Chapter 4027

Sitting in the spaceship seat, Constantine felt a rare sense of drowsiness. He didn't know if it was because the medicine's effects were wearing off, if the devil Mephisto had played some trick on him, or if he simply wasn't accustomed to interstellar travel. In any case, he fell asleep and had a very chaotic dream.

He found himself in Hell again, walking across an endless wasteland, watching everything around him burn. Suddenly, a giant black claw descended from the sky and snatched him up. He flew higher and higher, through swirling clouds, until he saw Satan's palace open its gates for him, with the evil devil waiting at the entrance.

Constantine descended, but just as he looked at Satan, wanting to speak, he jolted awake, feeling his body trembling. Instinctively, he looked out the window and saw a desolate landscape. Amidst the swirling dust, the ship had landed.

In the cockpit, the Agent was putting on his coat. Constantine shook his head to clear it. He put on his own coat, picked up his briefcase, and walked toward the hatch.

"What's here?"

"One of the Infinity Stones," Shiler said after a pause. "An Elder of the Universe lives here."

"How do you know?"

Shiler shook his head and remained silent. They stepped out of the ship. Shiler checked his weapons as he walked. Seeing his solemn expression, Constantine felt a bit nervous. "Is that guy hard to deal with?"

"It's not just him we have to deal with." Shiler shook his head.

He stopped in an open space and operated his communicator. Suddenly, a portal appeared, and a short figure in formal attire stood before them.

"Honorable Agent, greetings. I am Linta, a server at the Grandmaster's Contest of Champions. Your arrival brings great honor to the arena. The Grandmaster is waiting for you on the top floor. Please, follow me."

The short figure bowed and began to walk away. Constantine was puzzled; he almost thought the creature was talking in its sleep—this planet was more desolate than Hell, so where was this "arena"?

But seeing Shiler remain silent, he didn't ask questions and followed the short figure inside. After just a few steps, the world transformed completely.

As they walked, countless buildings appeared on both sides of the road. Unlike human skyscrapers, most were suspended in the air. The style was uniform, dominated by gold and silver with splashes of green, looking like a magnificent emerald city from afar. The architecture was mostly Gothic, with some bizarre structures that added a sense of liveliness rather than ruining the atmosphere.

Looking closely, however, one could see these weren't temples. Lining the road were food stalls selling fast food and nutritional supplements, but mostly pharmacies—shelves filled with syringes of various colors, with strange-looking aliens browsing the stock.

Higher buildings featured exaggerated neon signs with winding scripts, though the illustrations suggested they were casinos.

Even higher structures were clustered together, connected by translucent green pipes that nearly blocked the sky. Countless alien creatures moved through these pipes. One could tell how lively the atmosphere was just by the lights in the windows.

Taking this opportunity, Constantine checked his old terminal for information on Sakaar. He was shocked to find it was a famous interstellar casino, similar to Earth's Las Vegas.

To attract customers, there were many advertisements for Sakaar, revealing that it had only risen to prominence about a decade ago. Originally a backwater, it had been transformed by the Grandmaster after the indigenous rulers were defeated, becoming a massive gambling resort. Now, interstellar dignitaries frequented the place, making the Grandmaster the most sought-after Elder of the Universe.

The descriptions of the Grandmaster were filled with praise, calling him the "God of Gamblers" who had never lost a bet in years. Some even claimed that if you could win a single game against him, you might even be able to bring the dead back to life.

These ads were clearly effective. As Constantine followed the short figure inside, he found the place packed with aliens filling the massive hall.

Some were gathered around a giant machine, seemingly playing pinball; others were at tables with stacks of chips, playing cards; still others were gathered around a buffet, arguing loudly or passed out drunk at tables.

"This doesn't look any different from human casinos," Constantine thought. "Gambling addicts are the same everywhere."

Amidst the crowd, Constantine caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. Before he could get a better look, the person vanished into the throng. Unable to find them, he followed the short figure and Shiler into the elevator.

Star-Lord emerged from behind a pinball machine and said to Rocket Raccoon, who was playing enthusiastically, "Hey, Rocket, stop playing. We have real business. We need to find a way to see the Grandmaster, challenge him to a bet, and win his stone."

"Got it, got it." Rocket Raccoon pulled the large lever with his small paws, staring intensely at the pinball. With a clatter, a flood of balls poured out. Rocket slammed the lever, but only heard a few beeps.

