Ch: 326-335
Chapter 326 The Undercurrent
Crimson liquid metal poured out from the enormous furnace, flowing into a square mold placed on the ground.
Before long, all the liquid metal had entered the square mold, which glowed faintly red from the heat of the metal.
Eitri, wearing tattered gloves, lifted the mold from the ground. He first placed it on his workbench, then sprayed it with a special liquid to lower its temperature and further improve the quality of the finished product.
As the mold slowly cooled, Eitri used a set of professional tools nearby to carefully dismantle it, revealing the metal axe head inside, which had solidified but still glowed faintly red.
He then picked up a pre-prepared axe handle nearby and perfectly fused the axe head and handle together.
For the handle of Stormbreaker, Eitri had prepared a special kind of wood. This wood came from a planet called Elken, a lifeless world except for its trees.
On Planet Elken, only trees existed; all other life forms had gradually become their nutrients over the long course of history.
It could be said that this wood was extremely aggressive and invasive; aside from its inability to move, it was practically a natural warrior.
As long as you entered their attack range, trespassed into their territory, no matter what species you were, you would inevitably be strangled to death.
From their habits and characteristics, it was clear that this kind of wood was very rare. After all, obtaining its branches was an extremely dangerous endeavor, so even on the Dwarves' planet, the stock of Elken wood was not very large.
If it weren't for crafting an axe for Thor this time, Eitri would not have used it. Only this kind of extremely aggressive and incredibly hard wood could be used for Stormbreaker's handle.
If Meng Xiang were to see this scene, he would surely wonder why Stormbreaker's axe head had changed material, and why it wasn't Groot's arm.
Setting aside where Groot currently was, using Groot's arm as the axe handle in the movie could only be described as a matter of pure coincidence.
Moreover, that handle merely made Stormbreaker a product; it did not enhance the axe head's capabilities in any way.
According to the complete blueprints and design, the full version of Stormbreaker would be even more powerful than what was shown in the movie in his previous life.
After Eitri's assembly and adjustments, Stormbreaker was finally complete.
The broad axe blade emitted a cold light, its sharpness self-evident, while the plain brown axe handle, though unadorned, concealed a restrained sharpness within.
Now, Stormbreaker was ready to go, just waiting for Thor to activate it with lightning. Only after full activation could its true power be completely displayed.
Eitri gazed at the completed Stormbreaker with great affection; he was extremely happy and excited to have perfectly forged this weapon.
Just as Eitri was marveling at his craftsmanship, a Dwarf suddenly rushed into his workshop and reported anxiously to him.
"Your Majesty, many spaceships have suddenly appeared outside our ring station; they have completely surrounded us."
Hearing the Dwarf's report, Eitri was pulled from the joy of forging the weapon and hastily put down the axe, rushing outside.
When he arrived outside the ring station, he finally understood the situation the Dwarf who came to find him was describing.
He saw countless black cosmic warships completely encircling the enormous ring station where the Dwarves resided.
At the forefront, two massive arc-shaped warships were slowly approaching them, and the dense array of cannons and weapons on the warships made Eitri feel a surge of unease.
He could now hear countless ugly soldiers and beasts roaring and screaming from the warships surrounding the ring station.
Seeing this, Eitri grew tense. He quickly instructed a nearby Dwarf, "Quickly go to the communications room and send an emergency signal to Asgard! Tell them we are surrounded by an unknown force and need assistance!"
The nearby Dwarf, hearing Eitri's command, quickly turned and ran towards the communications room.
The two large circular warships at the front of the ring station had now slowly come to a halt, and several figures descended from them onto the ring station with a flash of light.
The leader was a scrawny alien. He looked gaunt and emaciated, his ugly face covered in wrinkles, and although he had some white hair on his head, it wasn't much, appearing neither bald nor abundant.
Although he wore an exquisite combat suit, paired with his gray skin, his overall appearance seemed somewhat strange and out of place.
Behind him stood several others, all humanoid but oddly shaped aliens. Among them, one had a physique like Hulk, resembling a small giant, clearly a mindless thug.
After landing on the ring station, the gaunt, ugly alien looked at Eitri in the distance and said loudly, "King of Nidavellir, I am Ebony Maw, sent by the great Thanos, to have you forge something for him."
Eitri, in the distance, heard Ebony Maw's self-introduction and inwardly felt a bad premonition.
As the King of the Dwarves, he had, of course, heard of Thanos's name; he was a notorious brute in the cosmos.
Thanos commanded countless bloodthirsty and fanatical armies, and wherever they went, they annihilated half of all life.
These deeds had long been widely circulated throughout the universe, and Eitri was perfectly aware of them. So, when he heard that the newcomer was Thanos's subordinate and wanted him to forge something for him, Eitri's heart sank.
Just as he was frantically thinking about how to respond, the Dwarf he had just sent to warn Asgardnow ran back to him, his face filled with urgency.
"Your Majesty, our external communication hub has been blown to pieces by one of their cannons, and even the people stationed there are severely injured."
"The signal for help to Asgard hasn't even been sent out yet. What do we do now?"
Hearing the Dwarf's report, Eitri's heart sank to rock bottom. The worst-case scenario had occurred; facing enemies as numerous as a tide, the Dwarves were now completely isolated and helpless.
Ebony Maw, not far away, also heard the Dwarf's report to Eitri.
He let out a few unpleasant laughs, then said to Eitri, "Give up struggling; you are already surrounded. It is your honor to forge something for the great Thanos."
"Even you lowly ants can contribute your strength to the harmony and stability of this universe. You should be very proud of this."
Chapter 327 Awkward Situation
After recounting the plight of Eitri and the other Dwarves, Ebony Maw then sternly threatened them, "If you complete this item as I've instructed, you will continue to live in this universe."
"But if you dare to refuse the demands of Lord Thanos, then you will be erased from the entire universe today."
"Do not overestimate your own strength, and do not underestimate our capabilities. To dream of resistance is foolish; only obedience is your best choice."
Although Ebony Maw threatened the Dwarves in this way, in reality, even if Eitri forged the item Thanos desired, he would not spare these Dwarves.
No matter who it was, as long as Lord Thanos's army captured a race, that race could only obey Lord Thanos's arrangements and undergo a random culling.
Only the lucky half would survive; the remaining half would be slaughtered, and the Dwarves would be no exception.
This was Ebony Maw's plan; his current words were all to ensure that these Dwarves would put their heart and soul into forging the item Lord Thanos demanded.
Once the item was created, the lives of these Dwarves would be entirely in their hands.
Hearing Ebony Maw's warning, Eitri's heart was filled with rage, but at this moment, he had no other option and could only grit his teeth and endure.
He wanted to pull out the hidden communicator to send a distress signal to the Ghost, but Ebony Maw's gaze was fixed on him like a nail, and he dared not make the slightest move.
Eitri could not gamble with the signal emitter the Ghost had left him, because if Ebony Maw discovered it, that last glimmer of hope would be mercilessly extinguished, and the Dwarven race would face utter annihilation.
Thinking of this, Eitri could only suppress his anger and wait for the right moment.
Until that moment arrived, he could only comply with Ebony Maw's demands to buy time.
"What do you want me to make for you?" Eitri asked coldly, looking at the ugly Ebony Maw.
"I can help you make what you want, but the premise is that you must not harm my people."
"If you cannot guarantee that, then you can kill me, but I will never help you make what you want."
