The Superheroes mobilized.
Under Starlight's command, Hughie and Shockwave were the first to approach Butcher.
From a distance, they saw the Skrulls and an alien named Vers engaged in a chase on a tall building.
The Skrulls were running ahead, with Vers chasing behind them.
But strangely, even though Vers seemed to possess very special abilities, she hadn't used them at all since the very beginning.
It was as if she wasn't accustomed to using her own powers.
Hughie and Shockwave couldn't understand it.
But they didn't need to understand.
They just needed to fulfill their duty and deal with these two aliens.
After bringing Shockwave to the location, Hughie and Shockwave worked together.
Hughie went to find Vers, while Shockwave turned into an afterimage and directly crashed into the Skrull.
Bang!!
Just before hitting the Skrull, Shockwave slightly reduced his force.
Otherwise, hitting a body at super high speed, even if that person was an alien, would very likely cause them to be pulverized by Shockwave.
And even though Shockwave reduced his force, being hit by a humanoid object moving at the speed of a small car, the fleeing Skrull was not in a good state.
He flew out, crashed into a distant railing, his head tilted, and he very simply lost consciousness and entered a comatose state.
Meanwhile, Hughie also stood in front of Vers.
Vers was startled by him and instinctively raised her hand, sending a ray flying towards Hughie.
Fortunately, Hughie reacted quickly and used Teleportation in time to dodge Vers's ray:
"Hey! Miss! Watch out!!"
"You suddenly appeared in front of me!"
Vers glared at Hughie and then reacted:
...Wait, what kind of technology did you just use?
"Technology? No, no, this isn't technology, this is a superpower. I'm from the Super Hero Association... Uh, maybe now we should add 'Earth' before 'The Hero Association'... Anyway, I'm a Superhero here, you can think of me as a police officer with special abilities.
"Ms. Vers, I'm sorry to inform you, you are under arrest."
"You're arresting me, not the Skrulls?"
Vers was a bit displeased.
She stared at Hughie, looking as if she would directly attack him if he didn't give a good explanation.
In her opinion, the Skrulls were a very evil race.
They infiltrate living planets, transform into the local creatures, incite civil unrest on that planet, and then occupy the entire planet.
This was all Vers knew about the Skrulls.
As a member of the Kree Team, she certainly couldn't tolerate such an evil race escaping from her, let alone these Skrulls being related to her mission.
So if Hughie really stopped her, she would most likely cause a big scene.
As for what would happen after the scene...
Anyway, once the captain of the Kree Team arrived, the misunderstanding could be explained, and Vers wasn't worried about that.
But fortunately, Hughie had no intention of fighting her.
Hearing her words, Hughie turned his head to look into the distance and said to Vers:
"If you're talking about the one who attacked Butcher... attacked our field team earlier, he's already been caught."
"That fast?"
"Yes, that fast. So... will you come with me? Please don't make this difficult for me."
Hughie watched Vers warily.
He had been a Superhero for some time now and was no longer the 'coward' he had been when he first started out.
With his physical fitness, his abilities, and the combat skills he had learned during this period, Hughie was confident that dealing with some Supes with special abilities was very easy.
Even with aliens, Hughie had the confidence to deal with them.
However, fortunately, upon hearing that the Skrull had been captured, Vers did not choose to fight Hughie; instead, she breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, saying:
"All right, if you've already apprehended the Skrull... I can go with you."
"Thank you for your understanding. Please take my hand."
With Hughie there, Vers didn't need to slowly walk to the Super-Bureau's detention room; with just one Teleportation from Hughie, she could be sent to where she needed to go.
...
Ten-odd minutes later.
Inside the Super-Bureau's special containment room, Starlight and Vers sat opposite each other.
"You're from the Kree Empire? A Kree Empire combatant?"
"Kree Team member Vers..."
Vers instinctively began to introduce herself, then suddenly reacted and looked at Starlight:
"Wait, you know about the Kree Empire?"
...Of course I do, because my fiancé and his friends once participated in the Xandar Defense Battle.
"Xandar Defense Battle? Is there any connection between these...?"
Vers frowned.
She knew Xandar and understood the meaning of 'Defense Battle', but she couldn't connect these to the Kree Empire.
Starlight also looked at Vers in surprise upon hearing this:
"I heard from my fiancé's friends that Ronan of the Kree Empire once allied with Thanos, wanting to destroy Xandar, but was ultimately saved by their temporarily formed hero organization, the Guardians of the Galaxy... You don't know about this?"
