Star-Lord really didn't understand what was going on.
He couldn't comprehend why Yondu's attitude suddenly flipped 180 degrees the moment he saw his partner.
A smile reappeared on Yondu's usually indifferent face.
Carefully observing the situation, Star-Lord also noticed something else—
Aside from Yondu, most of the other Ravagers looked extremely unsettled.
Some even had fear written all over their faces.
Their expressions were a mix of confusion, doubt, fear, and shock—
A wonderful mess.
Sweat glistened on some foreheads.
Looking down, he could see their legs faintly trembling.
Many clutched their weapons tightly, pressing them into firing positions while nervously swallowing saliva.
A few were even glancing around—
A posture that Star-Lord recognized instantly.
They were about to run.
"What the hell is going on? Can someone tell me what a 'God of Magic' is?"
"What kind of god?"
Star-Lord wanted to ask but swallowed the words before they left his lips.
Even though he had no idea what was happening, he knew one thing for sure—
This was not something to joke about.
After all, everyone—including Yondu—became timid and visibly uneasy at the mention of this so-called "God of Magic."
Star-Lord shifted his gaze to Gamora.
Just moments ago, he had planned to reveal her identity to Yondu.
He wanted to tell him that Gamora knew the distribution of Ronan's fleet and army, which could be used to stage an attack. If things went well, they could seize the Power Stone and sell it to the Collector for a hefty price.
He knew Yondu and his crew well—if there was even the slightest chance of success, they would be more than willing to try.
But before he could say anything, the situation took a dramatic turn.
At that moment,
Star-Lord noticed something else—
Gamora was acting strangely too.
The feared assassin—the Godslayer who sent shivers down the spines of interstellar hunters—was also stunned upon hearing the name "God of Magic."
She released the restrained prisoners and turned her gaze straight ahead.
"Good grief… Why does everyone know about this 'God of Magic' except me? Am I not human?"
Star-Lord felt like he had missed something important while searching for the Orb.
At that moment,
When Gamora heard Yondu utter the words "100 Gods of Magic," she looked ahead—
And instantly spotted the one they were talking about.
That name—
She had heard it countless times from Thanos and Ebony Maw.
Every time, it signaled a major obstacle to Thanos' plans.
It had even given the Mad Titan a headache for a while.
The last time she had received intel about this being,
It was said that this "God of Magic" had already obtained two Infinity Stones.
Their power was enough to make even Thanos wary, forcing him to accelerate his hunt for the Power and Soul Stones just to stand a chance against them.
From this alone, it was clear—
The strength of this "God of Magic" had reached a level where even Thanos dared not face them directly.
Moreover, she had heard that the God of Magic was already immensely powerful, capable of effortlessly wiping out entire Chitauri fleets.
They were a high-ranking member of the Asgardian Pantheon—
A true god.
As flashes of information about Aaron ran through her mind, Gamora felt that the situation was not as dire as she had initially thought.
If this God of Magic was willing to help, then not only was Ronan no longer a threat—
Even Thanos could be challenged.
"Ahem… What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and welcome our honored guests!"
Yondu clapped Star-Lord on the back before barking orders at his crew.
In truth, Yondu himself was terrified.
He had no idea why the God of Magic had come.
Was it for the Infinity Stones?
Or had they come to settle a score?
"Damn that electric shock-killer face! You betrayed me, you bastard! If you don't die soon, I swear I'll make you suffer!"
Yondu cursed inwardly, all while keeping a polite smile on his face and maintaining a respectful demeanor toward Aaron and his crew.
This confused Rocket and the others, who had been on edge.
They glanced back at Aaron, who remained as indifferent as ever.
Slowly, they started to believe that maybe—just maybe—he was telling the truth.
Initially, Rocket had planned to threaten the Ravagers into releasing Star-Lord.
The idea was simple—
Point a Hadron Enforcer at them, give them five seconds to comply, and if they refused…
Well, while the gun couldn't wipe out the entire Ravager fleet instantly, it could still cause devastating damage.
That would be enough to create chaos, giving them a chance to grab Star-Lord and make a run for it.
But before Rocket could carry out his plan, Aaron stopped him, saying there was no need—
The Ravagers would know what to do the moment they saw him.
At first, Rocket thought Aaron was insane, sending them straight to their deaths.
After all, they were flying nothing more than a small, second-hand spacecraft purchased from the Commonwealth.
If the Ravagers attacked, they'd be obliterated in an instant.
The firepower disparity was just too great—like comparing an outlaw gang to an intergalactic warlord like Ronan.
Yet, for some reason, Rocket couldn't stop himself—
He "willingly" piloted the ship straight to the Ravagers.
He thought for sure they were going to die.
And yet—
The Ravagers treated them like VIPs, welcoming them with open arms and even showing them respect.
As they stepped into the Ravagers' base, Rocket was still in disbelief.
Meanwhile, Dellax waved happily, even grinning under the crowd's welcoming cheers.
Aaron, however, ignored all of this.
He could see the fear hidden beneath the Ravagers' forced smiles.
These intergalactic outlaws were not happy about his arrival.
But then again—
Who said their feelings mattered?
Aaron stepped forward, passing through the grand entrance.
There, he came face to face with Yondu, Gamora—
And the infamous daddy-issue-ridden Star-Lord.
This man was easily one of the unluckiest guys in the Marvel universe.
A serious contender for the title of "Most Miserable Hero," right alongside Spider-Man and Thor.
After all—
He had a rather impressive resume when it came to patricide.