Hearing Eitri's words, Ebony Maw nodded and said, "Of course, we will not harm your people, as long as you can make what Lord Thanos desires."
"However, if you dare to deceive us, to create a defective product to trick us and trick Lord Thanos, then you must be prepared for the consequences."
"Lord Thanos hates deceit the most; those who deceive him have only one fate, and that is death."
At this point, Ebony Maw's gaze swept coldly over the Dwarves on the Star Ring, then he said to Eitri, "As a king, I believe you should know what is the best choice for you and your people."
"Do not attempt to challenge us, and do not harbor any illusions of fooling us, because the outcome is something you cannot bear and would not wish to bear."
Eitri could only nod at Ebony Maw's threats and say, "I know, I will do as you ask."
"Now tell me, what do you want me to make?"
Ebony Maw nodded in satisfaction after hearing Eitri's submissive words.
Then he slowly walked up to Eitri and whispered to him, "Lord Thanos needs you to create something that can contain and perfectly harness the power of all the Infinity Stones."
Hearing Ebony Maw's request, Eitri's eyes widened as he said, "Something that can contain and perfectly harness the power of all the Infinity Stones... you mean the Infinity Gauntlet, right?"
"This item is a legendary artifact, and the materials required are extremely complex."
Hearing Eitri's lengthy explanation, Ebony Maw extended a slender finger and placed it on his lips, signaling him to stop.
Seeing Ebony Maw's gesture, Eitri remembered his current predicament and could only stop his explanation.
Seeing Eitri cease his explanation, Ebony Maw continued, "We have already gathered all the materials according to the legends of the Infinity Gauntlet; you only need to forge it."
After speaking, Ebony Maw raised his arm and waved his hand. Following his movement, several large iron chests floated down from the spaceship and landed behind him, their heavy lids opening.
"These are the materials for crafting the Infinity Gauntlet. Now, do you have anything else to say?" Ebony Maw said softly, looking at Eitri.
Upon seeing the opened iron chests, Eitri rushed forward to examine them.
"Planetary core... Life Essence Crystals... fragments of the Void..."
Eitri murmured softly as he examined the items, growing increasingly alarmed. He had not expected Thanos to have truly gathered these materials.
The Infinity Gauntlet was a legendary artifact capable of containing the six Infinity Stones and perfectly wielding their power.
Given such a powerful artifact, the crafting requirements would undoubtedly be extremely stringent.
The materials for creating the Infinity Gauntlet were generally impossible to obtain.
For example, a planetary core—this core was not from a dead planet, but from a planet in its active phase.
Generally, active planets harbored life; removing its core meant condemning all life on that planet to death.
Then there were the Life Essence Crystals, which required the condensed life force of countless beings. Such a crystal signified the lives of innumerable creatures; Eitri knew without a doubt how many beings Thanos must have slaughtered to obtain this item.
The planetary core and the Life Essence Crystals were just two of the materials for crafting the Infinity Gauntlet; there were other precious materials yet to come.
These materials each corresponded to the attributes of the six Infinity Stones, which was why the Infinity Gauntlet could withstand the Infinity Stones and perfectly wield their power.
All the materials were now laid before Eitri, and he could only proceed with crafting the Infinity Gauntlet according to the required process.
Ebony Maw, still accompanied by the large chests behind him, followed closely behind Eitri. He intended to constantly monitor the king of the Dwarves to prevent him from doing anything unnecessary.
Eitri also secretly observed Ebony Maw, who was supervising him. Seeing such strict surveillance, he could only sigh in his heart.
He was now forced into a corner, compelled to begin crafting the Infinity Gauntlet. Although he constantly wanted to send a signal to the Ghost, he couldn't find an opportunity to do so.
Left with no choice, Eitri could only process the materials for the Infinity Gauntlet under Ebony Maw's constant, unyielding gaze.
He refused to believe that this cursed, ugly creature could keep staring at him like this without ever relaxing.
Chapter 328 Seeking Help
In front of the massive furnace, Eitri had just poured all the materials for creating the Infinity Gauntletinto the prepared mold.
Ebony Maw had been staring at him the entire time, giving him no chance to retrieve the signal emitter he had hidden.
"Damn it!" Eitri cursed under his breath, glancing at Ebony Maw, who stood right beside him, watching his every move, as he worked on the mold.
The hideous alien's constant surveillance put immense pressure on him.
"It'll be ready soon. Once you have what you want, you can leave," Eitri said coldly to Ebony Mawbeside him, still working on the mold.
"Remember what you just promised me—you won't harm my people."
Hearing Eitri's words, Ebony Maw nodded and replied, "Don't worry, I will absolutely not harm your people, as long as you make what you're supposed to make."
Ebony Maw looked at the mold in Eitri's hands, a hint of excitement and tension in his eyes; a cosmic artifact was about to be born, and he would present it to Lord Thanos.
The thought of Lord Thanos's potential reward and praise filled Ebony Maw with uncontrollable excitement.
As for the fate of the Dwarves, he had only said he wouldn't harm them, not that his subordinates wouldn't. This wasn't a breach of promise.
Once he had the Infinity Gauntlet, he would order his subordinates to act, making the Dwarvescontribute to the stable and harmonious development of the universe.
Eitri was unaware of Ebony Maw's thoughts; he only wanted to find an opportunity to send out a distress signal quickly.
Although Ebony Maw had promised not to harm his people, facing such brutal enemies, he dared not gamble his and his people's lives on whether they would keep their word.
After some processing, the mold was fully removed. On the workbench now lay a golden gauntlet, attracting the gaze of everyone around.
The golden gauntlet had six slots for embedding the Infinity Stones. Once all the Infinity Stones were gathered, this gauntlet would become the most powerful artifact in the universe.
Ebony Maw's gaze was also drawn to the golden Infinity Gauntlet. He excitedly strode to the workbench, picked up the gauntlet, and caressed it carefully.
As he caressed the Infinity Gauntlet with an excited expression, he murmured softly, "It's beautiful! This is the supreme artifact of the universe. Once all the Infinity Stones are gathered, Lord Thanos will be the most powerful being in the universe."
Seeing that Ebony Maw's attention was now fully absorbed by the gauntlet, Eitri seized the opportunity, crossed his arms, and quickly pressed the signal emitter hidden in his chest.
Instantly, invisible signal waves rapidly traversed the cosmic expanse, reaching a similar signal emitter on Meng Ran.
Hearing the beeping from the signal emitter on him, Meng Ran, who had just walked out of the laboratory, quickly left a message for Gwen and the others.
Then, along with Thor, who was visiting the Six-pointed Star Alliance base, he rushed to the Dwarven Realm—Nidavellir—via the Bifrost Bridge.
Departing with Thor was purely coincidental. Thor had originally been playing games with Liu Xiu and others while enjoying craft beer.
However, after Meng Ran received the Dwarf King's distress call, Thor, knowing of Meng Ran's agreement with Eitri, immediately became serious and asked to go with Meng Ran to provide support.
Meng Ran had no objections to this, so he set off with Thor.
While Meng Ran and Thor had already departed, Ebony Maw, who now possessed the Infinity Gauntlet, was contentedly preparing to leave.
However, before leaving, screening and assessing the Dwarves was still very necessary.
He walked towards the spacecraft with the Infinity Gauntlet, simultaneously ordering several subordinates beside him in an alien language: "The item has been acquired. You may proceed."
