Chapter 238: I have been defeated! But I have not lost!
A breeze blew past. The bangs on Sean Brooke's forehead and the cape behind him fluttered gently. He stood quietly in the air, without needing to do or say anything, yet he could instill great confidence in the people.
Just like now, when the Asgardian women saw him appear, they all felt a sense of support in their hearts. It was the same pillar of support as when they were on Earth, making them feel incomparably at ease.
Suddenly, a massive black-green spike flew out from the ground, heading straight for Sean Brooke in the sky.
Hela appeared on the ground following the spike, her ferocious face causing bystanders to shudder. With a wave of her hand, several more spikes shot up toward the sky.
Sean Brooke did not dodge the first spike; he wanted to test how strong Hela was while on Asgard.
As his palm collided with it, a stinging sensation came, as if he had been pricked by a needle. Although it healed quickly, a trickle of blood still flowed out.
Grabbing the stone pillar and changing its direction, Sean Brooke slammed it down forcefully toward Hela, preparing to test her physical stamina again.
The result did not exceed Sean Brooke's expectations.
Whether it was the Ancient One or Odin, their physical fitness was not very strong; when it came down to it, they still belonged to the category of humans.
Unlike himself; he had long ceased to be human.
The stone pillar pierced directly through Hela's body. Even though she had used a similar stone pillar to block it just moments ago, she was still penetrated by Sean Brooke's thrown attack.
Sean Brooke flew down immediately. As soon as he arrived below, Hela had already recovered to her original state. With an ugly expression, she swung out the Nightsword, preparing to continue the attack.
In terms of combat technique, Sean Brooke was indeed no match; his meager skills would be completely seen through by Hela.
But a certain celebrity who wore slippers once said, "Of all martial arts in the world, nothing is unbreakable; only speed cannot be broken!"
This also involved another matter: the people here had never faced a speedster.
When a person crushes you in every aspect—speed, strength, physical durability—things like technique become worthless. Other than being able to take a few less hits, it can do nothing else.
Sean Brooke hadn't really invested much in speed, but it was still more than enough to deal with Hela.
Before long, there wasn't a single intact spot left on Hela's face. Facing her counterattacks, Sean Brooke couldn't even be bothered to dodge.
For every sword thrust she made, Sean Brooke could land a combination of punches.
Coupled with the disparity in their physical bodies, Hela was quickly defeated, collapsing to the ground and struggling to resist amidst the shadows of the fists.
Nearby, whether it was the Asgardian civilians or Hela's Death Soldiers, all stood frozen in place, not moving.
The battle before them was simply not one they could participate in. Never mind helping; just the wind from the punches Sean Brooke swung could crush several soldiers to Death.
After landing a few more punches, Sean Brooke looked at the substance stuck to his hands and found it quite disgusting. It was only slightly better than Dormammu's, but still very gross.
He shook his arm and glanced back. Sif immediately tore a piece of fabric from a woman standing nearby, trotted over to hand it to him, and then quickly left.
After wiping his hands, Sean Brooke looked down and saw that Hela was about to recover again, which immediately made him somewhat impatient.
He had tried using the Soul Beam on her just now, but it only made her screams louder; it didn't seem to have any substantive effect.
As expected, was there only that one method left?
Sensing that the attack had stopped, Hela cautiously opened her eyes. Upon seeing the way Sean Brooke was looking at her—as if she were trash—she immediately burst into loud laughter.
"I have been defeated! But I have not lost; it is you who have lost! Ahahaha!"
The look in Hela's eyes became increasingly vicious. She was indeed no match for him right now, but as long as Asgard remained, she was immortal. Could this man really dare to... Holy crap!
A powerful Heat Vision erupted from Sean Brooke's eyes. The target was not Hela, but the buildings on both sides.
In an instant, over a hundred meters of the street were destroyed by this attack, and the fire began to spread. It already had the makings of Ragnarok.
Snapping off a stone pillar, he lifted Hela up as if picking up a dead rat. Sean Brooke's eyes glowed with red light, revealing a fierce look.
"Hmph, so you haven't lost, huh? Then you just watch carefully how I destroy Asgard bit by bit, and extinguish your last bit of soul bit by bit! Let me make one thing clear: I am Ragnarok!"
The Heat Vision was fired again. This time, it spread all the way back, following Hela's body.
Hela resurrected again, but this time, she panicked a little.
These two attacks clearly made her feel the breath of Death. This person was no pushover; he really dared to destroy Asgard!
The second attack made the hearts of Thor and the others skip a beat. The first time, they had thought Sean Brooke was just trying to scare her, so they hadn't said anything.
But this subsequent strike made them unable to sit still, and they hurriedly walked up.
Before Thor and the others could speak, Sean Brooke roared first: "Don't say anything! Thor, you should understand that Asgard is the source of her power. As long as Asgard is not destroyed, she cannot die! For the peace of the Nine Realms, for the safety of the Universe, I have no choice but to destroy this place!"
Sean Brooke's words were full of righteousness, standing on the moral high ground. Even though Thorand the others were very reluctant, they could only grit their teeth, not knowing what to say.
Seeing them silent, Hela panicked even more and hurriedly spoke up: "You lot! Do you really want an outsider to destroy Asgard and let the Asgardians be reduced to the dust of history! This is the place where we have lived for thousands of years!"
At this point, Hela also played the emotional card. There was no helping it; she couldn't stop Sean Brooke, so she could only rely on them.
Her words did not make Thor change his mind; instead, they made his inner resolve even firmer.
"No! Asgard is not a place!" Thor looked back, "Where there is family, that is Asgard!"
"Do it! Sean Brooke!"
Sif also stepped forward and said with a smile: "Right! As long as our family is still alive, we can find another place and rebuild Asgard! Do it, Sean Brooke!"
"Do it, Sean Brooke!"
Behind them, all the remaining Asgardian civilians also shouted along. They were also infected by the atmosphere and shouted louder and louder.
Only Loki noticed Sean Brooke's eyelid twitch. Associating this with what he had said before they arrived, he had a hunch in his heart.
It was no wonder Sean Brooke had spoken to him at the end; this was a matter that only he could do without seeming strange.
Just as Hela was preparing to fight to the Death, Loki suddenly raised his hand and shouted: "Wait! Everyone, be quiet for a moment!"
But no one paid him any attention now. It was only when Sean Brooke raised his hand that the shouting gradually stopped.
Seeing Sean Brooke's action, Loki felt a bit more confident. Summoning his courage, he pulled Sean Brooke to the side and asked: "What about the next part? What should I say?"
Sean Brooke looked thoughtful, his voice pressed very low so that they definitely couldn't hear.
"Don't say anything. Just like this, look at them every now and then. Yes, just like that. Now look at Helaagain."
"Oh right, I might kick you in a moment, just endure it."
"Hiss! All... alright." Loki didn't dare to move around and could only present a solid back to those behind him.
