Support me and be 30 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/Draco_
For every 5 Patreon memberships I receive, I'll release 15 chapters all at once. Your support means a lot to me.
*****
"Respected Mr. Halsey, please forgive our prior insolence!"
At this moment, the look T'Chaka directed toward Fini held a trace of awe alongside respect. He couldn't help but wonder if Fini himself was some sort of deity.
After all, if their status wasn't equal, how could he possibly have come into contact with their Great Panther God?
Wakanda's faith wasn't limited to Bast alone. For instance, the Jabari Tribe on the snow-capped mountains worshipped the Gorilla God, which proved they believed in the existence of many deities.
"It's no problem, Your Majesty. There's no need for that."
Fini felt a surge of satisfaction at T'Chaka's shift in attitude. From the looks of it, he had already succeeded in more than half of his goal. He wasn't asking for the entire mine—taking a little Vibranium would hardly affect them at all.
"Please wait a moment while I inform everyone to welcome you with our highest protocols," T'Chaka said with a grave expression, terrified of slighting Fini.
"No, no! That won't be necessary!"
Fini was startled and quickly shook his head. He decided to state his purpose directly. "Actually, I came here today hoping for a favor."
T'Chaka's expression tightened slightly, but he replied in a deep voice, "Please, give us your commands!"
"It isn't anything difficult."
Noticing the tense expressions on Ramonda and Shuri nearby, Fini smiled and explained, "I possess a very precious item, but its container is damaged. I've heard that Vibranium is a very unique metal, so I was hoping to borrow some to forge a new vessel for it."
Hearing this, all three of them let out a quiet sigh of relief. To others, Vibranium might cost ten thousand dollars a gram, but to them, that entire mountain of ore hadn't even been fully excavated yet.
"No problem at all!"
T'Chaka agreed immediately, though he still harbored a slight curiosity. He continued, "May I ask what kind of vessel you wish to forge, Mr. Halsey?"
Shuri, standing to the side, also looked intrigued. She was the smartest person in Wakanda, and much of their technology was her own invention. Naturally, she was fascinated by such projects.
"A pendant, I think."
Fini had thought about it for a long time before coming here. He had ultimately decided against forging a gauntlet, as it would be too conspicuous. It was better to make something like the Eye of Agamotto that he could wear at all times.
Hearing that it was merely a pendant, T'Chaka finally set his mind at ease. He said readily, "Leave it to us, then. We certainly won't disappoint you!"
Fini simply nodded without refusing. He had originally intended just to borrow the raw metal, but it seemed T'Chaka wanted to handle the craftsmanship as well.
He figured he'd let Wakanda try first. If their forging level wasn't up to par, he'd just take the raw material and visit the Dwarves when he eventually went to Asgard.
Wary of any accidents occurring if he delayed, Fini prepared to head back and retrieve the Tesseract immediately.
Re-equipping 'Incursio', Fini walked to the palace gates.
He found a large crowd of Wakandan soldiers surrounding the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, watching it with a mix of fear and curiosity, though none dared to get too close.
Since his goal had been achieved, Fini no longer needed the dragon for intimidation. Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, he turned it back into a card and tucked it away.
"Wow, how did you do that? Is that magic too? That is so cool!"
Perhaps because Shuri was younger and more lighthearted, she didn't treat Fini with the same heavy reverence and fear as her parents. To her, he was more of an idol.
Fini couldn't help but smile behind his visor. He liked Shuri's personality; knowing she was a brilliant researcher, he secretly considered trying to recruit her to help Helen Cho later.
With his portals, it didn't take Fini long to make the round trip.
Returning with the Tesseract, Fini followed Shuri to the underground laboratories of Wakanda. Along the way, he saw the massive Vibranium veins and the maglev trains transporting the excavated ore.
"Wakanda likely possesses the most advanced technology on Earth," Fini remarked to Shuri, genuinely impressed.
"Obviously!"
Shuri nodded proudly, not missing the chance to show off. "And I developed a lot of the things you see here!"
"Impressive, truly impressive."
Fini gave her a thumbs-up, which kept her in high spirits the entire way as she chattered on, introducing every piece of equipment to him.
Once in the lab, Fini took out the Tesseract and warned Shuri sternly, "This thing is dangerous. You must remember never to touch it with any part of your body."
Shuri was an ordinary girl, far below the standard required to handle an Infinity Stone. If she touched the Tesseract while harboring even a stray thought of using it, her body would likely collapse. Fini warned her repeatedly.
Shuri nodded cautiously, looking at the Tesseract in Fini's hand with trepidation.
"Inside this cube is a gem. I want a pendant that can house and encase it," Fini stated his requirements.
"What kind of gem is it?"
Hearing Fini's words, Shuri didn't think too much of it. She stared at the pale blue Tesseract with curiosity.
To ensure she remained careful, Fini decided to tell her a bit about the history of the Infinity Stones. "A very, very long time ago—so long I don't even know the exact date—there was a Big Bang."
"The explosion created six stones, each possessing the power to destroy a planet. Each has its own unique attribute."
"They are Power, Space, Mind, Reality, Time, and Soul. The one inside here is the stone containing the attribute of Space!"
Listening to Fini's story, Shuri was stunned for a long while before she swallowed hard and asked carefully, "You're saying this is a product of the Big Bang... and it can destroy a planet?"
"Yes."
Seeing how scared she looked, Fini chuckled and comforted her, "But don't worry, the requirements to use it are very high. It's not like just anyone who picks it up can blow up a world."
Even with Fini saying so, the look Shuri cast toward the Tesseract remained fearful.
Fortunately, with Fini accompanying her, she soon calmed down and began to curiously study this artifact of the universe's creation.
Fini didn't break the shell of the Tesseract immediately. He let Shuri study and analyze its structure first, which would help her in designing the pendant.
Throughout the subsequent research, Fini stayed by her side. He still harbored a degree of wariness toward Wakanda.
It had to be said that Shuri was indeed a genius. In just three days, she figured out the structural composition of the Tesseract's material and began preparing to forge the pendant for Fini using Vibranium.
(End of Chapter)