Hearing Ebony Maw's command, the hulking brute beside him, similar in size to Hulk, roared excitedly.
Then, countless alien soldiers and beasts leaped from the various spacecraft surrounding the ring, screaming and roaring as they swarmed towards the Dwarves on the ring.
Seeing this, Dwarf King Eitri realized that Ebony Maw had tricked him.
He shouted angrily at Ebony Maw, who was already walking towards the bottom of the circular spacecraft: "You lied to me! You untrustworthy scoundrel! You said you would spare my people!"
Hearing Eitri's curses, Ebony Maw turned around and said softly, "I promised you that I wouldn't harm your people, so I haven't laid a hand on them, have I?"
Ebony Maw's sophistry infuriated Eitri even more. He wished he could tear this untrustworthy scoundrel to shreds, but his level of strength rendered him powerless. He could only curse Ebony Mawin anger; he could do nothing else.
Ebony Maw ignored Eitri's impotent rage. He merely turned away coldly and entered the circular spacecraft.
The hideous alien soldiers and beasts had already begun fighting the Dwarves. Although the Dwarveswere tall, burly, and incredibly strong, facing the surging tide of alien soldiers and frenzied beasts, they were somewhat overwhelmed.
Each Dwarf had to contend with dozens of alien soldiers and frenzied beasts. Even with their superior physical conditioning and strength, they couldn't withstand such an onslaught.
Eitri no longer cursed Ebony Maw, for he had no time to be distracted.
He needed to pick up his weapon and fight alongside the other Dwarves to clear out the invading soldiers and beasts.
The multitude of enemies quickly caused wounds to appear on his body. More and more injuries gradually weakened his stamina and resistance, making him feel increasingly powerless.
Eitri's resistance grew weaker and weaker, but his attackers showed no mercy.
Just as his injuries began to worsen, a brilliant and dazzling rainbow light descended from the sky, landing directly on the ring.
Seeing the Bifrost Bridge's light land on the ring, Eitri, who was already pinned down by dozens of alien soldiers, was invigorated. He used all his remaining strength to throw these soldiers far away.
The moment the Bifrost Bridge's light appeared on the ring, countless purple electric arcs shot out from it, striking many alien soldiers and beasts that were attacking the Dwarves, turning them into charred remains and roasted meat.
Then, Meng Ran and Thor emerged from the Bifrost Bridge's light. Their appearance brought more lightning; countless deep purple and deep blue electric arcs with hints of purple appeared, then fiercely struck the surrounding enemies.
They had only been visible for a few seconds, but a large number of alien soldiers and beasts had already perished at their hands.
They cleared out the surrounding enemies as they went, then quickly made their way to Eitri's side.
Chapter 329 The Power of Storm Axe
Looking at the battered Eitri, Meng Ran said to him in a deep voice, "I'm sorry, it seems we were a bit slow in arriving."
Hearing Meng Ran's words, Eitri shook his head and said, "It's not your fault, I just couldn't find an opportunity to press the signal emitter."
"They not only destroyed our contact point with Asgard, but they also kept an eye on me, preventing me from sending out a distress signal to you."
Thor, hearing this, also asked Eitri in a low voice, "Who exactly are these people? Why did they suddenly attack you all?"
After hearing Thor's question, Eitri immediately explained to them, "These people are all Thanos's subordinates. They came to me to have me forge a divine artifact that could hold the Infinity Stones and perfectly utilize their power."
"They threatened me with the lives of all Dwarves, forcing me to obey their command and create the Gauntlet."
"We had an agreement that once I made the Gauntlet, they would let us go, but after they got the Gauntlet, they changed their minds and launched an attack on us."
"Thanos and his army have slaughtered countless lives in the universe. Everywhere they go, they randomly select half of the living beings for cleansing and slaughter, calling it for the sustainable development of the universe."
Hearing Eitri's account, Thor and Meng Ran also understood the current situation.
While listening to Eitri speak, they continued to exert their power to clear out the enemies on the Star Ring.
Thor fought in a very simple and direct manner, engaging in close combat with the alien soldiers while releasing his lightning to clear out other enemies.
Meng Ran, however, was much more flamboyant. Not only did purple lightning shoot out from his body in all directions, but crimson energy beams also shot out from his eyes, piercing through countless flying machines surrounding the Star Ring.
In addition, he also manipulated several huge tornadoes, having them continuously circulate around the Star Ring to clear the area.
With Meng Ran and Thor joining the fight, Thanos's soldiers and beasts were crushed like dirt and dogs.
Eitri, resting on the ground, felt a sense of relief after witnessing Meng Ran and Thor's one-sided slaughter. He had finally managed to save the Dwarves.
Eitri was immensely grateful for the timely support from Meng Ran and Thor. Without their help, the ancient race of Dwarves would have become a part of history today.
Thinking of this, Eitri shouted loudly to Thor, who was still fighting, "Thor, I've already forged the weapon you wanted! Quickly summon it and fight with it! You should be able to sense it!"
Hearing Eitri's shout, Thor became excited. He finally had a weapon again.
He immediately extended both hands, then closed his eyes, carefully sensing something.
Seeing Thor close his eyes and stand still, the alien soldiers and beasts around him naturally wouldn't let go of such a great opportunity.
They roared and swarmed towards Thor, wishing they could tear him to shreds, as this damned man had already killed countless of their kind.
Just as they were about to pounce on Thor, a silver streak of light quickly flew from a distance and was then grasped by Thor.
The moment Stormbreaker was grasped by Thor, a circle of purple lightning instantly erupted around them, incinerating all the alien soldiers and beasts that were about to pounce on Thor.
Thor slowly opened his eyes, and lightpurple lightning arcs continuously pulsed around his body, displaying their furious power.
Seeing that Thor had summoned Stormbreaker into his hand, Eitri immediately introduced it, "Stormbreaker is an even more powerful weapon than mjolnir. With it, your power can increase by more than double, and it also possesses the power of space-time, capable of summoning the Bifrost Bridge."
Thor listened to Eitri's introduction while gripping Stormbreaker tightly, feeling its power and pulsation.
"Stormbreaker, let's fight to our heart's content together," Thor murmured to Stormbreaker, full of fighting spirit.
Then he wielded Stormbreaker, freely unleashing purple lightning, mowing down the lives of the enemies on the Star Ring like cutting grass.
He even threw Stormbreaker, letting it fly once around the Star Ring before returning to his hand.
During its flight, the spinning Stormbreaker, carrying violent lightning, shattered all the alien soldiers and beasts in its path.
Meng Ran, who was constantly moving through the air and destroying the flying machines, also saw Thor's performance.
He knew that Thor had entrusted Eitri to forge him a new weapon, and he didn't expect it to be used so soon.
Moreover, the current Stormbreaker seemed even more powerful than he remembered.
The moment he grasped the axe, the lightning that Thor controlled transformed from a deep blue with hints of purple to a complete purple.
Although this purple was not as intense and violent as Meng Ran's lightning, it was a qualitative change compared to the previous blue lightning. This was the enhancement Stormbreaker brought to Thor.
Seeing Thor fighting with such exhilaration below, Meng Ran's fighting spirit also burned fiercely. Accompanied by purple lightning, swirling storms, and crimson heat vision, one flying machine after another was blasted to smithereens by him.
Even the leading giant ring-shaped flying machine was split into a pile of scrap metal by him, then loudly shattered into a pile of metallic junk.