The two men's actions made the others very confused. Hela also didn't dare to do anything and could only stand in place to recover her strength, preparing for the upcoming fight to the Death.
Suddenly, there was a new movement from Sean Brooke's side. To Thor and the others, it looked like he first appeared somewhat angry, then immediately sighed with an expression of helplessness.
The inexplicable emotional shift left everyone confused.
But Sean Brooke didn't make them wait long; he kicked Loki away and walked over.
"Ahem, in light of Loki's words, I think they make a lot of sense. Hela, let's negotiate terms!"
Chapter 239: With Hela's strength, it is impossible for her to die suddenly!
Is it useful to keep Hela? Yes! At the very least, Sean thinks she is a bit useful.
There is no need to worry about whether she is obedient; it is enough just to let her know that he can crush her with invincible strength and can kill her at any time.
Although Sean doesn't know Hela well, he knows that someone like her could never stay honestly in Asgard. She was born to fight; if you don't let her fight, it would be better to just kill her.
Therefore, Sean intends to let her return to her old profession: Executioner!
His own Executioner!
Sean also needs such a ruthless and powerful character; otherwise, there are always some trivial matters that he has to handle himself, which is too much trouble.
Moreover, considering the future situation on Earth, he also needs Hela to help him kill some people at the right time.
Originally, for the role of Executioner, someone else was more suitable—obedient, ruthless, and quite powerful.
But at that time, Sean just wanted to slack off and retire, so he didn't save him.
Now, having tasted the benefits of being a dictator, Sean's desire for conquest has grown significantly, and he seems unable to stop.
However, he does not want Earth to descend into chaos. Once the essence of being a dictator is truly exposed, his peaceful life will completely leave him.
Every day he would hear about protests and demonstrations there, Steve would start fighting for freedom again, the Avengers would do their best to stop him, and who knows who they might secretly join forces with to do something.
By that time, how could he still enjoy hot springs every day, enjoy face-cleansing milk every day, and tease Christine every day?
However, all choices in this world are made due to insufficient ability. This scope of insufficient ability certainly does not include Sean.
Sean thought of a way to have the best of both worlds, as simple as how he tricked Millis into living on the island permanently.
Hela is not important in his future plans, but if used well, she can be very comfortable.
Just like that someone and that someone else from before; when those two were Superheroes, they contributed a lot of effort for him.
Although the endings were not great, but! Sean believes that with Hela's strength, it is impossible for her to die suddenly!
Heimdall took the civilians to put out the fire, while Sean, Thor, and the others formed a circle. Sean said, "Now, I leave the choice to you. One option is to destroy Asgard and kill Hela.
The second is to keep Hela, lock her in the dungeon, and wait until Thor is as powerful as Odin one day to seal her."
"The dungeon… it won't be able to hold her, right?" Heimdall said worriedly.
"Don't worry about that. I already talked to her earlier. She won't come out unless…" Sean turned his head to look at her.
"Unless she is confident that she can kill me."
Hela naturally didn't want to die. Having just broken the seal and only killed a few minions, she hadn't yet conquered the Nine Realms or the Universe.
Therefore, she agreed to Sean's proposal to stay honestly in the dungeon and see whether her strength grew faster or Thor's did.
Hehe, to tell the truth, when Hela heard this proposal, she couldn't help but laugh out loud.
That silly younger brother wants to surpass her? You might as well say it's more realistic for him to get stronger by dreaming.
Thor's eyes glazed over for a moment. He didn't have much confidence. This sister had been sealed for thousands of years, and as soon as she came out, she could kill him at will, let alone now that the seal was broken.
"I believe in you, Thor." Suddenly, a gentle voice came from afar.
"Mother!" Thor smiled and immediately trotted over. Loki was a bit afraid to face her and hid behind the crowd.
"Loki, you come over too." Frigga beckoned to him.
Originally, Loki would go every week to reinforce the magic to keep her from waking up. With so many things happening these past few days, he had long forgotten about this, or rather, he was avoiding it.
Seeing his mother awake, Thor smiled like a child of several thousand years old, very childishly.
However, her appearance gave Thor a lot of confidence, and besides, Frigga was there to encourage him.
Like Odin, she believed that Thor's strength had not yet been fully developed, especially after he got rid of the hammer; his strength would definitely go up another level.
Thor just lacked a bit of support.
Sean stood next to Hela and whispered, "Hey, aren't you going to cozy up to them? Your life is in their hands, you know."
Hela's expression didn't change. She looked up at Sean and said, "Oh? Isn't it always in your hands?"
"Good that you know."
Sean's reply made Hela's eyes light up. Although it was only for a moment, she did indeed detect the aura of a kindred spirit from Sean; it was the scent of conquest.
There was something more in her eyes: admiration! Just like how she used to admire Odin.
Hela didn't necessarily want to be a King; she just enjoyed the thrill of conquest.
In the past, Odin could satisfy her feelings, but later, he grew old and couldn't move anymore. Compelled by circumstances, Hela wanted to ascend to the top herself and continue her unfinished cause.
As a result, she was feared by Odin and sealed for over a thousand years.
And now, she had found someone worth following again; she just didn't know how long this one could last.
On the other side, Frigga's gentle words made both Thor and Loki shed tears, nodding vigorously in agreement to something.
Thor wiped his tears, walked up to Sean, and said excitedly, "Thank you, Sean! I will definitely become stronger, even stronger than Father King!"
Patting his shoulder, Sean smiled and said, "I believe in you, Thunder God Thor!"
Frigga also walked over with small steps, bowed slightly, and said, "Mr. Brooke, thank you for everything you have done for Asgard."
"Haha, not at all, not at all." Sean pulled Sif into his arms and said, "It's all what I should do."
Sif's face was slightly flushed. She lowered her head and secretly looked at everyone's reactions; after seeing them, she became even more shy.
Frigga's eyes darted between the two of them, and she understood a lot. It seemed that while she was in a coma, many things had happened.
"I won't disturb your reunion. I'm going to the dungeon. When I feel I can kill you, I'll come out."
Hela waved her hand, and all the Death Soldiers followed her toward the dungeon, with Fenris trotting happily behind.
Frigga frowned, wanting to call her back, but she didn't speak.
Forget it, after this matter is over, she would talk to her slowly; there was still plenty of time in the future.
Sean left with Sif; originally, she had wanted to stay.
Hela had killed many people; all the guards and warriors had been killed by her. It could be said that after the Valkyrie withdrew from Asgard, the warriors were also about to withdraw.
Asgard was full of corpses everywhere, and the two streets Sean had destroyed were still burning with Fire; she wanted to stay and help.
But the Queen did not let her stay. She should stay by Sean's side and do what she should do; that was the best help for Asgard.
Arriving at the Bifrost Bridge, Sif turned her head every three steps, looking very reluctant to leave.
