Chapter 130: Sakaar

It seemed an eternity had passed before Blonsky opened his eyes. He found himself in the middle of a desolate wasteland, surrounded by the wreckage of metallic debris. In the distant sky, several ships drifted by, dumping garbage onto the ground below. Was this...a junkyard?

"Hey, guys, looks like we've got something tasty here." A group of strange-looking aliens emerged from the shadows, circling him like predators stalking prey. Their eyes gleamed hungrily. "This one looks chewy. Catch him for me. Tonight, we feast!"

"Yeah!" The aliens howled as they grabbed their weapons and aimed at him.

Though Blonsky couldn't understand their language, their hostile intent was evident. Just as they were about to fire, Blonsky let out a deafening roar, transforming into the monstrous Abomination. The alien weapons' attacks left nothing but small red marks on his thick skin.

THUD! The Abomination leapt into the air, stomping down on one of the attackers, crushing his head in an instant.

"Monster!" the others screamed in panic. They had assumed their prey was just a defenseless creature—only to watch him morph into a terrifying giant.

"Run!"

But their escape attempt was futile. Blonsky grabbed one alien by the leg, effortlessly tearing him in two. Then, he hurled a massive piece of machinery at the fleeing group.

BOOM! The impact sent a violent tremor through the ground, toppling the aliens. A few unlucky ones were smashed into pulp.

"Pathetic," Abomination muttered, striding toward the terrified aliens. Just as he was about to stomp on another victim, a small, fist-sized device shot out from the distance, latching onto his chest.

He glanced down to see a circular disc stuck to his torso. From it, countless thin wires extended, piercing into his chest and emitting an electric current.

Blonsky, however, was unbothered. He had died once before, and his heart had long since stopped beating. The electricity meant nothing to him.

A woman with braided hair leapt down from a small spacecraft nearby, staring at him in shock. "You're still standing?!"

To Blonsky's surprise, he could understand her words. But the insult of being attacked ignited his fury, and he lunged toward her.

As he charged, she pressed a button on her device, causing the disc on his chest to unleash a stronger surge of electricity, enveloping his entire body.

The device was a slave collar, designed to exploit biological vulnerabilities. It could even incapacitate stone creatures and mechanical beings. But as a death knight, Abomination's undead nature rendered it useless. His heart didn't beat, and his body was beyond life's normal constraints.

The woman—Valkyrie—gaped in disbelief as he continued advancing. She had never encountered anything like this before.

Blonsky grabbed her by the throat, lifting her effortlessly. He growled in a low, guttural voice, "Are you from Earth?"

Struggling for breath, she managed to reply, "I'm not human… I'm Valkyrie, a bounty hunter from Sakaar. I work for the Grandmaster, capturing gladiators."

What a waste, she thought bitterly. A fighter as powerful as this one could fetch an enormous price for the Grandmaster.

"Gladiators?" Blonsky asked. "The ones who fight in arenas and earn cheers from thousands?"

"Uh, yes… that's one way to put it," Valkyrie answered cautiously, unsure of his intentions.

To her surprise, Blonsky reverted to his human form and released her. Having lost track of his comrade Garus, he found himself directionless. The idea of battling powerful opponents in front of roaring crowds stirred something deep inside him—a life he had always dreamed of.

"Take me there," he said, his tone eager. "I want to be a gladiator."

Valkyrie blinked in confusion, unsure what had just transpired.

Blonsky shoved her forward impatiently. "Move, or I'll crush your bones."

"Alright, alright," she relented, leading him to her ship.

The spacecraft was small, barely accommodating the two of them. As they settled in, Valkyrie handed him a device. "Here," she said, "this is a universal translator. Attach it to your neck, and you'll understand most languages in the galaxy."

The ship took off, heading toward Sakaar's city center. The towering structure of the Grandmaster's palace loomed ever closer. The streets were teeming with creatures of every kind—Kree, Xandarians, Ravagers, and more. Despite the chaos, no one dared to cause trouble under the Grandmaster's rule.

The Grandmaster, an ancient and highly intelligent being, was the brother of the Collector. His immense lifespan had driven him to seek entertainment to stave off boredom, leading him to create gladiatorial games that made Sakaar infamous as the Planet of Contests.

Bounty hunters like Valkyrie scoured the galaxy for warriors to participate, earning hefty rewards for their efforts.

When they reached the palace, the guards at the entrance stepped aside to let them in. One of them eyed Blonsky's ordinary human form and smirked. "Valkyrie, your catch today doesn't look like much."

She rolled her eyes but said nothing. Privately, she wondered if bringing Blonsky here had been a mistake. In her experience, humans from Midgard were never this strong, let alone capable of transforming into a monstrous red giant.

No matter. She'd done her job, and the money was all that mattered.

Inside, the Grandmaster was watching the annual gladiator tournament unfold in the arena. The crowd roared with excitement as the combatants clashed.

A guard approached the Grandmaster, whispering, "Sire, Valkyrie has arrived with her bounty."

The Grandmaster turned his gaze toward the door, studying Valkyrie and Blonsky. "This is your find?" he asked, unimpressed. "He doesn't look like much. Frankly, I don't feel like paying you."

Before Valkyrie could respond, Blonsky stepped forward. Unable to contain his irritation, he transformed back into the Abomination. The room fell silent as he leapt from the hundred-meter-high balcony straight into the arena below.

CRASH! The impact cracked the ground beneath him.

"Who is that?"

"What's happening?!"

The spectators erupted in confusion as the Abomination strode into the center of the arena. Two massive creatures—one a towering mechanical construct, the other a monstrous beast—paused their fight to glare at the intruder.

Blood-red runes began glowing across Blonsky's body. He raised a middle finger at the two opponents. "Come on! Both of you, at once!"

With a roar, the beast charged at him, while the mechanical construct prepared its own assault. But they were no match for him. Within minutes, the construct lay in pieces, and the beast's lifeless body slumped to the ground.

The arena fell into stunned silence.

Finally, the Grandmaster smiled. "Valkyrie, I must admit, I'm impressed. This… Abomination of yours is quite the specimen."

He turned to his officials. "Announce him as the tournament champion."

The official bowed. "At once, Grandmaster."

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