Ebony Maw, who had returned to another humanoid flying machine, also saw the battle outside. He hadn't expected such powerful beings to exist in the universe.
"Such powerful beings will surely hinder Lord Thanos's plan," Ebony Maw said, looking at the more than half-destroyed soldiers and warships, and then at the golden Infinity Gauntlet he held in his hands.
He very much wanted to go out and eliminate this potential obstacle immediately, but the Infinity Gauntlet he was holding made him hesitate.
After pondering for a moment, Ebony Maw decided that fulfilling Lord Thanos's instructions was the most important.
Thinking of this, he instructed the large, foolish figure and another female alien following him, "You two deal with these two enemies and these Dwarves here. I will take the Infinity Gauntlet and return to report."
After giving his orders, Ebony Maw had them exit the circular flying machine, and then each led some soldiers and beasts to confront Meng Ran and Thor.
Once the two had exited the circular flying machine, Ebony Maw ordered his subordinate to pilot the circular flying machine away from there.
He needed to return to Titan quickly and personally deliver the Infinity Gauntlet to Lord Thanos.
Chapter 330: Destroying with overwhelming force
The big brute and the female alien who stepped out of the ring-shaped spacecraft were none other than Thanos's other subordinates, but Ebony Maw had the highest rank in this operation, so they also obeyed his orders.
The big brute's name was Black Dwarf, and the female alien's name was Proxima Midnight. Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive, who was currently by Ebony Maw's side and preparing to retreat with him, were a couple.
Under Ebony Maw's command, Black Dwarf and Proxima Midnight each led a group of alien soldiers and beasts and charged towards Meng Ran and Thor.
The two of them were responsible for eliminating Meng Ran and Thor, who had suddenly appeared, as well as the remaining Dwarves, while Ebony Maw and Corvus Glaive would first return to Titan to present the Infinity Gauntlet to Thanos.
Seeing Black Dwarf and Proxima Midnight leading their army and charging towards them, a cruel smile appeared at the corner of Meng Ran's mouth.
He also saw the ring-shaped spacecraft preparing to leave. It seemed that his and Thor's strength had been underestimated; they actually thought they could eliminate them by only sending two subordinates with a group of soldiers.
The reason Ebony Maw made such arrangements was that they didn't know Meng Ran and Thor's true strength.
Although the two of them killed alien soldiers and beasts as easily as cutting vegetables, this did not reflect how strong their true power was.
After all, the strength of these alien soldiers and beasts themselves was not very high; they relied only on their large numbers, so anyone with even slightly stronger power could easily defeat them.
Thinking of this, Meng Ran grinned, then shot two crimson energy rays at Black Dwarf.
The energy rays pierced through several soldiers in the image, then aimed at Black Dwarf's head to kill him. After seeing the rays coming, Black Dwarf hurriedly raised the huge metal club in his hand to block them.
"Sizzle~!" The heat vision shot onto the metal club, causing two glowing red spots to appear on it, and it continued to melt.
Just as Black Dwarf was greatly shocked by this, Meng Ran also increased the energy output of his heat vision.
The crimson energy rays instantly pierced through the metal club in Black Dwarf's hand, and then continued to pierce through his head and throat.
The poor brute hadn't even reached Meng Ran to start attacking before he was shot dead.
Not far away, Proxima Midnight, who was running, saw this scene and her small eyes widened. That thick-skinned tank, Black Dwarf, had actually died just like that.
He hadn't even reached their target, nor had he started fighting, but he was killed in one move.
Proxima Midnight's running steps also slowed down. She had to admit, she was a little scared.
Although her fighting spirit had wavered, Meng Ran would not let her go.
Suddenly, countless sharp spikes emerged from the ground around Meng Ran, impaling all the alien soldiers and monsters who were rushing towards him, turning them into sieves.
After clearing out these individuals, Meng Ran's mind moved, and he instantly appeared in front of Proxima Midnight, who had already stopped.
"Damn it!" Seeing her target suddenly appear in front of her, Proxima Midnight's pupils constricted, and she cursed under her breath.
But before she could react, Meng Ran's sharp claws had already pierced through her chest, tearing her in half.
In total, it took no more than 30 seconds. The two generals, who were ordered by Ebony Maw to eliminate Meng Ran, Thor, and the remaining Dwarves, had already become cold corpses.
Ebony Maw and Corvus Glaive, who were preparing to retreat on the ring-shaped spacecraft, also saw this scene unfold below.
Seeing his companion torn in half, Corvus Glaive first felt immense anger, then was suddenly overcome with a chilling sensation, because Meng Ran's formidable strength completely exceeded their expectations.
Ebony Maw now knew that his judgment had been flawed. He had just been thinking about how to deal with Meng Ran and Thor, but now, thinking back, it was a huge joke. What they should be worried about now was whether they could retreat smoothly from here.
"Thanos's plan cannot be ruined here. I must find a way to send the Infinity Gauntlet back to Titan." Thinking of this, Ebony Maw clutched the Infinity Gauntlet in his hand tighter.
"These soldiers and warships below can buy us a little more time. We need to leave quickly! As long as we return to Titan and give the Infinity Gauntlet to Thanos, Thanos will surely avenge the two of them," Ebony Maw hurriedly said to Corvus Glaive beside him.
There was also a small emergency escape craft on the ring-shaped spacecraft. Before the enemy destroyed this ring-shaped spacecraft, they had to quickly board this small craft and escape from here.
Hearing Ebony Maw's words, Corvus Glaive also knew that the enemies before them were not ones they could contend with, so the two of them quickly rushed to the area where the small spacecraft was located.
The others and soldiers, apart from the two of them, did not know about their plan to escape. Ebony Maw even ordered them on the way to intensify their attacks, to create confusion and buy time.
Meng Ran, who had just personally killed Black Dwarf and Proxima Midnight, did not know Ebony Maw's current intentions. Looking at the alien soldiers who suddenly started to increase in number again, he let out a hoarse, sinister laugh, and then began his 'mowing grass' game.
These alien soldiers and beasts were like straw in a field; one attack from Meng Ran would cut down a large swathe of them.
The spaceships and warships surrounding the Dwarves' star ring were also successively destroyed by his and Thor's attacks, like a grand fireworks display in space.
The largest of the ring-shaped ships were also sliced into several sections by Meng Ran's Cloud Splitter and then exploded with a roar.
Ebony Maw and Corvus Glaive had already left this starfield with the Infinity Gauntlet. They quickly initiated a space jump when no one noticed them, escaping at a speed many times faster than when they arrived.
Because the scope of this starfield was too vast and the number of enemies too great, Meng Ran didn't constantly keep an eye on Ebony Maw and Corvus Glaive.
After all, compared to their existence, reducing the casualties of the Dwarves was clearly more important. Even if they took the Infinity Gauntlet back to Thanos, it would be useless.
Now, the Mind Stone and the Space Stone were in Meng Ran's hands, and the time stone was with Doctor Strange. Even if Thanos was incredibly capable, he would at most only have three stones.
Based on Meng Ran's current strength and the deployment of the Iron Legion on Earth, even if Thanoshad a full set of stones, he might not win, let alone with only half.
It should be known that Hela's strength was much greater than Thanos's. If Meng Ran could eliminate Hela, he could certainly eliminate this purple yam, Thanos.
