Chapter 121: Thor
A black SUV drove across the desert and stopped in front of the entrance to a temporary Base built by S.H.I.E.L.D.
Coulson showed his credentials and, together with klein, passed through layers of checkpoints and walked deep into the Base.
As soon as they stepped into the core area, Hawkeye came forward to meet them. He nodded at Coulson, but when his gaze turned to klein, a hint of surprise appeared on his face.
"mr. klein, I didn't expect to see you again so soon."
"Yo, Agent Barton, you're here too? What a coincidence, right?" klein grinned, offering a casual greeting.
"What's the situation, Clint?" Coulson's gaze swept over the busy researchers and the Agents on guard.
Hawkeye shook his head, his expression somewhat helpless. "No progress. Aside from continuously monitoring energy fluctuations far beyond the norm, the thing itself is like... it's welded onto the Earth.
We've used everything from manpower to heavy engineering equipment, and even tried directional energy impacts, but it hasn't budged an inch."
Coulson frowned and looked at klein beside him. After a moment's thought, he proposed, "mr. klein, are you interested in taking a look? Perhaps with your vast knowledge, you might see something we've missed."
"Sure, since I'm already here, I'll take a look at the spectacle," klein said nonchalantly.
They came to a giant sand pit that had been deliberately cleared out in the center of the Base.
In the middle of the bottom of the pit, a war hammer was standing quietly upright in the sand.
"This is it?" klein peeked over, his tone ordinary.
"Yes," Coulson stared at him intently, "mr. klein, do you... recognize this thing?"
"I do."
Coulson's eyes instantly lit up, even showing a bit of pleasant surprise.
He had originally intended to just give it a try, but he hadn't expected this mysterious Advisor to actually know! He immediately followed up: "Then, mr. klein, can you lift it?"
"I can't," klein answered crisply, without the slightest hesitation.
This answer left both Coulson and Hawkeye stunned for a moment.
Based on their understanding of klein's abilities, it was the first time they had seen him admit he wasn't capable of something.
klein's current power belonged to the Quasi-Talent Level, on the same tier as Hela, but a step below the Talent Level of the Ancient One and Odin.
However, according to klein's own calculations, in no more than two years, he would reach the true Talent Leveland be able to go toe-to-toe with the Ancient One and Odin.
Even though he could lift Mjolnir now, he felt there was no need for such a thing; just watching the show was enough, as he had no interest in meddling in Odin's family matters.
klein saw their confusion, spread his hands, and explained, "Don't look at me like that. This thing is, in essence, a form of recognition. Its Master has placed powerful magic and rule restrictions upon it.
Only those who are worthy, or those who surpass him, can lift it."
klein looked at Coulson with a playful gaze. "I advise you, it's best not to get any ideas about it either.
This thing is, ultimately, someone else's family business. Someone will come to claim it; when that happens, just watch. Don't get involved, and you wouldn't be able to handle it if you did anyway."
Coulson's brow furrowed; klein's words contained a lot of information.
This thing had an owner, and the owner was no small matter; S.H.I.E.L.D. was not qualified to touch it.
But as an Agent, especially one responsible for handling such anomalies, he couldn't just give up on the research and containment of such a high-energy unknown object because of a single sentence.
"Thank you for the information, mr. klein, it is very... valuable," Coulson said, weighing his words.
"However, duty-bound as we are, I'm afraid we can't just leave it be. At the very least, until the person who claims this hammer appears, we must ensure it remains within a controlled range and maintain the status quo."
He turned to Hawkeye, his tone returning to its usual cool efficiency. "Clint, maintain the current alert and research levels. Assign more personnel to monitor the surrounding area and watch for any targets approaching abnormally.
Incorporate mr. klein's words into the intelligence brief, but the action plan remains unchanged."
Hawkeye nodded. "Understood."
klein shrugged indifferently. "Alright, do as you see fit. I've given my warning. By the way, Coulson, are there any specialty dishes in the nearby town? I can't come all the way to the desert and leave on an empty stomach."
Coulson took klein to a Mexican Restaurant in town that looked quite old.
The paint on the sign was peeling a bit, but the aroma of food wafting from the entrance was quite inviting.
"Conditions are limited, but this place is considered one of the better ones in town," Coulson pushed open the door and stepped aside to let klein in first. "When we get back to New York, I'll treat you to a proper meal to make up for it."
"I'm not picky about food," klein waved his hand as he walked inside. "As long as there's something to fill my stomach, the key is that the taste shouldn't be too outrageous."
The two of them found a window booth and sat down. Coulson expertly ordered several signature dishes.
Tortilla chips with Salsa, Chicken Burritos, Chili Meat Pies, and two glasses of ice-cold Tecate Beer.
The food arrived quickly and in generous portions.
klein didn't hold back either; he picked up a burrito and took a large bite. The rich cheese mixed with the taste of roasted chicken melted in his mouth, and he nodded with satisfaction. "Mmm, not bad, quite delicious."
Coulson smiled and picked up his own portion. The two of them chatted while they ate, and the conversation naturally turned to the hammer back at the Base.
"mr. klein, you said earlier... that it was someone else's family business? Can you say more? For instance, roughly when will its owner come to claim it?"
klein tore off a piece of meat pie and dipped it in the chili sauce, saying vaguely, "Soon, I estimate in a couple of days. But..."
He looked up at Coulson with a meaningful expression. "Just watch from the sidelines and don't get in the way, or you'll likely end up in a mess."
Coulson's eyes flickered, and just as he was about to ask for more details, the restaurant's doorbell chimed, and more people walked in.
klein instinctively glanced at the door.
Three people had entered.
Leading them was a blonde, muscular man, nearly 1.9 meters tall with broad shoulders. Even in an ordinary plaid shirt and jeans, his solid muscles couldn't be hidden.
He had long hair and rugged features, but his brow was furrowed now, and his deep blue eyes were filled with irritability and a haughtiness that was completely out of place with his surroundings.
Behind him followed two white girls.
The moment klein's gaze fell upon that blonde man.
[Ding!]
[Detected key Marvel plot character: Thor Odinson]
[Identity: Son of Odin, Thor]
[Hint: The host has encountered a new plot character. Reward: Draw count +1! Would you like to start the draw now?]
klein's chewing motion stopped for a second, and he felt amused.
Yo, speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Isn't the man of the hour right here?
He responded in his mind without changing his expression, "Draw."
[Drawing in progress...]
Chapter 122: Lightning Dharma
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining the reward—Lightning Dharma!]
[Includes: Innate Five Thunders Righteous Dharma, Divine Sky Jade Pivot Grand Dharma, Primordial Chaos Capital Lightning Dharma, General Command of Lightning Dharma]
[Load the ability immediately?]
"Load it! Right now!"
klein almost roared this in his heart.
This was the fucking Lightning Dharma! A top-tier Divine Power that acts as heaven's punishment!
A natal Divine Power from the Nine Heavens Response Primordial Thunder Sound Universal Transformation Heavenly Worthy; this was a Lightning Dharma that pointed directly to the Heavenly Dao. This was absolutely a strategic-level upgrade!
Almost the instant he confirmed the loading, a majestic energy, like the Milky Way of the Nine Heavens pouring down, crashed into klein's sea of consciousness and his entire body!
The Five Elements Power, Shukaku Chakra, Divine Power, Armament Haki, and even the spirituality of the "Door" pathway that were originally distinct yet harmoniously coexisting within him...
At this moment, all his powers were triggered, fused, and tempered by this supreme thunderous Dao charm!
It was as if an invisible thunder hammer was pounding all the impurities out of his body, melting the essence into one!
His life level underwent a qualitative leap under the impact and fusion of this supreme Lightning Dharma from the Daoist sect!
He burst through the shackles of the Quasi-Father-God level and stepped into the true Skyfather level in one stride!
At the same time, the "Door" pathway, which had just been promoted to [Sequence 5—Traveler], actually broke through again as a matter of course, driven by this majestic energy and the leap in life level,
Stepping into the realm of [Sequence 4—Secrets Sorcerer]! More profound knowledge regarding occult rituals, curses, and blessings naturally surfaced.
All of this seemed long but actually happened in the blink of an eye.
However, the sudden qualitative change and increase in power could not be completely restrained after all.
An invisible pressure as vast as an abyss radiated uncontrollably from klein as the center!
Although klein forcibly suppressed the fluctuations, a trace of his aura still leaked out...
Coulson, sitting opposite klein, only felt a wave of air slap him directly against the wall.
The entire small diner felt as if it had been hit by a hurricane; if klein hadn't been holding back, this place would have turned into ruins.
