The Ravagers' ships were still stationed outside, but they were no longer in combat mode. All their weapons had been retracted.
Inside the control room of the "Wizard," a large table was filled with people. Fortunately, Diwen had prepared enough food. She had originally planned to invite only the Guardians of the Galaxy, but now with a few extra guests, there was still more than enough.
Quill let out a satisfied sigh. "This is so good—I don't even want to leave!"
Everyone frowned at him. Gamora spoke up, "That's disgusting. We're eating—why would you say something like that?"
"Maybe he's tasted something bad before—or maybe not. Otherwise, why does his mouth smell so awful?" Rocket added.
Diwen had already unsealed Rocket's mouth, and of course he wouldn't miss the chance to speak.
"Mm—!"
"Mm—mm—!"
Seeing the two about to argue again, Diwen quietly sealed their mouths once more. The others continued eating, while Karl and Diwen had little appetite.
Karl wiped his mouth and looked at Stakar. "So what do you usually do out in space?"
Stakar took a bite and replied, "We deal with rule-breakers like Yondu."
Yondu slammed the table. "Enough! I've already said the situation back then was different. I had to do it to maintain my position among the Ravagers!"
Karl frowned—he clearly disliked people slamming the table while eating.
"Say that again and hit the table one more time—I'll throw you out."
Yondu glanced at Karl, feeling something unsettling about him. After calming himself, he looked at Stakar. "If I had known Ego was such a bastard, I would never have done it!"
Stakar slammed the table as well. "No matter who it was! Ravagers don't traffic children. Don't you know the code?"
Karl stood up, walked over, and grabbed one of them with a single hand, lifting him effortlessly.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Let me go!"
Karl ignored their struggle. Seeing this, everyone else stood up, drawing weapons and pointing them at him.
"Put him down, kid. I don't want to hurt you," the cloaked Aleta Ogord warned.
Diwen also said, "Karl, let them go."
Karl obediently tossed them aside and returned to Diwen's side.
After fixing their clothes, Stakar looked at Karl. "You shouldn't treat my people like that. If you weren't good-looking, you'd already be dead."
The others lowered their weapons. Martinex and Aleta Ogord remained cautious—after all, effortlessly grabbing two people like that was no small feat.
"He's stronger than I thought," Drax said to Mantis.
Mantis replied in shock, "I can feel his power—it's far greater than Ego's. He scares me."
The Guardians were stunned. If Mantis hadn't said it, they would never have realized how powerful Karl truly was. Ego was a Celestial—one of the most ancient and powerful beings in the universe, nearly immortal.
Gamora asked curiously, "Are you really human? Or some kind of Celestial?"
Karl looked at her calmly. "No."
…
Now that Stakar knew Yondu was safe—and that Ego was dead—he left. They had other matters to attend to and couldn't stay any longer.
Yondu and Kraglin left with him, while the others remained on the "Wizard." They knew Karl meant them no harm, so they decided to stay and rest for a while.
"Why aren't you making a jump?" Quill asked.
Three days passed. The Guardians had begun to understand Karl's personality and learned more about Diwen. After resting, they noticed something strange—there had been no hyperspace jump.
Diwen smiled. "We're not planning to make a jump."
At that moment, Nebula stood up, her expression serious. "This star system is different from others. It's best not to stay too long—or time itself will affect your bodies."
Diwen asked curiously, "What's wrong with this system?"
Nebula explained, "Haven't you noticed? There are almost no new planets here. Ego consumed most of them. That disrupted the flow of time, which in turn affects space. You'll start experiencing physical anomalies…"
Gamora continued, "The most likely outcome? Half your body ages, while the other half regenerates. Or you look young on the outside, but your internal organs are already decaying."
After hearing this, Diwen looked at Karl, silently asking if it was true.
Karl closed his eyes and sensed the energy and magnetic fluctuations of the starfield. After a while, he opened them.
"It's real. This system is unstable. There are no planets, and there's an abnormal amount of free energy particles. That's what's distorting time. What she said can happen."
For Karl, it wasn't a big issue. For Diwen, it wasn't severe either. But for the Guardians—it was a serious problem.
"Go experience a jump for yourselves," Karl said.
Hearing this, Quill immediately rushed to the controls. He had already started to feel changes in his body—his left hand seemed slightly older than his right. If they didn't leave soon, they might literally become half-old.
"Also," Karl added casually, "avoid going to places that are too chaotic."
Quill laughed nervously. "I just want to leave this system."
The nearest jump point was close—only two minutes away.
As he piloted the ship, Quill suddenly asked, "Do you really have no goals? Just traveling around? Space isn't that fun. I know some amazing places—want to check them out?"
Karl glanced at him. "No. This ship has plenty of smaller crafts. You can take them when you leave."
Quill pressed on, "Those places are beautiful—things you'll never see on Earth. Not interested at all?"
Karl saw right through him. "Don't try to recruit us. I'm not getting involved in anything. I'm traveling with my girlfriend because Earth had too many complications."
Nebula spoke coldly, "No matter where you hide, you can't escape what's coming. Thanos has already begun his plan. If he succeeds, we're all dead."
Diwen asked, "Who is Thanos?"
Gamora explained, "He's a tyrant of the universe. His goal is to wipe out half of all life to 'balance' the universe. He's already killed countless people, but he's not satisfied. He's looking for a faster way. If he succeeds—no one will escape...
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