Chapter 331 Thanos
After several hours of clearing, Meng Ran and Thor finally wiped out all the invading enemies.
After all, the number of warships and enemies surrounding the Dwarven Realm's ring was simply too great; even if they were just chickens, it would take a long time to kill them all, let alone these alien soldiers and monsters that were much stronger than chickens.
By the time they finished clearing out these enemies, the area outside the Dwarven Realm's ring was already filled with the metallic wreckage of warships and the corpses of alien soldiers and monsters.
"There are simply too many of these aliens. I've killed more enemies today than in the past several millennia combined," Thor said to Eitri and Meng Ran, spinning his axe to flick the blood off onto the ground.
Meng Ran nodded in response to Thor's words, saying, "This is also the first time I've eliminated so many enemies."
To be honest, he was a bit confused as to why Ebony Maw would bring so many people to the Dwarven Realm; surely, to force Eitri into submission, he wouldn't need so many.
Though it might sting a bit, the strength of the Dwarves certainly didn't warrant such a large-scale mobilization; Ebony Maw could have easily handled everything with just two subordinates.
If Ebony Maw knew Meng Ran's thoughts at this moment, he would surely feel very wronged. He brought these people, on one hand, to facilitate the screening and clearing of half the Dwarves, and on the other hand, to display the might of Thanos.
An immense army at the city gates would certainly have a much better impact and effect than two or three people running in to threaten, and it would better demonstrate the formidable power of his revered Lord Thanos.
Even if Ebony Maw racked his brain, he wouldn't have imagined that nearly half of the vast army he brought would be completely annihilated. Everything was fine when they arrived, but as soon as Meng Ran and Thor appeared, things became incredibly bizarre.
Meng Ran and Thor's timely arrival saved the Dwarves from being massacred by Thanos's army, and Eitri was extremely grateful for this.
Especially towards Meng Ran, Eitri not only thanked him for his timely intervention today but also felt a sense of apology in his heart for not having taken Meng Ran's promise and the signal emitter seriously before.
Before today, he would never have imagined that Thanos's army would surround the Dwarven Realm, nor would he have thought that the very signal emitter he had not paid much attention to would ultimately save the Dwarves.
To Eitri's gratitude, Meng Ran smiled and told him not to worry about it, saying that eliminating Thanos's army was merely a trivial matter for him.
After all, Eitri had helped him forge Cloudsplitter, and even provided a branch of the World Tree for free, making Cloudsplitter as powerful and perfect as it is now.
Cloudsplitter's boost to Meng Ran's strength was not insignificant; it was the power of Cloudsplitter's rules that helped eliminate Hela a year ago.
It was Eitri's help that, in turn, led Meng Ran to help them; today's good outcome was all due to the good karma established before.
Just as Meng Ran and Thor were conversing with the excited and grateful Eitri, the small spacecraft carrying Ebony Maw and Corvus Glaive completed its space jump and appeared on the outskirts of Titan.
The barren and desolate Titan was completely Thanos's military base; whenever he saw Titan in its current state, it only strengthened the conviction he held in his heart.
Upon returning to Titan, Ebony Maw and Corvus Glaive immediately went to Thanos's large warship, but Thanos was not on the warship at that moment.
Knowing this, Ebony Maw and Corvus Glaive could only wait for him in front of Thanos's stone throne.
After a while, the army led by Thanos returned to Titan. Hearing that Ebony Maw and Corvus Glaivehad returned to report, Thanos came directly to them without resting.
"How did things go?" a deep voice rumbled as Thanos sat on his stone throne and asked the two below him.
Hearing Thanos's question, Ebony Maw quickly stepped forward and presented the Infinity Gauntlet.
Upon seeing the Infinity Gauntlet, a rare look of excitement appeared in Thanos's eyes.
He put the gauntlet on his left hand, then nodded at Ebony Maw, praising him, "Well done. I am pleased. You have made an outstanding contribution to my plan."
Hearing Thanos's praise, a look of joy appeared on Ebony Maw's ugly face, but his happiness did not last long.
After trying on the gauntlet, Thanos then asked them, "Why didn't Black Dwarf and Proxima Midnightreturn with you?"
Hearing this question, Ebony Maw and Corvus Glaive could only kneel on one knee and then report to Thanos in a low voice.
"During the clearing of the Dwarves, we encountered some unexpected events. Black Dwarf and Proxima Midnight unfortunately perished, and the army was completely annihilated. Only Corvus Glaive and I escaped."
Hearing Ebony Maw's report, Thanos's eyes grew cold. Although obtaining the Infinity Gauntlet made him very happy, his joy couldn't help but be somewhat diluted by such a great loss.
He knew the strength of his subordinates, so he was very curious as to what kind of formidable opponents they had encountered to cause such a situation.
"What happened? Report the situation to me truthfully," Thanos said to Ebony Maw in a deep voice.
Ebony Maw, hearing this, took out a small device and had it project the scene from that time.
This device was originally installed on the circular spacecraft, but Ebony Maw extracted it when he left, knowing that he would have to report the situation to Thanos upon his return.
Thus, Thanos stared at the projected images and learned of Ebony Maw and his subordinates' encounter.
From Ebony Maw and his forces landing in the Dwarven Realm to Eitri forging the Infinity Gauntlet, everything unfolded as they had planned, without incident.
But after Ebony Maw returned to the spaceship with the Infinity Gauntlet, a sudden change occurred.
A long-haired man surrounded by lightning and a black figure appeared in the projection, accompanied by the multicolored light of the Bifrost Bridge.
After their arrival, the original situation was reversed; his numerous army and spacecraft were as fragile as toys in the hands of these two individuals.
Even his two great generals, Black Dwarf and Proxima Midnight, were vulnerable and easily defeated before that black figure.
In less than 30 seconds, both of them met a tragic end at the hands of this mysterious person: one's head was directly shot through, and the other was torn in half.
The footage ended shortly after the tragic deaths of these two, because Ebony Maw and Corvus Glaiveextracted the files and quickly fled the scene.
Given the strength of those two individuals in the footage, it's likely that if Ebony Maw and Corvus Glaive hadn't left, the Infinity Gauntlet wouldn't have reached his hands by now.
Chapter 332 Planning and Deployment
After watching the entire video, Thanos understood the reason for the complete annihilation of his forces this time.
It seemed that this unexpected incident truly couldn't be blamed on Ebony Maw and his subordinates; the Asgardian who used lightning and this mysterious man in black were indeed extremely powerful.
Thinking of this, Thanos calmly looked at Ebony Maw and Corvus Glaive, who were kneeling on one knee below him.
He couldn't criticize his two subordinates anymore, as the Infinity Gauntlet, which he valued most, was now in his hands.
As for the deaths of those soldiers, compared to the Infinity Gauntlet, even all of his subordinates combined were not as important.
"Raise your heads," Thanos said in a deep voice, looking at Ebony Maw and Corvus Glaive.
"Organize the army on Titan; we will begin our plan next."
"Yes!" Hearing Thanos's command, Ebony Maw and Corvus Glaive replied crisply.
Then they stood up and walked out. Since Thanos no longer held them accountable, they also couldn't fail to live up to Thanos's expectations and must perform perfectly in the upcoming plan.
After Ebony Maw and Corvus Glaive left, Thanos leaned back on his stone throne, carefully admiring the golden Infinity Gauntlet in his hand.
After a moment, he opened a box he had been carrying when he first entered.
