Chapter 155: Different Paths

Chapter 155: Chapter 155: Different Paths

A month passed, out in the junkyards beyond the city limits of Sakaar, a muscular figure was sprinting at breakneck speed.

It was Quill.

Over the course of the month, he had dropped sixty pounds, losing an average of two pounds a day. It sounded completely unbelievable, but Quill really had lost that much weight.

Going hungry every day, engaging in extreme physical exertion, trekking vast distances, and sometimes getting only a few brief moments of sleep over several nights would cause anyone in his shoes to drop that kind of weight.

Under normal circumstances, a regime like this would definitely wreck a person’s health or cause their body to give out.

Yet Quill was fine. In fact, he felt better than ever, running faster and faster by the day. That was because Daniel had used his remaining supply of God-Beast meat to strengthen his body; otherwise, Quill would have collapsed long ago.

Two days prior, Quill had even managed to hold out against Valkyrie for nine full minutes, though he ultimately fell just short and was knocked unconscious by her in the end.

"Crazy woman, come get me! Catch me if you can!" Quill shouted, darting left and right to evade Valkyrie.

After getting beaten up for a month, he knew Valkyrie wouldn’t let him off easily. Since she wouldn’t actually kill him, Quill started spouting all kinds of trash talk to intentionally provoke her. If he couldn’t win physically, couldn’t he at least enjoy some verbal satisfaction?

"Hm?" Valkyrie gave a cold laugh.

After a whole month of this, she was practically immune to Quill’s verbal attacks. Her heart remained entirely unbothered as she pursued him in silence.

"Nine and a half minutes already. You’re slowing down today. Looks like I’m finally going to make it through this!" Quill said, checking the timer with a triumphant grin.

Valkyrie didn’t utter a word.

"Fifty-five, fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight, fifty-nine." The smile on Quill’s face broadened, but it instantly froze. His body twitched, and he collapsed unconscious.

Valkyrie casually tossed the remote control in her hand. Long before Quill even realized it, she had attached an electric shock device to his body.

Looking down at the exhausted Quill, Valkyrie turned to Daniel and sighed, "This isn’t working. Even if he trained for another hundred years, he still wouldn’t be able to last ten minutes against me if I were actually trying."

"I know." Daniel nodded thoughtfully. "Give it another half a month. That should be enough. When the time comes, just go easy on him."

"Sure," Valkyrie nodded. She had been beating up Quill for a month straight and had grown thoroughly bored of it.

Looking at the progressively slimmer Quill on the ground, Daniel calculated in his mind, ’Another half month should do it. He’ll be just like in the original storyline.’

......

Half a month later.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Quill threw his head back and laughed aloud toward the sky.

"I’m finally free."

Just moments ago, with Valkyrie intentionally pulling her punches, Quill had successfully held out for ten minutes.

"Dammit!!" To play the role convincingly, Valkyrie put on a frustrated expression.

"That last one doesn’t count. I suggest we go again," Valkyrie said to Daniel with apparent irritation.

"Let’s just consider it a pass," Daniel said with a smile.

"I earned those ten minutes fair and square through my own strength," Quill chimed in from the side.

"Hmph..." Valkyrie let out a scoff, turned around, and walked off. Her pace quickened until she vanished from sight altogether.

Seeing Valkyrie leave, Quill turned to Daniel and asked, "Where’s my Lyra?" His smile was utterly sleazy.

"Fuck Off!" Daniel kicked Quill first. "Go take a shower, you look hideous."

After spending a month and a half running through junk heaps, Quill’s clothes and hair were in desperate need of cleaning. Fortunately, after taking a proper shower aboard the spaceship, he felt like a completely different person. He then hurried over to Daniel.

"Veylora?" Quill asked.

"Wait a moment. There’s something I need to tell you."

"What’s wrong?" Quill asked in confusion.

"I’m heading back. Back to Earth," Daniel said.

"Mm..." Hearing this, Quill fell silent for a brief moment before saying seriously, "I already guessed as much. Ever since Yaka, you haven’t been acting like yourself. You already wanted to leave back then, didn’t you?" Quill asked.

"Yeah."

"Why? We’ve been having a blast out here in space," Quill said, getting a bit emotional.

"I suddenly realized how much destruction I’ve caused, so I need to go back and reflect on everything I’ve done."

"Really? Most of the people we fought were the ones coming after us," Quill argued.

Daniel was silent for a moment before answering.

"I’ve just realized that I’ve been going too far. I wanted complete freedom, without anyone telling me what I could or couldn’t do. But somewhere along the way, I stopped thinking about the consequences of my actions."

Quill’s expression gradually became serious.

"There’s nothing in the universe keeping me grounded. If I continue like this, I’m only going to become worse. That’s why I’ve decided to return to Earth. There are people there who can keep me in check."

Daniel smiled warmly, as he thought of Susan, Mary, and John, as well as his two trusted friends.

"I’m no saint. I can’t save everyone, but I’m still responsible for the choices I make. If I have the power to do whatever I want, then I also need the discipline to know when to stop."

Daniel looked at Quill.

"I’m going back to Earth, find a normal job, and start over. Maybe that’s the best way for me to figure out what I really want."

Daniel smiled at Quill.

"I..." Quill hesitated, then nodded. "I wish you the best."

"Take good care of yourself out here. You’re worth quite a lot of money, so try not to get yourself into trouble," Daniel told Quill.

"Yeah, don’t worry, I’ll be fine." Quill nodded.

Daniel gave him a small nod.

"Just be careful out there. You’re on your own now."

"Yeah, now don’t worry about me too much, I’ll manage."

Quill paused before glancing around the ship. "Then how about we pull off one last job on Veylora before we part ways?" he asked tentatively.

"There’s no need for that. I’ve already brought the person here, she’s inside the ship. Go find her yourself."

Daniel paused before adding, "Oh, and you can keep the spaceship. It’s yours now."

He pulled out a pair of sunglasses, stepped off the ship, and waved at Quill.

"See you around, if fate allows."

Quill instinctively waved back, but by the time he realized what had happened, Daniel had already disappeared. Quill stood there for a moment before shaking his head with a quiet chuckle.

"That guy..."

He turned around and headed back toward the main control room.

"Ultron?" Quill called.

"Ultron has departed with Mr. Danvers. I’m the auxiliary system he left behind. You may give me a name if you wish."

"Forget about that for now. Where’s Lyra?"

"Room 12."

Before the mechanical voice could finish, Quill had already rushed off.

"Lyra, here I come!"

He pushed open the door to Room 12. Inside, a figure dressed in a red gown stood with her back toward him. Quill slowed as he approached her.

"You’re finally here?"

The moment he heard the familiar voice, Quill knew it was Lyra.

"Lyra! It’s really you!" He exclaimed; his voice filled with excitement.

Quill hurried toward her, barely able to contain his excitement after being separated from her for so long. Then, without warning, the lights went out.

"What happened?"

Quill cautiously reached out in the darkness, only to brush against something unexpectedly hot.

He froze, a terrible feeling crept over him as he slowly looked down.

A moment later, his horrified scream echoed through the room.

"Holy shit!"

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