176 & 177
Chapter 176: Antecedents
After a long pause, the voice continued, "My master was under immense pressure and had to promise a certain individual that he would not conquer Earth. The great master will never break his word, so we can only act once the other party is no longer a threat."
Thanos:
He regarded this "great master" with a degree of disdain.
It's one thing to avoid breaking a promise, but isn't the purpose of a treaty to be disregarded when convenient?
Yet this great god is too concerned with appearances, secretly backing other agents to engage in underhanded schemes.
Or does this mean that if the promise's recipient is no longer present, the promise becomes void?
To be honest, Thanos held the other party in low regard. But for the sake of his grand ambition, he had no choice but to cooperate.
Thanos' condition became widely known across the galaxy.
Star-Lord and his group were not fighters, but their news had spread quickly. Under their influence, many were aware of Thanos' current plight.
Seriously injured and with Sanctuary II in ruins, the situation arose from Thanos' attempt to exploit Odin's death to initiate Ragnarök.
The galaxy's spectators were thrilled by the drama, with many considering taking advantage of Thanos' situation...
Thor, however, was frustrated with Captain Marvel for destroying the spaceship.
Star-Lord was unfamiliar with Captain Marvel, and the name "Carol" meant nothing to him.
Indeed, few in the galaxy knew of Captain Marvel. She had been stationed on the far side of the universe, several galaxies away, as a peacekeeper for years.
The Kree were aware of her, but they had concealed their dark history, opting to claim that a Starforce member named vers had died in battle rather than reveal the truth.
On Earth, the Avengers learned about these events through Natalia, leading to an excited gathering that night.
In Asgard, Jean placed her hands on Thor's head, and a series of images appeared in Thor's mind—memories from the minds of fallen Asgardian soldiers and Chitauri.
The images were shown from various angles.
Thor saw Thanos sneaking in with a team of elite soldiers, stopping before the golden shield.
Corvus Glaive attempted to breach it with his double-edged spear but failed. He reported to Thanos, "The shield's level is too high to break through by force, and our presence would be detected. If the defenders respond, they could summon the full might of Asgard to repel us."
Thanos nodded, already having anticipated this. He turned and said in a deep voice, "You can open the portal, right?"
A man in a black and green magician's robe stepped forward.
"Yes. But remember, we must still assist you in acquiring the gauntlet and destroying Asgard. You must also destroy the three Sanctuaries on Earth."
As he chanted the spell, a golden portal appeared, gradually expanding, and then—vanished!
The green-robed magician's body convulsed violently.
"What's happening?" Thanos demanded, growing frustrated with the magician's failure to deliver.
Indeed, those from the dark dimension were often unreliable.
"The magical barriers here are extremely strong! I must use the power my master granted me!"
The green-robed man gritted his teeth and began drawing a new portal.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, his face growing pale. "Go now, I can't hold it for long!"
Despite the portal's instability, it worked. Thanos and the Black Order quickly entered, and Thanos immediately spotted the gauntlet adorned with six gem.
Grabbing the gauntlet, he struck it hard, and the six gems shattered instantly.
"Many believed it was a fake. However, a worthless trinket is far from the caliber of items in Odin's Vault."
He slowly donned the gauntlet. "Though it has flaws, it's sufficient for my purpose!"
The gems were mere decorations, but the gauntlet itself, while not as good as authentic Uru gauntlets, was better than the inferior versions studied by Iron Man in the past.
Thanos nodded in satisfaction and commanded, "Since we're here, make sure to leave a mark and teach that arrogant Asgardian a lesson!"
His subordinate understood and approached with a helmet, throwing it into a nearby ball of flames.
"With the eternal flame, you are reborn!"
The helmet began to heat up, and the temperature around it soared...
Surtur, now resurrected, burst through the Golden Hall and breached its defenses. Most of the elite soldiers Thanos brought were either killed or severely injured.
Thanos did not expect that, at this time in Asgard, there would be someone capable of resurrecting the dead and reading minds...