Once the box was opened, a dazzling red light and purple light instantly illuminated the entire space.
A red and a purple gem floated up from the bottom of the box.
"Reality," Thanos said, pinching the red Reality Stone with his fingers and slowly bringing it closer to the Infinity Gauntlet on his left hand.
"Chirp~!" With a strange fluctuation, the red Reality Stone was instantly absorbed onto the Infinity Gauntlet.
At the same time, a red energy surged from the Reality Stone on the Infinity Gauntlet, spreading throughout Thanos's body.
"Ha ah~!" This strange energy made Thanos feel a pleasure that came from his very soul.
This was the feeling of mastering power; mastering the Reality Stone meant mastering one of the most fundamental and powerful forces in this universe.
After installing the red Reality Stone onto the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos then picked up the purple Power Stone and, following the same procedure, had it absorbed onto the Infinity Gauntlet.
Similarly, a purple energy surged from the Power Stone, spreading throughout Thanos's body.
"There are still four stones," Thanos murmured, looking at the glowing Power Stone and Reality Stoneon the gauntlet.
The Power Stone and Reality Stone were what he had just acquired on his recent expedition; he had led his army out precisely to retrieve these two stones.
The purple Power Stone came from Xandar; Thanos led a large army and massacred the Nova Corps stationed there.
The red Reality Stone was snatched from the Collector Tivan; that old man Tivan initially denied having the stone, but finally handed it over after being brutally beaten by Thanos.
After acquiring these two stones, Thanos's next target was the other stones, and to obtain them, he couldn't bypass a very weak planet—Earth.
The universe was vast, yet there were only six Infinity Stones, and even more incredibly, three Infinity Stones were located on the weak planet Earth.
Although this matter was incredibly bizarre, Thanos didn't care; in his view, having all three stones on Earth just saved him the trouble of searching everywhere.
How could a planet whose civilization had not yet begun to explore the cosmos resist him and his army?
Thinking of this, Thanos raised his head and looked out through the spacecraft's window at the vast cosmic galaxy.
He wondered where his beloved daughter Gamora was now. He had learned through his other daughter, Nebula, that Gamora had discovered a clue to the Soul Stone.
After learning the clue to the Soul Stone, Gamora chose to hide it from him and then left his army, disappearing to an unknown location.
To obtain the Soul Stone, he first had to find his disobedient daughter.
Thanos intended to acquire the Soul Stone before heading to Earth.
This way, only the three stones on Earth would remain, and he could conveniently make Earth the final stop for realizing his ideals.
While Thanos was arranging his next plan, Thor and Meng Ran had already arrived at the outer edge of the Dwarven Realm's ring, preparing to summon the Bifrost Bridge to leave.
After a long talk with Eitri and a reluctant farewell, Meng Ran and Thor returned to Earth via the Bifrost Bridge.
They chose the Avengers Compound in northern New York as the landing point for the Bifrost Bridge, because Meng Ran needed to explain the situation to Tony and Banner.
Thanos had already obtained the Infinity Gauntlet, so his next step would surely be to collect all the Infinity Stones.
Now there were three Infinity Stones on Earth, and Thanos would surely invade Earth before long, so they had to start preparing for battle.
Tony stood at the entrance of the Avengers Compound with a glass of whiskey.
Seeing Meng Ran and Thor rushing out of the Bifrost Bridge, he smiled and said, "Looks like you two went on another long trip. Where did you go?"
Hearing Tony's question, Meng Ran walked inside with Thor and said to him, "It was indeed a long trip. We just went to the Dwarven Realm Nidavellir to help our friend, the Dwarf King, solve some troubles."
Then Meng Ran introduced Thanos's situation to Tony, as well as the impending crisis and problems they would face.
Hearing Meng Ran's explanation, Tony's expression grew serious.
He looked at Meng Ran and said in a deep voice, "So, Earth will soon face another alien attack, right? And this time, the scale will be even larger than the last Battle of New York."
Meng Ran nodded in agreement and replied, "That's right, Thanos will definitely come to Earth, because there are three Infinity Stones here."
"The Time Stone is in the hands of Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme I mentioned, and the Mind Stone and Space Stone are both in my hands."
"It seems our Ultron and Iron Legion can finally show what they're capable of," Tony said, hearing Meng Ran's words.
Now, the Iron Legion and Ultron had both been fully developed; Ultron had been in use for some time, and a small portion of the Iron Legion was also in service.
Most of the Iron Legion's forces were still on standby, as there was no particularly major crisis on Earth at the moment, so there was no need for all of the Iron Legion to be deployed; a small portion was already enough to solve all problems.
Chapter 333 Father and Daughter
After Tony and Meng Ran finished communicating the situation, Meng Ran returned to the Six-pointed Star Alliance base.
He and Tony both needed to explain to their teammates about the impending invasion of Thanos's army, and then together deploy Earth's defenses.
After leaving the Avengers Compound, Thor also returned to the place he shared with Jane.
He planned to explain the coming crisis to Jane, then return to Asgard to bring some people to Earth.
Setting aside the friendship between Thor, the Avengers, and Meng Ran, as the guardian of the Nine Realms, it was only natural for Asgard to lend a helping hand when Earth faced a crisis.
In addition to Tony and Thor, Meng Ran also shared the intelligence with Nick Fury and Captain America, so they could prepare for battle in advance.
Immediately, all the superheroes on Earth began to take action, and King T'Challa of Wakanda also received the intelligence from Nick Fury.
Besides uniting the superheroes, Tony was also responsible for dealing with the American military and the United Nations.
After all, Thanos's invasion would be a global crisis, and all countries needed to be aware of the impending danger and prepare in advance.
Thanos's army would usually target Meng Ran and Doctor Strange, who possessed the Infinity Stones, which gave Meng Ran and his allies the convenience of choosing the battlefield.
However, things can never be perfectly foolproof; even if Meng Ran and his allies could choose the battlefield, Thanos's army might still land in any country or on their territory.
If such a situation were to truly occur, those countries would simply have to consider themselves unlucky.
On a desolate planet in a remote galaxy, a spaceship was parked crookedly on the ground.
In the cockpit of the spaceship, Rocket, who looked like a plush toy, was arguing with Star-Lord.
"I just told you to pull the joystick all the way back! Where did those two big bowls of rice you ate go? Why is there so little strength in your hands?"
"Now look! That landing must have damaged parts of the spaceship's bottom. We won't be flying off this damned planet anytime soon."
Although Rocket looked small and cute, his rapid-fire insults and his snarky voice made the scene look quite incongruous.
Star-Lord, hearing Rocket's rant, naturally wouldn't back down. He stiffened his neck and retorted, "Oh! Really? Are you blaming me now?"
"I listened to you and pulled the joystick all the way back, but the spaceship still crashed to the ground. How could that still be my fault?"
"And don't forget I'm the captain of this ship. Please speak to your captain in a different tone."
"I'm also heartbroken that the ship is damaged, and I understand you're anxious, but why the personal attack? What does pulling a joystick have to do with the two bowls of rice I just ate? Are you saying I'm fat? I'm clearly muscular, alright?"
Star-Lord's speech took a strange turn, from arguing about the spaceship to suddenly talking about weight and how many bowls of rice he had eaten.
Rocket, hearing Star-Lord's words, rolled his eyes helplessly. He jumped off his chair and walked towards the cabin door, patting Star-Lord's belly as he passed him.
