Chapter 737: Mutual Scheming

Thor, whose eyes had rolled back, slowly began to gather the power of thunder on his body again.

The the Grandmaster, not wanting to see him make a comeback, quietly took out a taser button.

The the Grandmaster’s gladiatorial arena needed exciting gladiator matches, and even more, a powerful and easily controllable Arena King like Hulk to ensure high attendance.

Although Thor’s strength was considerable, his physique was more like that of a normal person, which made for much less visual impact compared to the muscular Hulk.

Moreover, his personality was not as easy to control as the “simple” Hulk’s.

Therefore, the Grandmaster decided to manipulate the match, letting Thor narrowly lose to Hulk, while also helping Hulk continue to refresh his gladiator win streak, further solidifying his title as the Arena King.

As for whether the “defeated” Thor would be disposed of or kept for a secondary return as a gimmick later, the Grandmaster hadn’t decided yet.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t do that.”

Just as the Grandmaster was about to press the button connected to the taser on Thor’s neck to stun him, a warning voice suddenly sounded in his ear.

“Who are you?” The Grandmaster was startled and turned to look at the young man who had appeared beside him at some unknown point.

Two ladies followed him, one on each side.

Under the gaze of the crowd, the expressions of the three were unusually calm.

“Mi-Mike, are you here specifically to pick up Thor and me?” Loki’s face instantly broke into a fawning smile upon seeing Mike.

He immediately rushed over to Mike.

Clearly, he intended to abandon the Grandmaster and cling to Mike’s powerful leg instead.

“You know each other?” The Grandmaster, having recovered, looked at Mike and Loki with interest, then turned to glance at Thor in the arena, seemingly understanding something.

“It seems you want this thing?” The Grandmaster said nonchalantly, weighing the remote control in his hand. “How about we make a bet? If you win, I’ll let you take Thor. If you lose, you’ll stay in my arena, how about that?”

The Grandmaster, like his brother the Collector Tivan, possessed abilities that bordered on Undying Body and eternal life.

Great power and an extremely long life made both of them feel empty and bored.

Therefore, his brother Tivan became obsessed with collecting, while the Grandmaster, a “hedonist,” was pathologically enthusiastic about everything interesting.

For example, throwing parties, playing music, and making bets.

“Not good at all?” Mike smiled and shook his head, then his body “blurred” for an instant.

When he reappeared in his original spot, a small remote control was in his hand.

It was the very one the Grandmaster had been holding.

“That’s not fair, I haven’t even said what we’re betting on…” The Grandmaster, whose item had been snatched away without him even reacting, showed a hint of surprise on his face, then happily said, “Good, I’m getting more and more interested in you.”

The Grandmaster and his brother’s “Undying Body” ability, like Deadpool’s “Undying Body,” was due to a bet with the Goddess of Death, permanently losing the right to “die.”

The “Goddess of Death” here is not Hela, the Goddess of Death from Asgard, but the embodiment of the concept of “Death” in this universe.

Her status is equivalent to great gods like Eternity, Infinity, and Oblivion, belonging to the highest tier of existence in this universe.

Legend has it that this true “Goddess of Death” is not only powerful but also possesses beauty and charm that transcend everything.

At this point, Thanos must be mentioned.

It was once rumored that the reason this cosmic overlord wanted to eliminate half of all life in the universe was precisely out of admiration for the “Goddess of Death,” wanting to please her.

Of course, rumors are just rumors. What exactly Thanos’s “population cleansing plan” entails and what its purpose is, probably only he, the person involved, truly knows.

Let’s return to the Grandmaster.

Having lost the right to “die,” he also lost his sense of awe.

Since he wouldn’t truly die anyway, the stronger Mike appeared, the happier he became.

He was already planning how to capture Mike in one fell swoop and then promote him to be the next Arena King.

Although Mike’s physique offered much less visual impact compared to the current Arena King, Hulk, Mike’s inherent charisma was undeniable.

This charisma applied to all intelligent beings in the universe.

Especially females… it is known that when women are crazy, they are more willing to spend money than men.

While Hulk, the Arena King, had considerable appeal, he only attracted male creatures from the universe.

If Mike could replace him, the arena would definitely open up the female market across the universe.

And who said there could only be one Arena King in the gladiatorial arena???

As long as Mike stayed, the Grandmaster felt that his arena could also have “twin stars shining.”

