The weapon "stored" by Asgard was, of course, Stormbreaker—or it could also be called the Storm Axe—a weapon that could be used as both an axe and a hammer.
What made Ethan curious was that, this time, without the little tree Groot, the handle of Stormbreaker might be different from the one in the movie.
As Thor's companions, Ethan and the others also received a warm welcome from Eitri.
The dwarves were quite efficient. When Thor explained why he was there, Eitri chatted with them while instructing the dwarves to prepare all the materials and molds, which had been ready for a long time.
Since the weapon to be forged for Thor had already been designed, everything was pre-made. They just needed to melt the special metal and pour the liquid into the mold.
It was that simple. With enough manpower, Eitri didn't even need to do it himself. The most important part of the entire forging process was the mold, which had been completed long ago and had been sitting in the warehouse waiting for this day.
"This weapon contains extremely powerful force. If your own strength isn't enough, you won't even be able to wield it. But since you've come here today, you must already possess the qualifications to own it. Oh, and this weapon can also directly activate the Rainbow Bridge."
The Rainbow Bridge could be considered a form of teleportation magic, allowing someone to reach any corner of the galaxy in a very short time.
Perhaps even any corner of the universe, though there was a "flight" process during teleportation. The longer the distance, the more time it took, unlike the Infinity Stones, which could instantly reach a destination.
Even so, the Rainbow Bridge was an extremely convenient means of travel. If Thor could use the Rainbow Bridge freely, the benefits would go far beyond simply visiting his girlfriend on Earth more easily.
Under Thor's expectant gaze, Stormbreaker was slowly forged.
As Ethan had guessed, without Groot and with enough dwarves working, there was no awkward situation where the weapon was about to be completed but the crucial handle was missing.
Once the weapon parts were removed from the mold, the dwarves immediately assembled them onto the pre-prepared handle while the parts were still cooling. As the weapon completely cooled, Stormbreaker was fused into one piece by a mysterious force, ensuring that the handle would never fall off in battle.
The moment Stormbreaker took shape, a powerful fluctuation erupted from the weapon. Besides Ethan, who was sensitive to energy as a mage, the only other person who sensed it was Thor, the soon-to-be owner of the weapon.
"Go on. Prove you are worthy to lift it."
Not only did Ethan pat him on the back, but Eitri, who had been overseeing the dwarves' work, also spoke up.
As Thor approached step by step, Stormbreaker slowly floated into the air. The increasing energy fluctuation forced the surrounding dwarves to retreat.
"Back! Back! Stay away from the weapon!"
The dwarves weren't unfamiliar with such situations. Throughout their lives, they had forged countless bizarre tools and divine weapons. They had seen this kind of scenario many times, so there was no panic. All the dwarves stepped back to a safe distance and quietly watched as Thor approached the new weapon.
He now had to prove that he was worthy to wield this weapon—or be blasted away by its power.
As the thunder power surging from Thor gradually resonated with Stormbreaker, the newly forged weapon no longer resisted. It even seemed to eagerly await Thor's touch.
Sensing this reaction, Thor stopped a short distance from Stormbreaker and extended his right hand.
The increasingly dazzling lightning from his body gradually resonated with the lightning emitted by Stormbreaker. In the next moment, Stormbreaker flew straight into Thor's hand. Just like with Mjolnir, Thor once again felt the sensation of being able to sense the weapon no matter how far it was, as if it were a part of his body.
With Stormbreaker in hand, he felt the thunder power within him surge. It became stronger, more stable, and easier to control. An irresistible urge arose within him—to unleash the powerful energy inside.
As he raised Stormbreaker high, the entire forge was filled with blinding lightning. Bathed in thunder, Thor now truly looked like the God of Thunder… or perhaps…
Ethan suddenly thought of the Thor who nearly cleaved Thanos in two with one final swing of his axe… and the Thor who had already grasped thunder power but was still crushed by Thanos. The stark contrast made him wonder if this guy had evolved from the God of Hammers to the God of Axes.
