"Poor thing…"
Hearing Loki's words, Thanos stopped mocking him. He shook his head, genuinely feeling that the man before him was pitiful—almost pathetic.
Loki had spent his entire life desperate for Odin's approval, yet from beginning to end, Odin had only ever regarded him as a tool—a pawn meant to control the Frost Giants.
Odin gave Loki the illusion of equality, only to crush it in the end and cast him into a cosmic wormhole.
As Odin grew older, he appeared to become kinder, no longer waging wars at will. But that wasn't mercy—it was fear.
After obtaining the Eye of Wisdom and learning of the Celestials' existence, Odin realized his limits. So he restrained his ambition and replaced brute force with schemes and manipulation.
After all, when Odin was younger, he had sealed his own daughter, Hela, in the underworld out of fear that she would grow too powerful. He had even been willing to sacrifice all the Valkyries.
This alone proved that, in Odin's eyes, kinship and life were expendable if they threatened his authority.
Would such a man ever truly change?
Not even if the sun rose in the west.
There was an old saying: It's not that bad people become old—it's that bad people grow old.
Claiming that Odin had become better with age was nothing but a cosmic joke.
When Loki saw the pity in Thanos's eyes, he instantly lost control, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"What's that look supposed to mean?! Are you pitying me?! What do I have to be pitied for?! I am the future king of Asgard—the future ruler of the universe! One day, you will all kneel at my feet!"
Watching Loki's near-hysterical outburst, Thanos frowned.
"Enough," he said coldly. "Put away your little tricks, God of Deceit."
How could someone known as the god of cunning lose his composure over a few words?
It was obvious—he was deliberately exposing his own weakness, trying to make others think they could manipulate him.
In the past five hundred years, Thanos had seen countless people like this—those who thought themselves clever.
When Loki heard the title God of Deceit, he immediately realized that Thanos had seen through him.
His expression settled at once.
Calm. Indifferent.
"Then tell me," Loki said quietly, "what will it take for you to let me go?"
Thanos didn't answer right away.
He knew this type of person all too well.
When you use someone, they are using you just as much.
People like Loki could be used—but never trusted.
After a moment of thought, Thanos replied,"I don't need you to do anything. Just be a good bargaining chip."
He had come only to confirm one thing—that this was truly Loki.
Without another word, Thanos turned and left.
Seeing him walk away so decisively, Loki finally panicked for real.
"Wait! I have something to offer! I can help you get the Infinity Stones! I know where the Space Stone is—!"
No matter how loudly he shouted, Thanos never looked back.
…
After confirming Loki's existence, Thanos summoned his remaining subordinates.
Ebony Maw.Cull Obsidian.Supergiant.
Together with Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive, they were known as the Black Order.
They were Thanos's most trusted weapons—his right hands in conquest and war.
Once all five had returned, Thanos immediately initiated Level-One War Mobilization.
Level One meant that all civilian activity and resources were to be redirected toward war.
First, ten meteorites—each over ten thousand kilometers in diameter—were dragged into orbit around a black hole. Upon them, an interstellar war fortress was constructed.
This fortress represented Thanos's most advanced technological achievement to date.
If its protective shield was fully activated…
Well—he estimated it would take at least ten serious attacks to destroy it.
Since he hadn't tested it himself, he couldn't be completely sure.
Next, he increased population growth rates across all controlled planets.
This was preparation for the coming war with Asgard.
A real war between cosmic powers was nothing like what the movies showed—where a few leaders fought and the rest didn't matter.
Movies were simplified for runtime and audience appeal.
In a true interstellar war, casualties would start in the hundreds of millions. If it dragged on, the number could reach tens of billions—or even trillions.
Expanding the population now would ease the pressure of prolonged warfare later.
With those preparations complete, the next step was obvious.
Shipbuilding.
His goal: ten thousand warships within one year.
…
More than a year passed in the blink of an eye.
Inside the temple.
Thanos sat upon his throne, calmly looking down at his five subordinates.
After over a year of brutal training, their strength was still far from ideal—but it had improved significantly.
At the very least, they wouldn't die like disposable cannon fodder, as they had in the movies.
After a moment, Thanos ordered his weapons to be brought forth.
The Tyrant's Slaughtering Blade.The Tyrant's Armor.
The Tyrant's Blade was a two-meter-long double-edged sword, formed from two one-meter broadswords. Its core material was an adamantium alloy.
That was why Captain America's shield had shattered after only a few strikes.
After all, adamantium was even harder than vibranium.
The Tyrant's Armor was golden, etched with black patterns. Besides its terrifying physical defense, it also possessed exceptional resistance to magic.
Along with adamantium alloy, it contained a significant amount of Uru metal.
Those Uru components were the source of its magical resistance.
In the movies, even when the enraged Scarlet Witch overwhelmed Thanos, she couldn't kill him instantly—precisely because of this armor. That brief window had allowed Thanos to order the Sanctum II to launch its indiscriminate bombardment.
Once fully armed, Thanos lifted his head.
He swung the Tyrant's Blade once, then pointed it toward the sky.
"A new war has begun," he declared."Are you ready?"
The five Black Order generals immediately knelt on one knee and shouted in unison.
"Your Excellency is our guide—wherever your gaze falls, that is where we will conquer!""We will follow you to death itself, until the end of the world and the unification of the universe!""We are your most loyal servants!"
As their voices echoed, countless subordinates knelt as well, swearing their oaths.
Among them were Dark Order bio-warriors, Chitauri soldiers, Titans, and countless other races.
.....
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