Marvel: What If Thanos Adopted A Saiyan?-Chapter 125 - 126: The Pretty Boy Who Hits on Girls

"Greetings, honorable Mr. Lothar. I'm Zora, a representative of the Cosmic Auction House. It's a pleasure to meet you."

As Lothar surveyed the sprawling capital of Gafa Star—Gafa City—a voice as clear and crisp as mountain spring water echoed softly in his ear.

The woman wore a sea-blue professional suit that hugged her curvaceous figure. Her long, wavy burgundy hair was casually tied into a ponytail at the back of her head, complementing a face so delicate and radiant it felt like a gentle spring breeze. As Woz finished docking their battleship, the woman—who had clearly been waiting—walked straight out from the lounge near the port and approached Lothar without hesitation.

"Staff?" Lothar turned to face the unfamiliar woman, raising a brow.

"Yes, Mr. Lothar. As a valued guest of the Cosmic Auction House, I am your exclusive guide here on Gafa Star. I'm here to answer any questions and provide full support during your stay."

Zora gave a polite bow, her manner perfectly balanced between respectful and personable.

Though Lothar was an adopted son, as the heir to the ruler of the Centaurian galaxy, the auction house's leadership had elevated his status to that of a distinguished VIP.

That meant one-on-one, around-the-clock service until the event concluded.

It was this very level of elite service that originally built the Cosmic Auction House's reputation across the galaxies. And now, only factions deemed galactic overlords were entitled to such privileges—forces like the Kree Empire, the Skrull Empire, Asgard of the Nine Realms, and the Black Quadrant of the Centaurian galaxy.

The auction house's master had spared no effort in securing rare treasures to offer to the being behind the scenes pulling the strings.

"Leave."

Zora's warm smile instantly froze.

...What?

"My apologies, Mr. Lothar, but perhaps you've misunderstood our auction house's intentions," she stammered, her confidence rattled. After a full year of training, her very first assignment had to be a wildcard like him?

From the look on his face, her client satisfaction score was guaranteed to hit zero.

Was she really about to get fired on day one? freēwēbnovel.com

"I'm Zora, an official representative of the Cosmic Auction House—assigned exclusively to assist you. Here, this is my badge," she said quickly, removing the nameplate pinned to her chest and holding it out in front of him as proof of identity.

"Please rest assured, no one in this universe dares to impersonate a member of our auction staff. You can completely let your gua—"

"I said no. Don't make me repeat myself a third time."

Lothar's sharp gaze cut straight into her, cold and unyielding, silencing her instantly.

He had already decided: if he couldn't buy what he wanted, he'd simply take it. Why complicate things by dragging around some auction staff?

Why give himself more trouble for no reason?

Intimidated by his presence, Zora couldn't get a word out as she watched him disappear into the crowd.

Damn it!

My performance score!

Don't go!

By the time she regained her composure, Lothar was already a good distance away. Panicking at the thought of failing her assessment, the rookie bolted after him, her long legs moving fast.

Each employee of the Cosmic Auction House was evaluated on strict metrics. For high-end concierge staff like Zora, there was only one: Client Satisfaction.

No one really knew how it was calculated, not even the ones being judged by it. But one thing was clear—if she lost the son of Thanos, a big name from the Centaurian galaxy, she was doomed.

She didn't want to end up thrown into some arena on Sakaar as animal feed or a "prize."

"Prince Lothar, that woman named Zora is still following behind you,"

Woz's voice came through the retinal display in Lothar's right eye, showing a visual feed of Zora chasing them through the busy streets of Gafa.

"Let her."

Lothar didn't spare her a glance, his mind focused on mentally mapping out the terrain and architecture of the city.

"Woz, skip the areas you can't scan. I'll check them myself later."

With fourteen days left until the auction began, Lothar had plenty of time to prepare for his grand project: robbery.

"Prince Lothar, Woz believes this level of preparation is unnecessary," the AI assistant stated. "Lord Thanos has allocated more than sufficient funds. Securing a mechanical component should not require a full survey of Gafa City's defenses."

"No, it's absolutely necessary."

Lothar never underestimated his enemies—especially not ones like the Kree or the Skrull, who had both suffered setbacks because of him before.

He hated surprises.

Even if there was only a one-in-a-million chance that something might go wrong, he would prepare for it—especially then.

Reconnaissance was second nature to him. He had long grown used to it.

What the hell is he even looking for? Zora wondered as she followed from behind.

To keep up appearances for the auction house, she tapped a button on her wristwatch before pursuit, instantly changing her blue uniform into a casual, white local-style outfit common on Gafa.

Is he just overwhelmed by the bustling, tech-heavy cityscape? she speculated.

It didn't make sense. According to her mentors, guys like Lothar—second-generation elites—were supposed to be worldly and easy to handle.

Why was her first client such a loose cannon, roaming around Gafa like a solo explorer?

Has the era changed?

Zora bent over, hands on her knees, panting hard.

"P-Please... wait, Mr. Lothar..." she gasped, finally catching up and standing upright after several deep breaths.

"Boring."

Lothar spared her a sidelong glance. If she wanted to follow, let her.

"You seem to lack the proper respect for this lady."

Suddenly, a sharp pulse of danger surged through Lothar's senses.

A man with long, parted hair and dressed in Gafa's trendiest attire stepped up beside Zora. In his hand was one of Gafa's most famous instruments, and his air was one of effortless charm—like a refined maestro from an elite academy.

This man...?!

Lothar's pupils shrank—he could feel an overwhelming power radiating from him...

...far beyond that of Malekith.

"My name is Ego," the man said, his voice calm and inviting.

"My lovely lady, may I offer you a song?"

He gave Zora a graceful bow, impeccable in his etiquette.

At that moment, Hela was still galloping her steed through the void, making her way toward them...

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