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*****
"They actually came!"
Thor and Loki looked up alongside George, just in time to see the colossal alien warship decloaking above them.
Instantly, the two brothers transformed. One stood clad in armor holding Mjolnir, while the other wielded his signature kidney-stabbing daggers.
Seeing this, the corner of George's mouth twitched. "Could you two not wait until the ship fully landed and people actually came out before changing?"
Even though George was helping to mask the energy fluctuations within their bodies, such a drastic visual transformation carried a risk of alerting Malekith up above. If Malekith was cautious enough, he might immediately command the warship to perform a space jump and flee.
"Sorry, force of habit," Thor and Loki replied, looks of embarrassment washing over their faces. Their actions had been subconscious; they hadn't thought it through.
"Fortunately, I made preparations in advance."
George snapped his fingers lightly, and a mysterious rune flashed faintly in the sky.
He had long since established a magical formation to lock down the space around the entire planet. Once the Dark Elf warship entered the planet's atmosphere, it could no longer tear through space to escape.
"What is happening?"
Up on the ship, Malekith was startled when he saw the two figures on the projection screen instantly change their attire into unmistakable Asgardian battle armor.
However, his Dark Elf subordinates did not seem overly concerned.
"It is likely a special technological device that allows them to change clothes rapidly. Midgardians worship Asgardians; it is quite normal for them to mimic their clothing."
The lieutenants felt that since their advanced flagship sensors had not detected any danger, there was no need for excessive caution. The Aether was within reach down below. Once they secured it, they could exact their revenge and revitalize the Dark Elf race. They couldn't simply flee just because two people downstairs changed their outfits.
"Algrim, take a squad down and retrieve the Aether. If you encounter trouble, use this."
After a moment of thought, Malekith ordered the warship to hover in mid-air rather than land. He summoned his most trusted warrior—second in strength only to himself—and solemnly handed him a Cursed Stone.
The Cursed Stone was a unique artifact created by the Dark Elves using the energy of the Aether. By embedding it into one's body, a Dark Elf could transform into a powerful Kurse—a Cursed Soldier—granting a massive increase in strength.
Regrettably, after losing the Aether, Malekith could no longer create new ones. This was the very last Cursed Stone.
His logic was sound: if it wasn't a trap, Algrim would successfully bring back the Aether regardless of whether the ship landed. If it was a trap, and even Algrim—empowered as a Kurse—couldn't handle it, then Malekith would immediately retreat and wait in the shadows for another opportunity.
"Yes. I will bring back the Aether!"
Algrim accepted the Cursed Stone without hesitation. He gathered a squad of elite Elf soldiers, boarded a small dropship, and departed from the main vessel.
Moments later, the dropship touched down in front of George and the two brothers.
"Hand over the Aether!"
Ordering his soldiers to surround the trio, Algrim pointed coldly at the Reality Stone in George's hand.
"It is the Dark Elf tongue. These really are the remnants of the Dark Elves. I didn't expect them to survive for so long and remain hidden for all these years," Loki remarked.
He observed Algrim and the soldiers, noting their appearance and equipment. comparing them against the history books he had read in Asgard regarding the Dark Elves, he gave a definitive confirmation. He suspected Odin had sent him along precisely to verify the existence of the Dark Elves, ensuring George wasn't just making things up.
"George, can we fight now?"
Facing the Dark Elf encirclement, Thor wasn't the least bit afraid. In fact, he was excited. It had been a long time since he had a proper battle, and his hands were itching.
Modern Earth was technologically advanced and resource-rich; happiness levels were high, and crime had dropped significantly. Coupled with the sheer number of superheroes graduating from the Super Academy every year, there was rarely a need for Thor to intervene personally.
"Feel free."
George sat back down nonchalantly, picking up a skewer of grilled meat and taking a bite.
From the moment the Dark Elf warship appeared, the outcome was already determined; the end was just a matter of time. Since Thor was itching for a fight, George saw no reason to rush.
"For Asgard!"
With a roar, Thor swung his hammer at the nearest Elf soldier, sending him flying.
Seeing this, Algrim immediately ordered his soldiers to attack.
Loki shook his head, conjuring several illusions to confuse the soldiers while his true self turned invisible and slipped behind Algrim.
Capture the bandit to catch the king. Algrim was clearly the leader of this group; taking him down first was the smartest play.
Pfft!
Just as Thor sent a group of soldiers flying, Loki's dagger plunged into Algrim's kidney.
"Sure enough, it's hard to change a person's preferences," George muttered to himself as he chewed on his barbecue.
Loki was a mage—and currently the King of the Frost Giants—yet he still loved stabbing people in the kidney with daggers.
"You seek death!"
Algrim, enraged by the stab wound, roared and pressed the Cursed Stone into his injury.
The stone instantly dissolved into his body through the wound, initiating a terrifying transformation. Algrim, originally less than two meters tall, suddenly swelled to three meters. His face twisted into a monstrous visage, his muscles bulged until they resembled hardened steel, and his wound healed instantly.
"Begone!"
With a wave of his hand, the now-transformed Kurse swatted Loki away before the trickster god could react.
Seeing this, Thor, who had finished dealing with the other soldiers, charged forward with his hammer. But within seconds, he too was knocked flying by the Kurse.
In terms of both speed and strength, this top-tier warrior—second only to Malekith—was superior to Thor after the transformation. Furthermore, his combat experience, accumulated over an incredibly long lifespan, was no less than Thor's.
In a one-on-one duel, Thor might truly struggle to defeat Algrim in this state.
After knocking Thor away, Algrim didn't press the attack on the Asgardian. Instead, he charged straight for George.
Although he was stronger than Thor, it wasn't a complete stomp, and there was still that insidious Asgardian mage lurking about; getting bogged down in a prolonged fight would be troublesome.
His priority was not to defeat the two Asgardians, but to secure the Reality Stone.
"You really know how to pick them!"
Thor and Loki, who were getting up to rejoin the fight, stopped in their tracks when they saw the Kurse charging toward George. They began to silently mourn for the monster.
There is a road to Heaven, yet you refuse to walk it; Hell has no door, yet you barge right in.
That man was a terrifying human mage who had defeated both the Serpent and Thanos.
Charging at him was simply suicide.
(End of Chapter)