After securing his throne, Jason Spartacus wanted to reunite with his wife. But just as he planned to return to Earth, Prince Gars stopped him, revealing that his wife had died in childbirth.
Initially, Jason did not suspect anything. But later, he noticed inconsistencies. If he were to send someone to Earth at that time and it turned out to be true, it could easily upset Gars.
So he asked Gars how he had learned the news. Gars told him that when he found out from Jason that his older brother had a wife on Earth, he immediately sent someone to look for her but only found her tombstone.
Jason felt something was wrong. Before his exile to Earth, he and Gars were never close. Why would his little brother go out of his way to find his sister-in-law as soon as he knew about her?
But he didn't rush to Earth. Instead, he started a secret investigation into Gars' subordinates and discovered that Gars had ordered his wife's murder. There had also been some complications when they kidnapped his child.
Jason was furious, but at the time, Gars was still useful. Jason decided to keep him, but he had to find his child first.
So he contacted the well-informed interstellar pirates and hired Yondu, entrusting him with the task of bringing his child back from Earth.
It sounds simple to say, but in practice, it was almost impossible due to the difficulty of smuggling into the Nine Major Kingdoms.
The only possible opportunity was when Odin goes to war. Upon discovering this, Yondu told Jason he could only wait for an opportunity.
However, more than a decade ago, Odin had already become aware of the problems with Asgard and had ceased his frequent military campaigns. The waiting took several years.
During this time, Jason's rule became more stable, and the Spartacus Empire continued to improve. He inevitably nurtured grander ambitions, wanting to elevate the Spartacus Empire's status in interstellar society.
But not every civilization is like Asgard, capable of participating directly in the negotiations with the Three Great Empires. At least the Spartacus Empire hadn't reached that level yet.
So Jason Spartacus planned to join the Galactic Congress within the Milky Way, gradually seize power within it, and use it as a springboard to reach the interstellar stage.
But the probability of the Spartacus Empire joining the Galactic Congress was not that high at that time, so Jason had to ensure no unexpected incidents occurred.
After studying the rules of the Galactic Congress in detail, he discovered that his illegitimate son on Earth was indeed an issue.
So he urgently halted Yondu's infiltration and handed him a letter, telling him it would be a long-term mission. A prince with Spartacus's blood could not stay on Earth forever. He warned Yondu to pay close attention and help when necessary.
As Quill said, Jason wanted both power and family. He wanted to gain his rightful son as an heir for free. So he hedged his bets, unwilling to give up either.
Having figured all this out, Quill felt sorrowful. But after all these years without any contact with his biological father, he didn't have much emotion towards him. Disappointed, he could only sigh.
He looked at Jason and shook his head, saying, "All right, if that's your decision, I won't interfere with your choices as a king. We will leave the Spartacus Empire and never come back."
After he finished speaking, he turned to leave. But as he was about to push the door open, the cold glint of the guards' weapons reflected on Jason's icy face.
"Peter, you cannot leave now. I have questions for you."
Quill's hand immediately moved to his gun, and the other members of the Guardians of the Galaxy pulled out their weapons. However, more guards appeared at the door, and Quill turned around incredulously to look at Jason.
"You just came back from Earth, right?" Jason stepped forward, looking at Quill and asked, "Tell me what exactly is going on with the human race now?"
Quill clenched his jaw tightly, his face showing his anger and heartbreak. But just as he was about to rebuke Jason, Rocket Raccoon jumped onto his shoulder, patting him on the back of the head, signaling him to calm down.
"Your Majesty, you're not trying to force us to disclose information about Earth, are you?" Rocket Raccoon flicked his ears, narrowed his eyes revealing his sharp teeth, and then said, "Do you really know what you're doing?"
"This is not coercion." Jason shook his head, "I just want to know Earth's current state."
Quill was even angrier, he pulled out his gun and pointed it at Jason's head, "You won't get anything from me, nothing at all, you damn traitor!"
"Peter, please understand that I don't want to force you." Jason spread his hands looking at Peter, "Right now, the entire Galactic Congress wants to know what has happened to human civilization, and why they seem to have suddenly woken up."
The worry in Jason's heart was stronger than he had let on. If the previous warnings about humanity became a threat, now the human behavior can be summed up in one phrase, "Oh no, they've really caught on."
First, the mutants migrated en masse to Andromeda, occupying the region illegally. This made weaker civilizations envious. Then, the business at the Holy Sanctuary of the Nine Realms was non-stop, making many other civilizations who rely on interstellar trading jealous.
What shocked Jason the most was that Asgard had returned to interstellar society, allowing humans to rise with it. They skipped over the stages of stars, clusters, and territories and were taken by Asgard to the negotiating table of the Three Great Empires, or perhaps they were supporting each other.
