Chapter 83: This Guy Has a Pretty Retro Vocabulary
"This guy has a loud voice and a pretty retro vocabulary."
Arthur stood behind a low bush, maintaining an invisibility spell, listening to the real-time audio he had "borrowed" from the temporary S.H.I.E.L.D. detention tent.
Wanda had her eyes closed, dark red Chaos Magic flowing faintly at her fingertips, as if she were combing through a tangled mess of energy currents.
"He is shouting, 'I am Thor of Asgard, son of Odin, wielder of thunder.'" Wanda repeated, her mouth twitching slightly, "The Agent named Coulson opposite him replied, 'Alright Mr. Thor, please first present your Asgardian ID or driver's license, and by the way, explain why you illegally trespassed into a restricted military zone.'"
"A classic case of talking on different channels." Arthurchuckled, "One is reciting mythological epics, the other is following grassroots law enforcement procedures. It would be a miracle if they could actually communicate."
Wanda didn't respond, her brows knitting tighter.
"Something's wrong," she said in a low voice, "It's not just that the conversation channels don't match. Do you feel it? The space... is 'panting'."
Arthur suppressed his smile, activating his Super Hearing to the max.
Indeed.
Centered on that detention tent, the spatial structure within a radius of about one hundred meters was enduring a continuous, low-frequency "pressure."
It wasn't physical compression, but a "rejection reaction" on a dimensional level.
It was like dropping a thick, chemically distinct oil into a glass of clear Water; even if the oil droplet remained encapsulated without dispersing, the "stability" of the entire glass of Water had already changed.
The source of the pressure was Thor inside the tent.
The thunderous divine power inside him, tightly locked away by Odin with a golden seal, hadn't leaked out even a single thread, yet its very "existence" was already placing a burden on the relatively "low-magic" dimensional environment of Earth.
What was even more troublesome was that this pressure was creating some kind of unconscious "resonance" with the fluctuations of Odin's seal that Wanda had previously sensed permeating the skies over New Mexico.
"Creak—"
An extremely faint, almost non-existent sound of spatial friction flashed through Arthur's Super Hearing.
It wasn't a sound in reality, but the "noise" generated when the dimensional structure deformed slightly.
"A crack is about to appear." Arthur said, "Although it's very small, if this 'resonance' continues, there's no guarantee it won't actually 'grind' out a hole. By then, let alone Thor, every single S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent and researcher nearby will be swept into the dimensional turbulence for a wild ride."
"Reinforce it?" Wanda asked.
"Yeah, need to add a 'patch'." Arthur pressed his hands lightly onto the sand in front of him, "Just stabilizing the overall structure isn't enough; I need to wrap an extra layer of 'cushioning' around the 'pressure point'."
Golden magic patterns spread from his palms again, this time finer and denser, like countless golden roots, silently drilling into the sand and growing rapidly toward the direction of the quarantine zone.
The patterns avoided all S.H.I.E.L.D. detection equipment and patrol routes, precisely wrapping around the detention tent and the invisible "divine power vein" extending underground from the tent to the mjolnir in the crater in the distance.
A more complex, micro-stabilization barrier focused on "absorbing and dispersing local pressure" quietly formed within a few minutes.
"Done." Arthur withdrew his hands, wiping away non-existent sweat, "Now this tent is basically sitting on 'memory foam'. As long as Thor doesn't have a sudden emotional breakdown and cause his divine seal to loosen for a 'big explosion', this bit of daily 'pressure' should be absorbed."
Wanda breathed a sigh of relief, but her eyes remained closed.
"He is explaining the reason for his exile." She said, "Because of 'arrogance' and 'recklessness', he started a war with the Frost Giants, violating his father's desire for peace... so he was stripped of his divine power and thrown to Earth to 'learn humility'."
"Humility? Modesty?" Arthur raised an eyebrow, "Odin's parenting style is pretty hardcore. If the kid doesn't listen, just delete the account and restart, throwing them into the newbie village to experience life? This isn't exile; this is 'Metamorphosis: My Life as a Corporate Slave on Earth'."
"Coulson seems to be... taking notes very seriously." Wanda's expression was a bit strange, "But the deputy next to him is holding back laughter. They likely think this is just the ramblings of an immersive role-playing patient."
"Normal, I'd laugh too." Arthur said, "However, what Thor is saying... the energy fluctuations can't be faked. When he talks about 'Asgard', 'Bifrost', and 'Frost Giant', the sealed divine power in his body produces a slight resonance corresponding to those 'concepts'. Although weak, it can't fool your perception, right?"
"Right." Wanda nodded, "That's not the kind of energy feedback you can get from making up a story. So, what he said... is likely true. A prince from a high-level divine civilization who was punished by his dad for making a mistake and temporarily turned into a 'mortal'."
She opened her eyes and looked at Arthur.
"Does this count as... the child of an allied alien head of state coming to Earth for'study abroad', only to be detained by our 'local police' right after getting off the plane? Isn't the level of this diplomatic incident a bit high?"
"High, way too high." Arthur stroked his chin, "However, Odin throwing him down definitely wasn't because he really wanted him to go to jail. This is more like a 'reality show' assessment. If we intervene directly, fish him out, or tell him 'Buddy, don't panic, we know you're a god', that would be like spoiling the plot, and Odin's 'educational film' wouldn't be able to continue filming."
"Then we ignore it?" Wanda asked.
"Manage it, but not openly." Arthur said, "Our role has changed from 'firefighters' to... 'off-site safety officers'. We need to ensure that during this 'reality show' recording, the on-site equipment doesn't fail, the guest doesn't have any personal accidents, and by the way... prevent other 'audience members' from coming in to cause trouble."
He pointed to the Mjolnir in the crater in the distance.
"That 'Mjolnir' is an assessment prop and also Thor's key to power. It's stuck there now; unless Thor himself 'passes the assessment', no one can take it. But its very existence is a huge 'energy beacon'."
Wanda understood: "It will attract things that shouldn't come?"
"Definitely." Arthur said, "We haven't even gone to 'demolish' that Kree outpost yet. If they detect that Earthhas suddenly sprouted such a high-purity, high-level 'divine energy source'... do you think they might want to come over and do some'sampling research'?"
"And Dormammu." Wanda added, "Odin's seal fluctuations were already attracting it. Now that one of the sources of the fluctuations, the 'main character' himself, is sitting right here, for Dormammu, this is like putting a 'Today's Special' sign in front of a 'Dark Buffet'."
"So," Arthur summarized, "We have to stand guard. On one hand, ensure that Thor doesn't get kidnapped by alien unlicensed drivers or dimensional scammers while 'experiencing life'. On the other hand, ensure that his 'assessment prop' isn't targeted by thieves."
He pulled up the interface of the early warning system he had previously set up, narrowing the monitoring focus from a global scale to this desert in New Mexico.
"I'll set up another layer of secret magic warning nets around the perimeter of the quarantine zone." Arthursaid, "Any non-Earth energy entity attempting to approach, or any spatial anomaly exceeding the threshold, will trigger an alarm. By the way, I'll add a few more'stability anchors' to further solidify the dimension of this area and reduce the risk of it being forcibly 'pried open' by external forces."
Wanda watched him operate.
"That's a significant workload." She said, "What about the Kree outpost..."
"Put it on hold for now." Arthur didn't look up, "Tony's satellites are watching; they won't be running away anytime soon. Besides, if the Kree are really attracted by the'scent' of this hammer, that's perfect. We can try 'borrowing a knife to kill'... no, it's 'borrowing the hammer to repel the enemy'. Let Thor, this 'temporary security guard', start his job early and experience the daily work of 'defending Earth'."
Wanda was amused by him.
"The way you're calculating, Odin could probably hear the echo all the way in Asgard."
"It's just resource integration." Arthur finished setting up the last warning node and clapped his hands, "Since the Asgardian prince is already here, it would be a waste not to let him play the active role of an 'international friend'."
He looked at Wanda.
"What about you? What did you analyze from Thor's divine power?"
Wanda's expression became serious.
"It's very... pure, and also very violent." She said, "That thunderous power is essentially highly condensed 'rule' energy, representing 'destruction', 'punishment', and 'divine might'. Even while sealed, it's like a dormant active volcano. Once the seal is broken, or even if it just cracks a little..."
She didn't finish, but Arthur understood.