"Shit!" Rocket cursed. "This machine is definitely rigged! It seems this shitty 'Grandmaster's Arena' is just a marketing gimmick."

He grabbed his weapon, jumped off the table, and walked toward another table with Star-Lord. Gamora, Drax, and Groot were already sitting there, drinking.

Star-Lord recalled what Yondu had told him:

"I have leads on some Infinity Stones, but some are impossible to get. Take the Collector, for instance—he values his collection more than his life. If you try to rob him, you might not win, and even if you do, you'll become a wanted criminal. That purple-headed guy from the Interstellar Safety Commission is a new broom that sweeps clean; he won't let you off."

"Robbery won't work. You need to use other means. I suggest you go to Sakaar and find the Grandmaster. That guy is a total gambler; there's nothing he won't bet on. He's wealthy and very proud. If you can actually beat him, he'll be too embarrassed not to pay up. Challenge him to a bet, and you might just win the stone."

Star-Lord pondered this and agreed with Yondu. While Elders of the Universe weren't much to the heavy hitters, it would be hard for the Guardians of the Galaxy to fight them. While they weren't the smartest or most cautious, their greatest strength was knowing their place—staying in their comfort zone and not provoking those they couldn't handle.

While they planned to leave for their own universe after the war, the conflict seemed like it would drag on. Offending an Elder of the Universe would mean being hunted down, and they wouldn't be able to answer to the base. So, Star-Lord came to Sakaar to try his luck.

"I've already checked," Gamora said, her eyes scanning the room as she lowered her voice. "The security here is tight, and the guards are professionals. It'll be very hard to sneak up to the top floor."

Star-Lord sat opposite her, leaning in and lowering his voice as well. "While the Grandmaster owns this casino, everyone knows there's likely an Interstellar Alliance official behind it—it's a money-making machine for those big shots. We can't just barge in."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"Usually, we could cause a scene in the lower levels to force the Grandmaster to come down and investigate, but that probably won't work here. We might not be able to beat the guards, and if we make too much of a mess, the Grandmaster might refuse to bet with us. We need another way."

Rocket Raccoon suddenly chimed in, "That pinball machine has a trick to it."

"What do you mean?"

Rocket sneered, stroked his whiskers, leaned back arrogantly, and crossed his arms. "I was playing in the black market casinos on Centauri long before this shitty arena even existed. Trying to scam me? They've got another thing coming."

"You're saying the machine is rigged?"

"Obviously. If I'm not mistaken, they've tampered with the magnetic springs in the pinball machine so the balls can't go up. It's a total scam, and only clueless kids would dump their money into it."

Star-Lord's eyes darted around. "You're saying if we expose this, the Grandmaster will have to come out to settle it?"

"Of course. This 'Grandmaster's Arena' relies on advertising to attract people. If news of fraud gets out, their reputation is ruined. Even just to buy our silence, the Grandmaster will have to see us."

"Are you sure?" Star-Lord looked at Rocket.

"Just watch."

With that, Rocket threw his gun onto the table, downed a drink, and staggered toward the pinball machine, pretending to be drunk.

Being a raccoon, he was short, and he crawled on all fours. Some aliens were two or three meters tall and didn't even notice him. He deliberately bumped into their feet, pretending to be drunk. Sure enough, a two-meter-tall giant tripped over him.

Coincidentally, the giant was wearing iron armor and a horned helmet. As he fell, his helmet slammed into the machine's panel. Sparks flew, and the machine broke down.

The giant stood up, cursing, and looked down to find he'd been tripped by a raccoon. Being short-tempered, he grabbed Rocket and prepared to strike.

Star-Lord knew it was his turn. He hurried over to mediate. "Sorry, sorry! This is my pet. He stole some of my wine and got drunk. I'm so sorry he tripped you."

Star-Lord apologized profusely. Realizing it was just a pet, the giant lost interest, shoved Rocket aside, pulled his helmet out of the machine, and walked away.

Right next to him was the broken pinball machine. Star-Lord walked over, pretending to pick up Rocket, and suddenly let out a cry:

"Whoa!!!"

His shout drew everyone's attention. Seeing the crowd gather, Star-Lord pointed at something in the hole in the panel. "What is this?! Is this a magnet for the magnetic springs?!! Manager! Manager!!!"

A short figure ran over. Before he could speak, Star-Lord punched the machine. "You bastards! How dare you rig the machines?! No wonder I could never win! You're running a rigged casino?!!"