Jason had worked so hard here just to achieve mediocrity in the Galactic Congress, yet still so far from reaching the center of interstellar society's power. How can he strike a balance?
Of course, these were just opinions, and didn't involve actual benefits. But the real threat that brought the Galactic Congress together to discuss the next direction of development was the rapid growth of the human race.
Previously, Earth was the object of civilizational bullying by the Galactic Congress. It was like they were throwing an amazing party, but deliberately not inviting Earth, absolutely not allowing Earth to make contact with any civilization in the Milky Way.
Isolating and bullying someone could strengthen the cohesion within a group. This is one reason why campus bullying occurs frequently. The bleak situation of Earth continuously sending signals without any responses was a source of superiority for members of the Galactic Congress.
But now that Earth had rapidly developed and turned the tables, they had to consider the possibility of retaliation. The Spartacus Empire was also within the range of retaliation.
Jason had another consideration. Now the civilizations within the Galactic Congress were terrified with no way to deal with this, mainly because they hadn't obtained the most important intelligence.
If he could gain that intelligence ahead of other civilizations, it would give him the initiative, and seizing power within the Galactic Congress would be as easy as turning his hand.
Gamora, having stayed under Thanos for so long, hadn't just learned how to fight. She was quick-witted and immediately figured out the key point, understanding the purpose of Yondu's letter.
So, she immediately placed her hand on Quill's shoulder, telling him not to be impulsive, then she looked at Jason and said, "You did betray mother and son, didn't you? You're not a good father, so no matter how many reasons you have, he won't easily accept you."
Jason took a deep breath, and his expression eased slightly. He glanced at Quill again and said, "I'll give you some time, Peter. Think about it. Now you have no family or friends on Earth, only Spartacus can be your home."
Then he commanded his guards to take the members of the Guardians of the Galaxy away.
They weren't shut in a dungeon, but rather, were confined in a reasonably spacious guest room. However, guards were stationed outside the balcony and door. Jason's intention was clearly to keep them there until they revealed some information.
"Why did you stop me?" Quill turned his head to look at Gamora a bit angrily. "I won't let him succeed. I will never tell him anything!"
He clenched his fist and said grief-strickenly in a whisper, "My mother believed him to her death. She believed that he would come back to find us, at least he wouldn't abandon me, but he betrayed us!"
"Haven't you ever thought about why Yondu gave you this letter? He wanted you to go find Jason." Gamora began to explain, "Don't forget, you admitted in front of Asgard that you are Yondu's adopted son."
Quill looked at Gamora with a somewhat puzzled expression, seemingly trying to figure out the meaning behind her words from her face.
Gamora sighed helplessly and said, "If Yondu refuses to talk in Asgard, who else could the Asgardians turn to?"
Quill was stunned.
Then he realized that Yondu purposely gave him this letter at that time, leading him to Spartacus to find Jason. He was trying to shift the blame to someone else.
Firstly, Yondu asked Asgard to release his adopted son, which was not only creating a chance for Quill's group to leave but also explaining to the Asgardians that his adopted son was important to him and is his weakness.
Then he gave this letter to Quill, who after reading it would surely feel puzzled and would come to the Spartacus Empire to find Jason. After Yondu was taken to Asgard, he started to play games there, in stark contrast to his previously cooperative attitude.
In order to get Yondu to cooperate with Asgard, they had to find Yondu's adopted son. Whether it was for intimidation or to let Quill go and persuade his adopted father, they were hoping that Quill would also go to Asgard.
But here was another issue. Quill was the biological son of Jason Spartacus. Although he wasn't an official prince, the commotion caused when Garth was killed wasn't small and nearly everyone at the center of power knew that their king only had one biological child.
If Asgard charged over furiously demanding for a person, and that person was irrelevant, most civilizational leaders would likely capitulate as there were too many people backing down to these brutes and it wouldn't be too embarrassing.
But it was a different story if the person in question was a royal offspring. To bow down to Asgard and even give away their own son, how could the king retain any prestige?
Asgard, you asking for non-residents was one thing, but you demanding the prince from someone else's realm was akin to taking a dump on people's heads. How were they different from pirates who kidnapped interstellar civilization dignitaries?
If Asgard really did that, their moral high ground of maintaining interstellar security would no longer stand.
After listening to Gamora's explanation, Quill broke out in a cold sweat. He had only vaguely sensed that Yondu might have been calculated against by Loki, but he didn't expect all of them to be millennium-old foxes. No one who managed to thrive in the interstellar society was a fool.
As an interstellar pirate, Yondu managed to rampage in interstellar society for so long not just by brute force; he was adept at fomenting discord, stirring up trouble, and playing one against another.
This time, he wanted to put Spartacus and the Galactic Congress behind him against Asgard to carve out a path for his own survival.