"Do you want to stay? If I tell you to stay, they won't object."
Sif came back to her senses, kissed him directly, and only separated after a good while. Looking into Sean's eyes, she said, "No! I am saving Asgard in my own way, and I have already succeeded, right?"
"Very successfully!"
The Bifrost Bridge descended and carried them away. It is believed that even if Heimdall returned, he would not be able to see the Water stains left on the ground.
The light dissipated, and Sif smiled and moved away from Sean. She looked around and found it somewhat familiar.
"It seems this place is not Earth."
Sean held her hand, looked at a huge broken skull in front of them, and smiled, "Yes, I came to get something. I'll go back immediately; Tony and the others are still waiting for me to start the party."
Chapter 240: Land of Nihility
The Land of Nihility is a notorious unregulated zone in the Universe, and also the largest black market. It's said that if you have money here, you can even get the high priestess Ayesha's personal undergarments.
From Sean's perspective, it looked like a giant, damaged head, but this head was larger than some asteroids.
Such a massive head could only belong to a Celestial.
Celestials are treasures from head to toe. Their brain matter and bones are among the most valuable materials in the Universe, attracting fearless Interstellar Pirates to secretly mine materials here.
Speaking of which, Earth also has a Celestial, Tiamut. I wonder if any novel treasures will appear after his death.
As he flew in with Sif, the surrounding unknown alien races quickly parted, not daring to approach.
Because Sean flew in by himself.
Many races can travel through the Universe; you can do it by simply buying a small spaceship. But races that can fly freely in the Universe by their own power are almost non-existent.
There are too many lethal factors in the Universe: temperature, radiation, meteorites, and even an oxygen-free environment. Most races can't even escape the confines of oxygen, let alone freely roam the Universe.
Those who can break free from these constraints are all powerhouses, so strong that no one even considers opposing them.
The most famous person like this is Captain Marvel, Carol, the woman who single-handedly brought peace to several star systems.
They didn't know how strong the man in front of them was, and no one dared to test him.
"It's so lively here!"
Sean was a little excited, seeing so many strange things for the first time.
Sif's Nano Suit retracted into Sean's watch. Holding hands, she introduced him to the races she knew.
Perhaps due to some mysterious force, all intelligent life forms were almost humanoid with one head and two arms. Sean didn't see any tentacle monsters, slimes, or catgirls.
Most of them even looked no different from humans, just with a different skin color.
However, the strong cyberpunk atmosphere here still opened Sean's eyes.
After walking for a while, no one looked at Sean with fear anymore. The people at the port quietly followed from a distance, waiting for a good show, to see which ignorant fellow would provoke him, and to witness the strength of a powerhouse.
"The Collector is over there." Sif pointed to a magnificent house in the distance, its architectural style and luxury clearly different from its surroundings.
Taking Sif, Sean flew towards The Collector's cabin, planning to get the Reality Stone first, then explore the surroundings.
The chaotic scenes along the way gave Sean a better understanding of the place. Thugs, drunkards, gamblers, thieves – all sorts of people. Disorder was everyday life here.
Upon entering the cabin, a pink-skinned woman approached and respectfully led the two inside, without any hint of disrespect.
Because the previous two disobedient members of her race had died.
Taneleer Tivan, The Collector, a member of the Elders of the Universe, his own strength remained a mystery.
Because, while the Elders of the Universe sounded powerful and their admission criteria were extremely strict, almost impossible to meet, their actual strength was just so-so.
Whether in movies or comics, the Elders of the Universe were not particularly strong. In fact, due to their extremely long lifespans, they had to find hobbies, which led to their intelligence not being very high.
They knew about the six Infinity Stones but didn't know how to use them, leading them to be tricked by smart people like Thanos, and several of them were foolishly killed.
Take The Collector, for instance. His ability to establish himself in the Land of Nihility and possess a vast collection of precious items without anyone daring to steal them indirectly proved his strength was not weak.
However, the moment Sean met this person and heard his first words, he understood that The Collectorcould probably only deal with the brainless guys outside.
"Whoa, whoa, Asgardian warrior, what good things have you brought me this time? Let me see… a… Terran?"
Tivan frowned, examining Sean, trying to find something worth collecting. But unfortunately, apart from a face that attracted females of his own species, he saw nothing.
Sean smiled, ignoring him, and looked at the thing behind him, immediately becoming interested.
A humanoid duck in a red suit, drinking.
"Ugh~ What are you looking at, human?" The duck burped, his face flushed, and asked.
"Interesting."
Sean praised, and Tivan, not finding him rude, quickly came over upon hearing this and introduced him:
"Howard the Duck, a resident of Duckworld. I spent a fortune to catch him. How about it, quite rare, isn't he?"
Tivan explained proudly, "He's not like those experimental subjects; he's a genuine intelligent life form. According to him, their World's technology isn't low, but unfortunately, he can't find his way home either."
"Is that so~" Sean drawled, then looked at other living collections.
Besides the Chitauri soldiers and Dark Elves Sean had seen, there were many strange creatures that weren't intelligent life forms, just monsters that hunted by instinct.
Seeing Sean's expression, Tivan was very satisfied.
As a collector, the pleasure of collecting ranks second. First place can only be the astonished expressions and awed praises from outsiders when they see the collection.
"Very good. Although they're not like the cute animals I collect, they have a different kind of beauty."
Sean indeed had his eyes opened. Even monsters like Xenomorphs were here. The only pity was that they were too troublesome to raise.
But, hehe, they have other uses!
"Oh? Is that so? Let me see your collection and appraise them?" Tivan spoke with an arrogant tone, like a senior.
Sean turned to him, opened his palm, and a video played.
Inside were animals from the Secret Garden: Bifang, Qilin, Suanni, Nine-Tailed Fox, and even the appearance of Dijiang, all made Tivan's eyes light up.
Especially when Sean stepped on the head of the White Flood Dragon and looked at the Soul Eater, Tivan almost cried out.
"You must sell them to me! Name your price!" Tivan spread his hands, indicating he was very rich and not to hold back.
He was most fond of the creature under Sean's feet; it looked very majestic.
"The Aether Particle is still with you, right? Let me see it." Sean didn't agree, changing the subject.
Tivan's face twisted into a grin. He pointed at Sean repeatedly, saying, "Oh! I know, you're here to see the Infinity Stones, right? I understand, I understand!"
With a chuckle, he ran to the back and quickly returned with a small golden box, handing it directly to Sean.
"Hmph hmph, this is one of my most prized collections here; there's only one in the entire Universe!" Tivan stood with his hands on his hips, looking very proud.
Sif couldn't bear it, rolling her eyes and saying, "This is something we asked you to keep safe."
"What safekeeping? I don't know anything about that." Tivan frowned, directly denying it.
Once something was in his hands, wasn't it his?
With that, he reached out to take the small box back.