"The energy source itself is a disaster." Arthur nodded, "So, our'safety officer' job needs one more item: prevent this 'guest' from losing emotional control and lighting the 'volcano' himself. If he really has a divine power rampage here, let alone New Mexico, half of the American continent would need to be re-mapped."
"How to prevent it?" Wanda asked, "Give him psychological counseling?"
"That's too obvious." Arthur thought for a moment, "How about this: while you monitor the S.H.I.E.L.D.interrogation, split off a tiny thread of soothing Chaos Magic, like 'background music', and quietly envelop the area around that tent. Don't affect his thinking or interfere with his emotions; just act as a bit of a...'sedative' or 'blood pressure medication'. Ensure that he won't impact the seal in his body due to extreme emotions like despair or anger."
Wanda tried it.
A tiny, almost imperceptible, gentle dark red energy, like morning mist, slowly drifted toward the detention tent and merged into the surrounding environmental energy field.
Inside the tent, Thor's angry roar seemed to soften just a little bit.
"It works."
"Alright, let's do that." Arthur looked at the increasingly bright lights of the S.H.I.E.L.D. base in the distance, "Our husband-and-wife team, 'off-site safety officers' and 'invisible nannies', is officially on duty. Mission objective: ensure Thor's Earth 'Metamorphosis' is filmed smoothly, without any interruptions."
He paused, "By the way, let's see if this 'reality show' can eventually get our Earth some sort of 'Asgard-friendly civilization' certification. This thing might come in handy as an 'amulet' when dealing with the Kree in the future."
Wanda leaned against him, watching the sunset gradually sinking at the edge of the desert.
"It sounds," she said, "like we've taken on another long-term and troublesome 'hidden quest'."
Arthur put his arm around her shoulder, "Afraid of trouble?"
"Not really afraid." Wanda smiled, "I just feel that our 'Earth daily life' is getting more and more 'colorful'. We just sent off the cosmic demolition team, and now we're welcoming an Asgardian exchange student... these instances are one after another, not even giving us a moment to breathe."
"It's fine." Arthur said, "More instances, faster experience points. Once we've farmed enough levels, we'll be the ones opening instances at other people's places."
Night fell completely.
In the desert, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s searchlights illuminated the quarantine zone as if it were daylight.
The mjolnir in the crater quietly reflected the cold light.
Thor in the tent was still trying to prove who he was to this strange world that didn't believe him.
And outside the tent, the invisible magic warning net had already been spread, and the dimensional stability anchors were deeply rooted.
Like a large, invisible net, it covered this patch of sand that had suddenly become "valuable".
Both ends of the net were held in the hands of a couple hidden in the darkness.
They looked at the "big fish" in the net, calculating how to keep this fish from breaking free or dying, while also... helping to scare away other fish thieves.
Chapter 84: The Prince
"This 'memory foam' cushion seems a bit unable to hold down the'spring' anymore."
Arthur maintained his invisibility magic, standing behind the low bushes, his eyes fixed on the wildly fluctuating energy readings on the console (which was projected by magic).
Wanda closed her eyes, but her brow was furrowed so tightly it could pinch a mosquito to death.
"It's not a problem with the cushion," she said. "It's the'spring' itself bouncing up and down. Just now it was only 'pressure', but now... it's become a 'pulse'. Strong one moment, weak the next, like an arrhythmia."
Arthur leaned in to look at the data.
The golden curve representing Thor's divine power fluctuations had originally been compressed into an almost horizontal line by Odin's seal, with only occasional minor spikes.
Now, those minor spikes had turned into massive jagged peaks.
Every dozen seconds or so, it would suddenly shoot upward before dropping back down, but the lowest point it fell to was still slightly higher than before.
The overall trend was slowly but steadily climbing.
"What's the situation?" Arthur asked. "Is that guy doing sit-ups in the tent? His emotions are fluctuating so wildly?"
"It's wilder than sit-ups," Wanda said. "I just 'heard' some movement outside the tent. It seems there's a female researcher... named Jane Foster? She wanted to go into the tent to see Thor, but was stopped by that Agent Coulson, who said, 'This involves national security, no unauthorized personnel allowed.'"
"Jane Foster?" Arthur remembered. "Oh right, the future girlfriend of Thor, and currently an astrophysicist. She must have followed the commotion from when the hammer fell. Did Thor hear her voice?"
"He did," Wanda nodded. "And then his emotions shot right up. He wants to see her but can't, he's locked up, and no one believes his explanations... all kinds of frustration, anger, and even a bit of... feeling wronged? Anyway, a whole smorgasbord of negative emotions is bottled up in his heart. That sealed Thunder Godly Power inside him is tied to his emotions. When his emotions explode, the seal gets strained to the point of creaking."
She pointed to an exceptionally high peak on the energy curve.
"Look, right here. He probably shouted Jane's name or slammed his fist into something. With just that one action, the seal... cracked a tiny bit."
"A crack?" Arthur's heart tightened. "How big?"
"As thin as a strand of hair, almost invisible," Wanda said. "But divine power has already sputtered out from that crack. Although it was immediately suppressed by the seal again, that brief leak... had a very real impact on the surrounding space."
As if to prove her words.
"Hum—"
An extremely low, almost inaudible sound of spatial tremor came from the direction of the quarantine zone.
It wasn't a sound, but a vibration that made the entire desert floor tingle slightly.
Immediately after, the feedback from the magic barrier Arthur had set up showed that within a fifty-meter radius of the detention tent, several brief "ripples" like water ripples appeared in the spatial structure.
The ripples flashed and vanished.
But where the ripples passed, the "texture" of the air became noticeably thinner and more fragile.
"This is bad," Arthur said. "This isn't just 'pressure' anymore; this is 'electricity leakage'. Even though it's not leaking much, if it keeps crackling like this, there's no guarantee it won't'shock' a hole in space. Our 'body armor' won't hold up against continuous 'arc burns'."
"We have to plug the leak," Wanda said. "Or... find a safe 'ground wire' to divert the leaked 'electricity' away."
"We can't plug it; that's a seal placed by his own father, Odin. Trying to force a plug is like arm-wrestling the All-Father," Arthur said, stroking his chin. "But we can try to 'divert' it. We can use magic to temporarily construct an extremely fine 'energy diversion channel' around the crack in the seal, guiding that tiny bit of occasionally leaked divine power to... well, to the bottom layer of our reinforced barrier, letting the barrier absorb it. It's like connecting a 'voltage regulator' to a leaking plug."
"What are the risks?" Wanda asked.
"The risk is that our magic has to get extremely close to Thor's divine power," Arthur said. "It's like using a single strand of hair to poke at a high-voltage spark; our technique must be steady, precise, and gentle. If we are even slightly too heavy-handed or the angle is off, it might stimulate the seal or trigger an instinctive counterattack from Thor's divine power. What's even more troublesome is..."
He paused.
"Even though Thor is currently a 'mortal', his divine instincts are still there. If our magic makes contact with his divine power, even the slightest touch, he might'sense' it. It's like closing your eyes and having someone gently touch the back of your hand with a feather; you might not see it, but you know'something touched me'."
"Will he discover us?" Wanda asked.
"He might not necessarily'see' clearly that it's us, but he might'sense' that besides those guys with guns from S.H.I.E.L.D., there's something else in this desert," Arthur said. "However, compared to letting him continue to 'leak electricity' and burn through space, this risk is worth taking. Let's be careful, pack up as soon as we're done, and leave no trace."
"Let's do it," she said. "How do we do it? Am I in control, or are you?"
"You control the perception and guidance," Arthur said. "Your Chaos Magic is more 'compatible' with energy, making you perfect for this delicate work. I'll be responsible for constructing the outer shell and stable structure of the 'diversion channel', and keep an eye on things. If anything goes wrong, I'll cut it off immediately."
"Alright."
Under the invisibility magic, the two sat cross-legged facing each other.
Wanda cupped her hands in front of her, and the dark red Chaos Magic flowed from her fingertips like the finest silk thread, slowly extending toward the quarantine zone.
This time, the threads did not disperse but condensed into an extremely fine, almost invisible "probe".
The probe silently passed through S.H.I.E.L.D.'s cordon, avoiding all detection instruments, and crawled toward the detention tent like a transparent snake.
Inside the tent, Thor sat on a simple folding chair with his back to the door, his head lowered and his fists clenched tightly.
Wanda's magic probe stopped about three meters away from his back.
