Thanos stroked his chin thoughtfully after hearing what Corvus Glaive had to say. After a brief pause, he nodded and said, "Then Corvus Glaive and Ebony Maw will accompany you this time. With the two of them, I believe the situation on Midgard will be resolved."
His voice left no room for negotiation.
Thanos believed he was treating this so-called strongest man on Midgard with great seriousness. He was dispatching his top lieutenants—Corvus Glaive, the warrior, and Ebony Maw, the strategist. Rarely did he send both at once. They were his right and left hands. With them involved, Thanos couldn't fathom the possibility of failure.
Perhaps he had overestimated Alex Ray. It was entirely possible that Loki's failure to defeat him stemmed from Loki simply being too weak.
But if this next move failed as well, then the fault would no longer lie with Alex—it would mean Loki was the problem.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Corvus Glaive responded with respectful obedience.
Ebony Maw gave a slight bow as well, indicating his full compliance with Thanos' order.
A glimmer of cunning flickered in Ebony Maw's eyes, as though he were already calculating how to extract the most value from this operation.
Loki dropped to one knee and solemnly vowed, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will retrieve the Cosmic Cube and return it to you. If I fail... I will take my own life as atonement."
His voice was resolute, but as he lowered his head, a subtle murderous light flashed in his eyes.
It was clear he had no true intention of keeping that promise.
Thanos merely stared at Loki in silence. His gaze was deep and penetrating, as though he could see right through him.
He finally spoke again. "Don't worry. My promise still stands. As long as you fulfill your mission, you'll be king of Midgard."
He paused briefly before continuing coldly, "I'll send the Chitauri army and the Leviathan to assist you. Clear out all resistance on Midgard."
Then, his tone shifted, taking on an unmistakable chill: "But I warn you—do not disappoint me. If you dare to betray me, or fail to deliver, I will hold the people of Asgard—and your family—responsible."
A terrifying glint appeared in Thanos' eyes, as though he could consume Loki whole.
Loki felt an oppressive weight settle on him. He trembled slightly, despite himself.
He forced a calm smile to mask his panic.
He hadn't expected Thanos to threaten him using the people of Asgard.
The fury and helplessness that rose within him were swiftly buried—this was not the time to show defiance or protest. He had to endure the humiliation and pressure in silence.
To Loki, the people of Asgard didn't matter much.
He was driven by ambition, by a lust for power and status that left no room for sentiment. He was willing to sacrifice anything. Well—almost anything.
If his mother were threatened, he wouldn't hesitate to fight back.
She was the only person in the world he truly cared for.
He had some vague affection and respect for Thor—but it was minimal. His throne meant more to him than any family bond.
Loki could sacrifice everything for his ambitions. But even he had a bottom line—and that was the Queen of Asgard.
He knew Thanos wasn't bluffing.
Thanos always kept his word—especially when it came to punishment. If Loki disappointed him, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Loki lowered his head further, speaking with a tone that was as steady as he could manage.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I understand."
"Go prepare. Corvus Glaive and Ebony Maw will summon you when the time comes," Thanos said, dismissing him with a wave.
He acted as though Loki's part in the plan was already guaranteed to succeed.
Loki quickly bowed and left Thanos' chambers.
As he walked away, Ebony Maw turned to Thanos and asked, "Your Majesty, why assign this task to an outsider? Now that we know the location of the Cosmic Cube, why not retrieve it ourselves?"
Thanos turned to face him, his gaze sharp and unreadable.
"It's not that simple," he said slowly. "Odin may be old, but he isn't dead yet."
He paused. "And the sorcerer on Midgard is powerful—very powerful."
"If Loki hadn't been leading the way, even you would've had no chance of returning alive. Your role is to support him—not to lead."
He narrowed his eyes. "Avoid unnecessary complications. We need to gather the Infinity Stones as quickly as possible."
Not far away, Kaito Daiki leaned casually against the wall behind the door. Naturally, he wasn't allowed into Thanos' inner chamber.
But that didn't mean he hadn't been keeping himself busy.
While Loki was inside, Daiki had been casually scoping out the surroundings—his thief's instincts ever alert for any valuables.
He didn't dare to get too bold, though. He could sense at least four powerful presences in the room—each one rivaling or exceeding his own. Thanos himself was clearly the most dangerous of all.
Still, just because he couldn't win in a fight didn't mean he couldn't escape. Now wasn't the right time for theft anyway.
Watching Loki walk out looking grim and brooding brought a smirk to Daiki's face.
Loki ignored Daiki's expression. While the presence of Supergiant earlier had made him cautious—she could easily see through his thoughts—now that he was away from her, his mind began churning once more.
He was already scheming.
The ideal situation would be to pit Corvus Glaive and Alex Ray against each other—two incredibly powerful forces locked in a brutal clash.
Ideally, both would suffer heavy damage. Then he could swoop in and seize the prize—the Space Stone.
Once he possessed the power of the Space Stone, Loki would be unstoppable.
No one would be able to oppose him.
But he knew the plan wasn't foolproof.
He had to remain vigilant. If Alex Ray was defeated too quickly, then all his hopes would be crushed. He'd have no choice but to return to Thanos and live the rest of his life in humiliation.
The worst-case scenario?
Alex Ray overpowering Corvus Glaive easily.
That would mean Loki would lose his final opportunity to return to Thanos' favor—and he'd be forced to wander the cosmos, alone and hunted.
So Loki's best option now was to lead Corvus Glaive and the others into battle with Alex and the Midgardians—and wait for the perfect moment.
Once both sides were worn down, he would choose the weaker one to support.
Only then could he seize the upper hand.
The only risk? A misstep could mean death for all involved.
Kaito Daiki, still watching him carefully, finally asked, "Need help? My fees are steep."
Loki snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at him. In that moment, realization struck—having Daiki and his portal device on hand was the perfect safeguard.
With Daiki's portal gun, nothing could go wrong.
Though Kaito Daiki didn't quite understand what Loki was planning, he saw the dark expression on Loki's face vanish—replaced by the proud smirk he was used to seeing.
Daiki chuckled.
Looks like following this Loki is going to get real interesting.
But it's about time I met this Alex Ray myself. Everyone keeps talking about him—and from the sounds of it, he's sitting on a mountain of treasures!
---------
🎇🎇 Check out new Fanfiction 🎇🎇
🎊 Naruto : Tsunade You're Really Drunk 🎊
---------
Bonus Chapter - 150 Power Stones
2nd Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
---------------
📚 Enjoying the Story? Get Ahead Now!
Can't wait for the next twist or epic moment?
Join my Patreon and unlock 40+ advanced chapters—read ahead of everyone else! 🔥
👉 https://www.patreon.com/UK21
Your support means the world to me—thank you so much! 💖
-------------