Xandar was a very peaceful planet. It looked like what Earth might become if it could develop without war. At the immigration checkpoint, I showed the medal I had received from Asgard and went through the entry procedures.
"Oh~ you're from Asgard! Welcome to Xandar. Please write your name here."
I wrote my name and completed the simple entry screening. The claim that this medal would be welcomed anywhere seemed true. It was a testament to Asgard's great reputation.
Asgard is truly remarkable.
I looked through the tourist guidebook provided at the checkpoint and slowly explored Xandar. I couldn't buy anything yet since I didn't have Units, but it was enjoyable enough just to see the futuristic, beautiful city and the diverse alien races living there. The funny thing was that many aliens were staring at me. There were many races that looked similar to me, so I didn't know why at first, but as I walked further, I realized the reason.
"Excuse me, do you have some time?"
"It was love at first sight. Would you like to have a drink?"
"You're so handsome. Could I take a picture with you?"
It was a pleasant surprise that my looks worked even here. But when even aliens with strange tentacles on their faces reacted this way, I was a bit flustered. I politely declined and hurried toward the mineral exchange. Before trading, I first hacked into the surrounding devices and checked the transaction ledgers.
Gold is expensive here too.
Gold was certainly trading at a high price, but the interesting thing was that diamonds were dirt cheap. They were only slightly more expensive than glass.
"Well, if you have the technology, diamonds are easy to make."
Fortunately, vibranium was also traded here. Seeing that it was traded at an enormous price, similar to Earth, it was clear that vibranium was a rare mineral even in space. Thanks to that, I didn't need to trade a large amount at once.
However, it seemed they didn't deal in Uru. Uru was also a rare mineral, but it was a special metal only used by Asgardians. Perhaps because of its dangerous nature, where ordinary people could be mentally contaminated by touching it, it wasn't easily traded.
I decided to start with two vibranium ingots.
"I've come to trade vibranium."
When I showed the ingots, the employee initially thought it was a joke.
"Excuse me? Don't be ridiculous! There's no way a vibranium ingot like this would... Huh!!!"
But when the composition analyzer beside them showed 'Vibranium Purity 99.999%', the employee was shocked.
"Please wait a moment. This is beyond my authority. I'll fetch the manager."
After a moment, a short, elderly-looking alien hurried out.
"You've come to trade vibranium? And in ingot form?"
"Yes."
"I see. May I see it?"
I showed the ingot to the manager. He examined it closely, checked the machine, and was visibly surprised, just like the employee.
"Unbelievable! This is indeed vibranium. I've never seen such a large quantity of vibranium. And in ingot form, no less..."
"So, are you interested in purchasing it?"
"Hmm... With this quantity, it would be a bit tight with our current Units. How about this price?"
The price the manager offered was similar to the transaction ledgers I had seen, but slightly lower. Still, he didn't seem to be trying to cheat me. From the ledgers, this was most of the company's available Units. I decided to test the waters to see if I could get more Units elsewhere.
"Hmm... it's a bit low."
"This is all the Units our company currently has."
When I pretended to think, the manager looked nervous, sweating. He seemed anxious not to miss this rare opportunity to acquire vibranium. It seemed there was no more Units to be had, so I decided to trade only the two ingots.
"Well, fine. Since it's my first trade, I'll be a bit flexible for the sake of the future. Instead, could you provide me with a reliable guide for a day?"
The manager's face brightened considerably.
"Of course! For a day? No, for as long as you are here, I will provide you with a guide!"
"Thank you."
The manager handed me a Unit chip and assigned an employee as my guide. I thought about hacking the Unit chip, but I didn't want to cause any problems, so I refrained. Then I asked the guide.
"I'd like to buy some spacecraft. Could you guide me?"
"Ah, I see. There's a place not far from here that sells the latest models. Let's go there."
I could have made my own spacecraft, but the star maps were another story. I needed star charts that were standard in the Marvel universe, and I decided to buy two decent spacecraft to check out new technologies as well.
The showroom had various spacecraft on display. A salesperson came out and explained the different models in detail.
"This spacecraft features an energy shield for emergencies, and... blah blah..."
As I listened, I bought two spacecraft that looked similar to the Benatar, the one Star-Lord used in the original story. One was a model for research purposes. Both spacecraft were very fast and armed with laser bolt cannons and hyperspace jump capabilities. The interiors weren't just practical and drab; they were decorated with luxurious interiors reminiscent of expensive RVs. That was expected, as they were designed for wealthy individuals to travel in comfort.
Even after buying two such expensive spacecraft, I still had a considerable amount of Units left. I decided to keep them as a reserve. First, I had a meal at a restaurant with the guide, gave him a small tip in Units, and sent him off. Then, I took one of the spacecraft into space, stored it in my inventory, teleported back, and slowly flew the other spacecraft toward Earth.
On the way to Earth, I checked the star charts on the spacecraft. It seemed I could now conveniently travel anywhere in the universe. Also, while in space, if I saw a barren planet or large asteroid, I stored it in my inventory. This was for [Matter Manipulation], to avoid constantly depleting Earth's resources. It was a shame I didn't have [Matter Creation].
"Maybe it'll appear someday, but I hope it comes sooner."
After collecting a large amount of material this way, I decided I had enough and jumped to near Earth. I then stored the spacecraft I was in, teleported to my house on Earth.