"Perception locked," Wanda said to Arthur in her mind. "The seal crack... is at the third vertebra, an almost invisible 'white spot' on the golden seal. Divine power is seeping out from there bit by bit, like a pressure cooker slowly losing air."
"Received," Arthur's voice echoed in her mind. "I'll start constructing the outer shell of the 'diversion channel'. Get ready to guide it."
Golden magic patterns, 'harder' and 'more stable' than Wanda's Chaos Magic, extended from Arthur's side like an extremely thin transparent pipe, precisely enveloping the outside of Wanda's magic probe.
One end of the pipe was aimed directly at the "white spot" of the seal on Thor's back.
The other end was connected to the bottom layer of the reinforced barrier that Arthur had set up beneath the desert, which had already absorbed quite a bit of spatial pressure.
"Pipe in position," Arthur said. "Honey, you can connect the line now. Slow down, just gently touch it against it."
Wanda took a deep breath.
Controlling the magic probe wrapped in the golden pipe, she moved it millimeter by millimeter, extremely slowly, toward the crack in the seal on Thor's back.
The distance shortened bit by bit.
Ten centimeters.
Five centimeters.
One centimeter.
Just at the moment when the tip of the magic probe was about to touch that wisp of golden divine power slowly seeping out—
A sudden change occurred!
Wanda's Chaos Magic, that dark red thread, suddenly "moved" on its own the instant it got extremely close to Thor's divine power!
It wasn't controlled by Wanda.
It was the magic itself, as if "attracted" or "resonating" with something, spontaneously producing an extremely subtle, cheerful "tremor"!
With just that one tremor.
"Pop."
A soft sound.
It wasn't a physical sound, but a "contact sound" on the magical level.
Wanda's Chaos Magic and Thor's leaked Thunder Godly Power came into contact.
There was no explosion, no conflict.
Instead, like a drop of water merging into the ocean, they naturally... "connected".
Immediately after, a massive, chaotic, and highly visual stream of information surged along this newly established connection, slamming into Wanda's consciousness!
It wasn't language, but fragmented images and emotions:
—A magnificent palace (Asgard?), a black-haired man in a green robe with a cunning smile (Loki!), standing before the throne, speaking to a group of ministers...
—Odin sleeping in golden light, his face pale...
—The Bifrost control room, Loki holding up the Casket of Ancient Winters...
—Himself being grabbed by his father and thrown off the Bifrost, the wind howling in his ears, and his father's disappointed gaze...
The fragmented images flashed by.
But the emotions of "betrayal", "conspiracy", and "usurpation" contained within them were like a hammer slamming hard against Wanda's heart.
"Ugh!" Wanda let out a muffled groan, her body swaying slightly.
"Honey!" Arthur's voice immediately exploded in her mind. "Cut it! Cut it quickly!"
Wanda gritted her teeth and concentrated all her focus, trying to pull back the Chaos Magic that was "stuck" to Thor's divine power.
But just before she could exert her strength—
Inside the tent, Thor, who had been keeping his head down, suddenly snapped his head up!
He seemed to have sensed something. His deep blue eyes snapped open, a trace of confusion, vigilance, and an... indescribable "familiarity" flashing within them.
His gaze did not focus on anything inside the tent.
Instead, it pierced straight through the canvas of the tent, casting toward the low bushes at the edge of the desert where Wanda and Arthur were!
Although separated by invisibility magic and a distance of several hundred meters.
But at that moment, both Wanda and Arthur clearly felt it—
He "looking" over.
Not "seeing" with his eyes, but "perceiving" through some deeper divine instinct that there were two "special existences" in this desert, touching his power in some way.
"We've been spotted!" Arthur's heart tightened, but his hands moved as fast as lightning.
He no longer waited for Wanda to slowly pull back.
He directly controlled the outer layer of the golden magicpipe, snapping it forcefully in half like a pair of scissors with a sharp *clack*!
The pipe severed.
Wanda's Chaos Magic retracted like a startled tentacle.
The connection with Thor's divine power vanished instantly.
The fragmented images and stream of information surging into Wanda's consciousness also ground to a sudden halt.
Inside the tent, the confusion in Thor's eyes grew even deeper.
He maintained his posture of looking up toward the desert, remaining motionless for several seconds.
As if trying hard to distinguish what exactly that fleeting "feeling" just now was.
Was it an illusion?
Or... was there really some "thing" hidden on this unfamiliar planet?
A few seconds later, the light in his eyes slowly dimmed. He lowered his head again, his fists clenching even tighter.
But a subtle "seed" had already been planted in his heart.
On this side of the desert.
Wanda gasped for breath, her forehead covered in sweat.
"Did... did you see that?" she asked Arthur. "Asgard... Loki... he usurped the throne! Odin is in deep sleep! Thorwas set up by his younger brother!"
"I saw it, a fragmented spoiler," Arthur said, supporting her as he quickly checked her condition. "Are you alright? Did you get hit by any divine power backlash?"
"I'm fine, just a bit of information overload, my head is buzzing," Wanda said, rubbing her temples. "But... the connection was cut in time, so I'm not hurt. It's just... do we seem to have been 'marked'? That look he gave just now..."
"It's not a mark, it's 'perception'," Arthur said, looking at the console. "He sensed that an existence like a 'Guardian' was nearby, but he doesn't know who, where, or what they look like. At most, it... left an 'impression'."
He pointed at the energy curve.
"But the good news is, our 'diversion' seems to have worked."
On the screen, that golden curve, which had been constantly shooting upward with jagged peaks, actually... after that brief connection and disconnection...
Slowly smoothed out.
The jagged peaks disappeared.
The overall height of the curve also dropped back to a level slightly higher than the initial state, but far more stable than the "pulse" state from earlier.
The "white spot" on the seal of Thor's back also seemed to stop continuously "leaking electricity," likely because a portion of the energy had just been "diverted."
The "ripples" in the surrounding space also completely vanished.
The desert regained its calm.
Only S.H.I.E.L.D.'s searchlights were still tirelessly sweeping back and forth.
"Quite a happy accident," Arthur smiled. "We originally wanted to 'divert the electricity leak', but your Chaos Magicended up having an 'affectionate handshake' with his divine power, which coincidentally cleared up the 'congestion' caused by his emotional outburst. Now his divine power is stable, and the space is no longer trembling. It's just..."
He looked toward the tent.
"It's just that we've planted a seed in this fallen prince's heart that'someone is out there'. In the future, if he encounters trouble again, he might subconsciously think, 'Is there someone watching me in this desert?'"
Wanda had also recovered, and she smiled along.
"Does this count as... a 'teaser trailer' ahead of time for the role of'Superhero Mentor'?"
"It does, absolutely," Arthur put his arm around her. "And a trailer with spoilers at that. But it's no big deal; even if he racked his brain, he would never guess the two of us are squatting here acting as 'off-field safety officers'."
He pulled up the monitoring data and looked over it carefully.
"The divine power fluctuations have smoothed out, and the spatial structure has stabilized. The results of our 'emergency repair' have met the standard. It's just that the process was a bit thrilling; we were almost caught by the owner."
"So, what's next?" Wanda asked. "Keep squatting?"
"Keep squatting," Arthur said. "But we need to change to a more covert'squatting method'. Thor has already developed a 'perception' of this desert, so we need to be even more restrained in our magical activities. Additionally..."
His expression grew slightly serious.
"Those images you'saw' just now... Loki usurping the throne, Odin falling into a deep sleep. This means Asgardis already in chaos. Loki is now presiding over the divine realm, holding supreme power. And with Thor on Earth... the divine power inside him is like a 'homing beacon'. Even though it's sealed, with the fluctuations just now and the resonance caused by our intervention... what if Loki is also monitoring his brother's status..."
Wanda understood.
"Loki might follow the fluctuations of Thor's divine power to locate Earth?"
"It's possible," Arthur nodded. "Although the probability is low, we have to guard against it. Next, besides keeping an eye on Thor so he doesn't blow himself up, we also have to keep one eye on the sky. Let's see if the 'Bifrost' or some other Asgardian delivery suddenly sends a'surprise package' to Earth."
Wanda leaned against him, looking at the distant desert illuminated white by the lights.
"This'safety officer' job," she said, "is becoming more and more challenging. Not only do we have to prevent the 'guest' from self-destructing, but we also have to guard against the 'guest's' family members seeking revenge across the Universe."