Thor, who had just walked into the diner and was about to find a seat, suddenly stiffened, as if he were being stared down by an ancient beast, and the hair all over his body stood on end!
This aura... so heavy, so ancient, a sense of majesty as if presiding over the punishments of heaven and Earth!
It actually faintly reminded Thor of his father, Odin! No, it was even purer in some aspects?
Waves of shock surged in Thor's heart.
He had thought Midgard was just a backward realm of the Middle Kingdom, where except for that soldier with the shield who was somewhat interesting, everyone else was an ant.
But now, in this dilapidated diner in a remote desert town, he had actually encountered an existence with such a terrifying aura!
This simply overturned his perception of Earth.
After the shock, a startling light suddenly erupted in Thor's eyes! That's it! Such a powerful person must know the secrets of mjolnir! Perhaps he could help him!
He no longer hesitated and, braving the energy fluctuations, walked to klein's booth.
Facing a powerhouse, Thor couldn't care less about maintaining his dignity as a Prince of Asgard; his tone carried a hint of urgency and pleading:
"Powerhouse of Midgard, I am Thor Odinson, Prince of Asgard, son of Odin.
I perceive that you possess extraordinary power and wisdom. I have a request concerning the ownership of a divine artifact; perhaps only you can..."
"Stop right there."
klein finally finished absorbing all the abilities of the Lightning Dharma and directly interrupted Thor's words:
"Son of Odin, I know why you've come. I also know what you want to ask of me."
He paused and, under Thor's suddenly brightening gaze of expectation, slowly shook his head,
"However, I cannot help you. At least, not in the way you hope."
"Why?!" Thor took a step forward urgently, his voice rising involuntarily, "As long as you tell me how to pick up mjolnir, or..."
"Because this is Odin's test for you," klein interrupted him again.
"This realization, this growth, must be experienced by you alone. An outsider's interference will only tarnish the meaning of this trial and render Odin's painstaking efforts in vain."
klein looked at Thor's eyes, which quickly turned from hope to resentment, his heart unperturbed.
He knew that the current Thor wouldn't listen to much, but what needed to be pointed out had been pointed out.
The rest would depend on how this exiled God of Thunder would find back that heart belonging to a god.
Thor stared fixedly at klein, his fists clenched until they cracked, his chest heaving violently.
"I... understand."
Then, like a wounded lion, he strode out of the diner, his back appearing somewhat desolate.
Coulson also felt like he could breathe smoothly again; he released his unconsciously clenched fists, his palms covered in sweat.
Looking at klein, his eyes were full of inquiry and lingering fear as he recalled the pressure that had just suffocated him in an instant.
"mr. klein, just now... what was that about?"
"Nothing," klein picked up another tortilla chip and dipped it in chili sauce.
"My power just happened to make a small bit of progress, and I didn't control it well. By the way..."
klein pointed to the marks left by the energy fluctuations earlier.
"Remember to compensate the shop for their losses; put it on the official tab. This was just a minor accident caused by my lack of caution while cooperating with S.H.I.E.L.D. on a field mission; you guys have to handle the aftermath."
"..."
"I... I'll handle it." Coulson rubbed his temples, feeling that the mission report for this New Mexico trip would probably be very, very difficult to write.
"Good, then." klein nodded in satisfaction, finished the last bit of his beer, stood up, and stretched, his joints making a series of pleasant popping sounds.
Promoted to Skyfather level, mastered the complete Lightning Dharma, Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer... this trip was really worth it.
He looked out the window at the sunset sinking below the horizon and toward the direction of the S.H.I.E.L.D.temporary Base, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
...
At night, the searchlights of the S.H.I.E.L.D. temporary Base cast pale columns of light on the ground.
A burly figure came to the edge of the pit under the cover of night.
It was Thor. He stood at the edge of the pit, looking down at the familiar yet strange war hammer. His chest heaved violently, his eyes a mix of longing and resentment.
He jumped down into the sand pit, walked to the hammer, took a deep breath, leaned over, and grasped the cold handle.
Thor let out a low roar; the veins on his arms, neck, and forehead bulged, his muscles tensed to the limit, and the sandy ground beneath his feet sank deeply from his exertion!
However, Mjolnir did not budge in the slightest.
Thor refused to give up, changing his posture, kicking with his feet, and even trying to hoist it with his shoulder... he used every method he could think of, but the result remained the same.
"Why... Father... why..." Thor finally let go, his strength depleted, and staggered back a few steps, collapsing onto the sand.
He lowered his head, his long golden hair falling down, obscuring his face which was filled with pain and despair.
Above the deep pit, klein, Coulson, and Barton stood in the shadows, silently watching all of this.
The searchlight occasionally swept by, reflecting Thor's lonely and dejected back.
"It seems he really can't pick it up," Barton said softly, his tone devoid of much emotion.
"mr. klein was right; this really seems to be a trial." Coulsonwas deep in thought, recalling klein's words in the diner during the day.
"His exam isn't over yet," klein said indifferently, his gaze passing over Thor and into the darkness further away.
"The good show might have just begun. You guys guard this place; I'm going to follow him and see."
With that, before Coulson could respond, his figure vanished silently from the spot.
Coulson and Barton looked at each other and said nothing. They were already starting to get used to this Advisor's elusive abilities.
Chapter 123: Loki
Thor Odinson emerged from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Base, soul-crushed, walking aimlessly through the cold, empty desert.
Having lost his divine power, he was merely an exceptionally strong mortal. The desert night wind leached his body heat, bringing a bone-chilling cold, yet it was not even a ten-thousandth of the coldness in his heart.
He didn't know how long he had walked until his strength was exhausted, his knees buckled, and he knelt heavily onto a sand dune.
He raised his head toward the night sky and let out a sob-filled low growl:
"Father! What exactly did I do wrong?! Why must you punish and humiliate me like this! Tell me! How can I earn your forgiveness?! How can I return home?!"
His voice echoed in the vast desert, quickly swallowed by the wind, with no response.
Thor finally broke down, his shoulders slumping as he buried his face in the coarse sand, trembling silently.
Just as he was immersed in boundless pain and self-doubt, a faint sound of footsteps came from behind him.
The footsteps were elegant, even somewhat deliberate, completely out of place in the desert environment.
Thor didn't look back immediately; he had no interest in anything right now.
A figure wearing dark green robes and a golden horned helmet appeared silently not far from his side.
He looked at Thor, kneeling in the sand and looking pathetic. A flash of satisfaction flickered through his eyes, but it was immediately replaced by a deeper sorrow.
...
[Ding!]
[Detected key Marvel plot character: Loki Laufeyson/Odinson]
[Identity: God of Mischief, Frost Giant descendant, Son of Odin (Adopted)]
[Prompt: The host has encountered a new plot character. Reward: Gacha attempt +1! Start the draw now?]
The system's notification rang in klein's mind.
"As expected, he came." klein had been following Thorprecisely to see if he could encounter Loki.
He hadn't expected him to actually show up. Loki truly went to great lengths just to watch his brother suffer.
Looking at the pair in the distance about to perform a scene of brotherly affection, klein happily confirmed in his mind:
"Draw!"
The glittering golden gacha wheel reappeared in his consciousness, its pointer spinning rapidly.
klein was curious: facing the God of Mischief, what kind of good loot could he pull this time?
At the same time, Loki's deep voice, filled with dramatic tension, carried clearly over the night wind:
"Brother... I have crossed the sea of stars to tell you... heartbreaking news. Father, he..."
Thor snapped his head up, sand and tear tracks mixing on his face, a flicker of anxiety in his eyes:
"Loki? Father... what happened to Father?"
Loki avoided meeting Thor's gaze. "Father... because you unilaterally started a war with Jotunheim, and because of your stubbornness after being exiled... he was overcome with grief. In his state of emotional turmoil, he was ambushed by a lurking Frost Giant..."
"What?! Impossible!" Thor felt as if he'd been struck by lightning. He tried to stand up but fell back down due to exhaustion, only able to growl in disbelief,
"Father is the All-Father! The Guardian of Asgard! How could he possibly..."
"Look at this, brother!" Loki interrupted Thor's roar at the right moment. With a flick of his wrist, a spear shimmering with mysterious runes and flowing with a dark golden luster appeared out of thin air in his hand.
It was the Eternal Spear, Gungnir.
Thor's voice stopped abruptly, his pupils constricting suddenly.
He recognized this spear; it was the symbol of Asgardian royal power, the artifact that the All-Father Odin never let leave his side!
"Father, before he passed... passed the throne to me. His final decree was... to banish you forever, never to set foot in Asgard again.
You shall remain in Midgard, to repent for the crimes you have committed."
"No... this is impossible... this can't be true..."