"I know Ronan, but I've never heard of him attacking Xandar."
Vers frowned.
If it weren't for her current situation and consideration for the woman who appeared to be a high-ranking official of this planet, Vers would definitely have said something like, 'You've been lied to by your fiancé and his friends.'
But now Vers was dependent on others and couldn't contact the Kree Empire, so she wisely kept quiet and changed the subject, saying:
"Never mind, these aren't important. Since you know about the Kree Empire, then you should know how to contact the Empire, right?"
"I'm sorry, we don't have contact information for the Kree Empire. In fact... that's exactly what I wanted to tell you, Ms. Vers, you've come to the wrong world."
Starlight told Vers very seriously.
Vers didn't react at first:
...What? Did I... go to the wrong planet?
"No, not a planet, it's a world... it's a universe! This isn't the universe you're familiar with. In our universe, there's no Kree Empire, no Xandar. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
...
Came to the wrong universe... no Kree Empire...
A parallel universe...?
Vers came from a high-level civilization, and she understood the theory of parallel universes very well.
Therefore, when Starlight finished speaking, Vers realized that she might have come to a parallel universe.
It was just that she still couldn't quite believe it:
"You're trying to say... I... came to a parallel universe?"
"I'm glad you understand, Ms. Vers."
...This is too absurd.
"Yes, I also think it's absurd. May I ask... how did you come to our world?"
At the end, Starlight finally asked the question she cared about deeply.
Vers had crossed over from the Marvel Universe, and the Marvel Universe was a universe Kevin frequently visited.
Now Kevin had been missing for several months, and Starlight was worried sick. She had no idea how to find Kevin, but now an alien from a universe Kevin had visited had actively appeared, so of course she had to ask for a clear explanation.
However, to Starlight's disappointment, Vers also didn't know how she came to this world.
According to her, she had been undergoing interrogation by the Skrulls.
She finally managed to escape from the Skrulls' spaceship, but the escape pod malfunctioned and disintegrated before it even landed.
It was fortunate that her physique was extraordinary, or she would have been killed by the fall.
Otherwise, what Starlight would be seeing now wouldn't be Vers, but Vers-sauce.
Vers didn't know how she came to this universe, and she didn't want to know. She just wanted to go back now.
...I'm sorry, you probably can't go back for now.
?
Vers had question marks above her head: "...Why?"
Starlight explained helplessly: "Because the only person who can travel between different parallel worlds right now is my fiancé, and right now... he's missing, missing for five months."
...
"I'm very sorry, Ms. Vers, but you'll have to stay on Earth for a while until we find my fiancé."
Finally, Starlight said this to Vers.
Regardless, Vers could be the hope of finding Kevin, and Starlight would not let her leave easily.
...
In the distant cosmos, on the Milan, which had been repaired countless times, the Guardians of the Galaxy on board were in a heated argument.
Star-Lord was the first to shift the blame:
"It's your wrong navigation, isn't it?! Don't blame everything on me!"
"You were the one who insisted on salvaging this metal junk, whatever it is! That's why we deviated from our course! Can you still blame me now?!"
Rocket refused to be outdone.
Star-Lord retorted:
"Didn't this thing suddenly appear in front of our course?! And you guys tried, you can't break its shell with anything, it must be worth a lot of money!"
"Money, money, money! All you know is money! The premise of making money is that we can find our way back now! But the problem now is, we! Don't! Have! A! Course!!"
"Then find one!!"
"Quill! I really want to break your head open and flush your brain down the toilet! Don't you understand what 'no course' means?! It means we're lost contact now!!"
"Then who understands what you're saying!!"
"Enough, all of you!!"
Finally, amidst the incessant bickering, Gamora could no longer bear it and exploded. She stopped them, saying:
"Instead of arguing endlessly here, it's better to contact others as soon as possible! Anyone will do!"
As Gamora spoke, she turned to look at Nebula behind her.
Nebula opened the communication channel, switching from one channel to another, contacting those high-level civilizations.
"Xandar? This is the Milan of the Guardians of the Galaxy, I'm Nebula? Can you hear me? If you hear me, please respond!
"Tivan Group? Can you hear me? This is the Guardians of the Galaxy!
"Sakaar..."
Nebula called out to one faction after another, but all that came from the channels was a busy signal.
A busy signal with nothing.
"Still no?"
Gamora walked over, asking worriedly.