"You'll get used to it," Arthur patted her. "In the future, when there are more 'guests', it'll be like hosting a 'Cosmic Hero X-Change' here. That's when it'll get really lively."
The two concealed their figures once again.
In the desert, the night wind blew as before.
Inside the tent, Thor was still struggling in confusion and anger.
But some things had already changed.
For instance, the slightly stabilized power within him.
For instance, that vague shadow of a "Guardian" in his heart.
And for instance...
On the throne of the distant divine realm, whether that green figure would cast his gaze toward this blue planet, which he regarded as a "place of exile," because of a trace of unusual fluctuation from his elder brother.
Chapter 85: Thank You for Coming to See Me
"He seems to have... quieted down."
Wanda closed her eyes, her voice kept very low.
Arthur looked at the golden energy curve on the main console.
Before, it had been shooting up and down like a roller coaster, with one spike after another.
Now, the curve had flattened.
Not flat like a flatline, but like the sea after a storm—still undulating slightly, but stable overall.
The amplitude of the fluctuations had dropped to its lowest point.
The spatial resonance ripple, which symbolized the friction between Thor's divine power and Earth's dimension, had also faded from a glaring red to an almost invisible pale yellow.
"It's not quiet," Arthur said. "He's'sunk' into himself. Anger, grievance, defiance... he's suppressed all those messy emotions. He's thinking."
"Thinking about what?" Wanda asked.
"Thinking about why his dad threw him down here, why his brother screwed him over, and where exactly he went wrong." Arthur tapped the screen. "Look at this energy feedback. The violent 'thunder' vibe has faded, replaced by... well, a heavy sense of 'reflection'. Although the crack in the seal is still there, his divine power is no longer'spraying' outward; instead, it seems to be drawing back in."
Wanda opened her eyes.
"So, Odin's 'reform program' is working? This guy is starting to 'find himself'?"
"The effects are just starting to show," Arthur said. "He's still a long way from 'complete repentance and turning over a new leaf'. But at least he's not making a fuss, so the pressure on our 'bulletproof vest' is much lighter. As long as he keeps up this 'deep thinker' state and doesn't suddenly have another emo breakdown, this place should be able to hold out until he 'graduates'."
Just as he finished speaking—
"Beep, beep, beep—"
In the corner of the main console, an independent encrypted communication channel suddenly lit up red.
It was Tony's emergency line.
Arthur clicked it open.
A segment of heavily encrypted audio, mixed with obvious static interference, came through.
"...Arthur, can you hear me? I'll keep it short." Tony's voice was fast, with a noisy background of wind and faint arguing.
"Speak," Arthur replied in a single word.
"You asked me to keep an eye on New Mexico to see if there were any other 'anomalous objects' or 'related personnel' besides the mjolnir and that blond hunk," Tonysaid. "I just swept the perimeter with satellite thermal imaging and communication wiretaps. I found a team of people, three vehicles, trying to breach S.H.I.E.L.D.'s second perimeter line. The leader is a female researcher named Jane Foster. She claims her 'research equipment' is near the mjolnir's crash site and is demanding to enter the site to retrieve it."
Arthur and Wanda exchanged a look.
"How is S.H.I.E.L.D. reacting?" Arthur asked.
"Blocking them, of course," Tony said. "That lead Agentnamed Coulson is personally blocking them. But Jane Foster is very emotional, saying her team risked their lives to track atmospheric anomaly data for over six months, and now that the results are right in front of them, S.H.I.E.L.D.has no right to seize them. The two sides are already clashing, and a physical altercation is imminent. Coulsonhas taken at least three calls from his superiors and is under a lot of pressure. I intercepted a segment, and his superiors' stance is very clear: 'The target involves the highest level of national security. Any unauthorized personnel are strictly prohibited from contact. Use non-lethal force to disperse if necessary.'"
"Jane Foster..." Wanda remembered. "The one whose voice Thor heard earlier that made his emotions explode?"
"Yes, that's her." Arthur looked at the real-time screenshot Tony had synced to the encrypted channel.
The image was a bit blurry, but it was clear enough to see.
Outside the wire fence of the quarantine zone, three mud-splattered off-road vehicles were parked there, blocking the way.
A woman wearing a plaid shirt with slightly messy hair stood at the very front, shouting something at several S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents blocking her way, waving a tablet in her hand.
Behind her, several people who looked like students or assistants had tense and angry expressions.
Opposite them, Agent Coulson stood inside the wire fence. His expression was calm, but his stance was steady, and his hand remained near the holster at his waist.
Behind him, at least seven or eight Agents had already fanned out, forming a semi-encirclement.
The atmosphere was like a stretched rubber band.
"Tony," Arthur said, "can you estimate how long it would take for S.H.I.E.L.D. to control the situation if the conflict escalates and they use 'non-lethal force' like tasers or tear gas?"
"Within thirty seconds," Tony replied bluntly. "But the consequences are unpredictable. That Jane Foster doesn't look like someone who will just back down quietly. If she or anyone in her team gets hurt, the situation will escalate from an 'academic dispute' to 'excessive force'. Once the media gets involved, S.H.I.E.L.D. will be in a very tight spot. And..."
He paused.
"And I suspect the 'blond hunk' in the tent can hear what's happening outside. When Jane Foster yelled just now, my sensors detected his vital signs in the tent, and his heart rate spiked by twenty beats in an instant. If he gets stimulated again, will that 'energy curve' you finally managed to stabilize go on another roller coaster ride?"
Arthur didn't answer immediately.
He looked at Jane Foster's face in the image, flushed red with excitement and anger.
Then he looked at the golden energy curve on the main console, which had now stabilized.
Finally, his gaze fell on another small window representing Thor's vital signs.
His heart rate indeed went up again.
"Wife," Arthur said, "what do you think this Jane Fosteris to Thor?"
Wanda thought for a moment.
"Like... 'the first ray of light in an unfamiliar world'?" she said. "Thor is currently abandoned by everyone—cast out by his father, betrayed by his brother, and locked up here with no one believing him. At a time like this, for an 'outsider' to suddenly try so hard to break in, not to interrogate him or study him, but simply because she's 'worried about him' or 'wants to see him'... to someone who is doubting himself, the impact of that might be greater than Odin's thunder."
"Exactly," Arthur nodded. "This isn't trouble; this is 'medicine'. The medicine to cure the frustration and confusion in Thor's heart. Those S.H.I.E.L.D. people only follow protocol and won't get anywhere. But this Jane Foster, she's different. She might not understand 'Asgard', but she can see a 'locked-up person who needs help'. This kind of most straightforward, non-purposeful 'humanitarian care' is exactly what Thor lacks most right now."
"Then we..." Wanda looked at him.
"We won't stop her," Arthur said. "Not only will we not stop her, but we also have to help. We can't let this 'rubber band' snap. We need to loosen it a bit so Jane Foster can get in, even if it's just for a few minutes to say a few words."
"How do we help?" Wanda asked. "Do we just show ourselves and tell Coulson, 'This person is a VIP, let her through'?"
"That would be too foolish, it's basically blowing our cover," Arthur smiled. "We'll act as 'invisible mediators'. You stay here, keep stabilizing the barrier, and watch Thor's energy fluctuations. I'll get closer and use some'subtle and gentle' magic to quietly 'cool down' both sides of the standoff."
"Cool them down?"
"Yes." Arthur cupped his hands in front of him, and golden magical light particles began to condense in his palms. "Not by controlling their minds—that would be too wicked. Just... slightly influencing their 'emotional fields'. Let Jane Foster's anger drop a bit and her rationality rise a bit, so she doesn't try to force her way in at every turn. Let Coulson's side feel a bit less tension and have a bit more patience, so they aren't always thinking of drawing their guns. We'll dilute the'smell of gunpowder' in the conflict and create an environment where they can talk like normal people instead of shouting slogans."
Wanda understood.
"Like spraying some 'calming mist' around two people having an argument?"
"An apt metaphor." The magical light particles in Arthur's hand had already condensed into an extremely complex, constantly shrinking and rotating transparent runic array. "This work requires precision. If the force is too strong, it will be noticed; if it's too weak, it won't work. I need to get closer to cast it to ensure the coverage is precise."
"Go ahead," Wanda said. "I'll watch the barrier. Thor's fluctuations have stabilized, so there's no need to reinforce it for now."
"Alright."
Maintaining his invisibility magic, Arthur drifted silently toward the quarantine zone like a transparent shadow.