As the sea of lightning in the forge slowly faded, the remaining arcs retracted into Thor's body. Those who had been unable to look directly at the dazzling light finally regained their sight and saw Thor lightly swinging Stormbreaker, getting a feel for his new weapon.
Ethan finally got a good look at the newly forged Stormbreaker. It wasn't much different from the one in his memory, except that the slightly curved handle left by Groot had been replaced by a straight one, more like the design of Mjolnir.
There were some patterns engraved on the handle. Beyond aesthetics, they served a practical purpose—providing grip and preventing slipping.
Other than that, there wasn't much difference. It was clear that the dwarves prioritized function in their weapon design and didn't chase after flashy looks.
Thor walked back with Stormbreaker in hand. He felt stronger and more at ease than ever before. He even had the sudden urge to challenge Ethan.
However, having lived through fifteen hundred years of war and endured numerous trials that tempered his personality, he had long outgrown his former impulsiveness. He suppressed the urge and instead expressed confidence that he could now control the Power Stone.
"I also believe you can handle the Power Stone now."
Ethan could tell that Stormbreaker wasn't just a weapon—it had triggered a tremendous transformation in Thor.
Both the quality of the thunder power within him and his control over it had improved significantly. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he had been reborn.
"It's like a cheat."
The Thor in the original plot, who had been completely helpless against Thanos, was able to nearly kill him after obtaining Stormbreaker. That kind of leap couldn't be explained just by saying the weapon was powerful.
No wonder Odin only wanted to push Thor to awaken his potential and didn't insist on him mastering the power completely. Odin had already prepared the right tool for him. Once Thor got his hands on it, the rest would naturally fall into place.
"Being a second-generation god is so cool… wait, isn't he a third-generation god?"
As a father, Odin had paved an incredibly smooth path for Thor. All that was left was for him to go to Earth, resolve the final hidden danger, and return to Asgard to inherit the throne.
With Stormbreaker in hand, Thor now had the strength to face Thanos head-on. Even if Odin passed away, Asgard would no longer be left unprotected, and the events of Ragnarok could be avoided.
With Loki's help, and unlike in the original plot where Hela wiped out the Asgardian army beforehand, the current Asgard hadn't suffered any military losses. It remained one of the top powers in the universe. For Thanos to once again wipe out half the Asgardians, he would first need to collect all the Infinity Stones.
But now Thor and Loki intended to keep two Infinity Stones. That created a paradox.
Without defeating the Asgardians, Thanos couldn't obtain all the Infinity Stones. And without all the Infinity Stones, it would be difficult for him to defeat Asgard.
Let Thanos worry about that himself. Ethan was currently busy communicating with Eitri. He wanted to ask the Dwarf King to forge a few pieces of equipment, because using the Infinity Stones more conveniently required suitable carriers.
"What kind of carrier do you want to make?"
As the greatest craftsmen, the dwarves certainly knew what the Infinity Stones were. They had even thought about how to harness the power of the Stones in private. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to forge the Infinity Gauntlet so perfectly.
Ethan didn't need something as powerful as the Infinity Gauntlet. He wanted equipment that could channel the power of a single stone.
After all, neither Thor nor Loki could just hold a Stone in their hands every time they used it. Ethan's previous method of temporarily embedding it in a piece of equipment wasn't ideal either. The carrier would affect the energy output of the Stone, and that would directly impact its effectiveness.
"I was originally thinking of accessories like rings, but with an Infinity Stone this size, making it into a ring…"
It would be a bit too bulky, especially for someone like Thor who prefers close combat.
Embedding it directly into a weapon wasn't a good idea either. Stormbreaker was already powerful enough. Adding a Power Stone might cause unpredictable consequences.
Moreover, a weapon of this level had a structure built with precise calculations. Embedding an Infinity Stone into it would likely destroy the original "system" and turn it into nothing more than a raw energy channel.
"Can you make an item that can be worn normally but can 'stick' to any part of the body when used?"
Whether it was the back of the hand, the wrist, the chest, or even the forehead didn't matter. The goal was to use the Infinity Stones more conveniently.
He got this idea from Star-Lord's protective device.
(To be continued.)
***
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