Chapter 261: The Stormbreaker of Vengeance
Viewed from afar, Nidavellir looked like a massive, pipe-covered metal Planet.
Those pipes were cooling systems that channeled heat from the Planet's core forge, maintaining the operation of this forging World.
As the Raiders ship approached, a scene of dead silence met their eyes.
Gone were the days of blazing furnace fires, the rhythmic clanging of forging, and the bustling transport ships.
There was only cold metal and wreckage drifting in orbit.
"Scans show life signs here are very weak, concentrated in a shelter on the far side of the Planet."
"Land," Thor said, stepping out of the medical pod.
After several hours of recovery, he had mostly recuperated; although his face remained pale, the thunder in his eyes was beginning to coalesce once more.
Rocket piloted the ship, landing slowly on Nidavellir's largest forging platform.
The platform was scattered with various forging tools and unfinished workpieces, all covered in a thin layer of cosmic dust.
Thor stepped off the ship and onto the platform.
He had been here many times before, back when he had earned the recognition of mjolnir.
Back then, it was bustling; dwarf craftsmen hammered red-hot metal, furnaces spewed flames, and the air was thick with the scent of ozone and molten metal.
Now, there was only the scent of deathly silence.
"Over there," Rocket pointed to a massive structure at the end of the platform, which was the palace and workshop of the Dwarf King, Eitri.
Thor strode forward, with Rocket and Groot following closely behind.
The palace gates had been violently destroyed. Thorwalked inside, and the sight before him made his heart tighten.
The palace was in shambles. Forging tools were scattered everywhere, precious metal ingots were discarded carelessly, and the walls bore scorch marks from energy weapons.
And on the throne in the center of the palace sat a figure.
The Dwarf King, Eitri, once a god of smithing who could forge artifacts that spanned the Nine Realms with his own hands, sat slumped on the throne, his eyes staring blankly ahead.
His arms had been cleanly severed at the shoulders. The wounds had been cauterized in a crude manner, but traces of festering could still be seen.
"Eitri."
The Dwarf King slowly turned his head. His eyes were cloudy and had almost lost their luster, but the moment he saw Thor, a faint light flickered within that cloudiness.
"Thor?"
"What happened?"
"Why? Why? Why? Why did Asgard not answer my plea for help?"
Thor lowered his head and said painfully, "Asgardexperienced Ragnarok and was destroyed!"
"What! So that's it. No wonder Thanos dared to attack this place!" Eitri laughed bitterly.
"Thanos must have learned of Asgard's destruction, which is why he dared to come and force me to craft an Infinity Gauntlet to harness the power of the Infinity Stones. And then..."
Eitri looked at his empty shoulders, "He severed my arms to ensure I wouldn't craft a second one."
Thor's fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. "I know. He later found us with the Infinity Gauntlet and two Infinity Stones, then killed Loki, killed Heimdall, and slaughtered half of the Asgardian people! And he took the Space Stone."
Eitri listened to Thor's words, his eyes widening in shock. He hadn't expected Thanos to dare strike against Asgard.
"Eitri, I need a weapon now. A weapon capable of dealing with Thanos. That is why I am here."
Eitri looked at Thor for a long time, then slowly shook his head. "I cannot do it. Without arms, I cannot even lift a hammer."
"You don't need to lift a hammer," Thor said. "You just need to tell me how. I will do the forging."
A flash of surprise passed through Eitri's eyes, followed by deep sorrow. "Thor, forging an artifact requires more than just strength. It requires knowledge, skill, and the secret arts passed down through countless generations of dwarf craftsmen. And these..."
He looked at his severed arms again, "...were all taken away along with my arms."
"Then teach me. Teach me how to forge. Or, tell me what to do, and I will execute it. Eitri, Thanos must pay the price, and I currently have no weapon to make him pay."
Eitri looked at Thor in silence. He looked at the once-proud prince, whose eyes now held nothing but deep-seated hatred.
"What kind of weapon do you need?" Eitri finally asked.
"A weapon that can kill Thanos."
"Kill Thanos..." Eitri muttered. "Do you know what that entails? Thanos is now at the Skyfather level, and with the Infinity Stones, he might even be touching the edge of the Multiverse level. To kill him, you need..."
"Need what?"
Eitri took a deep breath. "You need the core of a dying star to serve as the furnace. You need Uru to serve as the material. You need your power of thunder to quench it. And you also need..."
"Need what?"
"...a smith willing to sacrifice themselves. The forging process will release devastating energy, enough to destroy the entire forging platform. Whoever controls the star core furnace must stabilize it during the energy surge, and that means..."
"It means death," Thor finished.
Eitri nodded. "That is why, all this time, our dwarf race has used special methods to divert the energy. But now, there are no dwarf craftsmen left. Thanos killed them all."
Rocket looked at Thor, then finally at Eitri. "Old man, what are the odds of your plan succeeding?"
Eitri closed his eyes, seemingly calculating something in his mind.
After a long while, he opened his eyes. "Thirty percent at most. Thor might exhaust his divine power and die during the forging process, and I... without arms, I can only guide from the side. If anything goes wrong, we all die."
"Then don't let anything go wrong. Eitri, tell me what to do."
Eitri looked at Thor's determined gaze, and finally, slowly nodded.
"Fine. Let's go to the star core furnace."
Nidavellir's star core furnace was located deep within the Planet, a massive spherical space several kilometers in diameter.
In the center of the space floated a bound, dying star.
This was the source of forging that the dwarf race had spent thousands of years capturing and binding.
Normally, this place required hundreds of dwarf craftsmen working in coordination, using precise robotic arms and energy conduits to guide the star's energy.
But now, it was empty.
Eitri directed Thor and Groot to transport the Uru to a forging table beside the furnace.
That was the Dwarf King's personal forging table, covered in ancient runes.
"Now, activate the furnace," Eitri said. "See that console over there? The red lever, pull it down."
Thor walked to the console. It was a massive lever that would require two people to wrap their arms around, covered in a thick layer of dust.
Rocket piloted the ship to drop Thor at the Planet's core. Thor gripped it with both hands and pulled down with all his might.
At first, there was no reaction. Thor let out a low roar, his muscles bulging, and the power of thunder surged within him.
The lever moved downward, slowly and heavily.
As the lever moved down, the star core furnace began to awaken.
The bound, dying star erupted with blazing light, a wave of heat rushed toward them, and the temperature of the entire spherical space soared instantly.
Eitri placed the Uru into the furnace!
The Uru began to melt under the star-level temperature, turning into a glowing glob of liquid metal.
"This is the most critical step!" Eitri shouted at Thor. "You need to use your power of thunder to shape it! Think of the weapon you want, and use your will to guide the metal!"
Thor was enduring the scorching heat of the star; he was in immense pain, but upon hearing Eitri's voice, he closed his eyes.
He needed a weapon! He needed a weapon capable of severing Thanos's head.
Thor opened his one eye, thunder exploding within it. Violent lightning surged from his body, pouring into the liquid Uru metal in the furnace.
Under the shaping of the lightning, the metal began to change, stretch, and take form.
The prototype of a massive battle axe gradually appeared, with a groove on the back of the axe head—that was the rune inscription used to channel energy.
"That's it!" Eitri shouted excitedly. "Hold it! Use your will to stabilize the shape!"
The star in the furnace seemed to sense the birth of an artifact and began to fluctuate violently.
"Almost there!" Eitri stared at the battle axe taking shape on the forging table. "Thor, the final step! You need to imbue it with a concept!"
Countless images flashed through Thor's mind.
Odin's smile when he handed mjolnir to him.
His mother Frigga's gentleness when she taught him to control thunder.
Loki's cunning look when his pranks succeeded.