"Feel your stomach. You're just one bowl of rice away from obesity."
Star-Lord was about to say something when Drax the Destroyer, standing next to him, interrupted, "Honestly, Quill, you really have gained a lot of weight."
"What?"
Star-Lord's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Drax.
Drax didn't speak, but simply gestured at his belly and face, indicating for Star-Lord to look at his own stomach and face.
Star-Lord turned to his lover, Gamora, and asked her, "Gamora, do you also think I'm fat?"
Gamora didn't say anything, only spread her hands.
Seeing his beloved also react this way, Star-Lord clutched his heart sadly, as if his heart had been shattered.
"I can sense that you're in disbelief, and also feeling shame and embarrassment."
"It seems you know you're fat yourself, you're just too embarrassed to admit it," said Mantis, who had antennae, as she looked at Star-Lord and sensed his emotions.
Star-Lord, exposed, suddenly felt terrible. He said, enduring everyone's strange looks, "OK, I admit I'm a bit fat. Your comments were a wake-up call that brought me back to reality."
"I've decided to get some dumbbells and start working out later. From now on, I absolutely won't allow anyone to call me fat again."
Listening to Star-Lord's determined declaration, Rocket, who had just dismantled the spaceship floor for repairs, mercilessly debunked him, "Forget it. You'll probably just eat the dumbbells too."
Under the continuous retorts from everyone, Star-Lord felt his dignity as captain being trampled into the ground.
Just as he cleared his throat and was about to say something with a serious expression, the sound of a spaceship landing suddenly came from outside.
Hearing the sound, the Guardians of the Galaxy quickly exited the cabin.
They hoped that what had landed here wasn't space pirates, but preferably a merchant convoy making a stop, so they could trade for some of their damaged parts.
Of course, if space pirates had landed here, they would just have to consider themselves unlucky.
If the opponent's strength wasn't that great, they could still put up a fight, but if they were too powerful, they would just have to surrender obediently.
When the Guardians of the Galaxy exited the cabin door, a huge black spaceship came into view.
Seeing the black spaceship, Gamora's eyes widened, and she murmured in fear, "How... how is this possible?"
This black spaceship was the ship of Thanos's army. As Gamora quickly explained to Star-Lord and the others who Thanos was, several figures descended from the black spaceship.
The most conspicuous figure was the one at the very front, because this figure was the tallest, and his skin was purple.
This tall figure wore a golden gauntlet on his left hand, adorned with two extremely brilliant gems, one purple and one red.
When Star-Lord and his companions saw the purple gem on the gauntlet, they immediately felt a sense of familiarity; it seemed to be that strange gem they had once encountered.
But this gem had clearly been sent to Xandar, so how was it now in the hands of this person named Thanos?
Looking at Gamora and the strangely shaped people around her, Thanos smiled and said, "Long time no see, my daughter."
Chapter 334 Guardians of the Galaxy
On the desolate planet, blue fragments with red patterns slowly reassembled, forming Drax the Destroyer.
And the thin strip next to him also straightened out and combined to form Mantis, while Rocket, who had genuinely turned into a doll, and Star-Lord, who had become a pig, also returned to their original forms.
Under the immense power of the Reality Stone, the Guardians of the Galaxy were completely wiped out, helplessly watching Thanos take Gamora away.
Only Groot, who was hiding in the spaceship playing games, escaped this ordeal; he was now circling the others, looking at the restored Rocket with surprise.
Although Groot was a bit rebellious now, he would be very sad if his friends were truly hurt.
"Oink oink oink ~ Gamora!" The newly recovered Star-Lord first grunted twice like a pig, then shouted loudly.
"Damn purple potato monster, where is he taking Gamora? We have to go save her quickly."
Hearing Star-Lord's shout, Rocket also said somewhat dejectedly, "How are we going to save her? He just raised his hand, and we all turned into strange things."
"So you want to abandon Gamora and run for your life?" Star-Lord, hearing this, also widened his eyes and roared at Rocket.
Rocket, hearing Star-Lord's shout, also said loudly, "Calm down, Gamora is our partner, we definitely can't abandon her."
"But we need to make a plan, otherwise we won't be able to fight Thanos at all."
Hearing Rocket's words, Star-Lord also calmed down a bit; he paced back and forth, frantically thinking of a plan to rescue Gamora.
"Damn it! We don't even know where Thanos is going now." After a moment of thought, the increasingly agitated Star-Lord cursed in a deep voice.
At this moment, Mantis, hearing Star-Lord's words, also pondered for a moment, then mused, "I was the last one Thanos transformed."
"I seem to remember Thanos telling Gamora that after he gets the soul stone, he will take her to Earth to enjoy the pleasure of the final plan's success."
"So Thanos and Gamora's ultimate destination should be that place called Earth."
"Earth. That's my home, I haven't been back in a long time." Hearing Mantis's words, Star-Lord also murmured to himself.
After speaking, he looked at the others and said firmly, "We need to get to Earth as fast as possible, make a plan there, and wait for that hateful Thanos to come knocking."
Hearing Star-Lord's words, the others also nodded in agreement.
Groot also put away his game console and went with Rocket to the bottom of the spaceship to perform repair work, after all, they couldn't go to Earth without a spaceship.
On Earth, Meng Ran was looking at the defense deployment plan on the computer in Six-Point Star Base.
Just as he and Peter were discussing, Xiao Bai's voice came from the broadcast.
"Sir, an unidentified spaceship is detected approaching Earth; they are expected to pass through the atmosphere in two minutes."
"According to analysis, their landing point should be in the desert of Las Vegas."
Hearing Xiao Bai's broadcast, Meng Ran narrowed his eyes, then immediately said, "Synchronize the intelligence to Tony and Nick Fury, tell them we'll go check out the situation first."
"Then handle all the cameras within a few kilometers of the landing point, and at the same time, have the Iron Soldiers patrol the area, don't let unsuspecting civilians enter this area."
"Received." Hearing Meng Ran's command, Xiao Bai immediately replied.
Finally, Meng Ran took Gwen and Peter to the estimated landing point, awaiting the arrival of these uninvited guests.
In the desert of Las Vegas, dry hot wind blew, moving the yellow sand on the ground forward.
In the clear blue sky, a spacecraft was trailing a long gaseous tail, rapidly flying and descending towards the ground.
Meng Ran and the others on the ground also watched the descending spacecraft, waiting to see who exactly was inside.
Originally, Meng Ran didn't know who these people were, but after seeing the somewhat familiar-looking, gaudily painted aircraft, he remembered.
These people should be the Guardians of the Galaxy; he just didn't know why they suddenly came to Earth.
After the spaceship landed steadily, Star-Lord and his companions cautiously walked out of the hatch.
Upon seeing Meng Ran and the two others standing silently outside, Star-Lord, somewhat confused, asked them.
"Woah, sorry we landed here. Your clothes are very nice, so is this some kind of film crew? What movie are you shooting?"
Hearing Star-Lord's question, Meng Ran and the others exchanged glances, not knowing how to answer this somewhat awkward question.
Seeing their silent lack of response, Star-Lord lightly coughed, then revealed his identity as an Earthling to try and get closer.
"Cough ~ Although we're in a spaceship, and some of my companions are a bit strange, I'm an Earthling. My name is Peter Quill, I'm from Missouri, you can also call me Star-Lord."
