Nidavellir is not a particularly life-rich planet either. Aside from Earth—which belongs to humans among the Nine Realms—most others, like Asgard, follow a similar structure: a flat, disc-like land beneath a dome-like sky.
The same holds true for Nidavellir, the realm of the dwarves. However, their forging grounds are not on the planet itself, but on a cosmic star ring in space, where they craft powerful artifacts. Utilizing the immense heat of a nearby neutron star, the dwarves can melt even the toughest materials for their work.
Kain and Betty left Asgard after spending a few days there, having visited nearly every notable place. Betty treated it like a tourist trip, snapping pictures at every opportunity.
Eventually, they piloted their spacecraft to the star ring where the dwarves forge their legendary artifacts.
As they approached, they were briefly warned off by the dwarves, but once Kain showed them the seal of Asgard, the dwarf king Eitri welcomed him and invited him to the star ring.
However, as they disembarked from the ship, Betty couldn't help but stare at the towering dwarves and ask in a hushed, puzzled voice,
"Kain, why are the dwarves so tall?"
The average dwarf stood over two meters tall, and King Eitri himself exceeded three. Among the Nine Realms, only a few species could rival the dwarves in sheer height.
"Dwarves aren't defined by height," Kain explained. "Think about Norse mythology—those stories mention dwarves too."
Betty whispered in surprise, "Those myths... they're real?"
"Of course," Kain replied. "Most of the figures from mythology are real. There are even Asgardians living on Earth."
He added that many mythical characters on Earth had real counterparts. For example, Gilgamesh was one of the Eternals. Unless something had changed, he was likely now in the custody of the Superhuman Registration Bureau.
While the two spoke quietly, King Eitri led Kain to a small, humble area set aside for discussion—just a few seats fashioned from iron crates. It was far from luxurious, but entirely fitting for a place dedicated to forging star-powered relics.
"You've come to forge a weapon?" Eitri asked directly.
The dwarves were famed across the realms for their craftsmanship, so it was rare for anyone to visit without that purpose. Though they were tall, the dwarves were not natural warriors.
Before coming under Asgard's protection, they were frequently bullied and exploited. It was only after pledging allegiance to Odin that their situation improved—and even then, they were rarely seen in the broader cosmos, except when summoned to forge.
"Yes," Kain said. "I want to forge a magic wand capable of channeling Infinity Stones. As for payment, tell me what you need. If it's within my power, I'll provide it."
As he spoke, he opened his palm, revealing the glowing Space Stone.
Eitri's eyes widened. If he remembered correctly, the Space Stone—once encased in the Tesseract—had been in Odin's possession.
Odin had once sought him out with the Cosmic Cube, requesting the forging of an Infinity Gauntlet. Yet now, somehow, the Space Stone was in Kain's hands.
"A wand to hold Infinity Stones? You only have the Space Stone. Will there be just one embedded in the wand or..."
"Reserve slots for five more," Kain said calmly. "As for the material, I've brought some metals. See if any of them are suitable."
He laid out over a dozen different metals, both alloyed and natural—treasures he had acquired from devouring worlds.
Eitri immediately grew intrigued. He inspected each piece with expert precision—tapping lightly with a hammer, running his fingers over their surfaces, occasionally pausing in silent contemplation. After thoroughly examining them, he discarded most, keeping only two.
"If you want to forge a magic wand that can absorb Infinity Stones, the energy conductivity must be excellent,"King Eitri explained. "Of all these metals, only two are suitable, and even those aren't enough. However, the dwarves do possess a superior material—Uru God-Steel. But you'll need to provide proper compensation to obtain it."
As Eitri finished speaking, Kain noticed the dwarf's gaze returning repeatedly to the two metals he had selected. Though the alloys weren't ideal for crafting a wand, their rarity and value clearly weren't lost on Eitri. In the vast universe, even among master forgers, such metals were prized materials.
Despite having Asgard's approval, the dwarves still required payment for forging weapons for outsiders—it was a matter of principle and tradition.