Jane's figure waiting for his return on the Bifrost Bridge.
The years the Avengers fought side by side.
Then, images of hell.
Loki's neck being snapped.
Heimdall dying of exhaustion.
Asgardians turning to ash in a beam of light.
"Vengeance," Thor whispered, then his voice grew louder, finally turning into a roar. "I want to imbue it with the concept of vengeance! Vengeance against injustice! Vengeance against tyranny! Vengeance against everything that took away those I love!"
With his roar, the final bolt of lightning slammed into the furnace.
The battle axe erupted with dazzling lightning, the runes on the axe blade lit up one by one, emitting a destructive aura.
Eitri used his remaining arm to clamp the giant axe and threw it into the quenching liquid, a mixture of the blood of Frost Giants—the coldest in the Nine Realms—and the cold spring water from the Roots of the World Tree.
White steam shot into the air, and the entire furnace space was shrouded in vapor.
The battle axe trembled violently in the quenching liquid, emitting a hum like a dragon's roar.
It was unknown how long had passed before the trembling stopped.
Groot extended his arm, wrapping it around the giant axe, using his own body to craft a handle for it.
"It succeeded... without the help of dwarf craftsmen, creating an artifact..." Eitri muttered to himself.
Eitri, Rocket, and Groot were all very happy, but no one noticed that Thor was about to die at the star core.
They admired the Stormbreaker for quite a while before realizing Thor hadn't come over, and hurriedly dragged Thor down.
Fortunately, the Stormbreaker shared a blood connection with Thor. Once brought together, the Stormbreaker proactively provided divine power to Thor.
The wounds on Thor's body began to heal rapidly, and then his aura surged, and he awoke.
Chapter 262: Titan.
On the other side, Star-Lord and Drax also arrived at Titan.
Seen from orbit, Titan was a dead Planet.
The once glorious civilization was reduced to broken walls and ruins, with the remains of massive structures scattered across the desolate land like the skeletons of giants.
The atmosphere was thin, the sky an eternal rust color, with no clouds, no signs of life, only the whimpering of wind erosion.
Star-Lord and Drax's shuttle broke through the atmosphere in stealth mode and landed in a ruin on the dark side of the Planet.
"Scans show no life signals here," Star-Lord stared at the sensor. "But the energy readings are abnormal. On the other side of the Planet, there is a powerful energy source."
"Thanos?" Drax asked.
"Maybe. Or it could be ruins left by some ancient Titancivilization." Star-Lord turned off the engine.
"We'll walk the rest of the way. Stealth mode can only last for eight hours, so let's save it."
The two geared up; Star-Lord brought his element gunand Rocket boots, while Drax carried his dual blades.
The two quietly slipped out of the shuttle and melted into the shadows of the ruins.
The scale of the ruins on Titan was beyond imagination. Every part of it told the story of this civilization's former glory and its ultimate destruction.
"What happened here?" Drax asked in a low voice.
"Civil war. Resource depletion. Civilization collapse. Thanoswatched his own civilization perish with his own eyes, and then he reached that crazy conclusion. That randomly eliminating half of all life is the only way to maintain the balance of the Universe."
"Stupid," Drax said. "If resources aren't enough, you go and take them. You conquer. You plunder. That is the logic of the strong."
Star-Lord glanced at Drax but didn't speak.
He knew Drax's way of thinking was simple and direct; after all, this guy's family was killed by Ronan, and his way of revenge was to find Ronan and hack him to pieces.
Although Ronan was eventually taken down by the combined efforts of himself, Rocket, Groot, and Gamora, Drax's logic had never changed.
Crossing a huge square, they saw the energy source.
It was a relatively intact pyramid-shaped building located in the center of the ruins.
The surface of the building was covered with some kind of energy shield, emitting a faint blue light. And on the platform at the top of the building, figures could be vaguely seen.
"Zoom in." Star-Lord activated the telescope function of his helmet.
The image zoomed in. Several people stood on the platform, among whom the tall purple figure was particularly conspicuous.
Thanos.
He was standing with his back to them, operating a Strange device. The device looked like a star chart, but it was much more complex, with countless points of light flowing within it, simulating the movement of galaxies.
"Look at his hand," Drax said, pointing to Thanos's left hand.
Only then did Star-Lord notice that Thanos was wearing a huge golden Infinity Gauntlet on his left hand.
On the gauntlet, four of the six slots were already embedded with stones.
The purple Power Stone.
The blue Space Stone.
The red Reality Stone.
And... the orange Soul Stone.
"Four?" Star-Lord suddenly understood something, and tears suddenly flowed from his eyes. "Gamora..."
Star-Lord's eyes instantly bloodshot, and a Beast-like low growl erupted from his throat. He lunged forward, about to rush towards the pyramid platform.
Seeing this, Drax grabbed Star-Lord, locking his upper body like an iron hoop, while his other hand tightly covered his mouth, pressing him into the shadows of the ruins.
"Shut up! Do you want to die? I know you want to kill him! I want to too! But if you rush up now, you're just throwing your life away! He has four Infinity Stones! The two of us can't even touch the hem of his clothes!"
Star-Lord struggled more and more violently, his eye sockets splitting, blood and tears mixing together as they slid down his cheeks.
Gamora had told him before that the Soul Stone could only be exchanged for the life of the person you loved most!
With Thanos having the Soul Stone in his hand, it meant Gamora was dead!
The God power within Star-Lord began to stir under the catalysis of anger, with silver-white light faintly flowing under his skin, and the surrounding rubble began to tremble slightly.
Drax felt the fluctuation of that power, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but he didn't let go; instead, he pressed down even harder.
"Calm down! Think about Gamora! What did she sacrifice herself for? Was it for you to rush up and die like a madman?"
This sentence was like a basin of ice water poured onto Star-Lord's burning anger.
His body stiffened, and his struggle weakened slightly, but a repressed whimpering sound still came from his throat.
Just then, a low roar of engines came from the sky.
A ring-shaped spaceship slowly landed on Titan.
Thanos stood on the edge of the pyramid platform, watching the slowly descending ring-shaped spaceship with a calm gaze.
The spaceship's engine nozzles ejected a pale blue ion exhaust, stirring up ripples of dust among the ruins.
The moment the hatch opened, the corners of Thanos's mouth rose slightly; it was the composure of someone who had already won.
Strange stumbled out of the hatch.
Thanos saw Strange and spoke slowly, as if greeting a guest from afar, "Wizard, you have finally arrived. It is time for the Time Stone to return to its rightful owner."
He stepped forward, the Infinity Gauntlet on his left hand gleaming with a cold luster in the dim sky.
Strange didn't answer. He just stood there, a cryptic arc appearing at the corner of his mouth instead.
Thanos noticed the smile and his footsteps paused slightly.
Just then, three more figures walked out of the ring-shaped spaceship's hatch.
Tony strode down the ramp, his repulsor beams already glowing with a pale blue charging light, his gaze locked firmly on Thanos.
2B followed closely behind, the Contract Sword in her hand flowing with an amber shimmer.
The last one to walk out was klein.
He wasn't wearing armor, didn't have a weapon, and was even holding an energy bar he'd swiped from somewhere, taking a bite and chewing twice as he walked.
The smile on Thanos's face froze, inch by inch, like a frozen lake.
These three appeared here, while Ebony Maw and Supergiant were nowhere to be seen, and not even a single communication signal had been sent back.
What this meant was self-evident.
"It seems the envoys I sent to Earth encountered some unexpected resistance," Thanos's voice already had a hint of cold ripples.
"Envoys?" Tony sneered, the light of his repulsor beam intensifying, "You mean those cannon fodder you sent to die? Sorry, they already clocked out early."