But Sean stopped him, not intending to exchange it. He pulled out two necklaces from his collar and said:
"Since you've shown me the Reality Stone, I'll show you the other two."
Chapter 241: Father, Asgard is just ahead
Tivan watched the three leave, thought about it, and didn't dare to make a move.
After all, he really couldn't beat a ruthless person who had collected three Infinity Stones.
Letting Sean and the others leave wasn't just because he couldn't win; Tivan was actually very curious to know what would happen when all six Infinity Stones were collected.
He was looking forward to it very much!
In the market outside, Sean asked, "Sif, do you think we should buy a chain to lock it up?"
Sif thought about it, "I think... that's not necessary."
Howard the Duck gulped down the last of his drink, slammed the bottle on the ground, and said angrily, "I am not a pet! You guys... I, I'm fine with whatever."
He didn't dare to finish that last sentence because Howard the Duck saw Death in Sean's reddened eyes.
"Forget it then. Just follow along and behave, otherwise, we have a dish on our side called Beer Duck." Sean pulled Sif along and started browsing.
There were many interesting things in the market. After all, this was a black market, and many unspeakable things were brought here to be sold, including lives.
Sean also took a liking to some fun items, but unfortunately, he didn't have the local currency to buy them.
Fortunately, the people here were very hospitable. Everything he took a liking to, no one charged him for; they all respectfully packed it up and sent it over.
Only the first guy, whose species was unknown, had a bad temper and wasn't willing to give it away.
He was turned into ashes by Sean's Heat Vision, and a trench over a hundred meters long appeared behind him, causing countless Deaths and injuries.
It was also after this incident that Howard the Duck's temper improved significantly. He became extremely respectful, stopped drinking, and followed obediently behind, not daring to step out of line.
After browsing enough, Sean twisted the Tesseract and returned to Earth.
---
At the Avengers Base, Tony looked at every part carefully. When he left, it hadn't been completed, and upon returning, he discovered many problems.
He wanted to renovate it from top to bottom, using the technology he learned on Sakaar to redo it.
It had been a while since he returned, and the other Avengers had also come back; even Rhodes, who was the furthest away, had put down his tasks and rushed back.
The moment everyone saw Tony, they all teared up.
When he died, everyone was strong and didn't have much of a reaction, but seeing him resurrected, they couldn't help it at all.
Losing something and then getting it back makes one cherish it far more than just losing it.
Tony hadn't told them about everything on Sakaar yet; he wanted to talk about it at the party, but Sean hadn't returned yet.
So, during this time, Tony had been accompanying Pepper, knowing how much she had suffered during this period, and intended to do his best to make it up to her.
Managing to find time to come over today was only because the company had been left unattended for too long, and Pepper had to go, giving Tony a little private time.
Fury came down and took him for a tour, not hiding anything, and briefly told him about the recent situation.
As they walked to the training ground, Fury pointed to Peter inside and introduced him: "This is the kid Sean found in Queens. He got superpowers after being bitten by a spider, and he has great potential."
"I can tell." Tony nodded.
Why could he tell? Because Peter was currently holding up a school bus, weaving through gunfire, and the plastic figures inside didn't seem to have been hurt.
"By the way, he arm-wrestled with Hulk, and it wasn't much of a difference."
"..."
This evaluation made Tony think even higher of Peter, especially when he realized he was only fifteen and just started high school, yet he had such awareness and perseverance, which was truly rare.
You have to know, not everyone thinks of saving the World as the first thing after gaining superpowers.
Fury also introduced the matter of Scott and Pym Particles, and Tony expressed great interest.
He had many ideas about this technology and planned to visit Dr. Pym to chat when he had some free time.
Afterward, the two chatted for a long time. There was a lot of probing in Fury's words, testing how Tonyfelt about Sean being President.
In fact, even now, Fury still had strong opinions about Sean being President and always felt something was wrong.
But Sean was indeed as he claimed; he didn't manage things and didn't issue any messy policies. Everything was handled by Hill.
It could be said that she was doing better than the previous few Presidents.
From the results, this wasn't wrong, but Fury still felt that Sean becoming President wasn't that simple.
Honestly, if Sean had defied public opinion and issued a Droit du seigneur act, he might have felt relieved.
The two chatted for a long time until a knock on the door sounded, asking: "Excuse me, is the party happening here?"
A smile appeared on Tony's serious face, "No, this time it's still at Stark Tower. I invited many people to celebrate my return. Oh, by the way, I also invited a cover girl; consider it something I owe you."
Sean waved his hand with a smile and said, "They have all been to the Garden."
Tony was very calm, adjusted his glasses, "I'm talking about the latest issue, a newcomer."
"Oh! Then what are we waiting for!"
A newcomer, Sean really hadn't seen one; tonight, he would try her out.
That night, Stark Tower was bustling with activity, even grander than the banquet when Thor left.
Tony had also been preparing this banquet for a long time and even specially expanded the area temporarily, adding terraces around the floor just to accommodate more guests.
It was to celebrate his rebirth, so being grand wasn't excessive.
Beside the sofa, the Avengers gathered in a circle, listening to Tony tell his stories on Sakaar.
Everyone was very interested, except for Sean, who had no interest in Sakaar and only thought that Arena was a bit interesting.
The reason he liked parties was also because it was a great place to improve relationships. For example, Gwen, whom he hadn't seen for a while.
She came with George. After all, it was a banquet for Iron Man's rebirth, and George couldn't refuse.
Giving her a look, the two walked to the terrace outside to catch up.
Inside the house, Tony was holding Pepper's hand, talking enthusiastically, saying those aliens were nothing special, and he almost occupied Sakaar directly or something similar.
The people on the side found it interesting, but when they heard about Hela later, their expressions became somewhat heavy.
Fortunately, Sean could solve her; otherwise, it would have been another great battle.
Everyone toasted to celebrate and took a sip of wine. Tony turned his head to look at a Strange face and asked: "Who is this?"
"Dr. Stephen Strange!"
Just as Tony greeted him, Fury interjected: "He is also the current Sorcerer Supreme. Earth's mages have been silently guarding Earth for a long time."
Tony was surprised for a moment and immediately asked a rather awkward question: "Then Dr. Stephen Strange, are you planning to stand up and guard Earth now?"
Strange took another sip of wine, thought for a while, and said: "Pretty much."
"Oh, what an honor."
Regarding this mage, the Avengers didn't actually have much affection. Although they had been guarding Earth, in the end, it was just guarding themselves.
Strange naturally understood their thoughts, but he really came with the idea of uniting this time.
The current Kamar-Taj was too weak and had no power to protect itself. Some mages left immediately after hearing that the Ancient One died, without any intention of staying.
Hearing that he had inherited the position of Supreme, they ran even faster. Except for the librarian, Wong.
Thinking of him, Strange felt much more relaxed. Having him there really helped him a lot, getting through the very difficult initial period.
