Grand Prix Supreme Cup of the Grandmaster

"Your Majesty truly is a god of war of this generation. I cannot help but admire you."

High Evolutionary shamelessly flattered him.

Beside them, the researchers who witnessed his petty, fawning demeanor had a trace of contempt flash through their eyes.

But he was now Ronan’s honored guest and the foremost contributor to the research on insectoid weapons. Naturally, they dared not show it, lest they bring unnecessary trouble upon themselves.

"Your understanding of war is ultimately too shallow."

Pointing at the star map, Ronan stated bluntly, "The fundamental purpose of dividing the battlefield is to cut off the Three Great Cosmic Empires’ strategic depth, preventing us from falling into a protracted stalemate outside their three capital planets. The longer this drags on, the more uncertain the war becomes. Moreover, the three capital planets will certainly be heavily defended. Trying to conquer them through force will inevitably provoke fierce resistance. My true intention is to force them into submission through blockade and attrition."

From beginning to end, Ronan had never explicitly said that he intended to destroy the Three Great Cosmic Empires.

If he truly meant to do so, there would inevitably be opposition within the Accuser Corps.

Besides, driven to desperation, the Three Great Cosmic Civilizations might choose to fight without regard for casualties.

A collapsed cosmic territory clearly did not align with Ronan’s strategic intentions.

Furthermore, The Lantern Corps would likely watch from the sidelines, waiting until both sides had nearly exhausted themselves before stepping in to reap the fruits of victory and reshape the universe into a system built by The Lantern Corps.

Ronan had also considered the matter of human nature.

Once the Three Great Cosmic Empires fell into a disadvantageous position and could see no hope of victory, all he needed to do was offer them a chance to survive in exchange for surrender. At that point, countless voices advocating surrender would inevitably arise within the Three Great Cosmic Empires.

In the end, pressured by public opinion, they would have no choice but to submit to Ronan.

If the war unfolded as planned and he successfully forced the Three Great Cosmic Empires to surrender, he could then demand that they sign treaties restricting their development. While they recuperated, he could rapidly build up the insectoid army, leaving no need to worry about retaliation once they regained their strength.

"Your Majesty, may I transfer away a unit of the insectoid army?" High Evolutionary asked probingingly.

"You want to deal with the Guardians of the Galaxy?"

Ronan frowned, seeing through his thoughts.

News that Allen and the others had safely returned to Knowhere was not particularly difficult to obtain. Arranging one or two informants was enough to track their movements in real time.

"Your Majesty’s insight is unmatched. My thoughts could not escape your eyes," High Evolutionary replied awkwardly.

The grudge between him and the Guardians of the Galaxy had already reached an irreconcilable point. Every extra day his enemies lived was pure torment to him.

High Evolutionary had always been narrow-minded. Rocket Raccoon had easily solved a problem that had troubled him for a long time, yet instead of receiving praise or a reward, he had been humiliated and punished. That alone showed just how twisted his heart was.

His fawning toward the strong and bullying of the weak were displayed to the fullest in High Evolutionary.

"Do not do anything foolish for me."

Ronan warned in a deep voice, "Knowhere can remain independent of the Three Great Cosmic Empires only because of the power backing the Collector."

"What power?" High Evolutionary asked in confusion.

"The Elders of the Universe."

In truth, even Ronan did not know the exact number of members in the Elders of the Universe.

They were beings with immortal lives and an unknown number of hidden cards. They were not a force to be provoked lightly.

At present, only two were particularly active in the universe: the Collector of Knowhere and the Grandmaster of Sakaar.

The Collector liked collecting anything of value, while the Grandmaster was obsessed with the thrills brought by competitive games.

Of course, the two Elders of the Universe did not interfere with the development of cosmic civilizations, so the Three Great Cosmic Empires afforded them the proper respect.

For that very reason, Ronan did not wish to create further complications. He was not foolish enough to challenge a group of unfathomable old immortals.

While the Three Great Cosmic Empires were occupied with war, the other cosmic civilizations lived relatively peacefully. At the very least, the war had not yet spread to their planets.

For the sake of their prestige, the Three Great Cosmic Empires could not mobilize the subordinate civilizations of their respective factions immediately.

Otherwise, the empires would appear utterly incompetent, making people wonder whether they were already in decline.

"The mission has been updated!"

In a tavern, bored bounty hunters suddenly noticed a mission hologram rising up.

"It’s Sakaar’s Grand Prix Supreme Cup. Why is it being held early?"

"The prize money is one million Energy Credits. I really hope I can take first place."

"The entry fee alone costs ten thousand Energy Credits, and you need a weaponized racing vehicle. Besides, there’s no guarantee you’ll take first place."

"Why not head to Sakaar and spend some money? We can place bets on the racers while we’re there. Maybe we’ll make a killing."

"…"

For a time, the bounty hunters discussed it enthusiastically. With nothing else to do, they felt that taking a trip to Sakaar to relax was not a bad idea.

Sakaar held all kinds of competitions year-round, and the Grand Prix Supreme Cup was a famous event across the universe.

Many cosmic civilizations had professional teams specifically prepared for the event. Competing for the one million Energy Credits was secondary; the most important things were the honor and sponsorship investments it could bring.

"Guys, let’s go to Sakaar and race."

On a whim, Allen decided to enter the competition and take in the sights of Sakaar while he was at it.

Recently, because the Star Gates had been locked down, staying in Knowhere had indeed become rather boring. Many bounty hunters had no savings and rarely even visited the taverns anymore.

Moreover, hundreds of Ravager Crews had returned to rest and reorganize, waiting for the blockade to end as soon as possible.

Maintaining a crew was no easy expense.

A crew like Allen’s did not have many members, and with more than thirty thousand in savings, they naturally lived quite comfortably.

"The Grand Prix Supreme Cup requires a weaponized race car. Building one is extremely expensive, starting at no less than one hundred thousand Energy Credits."

Thanos had watched videos of the Grand Prix Supreme Cup back on Titan and had even learned a little about it.

The cost of a weaponized race car was no less than that of a space fighter.

Allen asked seriously, "What are the requirements?"

"It’s simple. It can only travel on the ground and cannot have flight capabilities. Lethal weapons are allowed. Competitors are considered to have signed a waiver of life and death by default. Whether the driver or vehicle is destroyed, it counts as elimination. So I do not recommend wasting Energy Credits to participate," Thanos advised solemnly.

"Then are there any mandatory requirements for the race car?" Allen pressed.

"No. You could even enter while riding a Beast."

Hearing Thanos’s explanation, Allen’s eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he said, "We’re entering. We definitely are. I have a way to handle the race car."

"…"

They all knew very well that once Allen made up his mind, it was basically impossible to change it.

In any case, they did not particularly mind. They would simply treat it as a trip to unwind.

Knowhere had a portal directly to Sakaar, though it charged a fee. Presumably, it was one of the Collector’s sources of income.

After all, bounty missions had temporarily ceased, so he could no longer collect commission cuts. The Collector could go without food or drink, but he still had so many subordinates to support.