The woman turned to bolt, but after only a few steps, a demonic whisper hissed in her ear.
"It seems you've chosen the first path."
A warm breath brushed against her ear, sending a jolt of tingling electricity through her. Goosebumps erupted across her skin. The distance between them had been over ten meters, and her burst of speed had taken less than two seconds. His movement was terrifyingly fast—and more importantly, she hadn't heard a single footstep.
"Hah!"
She let out a guttural roar, lashing out behind her with a powerful kick. She intended to send Jason flying and use the counter-force to propel herself out of the ship. It was a solid plan, but Jason had no intention of cooperating. He shifted slightly to avoid the impact and suddenly reached out, his hand clamping like a vise around her ankle.
"This leg... has some power!"
Feeling the force behind it, Jason calculated that without his energy shield, even he would have been sent flying. Finding her foot trapped and immovable, she was consumed by a mixture of shame and fury. She kicked off the ground with her free foot, twisting her torso in mid-air to deliver a savage roundhouse toward his head.
Thud!
Jason didn't flinch. He took the kick squarely with his head.
"Ah..."
She cried out in pain. Her foot throbbed as if she had kicked an iron slab.
"You kicked me twice. I'll pay you back with one punch!"
Jason yanked her toward him and drove a fist deep into her abdomen. Because he still held her ankle, the blow landed with devastating solidity. Her face twisted in agony, her mouth open in a silent wail. Three moves, and the verdict was clear: the gap between them was an abyss.
"Now, let's continue our conversation. Are you sticking with death, or are you choosing to be my slave?"
She hung her head, her long hair masking most of her face, but the gaze peeking through the strands remained defiant.
"Hmph!" Jason snorted. He loved this type of person; it made the thrill of conquest all the more satisfying. He let go of her leg and instantly clamped his left hand around her throat, lifting her off the ground. Her feet dangled, kicking wildly as she struggled for air, yet she remained unyielding.
"I suppose you're dead set on the first path then?"
Jason's patience evaporated. He issued a final ultimatum, but she showed no sign of submission.
"Fine. Honestly, thinking about it, you're not even my type. Being exiled to Sakaar is a compromise for me already; I shouldn't have to compromise my standards too."
With that, he summoned a thread of energy. His right hand formed a claw, which he pressed firmly onto her head.
Recycling waste! Jason intended to extract her memories before ending her life. Instantly, his spiritual force surged into the deepest recesses of her mind.
A strange, vast expanse of cosmic space. On one side, a blinding radiance; on the other, a darkness as deep as night.
Thousands of female warriors mounted on winged Pegasi charged from the light, brandishing Dragonfang swords to purge a demon from the abyss: Hela, the Goddess of Death.
Enshrouded in dark energy, Hela stood alone on the edge of a precipice, facing the Valkyrie legion. Even with no one at her back, she showed no fear. With a wave of her hand, tens of thousands of necro-blades streaked through the air. These blades possessed the power to slay gods; they pierced Valkyrie armor with ease, shooting them down from their mounts before they could even get close.
Despite their numbers, the Valkyries were like lambs to the slaughter before Hela's terrifying might.
The woman... no, her name was Valkyrie. A blade struck her Pegasus, and she fell, barely surviving. Driven by desperation, she scrambled up, Dragonfang in hand, charging toward Hela. Hela unleashed another volley. Suddenly, a surviving comrade shoved her aside, taking the blades herself and pinning Valkyrie beneath her body as she died.
The battle ended in a total victory for Hela, leaving Valkyrie as the sole survivor. It was then that Odin, the All-Father, finally appeared. Whether because Hela was his daughter or because he was growing frail, he did not kill her after his victory; instead, he banished her.
As long as Odin lived, Hela would remain imprisoned. But the agony of defeat and the crushing guilt over her fallen sisters tortured Valkyrie, driving her into a spiral of self-destruction. To escape reality, she fled to Sakaar, becoming the Grandmaster's top warrior under the alias Scavenger 142.
The reading complete, Jason pulled back his hand, his face solemn. This memory was dense with information. Valkyries, Hela—these were names he had never heard. He hadn't expected Odin to have an eldest daughter. Ironically, the youngest son was the God of Thunder, while the eldest daughter was the Goddess of Death, plotting to overthrow her father.
Did Thor even know about this?
This memory was a raw scar in Valkyrie's soul. Having it ruthlessly exposed by Jason, she collapsed onto the floor, broken. Watching her agony, Jason mused. He could peer into memories because of the Mind Stone's energy, but since it wasn't fully digested, he could only see the most unforgettable, traumatic fragments. This woman, hundreds of years old, undoubtedly held other secrets—valuable intelligence that would be a waste to destroy.
"I've changed my mind," Jason decided after a moment's thought. "I'm choosing the second path for you. You will be my slave."
Valkyrie said nothing, responding only with a contemptuous smirk. While Jason had opened her old wounds, he had also inadvertently reawakened her Valkyrie pride. As a member of Odin's elite, she could accept death with grace, but she would never bow.
Unfortunately, Jason had already read her mind and remained unimpressed. If she were truly so ready to die, she should have perished with the others. The fact that she had survived as a lackey for the Grandmaster proved that deep down, she still feared death. Or perhaps, she feared Hela.
Jason knelt down, gripped her chin, and spoke in the tone of a domineering tyrant. "For our first meeting, I'll give you a small gift."
With a thought, a pale blue energy flickered in his hand. The energy, liquid-like, flowed into Valkyrie, entering her bloodstream and merging with every cell in her body. She closed her eyes, resigned to death.