Strange turned to look for Wong's figure, ready to let the Avengers get to know him; there might be opportunities for cooperation in the future.
On the dance floor, Wong's fat didn't affect his dance moves at all; instead, it added a touch of surprise.
He once became the most shining... the fattest star on the dance floor.
Forget it, let's introduce them next time.
---
In the starry sky, a huge warship passed by.
Previously, the warship Tony built on Sakaar was already huge, but compared to this one, it was still far behind.
"Father, Asgard is just ahead."
Chapter 242: Attack
Asgard.
After the ravages of war, Asgard was recovering quickly; although Hela had killed most of the men, the women here were not weak.
Valkyrie led the remaining women in slowly rebuilding their home.
Sif would occasionally bring food from Earth to support them. Most of the heavy lifting—moving stone pillars and quarrying ore—was done with Thor's help, while Loki used Illusion Magic to refine the structures, and the craftsmen followed the magic to repair the houses.
Everything seemed to be flourishing. Occupied with work, the people put their sorrows aside and focused on the reconstruction of Asgard.
Heimdall remained stationed at the Bifrost Bridge; at a time like this, he could not leave his post.
News of the attack on Asgard might have already spread, and if it attracted any desperate scoundrels, he had to detect and stop them.
Suddenly, he furrowed his brows, noticing a spacecraft flying toward them.
After waiting a moment and confirming that its target was indeed here, Heimdall activated the Bifrost Bridge.
The rainbow beam shot toward the spacecraft immediately; the moment it made contact, it shattered the ship into fragments that drifted away into the starry sky.
The Bifrost Bridge's primary function was transportation, but its offensive capabilities were not to be underestimated.
Just after closing the Bifrost Bridge, before Heimdall could even catch his breath, his expression changed, his pupils dilated, and he immediately prepared to activate it again, because he saw another warship—and this one, he recognized.
The Warlord of the Universe, Thanos.
But this time, he failed to activate the Bifrost Bridge; his hands could not move.
A powerful force threw him aside and pinned him firmly to the ground, leaving him unable to move.
Ebony Maw slowly walked out from the side, glanced down at him, snorted without a word, and stepped directly over Heimdall.
"Thor, enemy attack!" After relaying this message, Heimdall's vision went black.
To be honest, it was a little too late.
Thor was still using his hammer to repair houses when he heard Heimdall's message. He immediately prepared to lead his people over, but after taking only a few steps, he saw a massive warship blotting out the sky above them.
Even without understanding technology, Thor could tell from the sheer scale of the warship that if the enemy opened fire from above, not a single one of the remaining civilians would survive.
Raaaargh!
A swarm of monsters jumped down from the sky. Thor shouted anxiously, "Quick! Take them away, leave on the spacecraft, do not go to the bunker!"
Valkyrie only hesitated for a few seconds before realizing that Thor was right.
Let alone the warship above, even the monsters that had jumped down were not things they could handle right now; taking the people and leaving was the only correct choice.
Loki's eyes darted around, and he slipped away in a flash, disappearing without a trace.
At this moment, Thor had no time to worry about him. He led a few dozen people, armed with weapons, and charged forward.
It was a pathetic sight. The glorious Asgard, once the ruler of the Nine Realms, was now left with only a few dozen militiamen, and they were just people thrown together at the last minute.
Wielding the Eternal Spear, Thor charged at the very front. With every swing, he killed many of the small monsters.
But the civilians beside him were not combatants, and casualties soon appeared.
Watching them get injured, Thor's heart was bleeding; these were the last of the Asgardians! With a roar, he leaped into the sky, intending to take out the enemy leader; otherwise, he would be worn down and killed here.
Just as he reached the apex of his jump, a giant axe descended from the sky, aiming straight for his face.
Thor held his spear horizontally to block, but was knocked back down.
As the dust settled, Thor climbed out of the crater and saw a monster three times his size, holding a giant axe. He roared, "Are you the leader?"
"Ha, hahaha!"
Laughter erupted, and three other voices joined in simultaneously.
Soon, the other three Black Order members stepped out, looking at this Son of the God King and sneering.
A great sword floated behind Ebony Maw. He said disdainfully, "You? You dare to call yourself a god?"
With a flick of his finger, the great sword slashed toward Thor. The latter wielded the Eternal Spear to block, but it was a struggle, and he sustained cuts all over his body.
Black Dwarf threw his weapon, which transformed into a pair of pincers that grabbed Thor, trapping him so he couldn't break free.
The great sword hovered above Thor's head; with a light flick, his head would be severed.
Suddenly, all four of them knelt on one knee facing Thor. Thor naturally understood that someone was behind him, but he couldn't even turn his head.
A large purple hand released Thor from the restraint and immediately gripped his throat. Veins bulged on Thor's face, and he appeared to be in great pain.
"Where is the Tesseract?"
Thor tried to pry the hand open, but despite using all his strength, he was completely helpless.
"I... I will absolutely, cough, never tell you!"
In a daze, Thor felt as if he had seen the figure of his father. His eyes turned blue, lightning swirled around him, and a bolt of thunder struck down from the sky.
The Black Order were all knocked back, except for Thanos, who took the lightning strike head-on. A purple gem on the gauntlet on his left hand flashed.
"Impressive power, but unfortunately..."
Before Thanos could finish his praise, a spike from the ground launched him into the air. If not for his quick reaction, he would likely have been impaled and killed on the spot.
Loki looked at Thor with a nervous expression, then quickly pointed ahead and said, "Sister, there are invaders. I saw that Thor was no match for them, so I rushed over to release you to deal with them!"
In truth, Hela had sensed the arrival of the external enemies without Loki's help. She had just been planning to go out when Loki came to curry favor, so she went along with it, treating it as doing them a favor.
With a wave of Hela's hand, a large number of Death Soldiers appeared, matching the small monsters that had rushed out and not falling behind at all.
From the side, Fenris also charged over, grabbed Black Dwarf in his jaws, and ran off. The other three were still stunned by Thor's lightning and hadn't reacted yet.
Thanos landed steadily beside the Black Order members. He looked at Hela with a solemn expression and said, "Bring down my weapon."
He could feel that Hela was very strong—strong enough that he had to go all out.
The warship quickly sent down the Tyrant Sword and armor, and Ebony Maw hurriedly used telekinesis to pass them to his father.
Hela was in no rush. She smiled with great confidence; this group of people before her, combined, were no match for her.
Furthermore, that massive warship was indeed intimidating, and destroying Asgard with its firepower was certainly feasible, but she wasn't dead yet.
As long as the warship opened fire, Hela was confident she could destroy it within ten seconds!
The reason she waited for the enemy to get ready was because she had some pent-up frustration—frustration from being beaten by Sean Brooke—and she could use this wave of enemies to vent it.
Otherwise, she would really have to start doubting her own strength.
