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CHAPTER 153 ( PLAT )
🕑 Added 2025-09-16 14:13:41 +0000 UTCThe two came to a testing platform - one massive figure and one normal-sized human - and clasped hands together in the classic arm wrestling position.
"Huh?" As soon as they both started applying pressure, Eitri felt that Aidan's strength was somewhat unexpected. Aidan's face was already turning red from the effort, but against Eitri's enormous natural power, Aidan's arm was slowly being forced down toward the table.
The contest lasted only about thirty seconds before Aidan's knuckles touched the platform surface.
"Thud!" With a soft sound, Eitri released his grip and patted Aidan on the shoulder with good-natured enthusiasm. "You've got decent strength for a human!"
Aidan's arm was red and slightly sore, but he smiled ruefully at the result. His opponent had been forging metal for centuries, and dwarven racial genetics were naturally superior to human physiology. Losing was completely expected. But he certainly wasn't planning to rely solely on muscle power for his metalworking.
"Come on, let's try that again." A layer of black metallic material flowed across Aidan's palm and forearm, forming what looked like sophisticated armor plating. Scarlet energy began glowing between his knuckles as power systems activated. He placed his enhanced arm back on the testing platform.
"A battlesuit?" Eitri seemed genuinely surprised to see the technological enhancement covering his opponent's arm.
"Yeah," Aidan nodded. "Raw strength isn't my specialty, but I can make up for it in other ways."
This particular armor system had been created by combining biological characteristics with mechanical engineering - the biological components were derived from ant genetics, which could provide incredible strength-to-weight ratios. It had nothing to do with Pym particle technology; it just amplified the wearer's physical capabilities while adding magical energy enhancement. This knight-style battlesuit was actually becoming outdated equipment for Aidan since it was gradually becoming unable to keep up with his increasing power requirements.
Eitri didn't comment on the technological assistance, but crouched down and gripped Aidan's armored hand again. While dwarves typically disdained using external enhancements for physical contests, his opponent was human, and intelligence was legitimately a form of power.
However, after they began the second match, Eitri's expression suddenly changed. His opponent's strength this time was completely unreasonable for someone of his size. Now it was the dwarf king's turn to flush red with effort, but he refused to give up easily. Under the combined force both were applying, the heavy metal table they were leaning against began creaking ominously as if it might collapse under the strain.
As time passed slowly, Eitri's massive arm was gradually being pressed toward the platform. His centuries of smithing experience were being overwhelmed by advanced technology and magical enhancement working in perfect combination.
"CRASH!" This time there was a much louder noise as the reinforced platform they'd been using literally collapsed under the tremendous forces involved.
"How's that, Mr. Eitri? You should've gotten a good measurement of my capabilities, right?" Aidan asked with a satisfied grin. He didn't have any specific requirements for hammer design since he'd be using whatever tool they provided extensively. After he'd learned their basic techniques to a sufficient level, he planned to modify his own hammer into a specialized magical forging implement - then he'd have the most suitable tool for his particular needs.
Eitri was quiet for a long time, clearly processing what he'd just experienced. Finally, he asked, "Did you make that armor yourself?"
"Of course. Didn't Odin tell you that I'm also a mechanical researcher back on Earth?" Aidan spread his hands with a casual smile.
"Your skills are already pretty impressive. Why'd you wanna come here to learn our forging methods?" Eitri asked with genuine puzzlement. The technology he'd just witnessed could indeed be compared to traditional dwarven craftsmanship in many ways.
"Your forging techniques focus more on magical enhancement, and you guys have created tons of legendary artifacts. I wanna forge an artifact-level battlesuit for myself," Aidan explained.
"You're planning to make your own artifact?" Eitri frowned slightly. "Do you have the materials for that kind of project?"
"Not yet, but I've got the Destroyer, and I'm gonna transform it."