At that time, in addition to men, a large number of women would be attracted to the audience, and doubling the number of people would not be impossible.

Thinking of this beautiful future, the Grandmaster’s body trembled slightly with excitement.

Then, taking advantage of Mike’s inattention, he instantly threw out a “control disk,” a collar-like object, attempting to enslave Mike.

The disk grew rapidly in the wind, quickly enlarging before descending over Mike’s head.

The Grandmaster, with his keen business acumen, had formulated all his previous thoughts in an instant.

So, to onlookers, he was talking to Mike one second, and the next, he launched a sneak attack.

In such a situation, an ordinary person would not be able to react, let alone defend themselves.

However, Mike happened not to be an ordinary person; with his speed far exceeding Bullet Time’s “Super Speed,” he appeared to be standing casually but had always maintained vigilance.

After all, the Grandmaster before him, with his capricious and seemingly unreliable personality, might not be much weaker than Thanos when he truly fought.

This was exactly what Mike had been waiting for.

With his Super Speed activated, everything around him slowed down; the Grandmaster’s sinister expression was clearly visible.

Then, with everything around him seemingly “still,” Mike reached out, grabbed the floating control disk above his head, and then crushed it with a squeeze of his five fingers.

After doing all this, Mike stepped in front of the Grandmaster, a white light condensing on his fist, and slammed it hard into the other’s face, which still held a sinister smile.

With a “bang,” The Grandmaster’s head shattered like a watermelon, and his body, under the force of inertia, flew out of the private box.

All of this seemed long, but with Super Speed, it took less than half a second.

It was just a blink of an eye.

Therefore, in the eyes of everyone else in the room, they only saw the Grandmaster throw out the control disk, then Mike’s figure flashed, and then the Grandmaster’s headless corpse was thrown out.

After tracing an arc, it heavily fell into the arena.

At this time, in the arena, with no one intervening, Thor had broken free from Hulk’s restraints and once again entered his “God of Thunder” state.

Both equally furious, the two were fiercely exchanging blows.

The audience, stirred by the dramatic twists and turns of the battle, erupted in unreserved cheers and applause.

It was then that a headless corpse fell from the sky, landing precisely between Thor and Hulk.

Immediately after, a figure radiating white light flew out from the private box, hovering above Thor and Hulk.

“Thor, Hulk, playtime is over!”

Mike looked down and healed them both.

The gentle Healing Power instantly suppressed the violent power within Hulk, causing his body to slowly shrink until he transformed back into Banner.

On the other side, under the effect of the Healing Power, Thor’s numerous severe injuries rapidly healed, and his overheated mind slowly calmed down.

“What exactly is going on? Mike and Thor, why are you two here too…?” Banner, having returned to normal, looked around in confusion.

The noisy environment, the bloody arena, and the various bizarre and frenzied spectators around him all made Dr. Banner, whose personality leaned towards “cowardly,” feel uncomfortable.

Yes, compared to the violent and bloodthirsty Hulk, Banner was at the other extreme; he liked peace and quiet.

Moreover, his memory was still stuck two years ago, when Captain America criticized him for creating the ultimate robot “Ultron.”

Afterward, Banner, who chose self-exile and left Earth by spaceship, transformed into Hulk due to the pent-up frustration in his heart.

As for later wandering in the universe and joining the Grandmaster’s arena, all of that was done by Hulk.

And because Dr. Banner and Hulk’s memories are not interchangeable.

So, in Dr. Banner’s memory, he had just left Earth, and the next moment he opened his eyes, he was in a bloody gladiatorial arena.

Not going crazy was already a testament to his strong heart.

“Your situation is a bit complicated to explain; I’ll tell you slowly when we have time. For now, there are more important things for me to deal with,” Mike comforted Banner, then looked at the headless corpse on the ground.

As for Thor, he had genuinely been provoked into a real rage by Hulk during the previous battle, so he didn’t want to bother with Banner right now.

“Is that the Grandmaster? Did he just die like that?…” Thor, recognizing the Grandmaster’s attire, showed indignation on his face.

The other party had made him suffer so badly; if he died just like that, it would be too easy for him.

“He didn’t die; his vitality is much stronger than you think,” Mike explained.

“That better be the case; I still have a score to settle with him.” Thor clenched his fists.

Just then, numerous tendrils of flesh suddenly sprouted from the neck of the Grandmaster’s headless corpse, which then wriggled and transformed into a human head.