...
Chapter 177: Antecedents
The image in Thor's mind faded, leaving him with a contemplative expression.
"It makes sense now," he said. "No wonder he was able to infiltrate the royal palace's treasury so quietly. He accepted Dormammu's power and was an old acquaintance."
"Who is this magician?" Thor asked.
Strange pondered, "It appears to be a magician from Kamar-Taj, but I don't recall seeing him there recently. Only a few magicians can open such a portal, and even the Sorcerer Supreme, struggles with it. This person is actually Mordo, the Ancient One's chief disciple. He left Kamar-Taj and apparently aligned himself with Dormammu..."
Thor pointed to himself, saying, "And according to this guy's mind, I am the source of all troubles."
Strange shook his head, having underestimated Mordo, and mistakenly viewed him as a fool like Fatty Wang.
Thor suddenly remembered a Marvel series he had seen in his previous life. In that timeline, Strange never delved into the mystic arts, and Mordo became the Sorcerer Supreme after the Ancient One.
It seemed that Mordo wasn't useless, but that Strange was extraordinarily gifted...
In the main square of Kamar-Taj, a group of magicians was training.
In this world, only a few individuals like the legendary ones are truly exceptional. Most magicians are content with their blessings, focusing instead on perfecting their magical training...
There were hundreds of magicians in this square alone, each a significant figure in the mortal realm. It's clear that Kamar-Taj has a formidable background.
Among the Nine Realms, apart from Asgard, Kamar-Taj is arguably the strongest force.
Few would dare to invade Kamar-Taj. Even if Thanos were to target Strange for the Time Gem, moving against Kamar-Taj would be a risky endeavor.
Thor was clearly not on that list.
A bright, colorful flame descended onto the open space in front of the square, accompanied by an overwhelming divine pressure.
The magicians readied their defenses, their magical weapons instantly prepared.
A voice emerged from the light: "Strange, come out!"
The magician group collectively thought, "Let's disperse; this master is not to be trifled with. He won't cause trouble..."
Strange approached and asked, "Is His Highness Thor here for Mordo?"
Thor emerged from the Bifrost with a grim expression. "You really know everything."
Strange invited him into the hall and said calmly, "Mordo chose to leave because he disagreed with the Ancient One's methods."
Thor chuckled, "By the way, the Ancient One's judgment seems questionable. How could he train such a troublesome disciple?"
Strange was noncommittal. "It's a matter of perspective..."
The implication was that Odin's methods were not without flaws, as evidenced by Hela and Loki.
"Anyway, since you knew about the situation, why didn't you warn me? Aren't you afraid that Asgard might truly fall? Or do you think you can face Thanos alone?"
Thor expressed his concerns.
Strange shook his head. "The reality is that Asgard hasn't suffered significant damage yet. If I had warned you earlier, the disaster might have been covered up, becoming a ticking time bomb. I don't have the energy to foresee every outcome, but from what I've observed, this is when the damage is least."
Thor nodded, accepting the explanation.
He understood that Mordo's stubborn nature meant he would likely cause trouble for himself due to dissatisfaction with the Ancient One's leniency.
Given Dormammu's promise, Mordo's first target would naturally be Thor, not Strange. This aligned with Thanos' objectives, as Dormammu dealt with Asgard due to his inability to confront Earth, while Thanos handled Earth because he couldn't defeat Thor.
"And what about Thanos? Why give him the gem? If it weren't for the Time Gem, this conflict would be over. I recall that you and Stark don't get along well?"
Thor was puzzled, as Thanos without the Time Gem would have fallen at Vormir, and Strange would likely have kept the Time Stone...
Strange couldn't help but smile mysteriously. "This war will last longer than you anticipate. Thanos' death won't resolve everything. Compared to a mere stone, Stark's existence holds greater significance."
Thor scoffed, "As long as I'm here, we will win this war."
"Yes," Strange agreed, "But you cannot control the cost of victory."
"But he can."
...