Thanos didn't get angry.
He just slowly raised his left hand, his gaze falling on the four stones on the gauntlet that were circulating with the power of the origin of the Universe.
"It doesn't matter," Thanos's voice was calm to the point of indifference. "The stones will find their way back on their own. And you..."
He raised his head, his gaze like a God looking down on ants.
"That you can stand here and face me proves your courage. But that is all."
The moment the words fell, Thanos's momentum erupted!
The four Infinity Stones lit up simultaneously, and a terrifying energy storm boomed and spread with him at the center!
The pyramid platform beneath his feet cracked inch by inch, the surrounding ruins were pushed in all directions by an invisible force field, and even the layer of rust-colored clouds in the sky was torn open by this momentum, revealing a huge hole!
Chapter 263: Rescuing the Dr.
Time goes back to when Stephen Strange was kidnapped.
Watching the Sorcerer Supreme being abducted by the Black Order, klein waved his hand and forcibly tore open space.
"Go!"
klein stepped into the rift first, with Tony Stark and 2B following closely behind.
The three figures vanished into the ruins of the New York Sanctum, and the next second, they appeared inside a high-speed ring-shaped spaceship.
The interior of the spaceship was complex, with crisscrossing corridors, clearly designed to carry a large number of troops and high-end combat power.
"Stephen Strange's life signal is at the three o'clock position, about two hundred meters away."
Tony Stark's armor quickly completed the scan and projected the data into their shared field of vision.
"There are two other high-energy reactions; they are moving toward the core area of the spaceship."
"They want to take Stephen Strange to Thanos. Then let's play the role of the oriole behind the mantis."
klein said. During the previous battle, klein had already told Tony Stark about Thanos collecting the Infinity Stones.
The three of them advanced quickly along the corridor.
Tony Stark led the way, destroying the surveillance cameras and automatic defense turrets along the way one by one.
2B was responsible for flank security, and klein was responsible for covering the rear.
Meanwhile, in the command cabin of the spaceship's core area.
Ebony Maw stood in front of a huge holographic star map, his slender fingers swiping through the void, adjusting the spaceship's course.
His face was still pale, the internal injury from klein's palm strike had not yet healed, and he would cough occasionally when speaking, but his demeanor remained calm.
"Supergiant, report the target's status."
Supergiant sat cross-legged in the corner, her eyes closed, the blue crystal on her forehead flickering slightly.
Her mental tentacles were like an invisible spider web, wrapping around Stephen Strange, who was bound to a metal seat by telekinetic chains not far away.
"His mental defense is very strong. The mark of the Vishanti has left a protective layer deep in his soul.
Forcibly reading his memory will take time, and it may trigger the mental blast he has pre-set, destroying the coordinate information of the Time Stone."
"Then take it slow," Ebony Maw said without turning his head. "Once we reach Titan, the Master will have his own way of dealing with him. Our mission is just to bring him back alive."
"What about the signals from Earth?" Supergiant asked.
"Black Dwarf, Corvus Glaive, and Proxima Midnight have already launched the attack as planned." Ebony Mawpulled up a map showing red alert markers for major cities on Earth,
"They will create enough chaos to tie down those superheroes. Once the Master collects all six Infinity Stones, the entire Universe will welcome a new beginning."
Supergiant didn't speak again, but the blue crystal on her forehead flickered slightly, as if she were thinking about something.
Just then, the spaceship shook violently!
Intense vibrations came from the rear of the ship, and the entire trajectory of the spaceship shifted significantly. Alarm sounds blared suddenly, and red warning lights spun frantically inside the command cabin.
"What's going on?!" Ebony Maw turned around abruptly, his grayish-white face showing clear anger for the first time. "Who is attacking us?"
"The rear engine room has been breached!" a minion responsible for monitoring reported in terror. "The defense system failed completely within three seconds! The intruders are rapidly approaching the command cabin!"
Ebony Maw's pupils constricted suddenly.
He immediately thought of something, and his face became even uglier.
He raised his hands abruptly, and vast telekinetic power surged out like a tide, reinforcing the alloy door of the command cabin layer by layer, while simultaneously setting up dozens of invisible telekinetic barriers in the corridor behind the door.
"Supergiant! Prepare for battle! They have caught up!"
Supergiant opened her eyes abruptly, blue mental flames burning in her pupils.
She stood up, her hands forming a complex mudra in front of her chest. Invisible mental fluctuations began to spread out from her as the center, weaving layer after layer of psychological suggestions and illusion traps throughout the entire command cabin.
"Let them come," Supergiant's voice was cold and confident. "In my domain, no one can defeat me."
Before she could even finish boasting, the alloy door of the command cabin, which had been reinforced layer by layer by Ebony Maw, along with the door frame and the half-meter-thick bulkhead around it,
were completely blown away from the outside by a force of extreme brutality!
Metal fragments scattered like shrapnel, smashing into the instruments and walls inside the command cabin, making clanging sounds.
Amidst the dust and smoke, a figure slowly walked in.
klein patted the dust off his shoulders, his gaze sweeping over the layout of the command cabin, and finally landing on Stephen Strange, who was bound to a chair by telekinetic chains.
Although Stephen Strange was restrained, his consciousness was clear. The moment he saw klein, a flash of relief crossed his eyes.
"Yo, you're all here." klein's tone was as casual as if he were visiting a neighbor's house. "Sorry to interrupt, I'm here to pick someone up."
Ebony Maw's face was so gloomy it could drip water.
He stared fixedly at klein, his slender fingers trembling slightly with anger. "How did you catch up? My space jump had no warning, and the route was randomly generated..."
"You call that little trick a space jump?" klein sneered, as if he had heard some extremely ridiculous joke,
"Using a fragment of the Tesseract that encased the Space Stone to forcibly tear open a passage, without even setting up basic coordinate anchoring, it was as bumpy as riding a tractor.
If I hadn't been afraid of shaking your junk ship to pieces, I would have crushed you like bugs long ago!"
Ebony Maw's face turned from white to green, and then from green to purple.
He had lived for hundreds of years, followed Thanos to conquer countless galaxies, and seen countless powerful people, but no one had ever dared to humiliate him like this.
"You're courting death!"
Ebony Maw roared and pushed his hands forward violently!
Vast telekinetic power, like an invisible tsunami, swept up everything in the command cabin that could be moved, turning it into a destructive torrent that crashed toward klein!
For this strike, Ebony Maw used almost all his strength. He knew the human in front of him was no ordinary opponent and had to be killed in one blow.
However, facing this telekinetic torrent capable of crushing a small warship into a metal pancake, klein only raised his right hand.
He spread his five fingers and pushed gently.
The torrent, composed of countless metal fragments and destructive energy, stopped abruptly less than half a meter from klein's palm, as if it had hit an invisible, absolute barrier.
All the fragments floated in mid-air, motionless, as if time had been frozen at that moment.
Ebony Maw's pupils constricted to the size of needle points.
He felt his telekinetic power like a clay ox entering the sea, swallowed completely by that invisible force, not even causing a ripple.
"How is it possible..."
"Are you done playing?" klein asked indifferently, then gently clenched his right hand.
The metal fragments floating in mid-air, as if kneaded by an invisible giant hand, instantly compressed into a metal ball the size of a fist, then clattered onto the ground, rolled twice, and stopped quietly at Ebony Maw's feet.
Ebony Maw's face turned completely deathly gray.
He opened his mouth to say something, but klein didn't give him the chance.
klein stepped forward, his figure appearing in front of Ebony Maw as if teleporting, close at hand.
Ebony Maw subconsciously wanted to retreat, while simultaneously mobilizing his remaining telekinetic power to set up a defensive barrier in front of him.
