The area around the wormhole leading to the Milky Way was no longer pitch-black as it once had been.
Ten massive interstellar fortresses now guarded this region, ensuring the absolute security of the wormhole.
Any enemy attempting to pass through would be blasted to pieces by the Star Fortresses.
In addition, more than a hundred warships were stationed here at all times.
Not even a fly could enter—or leave—this place unnoticed.
Today, however, even more ships were arriving one after another.
Thanos controlled 237 planets, and from each of them he had dispatched forty to fifty ships.
Attack ships, frigates, supply vessels, aircraft carriers—every type was present.
Altogether, the fleet numbered over ten thousand warships.
Even among the top powers in the universe, this was a force not to be underestimated.
A few hours later, Thanos's flagship—Sanctuary II—also arrived.
Seeing the sheer scale of the fleet, Thanos nodded with quiet satisfaction.
All warships were piloted by bio-engineered soldiers of the Dark Order. Their control chips were directly linked to Deep Blue, so loyalty was never a concern.
Beyond that, trillions of civilians lived across more than two hundred planets. Even if the Dark Order were wiped out, ordinary life could still be mobilized for war.
This level of war potential was unmatched in recorded history.
After some consideration, Thanos divided the fleet into six squadrons.
Each of the five Black Generals would command 1,500 ships, while he himself would lead over 2,500.
Finally, Corvus Glaive was assigned to lead the vanguard and enter the wormhole first.
More than an hour later, confirmation arrived from the other side—the passage was secure.
Thanos then ordered the rest of the fleet to advance in sequence.
This was a low-level wormhole, with a diameter of roughly one thousand kilometers.
Only ten ships could pass through at a time.
It took over thirty hours for all ten thousand warships to cross.
At last, Thanos piloted Sanctuary II through the wormhole as well.
On the far side, the Obsidian Five had already formed a full encirclement around the exit.
Once Temple Number Two appeared, the formation slowly spread outward.
Ten thousand ships sounded impressive, but in the vastness of space, they were still tiny.
Even gathered together, they wouldn't match the size of an average planet.
As the fleet dispersed, it occupied only a small corner of the star system.
Moments later, a three-dimensional projection of the Black Order appeared before Thanos.
The five figures knelt on one knee.
Corvus Glaive, standing at the front, spoke respectfully.
"My lord, after investigation, we have confirmed that this system's primary star is a red dwarf. No traces of life have been found on the surrounding planets. It appears to be an uninhabited and abandoned star system."
Uninhabited systems were extremely common.
In fact, more than ninety-nine percent of star systems in the universe were unsuitable for life.
Some stars were too old, others too young. Some emitted deadly radiation.
Life could only emerge under exceptionally rare conditions.
After Corvus Glaive finished, Supergiant spoke.
"My lord, although no life was detected, we discovered traces of meteorite mining. Based on the erosion patterns, the activity dates back over a hundred years. This suggests the wormhole formed relatively recently."
Supergiant was one of only two women in the Black Order.
She stood around 1.7 meters tall, with blue skin and a face hidden beneath a silver veil.
Like Ebony Maw, she specialized in psychic abilities—mental control, telepathy, memory extraction, and thought transmission.
Compared to Ebony Maw, the two had different strengths, but neither was inferior.
After Supergiant's report, Cull Obsidian also spoke, followed by Ebony Maw.
Once all reports were complete, Thanos nodded calmly.
"The five of you will scout the surrounding systems," he ordered."If you encounter inhabited planets or enemy forces, do not engage. Report to me first."
The holograms nodded in unison.
"Yes, sir."
The transmission ended.
Immediately, the Obsidian Five led their respective fleets toward the nearest stars.
Meanwhile, Thanos ordered his subordinates to continue transporting resources through the wormhole.
He intended to build ten interstellar fortresses here as well.
Once complete, this position would be nearly unassailable.
There was no need to rush the conquest of the Milky Way.
He could advance slowly and steadily.
After all—
Time was on his side.
Odin was old.
Even without invasion, Asgard would fall within a few short years.
…
The universe can be said to be either endlessly vast—or surprisingly small.
On the third day after the Black Order departed to scout, Thanos received a report from Ebony Maw.
They had discovered a planet with life.
The planet was roughly two-thirds the size of Talos.
Its surface was a brilliant sky blue, breathtakingly beautiful.
Nearly seventy percent of its landmass was covered in lush green vegetation.
More importantly, Ebony Maw confirmed something critical.
Several hundred Asgardian warriors were currently present on the planet, harvesting natural resources.
Why call them "native"?
Because there was no trace of local technology.
No orbital ports.No cities.No vehicles.No aircraft.
Only five Asgardian transport ships floated in orbit—and their engines weren't even powered on.
They showed zero vigilance.
That was understandable.
Asgard had not known true war for thousands of years.
They had never imagined that someone would dare to invade them.
.....
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