Soon enough, Quill heard the commotion outside. He stood by the window and watched the far-off proceedings. He saw the signature Flame of the Divine Strength Engine of the Asgard spaceship appearing outside the port of Spartacus' main star.
At the restaurant table, Shiller glanced at the sneaky trio in the corner while explaining Yondu's plan to Loki.
Loki pondered and said, "So how should we respond now? To carry out his plan, Yondu surely won't back down. Killing a pirate leader is easy, but this could turn into a never-ending battle."
However, Shiller revealed a mysterious smile, "You don't need to respond, because I'm already prepared."
In the room where the Guardians of the Galaxy were, Rocket jumped in front of Quill and said, "Don't ask why for what I'm about to say. If you choose to believe me, do as I say. This is the only solution."
Quill slightly widened his eyes, unclear about what Rocket Raccoon was going to say. After he crouched down, Rocket Raccoon whispered in his ear for a good three to four minutes.
Quill's expression changed from shock to stupefaction. Finally, he stood up and slapped his thigh exclaiming, "Is there not a single good person in this universe?"
"Good guys don't live long," Rocket Raccoon pat his leg and said, "I have to make sure we all survive. The doctor was right, I can't endure another loss."
Suddenly, there was an angry shout from the empty hallway, "Anyone! Anyone! I'm hungry, get me something to eat, hurry up!"
The guards outside the door exchanged glances, and went over. They opened the door to an impatient Quill who, with arms crossed, demanded, "How much longer are you going to keep me in here? I am your king's own son after all, and ever since I've been here, I haven't eaten a thing. I'm starving!"
The guard showed an awkward expression. He dared not disrespect Quill, knowing full well he was the king's only son and future heir, but he didn't expect Quill, with Spartacus's lineage, to be hungry so soon.
After thinking a while, he finally said, "Please wait, I will get someone to bring some food."
"Hurry up...Oh, and don't give me any of those nutrient solutions; they're as disgusting as dog shit. I want pizza, buffalo cheese, large size, no basil leaves, less sauce, and don't bake the crust too hard..."
The guard showed a troubled expression, but he dared not outright say he couldn't fulfill the order. Thus, he reluctantly listened while Quill placed his order. With his mind occupied trying to remember all the specifics of Quill's meal, he didn't notice a small shadow sneak through the crack in the door and past his legs.
With a whoosh, a black tentacle stuck to the ceiling and Rocket Raccoon, with his paws covered in black goo, quickly climbed over the ceiling.
He went through the window to the outer wall, found an empty spot to crawl down, and as soon as he landed, began fervently rubbing his paws, saying, "That was absolutely disgusting. I swear this is the last time I'm working with you, Dirtbag!"
"Stop jabbering, stupid raccoon. Your beastly cleanliness instincts better not interfere with our mission at this crucial juncture. Hurry up and head to their research institute!"
"You're the biggest fool. We need to go back to the ship first to get that disgusting egg, just like you."
The small stature of the raccoon combined with the agility of Venom made their infiltration smooth and unimpeded. They quickly sneaked into the Star Port. On their way to the ship, Rocket Raccoon overheard the conversation between the Asgardians and discovered that things were indeed as Gamora had speculated.
But now, he had to complete his mission. He knew that this was the key to breaking the stalemate.
They quickly retrieved the egg, then promptly headed for the most conspicuous Royal Research Institute on the main star.
Every interstellar civilization has one common feature. After entering the colonial era, they no longer need to put functional facilities on the main star. Especially for facilities like research institutes that pose a certain degree of danger, they could be placed in remote places.
However, in order to manifest their strength and to enhance the cohesion and honor within the group, most interstellar civilizations treat their mother star as a holy land, making every building that embodies the civilization's strength exceptionally splendid. The research institute, which best represents their scientific strength, is no exception.
The Research Institute on the main star of Spartacus, in fact, doesn't undertake many important research tasks - most of what it housed were but scientific achievements. Still, this played right into the hands of Rocket Raccoon and Venom.
They first snuck into the institute, found a display glass cabinet, and put the egg in it, even sticking a label of an existing exhibit on it.
Then, they took the cabinet back to the ship and sneaked the ship out of the Star Port while the guards were unaware.
They moved the ship to a place that was a certain distance from Spartacus's main star, but still within the empire's territory. Rocket and Venom immediately flew out of the ship, and blew it up with a few shots.
The ship, the glass cabinet holding the egg, and the egg's shell were all shattered, and a tiny insect that didn't stand out much flew out from the semi-transparent shell that housed the Cosmic Locust.
This newborn insect displayed astonishing mobility. Guided by its instinct to feed, it started to gnaw on the shattered celestial bodies around it.
As it grew larger and matured, the information recorded in its genetic data became clearer. Then, just like its ancestors, it started moving towards the most enticing place in the universe.
