Chapter 445: Reshaping the Void

On this desolate and wild alien planet, Carol Danvers sat alone in a corner of a smoky tavern. The lights in the tavern were dim, and the surroundings were filled with the noise and intertwined conversations of alien creatures. This tavern was located in a trading post on the edge of the planet, surrounded by a desert-like desolation. The sky outside the tavern was as bright as fire, and occasionally an interstellar spacecraft passed through the night sky, leaving a bright trail.

Carol picked up a glass of strong alien liquor in front of her, her eyes calm but full of alertness. Her fingers gently slid along the edge of the glass, listening to the noise and whispers of various languages ​​around her. This was a glass of high-concentration liquor brewed by aliens. The liquor in the glass emitted a faint purple light. As she gently shook it, tiny stardust seemed to be flickering in the liquor. This liquor was called "Star Flame" and was one of the signature dishes of the tavern. It tasted like fire, but it was hard to resist.

Every table in the tavern was filled with alien creatures of different shapes, some tall, some short, some fierce, some elegant. Their skin colors were different, some shone with metallic luster, some were like translucent crystals, and some seemed to be covered in thick smoke, shrouded in vague black shadows. Although Carol sat in the corner, he did not miss any movement around him.

"Have you heard? There have been big changes in the Land of Nothingness recently!" A slender alien covered with scales whispered with a hint of nervousness in his tone.

"Yes, Umbrella Corporation has been expanding very fast recently, and even the Void has been taken over by them." Opposite him sat a short and sturdy alien with three eyes, with a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone, "Not only have they controlled the Void, they have also set up trade routes there and forcibly collected tolls. Now every route is monopolized by them, and even small caravans like us have to pay."

"I heard that their battle fleet is ridiculously strong and there is no way to resist it." Another blue-skinned alien joined the discussion. His voice was low, as if he was worried that someone would hear him. "The plunderers from the Void were all defeated by them overnight. It is said that their leader took action personally. That monster named Wesker is simply a living nightmare."

Carol put down the cup, leaned forward slightly, and listened. Apparently, the Umbrella's recent expansion had attracted widespread attention.

"Hey, the Asgards have allied with them, did you hear that?" A tall alien with bone spurs on his back interrupted. His voice was as loud as thunder, attracting the attention of many people. "Asgard! The race that once claimed to be the guardian of the universe actually signed a cooperation agreement with a cold-blooded company like Umbrella!"

"I don't think Asgard is really willing to cooperate. The Nova Corps from Xandar is also involved." A female alien with green scales all over her body sneered and said, "They have all signed an agreement with Umbrella. What does this mean? It means that they agree with Umbrella's new order. We ordinary interstellar merchants can only pay up now, otherwise we will have nowhere to escape."

The tavern was filled with all kinds of discussions, with voices coming one after another, and every corner was discussing the same topic: Umbrella, the Void, Asgard, and Xandar. Carol frowned slightly and thought to herself. She was just passing by this planet, and she didn't expect to hear so many rumors about Umbrella here.

Umbrella Corporation, this name is not unfamiliar to her. At first, she thought it was just a company that followed Asgard and cooperated with Xandar. But she didn't expect that their expansion was so rapid that even chaotic areas like the Void were succumbing to their power. More importantly, the addition of Asgard and Xandar undoubtedly made Umbrella's influence even greater.

At this moment, the large display in the center of the tavern suddenly lit up, attracting the attention of many customers. The display was playing space news, and in the picture, representatives from Umbrella Corporation, Asgard and Xandar were holding a signing ceremony in a shining space conference room.

"Welcome to Galaxy News. This time the headline report is about the space trade cooperation agreement signed by three major forces." The host's voice was clearly heard throughout the tavern. The noise in the tavern gradually quieted down, and everyone turned their eyes to the display screen, which was showing the signing ceremony of the three major forces.

"Representatives from the Umbrella Corporation, the Asgard Empire, and the Xandar Star Nova Corps formally signed a joint agreement today, marking the three parties' full cooperation in future space trade, route protection, and military cooperation. The conclusion of this agreement will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the economic landscape of the entire universe."