But klein's movements were faster than his. He just extended his left hand, closed his index and middle fingers, and flicked gently at the distorted telekinetic barrier in front of Ebony Maw's forehead.
A crisp cracking sound, as if glass had been pierced by a pebble.
The telekinetic barrier that Ebony Maw had meticulously constructed shattered inch by inch like a fragile eggshell under that seemingly understated flick, turning into countless tiny energy fragments and dissipating into the air.
Ebony Maw's eyes widened in terror.
He wanted to speak, to beg for mercy, to use his last resort to detonate the spaceship's self-destruct system and perish with the enemy.
But klein didn't give him any chance.
That flicked finger, after shattering the telekinetic barrier, continued its momentum without slackening, and gently tapped the center of Ebony Maw's forehead.
Ebony Maw's body stiffened abruptly.
His expression froze on his face, his eyes wide open, as if he had seen something extremely incredible.
Then, his body, starting from his forehead, rippled like the surface of water into which a stone had been thrown.
The ripples spread to his whole body; his skin, muscles, bones, internal organs, and even every trace of energy flowing within him, under the influence of that incomprehensible power, began to disintegrate at the molecular level.
There was no explosion, no light, no screaming.
Ebony Maw's body, like a sand sculpture blown away by the wind, silently turned into the finest dust and dissipated into the air of the command cabin.
Chapter 264: The Fall of The Black Order (Part 2)
From the moment klein stepped into the command deck until Ebony Maw completely vanished, it had been no more than ten seconds.
Supergiant stood on the other side of the command deck, witnessing it all with her own eyes.
For the first time, an expression of fear appeared on her face—a fear that originated from the depths of her soul, one that could not be suppressed.
She had lived for hundreds of years, followed Thanos to conquer countless civilizations, and had seen countless ways to die.
But she had never seen a slaughter so bizarre, so thorough, and so devoid of traces.
That was not a battle. That was erasure.
Just like erasing a line of text on paper with an eraser, Ebony Maw's existence had been cleanly wiped from this World.
"It's your turn." klein turned around, his gaze falling upon Supergiant.
Supergiant's body shuddered violently.
But she was truly the member of The Black Order most adept at mind control; after the brief moment of fear, she quickly forced herself to calm down.
Her eyes ignited with blazing blue psychic flames, and the crystal on her forehead erupted with blinding light.
A psychic force so vast it was almost tangible surged out like a tsunami, transforming into countless invisible tentacles, attempting to invade the depths of klein's consciousness.
"No matter how powerful your body is, your soul is only at the level of a mortal!" Supergiant's voice, carrying a hypnotic rhythm, echoed throughout the command deck.
"Let me see your fears... your weaknesses... your secrets..."
Her psychic tentacles pierced through klein's surface consciousness, delving deep into his memories.
Then, she saw.
She saw an endless, boundless chaos.
There was no time, no space, no matter, no energy, and no existence that could be perceived or understood.
There was only endless, eternal, and indescribable chaos.
Deep within that chaos, there was a pair of eyes.
Those eyes were more vast than any cosmic wonder she had ever seen, and older than any divine existence she had ever felt.
Those eyes slowly opened and looked at her.
"No... No... This is impossible..." Supergiant's voice began to tremble. Blue blood began to seep from her seven orifices, and fine cracks appeared on the crystal on her forehead.
"You... you are not human... you are... you are..."
She could not say the final word.
Under the gaze of those eyes, her psychic tentacles, like ignited cotton thread, rapidly burned and disintegrated from the tips.
The backlash of power surged upstream along her psychic energy, instantly flooding into the core of her soul.
Supergiant's body stiffened violently, and the blue flames in her eyes were suddenly extinguished.
Her expression froze on her face, her mouth slightly agape, as if she still wanted to say something.
Then, her body, as if its supporting skeleton had been pulled out, collapsed softly to the ground, showing no more signs of life.
The crystal on her forehead shattered completely, turning into a small heap of crystalline powder that scattered beside her gradually cooling body.
klein withdrew his gaze and flicked his hand, as if he had merely swatted two mosquitoes.
He walked over to Strange, reached out, grabbed the telekinetic chains left behind by Ebony Maw, and gave them a light tug.
The chains snapped in response, dissolving into fragments of energy.
Strange stood up from the chair, flexed his wrists which had become stiff from being bound for too long, and looked at klein, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
"Who... exactly are you?"
"I'm your father! Are you insane? Did the mind control break your brain?" klein rolled his eyes and cursed at Strange, who was looking at him as if he had seen a ghost.
Just as Strange was stunned by the scolding, Tony poked his head in from the command deck entrance. He glanced at Supergiant's corpse on the floor and the lingering dust in the air, then whistled.
"Nice efficiency."
2B stood silently at the doorway, her Contract Sword already sheathed. Her gaze swept calmly across the command deck, and after confirming there were no other threats, she nodded slightly.
Strange collected himself, took a deep breath, suppressed the frustration from being scolded, and turned to ask,
"So what do we do next? Return to Earth? But from what I heard from Ebony Maw earlier, that guy named Thanoshas already collected four Infinity Stones.
His next plan is to wipe out half the life in the Universe. Earth is at the forefront. Do you guys know about this?"
"Of course we know. That's why we're not going back. We're going directly to confront Thanos! A diversionary tactic."
Strange was stunned: "Not going back? Earth is currently under attack..."
"And what if we do go back?" klein interrupted him, his gaze calm yet carrying unquestionable pressure,
"Take out those three pieces of trash, Black Dwarf and the others? Blast them back to their home? And then what?
Thanos has four Infinity Stones in his hand; he can use the Space Stone to jump over here at any time and crush Earth, along with the entire Solar System, into a marble. Can you stop that?"
Strange opened his mouth, then fell silent.
"We can't worry about that right now. We must take out Thanos first and reclaim the Infinity Stones. Otherwise, even if we go back now and beat back his vanguard, he will just come again.
Time and time again. Until he collects all six stones and wipes out half the population of the Universe."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across Tony, 2B, and Strange. "We must block the greatest threat outside of Earth. Titan is the best battlefield."
Tony leaned against the bulkhead, arms crossed, and nodded. "Although I hate to admit it, Thanos is indeed a problem. Rather than waiting for him to come knocking when he's ready, we might as well flip his chessboard first."
2B did not speak, simply gripping her sword hilt calmly, using her actions to show her stance.
Strange opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to argue a few more points, but it ultimately turned into a helpless sigh.
He knew klein was right.
Thanos already held four Infinity Stones; if he were to descend upon Earth personally, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Rather than passive defense, it was better to take the initiative and finish this decisive battle on Titan.
"You're right." Strange adjusted his damaged Cloak of Levitation, his gaze becoming firm once again. "So how do we get to Titan?"
"Need you ask?" Tony clapped his hands, and his nanotech armor automatically retracted the faceplate, revealing a face with his signature roguish grin,
"Of course, we take their ship. Although this ring-shaped ship is a bit ugly, the performance of its warp engine is actually quite good. It's perfect to borrow."
2B had already walked to the command console, her fingertips sliding rapidly across the control panel, beginning to analyze the ship's navigation system and route database.
"Titan's coordinates are locked. The ship's energy reserves are sufficient to support one long-distance warp. Estimated time of arrival: six standard hours."
"Six hours..." Strange repeated in a low voice, then looked up, a flash of determination in his eyes,
"That's enough. It's just enough time for me to prepare some spells along the way."
"Then it's settled." klein clapped his hands, turned, and walked toward the main seat of the command deck, sat down heavily, and crossed his legs,
"Set the course, full speed ahead. Let's go meet that Purple Potato and see just how tough he really is."
