In the dwarven realm of Nidavellir, the massive furnace hall glowed with the blazing light of molten metal. Rivers of fire flowed through intricate channels carved into the stone floor, illuminating towering anvils and colossal forging machines built for creations that could shape the fate of galaxies.
Inside the hall stood an uninvited guest who had already been there for quite some time.
"I've heard that the dwarven craftsmen are unmatched when it comes to forging weapons," the man said slowly. His voice was cold and heavy, echoing through the chamber as he spoke. "That's why I've come to ask your people to complete the forging of a weapon for us."
The man wore a dark cloak that concealed most of his body, but the long black scythe resting in his hand revealed his identity without question.
He was Corvus Glaive.
One of the feared Obsidian Generals serving under Thanos.
Normally, a task like this would not have required someone of his rank. It was a relatively small mission compared to the large-scale invasions the Obsidian Generals were used to commanding. However, the order came directly from Thanos himself, and Corvus Glaive did not dare to delay.
After a long journey across the stars, he had finally arrived in the dwarven kingdom.
King Eitri, ruler of the dwarves of Nidavellir, stood near the central forge with a pale expression. He never expected that his people's legendary forging skills would attract yet another wave of dangerous visitors.
Compared to the Kree Empire, Thanos's forces were even more brutal.
The moment Corvus Glaive entered the hall, he gave no warning at all. His vanguard troops immediately began slaughtering everyone in sight.
More than a dozen innocent dwarf craftsmen had been executed on the spot.
Their bodies still lay scattered across the floor.
Corvus Glaive casually glanced at the corpses before speaking again.
"Let me make something clear in advance," he said coldly. "This is what happens when people refuse to cooperate."
His gaze shifted to the trembling king.
"King Eitri, I believe we can begin work now," he continued. "I would prefer not to see any signs of resistance."
Eitri's face had turned pale blue with fear.
His hands trembled as he slowly accepted the design blueprint being handed to him.
It was a detailed forging diagram.
A glove.
Eitri stared at the drawing for several seconds before whispering the name written on the design.
"The Infinity Gauntlet…"
The more he examined the blueprint, the more shocked he became.
At first glance it appeared to be nothing more than a metallic glove, but the craftsmanship required was incredibly complex. Every line of the design revealed a level of precision that only the greatest dwarven smiths could hope to achieve.
He noticed six circular sockets built into the structure.
"Six slots designed to channel the energy of Infinity Stones…" Eitri murmured under his breath.
A deep sense of dread filled his heart.
What kind of terrifying stones would need such a device to control their power?
Corvus Glaive interrupted his thoughts.
"Enough reading," he said impatiently. "You may begin construction now."
He tilted his head slightly and spoke with a cruel smile.
"Every day the gauntlet remains unfinished, one member of your race will disappear."
Eitri clenched his fists.
His face darkened with anger, but he did not dare speak another word.
Inside his heart, however, bitterness spread like poison.
He remembered the Kryptonian emperor who once casually promised to protect the dwarven realm. At the time, Eitri did not know whether that promise had any real meaning.
After all, Asgard—the dwarves' traditional protector—was already gone.
Without the Asgardians, the dwarves had little power to resist powerful forces like Thanos.
But just as despair began to settle into the furnace hall, something unexpected happened.
A beam of rainbow light suddenly tore through the sky.
Hum!
From the vast emptiness of space, the brilliant column of energy descended like a divine spear. The multicolored beam pierced straight through the ceiling of the furnace hall and struck the ground with overwhelming force.
The entire chamber trembled.
Eitri stared at the light in disbelief before his eyes widened with joy.
"You finally came!"
His voice trembled with emotion.
For a moment, the dwarf king looked as if he might burst into tears.
After all, Yun Chen's earlier promise had sounded casual at best. Eitri had no idea whether the Kryptonian emperor truly intended to honor it.
But now he had come.
A figure slowly stepped out from the fading Bifrost light.
Yun Chen stood calmly in the center of the hall, his expression relaxed as he looked around the damaged forge.
"Old man, you seem unusually happy to see me," he said with a faint smile.
Eitri let out a helpless laugh.
"Well, are you the only one willing to help us?"
Corvus Glaive, however, showed no fear at all.
Instead, he looked at the newcomer with a strange, almost triumphant expression.
Beneath his black cloak was a dark battle suit that revealed his muscular build. As he studied Yun Chen's sharply defined face, a sudden sense of familiarity flashed through his mind.
