Inside the vast treasury, Roland Phils walked leisurely beside Odin, looking around.
From this moment on, everything in this treasure vault belonged to him.
Odin's collection was enormous, but only a few items truly caught Roland's attention: the Eternal Flame, Surtur's Crown, the Casket of Ancient Winters, and the Warlock's Eye.
The rest were just trinkets to him.
He wasn't taking everything out of greed, but for his fleet girls.
What he dismissed as useless would be treasures in their hands.
Besides, anything Odin had preserved for thousands of years surely had some value.
They could also be used as sacrifices later on, boosting his system.
And with the system's amplification, these offerings could be turned into blessings for his faithful followers.
"Lord of Life, my collection of thousands of years is all here. If you want them, take them all. The future of Asgard depends on you." Odin's expression was complicated as he spoke.
Handing over everything he had treasured for ages was painful, but compared to the safety of Asgard and his two rebellious sons, it was nothing.
"I will keep my promise." Roland nodded and waved his hand. Vast spatial power erupted, sweeping the entire treasury clean in an instant.
Odin felt the familiar aura of space power and looked at Roland with a complex gaze. He already understood how Roland had grown so strong so quickly.
After a moment of silence, Odin said with meaning, "Mr. Phils, there's something I don't know if I should say."
Roland chuckled. "You want to warn me about rushing too fast, right? Don't worry. That won't be a problem for me."
With his psychic powers, Roland could read anyone's thoughts with ease. No one could hide secrets from him, unless their power was vastly above his. But that wasn't easy.
Right now, Roland was already a mid-tier true god. Anyone above that level would have to be a Lord God, someone at a multiverse scale. So far, he hadn't met one.
For now, his mind-reading ability was practically undefeatable.
Odin sighed. "It seems I was worrying too much. To have such calmness at your age, I truly admire you. Compared to you, my two sons aren't even fit to carry your shoes."
He looked even older as he said this.
Roland laughed. "Come on, Odin, don't say that. Carrying shoes is still within their ability."
Odin fell silent.
"Alright, enough teasing. Since our agreement is fulfilled, I'll take my leave. By the way, I fixed the Bifrost for you. Consider it a small compensation."
With that, Roland vanished, leaving the treasury empty.
Odin stood in the quiet vault for a long time before sighing heavily and disappearing as well.
A month passed.
The world returned to peace. New York's battle scars were repaired, and life moved back to normal.
The only difference was the rapid growth of followers of the Lord of Life. Temples rose worldwide, prayers and faith flowing endlessly each day.
Roland welcomed this with satisfaction.
At Roland Manor, the fleet girls knelt before him, led by Bismarck.
"Master, as you ordered, Akagi led a five-member team to Morag to retrieve the Orb. But it was already gone. Someone had taken it first, a star thief called Star-Lord," Bismarck reported respectfully.
"So it's already gone?" Roland murmured. "Thanos must have sensed the threat after the Chitauri's defeat and moved up his plans. The future is no longer the one I know."
His appearance had already altered the timeline beyond recognition.
That wasn't favorable to him, but it was inevitable. Like a butterfly flapping its wings on a snowy mountain, his presence had triggered countless ripples.
All he could do now was navigate this shifting future.
"Where is Akagi now?" Roland asked.
"She's pursuing the thief called Star-Lord with the others. Their next stop is Xandar," Bismarck replied.
"Good. Leave it to her. If she needs help, you will assist her." Roland nodded.
At his level, he didn't need to act unless absolutely necessary.
First, his subordinates needed real experience to grow.
Second, beings at his level moving openly would draw unwanted attention, like dropping a bomb into a pond and alerting every major power in the universe.
This was why Thanos avoided personally seizing the Infinity Stones until the last moment.
"Yes, Master," Bismarck said firmly.
In deep space, a slightly chubby man danced awkwardly in his ship while listening to music through headphones.
It was none other than Star-Lord.