His father was gone, the throne was lost, and his home was forever out of reach. This series of blows left Thortrembling all over, losing even the strength to question.
Seeing his brother completely broken, his convictions shattered, Loki knew his goal had been achieved.
He feared that if he stayed any longer, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from smiling at the success of his scheme, ruining the carefully crafted tragic atmosphere.
So, he gave Thor one last deep, complex look, and then his figure slowly drifted back, merging into the shadows and magic, vanishing.
"Father!!!"
Thor wailed toward the heavens, his fists frantically pounding the sand beneath him.
Tears mixed with sand, crisscrossing his face as he cried like a lonely, helpless child.
Meanwhile, behind a distant sand dune.
klein withdrew his perception from Thor's direction. He felt nothing but amusement toward this drama of brotherly strife.
Even though it was currently Loki one-sidedly deceiving Thor.
At that moment, the system notification rang again right on time.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, host, you have received the reward — Book of Vishanti!]
[This book is the materialized source crystal of "Vishanti Magic." It carries all the powers of the trinity: Agamotto, Oshtur, and Hoggoth.]
[Load?]
"Load!"
Unlike any previous ability fusion, there was no violent infusion of energy, nor any drastic physical changes.
The moment he confirmed, the illusory Book of Vishantimerged silently into the depths of his consciousness, like a drop of ink into still water.
This integration of ability was so natural. His realm, which had just stepped into the Skyfather level due to the fusion of Lightning Law, was solidified once again under the push of this power involving the source of rules!
His strength was now firmly at the peak of the Skyfather level. It seemed he was only one final step of accumulation and thorough digestion away from that mysterious and profound Single Universe level.
When he opened his eyes again, countless tiny runes and structures seemed to flicker in and out of existence in his pupils—a sign of the preliminary combination of the Vishanti power and his own system.
He lightly clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within him, and a smile curled at the corners of his mouth.
Chapter 124: The Destroyer
klein leisurely strolled back to the temporary S.H.I.E.L.D.Base, feeling content.
As he stepped into the command tent, he saw Coulson and Hawkeye quietly discussing something in front of a monitor.
"Yo, you two, still working?" klein greeted them, pouring himself a cup of water.
Coulson looked up at the sound, seeing klein. "mr. klein, may we know what you were doing chasing that man?"
klein took a sip of water, smacked his lips, and said, "I went to see a grand drama of brothers fighting and family ethics. Tsk tsk, it was marvelous."
Coulson and Hawkeye exchanged glances, their faces full of questions.
"Family ethics drama? In this desert?" Hawkeye couldn't help but ask. He really couldn't connect this desolate land with that kind of prime-time plot.
"Indeed," klein put down his water cup and shrugged. "The cast was quite luxurious: an exiled eldest son, a scheming second son, plus a deceased old father. The dialogue was well-delivered, and the emotional outbursts were spot-on, though the script was a bit cliché."
Coulson was even more confused, but he knew that klein often spoke in metaphors, and it usually involved anomalous events.
He tried to ask more, but seeing klein wave his hand, indicating no intention of elaborating, Coulson also wisely refrained from pressing further.
"Alright, mr. klein. Your room has been arranged. It's the third mobile prefab on the east side. If you discover any more anomalies tonight, please be sure to notify us promptly."
"Got it. Watching a show is tiring, I'm going to catch up on some sleep." klein yawned and swayed towards his temporary lodging.
After klein left, Coulson and Hawkeye exchanged glances again.
"What do you think, Clint?" Coulson asked in a low voice.
Hawkeye pondered for a moment: "He definitely saw something. But since he's not saying, either it's irrelevant, or he thinks it's useless for us to know, or we shouldn't know.
Keep an eye on it. The main focus is the blond man who came to claim this hammer."
"Agreed. And we need to strengthen night patrols."
At the same time, deep in the desert.
After Loki left, Thor fell into an even deeper despair and pain.
His father died because of him, he was exiled, and the throne was seized by his younger brother...
A series of blows completely shattered the proud Thor's last psychological defense.
He stumbled forward like a zombie in the boundless sea of sand, aimless, like a body drained of its soul.
Finally, his strength completely gave out. His legs buckled, and his body fell onto the cold sand, his consciousness sinking into darkness.
Fortunately, the place where he collapsed was not too far from the town.
As dawn broke, Thor was finally discovered by Jane Fosterand her assistant, Daisy Lewis.
The two had been looking for Thor all night.
Jane hastily stopped the car, and together with Daisy, they lifted the unconscious Thor into the vehicle.
While unconscious, Thor was still mumbling words like "Father King," "Asgard," and "Loki."
...
When Thor regained consciousness, he found himself lying on a simple cot in a room filled with various instruments and books.
"You're awake?" a female voice said.
Thor propped himself up and saw Jane Foster standing by the bed, holding a cup of water.
"We found you in the desert. How did you faint there? You said you were going to look for something last night, and when you didn't return, we searched for you all night.
We only found you at the edge of the desert in the morning. Luckily, you didn't go deeper into the desert, otherwise..." Jane handed him the cup of water.
Thor didn't take the cup; he just stared blankly.
However, just as Jane was comforting Thor, a fierce wind suddenly rose outside the house, and strange phenomena appeared in the sky.
Four faintly glowing figures, clad in ancient armor, descended onto the open ground outside the house, accompanied by the afterglow of the Bifrost Bridge!
The Heavenly Palace Four finally found their prince.
"Thor!" Sif shouted excitedly from outside.
Hearing the familiar voice, Thor instantly sprang from the bed and rushed out the door.
"You... why are you here? How is Asgard? Father King, he..."
From Sif's words, Thor learned the cruel truth.
Odin had not passed away; he had merely fallen into a deep slumber due to the crisis Thor caused and the subsequent grief.
It was Loki who concealed the truth, forged decrees, usurped the throne, and tried to banish him forever!
Father isn't dead? Just asleep? The throne usurped by Loki? He'd been tricked again by that cunning younger brother!
"Loki! You tricked me again!" Thor was furious, slamming his fist on the ground.
"We must return to Asgard immediately! Expose Loki's lies and awaken Father King!"
"But Thor," Fandral calmly reminded him,
"Without mjolnir, you cannot summon the Bifrost Bridge. We have also lost the means to return to Asgard directly."
It was like a bucket of cold water. Thor clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white.
He remembered what that mysterious and powerful Midgardian had said yesterday: "This is Odin's test for you... this understanding must be experienced by yourself."
Thor's gaze turned towards the S.H.I.E.L.D. Base, becoming incredibly resolute:
"I must earn its recognition! This is the trial my father gave me, and it's the only way home!"
...
At this moment, in Asgard, within the Golden Palace Throne Room.
Loki sat elegantly on Odin's throne, watching Thor reunite with the Four Warriors through a magical water mirror.
"Heh... my dear brother, it seems you know the truth now."
Loki's lips curled into a cold and twisted smile, his eyes devoid of the sadness he had shown when facing Thor.
"Since the tender drama is over... let's try a different approach."
He slowly stood up, descended the throne steps, and walked to a platform in the center of the palace engraved with a huge Runic Symbol.
He raised both arms, and the bloodline of the Frost Giantand the magic of Asgard surged simultaneously within him, interweaving with faint blue and golden light.
"Go, Destroyer. Descend, find my disobedient brother and his foolish friends...
Then, wipe them, along with that ridiculous Midgardian town, from the face of the Earth!"
The runes on the platform suddenly lit up with dazzling light, and space twisted and rippled.
A massive metal armor, with two points of crimson light glowing in the hollow eye sockets of its faceplate, locked onto the passage to Midgard.
Loki lowered his arms, stood with his hands behind his back, and watched the Destroyer descend completely towards Earth, muttering softly:
"Farewell, brother. This time, I won't give you any more chances."
...
Just as Thor was preparing to set off for the S.H.I.E.L.D.Base to gain the hammer's recognition, the sky changed dramatically again!
A burning orange pillar of light tore through the sky, striking the distant desert!
After the light pillar dissipated, a humanoid weapon, over three meters tall and made of unknown shiny silver metal, slowly rose from the impact crater.
It finally locked onto Thor's direction.
"It's the Destroyer!" Volstagg exclaimed in horror. "Lokisent it down! He's trying to kill us all?!"
The Destroyer's faceplate opened, and intensely hot energy gathered wildly within it, aiming directly at Thor!
"Prepare for battle!" Sif drew her longsword, and the Heavenly Palace Four instantly entered combat mode.
Jane and the others were terrified, their faces pale; the sight before them completely exceeded their comprehension.