"Are you ready? Do you want me to treat you to another meal?" Hela taunted.
The three Black Order members glared at her, picked up their weapons, and stood beside Thanos, ready to strike at any moment.
Thor also regained his senses, wisps of lightning crackling around his body, holding the Eternal Spear—he had a bit of Odin's aura about him.
Hela looked at him and said with some disdain, "Ugh, you really are becoming more and more like Father."
"I will kill them!"
"Not bad, that line sounds like him when he was young, too."
Thanos, wielding his large blade, didn't bother with pleasantries. With a leap, he brought it down on Hela's head.
The Black Order members beside him immediately followed suit, and Thor, understanding his own strength, charged straight toward the three of them.
Only Loki remained on the sidelines, staring at the great sword behind Ebony Maw.
He had to get that great sword; only then would this battle be secure!
Chapter 243: Thanos VS Hela
Thor, who had awakened a portion of Odin's power, shed his previous weak demeanor and, gripping the Eternal Spear, hurled it at one of the Black Order.
The spear, imbued with the power of thunder, directly pierced Corvus Glaive, impaling him and his blade onto a distant wall.
Thor, filled with rage, unleashed his divine might and continued to charge at the other two.
On the other side, Thanos wielded his greatsword with one hand, swinging it with fierce momentum. Fortunately, Hela's Night Sky Sword was no ordinary weapon, and coupled with her extensive combat experience, she held her ground completely.
She even managed to find openings to stab Thanos several times.
Thanos's resilient Titan body seemed ineffective, forcing him to continuously attack with the Power Stone's ability.
However, as the fight progressed, he noticed something was wrong.
Asgardians were strong, he knew that, but to say their bodies were stronger than a Titan's was nonsense.
Yet, the facts before Thanos made him curious: every time he injured Hela, her recovery speed was actually faster than his own.
If it came down to trading blows, he would be the one to die first.
The Power Stone on his left gauntlet flared brightly, and Thanos, risking a sword thrust to his chest, grabbed her with one hand.
The Power Stone instantly unleashed its power, and purple cracks appeared on Hela's body. Soon, flames consumed her entirely.
Thanos breathed a sigh of relief, pulled the short sword from his chest, and winced as blood flowed. Just as he was about to turn and deal with Thor, he found his knee had been stabbed again.
He swung his tyrant greatsword backward, repelling Hela, and Thanos knelt on one knee, his large eyes filled with confusion.
Illusion Magic? No, something was amiss!
As a man cursed by knowledge, Thanos quickly discovered the problem: Hela wasn't fighting him with her own energy; something was constantly supplying her with energy.
Realizing this, he looked up into the city. If there was some kind of energy device, it would definitely be in there.
Thanos roared at the sky, "Fire!"
In the sky, the giant warships immediately set up their cannons. In just a few seconds, several blue cannonballs landed near the Asgardian Royal Palace.
The palace's protective shield had already been broken during the Dark Elves' invasion. Loki, during his reign, had never bothered to repair it, only indulging in pleasure.
In the city, the civilians had not yet left. Seeing the sky full of cannonballs, their hearts sank into despair.
"No!" Thor roared, wanting to jump up and deal with the warships.
However, the two individuals beside him were very strong, and the one he had
Especially his blade, it was very sharp. If Loki hadn't been continuously supporting him with Illusion Magic, he might have been defeated again.
But at this moment, a green protective shield appeared above the Royal Palace.
Frigga, with the few remaining Witches, activated the defense, only wanting the civilians to leave quickly, as they were the hope for the future.
Valkyrie's heart leaped with joy, and she quickly led them towards the spaceship.
A gigantic spike, far larger than any before, shot into the sky and directly impaled the warship, which then erupted in a violent explosion.
Hela reappeared. Ignoring Thanos, she rushed to deal with the warships, as they were the real threat.
Seeing this, Thanos completely affirmed his earlier thought. He didn't stop Hela, but instead jumped directly towards the Royal Palace.
Once below, he fully unleashed the Power Stone. In an instant, the golden palace was covered in purple flames, and the fire quickly spread throughout the entire Royal Palace.
Amidst the flames, Frigga gazed at her three children from afar, then slowly closed her eyes.
"I'm going to find your father now, children."
Thor and Loki, hearing these words from afar, instantly burst into tears. Even Hela frowned, accelerating her destructive pace.
She wasn't frowning over Frigga's death, but because the destruction of the Royal Palace had an Impacton her.
All of Asgard was her energy source. Any destruction, anywhere, would have some effect, and the Royal Palace accounted for a significant portion.
Of course, this was only a minor Impact, merely slowing the growth of her power; it couldn't diminish her current strength.
Once she destroyed the warships, it would be that Titan's death!
Just as Thor was stunned by his mother's death, Corvus Glaive seized the opportunity, directly stabbing Thor's body from behind and lifting him up.
Ebony Maw also seized this chance, opening his palm, and a large amount of rubble enveloped Thor, pulling him deep underground.
Loki, battered by successive blows, his eyes bloodshot, unleashed unprecedented magical energy, confusing all three and drawing them into his own illusion.
Over-exhausted, he collapsed to the ground, his vision blurry. Before losing consciousness, he heard the sound of thunder in his ears and peacefully fell asleep.
Thor activated his cheat, dreaming of his father.
Having received his parents' dual affirmation, Thor leaped out from underground, his thunder power stronger than ever.
Only after confirming that Loki was merely unconscious did he feel a little relieved. With a flick of his hand, lightning pulled the Eternal Spear into his palm, and with a push of his legs, he leaped towards Thanos at the Royal Palace.
In the sky, Hela also noticed Thor's change and smiled, nodding. He was finally looking a bit more presentable.
The warships continuously exploded, unable to launch any more attacks. Although it took a little more time, it was still quick.
Hela, who was about to leave, suddenly turned her head and looked at the distant horizon.
Hundreds of Leviathan beasts, mixed with countless small spaceships, were flying towards them, a truly grand sight.
"Hmph! Annoying ants."
Hela, annoyed, prepared to meet them with her undead soldiers.
She didn't pay attention to Thanos, but instead thought of something: Ragnarok.
All of Asgard would be engulfed in war and ultimately reduced to ruins.
The cannon fire from the warships earlier had shown Hela this possibility, so she absolutely could not let the army from the horizon approach Asgard.
On the ruins of the Royal Palace, Thanos smiled, but his eyes still held some doubt, because he saw Helacharging alone towards the Chitauri army again, as if her strength had not been affected.
"Die, Titan!"
A roar from Thor came from the sky. Thanos looked up to see a spear, accompanied by the sound of thunder, hurtling towards him.
He extended his right hand, spinning his tyrant greatsword into a shield shape, preparing to block the attack.
The two collided, erupting in a powerful Impact that knocked the greatsword from Thanos's hand and pushed him back several steps.
