I work as an editor at Marvel.

Otherwise, it would be virtually impossible for Karma to retract her domain without leaving a trace within the perception frequency of a legendary professional on her own.

"They're gone too. Can I go back to Midgard now?" Loki (Kalma) said, arms crossed, sounding a little impatient.

“Don’t worry, let’s go back and have a drink together. We finally got rid of that annoying guy,” Thor said, putting his arm around Loki’s shoulder.

The two are just like normal Thor and Loki, and their personalities are even slightly amplified to better highlight their unique characteristics.

At this moment, outside the solar system, within Watt Alheim, one of the nine realms, two concealed and refined beams of information traversed multiple world barriers, transmitting information from within the solar system through Mephisto's hellish dimension.

This is currently the only method Thanos and his allies have discovered that allows them to spy on some information without launching a full-scale attack or alerting the solar system's defense network.

They also relied on this method to contact Dracula on Earth, and because the timeline near the solar system was momentarily unlocked in order to send the Avengers to their universe, it provided some convenience for their information transmission.

In the starry sky of Wat Aelheim, there lived a race that hated light the most in the universe. Here, light refers to simple illumination. They were the Dark Elves, who were once utterly defeated by Odin and his army.

As one of the eight realms nominally ruled by the Asgardian realm, the Dark Elves have some unique characteristics, which are also related to the star system environment of Wat Ahlheim (the Dark World).

As the name suggests, this is a completely dark space, like a gently expanding black hole. Any light from the outside world that enters this star field will immediately disappear into the boundless darkness.

Since records began, the Watt Alheim galaxy has only been illuminated once, and that was when the Rainbow Bridge was fully released.

That light remains etched in the genes of every dark elf, continuing to spread with their reproduction, making the dark elves completely unable to muster the will to challenge Asgard, which possesses abundant energy reserves.

In addition, Odin was able to achieve the great feat of suppressing Wat Ahlheim precisely because of the Rainbow Bridge.

It is important to know that every dark elf is born with dark vision and has an extremely high affinity for shadow energy. Coupled with their considerable level of technology, their average individual combat strength is even stronger than that of Asgard at that time.

With the aid of special technology, the Dark Elves once maintained a strong hold on Asgard.

As for how this suppression collapsed, we'll have to ask the leaders of the Dark Elves what they were thinking.

The Dark Elf leader is a perfect example of someone who squandered a winning hand.

By the time these guys were making a name for themselves in Asgard, they had become extremely prosperous. It could be said that at that time, the Dark Elves were the strongest force overall. Asgard's long battle lines and huge logistical needs put them below the Dark Elves in overall rating.

This prosperity, coupled with the surrounding "backward" neighbors, made the entire Dark Elf race incredibly arrogant, giving them a sense of "I am the sky, I am the boss, and the earth is second to none."

Humans die when they become too powerful; races perish when they become too powerful.

The Dark Elves declared directly to the universe that they would drag the entire observable universe into darkness, allowing the dark world to spread and cover the edges of the universe, depriving all civilizations of the right to receive light.

To understand just how arrogant these words are, a comparison with Thanos makes it perfectly clear.

Even after Thanos obtained the six Infinity Stones, he only dared to "selectively" eliminate half of the universe's population, because he knew that pushing all advanced civilizations to the opposite side was a suicidal act.

The Milky Way galaxy and Local Group alone have several figures who can rival Thanos, and defeating Odin was purely a matter of wearing him down over time, not to mention the much larger observable universe.

After all, the Local Cluster is just a very small and ordinary galaxy cluster in the observable universe.

Even if half of the forces in the universe that can quickly reach the Milky Way dislike Thanos, he would still have to think about how to hide so that he can live longer.

Most of these advanced civilizations were races born in starfields of light. Even if they did not yearn for light, they would not be as extreme as the dark elves. After all, the light emitted by each star was extremely important to the emerging civilization, as it brought heat, energy, and so on.

