Noah was a little stunned by Thor's reason.
When did this guy become so petty?
He gave Thor a strange look, already certain the man was joking. Then Noah remembered something. Back then, Thor had said that if he ever got the chance, he'd take Noah to see the universe.
Noah had forgotten.
Thor hadn't.
As for why Thor stubbornly refused to let Hermione come along, Noah rubbed his chin. It was probably because Thor didn't want to be provoked. Don't be fooled by the fact that his breakup with Jane Foster had been over a year ago. To an Asgardian, a year was no different from a few days.
Seeing Noah and Hermione together would only rub salt in the wound.
Noah understood that perfectly and had no intention of provoking him.
After all, Noah himself had once been on the receiving end of Thor's affection. He firmly believed in one principle.
Flaunt your love, die fast.
Wasn't the guy in front of him living proof?
Xandar was famous across the universe.
It was a well-known planet for biological fusion.
However, it was clearly in some trouble now.
Ronan-the Kree zealot who had been driven off by the Ancient One years ago-seemed to have set his sights on this place. Ronan was an extremely traditional Kree. He followed their ancestral creed to the letter.
Plunder.
Slaughter.
Take everything by force.
The Kree had risen through fire and blood, carving out one of the four great empires of the universe.
"I wonder if Ronan still remembers that golden light from nineteen years ago," Noah thought maliciously. "And how pathetic he looked when he ran."
By then, the spaceship had already launched.
Thor was occasionally very reliable. For example, when it came to cosmic travel. Though he couldn't tell one place from another on Earth, he knew the universe frighteningly well. Famous planets like Xandar were etched into his memory.
The ship moved fast.
With space-jump technology, they soon appeared above Xandar.
Thor skillfully piloted them into the port.
Perhaps because of the Asgardian insignia, the journey was completely unobstructed.
"This is Xandar," Thor said cheerfully as he finished docking.
"Xandar?" Wong frowned. "That's strange. Aren't you patrolling the Nine Realms? Is Xandar part of them?"
"Uh..." Thor paused, then answered smoothly, "Xandar is a trade hub. We're here to buy supplies."
"Is that so?" Wong looked at him suspiciously, then turned to Noah. "Why do I feel-"
Whatever you're feeling, it's fake.
Noah shrugged and walked forward without explaining.
Someone was already waiting at the checkpoint.
The moment a ship bearing the Asgardian insignia appeared, the Nova Corps had begun preparations. Asgard enjoyed tremendous prestige in the universe, and Thor-Odin's eldest son-was well known among high-level civilizations.
With Thor's identity as a guarantee, the Nova Corps treated them with extreme courtesy. After confirming his status, they even arranged accommodations, telling them they could rest freely as long as they didn't violate Xandar's laws.
Everyone involved knew those words were mostly ceremonial.
If these people really caused trouble, there was nothing the Nova Corps could do except let them go.
Still, appearances mattered. It was about the dignity of a planetary civilization.
Strong words on the surface.
Flexible handling underneath.
Anyone capable of ruling a civilization understood that balance.
The Nova Corps was polite, but Noah and Wong quickly ran into a small problem.
Aside from Thor, who was fluent in countless cosmic languages, neither of them understood alien speech. Shopping was impossible.
Movies made it look easy-everyone conveniently spoke English.
Reality was not so kind.
The universe had far too many languages.
Fortunately, advanced civilizations had long solved this problem with practical technology.
Language translators.
The Nova Corps personnel noticed the issue. Though they didn't know exactly what species Noah and Wong were-humanoid appearances were common in the universe-they politely provided each of them with a translator.
The device was worn behind the ear.
Once attached, it enabled communication with most races in the universe.
It was extremely common.
It even included Earth's two major languages, Chinese and English.
Noah found that particularly interesting.
In this universe, any intelligent being that reached a certain level of civilization-or frequently traveled between worlds-would carry one. Of course, there were exceptions.
Asgard was one of them.
They preferred the traditional method.
Learning languages directly.
Their long lifespans made that feasible.
Thor, for example, not only understood most mainstream languages, he could even understand Groot.
Asgard's approach couldn't be widely replicated.
Lifespans varied too much.
Not every civilization was as stable as Asgard.
Many wanderers struggled just to survive. They had no time to slowly study languages.
And even if you learned one, it didn't mean it would ever be useful again.
The universe had too many.
Spending decades mastering one only to never hear it again was tragic.
"Speaking of which," Noah said, tilting his head, "if you ever stop being a prince, could you become a diplomat?"
"A diplomat?" Thor rubbed his chin. "If it's the kind that beats people into submission, I'd be perfect."
"..."
Noah rolled his eyes and ignored him completely.
That's diplomacy?
If someone like you became a diplomat, you'd offend the entire universe within a year.
Loki really was indispensable.
That guy was sly, slippery, and sharp.
He never provoked enemies for no reason.
And when pushed, he was never weak.
Talent like that might not suit the throne, but it was invaluable.
Noah shook his head.
Loki would probably return after finishing his magic anyway.
Following Thor, they headed toward the more lively areas of Xandar. With the translator, Noah and Wong weren't worried about communication anymore.
But Wong's confusion grew.
Supplies?
This didn't look like a supply run at all.
If that was the case, why bring Noah?
Suddenly, realization hit him.
He'd been tricked.
This was just sightseeing.
By the time he figured it out, it was too late to back out.
Wong felt utterly depressed.
How had he been fooled by these two?
Thor, oblivious to Wong's internal suffering, enthusiastically pointed things out.
"That's a bar. You can drink anything on this planet there."
"That's the food street. You can try cuisines from across the galaxy."
"Hold on," Noah interrupted. "Before we go any further, do you know anything about underworld merchants?"
"Underworld merchants?" Thor paused and thought. After a moment, he shook his head. "I don't think so. Should we ask someone?"
"That works," Noah nodded.
It was normal for someone of Thor's status not to know such things.
But Noah soon realized-
He had been an idiot.
Because Thor dragged them straight to City Hall.
Then, in front of everyone, he directly asked a city official where the underworld merchants were.
Noah's face darkened instantly.
Wong covered his face.
The Xandar City Hall staff were completely stunned.
The blue-skinned receptionist looked extremely awkward.
Answer?
Or not answer?
As administrators, they naturally knew where those people operated.
Knowing was one thing.
Saying it was another.
If this weren't the Prince of Asgard asking, they'd have thrown all three of them into prison on the spot.
After a long hesitation, the receptionist led them to a secluded area and quietly disclosed several sensitive locations.
Afterward, they didn't forget to emphasize one thing.
"I didn't tell you anything. Understood?"
"Of course," Noah replied calmly. "You just showed us out. We heard it elsewhere."
"We're only buying intelligence. That's normal, right?"
"...Of course. I wish you a pleasant trip."
"Thank you."
Find Advance chapters
And for More Fan fiction
👇
👇
[Support link: pat reon.com/RioRaRyu]
------------
More Bonus Chapters!!!!
Every 250 power stones = Bonus Chapter
Give me more Power Stones
------------