When Lucci and Eitri left the treasury, they noticed the entire atmosphere of Nidavellir had become oppressively heavy.
News of Thanos's arrival spread rapidly among the dwarven craftsmen, like an invisible plague.
Countless sturdy dwarves now resembled a flock of lost lambs, their faces etched with anxiety and fear.
They set aside their hammers, stopped the roaring forges, gathered in twos and threes, and spoke in low voices—worry clear on every face.
Nidavellir was their homeland, their roots.
But the mere thought of a legendary, insane giant who could destroy entire civilizations brought a bone-deep sense of helplessness.
"Everyone, quiet!"
At that moment, King Eitri of the dwarves stepped onto the high dais in the center of the workshop.
His booming voice, amplified by runes, spread throughout the entire stellar ring.
Every dwarf looked up at their king, hoping for a thread of hope from his mouth, yet fearing an order to evacuate.
Looking at his anxious people, Eitri took a deep breath and declared in an unprecedentedly proud and passionate tone:
"My people! Lift your heads and hold your chests high!"
"Fear and despair are not the hallmarks of Nidavellir's children! For we have a true patron saint—Prince Lucci!"
A commotion broke out in the square, as everyone recalled the scene of Lucci forging Path Flame.
Yet, except for the dwarf craftsmen who had visited Asgard with Eitri, most did not know Lucci's true strength.
Moreover, Prince Lucci could not remain in Nidavellir forever, and against an enemy like Thanos, any oversight could lead to disaster.
Eitri gave them no time to dwell on it and resolutely declared the decision that would change Nidavellir's fate:
"Prince Lucci has decided to stand with us! He will personally build the supreme net called the 'MagicNet' above our Nidavellir's sky dome!"
"This net will protect every corner of our land and detect any threat!
As long as the MagicNet exists, Prince Lucci's mighty power will manifest instantly—to shatter any enemy who dares invade our home!"
"From this moment on, Nidavellir will always be under the protection of Prince Lucci! There is no need to fear threats any longer!"
Eitri's voice was sonorous and powerful, each word striking the heart of every dwarf like a heavy hammer!
After a brief silence—
"What? Is it true or fake? Does Prince Lucci really have such ability?"
The dwarves, unfamiliar with Lucci's strength, asked in astonishment.
"What do you know?"
The craftsmen who had gone to Asgard quickly recounted some of the heaven-shaking feats they had witnessed and heard about Lucci there:
Defeating Thor with a single finger, subduing the Three Warriors of Asgard in three moves, drawing power from Yggdrasil,
and creating the 'Dimensional Ascension Formula' that benefited all of Asgard…
Soon, all of Nidavellir was swept up in a sea of excitement.
Cheers erupted like a volcanic eruption, as if overturning the entire stellar ring!
"Hooray for Prince Lucci!"
"We're saved! Nidavellir is saved!"
Countless dwarven craftsmen wept with joy, waving their arms and holding their hammers and wrenches high,
roaring with all their might—releasing the ecstasy of being pulled from the abyss of despair to the pinnacle of hope in an instant.
Soon, the sound of hammers rang out again, but now not for forging, but for celebration!
The dwarves rhythmically struck anvils and steel plates around them, playing a grand and deafening "Symphony of Steel"!
These cheers and hammer strikes shook all of Nidavellir like a storm.
Every dwarf who heard the news was swept up in a sea of excitement—
Prince Lucci was more powerful than even the legendary gods.
With the MagicNet in place, Nidavellir would have an unfailing insurance policy!
No need to live in fear of Thanos anymore!
Watching the joyous Nidavellir, Lucci smiled indifferently.
He nodded to Eitri, then immediately flew toward Nidavellir's core—the neutron star wrapped in the stellar ring.
It was the source of all of Nidavellir's power, and the perfect anchor point for the MagicNet.
Suspended above the neutron star furnace, Lucci felt the terrifying gravity and energy radiating from the dense star—enough to distort space and time.
He extended his right hand, deep in thought.
Buzz—
A long sword of simple form, swirling with the scenes of life and death in the universe, appeared in his grip from the void.
It was the Path Flame Sword!
"In my name, across space and time, I command the creation of the MagicNet!"
