Loyalty

Zane smiled and said, "Don't be afraid, go ahead and eat. If any of those guys scold you, I'll beat them up. Don't worry, they can't take me."

As he spoke, he pointed at the adults still kneeling nearby. Instantly, the innocent children cheered and dove into the pile of food, devouring it hungrily. Despite their rough and wild way of eating, Zane couldn't help but find their chubby little faces and joyous smiles strangely cute.

Seeing Zane's actions, the Dwarven King, Eitri, became even more resolute in his decision.

"Lord Zane, I, Eitri, on behalf of the entire Dwarven race, humbly request to join you and serve you for life," Eitri suddenly declared loudly.

This caused a stir among the Dwarves behind him. However, after glancing at the children feasting on the pile of food, they all lowered their heads again, silently agreeing with their leader's words.

Zane was a bit surprised by Eitri's offer. While he had always admired the Dwarves' forging skills, he hadn't expected Eitri to pledge loyalty so suddenly.

"Aren't you an ally of Asgard? Is it really okay to pledge allegiance to me now?" Zane asked curiously, his gaze fixed on Eitri.

"Our contract with Asgard was based on their protection in exchange for our crafting of powerful weapons," Eitri explained. "When Thanos attacked, Asgard failed to fulfill their duty. The contract is now null and void. We Dwarves are free."

Seeing the serious expression on Eitri's face, Zane's smile faded as well, and he became more formal.

"I, Zane Sy, God of Death, accept the loyalty of the Dwarven race. From now on, I shall protect the Dwarves from any external threats," Zane declared solemnly.

A look of joy spread across Eitri's face, but then he seemed to remember something important. Just as he stood up, he knelt back down again.

"My lord, I have a request to make of you," Eitri said, now addressing Zane as his master.

"What is it? Stand up and speak. I don't go for all this kneeling," Zane replied, feeling a headache coming on as Eitri kept banging his head on the floor. It reminded Zane of how stubborn Bastis had been when she was first created.

But Eitri didn't rise, hesitating for a moment before saying, "The former King of Asgard, Odin, once tasked us with forging the Stormbreaker for Thor. The materials are all prepared now. I'd like to finish this last weapon for Asgard, as a final gesture to close out our millennia-long alliance. I humbly ask for your approval."

"Alright, alright, I agree. Stop kneeling for every little thing—aren't you tired of it?" Zane waved his hand dismissively at Eitri's request.

In truth, Zane wasn't worried about Thor at all. Even if Thor wielded the Stormbreaker, he still wouldn't be a match for Zane.

Hearing Zane's approval, Eitri stood up with a silly grin, as did the Dwarves behind him, smiling goofily at Zane.

"Alright, take your time to recover here. When the Stormbreaker is finished, contact me, and I'll arrange something for you all. I have urgent matters to attend to, so I'll be off now." As he spoke, Zane pulled a new communicator from his treasury and tossed it to Eitri.

After bidding them farewell, he instantly teleported back to the mechanical planet.

Though Zane had killed Thanos and gained the loyalty of the Dwarves in one trip, it had only taken him about half an hour.

When Zane returned, Gamora had just finished inputting all the coordinates, marking the location of the Soul Stone on the star map.

Boom...

The massive mechanical planet sailed through the endless expanse of space. Inside, the star map slowly rotated, clouds dispersed, revealing a blinking light—the exact coordinates of the Soul Stone on Vormir, marked by Gamora.

After finishing off Thanos' team and receiving the Dwarven race's allegiance, Zane returned to the mechanical planet where everyone was.

'It seems this love story between the human and the alien is more intense than I imagined... 'Zane thought to himself as he observed Gamora.

"But then again, Star-Lord isn't really a pure human anymore. He's got some of his father Ego's carefree nature."

Zane had returned to find Gamora, her green skin showing her mixed emotions—both anxious and cautious—standing over Star-Lord's body, preserved in a nitrogen-sealed pod. Zane couldn't help but reflect on the situation.

"Groot! Stop messing around!" Rocket, who was sitting in the pilot's seat, yelled, his fur standing on end. His hands gripped the controls tightly as he glanced back at Groot, who had just withdrawn his vine-like arms from the console.

Ever since Groot fused with the remnant of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, he had become even more restless, his miniature form constantly fiddling with everything around him like a hyperactive child.

"I am Groot..." The tiny Groot, hearing Rocket's scolding, immediately quieted down. He sat there looking dejected, nervously tapping his fingers together in a sulky manner.

"Ugh, playing cute is the worst! Whatever…" Rocket grumbled, his tough demeanor softening. He pulled out a handheld gaming console from beneath his seat and tossed it to Groot. "If you're a real man, beat all 100 levels."

"I am Groot!" Groot exclaimed with excitement, grabbing the console. A sly glint flashed in his eyes as his body began to squirm with renewed energy. In an instant, dozens of tiny vine fingers sprouted from his palms, gripping all the controls as he wildly mashed the buttons.

"I am Groot! Grooooot!"

Zane glanced sympathetically at the console in Groot's hands. Fortunately, it was a galactic-grade product, sturdy enough to withstand Groot's abuse—for now, at least.

"At this rate, this little Groot might end up like the rebellious teenager from the original story," Zane mused, losing interest in the scene and turning his attention to the others in the cabin.

Unlike Bone and Skynet, who were busy managing the ship's logistics, Lorna and Bastis had gone down to the lower level of the ship, to the combat room, after hearing that Zane had safely returned.

The combat room, located at the bottom of the mechanical planet, spanned an entire floor and was exceptionally spacious. An invisible energy shield surrounded the area, occasionally sparking with flashes of light to contain the energy and prevent damage to the ship.

"You foolish woman, it seems you've grown quite a bit since leaving the master's side," Bastis, now in the form of a sleek, black panther of ordinary size, said confidently. Her body moved with a graceful, effortless speed, and his eyes gleamed with arrogance as she stared down Lorna.

"So from now on, the master's embrace is mine!"

Whoosh!

With that, Bastis's body coiled like a spring, launching her forward with a powerful leap, aimed directly at Lorna, stirring up a fierce gust of wind.

Clang!

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