He didn't go directly to the scene of the standoff.
AI Model: gemini-3.1-flash-lite
Instead, he stopped behind a sand dune about a hundred meters away from the barbed wire fence.
This position was perfectly situated to evenly blanket the area where Jane Foster's team and the group of Agents led by Coulson were standing with the "Emotional Harmony" magic he was about to cast.
He sat cross-legged and pressed his hands lightly onto the sand.
The transparent rune array in his palms spread out silently, like ripples in water.
It was not an attack, nor was it a defense.
It was just an extremely gentle, almost imperceptible energy fluctuation, like a spring breeze, gently brushing across the air thick with tension.
The moment the magic took effect.
Outside the barbed wire fence, Jane Foster, who had been pointing at Coulson's nose with a shrill voice due to excitement, suddenly paused.
She took a deep breath.
When she spoke again, although her tone was still urgent, it lacked that reckless impulsiveness.
"Agent Coulson, I understand you have security regulations," she said, slowing her speech slightly. "But we aren't here to cause trouble. Our equipment, those data points, they are really important to our team and for scientific research. Can you… at least ask your superiors, and give us a clear answer or a timeline? Instead of just brushing us off with 'No,' 'Cannot,' and 'Not allowed'?"
Inside the barbed wire fence, Coulson's hand, which had been resting on his holster, imperceptibly relaxed its grip.
Listening to Jane Foster, Coulson's brow remained furrowed, but the sharpness in his eyes—the kind that suggested he was ready to enforce authority at any moment—softened just a little.
He turned back and whispered something to an aide beside him.
The aide nodded, picked up a communicator, and walked to the side to make the call.
Coulson turned back to look at Jane Foster.
"Doctor Foster," his voice was still steady, but it lacked that bureaucratic coldness. "I have already sent someone to request instructions. But until we receive clear orders, you must retreat behind the safety line and remain calm. I promise that as soon as the orders come down, whether it's permission or a refusal, I will notify you immediately."
These words were still pushing them away.
But at least, it gave them a glimmer of hope—a "wait for notification"—instead of drawing a gun immediately.
The team members behind Jane Foster, whose bodies had been tense, also relaxed slightly.
The tense, combative atmosphere between the two sides felt as if it had been gently smoothed over by an invisible hand; although it hadn't completely vanished, it was no longer in a state where things would explode at the slightest provocation.
Behind the sand dune, Arthur maintained the output of his magic.
He could "feel" the two opposing emotional energies, under the harmonization of his magic, slowly turning from intense "clashing" into relatively mild "friction."
It was effective.
But it still wasn't enough.
Jane Foster needed to get in.
Even if it was only for a few minutes.
Arthur slightly adjusted the "bias" of his magical output.
More harmonizing energy, like invisible trickles of water, flowed toward Coulson's side.
It wasn't control; it was "suggestion."
A very subtle "risk assessment bias suggestion"—letting Coulson subconsciously lean toward the idea that "letting this female researcher have brief contact with the target might alleviate the target's emotions and lower management difficulty, and the risk is controllable," rather than "absolutely no contact allowed, must forcefully expel."
This suggestion was extremely weak and would not alter Coulson's fundamental judgment or loyalty.
It just added an almost invisible straw to the side of "allow contact" on the scale where he weighed the pros and cons.
A few seconds later.
The aide who had gone to request instructions returned.
He whispered a few words into Coulson's ear.
After listening, Coulson was silent for a few seconds.
He glanced at Jane Foster, who was full of anxiety outside the barbed wire fence.
Then he glanced at the detention tent in the distance.
Finally, he took a deep breath, as if he had made a decision.
"Doctor Foster," Coulson began, his voice clear. "Orders from superiors: Based on humanitarian cooperation for scientific research, you are permitted to enter the quarantine zone, accompanied by two Agents, to have non-confidential contact with the target for no more than five minutes. During the contact, you must not pass any items, must not engage in any physical contact, and must not ask questions involving national security. Do you accept?"
Jane Foster was stunned.
The team members behind her were also stunned.
A moment ago, he had been acting like there was "no room for negotiation," how did he suddenly… relent?
Although the conditions were strict, at least she could get in!
"I accept!" Jane Foster replied immediately, fearing the other party might change their mind. "Completely accept! Just five minutes, I don't even have to speak, I just want to see him… see how that person is doing!"
Coulson nodded and made a gesture to the Agents beside him.
The gate in the barbed wire fence slowly opened.
Behind the sand dune, Arthur retracted his magic.
He teleported back to Wanda silently.
"Done," he said. "Five minutes, private meeting, under surveillance. That's enough."
Wanda looked at him and smiled.
"You make a pretty good 'invisible mediator.' Hiding your merit and fame, are you?"
"Basic operation," Arthur waved his hand and looked at the main control console.
The screen cut to the inside of the detention tent.
A view from a hidden camera.
Jane Foster walked into the tent, "accompanied" by two Agents.
Thor had originally been sitting on a chair with his head bowed.
Hearing footsteps, he raised his head.
The moment he saw Jane Foster, his azure blue eyes widened abruptly.
Something inside them suddenly lit up.
It wasn't the physical "brightness" of divine power fluctuations.
It was some kind of emotion, some kind of hope, something that had been suppressed for a long time, suddenly finding an outlet.
"You…" Thor began, his voice a bit raspy, "Why did you come?"
Jane Foster looked at the blond man before her.
He looked a bit haggard, his eyes red-rimmed, but the light in those eyes made her heart tighten inexplicably.
"I came… to see you," she said, her voice unconsciously softening. "They said you… weren't doing well. Are you okay?"
It was a very ordinary greeting.
But after hearing it, Thor stiffened.
His hand, resting on his knee, slowly clenched.
And then slowly relaxed.
He looked at Jane Foster for several seconds.
Then, he bowed his head and raised it again.
The confusion, anger, and grievance in his eyes… all those messy things slowly receded like a tide.
Replacing them was a calm, resolute light.
"I'm fine," Thor said, his voice steady now. "I just… needed a little time to figure some things out."
He paused.
"Thank you for coming to see me."
Jane Foster didn't know how to respond to that.
She just felt that the man before her seemed a bit different from the reckless guy who had shouted "I am Thor" on the street earlier.
She couldn't put her finger on exactly what was different.
But it was just… a feeling that he had "settled" down.
Outside the tent, within the desert barrier.
Wanda pointed at Thor's energy curve on the main control console.
"Look," she said, "the fluctuations have completely leveled out. Not the kind of flatness that comes from suppression, but… a clarity. The thunderous divine power inside him, which was previously forcibly suppressed by the seal, seems to have now… 'tamed' itself? It's not that his power has weakened, but his control has strengthened. The essence of his divinity has shifted from 'outward and flamboyant' to 'inward and condensed.'"
Arthur nodded.
He saw it too.
Thor's vital sign data showed his heart rate steadily dropping from its previous high point, returning to a healthy, stable level.
His breathing had also become even and deep.
The most obvious change was in his eyes.
In the surveillance footage, Thor looked at Jane Foster, and then glanced at the corner of the tent—there was nothing there, but Arthur knew that Thor was looking in the direction of that mjolnir in the distant sand pit.
His eyes no longer held the previous longing or anxiety.
Chapter 86: What Next?
"Beep, beep, beep—Alert! Desert coordinates in New Mexico, intense spatial fluctuations detected! Energy signature... unknown! Accompanied by extreme low-temperature readings, surface temperature has plummeted by twenty degrees and is still falling!"
When the warning system's mechanical voice exploded in Arthur's mind, he was squatting with Wanda inside the barrier at the edge of the desert, looking at the golden curve on the main console that had completely flattened out.
"What on Earth?" Arthur was taken aback. "Spatial fluctuations? Low temperature? What else in this place besides that mjolnir and a second-generation god contemplating life could make such a huge scene?"
Wanda's eyes were still closed, but her brow was already furrowed.
"It's not mjolnir," she said quickly. "The source of the fluctuation... is right above the Isolation Zone! The energy signature is very 'cold' and 'hard,' completely different from Thor's 'frizzy lightning'! And... it's rapidly 'tearing open' space!"
"Tearing open?" Arthur's heart tightened. "The Bifrost? Has the Asgard delivery arrived?"
"It doesn't look as 'orderly' as the Bifrost," Wanda shook her head. "It's being 'pried open' by brute force. It's making a huge racket and is highly unstable... something is about to come out of the rift!"