Suddenly, his comm lit up. The screen showed a blue-skinned man—Yondu.
Star-Lord frowned, reluctant to answer, but his temporary female companion tapped the button for him.
Yondu's fierce face appeared.
"Quill, I was on Morag. I didn't see the Orb. I didn't see you either!"
"Oh, really? I was just nearby," Quill smirked.
"Where are you now?" Yondu demanded.
"Sorry, not planning to tell you," Quill replied.
"You brat! I saved your life and brought you into the Ravagers, and now you betray me? We have rules!" Yondu roared.
"Rules? My rule is simple, if I can steal it, I will," Quill said, hanging up.
Furious, Yondu barked to his men, "Forty thousand bounty. Find him. I want him alive!"
One Ravager muttered, "Alive? Should've delivered him to the client long ago. He was just cargo, and you went soft."
Yondu glared. "One more word and I'll kill you. I'll handle Quill myself when we catch him. What matters now is finding out who else is after the Orb."
On a Kree warship, Ronan sat upon his throne.
A subordinate reported, "Master, a thief stole the Orb. He's making a deal with a broker on Xandar. We can strike there."
Ronan's eyes gleamed. "I promised Thanos I would deliver the Orb. In return, he'll help me destroy Xandar. We must reclaim it. Nebula, this mission is yours."
Nebula sneered. "It will be my honor."
A green-skinned woman stepped out from the shadows—Gamora.
"No, it will be your end," she said coldly. "If you fail again, Father won't honor his promise, and you will die."
Ronan's face darkened with unease.
"I'm also Thanos' daughter!" Nebula snapped.
"But I know Xandar better," Gamora retorted.
"Enough. Let Gamora handle it," Ronan cut in, changing his mind. "Don't fail."
"Have I ever failed?" Gamora shot back.
On Xandar, Star-Lord rushed into a shop to deliver the Orb.
The broker looked uneasy. "Mr. Quill, why are you here?"
"To deliver this," Quill said, proudly placing the Orb on the counter.
The broker froze. "Where's Yondu?"
"He was busy, so I came," Quill answered.
"You know the rules. I only deal with the client agreed upon. Since it's not him, I can't accept this."
"You can't do this! I risked my life for it. Ronan's people were chasing me!" Quill pleaded.
At the mention of Ronan, the broker's face turned pale. He shoved the Orb back. "I want no business tied to Ronan. Take it and leave, now!"
"Who is Ronan?" Quill asked, baffled.
"A Kree fanatic. The peace treaty enraged him, and he won't stop until Xandar is destroyed. Stay away from him," the broker warned, pushing Quill out.
Quill stared blankly at the closed door.
Then a green-skinned woman appeared before him—Gamora.
Quill froze at the sight of her beauty.
"What's wrong, handsome?" Gamora smiled charmingly.
"That old guy turned me away. I hate men who break deals. Peter Quill, people call me Star-Lord," he said, striking a pose.
"I can tell you're a gentleman," Gamora said sweetly, walking closer.
Quill smirked. "Well, I wouldn't go that far, though people say it all the time."
But before he could bask in his pride, Gamora snatched the Orb and kicked him flying.
Shocked, Quill realized too late he'd been tricked. He fired his grappling rope, binding Gamora's legs, but she easily freed herself and knocked him down again.
Their fight drew the attention of Rocket and Groot.
"Groot, hurry! That's our target, forty thousand reward!" Rocket shouted.
"I am Groot!" the tree replied.
As they joined the brawl, chaos erupted. Gamora fought fiercely, Rocket tried to capture her, Groot misfired his vines, and Quill scrambled to escape.
The fight was cut short by the blaring of police sirens. Nova Corps ships surrounded them, capturing Rocket, Groot, Gamora, and finally subduing Quill.
High above in space, aboard a warship, five women watched the scene unfold on a screen.
Akagi sighed. "Just like Master said, they really are a bunch of idiots."
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