Chapter 125: Thor Descends
Just as the scorching orange light beam tore through the sky and the Destroyer descended, the energy monitoring equipment in the S.H.I.E.L.D. temporary Base emitted a piercing shriek.
Inside the command tent, the curve representing energy intensity on the screen soared like a Rocket, frantically rising and finally breaking through the preset red alert threshold.
"Officer! Detecting an ultra-high-level energy burst, coordinates are three kilometers east of the town! The energy waveform... is unprecedented, far exceeding any known conventional or anomalous weapon system!" A technical Agent reported urgently.
Coulson and Hawkeye stared intently at the energy signal source on the screen, which represented the Destroyer, shining like the Sun.
"mr. klein," Coulson immediately looked at klein, who had appeared at the tent entrance at some point, holding a cup of coffee and slowly sipping it.
"You sensed it too? Do you know what that thing is?"
"I know." klein blew away the foam on the coffee, "Odin's armor, the Destroyer. It was secretly released by an unfilial son."
"Odin's armor?" Coulson's pupils constricted slightly, and his expression became more solemn. "What is its threat level to civilians? Do we need to intervene immediately?"
"Threat?" klein looked up at the screen, then took another sip of coffee. "For the people in that town, it's a catastrophe. As for intervention..."
He put down his cup and walked to the main screen, his gaze piercing through the tent as if he could see the distant battlefield directly.
"Evacuate the civilians first. Let them fight the rest. You can go up and collect the bodies afterward, and pick up that pile of scrap metal for research, which counts as recycling. If they can't win..."
He paused, a subtle arc forming at the corner of his mouth, "I'll go clean up Odin's house!"
Coulson understood that this probably involved a higher level of conflict, and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s rash intervention would do more harm than good.
He took a deep breath and made a decision: "Understood, mr. klein. All units, enter Level One alert, but do not fire on the target without orders.
Expand the evacuation zone and ensure civilian safety. Monitor the battlefield in real-time, ready for cleanup at any moment."
...
Outside the town, the battlefield had turned into a purgatory.
The The Warriors Three and Sif was currently engaged in a desperate struggle with the Destroyer.
Sif's longsword, imbued with brilliant divine power, slashed at the Destroyer's silvery body again and again, but only sparked blinding fire and left fleeting marks that were instantly repaired by the flowing metal.
Fandral's dual swords thrust at critical joints, but the Destroyer's reaction was unbelievably fast; the wind pressure from its heavy metal arms made him constantly face danger.
Hogun's mace struck the Destroyer's chest with immense force, making a dull thud, but only causing it to sway slightly.
Volstagg roared, swinging his battle-axe to meet it head-on, but the Destroyer smashed him with a punch to the axe face, sending him and his axe flying backward, collapsing half a mud wall, and spitting blood.
"It's no use! Its defense is too high!" Sif parried a sweep and anxiously shouted to Thor, who was charging again, "Thor, you must get mjolnir!"
Thor's eyes were bloodshot. He picked up a broken spear from the ground and roared as he charged at the Destroyer.
Without his divine power, although his combat skills were still exquisite, the difference in strength was like a chasm; he simply couldn't break through the Destroyer's defense.
The Destroyer seemed to have singled him out. Its facial armor opened again, and a thicker, more dazzling, scorching beam of light shot out!
"Thor, look out!" Fandral exclaimed, pushing Thor away with all his might.
The beam grazed Thor's body, vaporizing a large part of an abandoned pickup truck behind him.
"Ah!!" Thor let out an unwilling roar and charged again.
The Destroyer raised its hand, and its huge metal palm slapped him away like a fly.
Thor tumbled through the air, crashing heavily into a pile of debris, raising a cloud of dust.
He struggled to get up, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, his vision somewhat blurry.
The Destroyer approached step by step, its heavy footsteps making the ground tremble.
It raised its foot, seemingly intending to crush Volstagg, who was blocking its path.
"No!!" Thor's eyes widened. With an unknown surge of strength, he charged out again, ramming his body into the Destroyer's calf.
The Destroyer merely swayed slightly, but Thor felt as if he had hit a mountain. A crisp sound of bone cracking came from his right arm, and excruciating pain pierced his heart.
He was thrown back by the recoil, rolling to the ground.
The Destroyer lowered its head, its crimson gaze locked on Thor. Its facial armor began to charge, and this time the energy fluctuation far exceeded the previous ones!
"Thor!!" Jane cried out in despair from behind a nearby cover.
Sif and the others also tried to rescue him, but they were all forced back by the residual energy waves from the Destroyer's casual swings.
At this critical moment, Thor, lying on the ground, covered in blood, with an unknown number of broken bones, looked at the approaching death, at his comrades severely wounded while protecting him, at Jane's terrified face in the distance...
His father Odin's voice seemed to travel through time, echoing in his mind once again,
"Thor, a true king is not judged by how heavy a hammer he can wield, but by how much weight he is willing to bear for his people. Strength comes from the will to protect, not the desire to conquer."
"Devotion... protection...
I, Thor Odinson, may not be worthy of being king, but I am willing to use my blood to protect my friends and defend this homeland! Loki! Your conspiracy will never succeed!"
The moment his words fell, the long-dormant Divine Power of Thunder within him erupted like a dormant volcano!
Above the Nine Heavens, the previously clear sky suddenly became covered with dark clouds, lightning snakes danced wildly, and deafening thunder echoed across the heavens and earth!
A majestic aura surged from Thor, soaring into the sky!
At the S.H.I.E.L.D. Base in the distance, all monitoring instruments instantly maxed out! The dazzling electric light even interfered with the screen signals.
"These energy readings... My God!" The technical Agentwas dumbfounded.
Coulson and Hawkeye also watched in shock as the energy signal representing Thor on the screen instantly expanded from a faint green dot into a massive light cluster surpassing the Destroyer!
At the same time, in the center of the sandpit, which was under strict S.H.I.E.L.D. surveillance, the dormant Mjolnirsuddenly trembled!
The ancient Runic Inscriptions on the hammer lit up one by one, flowing with dazzling lightning.
It let out a joyful and passionate hum, broke free from the earth's restraint, and transformed into a streak of light, streaking across the sky!
"That hammer! It flew away!" The monitoring personnel exclaimed.
The silver streak of light, like a swallow returning to its nest, landed with perfect precision in Thor's raised right hand!
The majestic Divine Power of Thunder, channeled through the hammer's handle, perfectly fused with Thor's awakened power, blending seamlessly!
Dazzling silver lightning instantly enveloped Thor's entire body!
His damaged clothes turned to dust in the lightning, and a set of sleek, silver armor adorned with ancient patterns automatically appeared, covering his body!
A crimson cape flapped behind him, moving without wind!
The wounds on his face and body healed at a visible rate in the lightning, and his broken bones reconnected.
His previously somewhat messy golden hair, infused with the power of thunder, became smooth and lustrous, naturally cascading over his shoulders.
The Destroyer's fully charged beam finally erupted! But this time, Thor merely raised his left hand calmly.
The thick destructive beam blasted against a diamond-shaped shield made of pure lightning in front of Thor, exploding into scattered light and flames, failing to harm Thor in the slightest!
The smoke and light slowly dissipated.
Thor Odinson, the God of Thunder of Asgard, stood atop the ruins, holding Mjolnir and clad in Thunder Armor.
In his clear blue eyes, there was no longer any confusion, only the majesty of the God of Thunder.
"Now, it's my turn."
Before his words finished, his figure had vanished from its original spot.
The next instant, the Destroyer's massive body was struck as if by an invisible giant hammer. A huge burst of electric light and metal fragments exploded from its chest, sending it flying backward!
The real battle had just begun.
Chapter 126: Thor's Great Battle with the Destroyer
On the desert battlefield, thunderous light intertwined with beams of destruction, the roars shaking the heavens.
Thor, having regained control of the Meow-Meow Hammer, surged with divine power, his fighting spirit blazing.
He swung the divine hammer, summoning thunder, each strike carrying the power to rend the Earth.
However, the performance of the Destroyer opposite him far exceeded Thor's expectations.
In another head-on clash, Thor's hammer, laden with the force of ten thousand thunderbolts, smashed against the Destroyer's crossed, blocking arms. The exploding plasma melted the surrounding sand into searing glass.
The Destroyer's massive body slid back dozens of meters, plowing a deep trench in the ground. Yet, the damage on its surface visibly writhed and healed at a rapid pace. Moreover, a faint, ghostly blue frosty luster flowed beneath its silver armor.
Thor gasped for breath, his brow deeply furrowed.
No, this is definitely not the strength the Destroyer armor should possess as originally forged by Father!
He had witnessed his father's majesty when wielding it firsthand and knew its limits well.
