Nidavellir, the dwarven realm.
The name felt strangely familiar to Ethan Drake the moment he heard it. When it first surfaced in the intelligence report, he knew immediately that it wasn't unfamiliar.
He tapped his forehead lightly.
His enhanced cognition activated automatically, and fragments of memories he had encountered long ago resurfaced from the depths of his mind. Every bit of information he had ever seen or heard was preserved with extraordinary clarity.
Soon enough, the answer emerged.
Nidavellir.
The legendary forge world from Avengers: Infinity War.
"I see."
The memory became clearer as he thought about it. In that story, Thor had once asked the dwarves to forge a weapon for him—a weapon originally intended for kings.
Stormbreaker.
A divine axe infused with extraordinary power.
In the film, Thor's morale surged after obtaining the weapon. Descending from the heavens, he nearly killed Thanos with a single devastating strike—even when Thanos was wielding the Infinity Gauntlet.
Ethan wasn't particularly obsessed with weapons.
Because of his indestructible Kryptonian body, he rarely relied on external equipment. Compared to any weapon he could hold in his hands, he trusted the strength of his own body far more.
His body itself was the ultimate weapon.
Still, Stormbreaker held one ability that caught his interest.
The axe possessed a power similar to the Bifrost.
Space teleportation.
Thor himself had never mastered any kind of spatial magic. Yet after obtaining Stormbreaker, he could summon the Bifrost and travel across unimaginable distances in an instant—reaching Earth from countless light-years away.
"Earth…"
Ethan raised an eyebrow slightly.
He had been wandering through space for quite a while now. From the moment he awakened in this universe, he had drifted among the stars, become the leader of the Kryptonians, and established their base on Neptune.
Months had passed like that.
If there was a weapon capable of opening a gateway directly back to Earth, it was impossible for him not to feel interested.
"Fine," he said casually. "I'll take the axe."
His tone was relaxed, as if he were discussing something trivial.
"And while I'm at it, I'll deal with that passing fleet too."
At that moment, Lucini—still leaning comfortably in his arms—blinked and spoke softly.
"Your Majesty… can Captain Marvel really be trusted?"
Ethan smiled faintly when he heard the question.
"Don't worry," he replied. "She's already climbed into this vehicle. There's no way she's getting off now."
His voice carried a quiet certainty.
"Besides," he continued, "Carol hates the Kree Empire even more than we do."
The Kree had forced her into submission by threatening Earth itself. Anyone placed in that position would naturally harbor deep resentment.
Lucini laughed softly.
"It sounds like the Kree Empire's days are about to become very unpleasant."
"That's an understatement."
Ethan reached out and lightly tapped the tip of her nose.
"I don't just want them to suffer," he said with a calm smile. "I intend to dismantle the Kree Empire piece by piece."
Over the past three months, the Kree had already experienced just how relentless his methods could be.
Their war with the Skrull Empire had already drained enormous resources. Ethan's continuous strikes had turned that conflict into a nightmare, like pouring salt into an open wound.
Still, he couldn't help noticing one flaw in Carol's assistance.
"That woman still has a bit too much compassion."
Ethan chuckled quietly.
Carol had refused to reveal the locations of Kree civilian worlds. She feared that Ethan might slaughter innocent civilians if he obtained such information.
The intelligence she had been providing consisted only of military bases and fleet movements—targets made up entirely of soldiers.
It was compassion.
Or perhaps hesitation.
In Ethan's eyes, once someone decided to oppose an empire like the Kree, they should commit completely. Hesitation only prolonged the suffering.
No wonder the Kree had been able to keep someone as powerful as Captain Marvel under control for so long.
Five days later.
On the outskirts of Nidavellir's star system, a massive Kree fleet sailed proudly through space.
According to Carol's report, this fleet would be "passing through" the region.
Ethan already knew exactly what that meant.
"It's nothing more than conquest and plunder."
The rapid expansion of the Kree Empire had never relied on diplomacy. Their strength came from constant military invasion, seizing resources from weaker civilizations and using them to strengthen their own empire.
Nidavellir was famous across the galaxy for its unparalleled forging techniques.
Naturally, such a valuable world had drawn the Kree's attention.
Inside the massive forge structures of the dwarves, tension filled the air.
"You Kree bastards!" one dwarf shouted angrily. "Do you even know who protects our realm? The God-King Odin himself! Asgard stands behind us!"
Before he could finish speaking—
Flash.
A blazing white energy beam shot forward.
The beam pierced straight through the dwarf's chest, entering from the front and exiting through his back.
His words died instantly.
"You…"
His body collapsed before he could finish the sentence.
Thud.
The Kree officer Johnny stepped forward and kicked the corpse aside without a second thought.
"Odin?" he sneered. "What's that supposed to be?"
"As for Asgard… what kind of insignificant little kingdom is that? Sorry, never heard of it."
"Silence!"
A roar echoed through the forge halls.
Several warriors clad in brilliant golden armor rushed forward. Their armor gleamed under the blazing light of the surrounding furnaces, reflecting flickering gold across the battlefield.
Strange magical runes glowed faintly across the metal surfaces of their equipment.
These were clearly enchanted weapons and armor forged with mystical power.
"Asgard?" Johnny glanced at them coldly.
"The Kree Empire has crossed the line," one of the Asgardian warriors declared sternly. "This realm has been under Asgard's protection for thousands of years. If you refuse to leave, the wrath of Odin will one day fall upon your empire."
Unlike the version of events depicted in certain stories, Nidavellir was far from defenseless.
Asgard had long stationed forces here to protect the dwarven forge world.
But one of the Kree soldiers laughed mockingly.
"If you had mentioned Odin a thousand years ago, we would have retreated immediately," he said with a sneer. "But times have changed."
"An old man with one foot in the grave doesn't scare anyone anymore."
"You—"
The Asgardians froze in shock.
They had never expected the Kree to know about Odin's declining condition.
That revelation only intensified the tension between the two sides.
In truth, the Kree Empire had known about Odin's weakening state from the very beginning. That knowledge was precisely why they had dared to set their sights on Nidavellir.
The dwarven forging technology was simply too valuable.
Even if Asgard stood behind them, the Kree had already made their decision.
"Kill them."
Johnny raised his hand casually.
The Kree troops immediately unleashed their full firepower, charging toward the Asgardian defenders without hesitation.
But even the most carefully laid plans could encounter unexpected variables.
Because someone else had already arrived.
Ethan Drake had quietly descended upon Nidavellir.
His figure stood in the void above the battlefield, silently watching the two forces below.
For a moment, he simply observed.
Then his voice descended from the heavens like distant thunder.
"Oh? So Odin is dying?"
"That explains why the Kree Empire suddenly feels brave enough to invade."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"That's interesting."
His gaze swept across the battlefield below.
"In that case… perhaps the dwarves should consider submitting to me instead."
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