Killed his adoptive father.
Killed his biological father.
And even helped in the gang-beating of his father-in-law…
Truly a spectacular life.
But Aaron wasn't here just to see Star-Lord.
He was here because of his bloodline—
The blood of a god.
Star-Lord's father was Ego—
A living planet roughly the size of the moon and a deformed member of the Celestial race.
Despite being a "Celestial reject," Ego was still a god—
And his blood carried unimaginable potential.
However, Ego was limited by his development—he couldn't leave his planet and had to rely on creating offspring to expand his influence.
His ultimate goal was to create a child with godly blood and use them to rule the universe.
Star-Lord did possess the power of a god—
But he could never fully harness it.
So why let it go to waste?
Aaron intended to make Star-Lord an integral part of his expanding magic network across the universe.
And Ego?
He had to die.
Their objectives were fundamentally opposed—there was no room for negotiation.
But since Ego was practically one with his planet, the only way to absorb his power was through Star-Lord.
And since Star-Lord was destined to fight his father anyway…
Why not let him handle it?
It was a perfect plan.
"God of Magic, I didn't know you were here, or I would have welcomed you properly. Please forgive my oversight!"
Yondu approached with a forced smile, his eyes carefully observing Aaron's every move.
Deep down, he was nervous. Had Aaron come to hold them accountable for the attack?
His time gathering intelligence on Earth had taught him one crucial lesson—someone like him was no match for this kind of opponent.
Even with a fully armed fleet at his disposal.
After all, if the Chitauri fleet could be wiped out so easily, what chance did they stand?
Aaron's gaze swept over the group before he spoke, his voice calm yet carrying an unmistakable weight.
"Yondu, your subordinates are quite bold."
The words sent a chill through the air.
The room fell silent.
Tension thickened, pressing down on everyone present.
"I—I'm terribly sorry," Yondu stammered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "I failed to discipline them properly. The Electrocutioner acted against orders when he attacked you. He deserves to be punished!"
"Even if he somehow escapes your wrath, I won't spare him either!"
Yondu wasted no time distancing himself from the Electrocutioner, practically throwing him under the bus.
The other Ravagers quickly followed suit, nodding vigorously in agreement.
They were terrified.
If Aaron decided to retaliate, he could reduce their entire fleet to cosmic dust in an instant.
Watching the scene unfold, Star-Lord felt his mind reeling.
Just how terrifying is this guy?
Yondu and the Ravagers are actually afraid of him?
He turned to Gamora and whispered, "Who exactly is the God of Magic?"
Gamora's expression was serious as she answered, "He's an Asgardian… no, an Aesir!"
"He single-handedly crushed Thanos' invasion of Earth, thwarted the Dark Elves, and even subdued an entire planet on his own!"
"His strength is immeasurable—he's a god that even Thanos fears!"
Her words carried an undeniable admiration for the strong.
That stung.
Star-Lord frowned, feeling a sudden pang of jealousy.
Gamora, admiring another man? Seriously?
If only he had been born with a divine lineage, he thought bitterly.
If he had the same kind of background, he'd prove himself even stronger!
Thanos, Yondu, Ronan… none of them would stand a chance against him!
Why the hell wasn't I born a god?
The thought of his long-lost father filled him with resentment.
Gamora then turned to him with a questioning look. "Star-Lord, when did you meet the God of Magic? Why didn't you tell me before?"
"Would you believe me if I told you I'd never even heard of him before today?"
Gamora raised an eyebrow. "What do you think?"
If she had known he had any connection to the God of Magic, she wouldn't have wasted so much time and effort.
She could have reached out to him directly and possibly convinced him to take down Thanos.
If that had happened, the Power Stone wouldn't have fallen into Ronan's hands.
Countless lives could have been saved.
Aaron, meanwhile, remained indifferent to the tension in the room.
"Relax, I'm not here to cause trouble," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "Now, clear out."
"Of course! Of course! Take your time!" Yondu responded hastily.
It was clear that Aaron's interest lay in Star-Lord and Gamora.
While Yondu was curious about their connection, he knew better than to ask questions.
He quickly ordered his men to leave, making sure to give them plenty of space to talk.
But before he could exit completely, Aaron called out, "Wait. Take your people to Xandar. Full speed ahead. I have business there."
Yondu stiffened but quickly forced a grin.
"As you wish!" he said enthusiastically before rushing off to relay the order.
Outside, as the doors closed behind them, the Ravagers finally exhaled in relief.
It felt like they had just escaped certain death.
One of the crew members hesitated before speaking. "Boss… are we really going to Xandar? Is the God of Magic after the Power Stone?"
"Do you have a better idea?" Yondu shot him a glare.
"Come on, don't even think about it. This job is way out of our league."
He knew his men weren't happy about this.
Four billion units.
That was what the Power Stone was worth.
Losing that kind of fortune stung.
But with Aaron involved, there was no point in even dreaming about it.
That money was as good as gone.
This was a total loss.
And it was all Ronan's fault.
Yondu clenched his fists.
If Ronan hadn't gotten involved, they might have secured the deal and walked away filthy rich.
But now?
Now, they had nothing.
Before, they never dared to go up against Ronan—he was too powerful.
But now…
Now, things were different.
A slow grin spread across Yondu's face.
With the God of Magic on their side…
Well, let's just say Ronan was about to have a very bad day.
F you, Ronan.*
[Please support me at my patreon if you want more: patreon/OGCrafter for 20+ chapters]