Hearing Star-Lord's self-introduction, Meng Ran also spoke, "OK, Star-Lord, let me introduce myself first."
"We are the guardians of Earth, because a crazy alien might attack Earth in the near future, so Earth is currently under martial law."
"Now all outsiders need to clearly state their intentions, so what are you here for?"
Hearing Meng Ran's self-introduction, Star-Lord also retorted in disbelief, "Guardians of Earth? Earth has changed a lot over the years. Have the armies disappeared now? And people in strange clothes like you maintain order."
Star-Lord's words made Meng Ran frown. Although he knew this idiot in front of him didn't mean any harm, his words were indeed not very pleasant to hear.
Thinking of this, Meng Ran decided to be more serious, so he stared at Star-Lord and asked in a stern, deep voice, "Excuse me, sir, I am not joking with you."
"If you don't truthfully state your intentions, then don't blame me for being impolite."
As he spoke, the originally clear sky suddenly turned gloomy, and violent purple lightning began to swirl around Meng Ran.
Immediately after his words fell, violent purple lightning crashed down from the gloomy sky, striking fiercely around Star-Lord and the others, directly blasting several scorched giant pits in the desert next to them.
"You have two minutes to clearly state your intentions. If you can't explain yourselves, then next time the lightning will strike you."
Looking at the Guardians of the Galaxy, who were somewhat stunned by the lightning, Meng Ran also bared a terrifying grin and said in a deep voice.
"The countdown starts now."
Chapter 335 Attack
After Meng Ran's stern warning, Star-Lord and his team immediately chose to comply, honestly recounting their experiences and the reason for their arrival on Earth.
After listening to Star-Lord's narration, Meng Ran understood the full story behind their presence.
"It seems Thanos plans to make Earth his final stop, after collecting the other three Infinity Stones."
Thinking this, Meng Ran gave Star-Lord a deep look. The poor man still didn't know that his girlfriend would be sacrificed by his purple-skinned father-in-law to obtain the Soul Stone.
Meng Ran didn't plan to tell him in advance; explaining it would be too complicated. It was better to wait until Thanos arrived and let Star-Lord ask him personally.
After clarifying the situation, Meng Ran brought Star-Lord and the others to the Avengers' base.
Seeing the spatial portal he casually opened, Star-Lord and the others exchanged silent glances. They were all Rejoice that they hadn't thrown any tantrums earlier and had chosen to comply.
Tony and his team, upon learning the Guardians of the Galaxy's intentions, also lowered their guard. After all, these people's arrival on Earth brought them some crucial information.
According to Star-Lord's account, Thanos's invasion of Earth was imminent. Although they were fully prepared, they still felt a degree of tension.
Meng Ran and his team chose a desolate, uninhabited area in Africa as their battlefield. There was virtually no human activity there, so even intense combat wouldn't accidentally harm civilians or towns.
Moreover, with the Guardians of the Galaxy's experience of landing on Earth, Meng Ran and Tonydecided to immediately launch several long-range detection satellites to expand their monitoring range in the universe.
At the same time, all satellites already in orbit spread outwards, ensuring they would know immediately when Thanos's army jumped into the solar system.
The meticulously arranged battlefield and traps were ready, now just waiting for Thanos's army to descend upon Earth.
On Vormir, as the red planet in the sky gradually formed a ring, Thanos opened his eyes in the pool and sat up.
He looked at the Infinity Gauntlet on his left hand, then at his right hand.
In his right hand, he held an infinity stone emitting a bright orange glow—the Soul Stone.
This stone was obtained by Thanos sacrificing his most beloved daughter.
Thinking of Gamora, Thanos clenched his right hand.
"I promised I would show you the view after the plan succeeded. Although you are no longer here, I will take the Soul Stone to Earth and see that sight for you."
Thanos murmured softly, as if making a final farewell to Gamora.
After speaking, he opened his right hand again and placed the orange Soul Stone onto the Infinity Gauntlet, allowing it to firmly adhere.
Orange energy rippled from the gauntlet, spreading throughout Thanos's entire body.
He could feel the power of the Infinity Gauntlet increasing with the number of stones attached to it.
After carefully sensing the boundless energy, Thanos stood up and walked towards the distant spaceship.
The Soul Stone was in hand; the next stop was Earth.
On Earth, in the center of the designated battlefield in Africa, Meng Ran, Doctor Strange, and Tonywere boredly playing poker.
To ensure that Thanos would land here as soon as he appeared, Meng Ran and Doctor Strange, holding the stones, could only resort to this clumsy method, waiting here continuously for Thanos's army to arrive.
"Plane! Can't beat that, right?"
"Three Aces with two Threes, want it?"
"Hmph! A bomb, actually."
"No problem, I have a bigger one, a King Bomb!"
"Can't beat that, right? A Five, and I'm out! Hahahaha!"
Watching Tony's continuous winning plays, Meng Ran and Doctor Strange were a bit speechless.
"It's not that I'm saying it, but everyone here is trash. This game is really fun. I must suggest to the casinos in Las Vegas to add this game."
Tony said proudly, tearing off several strips of paper and sticking them on Meng Ran's and Doctor Strange's faces.
After a round of 'combat', Meng Ran's and Doctor Strange's faces were almost out of space for more paper strips.
Meng Ran also couldn't understand why Tony's luck was so good; he was the landlord every round, had big cards every round, and won every round.
"I'm not playing anymore, not playing anymore, this game is utterly boring." Doctor Strange said, blowing off the paper strips from his face, looking utterly defeated.
"Why aren't you playing anymore? We've only just started. Didn't you say you were bored just now? Come on, let's play a little longer." Tony, who was already hooked on the game, clearly didn't want to let go of the disheartened Doctor Strange.
Just as Tony was urging Doctor Strange, Xiaobai's broadcast sounded.
"Detecting a large number of spacecraft appearing in the galaxy. Predicted to be Thanos's army. Please prepare."
Hearing Xiaobai's broadcast, the several people who were just playing cards instantly became serious.
Meng Ran and Doctor Strange pulled the paper strips from their faces and looked up at Thanos's approaching army.
Appearing in the sky even before the massive starships were the triangular small spacecraft attached to them.
These triangular spacecraft landed on the ground, their heavy bodies causing the ground to indent slightly.
After these spacecraft landed, their outer shells slid upwards, revealing the large numbers of alien soldiers and strangely shaped alien monsters riding inside.
Ebony Maw and Corvus Glaive also landed on the ground at this time, standing in the distance and looking at Meng Ran and the others.
Corvus Glaive gritted his teeth in hatred upon seeing Meng Ran, wishing he could kill him with just a look, but the vast disparity in strength forced him to choose compliance, not daring to advance alone to fight.
Upon seeing Meng Ran and the others, Ebony Maw raised his arm and waved it in their direction.
With his movement, the alien soldiers and strangely shaped alien monsters that had emerged from the spacecraft roared and charged towards Meng Ran and his team.
These alien soldiers and monsters were numerous, surging forward like a dense swarm of ants.
"The card game can wait a bit; now we need to clean up these alien scum who showed up uninvited," Meng Ran said in a deep voice, looking at the enemies surging like a tide.
Beside him, Doctor Strange, upon hearing his words, waved both hands, directly conjuring two golden-red magical shields on his hands.
At the same time, he shook his head and said, "No more cards later. Let's play a different game. How about 'Guess the Song'? I'm quite good at that."