No sooner had she spoken.
"Buzz—!!!"
A low, tooth-gritting spatial tremor suddenly vibrated from the direction of the Isolation Zone.
It wasn't a sound, but the kind of vibration where the entire ground shook and the air buzzed.
Immediately after.
"Crack—crack-crack—"
Visible to the naked eye, white frost patterns resembling cracked glass instantly spread in all directions, centering on a point directly above the Isolation Zone!
The air temperature plummeted in an instant.
Arthur exhaled, and the white mist condensed into ice crystals before his eyes.
"Holy crap," he said. "This cooling speed is way more intense than my old refrigerator at home."
Wanda had already opened her eyes, and dark red magicsurged up on her hands with a whoosh.
"They're out!" she shouted.
Directly above the Isolation Zone.
A dark blue spatial rift, about three meters wide with edges constantly twisting and cracking, was forcibly "torn" open.
From within the rift, a biting cold wind wrapped in ice crystals howled outward.
Then, a black-haired man wearing dark green robes and holding a golden scepter stepped out of the rift.
He floated in mid-air and pointed the scepter downward.
"Buzz—"
The blue gem at the tip of the scepter lit up.
With a series of thuds, seven or eight creatures leaped out of the rift.
Each of these things was over two meters tall, with ash-blue skin, ice icicles hanging off them, glowing red eyes, and carrying ice axes and ice spears.
"Frost Giants," Arthur recognized them. "And a vanguard squad at that. Loki, this younger brother, really isn't being polite to his brother. He even brought his own 'demolition crew' for a family visit."
Wanda stared at the black-haired man floating in mid-air.
"Evil God?" she asked.
"Yes, the second prince of Asgard, a professional brother-pit-faller, and part-time Loki." Arthur patted the sand off his pants. "Well, Odin's 'family education reality show' is now broadcasting a special episode: 'Brothers Turn Against Each Other'."
The Isolation Zone below was already in utter chaos.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents, who were standing guard and patrolling according to protocol just a second ago, saw a tear open in the sky the next second, dropping a bunch of blue-skinned ice blocks.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" someone shouted.
Gunfire rang out with a series of bangs.
But the bullets hitting those Frost Giants were like tickles, all clattering and bouncing off their thick armor of ice.
One Frost Giant swung an ice axe, sending an armored car flying with a loud crash.
Another raised his hand and sprayed, a blast of white cold air sweeping across, instantly freezing three Agents into ice sculptures.
"This gap in combat power," Arthur shook his head, "is purely a case of 'a novice village hero accidentally entering a max-level dungeon'."
Wanda looked at him.
"Are we going to intervene?"
"We will," Arthur stood up, "but not openly. Thor is still locked up in the tent down there, and he's currently a 'mortal' with his divine power sealed. If a bunch of ice blocks rush in, he won't even have a chance to fight back; he'll turn directly into a 'frozen prince'."
He quickly scanned the battlefield.
Loki floated in mid-air, pointing his scepter downward, a half-smile on his face as if he were watching ants fight.
The Frost Giants were rapidly breaking through S.H.I.E.L.D.'s outer perimeter, pressing toward the core detention tent.
Inside the tent, Thor's vital signs data showed his heart rate had already spiked to one hundred and eighty.
"Wife," Arthur said, "you stay here and maintain the outer barrier. 'Weld' the dimensions of this area shut for me. Don't let Loki open a second Portal or tear the rift any wider. I'm going down there to 'clear the field'."
"How are you going to clear it?" Wanda asked. "Just fly over and punch them one by one?"
"That's too flashy," Arthur smiled. "I'll go 'invisible' and resolve this quickly. By the way... I want to see what that scepter in Loki's hand is really made of."
Wanda nodded, clasping her hands together.
Dark red Chaos Magic surged out like a tide, quickly merging into the magic barrier Arthur had set up earlier.
The strength of the barrier surged with a hum, wrapping tightly around the entire desert area like an invisible, resilient membrane.
The spatial fluctuations were immediately suppressed.
Loki seemed to sense something; his brow furrowed, and he glanced in the direction of the barrier.
But before he could look closer.
Arthur had already vanished with a whoosh.
It wasn't teleportation, but pure, physical ultra-high-speed movement, so fast that there wasn't even an afterimage.
The next second.
"Bang!"
A Frost Giant who was swinging an ice axe, preparing to chop through the wire fence, suddenly had his head tilted to the side. His entire body flew out sideways and slammed into the sand with a loud crash, motionless.
In the center of its chest, a clear fist imprint was dented in, and its ice armor shattered all over the ground.
The neighboring Frost Giants hadn't even reacted yet.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Another three muffled thuds.
Three Frost Giants flew out in various postures, turning into ice shards by the time they hit the ground.
Arthur maintained his invisibility and moved at high speed across the battlefield.
He didn't use magic, relying purely on the absolute strength and speed of his Krypton physique.
One punch for each.
Simple, brutal, and highly efficient.
Under his fists, the Frost Giants' bulletproof ice armor was like paper.
Ten seconds.
Out of the eight Frost Giant vanguards, seven were down.
The last one stood frozen in place, holding its ice spear and turning its head left and right, its red eyes filled with utter bewilderment.
Arthur was in no hurry to deal with it.
He stopped about fifty meters away from Loki, staying invisible, with his Super Senses fully activated, carefully "scanning" the scepter in Loki's hand.
At the tip of the scepter, that blue gem was emitting a very unique energy fluctuation.
It was very similar to the "pure" mental energy Wanda had sensed before, but more... "active" and "aggressive."
"The Mind Stone," Arthur thought to himself. "It really is this thing."
Just then.
Loki, floating in mid-air, suddenly turned his head, his emerald-green eyes looking straight toward where Arthur was standing.
He didn't see with his eyes.
It was a kind of perception that locked onto this "empty" patch of air.
"Interesting," Loki spoke, his voice carrying that classic, punchable elegant tone. "My dear brother is exiled to this backward planet, and yet he actually has 'local friends' secretly protecting him?"
He lightly tapped his scepter.
"Buzz—"
An invisible wave of energy, carrying intense thoughts of "confusion" and "interference," rippled outward like water rings, accurately enveloping the spot where Arthur was.
Arthur didn't move.
The bio-electric field on his body's surface and the Supreme Magic resistance cultivated within him automatically blocked this mental energy.
Like a drop of water falling on a red-hot iron plate, it evaporated with a hiss.
But Arthur's mind was racing.
Expose his full strength now and go head-to-head with Loki?
No need.
Thor was still watching from below.
Odin's 'Metamorphosis' wasn't finished filming yet. If he, the 'off-field safety officer,' suddenly jumped out and instakilled the villain boss, how could the play continue?
He had to fake it.
Act like a "somewhat capable but not quite there" EarthGuardian.
Thinking of this, Arthur controlled his energy fluctuations, intentionally letting them "flicker" for a moment.
Then, he deactivated his invisibility, letting himself "half-manifest" for a second—a blurry figure wearing a hooded robe flickered in the air.
Immediately after, as if he "couldn't withstand" Loki's mental interference, he "stumbled" back a few steps, turned, and "fled" toward the depths of the desert.
His escape route intentionally avoided the detention tent where Thor was located and the position of Jane Foster's team.
Loki watched that "frantically fleeing" blurry figure, a cold sneer playing at the corner of his mouth.
"Ant."
He didn't pursue.
His scepter pointed downward again, locking onto the detention tent once more.
But just as he was about to make a move.
"Boom—!!"
Inside the detention tent, a violent surge of golden energy suddenly erupted!
Although it was fleeting and quickly suppressed by the seal once more.
But the anger, unwillingness, and a hint of familiar thunderous aura contained in that fluctuation caused Loki's expression to shift slightly.
He looked toward the tent.
Inside the tent, Thor was staring death glares at him, his fists clenched so hard they creaked, the rage in his eyes almost bursting out.
"My dear brother," Loki smiled. "It seems you aren't having a very pleasant time on this primitive planet?"
Thor didn't speak.
But the sealed divine power within him fluctuated violently once more due to his extreme anger and the shock of facing his brother's betrayal.
This fluctuation was stronger than any before.
Wanda immediately sensed it from within the barrier.
"Arthur! Thor's divine power is erupting again! The seal is shaking!"
"Hold steady!" Arthur's voice transmitted back through the magic communication. "Strengthen the barrier! Don't let this fluctuation tear open the dimensions!"