Nebula shook her head:
"No, I can't reach anyone. It's as if we've been isolated from the entire universe in an instant!"
"If only that were the only problem!"
Rocket's hands moved in a blur over the control panel, and he turned to Nebula, saying:
"The problem now is, we can't even find a jump drive! We can't even pinpoint our current location!"
There were no reference points, and the star chart also had subtle discrepancies.
The Milan, which everyone was currently on, was like a lone boat floating on the vast ocean.
It had no direction, and no power.
"How far away is the nearest life-sustaining planet from here?"
After a long period of thought, Gamora asked Rocket.
Rocket glanced at the star map:
"Ha, the star map is a mess, we can't even pinpoint our location! And even if we could, according to the distance calculations before the map went haywire, the nearest life-sustaining planet is at least five light-years away!
"Without a jump drive, it would take us at least a thousand years to travel those five light-years!"
"...That's truly bad news."
Quill was stunned when he heard this, muttering.
Rocket, hearing this, became even more annoyed:
"Yeah! It's bad news! And even worse news is that we only have enough supplies on board to last us half a month! If we can't find a life-sustaining civilization within half a month, we're all going to die!"
"I am Groot..."
"What! Can't you see I'm busy right now?!"
"I am Groot (the egg you just brought back moved)."
"Huh?" Rocket immediately turned his head: "...Moved?"
Star-Lord blinked:
"...Why do you call it an egg?"
"Is that the point, Quill?!"
Rocket turned his head in disbelief.
Star-Lord said with a righteous expression:
"Of course it's the point. If it really is an egg, then what kind of massive creature could lay such an egg?!"
"...Idiot."
Rocket was too lazy to argue with Star-Lord any further.
He jumped down from the pilot's seat and quickly ran to the back of the cabin to join Groot in examining the 'egg' that Star-Lord had 'taken' halfway, thinking he could sell it for a large sum.
The thing Groot called an egg was actually a nearly two-meter-tall metallic prism-shaped object.
Its surface was smooth, covered in blue metal, and it was generally rhomboid, but with rounded edges.
The metal surface was engraved with many runes they couldn't understand, and it was precisely because of these runes that Star-Lord thought this thing might be some ancient artifact and wanted to bring it back.
Of course, Rocket would never admit that he had thought the same thing at the time.
Otherwise, wouldn't he become as stupid as Star-Lord Quill?
"It's really moving..."
Upon reaching the back of the cabin and approaching the egg, Rocket's eyes widened slightly.
On the surface of the egg, the metallic patterns were glowing, and in the light, the entire metallic egg was trembling slightly.
It wasn't the ship shaking; it was this metallic egg shaking.
Just as Groot had said.
It was truly moving.
"It's not going to explode, is it?"
Just as the group was cautiously staring at this 'egg'.
Drax walked over with a snack, asking as if nothing were wrong.
Star-Lord turned to look at him, then at the snack in Drax's hand:
"At a time like this, you still have the mind to eat?!"
Star-Lord was shocked; he didn't know if Drax was carefree or simply didn't care about them being lost.
"When you're hungry, you eat."
Drax said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Of course we know we need to eat when we're hungry! But can't you tell what's going on right now?! We're lost!"
"Yes, but I'm not the one driving the ship."
Rocket said discontentedly: "Hey! Although I'm driving the ship, the one who set the course is this idiot over here!"
"I said, can you two stop arguing?!"
Gamora couldn't help but roar again, and everyone immediately fell silent.
Until Groot spoke again.
"I am Groot."
"It's coming out? What did you say is coming out?"
"I am Groot."
"...The egg? Oh my God!"
After communicating with Groot for a while, Rocket finally saw a crack opening from the middle of the blue metallic block next to Groot.
At that moment, everyone tensed up.
Rocket immediately climbed onto Groot, Star-Lord put on his mask, and instantly pulled out his beloved guns.
Even Gamora drew her longsword, cautiously watching the 'egg'.
Only the big idiot Drax, while eating snacks, walked to the side of the egg, looked it up and down, and then raised his hand and knocked on it forcefully.
Thump!
Star-Lord: "!?"
Gamora: "!!!?"
Rocket: "What are you doing!! Idiot!!!?"
Drax looked at them, his face innocent:
"Didn't you say it was going to crack? I thought it was cracking too slowly, so I wanted to help it."
"Help..."
Star-Lord almost choked.
Goddamn 'help it'!