Kain smiled. "Consider these metals part of the payment. May I ask how long it will take to forge the wand?"
Eitri's expression brightened. After a moment of mental calculation, he replied, "One day. The forging itself won't take long. However, if you want the artifact to possess true spirituality, you should assist in the forging process. That way, the wand will resonate with you and recognize you as its master."
"Understood. I'll leave it in your capable hands, King Eitri."
Kain agreed readily. He understood that the bond Eitri spoke of was akin to a summoning link. Thor's Stormbreaker, for instance, was so spiritual it seemed to possess emotions—it could even get angry.
With just a day required, Betty had no complaints. She was excited to witness the birth of an artifact firsthand.
Their next planned destination was Xandar. Kain hoped to gather information while exploring. The Nova Corps governed the entire Andromeda Galaxy. Though their administration was somewhat loose—resembling a federation like the United States—their military might, when focused, was strong enough to stand against the Kree Empire. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't have allowed someone like Ronan to threaten Xandar so easily.
After the fall of the Skrull civilization, the Nova Corps rose in prominence, becoming one of the galaxy's major powers. Otherwise, Star-Lord wouldn't have entrusted them with the Power Stone.
Unfortunately, history recorded a grim fate—Xandar was eventually annihilated by Thanos.
Once Kain shared the detailed requirements for the wand, Eitri immediately began preparations. Having forged the Infinity Gauntlet before, adapting its design into a wand shape was a minor challenge for a master craftsman like him. Even with Kain's additional specifications, the dwarves' forging skills made it a straightforward task.
Earth – New Mexico.
A brilliant beam of light from the Bifrost shot down, landing in the dusty wilderness. Heimdall, ever-watchful, had pinpointed Thor's location and dispatched Sif and the Warriors Three to Earth.
"So this is Earth? It doesn't seem very impressive," grumbled Volstagg, eyeing the barren surroundings. The landscape of New Mexico was dry and empty—an unflattering contrast to the majestic, otherworldly beauty of Asgard.
"Did you come here to judge Earth's aesthetics?" Sif shot back. "We're here to find Thor. Heimdall should've sent us close to his location. Let's search the area."
The group began walking, heading toward the nearest town. Thor wouldn't be hiding in some deserted wilderness; the best course of action was to head where people gathered and start asking questions.
But before they could travel far down the road, more than a dozen vehicles appeared on the horizon, quickly surrounding them. Armed men stepped out and began to encircle Sif and her companions.
These people were agents of the Super Personnel Bureau, and Thor's hammer was located dozens of miles away. When Sif and the others arrived, the Bureau's equipment detected abnormal atmospheric data and traced the disturbances back to them.
The captain of the Super Personnel Bureau stepped forward cautiously and said,
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Earth, and we represent the Super Personnel Bureau under the jurisdiction of the United States. Are you from off-world? What is your purpose here?"
"We are—" Fandral began loudly, but was quickly interrupted by Sif, who raised a hand to silence him.
The moment Sif heard the name Super Personnel Bureau, it rang a bell. After a moment of thought, she remembered—it was one of the two organizations Kain had mentioned.
Without saying a word, she pulled out Betty's business card and calmly walked toward one of the cars, placing it on the hood.
The agents immediately raised their weapons, backing away warily. However, seeing that Sif made no threatening moves and simply placed a card on the vehicle, the captain gestured to his team to lower their weapons slightly.
These four were dressed unusually, and there was a high probability they were extraterrestrials—there was no room for carelessness.
When the captain picked up the business card, his expression stiffened for a moment. He took out a scanning device to verify its authenticity.
There were fewer than ten individuals in the United States who carried such cards.
And the name "Ross" alone was enough to warrant immediate caution. After confirming the card's authenticity, the captain quickly reported the encounter to Deputy Director Carter and ordered his agents to stand down.
Putting on a more welcoming expression, he stepped forward and said to Sif and the others,
"Apologies for earlier. We had to verify your identities. Is there anything we can assist you with?"
Sif and the others exchanged glances and chuckled softly. Then she got straight to the point:
"We're looking for someone—Thor."