Lucci poured the perception of law into the Path Flame Sword in his hand.
The sword emitted a clear chime, its tip pointing directly at the neutron star core below!
"Awaken!"
Lucci called softly.
Using the Path Flame Sword as the core, billions of threads thinner than a spider's silk burst forth, imbued with the power of law!
Some threads merged into space, some wrapped around time, some connected energy veins—
They intertwined and connected, surpassing three-dimensional logic!
Lucci's will was the chief architect of this network.
With a single thought, a vast net appeared above Nidavellir and began to spread outward.
He willed again, and through mastery of spatial law, an invisible channel instantly opened,
connecting precisely with the MagicNet on Earth!
In that moment, the breath of the two nets resonated and fused into one!
But this was only the beginning.
Lucci's gaze seemed to pierce the endless void, seeing Asgard, Vanaheim, and even Loki's homeland, Jotunheim…
"In the future, this net will cover all Nine Realms."
"Perhaps… the entire galaxy, even the universe."
Lucci had a goal.
For one who controlled the laws of space, distance was never an obstacle.
What he wanted to build was a domain of order, completely under his dominion!
As his thoughts turned, the net centered on the neutron star furnace rapidly expanded…
In the end, an immense network, invisible to the naked eye but real, covered the entire stellar formation of Nidavellir.
At the moment the net was completed, the dwarves—who had been cheering—felt a warm power descend from the sky, gently brushing their bodies,
filling them with a sense of security like never before.
They looked up and saw nothing, but were certain: from this moment on, their heaven had changed.
…
Amidst the brilliance of Nidavellir's ring, in the intangible starry sky of space,
the space was suddenly and violently torn apart by an invisible giant hand.
It was no ordinary jump point, but a temporary wormhole filled with chaotic, violent energy.
The edge flickered with ominous bluish-purple arcs, and inside twisted a chaotic scene as if leading to the abyss of hell.
The next instant, swarms of ugly, grasshopper-like attack ships of cold metal poured out!
They were the Chitauri fleet.
Each warship exuded a cold, uniform atmosphere of slaughter—designed for nothing but pure, efficient war and destruction.
Thousands of warships quickly filled the starfield, encircling Nidavellir's lonely, majestic ring like a pack of wolves trapping their prey.
At the center of the fleet was a flagship several times larger and older than the others—an elite among elites.
On the dim bridge, a tall, thin figure stood quietly before the viewport, holding a matchless blade of war,
gazing at the distant, softly glowing stellar ring.
This was the sharpest blade under Thanos, the leader of the five Black Order generals—Corvus Glaive.
His eyes were hawk-like, burning with an insatiable desire for conquest and slaughter.
The blade in his hand seemed almost alive, emitting a low, eager cry to drink blood.
"General."
A Chitauri commander approached, bowing respectfully.
"We have arrived at the target coordinates. Should we first send stealth scout ships to conduct detailed reconnaissance of Nidavellir?"
Corvus Glaive did not turn, his eyes still fixed on the magnificent creation, his lips curled in a sneer of utter contempt.
"Reconnaissance?"
His voice was hoarse and cold, full of scorn for such cautious tactics.
"Do we need reconnaissance to deal with a bunch of hammer-wielding craftsmen?"
He slowly turned, his cold gaze sweeping over the Chitauri commander, making the latter shiver involuntarily.
"Listen, lord Thanos's will is efficiency and destruction.
Our mission is not to play hide-and-seek with them."
Corvus Glaive raised his ugly blade, pointing at Nidavellir.
"Transmit the order: Full fleet, advance at maximum speed! Nidavellir is ours!"
"I want those dwarves to feel lord Thanos's absolute majesty for the first time!"
He paused, a cruel joke at his lips. "So, let's give them a little demonstration first."
"If they are obedient and willing to devote everything to my lord, as a reward, we'll leave half their population alive."
"But if…"—Corvus Glaive's voice suddenly turned cold and sharp, his murderous intent filling the bridge—
"If they show the slightest defiance or hesitation, we'll take all of Nidavellir and the universe with it!"
"No one will be left alive!"
"Yes, General!"
The Chitauri commander dared not question, immediately accepting the order and departing.
