A few days ago, at an outpost on the outskirts of the Tivan Group's domain near Knowhere, a massive spacecraft appeared on their scanners.
It was Thanos' Sanctuary II, closing in fast. The once-relaxed sentries immediately sprang into action.
BANG! The doors to the Collector's office burst open as a Tivan Group employee rushed in, visibly panicked.
The Collector, meticulously polishing one of his prized artifacts, barely suppressed his irritation. "What is it? If you don't have a satisfactory reason for this interruption, you know the consequences."
The employee's eyes flickered to a former attendant now encased in glass as part of the collection. He swallowed nervously. "Thanos—Thanos' warship has appeared!"
"You mean the Thanos? What is he doing here?" The Collector's eyes widened in shock, his mind racing to comprehend why the Mad Titan would come to his domain.
A sudden realization struck him, and he muttered, "I heard Thanos is planning an assault on Earth. This place is closest to Sakaar—if he passes through there, he can reach Earth quickly. Could it be…? Damn it, I should've seen this coming."
Thanos wasn't here for him, but that was little comfort. Wherever the Mad Titan went, half the population was eradicated. There was no reason to think Knowhere would be spared.
"Sound the alarm! We're evacuating immediately!"
Despite his reluctance to abandon his vast collection, the Collector knew he couldn't afford to stay. Even if Thanos had no interest in his artifacts, the risk was too great. He resolved to take as much as he could before fleeing.
Word of Thanos' arrival spread rapidly through Knowhere, sending its inhabitants scrambling for their ships. In mere moments, the once-bustling trade hub became eerily silent.
Then the Collector noticed something amiss.
"Where's my duck?" He turned sharply, staring at an empty glass case that should have contained one of his rarer specimens.
"Sir, Thanos' ship will be here any second! We don't have time for this!"
Glancing at his anxious attendants, the Collector sighed. "Fine, fine."
With his final preparations complete, his ship was the last to leave, ascending into the vast expanse of space. Knowhere, once teeming with life, was now a hollow shell of its former self.
"Heh, they're all gone!"
In the Collector's now-deserted storage room, a peculiar figure emerged from the shadows—an anthropomorphic duck dressed in an absurdly formal suit. Smirking, he adjusted his tie. "Foolish creatures. A simple illusion spell, and they didn't even notice."
However, his triumph was short-lived.
"…Wait. I'm still trapped."
THUD, THUD, THUD! He pounded on the glass. The security systems were still active, keeping him imprisoned.
"Damn it! When I get out of here, I'm gonna crap on that guy's head."
This wasn't just any duck. Well, maybe he was a duck, but not from this dimension. His name was Howard T. Duck, a sorcerer from an alternate reality—a world entirely populated by ducks. He had ended up in this universe by accident and had been trying to find a way back ever since, only to be captured and added to the Collector's menagerie.
Now, however, Knowhere was empty, leaving Howard as its sole occupant.
One day passed. Then two. Then three.
Howard lay sprawled against the glass, weak with hunger. His stomach growled loudly. "So hungry… I should've hidden somewhere with food. Am I really gonna starve here? I still need to get home…"
A sound interrupted his despair. The unmistakable hum of an approaching spaceship.
Howard's eyes snapped open, pressing his face against the glass, watching eagerly.
"HEY! Over here!" He pounded on the glass, shouting at the top of his lungs.
The ship's occupant was none other than Garus. He had spotted the massive celestial skull that was Knowhere while passing by and had an intriguing thought—if this was the remains of a powerful being, could he raise it as an undead entity? Such a creation would undoubtedly be formidable. But why was the place abandoned?
No… not completely abandoned. Someone was calling for help.
Following the voice, Garus found himself staring at a duck in a business suit, its face pressed comically against a glass case.
"…A duck spirit? Or maybe Donald Duck?"
Garus stepped closer, locking eyes with the odd creature. The duck was dressed in a suit and tie, with tufts of feathers poking out underneath. Was this some kind of gnome in a ridiculous costume?
"Don't look at me like that," Howard snapped, waving what could be called either his wings or his hands. "I'm not some kind of freak! Hey, buddy, how about you let me out of here?"
Garus didn't sense any danger from the duck, only curiosity. With a casual punch, he shattered the glass case, shards scattering across the floor.
"What are you?"
Howard puffed out his chest indignantly. "Show some respect, human! I'm the greatest sorcerer of the Duck World. Also—do you have any food? I'm starving."
Garus couldn't help but chuckle. Though he didn't require food himself, he often carried some for convenience. Reaching into his spatial pack, he retrieved a small meal and handed it over.
"Here. Eat up. But I have some questions for you."
"Mmph! This is great!" Howard devoured the food ravenously, momentarily forgetting everything else.
Garus waited until the duck had eaten before asking, "Where's the Collector?"
"Oh, you mean that scumbag slaver?"
"…Slaver?" Garus frowned. The Collector wasn't known for trafficking sentients, was he? Then again, it wasn't his concern.
Howard wiped his beak. "Three days ago, some guy named Thanos showed up. The moment his ship appeared, everyone bolted."
Garus tensed. Three days ago? That meant Thanos was likely near Earth—or already there. He could only hope the defensive measures he had arranged would hold.
For now, though, he had a different task—raising the celestial skull as an undead entity.
"Hey, take me with you! I'm not staying in this dump," Howard declared, having regained some of his strength.
The small duck hopped down from the wreckage of his case, bouncing along beside Garus.
"Where are we headed?"
"I'm going to raise this place. Then, I'm heading back to Earth."
"…Wait, raise?" Howard scratched his head, clearly puzzled by Garus' words.
"I'm Howard T. Duck, by the way. What's your name?"
Perhaps it was the prolonged isolation, but Howard kept chatting incessantly as they walked.
"Be quiet," Garus finally snapped. "If you don't shut up, I'll turn you into roast duck."
"…Fine, fine," Howard grumbled, but he couldn't help smirking. He had a feeling this trip was going to be interesting.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON