New Member: the Symbiote Phantom

"Nope…"

Allen hurriedly tucked The Blade of Redemption under his armpit and said reluctantly, "The Tetanus Blade has been with me for so long. Day and night, I’ve nourished it with my body heat. We’ve developed feelings for each other."

The Collector felt a chill run down his spine.

If not for the peculiar redemptive power contained within The Blade of Redemption, he might not even have spared it a glance.

Among the Elders of the Universe were beings blessed with eternal, undying lives. Some had lived for so long that they had grown weary of existence and wished for release.

Therefore, they paid particular attention to treasures that might be capable of killing them.

Of course, the power within The Blade of Redemption was not enough to slay gods, but it could still be studied.

"I’ll give you a state-of-the-art Night Wailer model spacecraft in exchange for that dagger," the Collector offered.

"That’s too difficult."

Allen held The Blade of Redemption and said sadly, "I’ve already treated the Tetanus Blade as my own child. What father would be willing to sell his child so easily…"

Allen’s sorrowful expression abruptly changed into a sly smile. "So, you need to pay more."

"…"

The Collector rolled his eyes helplessly. Why put on so many expressions just to haggle? He asked directly, "Name your price."

Ah…

Allen was a little lost for a moment and said awkwardly, "I’m new here, so I don’t really understand cosmic prices."

"Since you’re rather foolish… I mean, since we’re fated to meet, I’ll give you a suggestion. One Night Wailer model spacecraft, one secondary-grade collectible of your choice, plus ten thousand Energy Credits," the Collector proposed.

"How could I possibly refuse?"

Allen agreed without hesitation. "Then it’s settled."

At that moment, a maid brought over two crystal cards.

The Collector explained, "One is the spacecraft unlock card. Once you board the ship and bind your information to it, you can pilot it to travel among the planets of the universe. The other is an energy crystal card containing ten thousand Energy Credits, which can be exchanged at any bank used by any cosmic race."

"This energy card doesn’t require identity verification? Aren’t you worried someone could steal and use it?"

Looking at the crystal card marked with a lightning-bolt icon, Allen suspiciously raised a question.

"You’ll have to keep it safe yourself. Energy crystal cards certified by the Council of Gods can be used directly for transactions."

The Collector impatiently urged, "Whatever collectible you want, pick it quickly and finish the trade."

Allen pointed toward a glass jar set off to one side. "I want that."

Yondu took a deep drag from his Basang leaf, tossed away the nearly burned-out end, and prepared to leave.

He had basically concluded that Allen had no money and would surely incur the Collector’s harsh punishment. Perhaps Allen had already been thrown into prison, awaiting transport to the High Evolutionary’s territory to become a gladiator.

When Yondu casually raised his head, he was astonished to see Allen walking out side by side with the Collector.

What was going on?

He actually had money!

"Come again anytime. As long as it’s rare and valuable enough, I’m willing to pay a high price," the Collector said pleasantly.

Rubbing his chin, Allen considered it. "Infinity Gems, Tenth Metal, the Heart of the Universe—can you handle goods that high-end?"

"…"

The next second, the Collector’s face darkened. He turned around, returned to the collection hall, and shut the doors.

Allen and Yondu were both baffled. They could not understand how he had turned hostile just like that.

The Infinity Gems were supreme divine artifacts fought over by countless factions. Even the Collector did not know their exact locations.

As for Tenth Metal, only Apokolips currently possessed it, using it to manufacture Mother Box weapons.

If he provoked Apokolips, the Collector’s Knowhere would be flattened in minutes.

The Heart of the Universe was something he had never even heard of, so he could only assume Allen had made it up.

"Adu, we’ve got another new member."

Allen held up the glass jar. Inside, a lump of black, tar-like substance squirmed.

"A symbiote!"

Yondu recognized the creature’s origins at a glance.

Symbiotes were not often seen in the universe, though they were not quite rare either. Many bounty hunters liked being parasitized by them to improve their chances of survival.

However, as symbiotes were influenced by the emotions of host after host, they gradually became increasingly extreme.

Most were exceptionally bloodthirsty, and few retained kindness and reason.

"You could sell that symbiote for tens of thousands of Energy Credits," Yondu suggested.

"How could we sell out a teammate?"

With that, Allen unscrewed the glass jar. The irregularly writhing symbiote seemed like a clueless young cub, cautiously extending its head and carefully crawling out of the jar.

Whoosh!

The Butcher Knife came down, blocking the symbiote’s path.

Holy Flame Power covered Allen’s hands as he threatened it sinisterly, "Stop pretending to be innocent, you sneaky little bastard. Don’t even think about parasitizing me. You have two choices: either parasitize a weapon, or get burned to death by my Pure Heart Blazing Palm."

Sensing the terror of the Holy Flame Power, the symbiote decisively chose to parasitize the Butcher Knife.

Knull, the God of Darkness, had created the symbiotes. They were naturally afraid of fire, light, and the sound of metal clashing. Knowing their weaknesses made them easy enough to deal with.

"Can you walk by yourself?"

Allen poked the Butcher Knife with his finger. The Holy Flame Power on its surface made the entire blade tremble.

"Boss, I can walk on my own. Please stop burning me."

Tar-like writhing fluid formed limbs across the Butcher Knife’s surface, while a vicious head rose from the handle. It looked as though the Butcher Knife had grown a pair of arms, a pair of legs, and a head.

"Boss, I’m Phantom. How should I address you?" the symbiote asked fawningly, splitting open a gaping bloody mouth.

Allen swept back his hair and declared proudly, "Allen, a veteran single dog of the Galactic Single Dog Protection Association."

No, wait.

It was supposed to be the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Why had he changed it again?

Yondu gave him an odd look. He truly was a strange man with ever-changing moods.

Phantom shamelessly flattered him, "Then you must be the most handsome single dog, Boss."

"I never expected a lump of liquid like you to have such discerning eyes. That’s truly rare. I think highly of you."

Allen displayed the spacecraft unlock card and asked Yondu, "Adu, let’s unlock the ship first."

"At the starport. Follow me."

The moment he saw the unlock card, Yondu’s eyes practically shone with blazing light. He immediately felt that he had chosen the right person to follow.

He could not help imagining that Allen might be the young noble heir of some cosmic race, who had secretly slipped out to experience life as a drifter in the universe. Once the novelty wore off, Allen might even give him the spacecraft. As a result, Yondu became especially proactive.

A starport was, as the name implied, a harbor where spacecraft docked.

Numerous spacecraft of every shape and type were moored there for rest and maintenance.

The port also provided repair and modification services, making it one of Knowhere’s major sources of income.

They headed straight toward a brand-new spacecraft.

Allen took out the unlock card and scanned it. An entry hatch descended.

"It’s a Night Wailer long-range model. It can hold fifty crew members, has space-jump capability, and comes equipped with heavy firepower. It’s practically the dream spacecraft of every bounty hunter."

Yondu looked at the ship’s brand-new facilities and equipment, wishing he could move in immediately.

"Adu, can you fly a spacecraft?" Allen asked seriously.

"I only repair reactors…"