Thor was still accustomed to using his hammer, so he instinctively raised his hand, wanting to summon the Eternal Spear back from afar, which naturally didn't succeed.
He gritted his teeth and threw a punch.
Although his father had reminded him that he was the God of Thunder, not the God of Hammers, he really missed his hammer!
Now, no matter what weapon Thor wielded, he instinctively threw it. A thousand years of combat habits simply couldn't be changed in an instant.
Chapter 244: If Threats Were Useful, Odin Would Have Done It Long Ago
In the ruins of the palace, when Thanos first confronted Thor, who was covered in lightning, he was slightly nervous, fearing that Thor, like Hela, could recover indefinitely.
But after two punches, he relaxed.
Indeed, Thor was much stronger than before, but there was still a significant gap compared to himself, not to mention that he also possessed the Power Stone.
After a few simple combo punches, Thor coughed up blood incessantly and was covered in bruises, completely outmatched.
Thanos once again grabbed him by the neck, no longer asking about the Tesseract, knowing that warriors like him would rather die than yield.
However, he had a lot of experience dealing with such enemies.
Dragging Thor to the Black Order, he stomped on the ground, and the three of them woke up, looking bewildered.
In the illusion, they had already occupied the Heavenly Palace and were about to depart when they saw Thanos looking at them with a solemn expression.
"Wake him up," Thanos said, pointing at Loki.
"Yes!"
Ebony Maw felt a pang of shame, understanding everything, his heart filled with anger. He had never disappointed his father!
With a flick of his finger, Loki floated between them, and several transparent spikes appeared beside him, slowly piercing into him.
"Ah!"
Loki cried out in pain and woke up.
"We meet again, loser," Thanos said. "Where is my scepter?"
As he asked, Thanos pressed the Power Stone against Thor's head. Thor gritted his teeth, trying not to cry out, but the pain was too intense.
Ebony Maw's attack didn't stop, and both brothers cried out in pain together.
Loki held on for a moment before shouting, "Earth! The scepter is on Earth!"
The attack stopped. Loki gasped for breath before continuing, "The Tesseract is also on Earth!"
Hearing this, Ebony Maw quickly stepped forward, holding out the Bifrost Greatsword with both hands.
Before coming, they weren't entirely sure the Tesseract was in Asgard, so their primary target was still the Bifrost Bridge.
Of course, if they could get the Space Stone, that would be best. If not, there were alternative plans, which was their purpose in coming to Asgard.
To occupy this place, occupy the Bifrost Bridge, and use it as a base to collect all the Stones.
It was just that this plan had a small mishap; Hela's appearance caught Thanos somewhat off guard.
She was too strong, so strong that even with the Power Stone, he was no match for her.
Looking at Hela, who was slaughtering everything in the sky, a strange smile suddenly appeared at the corner of Thanos's mouth.
He had discovered the secret of Hela's power.
Thanos threw Thor aside and said, "Go to Earth, get the Stones, and then find me on Titan."
He turned to look at Fenris in the distance, "Bring Black Dwarf with you."
"Yes!"
The Black Order knelt on one knee, then rushed towards Fenris, rescuing Black Dwarf.
Without further entanglement, they immediately boarded their spaceship and set off for Earth.
Thanos dared not delay. After his subordinates left, he quickly ran towards the palace. The Chitauri Armyin the sky seemed to have been almost completely wiped out by Hela.
"Loki!"
In the distance, Valkyrie, riding a white horse, flew over quickly and helped both of them onto the horse's back.
Loki, still somewhat conscious, weakly pointed at Hela and said, "Quick, go over there!"
Valkyrie didn't understand what Loki wanted to do, but she didn't dare to delay, piloting the Pegasus towards Hela.
She was truly grateful that she had found her mount midway through repairing Asgard, otherwise, it would have been over this time.
Hela in the sky was very majestic. With a raised hand, a short sword flew out, and the Chitauri Armywas like balloons, popping with a single poke.
Even the Leviathan was just a matter of throwing a few more short swords.
With her desire for slaughter satisfied, Hela finally felt reborn, completely washing away the humiliation she suffered on Earth.
Seeing a white horse flying towards her, Hela was still somewhat dazed. When she saw her two 'cheap' younger brothers on it, she resisted the urge to kill it.
"Useless things, go! Find a place to hide..."
Before Hela could finish her taunt, Loki interrupted directly, saying, "Thanos went to the Treasury! There's Surtur's Crown and... the Eternal Flame!"
Hearing these two items, Hela's eyes changed. She no longer cared about the Chitauri Army, called her mount Fenris, and quickly headed towards the Treasury.
As soon as she left, the Chitauri Army's target naturally shifted to the white horse. Valkyrie's scalp tingled, and she asked, "Where do we go now?"
Loki bit his tongue, the metallic taste of blood clearing his head considerably. Looking at the Chitauri Army, he pointed in a direction and said:
"Go there!"
On the ground, Thanos also arrived at the palace ruins. When it collapsed earlier, the Treasury was revealed.
However, he looked through it and found no Tesseract or any energy supply device, so he took Thor to interrogate Loki.
When he walked outside, looking at Hela in the sky, and using the Power Stone's sensitivity to energy, he found the source of Hela's power.
Asgard!
Everything here was the source of Hela's power!
In other words, as long as this place was destroyed, Hela would also die.
But Thanos's goal was not to kill Hela, nor to destroy Asgard, especially since he hadn't obtained the Space Stone, his need for the Bifrost Bridge became even greater.
At this moment, Hela also arrived at the outer perimeter of the Treasury, seeing that Thanos had already picked up Surtur's Crown and was standing in front of the Eternal Flame.
She made Fenris stop and walked inside herself.
She walked down the stairs, step by step, to a short distance from Thanos, pointing her Night Sky Swordat him and saying, "Surrender, and I will spare your life."
Thanos smiled slightly, shaking the crown in his hand. "Now, the decision is in my hands, isn't it?"
"Haha!" Hela looked up and laughed twice. "You... you're not threatening me, are you?"
"Alright, you can try and see if I can..." Hela's tone changed, "...kill you before Surtur destroys Asgard!"
She would not be threatened by such a weak enemy. In fact, if Thanos hadn't had the Power Stone, she would have killed him outside earlier.
Just like killing those mere soldiers, there would be no difference.
The reason she agreed to Sean's conditions was, firstly, his powerful strength without external aid, which convinced her.
Secondly, she saw in him the desire for conquest, the desire to conquer the Universe.
It was this last point that made her willing to stay in the dungeon. Because she believed that Sean would soon let her out, and together, they would conquer this Universe.
As for Thanos, hehe, he was too weak. If all weaklings could use this excuse to threaten her, the God of Death, then she wouldn't be Hela.
If threats were useful, Odin would have done it long ago.