Therefore, after the Dark Elf leader made such a statement, advanced civilizations in dozens of galaxy clusters near our star cluster all turned their attention to Watt Alheim.

After assessment, many civilizations concluded that while the possibility of the Dark Elves plunging the universe into darkness using Aether particles was low, it was not entirely impossible.

Then, Asgard received an unprecedented gift: not only was the construction of the Rainbow Bridge resolved in one fell swoop, but they also received various technical analysis reports on the Dark Elf race and an inexhaustible supply of energy at the time.

During that period, Asgard was incredibly wealthy, with no shortage of energy resources.

Finally, faced with the various Asgardian special legions built upon enormous amounts of energy and the Rainbow Bridge of light spanning the entire galaxy, the Dark Elves could only admit defeat in despair.

They survived because Odin knew that once the Dark Elves were wiped out in one fell swoop, Asgard would no longer be able to obtain such support. So he began to advance little by little, harvesting them bit by bit, like cutting leeks, and from time to time deliberately abandoned some of the conquered territories to allow the Dark Elves to recuperate.

Under this torment, which felt like being slowly cut with a dull knife, the dark elves' spirits were largely extinguished, and they retracted their arrogant remarks.

In addition, other civilizations, seeing that Asgard's development was progressing too rapidly to be contained, cut off their support to Asgard to prevent it from becoming a threat.

Odin had considered this scenario, but he hadn't anticipated that the other side's decision would come so quickly. Without the support and income, the strength of Asgard's various legions plummeted, and some energy-intensive units even became a weak link.

The gains from the conquests within the Nine Realms were simply not enough to sustain such expenditures, leading to a massive troop reduction, a comprehensive contraction of the battle lines, the shelving of various construction plans, and the emergence of numerous internal conflicts.

All of this plunged Asgard into a period of decline that lasted for more than two thousand years, and it has yet to fully recover.

written request for leave

I'll ask for one more day to go home for the Mid-Autumn Festival. It's been a long time since I've been home.

I wish all book lovers a happy Mid-Autumn Festival.

Chapter 305 When the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked (Part 2)

"The fact that people from other universes have so easily weakened the current Allied Forces proves one thing: weak forces cannot survive in this cruel universe," Thanos said, sitting down next to Malekith. "As I said, there are far too many people in this universe. It's time to weed out the weak and make room for races that are better suited to survive."

Malekith fiddled with the information receiver in his hand, not immediately responding. Ever since Thanos descended upon the Dark World, he had known exactly what this notorious terrorist of the universe was up to.

Thanos's actions, however, were in a way very much in line with the interests of the Dark Elves. In terms of racial attributes alone, the Dark Elves were among the top in the entire universe and were clearly a powerful race, at least that's what Malekith thought.

"The six Infinity Stones have left the fold. Now, it seems you shouldn't be here encouraging me to launch an attack," Malekith said calmly.

“This is not instigation, I am just stating the facts.” Thanos stood up. “Perhaps I am wrong. The Dark Elves are just a weak race. They are terrified after suffering one defeat and can no longer muster the will to resist.”

"Insolence!" Malekith's lieutenant was furious, gripping his energy blade tightly, looking like he wanted to hit Thanos.

However, Thanos ignored him. In Thanos's eyes, a lieutenant of this caliber was not worth paying much attention to. In fact, if things hadn't come to this point, he wouldn't have even given Malekith a second thought.

Dark elves? A bunch of weaklings who only dare to cower in the dark world. Once they leave the suitable environment of the dark world, they are worthless.

Races with such extreme requirements for survival are clearly among those destined to be eliminated in Thanos's plan.

Malekith pressed his hand down. In the Dark World, he could go toe-to-toe with Thanos, but this was not a wise move.

"What can you do?" Malekith asked directly, no longer beating around the bush.

