Forge

Zane had publicly declared before everyone that he would protect Asgard for 10 years.

While Thanos' actions towards the dwarves didn't technically violate Zane's promise, it was certainly skirting the line. If word got out and Zane heard about it, he might come early and wipe them out—what then?

After all, even Collector and Grandmaster, who could make Thanos' hair stand on end with just a glance, had personally admitted that even combined, they weren't a match for Zane.

Thanos definitely didn't want to take that risk. Better to be safe than sorry, after all. Caution is the key to longevity! 

Being discreet and laying low was the way to go.

In other words, Thanos, the mighty Purple Titan, was feeling nervous.

But of course, he couldn't admit this in front of his subordinates. That would ruin his reputation as their leader.

The Dwarf King Eitri watched as a particularly prominent ship in Thanos' fleet slowly moved in his direction, and a trace of sorrow flashed in his eyes.

Though the dwarves possessed unparalleled forging skills, their combat strength was generally low. It was as if they were born to be subordinates to a more powerful force, or they wouldn't even be able to survive in the most basic sense.

He turned to a nearby dwarf and said, "Quickly, contact Asgard and tell them to send soldiers to protect us. It is their duty!"

But after giving the order, none of the dwarves around him moved. Instead, they handed Eitri a communicator with a red light flashing. The screen displayed a signal strength of zero, showing that there was no way to contact Asgard.

"We tried reaching Asgard as soon as we saw these unknown ships, but we couldn't get through," one dwarf said nervously. "Eitri, what do we do now? Without Asgard's protection, we're no match for them."

Eitri took a serious look at the communicator before addressing the dwarves, all of whom were now staring at him.

"Don't worry," he said in a calm voice. "Since they haven't attacked us yet, they must want us to forge something for them. As long as we meet their demands, we'll be fine."

"Trust me, everything will be okay."

After finishing, Eitri forced a smile, but the worry in his eyes was unmistakable.

As king, he knew everyone could panic, everyone could show weakness—but not him.

If he lost his composure, the entire dwarf race would be doomed.

Even though his explanation was shaky and his smile was obviously fake, the dwarves, in their simplicity, relaxed. 

In their minds, if their greatest smith, King Eitri, said everything would be alright, then it must be true.

After all, besides their unparalleled forging skills, what else did they have that anyone would want?

With that thought, the dwarves all calmed down, waiting for the arrival of their uninvited guests.

Only Eitri, without showing any emotion, discreetly touched his chest where he kept a communicator. He wasn't sure if he could reach Zane with the signal blocked.

But even if he could, he wouldn't use it unless absolutely necessary.

An opportunity to have someone like Zane intervene was too rare and precious to squander. 

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that the worth of an entire advanced civilization might not compare to the value of the small communicator in his pocket.

As Eitri pondered, Thanos' warship loomed overhead…

The shadow of the warship loomed over the entire dwarf kingdom.

Next, Thanos, the mighty "Purple Titan," descended slowly before the Dwarf King Eitri, along with his subordinates, under the tractor beam.

Without looking at Eitri first, Thanos fixed his gaze on the distant, radiant Star Forge, shimmering with its multicolored halo.

Eitri glanced at Thanos, about to speak, but Ebony Maw, standing behind Thanos, used telekinetic power to seal his mouth shut. Maw gestured for silence, indicating that Eitri should not interrupt Thanos' moment of admiration.

"The whole universe claims that your dwarven race is the most skilled in forging. Let's see if that's true," Thanos finally said after finishing his gaze at the magnificent forge. Then, he turned to Eitri.

At that moment, Ebony Maw released Eitri's mouth. Eitri coughed a few times, glanced fearfully at the hideous Maw behind Thanos, and then took a deep breath. Clenching his fists, he stepped forward a couple of steps and respectfully bowed slightly.

"Honorable Titan, thank you for your praise. We are merely humble blacksmiths," Eitri said. "What might you need from us?"

Thanos stared at Eitri for a few moments, long enough for sweat to trickle down the Dwarf King's brow, before he slowly replied, "You're clever. I enjoy speaking with clever people. Let's skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point."

"I need your dwarves to forge me a device capable of harnessing the energy of the Infinity Stones."

With that, Thanos smiled and waited for Eitri's response.

Upon hearing this, Eitri's pupils shrank. After a long pause, he raised his head and hesitantly asked, "May I ask, what do you intend to use it for?"

As the Dwarf King, Eitri knew of the Infinity Stones and their boundless power. Given Thanos' notorious philosophy of "killing half, saving half," to prevent over-population from destroying the universe, coupled with his request for such a device, a dark premonition crept into Eitri's mind.

Thanos didn't answer Eitri's question. Instead, he smiled brightly, raised his right hand, and waved it.

Suddenly, thousands of heavily armed soldiers poured out from the hovering warships above, landing on the fourth ring of the dwarven kingdom, forming a massive encirclement. The remaining dwarves found themselves staring down the barrels of the soldiers' weapons.

In the distance, the numerous warships began to glow with eerie blue light.

Every dwarf, including Eitri, stood stunned at the sight.

Holy crap, was this necessary? Are they planning to wipe us out?

As panic set in among the dwarves, Thanos calmly swept his gaze over them before locking eyes with Eitri and speaking in a low voice:

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