On the screen, Wesker stood in the center on behalf of the Umbrella Corporation, his cold and majestic face looked extremely sharp. Next to him was the representative of Asgard, a warrior wearing golden armor and with a stern face, and on the other side was the leader of the Xandar Star Nova Corps, with an equally solemn expression. The three of them nodded slightly and signed the agreement, and then the screen switched to the scene where reporters were scrambling to take pictures.

Carol narrowed her eyes and slightly tightened her fingers around the wine glass. She knew exactly what this signing meant. Umbrella was not only rampant in the Void, but their alliance with Asgard and Xandar meant that they would occupy an even more important position in the future universe. Any force that tried to challenge them would face a huge threat, or even annihilation.

"It seems that life is not easy for us businessmen." A voice sounded beside Carol, interrupting her thoughts. She turned around and saw a thin alien with tentacles on his head shaking his head, his face full of frustration. "Umbrella is a big whale, even Asgard and Xandar dare not mess with it, let alone us small shrimps."

"Yeah, I used to want to do some small business in the void, but now it seems that I can hardly afford the toll to enter this area." Another alien said indignantly, "I heard that they set huge tolls on every route, and even Xandar has acquiesced to this behavior. Anyone who dares not to pay will be punished by their fleet!"

"The Void has always been a paradise for looters and smugglers, but now that Umbrella has moved in, everything has changed." A large alien muttered, his voice low and hoarse, as if carrying an inexplicable resentment, "There is no freedom anymore."

The discussion in the tavern did not stop. As news about the Void and Umbrella spread, more alien creatures joined the discussion.

"Then let's go do business on other planets. Wouldn't planets like Sakaar be okay?" A short alien businessman with dark purple skin muttered dissatisfiedly, with a hint of helplessness and disdain in his eyes.

"But, we finally made a name for ourselves in the Land of Nothingness, but now it's all destroyed!" Another dissatisfied plunderer slapped the table, his voice full of complaints, "The Land of Nothingness was a free land! Now it's controlled by Umbrella, and we even have to pay for the spaceship fare!"

"Stop complaining. At least there is order now. We don't have to worry about being hijacked at any time." An alien in a tattered cloak spoke slowly, with a hint of calmness in his tone. "The Void was as messy as a garbage dump before. Although you have to pay a toll, you have to admit that with the control of Umbrella, it is at least a lot safer."

"You are talking bullshit!" A powerful plunderer shouted angrily, with obvious sarcasm and disdain in his tone, "Are you afraid of the plunderers, you coward? So what if you pay the money! You are such a coward."

"Wait, is this true?" A thin alien with low combat power suddenly had his eyes light up and interrupted, "Are you saying that as long as you pay for flights in the void, you won't be robbed? Can Umbrella really do this?"

"I've heard of it, but I haven't seen it with my own eyes." Another seemingly cautious alien businessman frowned, obviously taking a wait-and-see attitude towards the news.

"I'm going to go take a look." A gorgeously dressed alien sneered, "Anyway, the flight fee is expensive, so I have to verify it myself."

However, some aliens were dismissive and stood up, "Humph! No matter how powerful the Umbrella is, it is impossible to monopolize all routes. I plan to open a new smuggling route through those star regions that no one cares about. I don't believe I can be caught by them!"

At this time, a group of alien merchants who had just entered the tavern attracted a lot of attention. They looked relaxed, and were obviously not affected by the recent chaos. Listening to the debate in the tavern, one of the thin green-skinned aliens said softly: "It's actually not bad. Umbrella is really powerful in the void. My companions and I just passed by there not long ago and saw them fighting with the fleet of interstellar predators in space."

As soon as these words came out, the tavern immediately fell silent for a moment, and then everyone turned to him and said, "Is this true? Tell me what happened!"

The green-skinned alien looked up and around, smiled proudly, and began to narrate: "Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. Umbrella directly crushed the interstellar predators. Although they charge a fee, as long as the goods in your hands are valuable, you don't have to worry about being robbed by predators on the routes they control. As long as you follow the rules, your business can be safer. After all, those predators can't even stop Umbrella."

Hearing this, the alien creatures in the tavern immediately whispered to each other, some seemed half-believing and half-doubting, while others looked shaken. For many people, finding a way to survive between order and chaos seemed much more complicated than expected.

Some people began to rethink their routes, while others have decided to try to do business through the route to the void next time.