His pupils shrank instantly.
It's him!
Corvus Glaive's heart roared with shock.
"Impossible…" he muttered.
How could this man appear here?
"Oh?" Yun Chen raised an eyebrow slightly. "Looks like I've run into an old acquaintance."
Not long ago, during the chaos at the high-security prison of Kyln, Yun Chen had sensed a faint and insignificant presence among the countless prisoners. At the time, the aura had been so weak that he barely paid attention.
Now that same person had appeared again.
One of Thanos's subordinates.
"I noticed your existence back then," Yun Chen said calmly. "But you were too weak to bother with. I let you go."
His gaze shifted slightly toward the surrounding destruction.
"But now you've come here openly and caused trouble in a place under my protection. I have to admit, that's a rather bold move."
Corvus Glaive's face darkened instantly.
He almost cursed out loud.
How was he supposed to know this place belonged to Yun Chen?
Still, Corvus Glaive was not someone who would surrender easily.
As one of the Obsidian Generals, he possessed tremendous combat ability and an unshakable sense of pride. Even when facing the Kryptonian known as Superman, he believed victory might still be possible.
Grinding his teeth, he shouted angrily.
"Arrogant brat! It's too early to say who will win this fight. Do you really think you can defeat me so easily?"
His voice rose with fury.
"I've heard you stole the Power Stone from Lord Thanos. I haven't even come looking for you yet, and now you've delivered yourself to my doorstep!"
He raised his scythe and roared a command.
"Vanguard Guard! Attack!"
At his signal, the monstrous creatures surrounding the forge charged forward.
The Vanguard Guard were savage beasts bred specifically for war.
Each creature had four powerful arms and a grotesque reptilian face filled with jagged teeth. Their bodies moved with terrifying speed, their claws scraping against the metal floor as they lunged forward like a pack of starving predators.
Dozens of them rushed toward Yun Chen at once.
The air filled with violent wind as they closed the distance.
Yun Chen simply watched them calmly.
When the first creature leapt forward, he threw a single punch.
A dull sound echoed.
The fist passed straight through the monster's head.
The creature's skull exploded instantly, spraying blood and fragments across the hall as its body froze in place.
Boom!
More Vanguard Guards surged forward.
They felt no fear and showed no hesitation. Their massive bodies stomped across the ground as they continued their relentless assault.
"There are quite a lot of them," Yun Chen said casually. "This might be slightly troublesome."
He threw another punch.
This time, the movement appeared completely ordinary.
But the moment his fist moved forward, a terrifying shockwave erupted into existence.
"Spatial shock."
Boom!
The space in front of Yun Chen suddenly fractured.
Powered by the energy of the Power Stone, the surrounding area twisted violently as if reality itself had been torn apart.
Invisible cracks spread across the air.
The Vanguard Guards charging forward were instantly caught within the ruptured space.
Slash!
Their bodies were sliced apart as though passing through invisible blades.
Chunks of flesh fell to the ground.
Blood sprayed across the furnace hall as severed limbs scattered in every direction. Within seconds, the entire pack of monsters had been completely destroyed.
The massive chamber fell silent.
Not a single Vanguard Guard remained standing.
Even the building itself had suffered damage.
Several enormous support beams cracked under the strain and collapsed to the ground with loud crashes.
Eitri stared at the destruction in disbelief.
Then he sighed bitterly.
"Damn it," he muttered. "Every time you come here, my home ends up half destroyed."
Yun Chen chuckled lightly.
"Look on the bright side," he replied. "At least this is the second time I've saved your kingdom."
Before Eitri could respond, a furious roar suddenly echoed behind them.
"You dare boast before I'm defeated!"
A black blur shot through the air.
Corvus Glaive had circled around Yun Chen silently and launched a surprise attack from behind.
His scythe swung downward with lethal force.
However, the attack stopped abruptly.
The blade froze just inches from Yun Chen's back.
A powerful invisible force prevented it from moving any further.
The reason was simple.
Yun Chen had casually caught the weapon between two fingers.
The terrifying strike could not advance even a single inch.
With a soft squeeze, Yun Chen snapped the scythe's blade in half as easily as breaking a flower stem.
The broken fragment flashed through the air.
In the next instant, Yun Chen flicked his wrist.
The severed blade shot forward like a bullet and pierced straight through Corvus Glaive's heart.
The movement was so fast that Corvus Glaive didn't even have time to react.
....
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