Unlike Deadpool, who needed time to recover his body, the Grandmaster, with powerful energy within him, recovered his body extremely quickly.

“The sensation of pain, I haven’t felt it in a long time. It’s truly awful…” The Grandmaster, now “resurrected,” first tidied his appearance, then looked at Mike and said, “Your strength is greater than I imagined. Perhaps we can sit down and talk properly.”

“What do you want? Take your friend, or stay and govern Sakaar with me? I can satisfy you with anything…”

The Grandmaster liked seeking thrills and enjoyed organizing gladiator matches, but he disliked participating himself.

To put it simply, he preferred to be the “controller” or “manipulator” behind the scenes rather than getting his hands dirty.

“Do you think, at this point, we can still pretend nothing happened?” Before Mike could speak, Thor, provoked by the Grandmaster’s casual demeanor, finally couldn’t hold back, unleashing his thunder power and charging at the Grandmaster.

“Die!!!”

With a roar, Thor’s lightning-infused fist slammed towards the Grandmaster’s face.

Then, his furious punch was gently caught by the Grandmaster with one hand.

“This kind of power, no wonder you almost defeated my Arena King just now…”

The Grandmaster, having blocked the attack, even commented on Thor with some interest, his tone carrying a hint of admiration.

“Stop joking, it’s all fake, I don’t believe you’re that strong!!!” Thor, easily intercepted, looked astonished, almost breaking down from the Grandmaster’s actions.

The opponent clearly didn’t look like a strong person, but when he actually fought, Thor felt he was no less powerful than Thanos.

Unwilling to accept this fact, Thor immediately bent his other arm to gather strength, preparing to deliver a merciless combo attack.

However, the Grandmaster was faster than him, launching a wave of energy from his hand that blasted Thor away.

He tumbled several times in the distant sand before finally coming to a stop.

Thor, having suffered a heavy blow, felt as if his entire body had fallen apart, lying on the ground unable to get up, only able to look up at the sky and begin to question his life.

Who would have thought that a person who didn’t seem skilled in combat would be so strong?

Their power was completely on a different level.

“What do you say?” The Grandmaster, withdrawing his hand as if he had done something insignificant.

Then his gaze shifted back to Mike.

[Frenzy Value +99]…[Excitement Value +99]…[Madness Value +99]…[Undying Body (Trait)]…[Cosmic Energy Manipulation (Trait)]…[Mind Perception (Trait)]…[Celestials Energy +150M]…[Cosmic Knowledge Energy +500M]…”This place seems pretty good—” Mike suddenly smiled in response to the question.

Besides observing the Grandmaster, his gaze also swept across the audience in the arena.

These “trash” from various parts of the universe were furiously cursing and protesting because the duel had been interrupted.

Even though the Grandmaster was among those who interrupted the match, they showed no respect.

Thus, they contributed a large amount of [Degeneracy] to Mike; individually it didn’t seem like much, but there were many people, and it was sustained over time.

Moreover, Mike realized that if he took over Sakaar, a planet like a cosmic transit station, the energy value he could gain in the future would definitely be more than from Xandar.

With proper operation, his name might even spread through here to every corner of the universe.

By then, he could truly increase his strength by just lying down.

“So, you choose to stay and govern Sakaar with me then. That doesn’t sound bad either…” The Grandmaster was stunned for a moment, then a smile also appeared on his face.

Sakaar was located in the chaotic central region of the universe, facing no less challenges and potential threats.

Although the Grandmaster’s strength was not poor, he preferred to focus on development and enjoyment.

If Mike stayed, he could serve as an “enforcer” to deal with external planetary conflicts.

The Grandmaster had already begun to fantasize about a wonderful life where he only had to handle internal affairs.

“Not govern together, but you’ll work for me.” Mike sternly corrected the Grandmaster’s untimely fantasy.

Just as the other party wanted to use him, Mike also valued the Grandmaster as a tool.

If the other party didn’t mess around, his governing ability was actually quite good.

Moreover, this person couldn’t be killed, and letting him go would only cause harm; the best solution was to enslave him to work for himself.

“It seems we can’t come to an agreement.” Hearing Mike’s plan, the Grandmaster looked disappointed.

Then, countless energy beams converged on the Grandmaster from all over Sakaar, causing his body to rapidly swell, finally transforming into a giant thousands of meters tall.

A large number of data runes and inductive light waves flowed across his body…

The Grandmaster’s body was covered in runes and electrical currents…