If the Dark Elves were to take on the Human Alliance and Asgard alone, Malekith would immediately find a way to drive Thanos out of the Dark World without hesitation. Even if they were cannon fodder, they would still have to comply with the basic law. If they could do that, would they need Thanos's encouragement? They would have already started a war with the surrounding forces.

"Asgard should no longer exist in this world; they should withdraw from the ranks of the many cosmic powers," Thanos said, gazing into the distance.

As a crucial ally of the Allied Forces, Asgard played a vital role, especially in protecting the Bifrost, which caused Thanos endless trouble. Odin was indeed a capable man with an accurate grasp of the cosmic situation. Even at the cost of his daughter's betrayal and the Valkyrie Legion, he was determined to protect the Bifrost. In retrospect, Odin's decision at that time was clearly the right one.

“We think so too, but talk is cheap, some things just need to be done to be effective,” Malekith said, looking at Thanos.

“You will see action, but I hope you don’t make the same mistakes you made thousands of years ago,” Thanos said, tearing through space and leaving Malekith’s sight.

Malekith remained silent for a long time, gazing at the spot where Thanos had left. It was time for the Dark Elves to initiate a revolution. Most of the Dark Elves who had been terrified by Odin in that war were dead. Although the remaining troops had inherited that part of the memory in their genes, the first inheritance was still unstable, and some had to be modified.

If this continues, it won't be long before, in another five thousand years, the Dark Elves will probably tremble at the mere mention of Asgard, their strength reduced to less than one-tenth of what it once was. This is something Malekith cannot accept.

As the current leader of the Dark Elves, even if I cannot bring them back to the era when they dominated Asgard, I must change some things.

"Sir, are we really going to join them in this attack? They clearly have ill intentions and are probably just using us as cannon fodder. We absolutely cannot trust them," the adjutant advised, clearly displeased with Thanos.

What do you mean Dark Elves are weak? Does that mean you have to be like Thanos and slaughter your own race to be considered strong? And if they were truly strong, why would they say so much? They could just go up and wipe out the Human Alliance and Asgard together, and they would definitely not cause any trouble.

“I understand.” Malekith continued to fiddle with the information receiver Thanos had given him. The Dark Elves were now in a predicament; retreating meant a slow death, while advancing meant an unknown battlefield. It was a very difficult choice.

"My lord! Even if we have to listen to them, we absolutely cannot attack Asgard. The Human Alliance is definitely easier to defeat. Midgard was one of the first areas Asgard attacked. I don't believe they could rise to this level so quickly. There must be something wrong with them!"

The lieutenant continued, and Malekith had been looking at him since he spoke. The man's words solidified Malekith's resolve to take action. If even the dark elf's lieutenant could no longer muster the will to fight Asgard, then it was time for a change.

"Moreover, sir, based on information gathered from various sources, the Human Alliance is currently in a state of extreme energy shortage. They have even applied for a loan from Asgard. Therefore, I believe that the legends they have displayed are at most just empty shells!" The adjutant continued to ramble on, unaware that every word he uttered strengthened Malekith's determination to join Thanos in taking action.

"That's enough!" Malekith suddenly shouted, interrupting his adjutant. "No need to say more. Let's see what that guy does."

Malekith's blade was planted in the ground, but he remained clear-headed. Thanos was definitely more anxious than they were. The six Infinity Stones had temporarily left this universe, along with the two Legends who had left with them. The combined strength of the Human Alliance and Asgard had decreased significantly. If they couldn't even break through here, it would be even more difficult once those people returned.

After a long silence, the adjutant cautiously asked, "Then, sir, if we are preparing for battle, who should we target?"

Different enemies require different battle plans. Fighting Asgard and fighting the Human Alliance are certainly not the same thing. This is a decision Malekith had to make.

Malekith opened his mouth, wanting to say that once it was confirmed that Thanos wasn't bluffing, they should launch a full-scale attack and confront Asgard head-on. However, the thought of that fully charged rainbow bridge sweeping across the entire dark world prevented Malekith from uttering the words.