"Thor?"
The captain raised an eyebrow, thinking they were joking. But seeing their serious expressions, he followed up:
"Do you have a photo or a visual reference?"
Sif tapped a few times on a device on her arm, and a projection of Thor's face appeared in the air.
"Ah, him. Yes, I remember. He caused a bit of a scene at a restricted site a few days ago. He should still be in town. I'll take you to him."
As it turned out, the captain was part of the team overseeing the area where Thor's hammer had landed. He recalled Thor's wild attempt to reach the hammer—charging into the site alone, trying to lift it in vain. He had been arrested shortly afterward and bailed out without saying much. So this guy was Thor?
"Please, come with me. I'll take you to him."
Sif and the other three followed the Bureau agents into their vehicles. As they drove, they felt a bit of relief—finding Thor on their own would have cost them more time.
Thanks to the Super Personnel Bureau's assistance, they soon found Thor in a bar.
Thor was overjoyed to see his friends and quickly introduced them to Jane, Erik, and the others.
Through the conversation, Sif and the others learned that Thor had lost his powers. He couldn't even lift his own hammer and was, for now, no different from an ordinary human.
"Thor," Sif said, "Asgard needs you. Although Loki has halted his plans for war as acting king, we fear he may try something again."
Fandral added, "We don't trust him. With Loki in charge, nothing good will come to Asgard."
Thor wore a bitter expression. He wanted to return to Asgard, but this exile had been ordered by his father. He couldn't lift Mjölnir, he had no divine power, and if he returned now, he wouldn't be able to accomplish anything.
Suddenly, Sif asked, "Thor, you've been on Earth for a while—do you know Kain Pent?"
Thor shook his head. "No, I don't. I haven't even left this town, and I've barely interacted with anyone these past few days."
"Kain Pent? Are you asking about him?" Jane Foster leaned over curiously, interjecting as soon as she heard the name. "He's supposedly the richest man on Earth. He owns the Pent Group."
The name Kain might be common, but Kain Pent was one of a kind. The Pent Group was a behemoth, dominating industries like pharmaceuticals, military technology, computing, and energy. Its scale was nearly unimaginable.
Across the entire planet, the only people untouched by Pent Group products were unborn children and those living in the most remote mountain villages.
Despite his massive influence, Kain Pent remained incredibly low-key. The only public figure associated with him was Betty Ross, who was quite well-known. But when it came to Kain himself, there was almost no available information. Aside from a few public disclosures, it was nearly impossible to find anything concrete about him.
Sif and the others didn't learn anything particularly useful from Jane, but they were still curious. Kain had spoken with Loki at length—he might have been the one who changed Loki's mind. They were eager to know what was said between them.
Still, the most pressing issue was Thor. If he could return to Asgard, it would help keep Loki in check. At the very least, it would prevent him from acting with complete impunity.
On the Dwarf Star Ring, the intense heat of the nearby neutron star—reaching tens of thousands of degrees—had completed the material melting phase. King Eitri and seven or eight dwarves quickly began combining various rare materials and slowly shaping them into a wand.
Following Eitri's instructions, Kain continuously channeled his magical energy into the forming wand. This not only tested the artifact's conductivity but also imbued it with spiritual resonance, strengthening the bond between artifact and wielder.
As the wand neared completion, Eitri began to forge its final shape. Kain assisted, adding numerous magical runes—something even Eitri, skilled as he was, couldn't do.
After a few hours, the wand suddenly erupted in a blinding burst of light, flooding the entire star ring with brilliance like daylight.
From within the radiant pillar, a human-sized wand shot forth. Its body was a deep, lustrous dark gold. The wand was straight and sturdy, with six slots at the top—five small and one large. Near the largest slot, two razor-sharp blades protruded, capable of cutting through vibranium with ease.
Kain held the wand in his hand, feeling the powerful energy radiating from it. A satisfied smile crossed his face.
"Not bad," he said, admiring the weapon. "It's a fine piece of craftsmanship."
…
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