Back on Earth, I thought deeply about the future. The upcoming year was particularly problematic. In the Marvel universe, three major movies were set to occur: 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier', 'Guardians of the Galaxy', and 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'.
Should I just ignore Guardians of the Galaxy? Those will work out fine even without me.
From the Guardians of the Galaxy series, what I could obtain were the Power Stone and Ego's abilities. The Power Stone could probably be stolen after the first movie ended. The problem was Ego. Honestly, I wasn't sure if I could win against him in a direct fight. Ego was on the weaker side among cosmic entities, but he was still on a transcendent level. I seriously considered whether to risk challenging him or not.
Hmm... If I could use the Power Stone to defeat Ego, that would be ideal, but he wouldn't just stand still...
I decided to think about this problem more carefully.
First, I went to the lab and analyzed the cursed stones. The analysis showed that the cursed stones greatly increased a being's metabolism, and the consumed energy was replaced by dark energy from within the stone, granting immense power. However, the increased metabolism also consumed life force, drastically reducing lifespan. For a human, it would cause immediate death. The reason Dark Elves could withstand it was likely because their bodies were attuned to dark energy.
"So that's why it had a Kaioken-like effect."
The cursed stones had many drawbacks. I put the research on hold for now and began analyzing the various spacecraft I had collected. First, I analyzed the Dark Elf mothership and fighters. The most useful technologies were their exceptional stealth capabilities and maneuverability. The stealth function, in particular, was so advanced that even Heimdall couldn't detect them. Nano was impressed, so that said a lot.
Analyzing the cursed stones and the Dark Elf spacecraft alone took a considerable amount of time. A week had passed while I was focused on the analysis, and it was time to pick up Wanda from Asgard. I showered first, then went to Asgard to meet Frigga.
"It was truly amazing. Her learning speed is very fast, as if it were her own. Of course, her theoretical knowledge is still lacking, but I believe that will improve with time. And this is a secret from Wanda. She might become arrogant."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
Hearing her praise Wanda, I understood more and more why the Darkhold had chosen her.
I took Wanda back home via the Bifrost.
"Ah... home is the best."
"Why? Was it hard?"
"Learning wasn't hard, but there was nothing to do for fun. I usually enjoy watching videos on the internet, so not having that was difficult."
"I see. Then next time you go, take some dramas and movies with you."
"I definitely will."
Wanda seemed to have had a hard time with nothing to do during her rest periods in Asgard. I dropped her off at home and returned to the lab. Given the current situation, it seemed I needed to upgrade the Odyssey-2. I added an energy shield, self-repair via nano-technology, and adjusted it for space travel. However, I did not include the hyperspace jump capability.
Additionally, I started producing several standard Talaria RVs for members who operated separately. Of course, these were standard Talarias, the same version provided to the other members, lacking the future technology.
The analysis of the collected spacecraft was not yet complete, but since the analysis and Project Zero-Nix were long-term projects, I decided to proceed with them while doing other tasks.
[Master, the Avengers base has been completed.]
"I see. Good."
Although we built it as an 'Avengers base', it was difficult to officially use that name yet. So we reported it as the Hero Business Headquarters and proceeded with construction, and it was known as such to the public. I inspected the completed buildings. Since I hadn't built them myself, I couldn't completely rule out the possibility that some group might have installed hacking, wiretapping, or surveillance equipment.
'None.'
Using [Eyes], I found no surveillance or wiretapping devices. S.H.I.E.L.D. probably couldn't easily pull such stunts because of the Baby Shark virus. It was a bit disappointing that I couldn't show off Baby Shark version 3.
Anyway, starting the next day, I began moving various supplies. With the help of drones, I installed auxiliary equipment, research equipment, security devices, and more in the base. Then I informed the members. Banner said,
"Well, no matter how big this house is, we can't keep working here forever."
Banner had started developing the Hulk Striker Mk. 2 and needed ample space. So we began a major move. Maya also moved with us. She was in the middle of making significant progress in her research and was reluctant to move, but she had no choice.
The members arriving at the base were amazed by the vast site, the beautiful buildings, and the various amenities.
"Wow~ I've only heard rumors, but seeing it in person is so much nicer."
Natasha said admiringly.
"Right? I put some effort into it. And underground, there are many vehicles registered to the company, so feel free to use them. But a driver's license is required. No illegal activities!"
I said, pointing directly at Deadpool.
"Geez, I know! You nag like a mother-in-law whose daughter left home."
Not only the members, but also Captain America, Hawkeye, Tony, Rhodes, and even Director Motherfucker came to tour the base. In the evening, we held a completion party. I served food I had prepared and stored in my inventory, and everyone enjoyed it. And so, the day passed.
Starting the next day, Tony seemed busy installing things in his designated space at the base. He brought new items every day and continued decorating. I trusted Tony and was busy myself, so I didn't ask about it.
The Odyssey-class ship would now be maintained and resupplied at this base. Accordingly, various supplies were stored in the warehouses. Due to the large site, drones handled internal security, and I asked Rhodes to hire trustworthy retired soldiers for entrance security. I also secretly installed an energy shield covering the entire base. This was a top secret known only to the android Mimi, the AI Minerva, and myself.
As I steadily made these preparations, time passed, and before I knew it, another year had gone by. It was now the eventful year 2014.