Wanda gritted her teeth and funneled more Chaos Magicinto the barrier.
The barrier hummed, forcibly suppressing the spatial ripples caused by the leakage of Thor's divine power.
In the distance, Arthur had already "fled" behind a sand dune deep in the desert.
He stopped and looked back at Loki.
Loki seemed to hesitate.
He looked in the direction where that "fleeing" blurry figure had vanished, then looked down at the magic barrier that had stabilized again due to Thor's divine power fluctuations (though he couldn't see its physical form, he could sense that space had been reinforced), and finally looked at his brother glaring at him from inside the tent.
He lightly twirled the scepter in his hand.
"Today is only the beginning, brother." Loki's voice echoed throughout the Isolation Zone. "Enjoy your... vacation on Earth."
With that, he waved his scepter.
The dark blue spatial rift opened once more.
He stepped inside.
The last surviving Frost Giant hurriedly followed.
The rift snapped shut with a whoosh.
The biting cold current and spatial fluctuations quickly dissipated.
The desert returned to tranquility.
Leaving behind only a ground full of ice shards, Agents frozen into ice sculptures, a smashed armored car, and a group of S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel who had yet to recover from their shock.
Arthur walked out from behind the sand dune, brushing off non-existent sand from his body.
He walked over to Wanda's side.
"He's gone?" Wanda asked.
"Gone," Arthur looked at the sky. "He probably figures that this 'novice village' of Earth hides a 'village chief' of unknown level, so he doesn't dare to act rashly for now."
Wanda breathed a sigh of relief, releasing some of the pressure on the barrier.
"His scepter..."
"The Mind Stone," Arthur said. "It shares the same origin as that 'mark' which pried into us before, but it's more complete and far more powerful. Loki can use it to open Portals, summon Frost Giants, and even mess with minds... it's a troublesome thing."
"More troublesome than that Kree outpost?"
"The nature is different," Arthur said. "The Kree are an 'alien invasion force,' while Loki's case is the 'overflow of a divine family drama.' But no matter which one, crashing onto Earth is bad enough."
He looked toward the detention tent.
Inside the tent, Thor's vital signs data was slowly stabilizing.
But his heart rate was still very high.
The anger in his eyes hadn't faded either.
"With Loki making such a scene," Arthur said, "Thor's 'awakening progress bar' will probably leap forward by a huge chunk. Being taunted right to his face by his own younger brother, with absolutely no power to fight back... this stimulation is even more effective than Odin throwing him down here."
Wanda leaned closer.
"So what next? Loki will definitely come again."
"If he comes, so be it," Arthur put his arm around her shoulder. "If he comes again, we'll just keep 'playing the pig to eat the tiger.' Let him think Earth has a'somewhat capable but not quite there' Guardian, yet not dare to go all out. This way, we can protect Thor and this area, without escalating the 'Asgardian family dispute' into an 'Earth vs. Asgard war'."
He paused.
"By the way, we need to start researching how to deal with that scepter inlaid with the Mind Stone. That thing will probably be a frequent visitor in the future."
In the distance across the desert, S.H.I.E.L.D. rescue vehicles were driving over with wailing sirens.
Lights flashed chaotically, and voices were clamorous.
Arthur and Wanda maintained their invisibility, looking down at the chaotic Isolation Zone.
"Call it a day," Arthur said. "Let's go home and eat. Let's have hot pot tonight to drive away the cold."
Wanda smiled.
"Sure."
Chapter 87: Hot Pot Time
Loki withdrew.
As the rift closed and the chill dissipated, the desert returned to its hot and dry state.
Except for the ice shards on the ground and a few Agents frozen into ice sculptures standing there, like performance art.
Arthur and Wanda crouched inside the barrier, watching the S.H.I.E.L.D. crew below scrambling to salvage the scene.
"Time to pack up," Arthur patted his pants, "Shall we go home and have hot pot?"
Wanda didn't move.
Her eyes were still fixed on the golden curve on the control panel representing Thor's divine power.
"Wait a second," she said, "Look at this line."
Arthur leaned in.
The line hadn't exploded.
But it wasn't flat either.
It was... "wriggling."
It wasn't the roller-coaster style ups and downs from before, nor was it the flat line after complete silence.
It was a slow fluctuation with a certain "rhythm."
Rise, fall.
Rise, fall.
Like a heartbeat.
"What's the situation?" Arthur asked, "Is this guy practicing deep breathing in the tent?"
"More intense than deep breathing," Wanda said, "He is 'thinking'."
"Thinking about what?"
"Thinking about that 'brotherly love' drama from just now," Wanda pointed at a tiny upward tick in the curve, "Lokicame over, summoned ice lumps to wreck the place right in front of him. And him? Locked up, divine power sealed, unable to do anything. Just watching. This feeling of 'helplessness'... for a macho second-generation god, it's harder to bear than killing him."
Arthur understood.
"So he's not 'angry' now, he's 'reflecting'?"
"Yes," Wanda nodded, "Anger explodes outward, the energy curve would be spiky. Reflection pulls inward, the energy becomes... 'heavy','stable'. Look at this fluctuation, the rhythm is even, the amplitude isn't large, but the 'base' of every rise and fall is lifting. It means the divine power inside him, even though still pressed by the seal, its 'quality' is changing. From that ostentatious outward 'Thunder', slowly turning into a more introverted, heavier... 'Guardian'?"
She paused when she said this.
"Husband, do you remember what Odin said when he threw him down?"
Arthur thought for a moment.
"Seems like... 'You are unworthy of your power, you are unworthy of Mjolnir, you are unworthy of the Asgardthrone'?"
"Right," Wanda said, "But Odin didn't say it would be taken away forever. It's more like... 'probation'? Letting him come down to 'experience life', 'recognize mistakes', 'turn over a new leaf'. When he truly 'realizes' it, he will naturally be able to lift the Mjolnir."
Arthur looked at the sand pit in the distance.
In the pit, the Mjolnir was still stuck there.
A circle of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents around it were scanning with various instruments, none of them able to move it even a fraction.
"So," Arthur said, "Is Thor's 'reflection progress bar' almost full?"
"Almost," Wanda stared at the curve, "Just needs that final push."
"Who's kicking?"
"Look."
Wanda pointed to the edge of the containment zone.
At the wire fence, Jane Foster hadn't left yet.
Her team had been "politely asked to leave" by S.H.I.E.L.D., leaving only her, still clinging to the wire fence, eyes fixed on the detention tent.
Just now, the Frost Giant raid made the scene chaotic.
But she didn't run.
She stood there, watching.
Watching ice lumps smash cars, watching Agents turn into ice sculptures, watching Loki floating in the sky acting cool, watching that blurry "Guardian" shadow flash by.
Finally, watching the rift close, Loki withdrew.
Now, she was still watching.
Watching the tent.
Watching the blonde man inside.
"This girl," Arthur was amused, "Has guts. Just experienced a live broadcast of an alien demolition squad, and still won't leave?"
"She is worried about him," Wanda said, "Not worried about 'Thor', but worried about 'Thor'. That man who is locked up and looks a bit miserable."
"Alright," Arthur said, "The 'final push' is here."
As soon as he finished speaking.
The tent flap was "swished" open.
Thor walked out.
Not pushed out by Agents.
He walked out himself.
The two Agents guarding the entrance were stunned, subconsciously raising their guns.
"Stand back!" an Agent shouted.
Thor ignored him.
His eyes were fixed straight on Jane Foster by the fence.
Then, he turned to the sand pit.
Looked at that mjolnir.
"What is he trying to do?" Arthur asked.
"He wants to try," Wanda said, "Not the kind of trial like 'Can I lift the mjolnir to prove I am Thor'. It's the kind of trial like 'I understand now, I want to protect some people, some things. If I have power, I will use it to do the right thing. So... please give me power'."
"Good guy," Arthur said, "This level of enlightenment directly upgraded from 'terminal chuunibyou' to 'model student'."
Thor moved.
He walked toward the sand pit.
His steps weren't fast, but they were steady.
With every step, his temperament changed a little.
The confusion, anger, and grievance from the beginning of his exile...
Gone.
Replaced by a calm, firm light.
A light in his eyes.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents wanted to stop him.
Coulson rushed up from behind, raising his hand to stop them.
"Let him go," Coulson said, his voice very soft, "See what he wants to do."
