. Gorr deeply believed this.
But as time passed, his pure faith inevitably began to waver, giving rise to immense confusion: If the Deity was so great, why was He unwilling to bestow a trivial sliver of His radiance upon His loyal follower? After all, Gorr wasn't asking for a handout; he merely wanted to earn some insignificant boon from the Deity through his own efforts. This doubt expanded like madness. Watching his daughter struggle on the brink of death, destined to have no future, her return to Death a mere matter of time, a hatred began to fester in the depths of his heart. It was like a poison; once it appeared, it would only spread throughout his body.
Just as Gorr was gradually descending into madness.
*Ssssh!*
Ahead, a golden point of light appeared. Immediately after, something fell through, landing with a splat on the desert sand.
Gorr was stunned. On this dead and silent planet, he had rarely seen another living being.
(end of chapter)