But this Destroyer before him—whether in strength, speed, or that eerie regenerative ability and energy resistance—had reached a heart-stopping level.
It seemed... modified.
"Loki, what have you done?" A chill grew in Thor's heart.
The Destroyer seemed to adapt to Thor's attack rhythm and began to counterattack.
After a feint tricked Thor's block, the Destroyer's heavy metal fist struck Thor's ribs from an impossible angle. Thorgrunted, a trickle of golden-red divine blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
The battle situation slowly shifted in a direction unfavorable to Thor.
The Destroyer completely suppressed Thor, its storm-like attacks leaving him hard-pressed on all sides.
Even more terrifying, the energy contained within the Destroyer's attacks could actually hinder the flow of Thor's thunderous divine power.
The Destroyer would not give Thor time to think. Its faceplate slowly opened once more. Thor's muscles tensed, preparing for the familiar barrage of searing beams.
However, what gushed forth this time was not a scorching stream of light, but a blast of extreme, freezing cold!
"What?!" Thor's pupils contracted sharply. There was no time to dodge.
An absolute cold wave, capable of instantly freezing rivers and solidifying flames, swallowed Thor whole.
The brilliant lightning on the surface of his thunder armor visibly dimmed.
A layer of crystal-clear, solid ice, several feet thick, sealed Thor firmly from head to toe, like a lifelike ice sculpture.
Inside the ice, Thor's expression remained one of shock and fury, even the dancing electric light in his eyes frozen solid.
"Thor!!" From a distance, Jane let out a heart-rending scream.
Sif and the others' eyes nearly burst from their sockets. They tried to charge forward but were forced back again by shockwaves casually swept out by the Destroyer's wave of its hand.
The Destroyer took heavy, steady steps towards the frozen Thor.
"Loki!!!" Within the ice sculpture, Thor's will roared madly, trying to mobilize every ounce of thunderous power to break the bindings. But the primal cold contained within that icy tide, originating from the Frost Giant's treasure, the Casket of Ancient Winters, greatly suppressed the operation of his divine power.
Loki had actually used Odin's Scepter, the Casket of Ancient Winters, and magic to perform a secondary modification on the Destroyer.
Not only had he fused it with freezing power, but its attacks also carried a trace of Odin's power, capable of directly suppressing Thor's Thunder God power. This was also the reason Thor grew weaker the more he fought.
The Destroyer's facial energy accumulation reached its peak at this moment and blasted forth fiercely!
A thick beam precisely struck the frozen Thor's chest.
The sturdy ice and the divinely forged armor shattered simultaneously!
The ray penetrated without hindrance, exploding into a burst of bloody light on Thor's chest!
Thor let out a pained grunt. The entire man was violently flung away by the explosive force, like a kite with its string cut, soaring dozens of meters through the air before crashing heavily to the ground and rolling over a dozen times before stopping.
The armor on his chest was shattered, revealing a bloody, mangled wound. Golden-red divine blood continuously welled forth.
He tried to prop himself up but suddenly coughed out a large mouthful of blood. The wound, which would have healed rapidly under his thunderous power, now recovered at an abnormally slow pace.
The trace of Odin's power attached to the Destroyer's attacks was like a persistent poison, continuously suppressing his essence, making Thor's regenerative ability grow weaker and weaker.
The Destroyer took another step forward, its crimson gaze locking onto the barely breathing Thor. Its facial armor began a new round of energy accumulation.
This time, it intended to utterly erase this God of Thunder, along with everything within a hundred-meter radius, from the face of Earth.
Seeing this, the Asgardian Warriors, disregarding their injuries, lunged forward again, attempting to relieve the besieged by besieging the base of the besiegers, hoping to allow Thor to escape danger.
But facing the enhanced Destroyer, their attacks were even more futile.
Sif's divine longsword could only leave shallow marks on the ice crystals; Fandral's swift thrusts were easily parried; Hogun's meteor hammer was frozen by the icy flow; and Volstagg's battleaxe was notched by a dark purple energy blade.
The Destroyer could even spare the effort to use its frost sprayers to restrict their movements and force them into precarious situations with energy blades.
Seeing the Heavenly Palace quartet repeatedly in peril, Thor, ignoring his own injuries, raised the Mjolnir high overhead, using the Meow-Meow Hammer's energy to stir the thunder elements between heaven and Earth.
The Mjolnir emitted a hum unlike before. Silvery-white arcs of lightning converged like ripples centered on Thor.
Thor's eyes blazed with lightning as he poured all his thunderous divine power, holding nothing back, into Mjolnir!
"In the name of my father, Odin! In the light of Asgard! Be annihilated, twisted creation! Thunder—Divine Retribution!"
Mjolnir transformed into a falling silvery thunder star, smashing fiercely into the gaping hole in the Destroyer's chest!
A colossal pillar of thunder and lightning pierced through heaven and Earth! It left behind a giant crater, nearly a hundred meters in diameter, vitrified by the intense heat.
Shiny metal fragments of the Destroyer flew everywhere, a massive hollow blasted through its chest.
Just as everyone thought the Destroyer was defeated, the red light in its visor gathered once more. At the moment everyone let their guard down, it shot towards Thor.
...
At the S.H.I.E.L.D. temporary command center, the atmosphere suddenly shifted from the joy of the Destroyer's defeat to the shock of its resurrection.
Coulson watched the revived Destroyer, his face ashen.
"Officer, we..." an Agent's voice was dry and strained.
At that moment, klein, who had been leaning against the tent as if watching an intense action movie, stood up.
He stretched his body, then turned to the tense Coulsonand said,
"I'm going in. Have your people ready. Remember to come in later and clean up. Mainly, collect that pile of scrap metal. Should still be able to salvage some good parts."
Before the words even faded, klein's figure vanished from the spot without warning.
In the next instant, he stood firmly between the Destroyerand the severely wounded Thor.
"Shield of Saraphin!"
A shield composed of magic blocked the Destroyer's certain-kill strike, simultaneously saving Thor's life.
Chapter 127 Battle Against the Destroyer
Inside the Destroyer's facial armor, a destructive beam of intertwined fiery red and icy blue energy erupted, only to explode into a sky full of light and flames upon striking a translucent magic shield, which was inscribed with intricate golden runes, in front of klein.
The shockwave from the energy impact sent the four approaching Heavenly Palace warriors flying back three meters, while klein, at the center of the energy, remained unmoved, merely narrowing his eyes slightly.
"Shield of Seraphim, truly lives up to its reputation." klein muttered to himself, then turned his gaze toward the Heavenly Palace warriors and Thor and the others who were struggling to get up behind him.
"Everyone, back off. Don't get in the way."
Far away on the throne in the Golden Palace of Asgard, Loki, who was sharing the scene through the Destroyer's vision, suddenly straightened up from his throne.
For the first time, his handsome and pale face revealed a look of seriousness and astonishment.
"Midgard? How could there be a mage capable of blocking a strike from the Destroyer?" Loki's fingertips unconsciously tapped the shaft of the Eternal Spear, his eyes flickering with calculating light.
"Interesting, but that is all!"
With a thought, he stopped holding back and issued a command to the Destroyer through their mental link: "At all costs, prioritize eliminating this disruptor!"
On the battlefield, the Destroyer channeled all its energy and poured it toward klein! Its facial armor recharged, spraying several blasts of extreme cold breath at klein.
klein would sometimes use the "Rings of Raggadorr" to deflect heavy blows, sometimes use the "Shield of Seraphim" to tank the cold breath, and sometimes whip out several "Bolts of Balthakk," exploding bursts of lightning across the Destroyer's thick armor.
However, after being empowered by Loki, the Destroyerpossessed an incredibly strong corrosive and disruptive effect on energy.
"Tsk, something 'extra' added makes all the difference. But the game is about to end." klein used the Mirror Dimension again to dodge a wide-area ice explosion, reappearing dozens of meters away.
He glanced at Thor in the distance, who was being helped up by Sif and Jane, and suddenly laughed aloud: "New Thor, watch closely! I will only perform this once!"
Before the words had even faded, klein's figure seemed to break free from the shackles of gravity, rising straight up a hundred meters into the sky, hovering beneath the firmament.
He slowly cupped his hands in front of his chest, his fingers beginning to form seals, while he recited a decree.
"By the Jade Decree of the Nine Heavens, the Thunder Ancestor commands! The righteous energy of the Divine Firmament, infuse my body. Summoning the thunder of the Nine Heavens, driving the might of the five directions! The Mother of Lightning shines, the Earl of Wind drives the clouds, the Lord of Thunder beats the drums, all gods obey! First thunder splits evil, second thunder shatters delusion, third thunder slays souls, nine thunders annihilate form! Any demons who dare to resist shall turn to fly ash, their body and soul obliterated! By my decree, act with haste!"