With that punch of yours, everyone on this ship is probably going to be killed by you, you idiot!!
Star-Lord wanted to curse Drax, but now he was too lazy to. The main thing was that under Drax's punch, the crack actually did get a bit bigger.
Something was about to come out!
"Everyone, get ready!"
Regardless of what was hidden inside this 'egg', it was best to prepare for the worst. If some ancient monster really emerged from it, they would at least be mentally prepared.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the crack on the metallic egg gradually spread.
When it reached the very top, the entire egg suddenly split open into two halves!
White mist floated out of the egg, filling the entire interior of the ship.
And within this faint mist, everyone saw a young boy floating within it.
The boy appeared to be eleven or twelve years old, completely naked, with hair so long it almost reached his heels.
He had handsome features, with characteristics of both East Asians and Westeners.
As if he were a mixed-race individual.
"It's a person...? Uh, guys, does anyone know if there are any humanoid creatures in this universe that are oviparous?"
Seeing a person emerge from the egg, Quill asked the people beside him.
Rocket immediately gave him a big eye-roll:
"Forget about whether there are oviparous mammals; even if there were, what kind of creature is in its growth stage right after birth?"
"You have a point..."
Star-Lord nodded, his gaze again falling on the newly appeared boy, and he unconsciously glanced at the boy's lower body.
After looking, Star-Lord subconsciously looked down at himself, then said with an unnatural expression:
"Speaking of which, shouldn't we find him some clothes...?"
"His dick is big."
???
Star-Lord suddenly looked at Drax.
In this situation, only Drax could say something so brainless.
"If he matures, it will probably be even bigger."
Drax stroked his chin, evaluating.
Star-Lord wanted to complain about whether this was the time to be saying such things, but before he could, Gamora cursed first:
"Drax, is there something wrong with your head?!"
"What's wrong? I'm just stating a fact."
"But there are women here!"
"So you don't think it's big?"
"I...!"
Drax's few words almost made Gamora smoke with anger.
Just as Gamora was about to explode, even drawing her longsword to strike Drax, the boy they were discussing suddenly opened his eyes.
Everyone who noticed this instantly fell silent; they again warily looked at the boy, their weapons poised.
But before anyone could do anything, they heard the boy utter someone's names:
"...Quill? Rocket?"
The boy looked blankly at everyone, then closed his eyes again.
And this time, his body, which had been floating in the air defying the laws of physics, fell directly downwards.
Drax, who was closest to him, quickly caught him, then looked up at Star-Lord:
"You know him?"
Star-Lord shook his head like a rattle drum.
Rocket, however, seemed to have guessed something. He looked at the egg from which the boy had emerged, then sized the boy up and down, saying:
"He seems to know us. Perhaps our disappearance is related to him."
Gamora took a blanket and threw it over the boy, then said:
"Regardless, it seems now that if we want to get out of this predicament, we might have to rely on this child of unknown species. Any questions, we'll ask him when he wakes up. And Rocket, give him a full checkup later."
Regardless of what species this boy belonged to, or why he appeared here.
With no jump drive to be found, the boy was undoubtedly their last straw.
No matter the boy's identity, the Guardians of the Galaxy now very likely needed him.
...
Kevin felt as if he had a very long dream.
In the dream, he traversed countless worlds, became countless people, and experienced countless lives.
In this long life, Kevin had gradually lost himself, slowly becoming unable to distinguish who he truly was.
Until...
It felt like someone had hit him on the head.
All the scenes of his lives converged into the deepest part of Kevin's mind, and his consciousness gradually cleared, finally regaining his initial sense of self.
"What happened?"
As soon as his consciousness returned, Kevin asked this question.
He tried hard to recall, only vaguely remembering that some accident seemed to have occurred when he was returning to his original world.
His body had shrunk, and he was finally enveloped by an egg in an unknown space.
So was he dead now, or was he waiting to 'be born' inside some unknown egg?
Also... could he still transmigrate?
Kevin thought, and subconsciously looked at his skill tree.
However, when he saw the skill tree, Kevin fell completely silent.
For some reason, the skill tree had disappeared. In the depths of Kevin's consciousness, in its place was a faintly glowing green sphere.
The sphere was like a seed, floating within Kevin's consciousness.
Although Kevin didn't know what that seed was.
But instinct told him that the seed was the seed of the skill tree.
That was the skill tree's initial form.
The form it took before it sprouted and grew into a towering tree.
The Seed of Skill.