In the depths of the cosmos, a massive figure in green armor was floating quietly in the emptiness of space. Soon, he heard an echo from the vast cosmos.
"Analyst, I am the Collector. I need your help. A new piece of civilization data is being excavated. Please come here..."
The green giant opened his eyes, emitting a gentle glow as he slowly moved towards his companion who was calling him.
There were countless celestial bodies left in his wake, and as he navigated between the stars, he didn't notice a tiny speck of light that had been following him closely.
Not until the giant, named Analyst, slowed down, did the speck invade his light, and unbeknownst to him, infiltrate his armor and enter his body.
Less than half a day later, several giant holograms appeared above a small, shattered ship.
"Collector! What the hell is this all about?! Why has the Analyst been infected with plague?!!"
The full-blown rage, disbelief, and faint fear in the roar are all too evident.
"How are those damn bugs still alive? Haven't they disappeared from the cosmos long ago? What is the deal with this ship?!! Searcher!!!"
The giant known as the Searcher shook his head and said, "I have not seen them in many years. All I could do was trace their flight path to find this ship."
Several huge figures all looked down at the tiny spaceship, but none of them dared to touch it.
"This is Earth's script," a giant wearing pink armor spoke, "This is a ship from Earth."
The giants fell silent, remembering that the cosmic locusts hadn't been eradicated yet. The unfortunate one who had died on Earth left the remains and the locusts that parasitized his body there.
Why would an earth ship appear here?
Several giants looked at each other, clearly without an answer, so they could only do one thing: land on the closest civilized planet to ask what's really going on.
The moment the Celestials descended, it seemed as if everything paused.
Jason Spartacus, who was entertaining the Asgardians, looked up and saw a scene that filled him with immense fear. Several Celestials quietly floated above the planet's atmosphere, their gigantic silhouettes reaching the clouds and disappearing into the darkness of the cosmos.
He could not utter a word, but the Asgardians had even more intense reactions.
"Celestials!!!!!!" With a roar, the Asgardians recognized that the giants that descended here belonged to the Celestials group.
The Celestials group's visits to the Nine Major Kingdoms was not a one-time occurrence.
The God Clan generally had long lifespans. Some Asgardians may have seen the Celestials several times in their lifetimes, and they were very aware of the giants' strength.
Being seasoned warriors, the Asgardians, like all other martial races, reacted in only one way — they are here for me.
They might think like this because Asgard was often in conflict with the Celestials. The thinking was the giants could attack any time and challenge them to a fistfight.
But they were always the home team in those fights. Now they only had a few people here. The Asgardians might be reckless, but not foolish — they needed to call reinforcements! Now!
But they weren't the only ones that could call reinforcements.
Before the group of giants could begin to speak, two lightning bolts streaked through the sky. Following it were the massive iron shadow, the glowing female figure, a figure endlessly shimmering with magic glow, and a nebulous fog.
Odin and son, Iron Demon God, the Goddess of Glory, the Supreme Magician, and the Nameless Fog all descended together.
These were obviously brought by Thor, but Thor wasn't the only one that could summon allies.
Next came Morpheus, Dormammu, and Xeseon, the three brothers of darkness. Of course, to prevent them from causing trouble, Emperor Mount Wey had to come too.
Within a short while, the skies above Spartacus's Main Star turned into a gathering of monsters. Even the towering Celestials didn't stand out among these demons and devils.
The Celestials group was also flabbergasted.
What's going on? We didn't say anything about a meeting. Why has everyone gathered so promptly?
And what's with the one with goat hooves and the chubby one drooling?
"Celestials, what brings you here?" asked Thor, taking the lead.
The question left the Celestials group at a loss.
Isn't this place not Asgard? Or is there some expansion plan of the Nine Major Kingdoms in these centuries that we don't know about? Has the branch of the World Tree reached here?
What do you mean, "what brings us here"? What brings you here???
Obviously, though, those self-considered Celestials wouldn't openly ask this. The leading inspector sighed and spoke.
"One of the Celestials has contracted a plague. Following the trail of the cosmic locusts, we found this ship, which is clearly from Earth."
"Any evidence?"
The Celestials turned and found that it was the Iron Demon God who asked. They didn't need to explain this question because the ship was covered in human script.
"I mean, how can you prove that it was humans who brought this ship here?"
The Celestials were somewhat speechless. Just as the leading one was about to speak, Loki, radiating a glorious light, gently interjected.
"Please do not get angry, you may not know this, but the Galactic Congress has imposed a long-term diplomatic blockade on humans. Human ships cannot leave the Solar System, or they will be immediately driven away and destroyed."
"If you not believe me, you can ask the leader of this civilization. He should be a member of the Galactic Congress."
Suddenly, all the giant's and creature's gazes fell on Jason Spartacus.
Jason was nearly scared to death on the spot.