Bounty

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After hearing Kai explain the differences between races in the universe, the group finally accepted those "people" who looked strange.

Then, several individuals stepped out from the corner.

It turned out that when Kai opened the portal, he had done so in a discreet corner to avoid drawing attention. As a result, their arrival went unnoticed.

Next, the group began to explore Xandar together.

As they were passing a decorative fountain, they heard a voice complain loudly:

"The Xandarians are just a bunch of fools. They do nothing but pointless things all day. It's pathetic."

Startled, the group turned toward the sound and saw a talking raccoon. He had a gun on his back and was wearing combat gear.

Next to him stood a tall, tree-like figure—over two meters high. The raccoon was glaring at him and snapped, "Groot, can you stop drinking that filthy water from the fountain? It's gross."

Groot responded with his usual phrase, and Tony, Yinsen, and Banner couldn't help but be amazed at the bizarre friendship between a raccoon and a tree. Judging from their equipment, they clearly weren't just ordinary travelers.

Tony leaned over to whisper with Yinsen and Banner, speculating about how such creatures could develop intelligence.

Just then, Rocket's tablet chimed. He glanced at it, and a grin spread across his face. "Looks like we've got business."

He began scanning the area using the translucent screen. Within seconds, he locked onto his target.

"Look at that. So many people want to catch you."

Rocket was talking about the bounty just posted by Yondu. The target? Star-Lord—who wasn't far from them.

Kai followed Rocket's gaze and spotted Star-Lord in the crowd.

"Well, seems I'm lucky," Kai murmured. "I just got here and already found my target."

Instead of interfering, Kai decided to hang back and observe, planning to step in at the right moment.

He turned to Tony and the others and suggested they continue exploring the city. He wasn't concerned about Star-Lord, Rocket, or Gamora, who was about to appear—he knew they'd all end up in prison soon enough.

By the time they got out, Kai would have toured the city with the others, and that would be the perfect time to meet Star-Lord and Rocket, copy the Orb, and head home.

Thinking through this, Kai gave himself an invisible thumbs-up.

Meanwhile, a fight had already broken out behind him, and Tony and the others had stopped to watch.

Earthlings being Earthlings—always curious.

Kai sighed and stood by them. They watched Rocket and Groot overwhelm Star-Lord and Gamora. Tony, still watching with great interest, said, "Told you. The raccoon and the tree were clearly going to win."

Apparently, he and Banner had made a bet on the outcome. And Tony had won.

His victory didn't last long, though. Several strange ships descended from the sky, looking like mutated sea urchins. They fired beams of yellow light that immobilized Rocket and Groot mid-air.

The Nova Corps arrived moments later and took everyone into custody.

Tony and the others were stunned by how efficient and advanced the Xandarian tech was. Even Tony admitted that he couldn't match it at this stage.

Realizing how dangerous this place could be, they chose to stay out of trouble.

After watching Star-Lord and the others being taken away, Kai resumed leading the group around Xandar.

Tony, however, was visibly distracted, clearly still pondering the technology behind the yellow light.

Kai noticed and said, "Tony, relax. We're here to enjoy ourselves. You can look into the tech later."

"When we're ready to head back, we can buy what's available and take it home for study. No need to rush."

Tony snapped out of his thoughts. "You're right," he said. "We'll collect everything useful later."

Once he relaxed, the tour resumed in full swing.

They visited Xandar's most beautiful locations, eventually arriving at its largest trading hub.

Meanwhile, Star-Lord and the others had been identified and transferred to the infamous Kyln prison.

As they entered, Star-Lord finally understood Rocket's earlier warning about Gamora's reputation.

Most inmates had lost loved ones to Ronan or his forces, and seeing Gamora walk in was like tossing fresh meat into a pit of wolves.

"She won't last a day," Rocket said grimly.

Star-Lord asked, "Don't the guards care?"

"The guards only care about escapes. They couldn't care less if we die in here."

Just then, a hulking blue alien blocked Star-Lord's path.

He looked down and growled, "I'm going to eat you with sauce."

Star-Lord stopped in his tracks—but Groot stepped forward without hesitation.

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