Thor walked to the edge of the sand pit.
He lowered his head, looking at the mjolnir.
The mjolnir was still the same mjolnir.
Pitch black, stuck in the sand, unmoving.
But the look in Thor's eyes when he looked at it was different.
Before, it was desire, anxiety, "This was originally mine."
Now it was... calm.
"mjolnir," Thor spoke, his voice not loud, but clear, "My old friend."
He crouched down.
His hand slowly reached for the handle.
Not grabbing, but "holding".
Like holding the hand of a friend reunited after a long time.
The moment his fingers touched the handle—
"Hum!!!"
A deep tremor that made one's heart go numb erupted from the mjolnir!
Not a sound.
The entire desert floor shook with a "hum" at this moment!
The sand around the pit was "whooshed" away, revealing the hard rock layer underneath.
On the handle, those previously dull Asgard runes lit up one by one!
Golden light.
Like coming to life, crawling up the handle.
"The seal is loose!" Wanda shouted, "Odin's trial... it's resonating!"
Arthur immediately looked at the control panel.
That golden energy curve "zoomed" up!
Not a spike.
It was an overall lift!
Like a mountain rising from the sea!
"Wife!" Arthur shouted, "Barrier pressure!"
"Holding!" Wanda pressed her hands together, dark red Chaos Magic poured into the barrier like a flood, "Dimensional fluctuation is intensifying! This space is about to collapse!"
Arthur didn't waste words.
He pressed his hand to the ground.
Golden magic patterns exploded from his palm, instantly spreading across the entire base of the barrier like a spider web.
"Reinforce!" he roared, "Weld it shut for me!"
The barrier "hummed," forcibly resisting the increasingly strong dimensional impact erupting from the mjolnir and Thor.
Below.
Thor's hand had completely gripped the handle.
His knees were slightly bent, his waist and back exerting force.
Not brute force pulling.
It was a kind of... "fit."
His will, his current determination, his desire to protect...
Perfectly resonated with the trial Odin left in the mjolnir.
"For Asgard," Thor said in a low voice, "And for... this land, and the people on this land worth protecting."
Words fell.
The mjolnir rose.
"BOOM—!!!"
Not a sound.
It was thunder exploding!
A terrifyingly thick golden lightning bolt shot up from the mjolnir, piercing straight into the sky!
The sky "whooshed" dark.
Dark clouds poured in from all directions, instantly filling the entire sky.
Thunder rolled.
Electric snakes danced wildly.
Thor stood in the sand pit, holding the mjolnir above his head.
The cheap casual clothes S.H.I.E.L.D. gave him "ripped" apart.
Golden Asgardian armor emerged from under his skin.
The red cape "whooshed" open, fluttering in the strong wind.
There was lightning flashing in his eyes.
His hair floated up due to static electricity.
His whole person, from inside out, radiated a majestic, violent, yet incomparably "stable" divine pressure.
"It's done," Arthur looked at the energy reading on the control panel which had completely gone off the charts but whose fluctuation was exceptionally "stable," "Thor has returned."
Wanda closed her eyes, sensing that energy.
"It's changed," she said, "Completely different from before. Before it was a 'dynamite pack,' ready to explode at a touch, unstable. Now it's a... 'nuclear reactor.' The energy is stronger, but more 'controllable,' more'stable.' His divinity has finished reshaping. From a 'prince who only knows how to fight' to a 'god who knows why he fights'."
In the sky.
Thor held the mjolnir and slowly floated up.
He lowered his head and took a look below.
Took a look at Jane Foster.
Jane stood by the wire fence, head tilted up, looking at him.
Her eyes were wide open, mouth agape, unable to speak.
But there was no fear in her eyes.
It was... shock.
And a hint of... "as expected" that even she didn't notice.
Thor nodded slightly at her.
Then, he turned to the edge of the desert.
Looked toward the direction of the barrier where Arthurand Wanda were.
Even though it was separated by invisibility magic.
But in that instant, Arthur and Wanda clearly felt—
He "looked" over.
Not with his eyes.
But with the newly recovered divine perception of Thor.
He felt that there were two "special existences" in this desert, who had been secretly stabilizing this space, preventing his awakening process from tearing the Earthdimension apart.
Thor nodded slightly toward the barrier direction.
A gesture of respect.
Didn't speak.
But the meaning was conveyed.
"Thanks, off-site safety officer."
Arthur was amused.
"This guy is quite polite."
Thor didn't stay any longer.
He held the mjolnir, flicked his wrist.
"Whoosh—!"
He shot up into the sky like a cannonball.
Collided into the dark clouds.
Thunder roared.
Lightning struck down like it was free, crackling and popping.
But every bolt precisely avoided the personnel and buildings on the ground.
Hitting empty ground, hitting sand dunes.
Creating scorched marks one after another.
As if... "venting"? Or perhaps "adapting" to the power that had just returned.
Dozens of seconds later.
The thunder gradually ceased.
The dark clouds dispersed.
Sunlight shone down again.
Thor was gone.
The sky was clean, not even a cloud.
As if the Earth-shattering thunder storm just now was just a dream.
In the desert.
Dead silence.
That bunch of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents were all dumbfounded on the spot.
Those holding guns forgot to put them down.
Those holding instruments forgot to record.
Coulson stood there, head tilted up, looking at the sky.
The expression on his face was like he had just finished watching an IMAX blockbuster.
Shocked, confused, and a bit of... despair that "this job can't be done anymore."
In the distance.
On the top of a sand dune further away in the desert.
A figure in dark green robes stood quietly.
Loki.
He was still holding that golden scepter in his hand.
His face was so gloomy water could drip from it.
His eyes were fixed on the sky where Thor disappeared.
He took another look at the chaotic containment zone below.
Finally, his gaze swept across the edge of the desert—the direction of Arthur and Wanda's barrier.
Although he couldn't see them.
But he knew someone was there.
This crappy place called Earth didn't just hide his brother who suddenly "got enlightened."
It also hid other "things."
"Things" that could block his Frost Giant vanguard, and stabilize the dimensional impact.
"Interesting," Loki said in a low voice, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth, "More and more interesting."
The scepter waved.
The figure disappeared.
On the sand dune, only a string of shallow footprints remained.
Soon blown flat by the wind.
Inside the barrier.
Arthur removed the reinforcement magic.
Wanda also withdrew the Chaos Magic.
The two looked at the control panel that had returned to calm.
"It's done," Arthur stretched, "Thor line, entering a new stage. This guy will be a proper superhero from now on, the kind that comes with BGM when fighting."
"The risk of dimensional impact has decreased," Wandasaid, "His divine power is restored, but his control has increased, he won't 'leak electricity' and tear space again unconsciously. Our 'bulletproof vest' can take a breather."
"Take a breather for now," Arthur put his arm around her shoulder, "That little brother Loki was watching from afar just now. His face was really ugly. His own brother suddenly awakened and became so 'positive energy,' his villain script is hard to play now."
"Will he retaliate?" Wanda asked.
"One hundred percent," Arthur said, "But who he retaliates against, and how, is hard to say. Maybe he'll find his brother to continue the 'family ethics drama,' or maybe... he thinks this 'newbie village' of Earth hides too many secrets, and wants to come and 'explore' personally."
Wanda leaned on him.
"Then we..."
"Stay put," Arthur said, "Eat when it's time to eat, drink when it's time to drink. If Loki comes again, we'll continue to 'act like pigs to eat the tiger.' Let him think Earth has a 'capable but not very strong' Guardian, but can't figure out the bottom line. That's the safest."
He looked at the sky.
"Really should go home. Hot pot, let's go."
"Let's go."
The two figures flashed.
Disappeared.
In the desert, only the S.H.I.E.L.D. crew remained, still dazed.
And in the sand pit, that empty mjolnir print.
Oh, no.
The mjolnir was gone too.
Taken away by its Master.
Coulson finally came back to his senses.
He took out his communicator and took a deep breath.
"Headquarters, this is the New Mexico site."
"Mission updated."
"The target... flew away."
"With the mjolnir."
"Yes, that mjolnir that no one could lift."
"Also..."
He looked at the sky.
"It thundered just now."
"Pretty big thunder."
On the other end of the communicator, there was silence for several seconds.
Then a calm female voice came through.
"Understood. Pack up."
Coulson put down the communicator.
Rubbed his face.
"This job," he muttered, "is really fucking impossible."