The ring-shaped ship's engines reignited. Under the dim light of Titan, it turned and accelerated toward the depths of the Universe.
Chapter 265: The War Begins
After klein and the other two tore through space and left, Sorcerer Wong stood amidst the ruins of the New York Sanctum.
He quickly formed hand seals with both hands, and a golden magic circle unfolded before him, rippling like the surface of water.
His voice, carried through the global magic network of Kamar-Taj, pierced through the barriers of space and reached every nation and organization he could contact.
"I am the Guardian of Kamar-Taj, Wong. Acting as the deputy for the Sorcerer Supreme, I am issuing an urgent warning to all nations and organizations around the Worldcapable of resistance."
"An extraterrestrial invasion force has arrived on Earth. Their leader is named Thanos, and his goal is to seize the Infinity Stones on Earth."
"This is not a localized threat; this is a global existential crisis. Repeat, this is not a drill, this is a global existential crisis. Final repeat, this is not a drill, this is a global existential crisis."
The magical communication caused a massive shock among the high-level officials of various countries.
The President of the United States urgently convened a National Security Council meeting, the Prime Minister of Britain activated the cabinet's wartime protocols, the Russian Federal Security Council met overnight, and the relevant departments in China immediately entered the highest state of alert.
However, the warning came too late.
Led by Black Dwarf, Corvus Glaive, and Proxima Midnight, the Outrider legion descended from the sky like a plague of locusts.
Their landing pods tore through the atmosphere, trailing blazing exhaust, and crashed into the core areas of major cities around the globe.
New York, London, Paris, Moscow, Tokyo, Sydney, Cape Town...
Every city suffered a precise and lethal blow.
The soldiers of Thanos's Outrider legion were fearless; they felt no pain, knew no fear, and only knew how to execute orders.
Global communication networks were almost paralyzed within the first few hours.
Television screens alternated between real-time battle reports from cities around the World, with every frame filled with fire, smoke, and ruins.
But humanity did not sit idly by and wait for death.
Having been tempered by the Battle of New York, the HYDRA conflict, and the Sokovia incident, the technological level and emergency response capabilities of nations on Earth had undergone a qualitative leap.
China's quantum communication network was restarted immediately, the European joint energy shield system was successfully deployed in Paris and Berlin, and the United States' Sentinel satellites re-locked onto battlefield coordinates across the globe.
More importantly, those heroes hidden in the shadows began to take action.
Even ordinary people without superpowers were fighting in their own ways.
Firefighters in New York braved artillery fire to rescue the wounded from collapsed buildings, medical personnel in London set up temporary field hospitals in subway stations, and engineers in Tokyo worked through the night to repair destroyed communication base stations.
The resilience of humanity was vividly displayed in this sudden war.
Just as the global war situation reached a stalemate, an unexpected figure appeared in the public eye.
Captain America—Steve Rogers stood on a makeshift podium.
Behind him was a burning city, and overhead hovered enemy aircraft, but his voice was clearly transmitted to the ears of every survivor through underground radio stations and live internet broadcasts.
"Citizens of the World, I am Steve Rogers. Some of you may remember me, while others may have only seen my name in history books."
"But now, none of that matters. What matters is that we are facing an unprecedented crisis. This is not a war of any single nation, not a war of any single individual; this is a war for all of humanity."
"Those invaders from the stars, they do not care which country we are from, they do not care what we believe in, they do not care what our skin color is. They only want to destroy us."
"Therefore, I am calling on everyone with the ability to help—whether you are a superhero or someone who simply possesses an unyielding heart—please stand up. Unite."
"This is not for any government, not for any treaty, but for ourselves, for our families, and for everything we cherish. This is not an order; this is a request. Let us fight side by side."
This speech spread across the globe in just a few hours. Some were stirred to passion, while others scoffed.
But it is undeniable that more and more heroes began to set aside their prejudices and differences, converging in the same direction.
And Steve Rogers himself was currently standing on a land he never thought he would step foot on.
Steve stood in the reception hall of the Wakandan palace, facing the young King of Wakanda, T'Challa.
"I know my request is presumptuous," Steve said, his voice very sincere.
"But I have no other choice. The threat of Thanos is not limited to the outside; Wakanda cannot stay out of this."
"Once he collects all the Infinity Stones, the entire Universe will face destruction. Wakanda's technology and Vibranium are vital forces for us to oppose him."
T'Challa was silent for a long time. He looked at the former fugitive before him, looking at the unwavering determination in his eyes.
"You are right, Mr. Rogers," T'Challa finally spoke.
"Wakanda cannot stay out of this. Moreover, my father's death is inextricably linked to this crisis. I am willing to accept you and your companions, but there is one condition."
"Please, speak."
"Do not start a war here. The people of Wakanda have already suffered too much. If you must fight, please do so on the battlefield; do not involve the innocent. Meanwhile, Wakanda will send its own army to assist you in the fight!"
Steve nodded solemnly, "Thank you!"
Thus, Captain America and his companions led the Wakandan soldiers to defend against Thanos's soldiers outside the Wakandan shield.
Furthermore, Princess Shuri of Wakanda, this sixteen-year-old genius scientist, upon learning of Bucky Barnes's situation, offered to install a brand-new Vibranium arm for him.
"The previous one was too crude," Shuri commented with dissatisfaction while operating a holographic projection.
"It was completely unergonomic, and the energy conduction efficiency was low. Give me three days, and I will return a better one to you."
Three days later, Bucky stood in the laboratory pod, moving his brand-new Vibranium arm.
The dark gold metal shimmered with a cold luster under the lights, and the surface of the arm was covered with fine nano-scales, which could change shape as needed.
The built-in energy core could provide extra power output for the arm and could even briefly generate a small energy shield.
Bucky clenched his fist, feeling the flexibility and power feedback that was almost indistinguishable from a flesh-and-blood limb. He remained silent for a long time, eventually saying only two words.
"Thank you."
Princess Shuri grinned, revealing two small fangs, "You're welcome. But next time if you get frozen again, remember to give me a heads-up so I can adjust the arm's low-temperature tolerance parameters."
Bucky's mouth twitched slightly, and he did not speak.
On the border of Wakanda, Steve stood on a high ridge, and behind him was a temporary coalition composed of various heroes.
Falcon, Ant-Man, Hawkeye, Winter Soldier, and the Wakandan Royal Guard.
They were few in number, but well-equipped, and in each of their eyes burned the same flame.
Steve took a deep breath and slowly drew the shield from his back.
"Are you ready?"
Chapter 266: War (II)
Due to the attack by Thanos's army, the three members of the Black Order divided the battlefield into three parts, one of which was Wakanda in Africa.
After all, the energy density here was extremely high.
At the border of Wakanda, the Outrider army led by Proxima Midnight surged like a black tide, crashing against Wakanda's defensive line wave after wave.
Those ferocious-looking biological soldiers knew no fatigue or fear; they tore at the surface of the shield with sharp claws and energy weapons, each Impact causing violent ripples to spread across the shield.
Steve Rogers stood at the position on the edge of the shield. Behind him were the Wakandan Royal Guard and the Dora Milaje, as well as heroes like Falcon, the Winter Soldier, and Ant-Man.
"How many of them are there?" Sam the Falcon swooped by at a low altitude, mowed down a row of Outriders with his onboard machine guns, landed beside Steve, and asked.
"Too many," Steve stared at the sea of black, "and this is just the vanguard. Thanos's main force hasn't appeared yet."
"Then we'll fight until they do," Bucky flexed his brand-new Vibranium arm, the dark gold metal gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
Proxima Midnight stood in the center of the Outrider army. Her broken spear had been re-welded by craftsmen; although it wasn't as handy as the original, it was still a deadly weapon in her hands.
