CHAPTER 48

It was difficult for Rhodes to imagine that these dwarves, who couldn't even keep their surroundings tidy, could create such exquisite and intricate equipment – it was simply unbelievable.

Yet, these very dwarves were responsible for crafting Thanos's Infinity Gauntlet, capable of harnessing the power of six Infinity Gems. The gloves that could wield the might of six Infinity Gems were truly a miraculous creation.

Even with Rhodes' current level of strength, he couldn't fathom the underlying principles of the Infinity Gauntlet's workings. This highlighted the extraordinary craftsmanship of the dwarves.

The buildings in the entire dwarf kingdom seemed like haphazardly stacked stones, devoid of aesthetics. In stark contrast to the orderly realms of Asgard and Vanaheim, the dwarves' kingdom appeared almost primitive.

Their constructions lacked any semblance of artistry, and even the dwarves themselves couldn't predict when their homes might collapse. If one did collapse, building another out of soil was their solution.

Upon arriving in the dwarf world, Rhodes initially planned to follow the same approach he used in the Vanir Temple: posing as a soldier, saluting the leader, and then having them recognize Hela as the God King. However, as he observed the incredibly busy dwarves scurrying about, he had a moment of doubt.

Dwarves were magical creatures, and they couldn't be conquered by force as the Vanir gods had been. Subduing a stubborn group of dwarves would be as challenging as collapsing an entire world with a single punch, easier than killing them all.

The saying in the Nine Realms held true: nothing could change a dwarf's mind; they were as unyielding as stones. Rhodes' goal was to have the Nine Realms acknowledge Hela as the God King, not to annihilate them.

Rhodes decided to seek an alternative approach.

He asked a drunken dwarf, "Excuse me, do you know where your leader is?"

The inebriated dwarf, with a wine-soaked beard, seemed confused. "Huh? You, sir, are you from the Vanaheim... or wait, you appear to be from Asgard, right?"

"Yes."

Rhodes realized he might not have chosen the best person to ask, given the dwarf's inebriated state.

"You should head to the Yatuo Mine and find Master Blacksmith Dori if you need to forge useful armor or weapons."

"But be warned, Master Dori has a rather foul temper. If you're lucky, he might agree to forge for you. If you're not, I suggest you don't pester him, or he might just bash your head in with his blacksmith hammer."

Rhodes didn't expect to get useful information from this intoxicated dwarf.

"Thank you."

"Hey, brother, want to share a drink?"

Rhodes completely ignored the dwarves, who seemed ready to drink at any moment.

He rushed toward the Yatuo Mine, following the directions given by the intoxicated dwarf.

The Yatuo Mine was some distance from the Dwarf Kingdom, but for Rhodes, reaching it was a simple matter with his teleportation abilities.

Upon reaching the Yatuo Mine, Rhodes noticed a large number of dwarves diligently mining ore. These dwarves worked hard to transport the stones they extracted to the base of the mountain, where a massive smelting furnace awaited. It was there that they refined the metal elements extracted from the stones.

The entire Yatuo Mine was rich in metal resources, and the dwarves' expertise allowed them to create refined iron and rare materials such as mithril and secret gold—materials cherished by wizards for crafting staves and protective armor.

In the depths of the Yatuo Mine, a smelting plant was nestled under a crater. Dwarf Master Blacksmith Dori was hard at work there.

Rhodes followed the path to reach this enormous smelting plant. It appeared that Dori was wholly engrossed in his work.

This vast smelting facility was constructed within a massive volcanic cavern. Dozens of imposing high-tech melting furnaces occupied the space, their blue flames blazing as they worked on intricate substances. The dwarves were seemingly fanatical about their craft.

A nearby dwarf pointed towards a figure buried amidst blueprints, constantly muttering to himself.

"That's Master Blacksmith Dori."

Rhodes gazed upon Dori, dwarf forging master, who appeared somewhat deranged. His wrinkled white hair resembled a fiery cloud, and his beard seemed like a tangled mess, knotted and nearly inseparable unless he decided to shear it all off.

For a male dwarf, shaving one's beard was the ultimate insult. Most dwarves grew their beards to chest length or even the height of their bodies.

Master Blacksmith Dori's clothing was grimy and starch-covered, the black parts shining as if they could reflect light in the furnace's fiery glow.

Rhodes took a deep breath and approached him.

"Hello, you must be Dori, the master dwarf blacksmith."

However, Dori hardly paid any attention to Rhodes, as if he were invisible, muttering to himself about materials and casting.

"This material isn't sufficient. Its melting point is too low, unsuitable for a perfect cast."