As klein continued to chant, an indescribable aura of majesty began to spread out with him at the center.
In Asgard, Loki, seeing this scene through the Destroyer, especially when the majesty that made his soul tremble faintly transmitted through the mental link, saw his pupils suddenly contract to the size of pinpricks!
"What... is this? How is this possible?" Loki's voice carried a hint of horror that even he himself had not noticed.
On the ground, Thor also suddenly raised his head, staring fixedly at the figure in the air.
The thunder god-power within his body began to stir uncontrollably, making him feel an inexplicable palpitation and awe? As if he had encountered an existence of the same origin but of a higher order.
Slowly, the sky for dozens of miles around was completely covered by rolling, ink-colored thunderclouds!
Within the clouds, countless terrifying bolts of lightning, thick as dragons and purple-red in color, were crazily slithering about.
The electromagnetic field between heaven and earth was completely disrupted; all electronic equipment at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Base instantly went black, and the shrill alarm sounds were drowned out by the rolling thunder.
Fierce winds howled, sand and stones flew, as if the apocalypse had arrived!
"Decree: Nine Heavens Demon-Annihilating Divine Thunder. Obey the summons!"
As the last incantation fell, klein joined his right fingers like a sword, pointing down at the Destroyer that had just sprayed its destructive breath, and guided it downward!
A purple-red thunder pillar, too massive to be described by words, manifested in response to the summons, striking down from the void above the Destroyer's head!
This thunder pillar was over ten meters in diameter, with purple-red thunder plasma churning inside; wherever it passed, space itself showed subtle distortions!
Even time seemed to freeze at this moment.
The indestructible Destroyer, in the face of this thunder pillar, was like snow encountering the scorching sun.
The silvery metallic shell, which could withstand Thor's full-force Mjolnir strike, was now like the most fragile glass, shattering inch by inch the moment the thunder pillar touched it.
In its place, only a giant pit dozens of meters deep and a pile of fragments remained.
Far away in Asgard, Loki, as if struck by a heavy blow, suddenly fell from his throne. His face was as pale as paper, beads of cold sweat seeped from his forehead, and one hand clutched his head tightly as if it were about to explode.
Just at the final moment when the Destroyer was completely annihilated, a trace of the Thunder Punishment's intent contained within that thunder pillar actually flowed back up along the weak mental link between the Destroyer and him, fiercely impacting his consciousness!
In that intent, it reminded him of his Father Odin in his prime.
"Midgard... how could such an existence be possible?!" Loki's teeth were chattering.
His original playfulness, calculation, and sense of superiority like a cat playing with a mouse were shattered by this bolt of thunder.
He realized that he had severely underestimated this backward Midgard World.
It actually hid a terrifying powerhouse capable of annihilating an enhanced Destroyer in one strike!
Even Thor, in Loki's mind at this moment, had temporarily yielded in terms of threat level.
"Must lie low." Loki gasped heavily.
He struggled to crawl up, his figure somewhat frantically blending into the shadows, disappearing from the great hall.
He had to immediately cut off all unnecessary contact with Midgard, hide completely, and figure out who that terrifying mage was, as well as how many more secrets Midgard was hiding.
Dealing with Thor? Seizing the throne? Those plans, in the face of such a terrifying threat to his own safety, had to be temporarily shelved.
Staying alive was the current top priority!
The desert battlefield was dead silent.
Thor knelt on one knee, looking up at the figure slowly descending from the sky, his hand gripping Mjolnir until his knuckles turned white.
With the Destroyer destroyed, his divine power began to circulate normally, and the wounds on his chest began to slowly heal.
The Warriors Three and Sif supported each other, their gazes toward klein filled with unprecedented awe.
klein landed lightly, walked up to Thor, looked down at this disheveled Thor, and then glanced at the huge molten crater in the distance, smacking his lips:
"It seems the gift your brother prepared for you is of poor quality. If I broke it, Odin won't come looking for me for compensation, will he?"
Thor opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his throat dry; in the end, it only turned into a complex sigh and a deep bow:
"Thank you, sir, for saving my life. Thor Odinson will keep this in his heart."
This time, there was not a hint of Asgardian prince arrogance in Thor's tone, only heartfelt respect.
klein waved his hand, but his gaze turned toward the direction of Asgard, as if he could pierce through the endless starry sky and see that frantically hiding God of Mischief.
"Alright, just remember the favor. Hurry up and take your little companions home. As for that troublemaking brother of yours... he should be quite a bit more well-behaved recently."
After speaking, he ignored the others, and his figure disappeared again.
Only then did Coulson arrive at the battlefield in a hurry with a team of fully armed Agents wearing special protective suits,
"Seal off the scene and collect all residue samples. Note, *all* of them."
Chapter 128: Return to Los Angeles
The wound on Thor's chest healed rapidly under the nourishment of the power of Thor; he took a deep breath, feeling the familiar strength refilling his limbs and bones.
He first nodded solemnly to Agent Coulson in the distance, thanking him for not making things difficult for him during this time, and then he walked towards Jane Foster.
Their eyes met, and Thor stepped forward to take Jane's hand, "Jane, I must return. Asgard needs me; there are unfinished responsibilities there."
Jane's eyes turned red, but she held back her tears, only gripping his hand tightly in return: "I know. Go do what you must, Thor. But promise me, protect yourself."
"I swear it in the name of Thor." Thor promised solemnly, left a light kiss on her forehead, and then turned away without hesitation.
He held high the Meow-Meow Hammer and said to The Warriors Three and Sif, who had already assembled nearby: "Friends, we are going home!"
The light of the Bifrost Bridge descended in response, a brilliant beam of light tearing through space and swallowing the figures of the five.
The light dissipated, leaving only a mess behind.
Coulson witnessed all of this, quickly composed himself, and directed his men to efficiently clean up the scene, collecting every fragment of the Destroyer, not even sparing the vitrified sand at the edge of the crater.
After handling this, he walked over to Dr. Erik Selvig, who was standing to the side, looking somewhat at a loss.
"Dr., regarding the recent abnormal energy phenomena and astrophysical disturbances, we have some internal materials and observational data that might provide you with a brand new perspective. I wonder if you would be interested in participating in a more cutting-edge research project as an Advisor? Of course, the compensation and resources would be quite generous."
Dr. Selvig looked at the well-trained, well-equipped mysterious unit before him, then recalled the earth-shattering battle and the legendary god from just moments ago, realizing that he had inadvertently been drawn into a World far beyond his imagination.
He pushed up his glasses, pondered for a moment, and finally nodded: "It sounds like an offer I cannot refuse. I'm in."
"A wise choice, Dr. Welcome aboard." Coulson shook his hand and then returned to the temporary command center.
The Base was preparing for evacuation. Coulson found Hawkeye: "Clint, where is Mr. klein? We owe him thanks for this time; we must thank him properly."
Hawkeye was checking his bow and looked up upon hearing this: "He said that since things were settled here, he wanted to drive around the Southwest himself, sort of like a vacation. He asked me for the keys to a vehicle and drove off."
Coulson shrugged with some regret: "Alright, I guess it'll have to be next time. We are preparing to evacuate as well; the data and samples here need to be sent back to headquarters for analysis immediately."
"Understood."
Meanwhile, klein was driving the suburban borrowed from S.H.I.E.L.D., speeding along the vast desert highway of New Mexico.
Outside the car window, cacti, red rocks, and an unblemished sky were constantly flashing by.
klein was immensely enjoying this aimless, empty state of mind; he planned to keep driving like this, perhaps go to Arizona to see the Grand Canyon, or detour to Texas for barbecue, until he got tired of it.
Unfortunately, the leisurely days didn't last long. Stopping to rest at a gas station, just as he took a bite of a strangely flavored burrito, the phone in his pocket rang.
klein took a look; it was unexpectedly Potts.
"Ms. Potts?" klein answered, responding vaguely.
"Mr. klein, sorry to bother you." Pepper's voice carried a hint of anxiety, "Would you be available to come to Los Angeles recently? As soon as possible, preferably. Tony is having some issues here, and he might need your help."
"Tony is having issues? Did he blow himself up again? Or is his armor stuck in his crotch?"
"Hmm?! The situation is a bit complicated, and it's not very convenient to explain in detail over the phone. But it's definitely not a simple technical malfunction. Can you come over as soon as possible?"
Hearing Pepper's rare seriousness and worry, klein threw the remaining burrito into the trash can and brushed the crumbs off his hands.
"Understood. I'll contact you when I arrive."
