Nidavellir, the realm of the dwarves.
Built around a dazzling neutron star, like a gigantic Dyson sphere, hundreds of dwarves live on the massive ring.
They possessed the most powerful forging techniques in the Nine Realms, and the artifacts they crafted were renowned throughout the universe.
Unfortunately, long ago, the dwarves were conquered by the mighty Odin, and Nidavellir became one of his ruled territories.
The dwarves therein could only serve Asgard.
Of course, in return, they would also enjoy the protection of Asgard and Odin.
And this allowed Nidavellir and the dwarves to maintain peace for a very long time.
Suddenly, on the tranquil Nidavellir ring, a rainbow beam of light abruptly descended.
The light quickly dissipated, leaving only a burly figure behind.
He was clad in armor, but the silver armor was still stained with fresh blood, and behind him was a huge skull bound by chains.
The skull had two demon-like long horns.
"Brother Eitri, I'm back!"
Stepping out of the rainbow bridge was none other than Odin's son Thor, currently yelling excitedly at the crowd of dwarves.
"Thor, you actually...really defeated Surtur?"
Very quickly, a "dwarf" nearly three meters tall hurriedly came before Thor.
He looked with disbelief at the demon skull Thor carried on his back.
"Of course, I have awakened my divine power. No enemy can stop my steps."
Thor nonchalantly threw the demon skull carried on his back to the ground.
"Don't know how this guy was supposed to trigger Ragnarok? His power was pitifully weak."
Even now, Thor finds it very hard to believe the prophecy of Ragnarok would be triggered by this guy.
"Oh right, take back this hammer, compared to my Mjolnir it's far inferior, and feels completely unwieldy."
Thor then stopped dwelling on the matter of Ragnarok, as he no longer believed in that "ridiculous" prophecy.
Slowly handing the silver hammer in his hand to the dwarf.
His eyes full of disdain.
Compared to other hammers, he still preferred his own Mjolnir, but...
"Of course, that hammer is one of my outstanding works."
Eitri likewise said regretfully.
"But don't worry Thor, now that you've really brought back Surtur's skull, I will use my consummate forging skills to forge another powerful king artifact for you."
"Its power will even surpass your father Odin's spear Gungnir!"
While comforting Thor, Eitri's eyes also showed strong excitement and anticipation.
As blacksmiths, the more powerful the artifacts they forged, the more proud they would feel.
Only, under Odin's protection they rarely had the chance to forge sufficiently powerful weapons, until Thor had suddenly arrived a few days ago.
With Odin's permission, preparing to forge a new weapon.
Without any restrictions whatsoever, even a king's weapon exclusive to the Asgardian king could be forged.
This undoubtedly excited Eitri instantly.
He unhesitatingly wanted to forge Stormbreaker, the king weapon he had long since designed, for Thor.
But very quickly, he scrapped this plan.
Stormbreaker was indeed extremely powerful, its power could even rival Odin's spear Gungnir.
But there was no limit to forging weapons, and what Eitri pursued his whole life was breaking the limits of weapons.
And this time was the perfect opportunity.
...
"Surtur's skull, plus the Eternal Flame..."
Slowly picking up Surtur's skull from the ground, Eitri forcefully suppressed the intense excitement within him, slowly walking towards the enormous forge.
"The power of giants and flames, the interweaving of thunder and storms..."
"This still unborn weapon will possess earth-shattering power."
Arriving before the enormous forge.
Eitri unhesitatingly threw the huge Surtur skull into the forge.
"Brothers, fire up the forge!"
In the next moment, Eitri called out with raised arms to the other dwarves.
Instantly, as several dwarves collaborated to activate the heating mechanism of the forging furnace.
The stellar ring surrounding the neutron star began to slowly rotate and gradually converge.
Snort!
In an instant, the central neutron star burst forth with an incomparably dazzling light, and a beam containing scorching heat surged out from above the neutron star in an instant.
Puff puff puff…
Through the central mechanism of the ring-shaped apparatus, it instantly ignited the enormous forge surrounding the neutron star.
Even Thor, who was very far from the forge, instantly felt a blast of searing heat rushing up to his face.
"This is the dwarves' forging skills!"
Intoxicatedly watching everything, Thor became even more eager for the weapon he was about to receive.
"Go for it!"
As the neutron star's massive energy beam kept pouring into the forge.
The intense high temperature produced was roasting Surtur's skull inside the forge.
However, perhaps due to its own fiery nature, even though the temperature in the forge had reached terrifying levels.
There was still no sign of the Surtur skull melting.
"Hurry, put in the Uru metal."
Following the dwarven king Eitri's command, several dwarves brought over several pieces of silver Uru metal raw materials and unhesitatingly threw them into the forge.
Even one of the hardest metals in the entire universe, the Uru metal, was almost instantly melted by the incredibly intense heat as soon as it entered the forge.
Turning into a pool of liquid metal-like magma.
"Take this chance, put in the witch's feather and the giant's arrowhead."
"They can let the forged weapon gain owner recognition and target-locking abilities!"
Eitri continued shouting, and the clansmen who had long been waiting by the side instantly took out a silver-white feather and a broken arrowhead, putting them into the forge.
And as soon as these two things entered the forge, they were also directly melted.
However, at the moment of their melting, there was a visible strange fluctuation, and they merged into the liquid metal in the forge together.
Very quickly, all the forging steps were complete, but Surtur's skull still hadn't melted from the intense heat.
"Keep raising the temperature!"
Eitri shouted anxiously.
"Chief, we can't increase the temperature any further, otherwise our forge might..."
Some other dwarves wanted to remind him.
"Listen to me, directly activate maximum power, even if the forge is destroyed..."
Eitri's face was resolute, as if he had already gone mad.
In the next moment, an even more scorching beam spewed out from the neutron star. The intense heat even made the enormous forge's outer walls start glowing fiery red.
"Chief..."
"Wonderful, it finally melted!"
Some dwarves wanted to remind Eitri, but then saw Eitri staring fixedly at the scene in the forge, his expression full of excitement.
...
(End of Chapter)