The power of dark elves is affected by sunlight, and the effect is even more severe when exposed to energy-rich light.

Although the People's Federation has more legendary stories on the surface, they don't have a rainbow bridge.

Although the Alliance of Humans has one more supreme being than Asgard, they do not have the Rainbow Bridge.

The words "Rainbow Bridge" were etched into Malekith's mind like a nightmare. Only then did he realize that not only his adjutant, but he himself had also been deeply affected by them.

"The Human Alliance, we'll fight the Human Alliance." Malekith took a deep breath, the power of darkness flowing through his body with the airflow. In the end, he decided to avoid their sharp edge.

The lieutenant also breathed a sigh of relief. Although, from every perspective, Asgard, which had been declining for two thousand years, could not compare with the Human Alliance, which was in a period of vigorous development, he wholeheartedly agreed with Malekith's decision.

"Yes, sir, I will have the General Staff produce a plan to bypass the Human Alliance's extragalactic defense network immediately," the adjutant said, bowing slightly.

Malekith waved his hand helplessly, signaling his adjutant to get lost.

Perhaps if they hadn't attacked Asgard, those staff officers and warriors would have been able to unleash even more of their strength and wisdom.

Malekith eventually found a reason for his decision.

A few days later, in Asgard, Thor and Odin sat together, looking at the reports from the undercover agent and Heimdall regarding the unusual activities of the Dark Elves.

“It seems our allies are indeed very reliable.” Odin’s words carried a complex meaning.

He was certainly pleased with the reminder Thor brought back about the Human Alliance, but when did Asgard fall to the point of having to rely on the people of Midgard? Midgard used to be Asgard's own territory, and apart from the Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme, who was rather troublesome, there was nothing else to worry about.

Otherwise, the Ancient One wouldn't have been forced by Odin to die on the same day, month, and year as Odin—no, not on the same day, but even earlier than Odin.

"Father, who do you think they will attack first?" Thor asked.

“The Dark Elves’ target is almost certainly the Human Alliance, because the Rainbow Bridge is still intact,” Odin said with great certainty, glancing at Thor as he spoke.

It seems that in another universe, the Rainbow Bridge was destroyed by this spendthrift son using Thor's hammer at its weakest point.

Having dealt with the Dark Elves for so many years, Odin was certain that even if a war broke out, the Rainbow Bridge, without abundant energy support, wouldn't cause much substantial damage to the entire Dark Elf race, but its deterrent power would be enough to terrify those guys.

In other words, if Thor hadn't unleashed that hammer blow in another universe, the Dark Elves would most likely still not have dared to utter a sound, even if Thor had gone a little easier. Instead, he was so ruthless.

Meeting Odin's gaze, Thor's face flushed slightly, but having grown so much, his skin had thickened considerably.

Furthermore, Odin from the other universe also bears some responsibility. Even if Odin hadn't spoken, Thor would never have known that Asgard was nothing like it was when the Rainbow Bridge was built. The repaired Rainbow Bridge had become utterly useless, the kind of thing that anyone with eyes could see at a glance.

If they had said so earlier, Thor wouldn't have gone to such extremes. They already had the keys and had taken back control of the main launch and control centers; they could have just shut it down.

"Father, what do you think? Should we send someone to help us out?" Thor casually changed the subject.

Odin was dumbfounded by the question. Couldn't they at least find a better topic to change the subject? What kind of nonsense is this? They even help people make connections?

Even a fool knows that this attack is definitely not just launched by the Dark Elves; the prophesied Ragnarok might be approaching. Why would Odin help others? He maintains a good relationship with the Human Alliance in the hope that they will be able to spare some resources to help them when the time comes.

Thor knew his question was a bit silly, so he took a sip of wine as if to appear nonchalant. Then, a thought suddenly came to mind, "Father, what do you think? Should we release my sister?"