She saw Steve behind the shield, that human holding the Star Shield, and a trace of contempt flashed in her eyes.
"Earthling, your resistance is meaningless." Her voice echoed across the entire battlefield through some kind of energy amplification device,
"The will of My Lord Thanos cannot be defied. Kneel and surrender, and I can let you die more quickly."
Steve did not answer. He simply tightened his grip on his shield and stepped forward.
"Charge!"
At his command, the Wakandan shield briefly opened a gap, and Steve charged out first!
Behind him, Falcon soared into the sky, the Winter Soldierraised his energy rifle, and Ant-Man pressed his controller to shrink his body and vanished from sight.
The Wakandan warriors let out a war cry, surging out of the shield like a tide, and collided head-on with the Outrider army!
Steve's shield was like an extension of his body, and every swing precisely crushed the skull of an Outrider.
Bucky's newly replaced Vibranium arm was immensely powerful; a single punch was enough to cave in an Outrider's chest cavity.
The Wakandan warriors held Vibranium spears, and every thrust pierced through the carapace of an Outrider.
Proxima Midnight stood at the rear of the battlefield, watching all of this coldly.
But she didn't care.
Because she knew that the resistance of these humans was ultimately futile.
She raised that re-welded spear, pointing the tip in Steve's direction.
"Kill the one with the shield."
The Outrider army, as if receiving the highest order, instantly shifted their focus of attack, surging like a tide toward Steve's direction!
The pressure on Steve suddenly increased exponentially.
He swung his shield to crush an Outrider's skull, dodged the sharp claws of another, and backhanded it away with his shield, but more Outriders had already surrounded him, and he fell into a bitter fight.
"Steve!" Bucky roared, wanting to rush over to support him, but he was also entangled by enemies several times his number and could not break free.
Falcon swooped down from the sky, clearing an area with missiles, but the number of Outriders was simply too high; after killing one, three more immediately filled the gap.
Proxima Midnight finally moved.
She stepped forward, and the surrounding Outriders automatically cleared a path.
She held her spear and walked toward Steve step by step.
Steve was panting heavily, his shield covered in scorch marks from energy, but his gaze remained firm.
He stared at the approaching Proxima Midnight and tightened his grip on the edge of his shield.
"Are you their leader?"
"I am the blade of My Lord Thanos," Proxima Midnight said coldly,
"And you will be just another nobody to die under this blade."
Before the words had even faded, her figure suddenly vanished from where she stood!
In the next instant, the tip of her spear had already appeared less than an inch from Steve's throat!
Clang!!!
A deafening sound of metal clashing rang out!
At the critical moment, Steve blocked the spear with his shield, but the immense force still sent him flying, and he rolled over a dozen meters on the ground before barely coming to a stop.
He knelt on one knee, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and the arm holding the shield trembled slightly.
Proxima Midnight did not give him a chance to catch his breath, and the second strike followed immediately!
Steve gritted his teeth and raised his shield to block again!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three consecutive Impacts, each one like being hit head-on by a high-speed train, and Steve's arms had already lost all sensation.
He knelt half-way on the ground, gasping for air, as blood dripped onto the ground along the edge of his shield.
"Not bad resilience," Proxima Midnight looked down at him condescendingly, "but that is all."
She raised her spear, preparing to deliver the final blow.
Just then, a silver-white light streaked across the battlefield like a meteor and precisely struck the tip of Proxima Midnight's spear!
A huge shockwave sent the surrounding Outriders flying, and Proxima Midnight was also knocked back a few steps before stabilizing her stance.
She looked up, a trace of surprise flashing in her eyes.
Before Steve stood a silver-white figure.
It was a woman wearing silver armor. The lines of the armor were smooth and elegant, and a pair of silver metal wings unfurled behind her, gleaming in the firelight.
She held a silver spear made of energy, the tip pointing at Proxima Midnight, her eyes cold and firm.
"Who are you?" Proxima Midnight narrowed her eyes.
"Wakanda's Guardian," the voice of the silver-armored woman came through her mask, "and your terminator."
As soon as she finished speaking, her figure turned into a silver light and rushed straight at Proxima Midnight!
The two weapons collided in the air, erupting with blinding light and a deafening sound of metal clashing!
The silver-armored woman's fighting style was extremely swift and fierce; the silver spear in her hands was like a living thing,
Thrusting, parrying, hacking, sweeping—each strike carried the force of a thunderbolt, forcing Proxima Midnight to retreat repeatedly.
Steve struggled to stand up, looking at the silver-white figure, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes.
"She is…"
"Princess Shuri's latest invention," Bucky said, having somehow fought his way to his side, shooting at the surrounding Outriders as he spoke,
"Vibranium armor, codenamed Midnight Angel. She said this is a gift for Wakanda."
"A gift?" Steve watched the silver figure galloping across the battlefield and gave a wry smile, "This gift is truly heavy."
Proxima Midnight was forced back dozens of meters by the Midnight Angel and finally stabilized her footing.
A trace of annoyance flashed in her eyes. The spear in her hand erupted with blinding energy, and she swept it out, forcing the Midnight Angel back a few steps.
"Not bad for a toy," Proxima Midnight said coldly, "but a toy is a toy after all."
She held her spear high, pointing the tip at the sky, and a dark red pillar of energy shot into the sky!
With the appearance of this light pillar, on the distant horizon, more Outriders surged forth like locusts, covering the sky and blocking the sun!
Steve's expression changed.
"Everyone, retreat back inside the shield! Hurry!"
The Wakandan warriors fought while retreating, contracting toward the gap in the shield.
Falcon swooped down from the sky, grabbed the injured Steve, and brought him toward the shield.
Bucky and Ant-Man acted as the rearguard, using firepower to suppress the pursuing Outriders.
The Midnight Angel brought up the rear, her silver spear stirring up a storm of blood and gore among the Outriders, buying time for the retreating comrades.
When the last Wakandan warrior retreated into the shield, the gap in the shield closed again.
Outside the shield, the Outrider army, like a black tide, completely surrounded the entire Wakandan border.
Proxima Midnight stood in the center of the army, her gaze passing through the shield and meeting Steve's in the air.
"How long can you hold out?" Her voice entered the shield, "One day? Two days? Or a month? It doesn't matter, I have plenty of time."
Steve did not answer. He just tightened his grip on his shield; he knew that this war had only just begun.
Chapter 267: War (Part 3)
Tokyo, once one of the most prosperous cities in the world, had now been reduced to ruins.
Black Dwarf had chosen this place as his second battlefield because it was an island nation; he wanted to secure a firm foothold here and turn it into a military Basefor the invasion of Earth.
At this moment, half of Tokyo's towering skyscrapers had collapsed, the streets were littered with the wreckage of downed spacecraft and Outriders, and the air was thick with the smell of smoke and burning.
Sorcerer Wong stood on the roof of a partially collapsed shrine, hands forming seals, as a golden magic barrier enveloped the area for hundreds of meters around.
Inside the barrier were the last of the survivors and the resistance forces.
Outside the barrier, the army of Outriders led by Black Dwarf was frantically attacking the magic barrier, each Impact sending violent ripples across its surface.
"It won't hold for much longer." Beads of sweat formed on Sorcerer Wong's forehead as his magic power rapidly depleted. "Dr. Banner, is your armor ready?"
"It's been ready!" A gruff voice came from inside the shrine.
Immediately after, a massive red suit of armor stepped out from the shrine, each step causing the ground to tremble slightly.
It was the hulkbuster, but after multiple upgrades by Tony Stark, the armor had been significantly enhanced.