Soon, the engines of the massive Chitauri fleet roared to life, surging toward Nidavellir like a shadow of death covering the sky.
To them, the great miracle wrought by dwarven wisdom was nothing but a giant craftsmen's furnace.
…
Meanwhile, at the end of the Rainbow Bridge in Asgard—
Heimdall stood motionless at the center of the observatory, like an eternal statue.
His eyes, which saw through all Nine Realms, were now fixed on Nidavellir.
Moments ago, he had been astonished to witness the "MagicNet" covering the whole of Nidavellir.
But at this instant, he sensed a spatial disturbance filled with tyranny and destruction.
Heimdall's gaze shifted, and suddenly his pupils constricted!
He saw the wormhole ripping through space, the Chitauri army like a swarm of locusts,
and Corvus Glaive—standing on the flagship, holding his battle blade, exuding the breath of death!
"Not good!"
Heimdall felt a chill in his heart.
He knew that figure—Thanos's most notorious executioner!
And their target was Nidavellir, where Lucci was!
Without hesitation, Heimdall instantly split a part of his consciousness, linking it with Odin's.
His heavy, anxious voice echoed directly in Odin's mind:
[All-Father! An emergency has arisen in Nidavellir! Thanos's army has appeared!]
In the Hall, where Odin had been meditating with his eyes closed, feeling the flow of cosmic energy,
his single eye suddenly snapped open!
A moment later, an abyssal aura burst forth from him, making the entire magnificent palace tremble.
"What?"
Odin rose from his throne, and the Eternal Spear in his hand gave a low hum, resonating with his turbulent mood.
"Heimdall, clarify! Is it Thanos himself? Where is it?"
[Not Thanos himself, but the core of his power!]
Heimdall's voice conveyed everything he had seen.
[It's the leader of his five Black Order generals—Corvus Glaive! He has led the Chitauri army to Nidavellir and appears ready to attack!]
At the words "Black Order" and "Nidavellir," Odin's face turned instantly grave.
He knew the prophecy Lucci had made was coming true.
[But please rest assured, All Father. Prince Lucci is currently in Nidavellir.]
Yet, instead of easing Odin's worries, this sentence made his expression even more somber.
His single eye gleamed with unprecedented concern.
Standing beside the throne, Thor instantly sensed his father's change in mood.
He asked, puzzled, "Father, what's wrong?"
Odin glanced at Thor and relayed Heimdall's report.
Hearing this, Thor's face betrayed his displeasure.
"Don't worry, Father. Didn't you say Lucci is there? I'd really like to see what kind of Black Order would dare appear before him."
In Thor's view, Lucci's power had reached an incredible height—he could destroy even the Dark Elf King with a snap of his fingers.
"Thor, you don't understand."
Odin shook his head slowly, his voice low and serious.
"No one under Thanos can be underestimated—especially… Corvus Glaive."
"What do you mean? Is this general really that strong?" Thor was puzzled.
"But even thousands of soldiers are just dogs before Lucci."
"It's not as simple as you think," Odin's gaze deepened.
"The five Black Order generals under Thanos are monsters chosen from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, each reaching the pinnacle in their domain.
And Corvus Glaive is their leader—Thanos's most trusted and deadly knife."
"Before being subdued by Thanos, Corvus Glaive was the ruler of a powerful intergalactic civilization,
whose courage and brutality shook surrounding galaxies. The key point is…"
Odin's tone became especially heavy.
"He is one of the very few who dared challenge Thanos head-on and did not die on the spot."
"What?"
Thor's free hand froze, his whole body stiffened. "He challenged Thanos? That mad titan who even you fear?"
Odin nodded.
"That battle ended in Corvus Glaive's catastrophic defeat and surrender, but he fought with a life-bound immortal sword and clung to life… for a long time.
Thor, understand this: being able to fight Thanos head-on means his combat skills and strength are among the very top in the universe.
Even for me, defeating him was never easy."
Thor was utterly stunned, speechless.
Only now did he understand why his father was so worried.
A being who could fight Thanos head-on… Just how strong was such a man?
"Father… then what do we do? Should we go to Nidavellir to support Lucci?"
Thor frowned, worry in his voice.
….