Chapter 245: Asgard Explodes
Hela's maniacal laughter echoed around the vault, chilling to the bone. Unfortunately, there was no one here, only Thanos.
Thanos was not flustered in the slightest and calmly said, "I have no grudge against you, do I?
I also admit that your strength is unmatched and you can indeed kill me, but I imagine you don't want to die, especially not with me, here."
Hela's laughter gradually ceased, but she did not lower the sword in her hand. "You're right, dying here with a weakling like you would be very unpleasant."
"Put down the Crown and leave. This is my last mercy."
Hela currently had no way to deal with the Eternal Surtur. She had been present during Odin's battle with the fully realized Surtur, so she naturally understood the difference in strength between them now.
She also knew that once Surtur revived from the Eternal Flame, he would inevitably destroy Asgard, and she might not be able to stop him.
She needed time, and once her strength returned to its peak, Surtur would no longer be a threat.
Thanos moved the Crown away from the flames and said, "As long as you don't stop me from using the Bifrost Bridge, I'll give it back to you."
"What's it to me!" Hela yawned. "I'm just a prisoner of Asgard. If you hadn't brought your battleship in, I wouldn't even bother with you."
This was indeed true. If the large battleship hadn't been such a threat, Hela really wouldn't have cared about Thor and the others. It would have been even better if they all died.
She could then go to Earth with a clear conscience to find Sean and ask when the conquest plan would begin.
Thanos on the other side was genuinely stunned for a moment. He had anticipated how Hela might respond, but he never expected this particular answer.
From her face, Thanos could tell she wasn't lying, but that made it even stranger.
How could such a fierce powerhouse willingly become a prisoner?
He had, of course, heard of the title Goddess of Death and the story of Odin leading her to conquer the Nine Realms before she disappeared.
When he saw her here, he thought she had retreated behind the scenes, silently acting as a guardian.
"Then... I can use the Bifrost Bridge freely?" Thanos raised the sword in his hand.
Hela put her hands on her hips. "First, get your monsters away from Asgard!"
"No problem."
Thanos stepped back a few paces, watching Hela warily. He used the Power Stone to blast through the ceiling and shouted towards the sky:
"Withdraw!"
Hela also put away her weapons, looking at his gauntlet with interest, understanding what he intended to do. She smiled and asked, "You want to collect the Infinity Stones?"
"Yes, are you going to stop me?"
"Haha." Hela scoffed dismissively. "Give up. Someone has already collected three Stones, and his own strength far surpasses yours."
"Is that so? That's great, then I don't have to go one by one to..."
Boom!
Before Thanos could finish speaking, a violent crashing sound came from afar.
He thought the Chitauri hadn't followed orders and were attacking Asgard, but upon closer inspection, his heart sank.
In the distance, numerous Leviathans surrounded the Bifrost Bridge, continuously crashing into its structure. Each impact dislodged pieces of it.
Riding a White Horse... Valkyrie, along with Loki and Thor, was very excited, leading the beasts behind her to gradually destroy the Bifrost Bridge. She felt a peculiar emotion.
It was like when she was a child, and her parents forbade her to play with fire, but she secretly did, feeling a sense of transgression.
In the vault, Thanos looked at the Rainbow Greatsword in his hand, somewhat bewildered, while Helacontinued to make sarcastic remarks.
"Oh dear~ The Bifrost Bridge can't be used anymore. What a pity."
Listening to her cold mockery, the confusion in Thanos's eyes suddenly vanished, replaced by determination.
Clutching the Crown and the Greatsword, he looked back at Hela. "Yes, it's gone, along with Asgard!"
With that, he loosened his fingers, letting the Crown fall into the Eternal Flame.
"No!" Hela's eyes widened in disbelief.
She immediately threw a short sword at Thanos, her eyes filled with rage. She no longer cared about Surtur; she vowed to kill him to vent her anger.
Thanos naturally understood her intentions and didn't linger in battle. He ran directly towards the Bifrost Bridge, intending to use it one last time before it was completely destroyed.
He fully activated the Power Stone to buy himself time. Only when Surtur was fully revived and cleaved the space between them with his sword did Thanos escape from Hela.
However, his current situation was not good either. Several short swords were stuck in his body; although not vital, his injuries were severe.
After Valkyrie saw Surtur revive, she stopped leading the Leviathans and took the two princes to find the fleeing battleship.
Perhaps Thanos's command had been received, as the Leviathans no longer crashed into the bridge, but by then, the Bifrost Bridge was already shattered, and whether it could even be used was questionable.
Watching Surtur, who was wielding his giant sword behind him, Thanos didn't dare to hesitate. He activated the Bifrost Bridge and left.
As for the Chitauri Army, there was no need for arrangements; they would probably be blown to ashes soon.
As Surtur plunged his flaming giant sword into the core of Asgard, an explosion that engulfed Asgardimmediately erupted.
The entirety of Asgard shattered into pieces, scattering throughout the Universe, thus becoming history.
As the Bifrost faded, Thanos slumped down weakly, finding a place to sit, and silently sighed.
He hadn't even acquired the second Stone, and his entire army was dead. Besides the Black Order, nothing remained.
While waiting for his wounds to heal, he looked towards a giant head in the distance. This time, he absolutely had to get the Reality Stone!
---
On Earth, Avengers Tower.
Tony and Banner were in the lab, researching defensive engineering. The object of defense was Earth.
Yes, they were now seriously considering how to put a layer of Armor on Earth to prevent any unidentified fleet invasions, and if possible, to also block the Bifrost Bridge.
"Uh~ how about trying a honeycomb interlocking defense? That's what Xandar did, and the effect was, uh~ quite good," Howard the Duck said, hiccuping.
Banner became interested and walked over to chat with him.
Tony sighed, glanced at them, and said nothing.
This duck, actually... actually did resemble him a bit. The name being the same was one thing, as many people were named Howard, but why did he get a feeling of uncanny resemblance between their brows? Was it an illusion?
He recalled that day at the party, when Sean specifically pulled him over and, while introducing the duck's name, kept looking at him with a smile.
Tony understood what Sean was thinking then, so he didn't respond.
Later, in the lab, he saw this duck and found him indeed very intelligent. No wonder he felt that the overall technological level here was very poor.
However, he was very interested in Vibranium, believing that Vibranium contributed significantly to why Tony's Armor was so powerful.
Beep beep!
Tony looked at his watch, took off his lab coat, and said, "I have to go. I'm meeting Pepper for shopping today. You two keep chatting."
He no longer dedicated all his energy to the Avengers. No matter what stage his research reached, he would always make time to date Pepper.
Banner smiled slightly, picked up a blue triangular object from the table, and tossed it to Tony. "Take this. Sean said there might be enemies recently, so be careful."
Tony caught it and pressed it to his chest. "I wonder where he went. It's been ten days or so."
"He's definitely not on Earth. It's better to be careful; he's always right."
"You're right about that."