The blue gravitational pull beam descended, and two tall figures materialized not far from Abel and Loki.
One was a hooded figure with gray skin, a grotesque face, and a lean yet explosively powerful physique. He wielded a double-bladed weapon and fixed his aggressive gaze on Abel.
The other was a woman with blue skin, clad in a black and white bodysuit with a flowing white hooded cloak. Her attire bore a resemblance to Abel's own.
Facing this alien woman, Abel could sense an astonishingly strong psychic force emanating from her. Even unintentionally, she radiated an overwhelming aura of aggression and corrosion toward those around her.
These two were none other than members of Thanos's Black Order—Corvus Glaive and Supergiant.
"Under Thanos's command?" Abel questioned.
"Abel Shaw, the great Thanos has taken notice of you. You are an anomaly in our plans, so we must eliminate you in advance," Corvus Glaive declared.
To Thanos, both the Ancient One and Odin were obstacles to his conquest, but in a way, he also served as a check against them. However, had Abel maintained a harmonious relationship with Kamar-Taj—especially with the Vishanti, the trinity behind Kamar-Taj—Thanos's forces might not have been able to reach Earth at this moment. But Abel had defied the will of the Vishanti, placing himself in a precarious position. Bound by cosmic rules, the Ancient One could not intervene against Thanos's forces, and the Vishanti, still coveting the new magic Abel had mastered, were waiting for him to face a true life-or-death crisis, hoping to force him into a contract to become the next Sorcerer Supreme. Thus, they had no intention of helping him avoid this threat.
"What are your names?" Abel asked.
"You may call me Corvus Glaive," the warrior replied before glancing at his companion.
The blue-skinned woman took a step forward and said, "I am Supergiant. And the Mind Scepter in your hand—return it to us."
As soon as she spoke, Abel felt a sudden dizziness cloud his mind. He quickly snapped back to awareness and immediately employed Occlumency to fortify his mental defenses. His consciousness cleared just in time to see Corvus Glaive seize the opportunity to strike, swinging his weapon at Abel with deadly precision.
Corvus's glaive was a formidable weapon, capable of cutting through almost anything. Abel wasn't sure whether his magic would be able to counter it. In such a critical moment, he couldn't afford to take unnecessary risks, so he instinctively used the Mind Scepter in his hand to block the incoming attack.
Clang!
A sharp, metallic sound rang out. The Mind Stone's power managed to resist Corvus Glaive's weapon, but Corvus's mastery of melee combat far surpassed Abel's. With a swift flick of his blade, he disarmed Abel, sending the scepter flying. Already anticipating this, Loki reached out and caught it, reclaiming it with a smirk.
At that moment, Corvus continued his relentless assault against Abel, while Supergiant approached Loki and instructed, "Proceed with the invasion as planned. The Space Stone within the Tesseract isn't our only target. We will also claim the Time Stone hidden on Earth."
"Of course," Loki sneered, nodding slightly. He cast a final glance at Abel before vanishing in a shimmering mirage.
Now, with Loki gone, Supergiant took another step forward, unleashing an overwhelming psychic wave that surged toward Abel, attempting to invade his mind.
Supergiant's mental prowess was immense—she possessed mind control, telepathy, psychic projection, and even the ability to steal memories. Her synergy with Corvus Glaive created a deadly combination of ranged and melee attacks, honed to near perfection.
Struggling to evade Corvus's relentless strikes while resisting Supergiant's powerful psychic intrusion, Abel found himself unable to focus on casting spells. Even with Occlumency, he was only barely holding his own, his combat effectiveness severely hampered.
Sching!
Corvus's glaive slashed across Abel's chest, leaving a searing wound.
Gritting his teeth, Abel prepared to use Apparition to gain distance, but just as he activated his magic, a sudden psychic burst from Supergiant disrupted his concentration, causing his teleportation to fail.
Damn it!
If they won't let me escape, then I'll go all out!
Without hesitation, Abel activated the built-in abilities of his suit. From his helmet's visor, twin red laser beams shot toward Corvus Glaive, but the warrior effortlessly deflected them with his weapon, scattering the energy into thin slivers that left deep cuts on the surrounding terrain.
"Hmph. Is this all your so-called human technology can do?" Corvus scoffed.
"I've got plenty more—you'll have time to learn," Abel retorted.
As he spoke, the arc reactor on his chest glowed with an intense orange hue. A concentrated repulsor blast fired from his chest, but Corvus sidestepped it with ease.
"You missed," Corvus sneered. "Were you aiming at thin air?"
But just as his words fell, a pained cry echoed from behind him.
Instinctively, Corvus turned to look—only to see Supergiant staggering backward, caught off guard by the repulsor blast. She had narrowly avoided a direct hit but was momentarily stunned by the unexpected attack.
"Now do you see what I was aiming at?" Abel smirked.
Corvus's eyes widened in realization, and he quickly turned back toward Abel—only to be met with a devastating force.
Abel clenched his left fist, and with a burst of flames, two enchanted rings—one of pure energy and one of frost—manifested over his gloved fingers. He punched forward, unleashing a shockwave of immense power.
Boom!
The impact sent Corvus flying, the sheer force of the blast shattering the ground beneath him. He crashed through a massive boulder before tumbling into a mound of dirt. Blood spewed from his mouth, and his body lay broken, his bones and muscles crushed by the attack.
Buzzing... Crack!
Yet even as he lay there, his body began to regenerate rapidly, his wounds sealing at an unnerving speed.
Corvus Glaive slowly stepped out of the debris, his eyes gleaming with renewed ferocity as he locked onto Abel once more, ready for another round.