The surface of the armor was covered in composite plating, with multiple energy cannons installed on the chest and shoulders, and high-frequency vibration blades and energy shield generators equipped on the arms.
Inside the cockpit, Dr. Banner wore a specialized neural link suit, his eyes closed, fully synchronized with the armor's control system.
"Hulk is still sleeping and recovering." Dr. Banner's voice transmitted through the armor's external speakers, carrying a hint of helplessness. "So I have to do this myself."
"That's enough." Sorcerer Wong nodded and slammed his hands together!
The golden magic barrier suddenly expanded, then shattered like broken glass, transforming into countless golden light blades that shot toward the surrounding Outriders!
The light blades poured down like a rainstorm, instantly slicing the frontline Outriders into fragments!
Black Dwarf roared, brandishing his massive war hammer to smash the light blades attacking him one by one, then took heavy strides as he charged toward the hulkbuster!
"Bring it on!" Dr. Banner roared, the hulkbuster's thrusters firing at full power, its massive frame launching forward like a cannonball to collide head-on with Black Dwarf!
The two immense forces collided in mid-air, the shockwave blowing away the surrounding ruins and Outriders!
Black Dwarf's strength was terrifying; every strike of his war hammer was enough to crack the ground.
But the hulkbuster's Vibranium composite armor withstood these attacks, the energy shield on its surface flickering constantly as it absorbed the Impact layer by layer.
Dr. Banner controlled the armor, throwing a punch toward Black Dwarf's chest!
Black Dwarf blocked with his war hammer, but the immense force drove him back several steps, his feet plowing two deep trenches into the ground.
"Earthling, your strength impresses me." Black Dwarf's voice boomed like thunder. "But that is all!"
He roared, his muscles suddenly expanding, and a faint dark red light flowed beneath his skin!
His strength surged instantly!
The war hammer descended with overwhelming force. Dr. Banner raised his left arm to block, and with a loud crack, fine cracks appeared on the armor of the left arm!
Before Dr. Banner could react, Black Dwarf's second hammer strike landed!
This strike hit the hulkbuster's chest directly, sending the massive armor flying, crashing through three partially collapsed buildings before coming to a stop in a pile of rubble.
Dr. Banner coughed up blood as the armor's control system emitted a piercing alarm.
"Warning: Chest armor damage at 47%. Energy shield generator overloaded, cooling required."
"I know!" Dr. Banner gritted his teeth, forcing the armor to stand up. "Again!"
He activated the thrusters again and charged toward Black Dwarf!
Meanwhile, the Kamar-Taj sorcerers led by Sorcerer Wongwere also locked in a desperate battle with the army of Outriders.
Sorcerer Wong held a magic whip in each hand, the whips weaving through the swarm of Outriders like nimble snakes, each strike severing the limbs of several Outriders.
Behind him, dozens of sorcerers formed a battle formation, using various magical weapons and spells to hold off the Outriders.
But the number of Outriders was simply too great.
Kill one, and three immediately filled the gap; kill three, and ten surged forward.
They were like a plague of locusts, using their lives and sheer numbers to slowly erode the sorcerers' defensive line.
"Wong, we can't hold on much longer!" a sorcerer shouted. His magic shield had already been torn open by the claws of an Outrider, and a deep wound, exposing the bone, appeared on his arm.
"We must hold, even if we can't!" Sorcerer Wong gritted his teeth, his magic whip smashing the skull of an Outrider. "If we fall here, there are tens of millions of civilians behind us!"
The sorcerers reignited their fighting spirit and continued to battle the Outriders.
However, Sorcerer Wong knew that if things continued like this, everyone would die here.
To capture the bandits, one must capture their leader first; only by taking down Black Dwarf could these Outriderslose their command and have their offensive dismantled.
He took a deep breath, using a magical transmission to focus his voice into a single line, sending it into Dr. Banner's ears.
"Dr. Banner, we won't last long like this. I have a plan: you and I will work together to lure this big guy into the Mirror Dimension. Once there, the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj and I can join forces, and I am confident we can kill him."
Inside the hulkbuster's cockpit, Dr. Banner's blood was churning from the shock of Black Dwarf's continuous heavy blows.
Hearing Sorcerer Wong's transmission, Dr. Bannerimmediately responded, "Alright! Tell me what to do?"
"Lure him to my location. I will open the entrance to the Mirror Dimension in advance. You just need to force him to the designated spot, and leave the rest to me."
"Understood!"
Dr. Banner roared, and the energy core in the hulkbuster's chest suddenly erupted with a blinding white light, channeling all remaining energy into the thrusters and weapon systems.
The vents on the armor's surface spewed scorching steam, and its massive frame launched like a cannonball, slamming a fist hard into Black Dwarf's chest!
This punch concentrated all the hulkbuster's power; even Black Dwarf's granite-like body was knocked back several steps, his feet plowing two deep trenches into the ground.
"Earthling! You have angered me!" Black Dwarf roared, brandishing his war hammer to counterattack.
But Dr. Banner didn't give him the chance. He controlled the armor, unleashing a flurry of punches like a violent storm, landing each blow solidly and striking Black Dwarf's vital points with precision.
Although it couldn't deal a fatal blow, it successfully enraged Black Dwarf, causing him to lose his calm judgment.
Black Dwarf was completely infuriated; he abandoned all defense and swung his war hammer wildly, wanting to smash this annoying piece of scrap metal into pieces.
Dr. Banner fought while retreating, luring Black Dwarfstep by step toward where Sorcerer Wong was located.
Dr. Banner took a heavy blow from Black Dwarf's hammer, using the Impact to roll backward and create distance.
"Big guy! Come on! Catch me!" Dr. Banner taunted through the armor's external speakers.
At the same time, the thrusters on the armor's back ignited again, and it dashed toward the ruins of the shrine where Sorcerer Wong was located.
Black Dwarf, completely enraged, let out a deafening roar and took heavy strides in hot pursuit.
Dr. Banner calculated the distance. Just as he was about to reach Sorcerer Wong, he slammed on the brakes and turned, the massive hulkbuster plowing two deep trenches into the ground as it came to a halt right beside Sorcerer Wong.
The moment Black Dwarf stepped into the designated range, Sorcerer Wong slammed his hands together!
Chapter 268: War (Part 3)
"Mirror Dimension, open!"
The surrounding scenery shattered like broken glass, instantly collapsing into countless fragments.
Black Dwarf felt his vision blur for a moment; the familiar ruined battlefield vanished, replaced by an eerie space composed of countless geometric fragments, upside down and reversed left to right.
The sky was a shattered mirror, the ground consisted of floating prisms, and light refracted into countless chaotic trajectories here.
Black Dwarf stopped, looked around vigilantly, and gripped his warhammer tightly. "Cheap tricks! Do you think this kind of parlor trick can trap me?"
Sorcerer Wong did not answer.
His figure appeared like a phantom behind Black Dwarfwithin the Mirror Dimension, holding a golden Whip of Seraphim in each hand, the whips burning with intense magical flames.
"Banner!"
"Understood!" Banner appeared from the other side, controlling the hulkbuster. The energy cannon on the armor's chest had already begun charging, emitting a low hum.
Black Dwarf roared and swung his warhammer toward Sorcerer Wong.
But in this Mirror Dimension, the laws of space were controlled by Sorcerer Wong.
With just a side step, his figure shifted several meters like a ripple in water, easily dodging the heavy, powerful hammer strike.
"No matter how strong your power is, it's meaningless if you can't hit your target." Sorcerer Wong said coldly. The magic whip in his hand moved like a striking snake, instantly wrapping around Black Dwarf's wrist holding the hammer, and tightened sharply!
The golden magical flames scorched Black Dwarf's skin, making a sizzling sound, and a charred smell filled the air.