However, as time passed, the energy within her surged. It felt like an awakening. She felt a boundless strength coursing through her. Jason stood up, looking down at her. "Are you satisfied with the gift?"
Valkyrie opened her eyes, her pupils wide with confusion. I tried to sell him, and he gave me this miraculous power? What does this man want? Does he... actually want me?
"You—"
"Don't misunderstand!" Jason cut her off, shutting down any romantic notions. "That energy increases your combat effectiveness. As my slave, it would be embarrassing if you were too weak. Of course, it has another purpose."
Jason gave a wicked grin, and the energy inside Valkyrie suddenly reacted.
"AAAHHH!!!"
Instantly, her face contorted. She collapsed to the floor, rolling and screaming, all traces of a master warrior gone. From head to toe, inside and out, every single cell erupted in searing pain. When the agony of billions of cells converged, the sensation was more brutal than any torture devised by man.
Jason only intended it as a warning and stopped shortly. Valkyrie lay limp like a ragdoll, her skin flushed deep red, drenched in sweat and gasping for air. Odin above, that feeling was unbearable. Any punishment she had ever endured was a mere pinprick by comparison. She never wanted to experience that indescribable torment again.
"Now, tell me your choice."
Jason stood with his hands behind his back, his voice flat. Having just left her soaked and shivering, asking such a question made him look like either a total bastard or a devil. But there was only one answer.
Valkyrie scrambled to her feet and dropped to her knees. "My Master! I am willing to give everything to you!"
"Congratulations, my loyal servant. Future you will surely thank you of today."
Jason sounded like a high-tier vampire as he spoke. He sniffed the air; beyond the pungent alcohol, there was a certain... unmentionable scent. He frowned. "Go wash yourself. And don't reek of booze from now on."
"As you wish, my Master!"
The ship was spacious, serving as both transport and home, and naturally included a bathroom. Valkyrie grabbed a change of clothes from the bedroom and stepped inside. She leaned her head against the door, teeth clenched in a mental struggle. But it ended quickly. She let go of the handle without locking it. Since she had chosen this path, she was prepared.
She turned on the shower, letting the warm water wash over her. She tilted her head back, focusing on her breathing. Only when death had brushed past her did she realize how beautiful living was. Living meant eating, sleeping, being happy, being sad, and drinking... no, she had to quit the booze now.
As she bathed, she strained her ears for any movement outside. She washed slowly, scrubbing every inch of skin multiple times as if trying to wash away layers of filth. To her surprise, there wasn't a single sound from the other side of the door.
Jason sat in the pilot's seat, pulling up the ship's data from the helmet and cross-referencing it with the controls. Vehicles were a man's romance. Compared to the vehicle in the shower, he was much more interested in the one he was sitting in.
Half an hour later, a fresh Valkyrie appeared behind him. Seeing Jason engrossed in learning how to fly the ship, she was stunned. What the hell? Am I less interesting than a spaceship? Is this guy even a man?
She felt a complex mix of emotions: relief at having escaped a fate, but a strange prick of annoyance that her looks and body had been completely ignored.
Hearing her, Jason yielded the pilot's seat. "Master! Where to next?" She asked respectfully.
Jason hesitated. His plans had been completely derailed, and he hadn't yet mapped out his future. "Take me to a hidden place to rest. Don't let the Grandmaster find out."
"Understood!"
The ship banked away from the City of Gambling. Jason sat in the co-pilot's seat, hand propped against his head, thumb stroking his beard in deep thought. Valkyrie didn't dare speak, but she stole glances at him. He wasn't from a higher race, so how did he have such power? And who was strong enough to exile him?
They eventually arrived at a cluster of buildings in the outskirts. Looking down, Jason gave a peculiar laugh.
A ranch. Another damn ranch. I must have been a cowboy in a past life.
"The air here is much better than in the city," Valkyrie explained. "I picked this spot for the scenery. I come here to stay for a few days when I'm feeling frustrated. No one else knows about it."
Jason nodded. The sight of the animals caught his eye. Since she didn't stay often, there were only a few: yaks five times the size of Earth's, three-headed roosters, and sheep with incredible amounts of wool—creatures never seen on Earth.
The ship landed, and they stepped out. "Master, the inside is a bit messy. Let me tidy up first." She had noticed her new master seemed to have a bit of a clean streak.
"Be quick about it."
Ten minutes later, she hauled out a box of trash and led him inside. The two-story house was simply decorated. The first floor held the living area, kitchen, and a bar; the second floor was for the bedroom and a terrace.
"Not bad," Jason appraised. Not bad meant there was room for improvement.
Valkyrie was sharp. "Tomorrow I will find the best interior designer in the city and renovate it to your liking."
"Later," Jason waved it off. He had high standards, but now wasn't the time for luxury. "Go back and compile all the data on the Grandmaster and Sakaar. I want to see it tomorrow."
He was sending her away.
"Yes, Master." After leaving her contact info and confirming he didn't need a bedside attendant, she departed.
Jason collapsed onto the soft bed, a whirlwind of thoughts hitting him. A day ago, he was in a New York villa. Now, he was on a ranch on Sakaar. Life was a strange joke.
I wonder how Harley and the others are. He hoped the Ancient One would keep her word. As long as she didn't interfere, no one on Earth could hurt them. But relying on an enemy's mercy was a bitter pill to swallow.
Jason forced himself to stop thinking. It only brought unnecessary worry. Clearing his mind, the exhausted man soon fell into a deep sleep.
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You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
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500 power stones.
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