Eitri was speechless. He wondered if he'd heard correctly. "The Destroyer? The armor we built for Lord Odin?" he asked in disbelief. The Destroyer was absolutely considered an artifact by dwarven standards - the entire construction was made from Uru metal. How could such a legendary item just be given to the human standing in front of him?
"Yeah, that's the one," Aidan confirmed with a nod.
"Lord Odin gave it to you directly?"
"Well, yeah. You think I've got the strength to steal it from him?" Aidan replied with obvious exasperation.
"Alright, I get it," Eitri nodded, then fell into deep thought about the implications. After considering the situation for several minutes, he felt a headache developing and decided to stop worrying about Odin's decision-making process.
"Can I get a tour of this place? I'm really interested in your neutron star setup," Aidan asked, changing the subject.
"Sure, I'll show you around today," Eitri agreed with his characteristic rumbling voice.
"Thanks!"
The two headed back outside, walking along roads formed by the interconnected star ring structure, moving toward the central area of the massive Dyson sphere. As the heat from the neutron star became more and more intense, Aidan had to deploy his full battlesuit just to survive the radiation and temperature increases.
"How'd you guys manage to control the energy output from the neutron star?" Aidan asked in amazement, looking at what appeared to be a miniature sun through his suit's protective systems. The neutron star was surrounded by layers of technological equipment that linked to the entire Dyson sphere structure. He could feel tremendous tidal forces trying to pull at his body even through the armor's protection, though the effects had obviously been reduced significantly - otherwise both of them would've been torn apart by the gravitational stress.
"This thing's basically a natural forge," he thought aloud. The surface of a neutron star could generate temperatures of 10 million degrees, and when it rotated at high speed, it became a pulsar broadcasting energy across light-years. But it was also incredibly dangerous - neutron stars were extreme celestial bodies second only to black holes in terms of gravitational intensity. The fact that the dwarves had been able to build a Dyson sphere around one and actually survive there showed that most of their technology relied on divine power or magical energy to maintain stability.
"We increased its rotational speed to maintain its angular momentum," Eitri explained as they walked. "Neutron stars maintain their energy output by consuming angular momentum. When that's exhausted, the neutron star becomes a dark remnant that doesn't emit any light."
Aidan's eyes lit up as he stared at the blazing stellar core in front of them. If he could acquire stable containment technology like theirs, would it be possible to directly create a mecha with a neutron star as its power source? The energy radiation from a neutron star was roughly a million times greater than Earth's sun, which meant that the total energy it radiated in a single second, if converted to electricity, would be enough to power Earth's civilization for billions of years.
He'd need enormous amounts of energy for his future plans involving bio-metal creation and terraforming projects. It seemed like he should find a way to capture his own neutron star eventually. Beyond the energy applications, the destructive power of a controlled neutron star would be almost unimaginable.
Though I'd probably need to figure out how to not accidentally create a galaxy-ending catastrophe first.
After asking several more technical questions about the containment systems around the neutron star, he followed Eitri on a comprehensive tour of the facility. They visited the massive forges scattered throughout different ring sections, specialized metalworking areas where dwarven smiths shaped materials that would be impossible to work anywhere else, and storage facilities containing raw materials collected from across the cosmos.
In reality, the most crucial aspect of advanced forging was having access to the right materials. Finding specific substances in the vast universe was essentially like looking for a needle in a haystack, except the haystack was infinite and the needle might not even exist. Therefore, in many cases, the dwarves would adapt their forging methods based on whatever materials visitors brought to them rather than working from predetermined specifications.
With only about three hundred dwarves in the entire realm, there weren't many residential areas, and the living quarters had been built in whatever spaces were convenient rather than with comfort in mind. Anyone expecting luxurious accommodations would be seriously disappointed.
Well, I've stayed in worse places, Aidan thought as he examined what would be his temporary quarters. At least the view is spectacular.
So far, Aidan had successfully established himself as a student at Nidavellir, ready to learn the legendary smithing techniques that had created some of the most powerful artifacts in the Nine Realms.