"Okay, thank you, Mr. klein." Pepper was clearly relieved.
klein somewhat regretted coming to such a desolate place; at least there wasn't even a S.H.I.E.L.D. car return point here.
Fortunately, klein had the Kamui Dimension; he casually stored the black suburban into the Kamui Dimension and then, with a teleport, appeared directly at the seaside Villa in Malibu.
The Villa was empty, with only the greeting of the smart butler Jarvis echoing.
"Mr. klein, good afternoon. Mr. Stark is hosting a private party; would you like me to provide you with the address?"
"No need, where is Ms. Potts?"
"Ms. Potts is currently at the Stark Industries headquarters, in the CEO's office."
"Alright, got it."
klein's figure disappeared again, and the next second, he was already standing in the CEO's office on the top floor of the Stark Industries building.
"Wah!"
Potts, who was busy processing documents, was startled by the figure that suddenly appeared across from her desk and let out a scream, dropping the pen in her hand onto the documents.
She clutched her chest, and after seeing who it was, she let out a long sigh of relief.
"Mr. klein! Could you... could you please use the door next time? Appearing so suddenly is really scary."
"Sorry, sorry, I'm used to it." klein waved his hand insincerely, plopped down onto the leather sofa opposite Potts, looked around at this office which was even grander than before, and grinned.
"Potts, oh no, should I call you CEO Potts now? It seems that guy Tony has completely become a hands-off boss, throwing such a huge company to you? If you ask me, an old man who is almost kidney-deficient, shouldn't he stay home quietly to enjoy his later years instead of throwing parties every day? If I were you, I would have broken his legs long ago."
Potts ignored his teasing, "Mr. klein, it's really great that you could come. Tony has changed ever since he came back from Morocco last time."
"At first, I thought he was just stimulated by the attack incident and needed to vent. But later, things became increasingly wrong."
"He throws parties almost every day, is extravagant, and his speech is becoming increasingly mean and extreme. He even had a huge fight with his best friend, Colonel Rhodes, and now the two of them barely communicate. This is completely unlike the normal him. I am very worried, which is why I wanted to ask you to come and take a look."
klein knew clearly in his heart that it seemed Tony had discovered he was suffering from palladium poisoning, didn't have much time left, and had started to give up on himself and indulge in retaliatory hedonism.
"Alright, I understand. Don't worry too much; I'll go and pay a visit to our great Iron Man now to see what exactly he is up to."
klein stood up and directly had Red Queen lock onto Tony's real-time location, which was surprisingly a burger shop. It seemed the party was over.
klein teleported again and arrived outside the burger shop.
However, after arriving here, what slightly surprised klein were the two people sitting opposite Tony.
One was a bald, one-eyed black man in a black leather jacket, arms crossed, expressionless—it was none other than that one-eyed black man.
And beside him was a stunning lady with a hot figure, thick wine-red curly hair, and a deep cleavage.
[Ding!]
At this moment, the system's notification sound also rang in klein's mind.
Chapter 129: Second Generation Reactor
[Marvel key plot character detected: Natasha Romanoff(Black Widow)]
[Identity: Former Soviet Union Agent, S.H.I.E.L.D. Level 10 Agent, Avengers]
[Notification: Host has encountered a new plot character. Reward: Draw count + 1! Do you want to start the draw now?]
"Tsk, Black Braised Egg plus Black Widow..." klein rubbed his chin, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes. "Things are about to get lively. Draw, hurry up and draw."
[Ding!]
[This reward is — Incursio!]
klein examined the armor in his mind—sharp lines, interwoven with gold and black—and the corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably.
"Tsk, didn't expect a vase to show up... but it's really handsome! Whether it's a vase or not doesn't matter, as long as it's handsome enough. After all, being handsome is a lifelong matter!"
klein pushed open the door to the burger shop, walked straight in, ignored the inquiring gazes of the staff, and plopped down into the booth next to Tony, sitting directly opposite Fury and Natasha.
"Better to see once than to hear a hundred times, Director Fury." klein grinned at the one-eyed black man, then turned his gaze to the redhead, whistling.
"This must be Ms. Natasha Romanoff, right? Tsk tsk tsk! Even more charming than in the legends."
Tony was feeling irritable. Seeing klein, he glared at him unceremoniously: "What are you here for again? If you want to catch up, please go outside, OK?"
Fury's one eye sharply assessed klein, attempting to discern something beneath his devil-may-care expression.
Natasha responded to klein's teasing with a professional, fake smile, though her posture remained tense, ready to deal with any sudden situation at any time.
"Afraid you'd die, came to take a look." klein picked up the half-finished milkshake in front of Tony and took a big, unceremonious gulp.
"Potts is worried to death, thinking you've gone crazy. She asked me to come over and check. It's just palladium poisoning, is it really that serious? Making it sound like the end of the World."
Tony's expression changed. Before he could retort, he saw klein quickly form several strange hand seals in front of his chest, with faint golden light flowing at his fingertips.
"Don't move. It'll hurt a bit, bear with it."
Before he finished speaking, klein formed his right hand into a tiger claw shape and swiped at the air towards Tony's chest.
"Ah!"
Caught off guard, Tony only felt a piercing, excruciating pain instantly spread from his chest to his limbs and bones. He couldn't help but scream, veins bulging on his forehead, and cold sweat broke out instantly.
Beside them, Fury and Natasha's eyes narrowed, their bodies tightening slightly.
In just two or three seconds, the pain receded like a tide.
klein opened his right hand. In his palm, a silver-gray metal particle the size of a millet grain was floating. It floated quietly in klein's palm.
"Look, this is the palladium element! The thing that almost cost you your life."
Tony stared fixedly at the little thing, his face turning pale. He subconsciously touched the reactor slot on his chest, which seemed to still be aching faintly.
"If you want," klein flicked the palladium element into the empty milkshake cup on the table and turned his gaze to Tony's chest,
"I can also help you take out those annoying missile fragments near your heart in the same way. However... those fragments are stuck in tricky positions, too close to major blood vessels. It might trigger arterial hemorrhage. Although I can handle it, the process will definitely be much more stimulating than that last bit. How about it, want to try? Once and for all."
"No! Forget it! Absolutely not!" Tony instinctively protected his chest with both hands, shaking his head like a rattle-drum.
"I think keeping them is fine for now! Really! Take it slow, I'm not in a rush, not in a rush at all!"
What a joke! Just extracting the toxins from his blood almost made him pass out from the pain. If he had to remove shrapnel near his heart? Tony felt his heart rate becoming abnormal just imagining that scene. Tony gasped for breath; he was indeed frightened by klein's later words. After steadying his thoughts, he hurriedly took out the portable detector from his pocket.
On the screen, the reading for the palladium concentration in his blood was a staggering 0%!
"klein, you're awesome!" Tony's eyes widened as he confirmed it repeatedly.
"It only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. As long as you keep using that reactor on your chest, palladium will continue to seep from the core components into your blood. Poisoning is just a matter of time. My trick, at best, counts as dialysis. It protects you for a moment, not a lifetime."
"So what!" Tony immediately perked up, looking at klein with eager eyes.
"What do I have to fear with you around? Next time the poison acts up, you can just help me extract it again, right?"
"What kind of bullshit are you thinking!" klein rolled his eyes at him. "I'm not going to be your personal Doctor for life. Solve your own problems yourself."
He crossed his legs and tilted his chin toward Fury and Natasha: "Here, aren't they delivered right to your door? They traveled all this way; surely it's not just to treat you to a burger, right? They must have a way to solve it."
Tony was stunned, his gaze turning suspiciously toward Fury.
Fury's one eye narrowed slightly, staring at klein.
The chips and rhythm he had carefully prepared to leverage Tony and guide him to join the Avengers project had been thoroughly disrupted by this guy who suddenly appeared.
The bombshell information about the Stark legacy, which he was supposed to mysteriously drop, had now become a window paper that had been poked through.
"mr. klein," Fury's voice betrayed no emotion, but the flickering light in his one eye appeared somewhat deep.
"You always manage to bring new surprises. Regarding Mr. Stark's health issues, S.H.I.E.L.D. has also been paying attention, and we have already found some possible solutions."
"I'll take that as a compliment!" klein said nonchalantly.
Fury stopped looking at him and turned to Tony.
"Stark, your father did indeed leave some things behind. We believe there might be clues in there to solve your current predicament. The relevant items and materials have already been stored at your Malibu Villa, but how to proceed specifically is up to you."
He paused, adding meaningfully, "This was supposed to be a private conversation between us."
After speaking, he said no more, stood up decisively, and turned to walk out of the shop. The plan was disrupted; there was no need to stay any longer.