Black Dwarf felt the pain and roared, trying to break free, but Sorcerer Wong's whip tightened further, embedding deeply into his flesh.
"Now!" Sorcerer Wong shouted.
Banner controlled the hulkbuster, and the energy cannon on its chest erupted with blinding white light. A thick beam of energy blasted Black Dwarf in the chest at point-blank range!
Black Dwarf's massive body was blasted backward repeatedly, spiderweb-like cracks appearing on his chest armor, and dark red blood oozing from the fissures.
Yet he still did not fall. Instead, he struggled even more violently, dragging Sorcerer Wong's magic whip in an attempt to pull him closer.
"Not enough!" Sorcerer Wong gritted his teeth, veins popping on his forehead. He pushed his magic output to the limit, and more golden chains emerged from the void, wrapping around Black Dwarf's limbs to bind him firmly in place.
Meanwhile, several elite mages from Kamar-Taj also entered the Mirror Dimension through the portal Sorcerer Wong had opened.
They distributed themselves at various nodes in the space, forming hand seals, and injected their own magic into the formation maintaining the Mirror Dimension, providing a steady stream of magical support to Sorcerer Wong.
Black Dwarf was wrapped up like a mummy by the golden chains, unable to move.
Yet he was still struggling; every chain was trembling violently, emitting creaking sounds of being under unbearable strain.
"Hurry! I can't hold on for much longer!" Sorcerer Wong's voice was noticeably strained.
Banner took a deep breath and controlled the hulkbusterto leap high into the air. The armor on the right arm flipped layer by layer, revealing the high-frequency vibrating blade hidden inside.
The blade emitted a shrill hum under the high-frequency vibration, causing the surrounding air to distort.
"This is for Hulk!" Banner roared, driving the high-frequency vibrating blade deep into Black Dwarf's exposed neck!
The blade sliced through skin, severed muscle, and cut through bone in one fluid motion.
Black Dwarf's body stiffened abruptly, then, as if all strength had been drained away, it went completely limp.
That massive head, with a frozen expression of rage, slid from the neck and rolled onto the mirrored floor of the Mirror Dimension, making a dull thud.
The headless corpse stood stiff for a moment before collapsing with a crash. Dark red blood gushed from the severed neck, spreading across the mirrored floor.
The Mirror Dimension fell into a brief, dead silence.
Sorcerer Wong released the magic whip, stumbled a step, fell to one knee, and gasped for breath.
His face was pale as paper, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth; clearly, the magic output just now had placed a tremendous burden on him.
The few supporting mages also collapsed to the ground, their faces equally pale; some even coughed up blood.
Maintaining the Mirror Dimension and binding a powerhouse like Black Dwarf was an almost overdraft-level drain on them.
Banner ejected from the hulkbuster, landed on the ground, and was similarly gasping for air.
He glanced at Black Dwarf's headless corpse, then at Sorcerer Wong and the injured mages, fell silent for a moment, and then asked, "Is it over?"
Sorcerer Wong slowly stood up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and nodded. "It's over. At least, the battle here in Tokyo is over."
He waved his hand, and the Mirror Dimension dissipated like a receding tide. They returned to the ruins.
Around the shrine, the offensive of the Outriders army had weakened significantly.
Having lost their leader's command, while they were still fierce, they lacked their previous organization and coordination. They began to fight individually and were gradually suppressed by the remaining resistance forces.
...
On the other side, in New York, this former capital of the World had now become a living hell.
The streets were littered with the remains of Outriders and human corpses, and the air was filled with the smell of blood and gunpowder.
The distant skyline was obscured by thick smoke, and sunlight could not penetrate the heavy smoke screen.
Corvus Glaive stood on the wreckage of the collapsed Statue of Liberty, overlooking the burning city.
His glaive had drunk its fill of blood; dark red liquid flowed along the blade, dripping onto the ground drop by drop from the tip.
"The resistance of the Earthlings is a bit more tenacious than I imagined. However, that is all it is."
Beneath his feet, the Outriders army, like a black tide, was advancing inch by inch.
The human defensive line was continuously retreating.
The resistance forces on the American front were mainly composed of two parts.
One part was the registered heroes under the United States government, commanded by War Machine Colonel Rhodes;
The other part consisted of unregistered civilian heroes, as well as some ordinary citizens who had spontaneously organized.
These two groups might not have gotten along in normal times, but in the face of Thanos's threat, they had temporarily set aside their prejudices and were fighting side by side.
Colonel Rhodes, wearing the upgraded War Machinearmor, hovered at a low altitude, using his onboard weapons and missiles to provide fire support for his comrades on the ground.
His armor was covered with scratch marks and traces of energy burns, and the armor on his left arm had shattered, revealing the mechanical structure inside, but he was still fighting.
"The left flank needs support!" An anxious voice came over the communication channel. "They've broken through the third defensive line!"
"Received!" Rhodes turned, diving toward the left flank. The chest repulsor cannon fired an intense beam of energy, blasting a group of Outriders into fragments.
But more Outriders immediately filled the gap.
"Damn it, just how many of these guys are there?" Rhodescursed through gritted teeth.
"According to satellite estimates, there are at least several million." A calm female voice came over the communication channel; it was Hill's voice. She was coordinating global resistance forces via the Stark satellite network.
"And this is just the vanguard. Thanos's main fleet is still waiting outside lunar orbit."
"Several million..." Rhodes's voice carried a hint of bitterness. "What are we supposed to fight with?"
"With our lives, of course." Another voice cut into the communication channel with a hint of familiar cockiness.
Rhodes was stunned. "Peter? Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be..."
"Supposed to be at work? New York is my home. I can't just watch it get destroyed."
Peter, wearing that red and blue suit, was swinging between the skyscrapers, using webs and webbing to disrupt the Outriders' movements and create opportunities for his comrades on the ground.
His movements were flexible and agile, but everyone could see that he was already very tired.
His suit was covered in damage, and even the webs he shot were becoming thinner and thinner; it was clear that its energy was almost exhausted.
"Hold on, I'm coming!" Another voice arrived.
That was Pietro. Like a silver-white lightning bolt, he wove through the Outriders; with every pause, an Outrider fell.
His speed was extremely fast, so fast that it was almost impossible to catch with the naked eye, but the prolonged high-speed movement also caused his stamina to deplete rapidly. His breathing became ragged, and his forehead was covered in sweat.
"These guys can't be killed off!" Pietro stopped beside Peter, panting heavily. "We have to think of a way!"
"The way is to hold on." A gentle but firm female voice came.
That was Wanda. Her hands were gathering crimson Chaos Magic, her eyes determined and calm.
Behind her was Pepper Potts, wearing the Rescue armor, using the armor's weapon systems to provide covering fire for Wanda.
"Wanda, how much longer can your magic hold out?" Pepper asked.
"Long enough for us to win." Wanda's voice held a hint of determination.
She raised her hands, and crimson energy surged out like a tide, enveloping a group of Outriders, and then she clenched her hand gently.
The bodies of those Outriders were twisted and deformed instantly, as if being kneaded by an invisible giant hand, turning into lumps of bloody remains.
But after unleashing this strike, Wanda's face became noticeably paler, and her body swayed slightly.
"Wanda!" Pepper quickly supported her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Wanda took a deep breath and steadied herself. "Just a little tired."
But Wanda knew that even if she was tired, she couldn't rest; the number of Outriders was simply too high.
Because the defensive line was retreating bit by bit.
From Manhattan to Brooklyn, from Brooklyn to Queens, from Queens to Long Island...
For every kilometer they retreated, countless warriors fell.
Further chapters (up to 304) locked on WTR-LAB. Waiting for it to be unlocked.