"Damn it, where can I find such high-quality material? Without it, we can't achieve the supreme glory of the dwarves. What should we do?"

Rhodes felt irritated by Dori's apparent obliviousness.

He unleashed his aura and pressed it against Dori. With an abrupt move, he punched Dori squarely in the face. In response, Dori retrieved his blacksmith's hammer, as tall as himself, and hurled it at Rhodes.

A dwarf forging master's hammer, crafted from meteoric iron from outer space, possessed immense weight. Even giants would struggle to wield such a weapon.

Rhodes and Dori collided: Rhodes' fist against Dori's blacksmith's hammer. The impact sent Dori's hammer flying, along with the dwarf himself, smashing against a distant mountainside.

The entire Yatuo Mine trembled, and nearly half of Dori's body embedded itself in the stone wall. His once-formidable hammer lay in shattered pieces on the ground.

It took considerable effort for Dori to free his head from the stone wall. He spat out sand from his mouth, and his already unkempt appearance now appeared even more disheveled.

Rhodes gazed at Dori with a sneer.

"What? Do you wish to continue? I'm prepared to see this through."

Dori, disheveled and seemingly injured, stared back at Rhodes with a mix of fear and curiosity.

"Who are you? Your power is extraordinary, capable of challenging us dwarves."

"I am Rhodes, of the Asgard."

The mention of Rhodes's name left Dori in shock. Dori had heard tales of this name circulating throughout the Nine Realms – he was known as the most powerful warrior in Asgard.

Rhodes recalled Dori's earlier musings and inquired further.

"I overheard you talking about needing materials. I might be able to help if you recognize Hela as the God King."

Rhodes chose to use materials as leverage to win over the stubborn dwarves, an approach simpler than brute force.

Dori eyed Rhodes warily.

"Can you truly provide the materials I seek?"

"Tell me what you need, and as long as it exists within this universe, I can acquire it for you."

Dori's eyes lit up.

"I need a star core, can you procure one?"

"If I can obtain a star core for you, not only will I ensure Hela's recognition as the God King, but the dwarves can pledge allegiance to her. You, the people of Asgard, will have full access to our dwarf kingdom's resources."

Dori's quick agreement eased Rhodes's mind. Obtaining a star core was much simpler than conquering the dwarves by force.

"Very well, once I retrieve the star core, will you hold true to your word?"

"We dwarves never go back on our promises; it's an insult to the God of Forging."

"Excellent."

Rhodes closed his eyes and extended his divine senses to survey nearby stars in the Nine Realms. He located a star without any apparent owner.

Rhodes used his divine senses to draw this unclaimed star toward the dwarf kingdom. Gravitational forces between the stars initiated an attraction.

Many dwarves mining ores soon realized that the weight of the ores in their hands was diminishing, and the once-bright sky above began to darken.

Their gaze upward revealed a colossal celestial body hurtling toward them.

The sight was so terrifying that it drove some dwarves to sit in shock, believing the end was nigh.

"Help! The star is approaching, the world's about to end! Run!"

Panic erupted among the dwarves in the entire dwarf kingdom.

As two similarly sized stars gravitated toward each other, their atmospheres tugged and interacted.

Rhodes understood that the moment was at hand. He began compressing the unclaimed star using his divine powers.

Each time Rhodes compressed it, the star visibly reduced in size, averting the impending collision.

A star that had been colossal was compressed into a basketball-sized sphere by Rhodes, then swiftly transported from outer space to the Yatuo Mine.

By compressing the entire star, Rhodes had managed to cease the attraction between the two stars instantly.

This sudden change in attraction sent a multitude of ores previously suspended above the dwarves crashing onto their heads and faces, resulting in a chaotic scene.

In mere moments, countless dwarves were pelted by the falling ore, and their cries of alarm filled the Yatuo Mine.

Finally, the star core, compressed by Rhodes from the entire star's material, appeared in Rhodes' hands.

Dori and the dwarves stared in awe at the blue star core. In the past, dwarves had once extracted a star core by tunneling into a smaller star, a process that took hundreds of thousands of years.

The star core they had obtained then paled in comparison to the one Rhodes had created through the compression of an entire star.

The entire Yatuo Mine was abuzz with wonder, and even the dwarf forging master Dori couldn't help displaying a look of absolute astonishment and desire in his eyes.

Rhodes deliberately presented the star core in his hand.

"Master Dori, what do you think of this star core? It's compressed from an entire star, equal in size to the dwarf world itself, and it's ten thousand times superior to the star obtained by delving into the center of the Earth."