Natasha also stood up. As she passed by klein, she paused slightly, her wine-red hair brushing against his shoulder, bringing a faint, elusive fragrance.
She tilted her head slightly, her charming green eyes looking at klein from close range, and lowered her voice, speaking in a volume only the two of them could hear:
"Interesting little hunk, next time, perhaps we can find a quieter place and chat more deeply."
After speaking, she winked at klein, swayed her hips, and followed Fury out of the burger shop.
Tony was still immersed in the shock that his father might have left a solution, failing to notice the little interlude between the pair.
klein watched Natasha's departing figure, rubbed his chin, and savored the suggestive words and that look:
"Black Widow... truly lives up to her reputation. As expected of Marvel's promiscuous woman."
Chapter 130: New Reactor
Tony snapped back to reality, following klein's gaze toward the now-empty doorway, and frowned. "What are you looking at? Your eyes are about to pop out."
"Looking at that redhead from just now," klein retracted his gaze, smacking his lips with a look of reminiscence. "That figure, that aura... tsk tsk, top-tier. Hey, tell me, have you hooked up with her?"
"What?!" Tony sounded like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his voice suddenly rising. "What are you talking about? I'm a decent man! Besides, Natalie is the new legal Advisor for the company; we only have a professional relationship!"
"Oh, give it a rest. Still pretending?" klein leaned in closer, lowering his voice, his expression lecherous yet sympathetic. "Still hiding things from your brother? Is it that you're not up to the task? Let me tell you, I have an ancestral secret recipe that cures all kinds of impotence. I guarantee you'll regain your vigor and be singing songs every night."
"Bullshit!" Tony, as if hit on a sore spot, turned bright red and stiffened his neck. "The great Tony Stark wouldn't be up to the task? I'm very fierce! Seven times a night is no problem at all!"
He looked left and right, confirming no one was paying attention, then leaned closer to klein and whispered, "Ahem... though, I do have a friend, Rhodes! You met him in Afghanistan. He hasn't been in a good state lately, very weak, and even a bit... well, you know. Is that secret recipe of yours really effective? Give me a copy, and I'll take it to help him out. We are good friends, after all."
klein eyed him sideways, a mischievous smirk curling at the corner of his mouth. "I understand, I understand everything. It's just for a friend, right? Fine, fine, helping others is a virtue. When we get back, I'll send you the recipe. Follow it, and I guarantee your friend will be moved to tears."
"It's a deal!" Tony immediately replied, fearing he might go back on his word.
"Alright, enough of this useless chatter. Since you have the spare time to ponder your friend's unspeakable hidden ailment, you'd better hurry home and see what kind of life-saving straw your old man left you. Don't just drop dead from poison one day; I'm too lazy to collect your corpse."
"Right, I need to go back first!" Tony realized the urgency and immediately pulled out his phone. "I'll have Happydrive over to pick me up."
"Drive? What car? Stop dilly-dallying." klein impatiently interrupted him, grabbing Tony's arm.
"Hey! What are you doing? Wait! I'm not read—" Tony's words came to an abrupt halt. The next second, a feeling of the world spinning hit him violently!
The two of them were already standing in the center of the spacious and bright living room of the Malibu Villa.
"Ugh!" Tony's stomach churned, and he bent over, retching a few times. Pale-faced, he held onto the nearby bar counter and glared at klein. "Can you give a warning next time?! This feeling is worse than riding a roller coaster ten times!"
"If I told you in advance, where would the surprise be?" klein showed no guilt, instead waving his hand dismissively. "You can't even handle a little turbulence, and you call yourself Iron Man? Hurry up, stop dawdling, and see what that Black Braised Egg left you as an inheritance."
Tony had just straightened his back and froze at the words. "Braised Egg? Why do you call him Braised Egg?"
klein looked at him with the eyes of someone looking at an idiot, gesturing toward Fury's shiny, bald head and his one-eyed look. "Don't you think he looks exactly like a braised egg that's been soaked in soy sauce and poked with a hole?"
Tony paused for a moment, then superimposed the serious face of Nick Fury with klein's description in his mind.
"Pfft! Hahaha!" He couldn't help it and burst out laughing, pointing at klein while laughing. "Don't say it—well, actually, you should say it—it really does look like him! Hahahaha! Director Braised Egg? How did you even come up with that!"
After laughing for a while, Tony managed to suppress it, though the corners of his mouth were still turned up. He rubbed his stomach, which ached from laughing, and swept his gaze across the living room. "Jarvis, where is the item Director Fury left?"
"Sir, the item left by Director Fury has arrived and is currently stored in the encrypted safe in Area A of the underground laboratory. Would you like me to retrieve it for you?"
"Retrieve it immediately and send it to the main workbench." "Very well, sir."
Tony took a deep breath, the playful look on his face completely vanished, his gaze becoming sharp and focused. He strode toward the stairs leading to the underground laboratory. Given that it concerned his life and future, he couldn't afford not to be serious.
Tony began to focus intently on examining the blueprints and strange equipment samples in the boxes Fury had left behind, not even noticing when klein had wandered in.
When he finally rubbed his sore eyes and straightened up from a pile of holographic design blueprints and molecular structure models, the sky outside was already filled with stars, and the rumbling of his stomach was as loud as an alarm.
Just then, an aroma mixed with top-tier beef and truffles drifted into his nostrils. Tony paused and turned around abruptly.
He saw that klein had managed to find a comfortable lounge chair from somewhere and was sprawled out on it. On the nearby metal workbench, which was originally used for parts, there were now six exquisite silver dinner plates laid out!
Medium-rare ribeye steak, cream of mushroom soup with black truffles, tempting pan-seared foie gras, pan-seared scallops, Caesar salad, as well as chocolate lava cake and a bottle of chilled champagne. This presentation, this aroma—Tony couldn't be more familiar with it; it was the signature dish of the top-tier restaurant he had taken klein to for a show-off session last time!
"Why haven't you left yet?" Tony was a bit dazed and asked subconsciously, while his stomach growled uncontrollably again.
klein didn't even lift his eyelids, slowly picking up a scallop with his fork. "Miss Potts asked me to keep an eye on you so you don't kill yourself. In case you stir up any trouble, at least I can attempt a rescue and collect your intact corpse. Here, takeout I just ordered; eat it while it's hot."
Tony walked to the workbench and looked at the dishes still steaming. An ominous premonition welled up in his heart. "You had Jarvis order this?" Tony's tone was suspicious; he didn't remember giving klein authorization for his smart butler.
"Otherwise what? Did you think I wore an apron and cooked it for you on the spot?" klein finally deigned to take his eyes off the food and glanced at Tony, looking at him as if he were an idiot. "It's just having Jarvis place a takeout order; what a big deal. Oh, right, I put it on your tab."
"What?! How could Jarvis listen to you?! I never gave you authorization!" Tony instantly bristled.
"Miss Potts gave me the authorization!" klein said as if it were only natural.
"Fuck!" Tony nearly choked, but his stomach was protesting wildly, and the aroma of the food in front of him was essentially a brutal, inhuman torture. "Fine! You win!" Tonydecided to turn his grief and indignation into appetite, sat down on the other side of the workbench, grabbed a knife and fork, and viciously cut off a large piece of steak to stuff into his mouth.
However, after eating about a third of the steak, drinking a few sips of soup, and having some salad, he felt about seventy or eighty percent full. But when he looked up, the guy opposite him—the plates in front of klein were emptying at a speed visible to the naked eye. Steak? Two bites per piece. Foie gras? Gone with a flick of the fork. Thick soup? Drank it straight from the bowl. Salad? That was just for cleansing the palate. Even that sizable lava cake was dispatched by him in a few quick bites, and he even licked the spoon as if he hadn't had enough.
There was still more than half of the food left in front of Tony, while over at klein's side, the six plates were almost empty.
"Are you a pig? How can you eat so much?" Tony couldn't help but complain, looking at klein's still-flat abdomen. Is this guy's stomach connected to a black hole?
"Who's like you, acting like a little chick, eating like a cat." klein burped with satisfaction and took a big swig of the chilled champagne. "No wonder you can't take a punch, you useless snack. You rely on armor to fight and cat food to eat; what can you even do?"
"What the—?" Tony was so choked that a breath got stuck in his chest, his face turning a bit red. Forget it. Just endure it. At a moment when he was being completely crushed in both physical strength and sharp-tonguedness, keeping a low profile was the wise choice. After all, from physical strikes to mental attacks, klein was the first and only person Tony Stark had ever met in his life who could make him willingly admit defeat. Not only did Tony pay for the meal, but he also had to clean up the tableware after eating; from childhood to adulthood, this was likely one of the few times he had ever cleaned up by himself.