The air solidified slightly, and the wind on the top floor of Stark Tower seemed to halt for a moment due to that provocative remark.
"Oh ho ho ho… "
That iconic laugh still echoed in the air, carrying a chilling penetrative power.
But the next second, Frieza, suspended in mid-air, seemed to suddenly realize something, and his laughter abruptly ceased. A hint of annoyance flashed in his scarlet eyes, and his slender fingers gently touched his lips, like a gentleman who had made a mistake.
Oops, I was careless.
Didn't that "Earth monkey" and "alien barbarian" sound a bit uncultured?
As the noble Emperor of the Universe, the future real estate magnate, how could he utter such vulgar words like those street thugs?
This not only lowered his status as the Emperor but also went against the high-end corporate image he intended to establish across the universe.
After all, he would eventually recruit these superheroes as security guards and cleaners. As a boss, being too rude wouldn't do. He needed corporate culture and refinement.
So, under the Avengers' stunned gaze, Frieza slowly descended a bit and cleared his throat.
"Ahem."
He adjusted the collar of his expensive suit, instantly switching back to his gentle, harmless smile, and even bowed politely to Thor and Steve.
"My apologies, everyone, I misspoke just now."
Frieza's voice was warm and magnetic, like someone hosting a high-society dinner party. "In this exciting moment, I was a little overly enthusiastic. Please forgive my improper choice of words."
The Avengers exchanged glances, the sudden shift in tone was too fast for them to keep up.
One moment he was threatening to kill their families, the next he was apologizing?
But Frieza paid no mind to their reactions. He spread his hands and continued in an extremely humble and sincere manner, "You… hmm, courageous native inhabitants of Earth, and you, Prince of Asgard. You have the audacity to challenge me, the Emperor of the Universe. I truly admire this courage."
As he spoke, the curve of his lips widened slightly, and his eyes revealed a playful, expectant look, like a cat toying with a mouse.
"I have high hopes for your potential. So come on, please don't hold back, show me your power and prove whether you are worthy of surviving in this universe."
"Or rather… prove whether you are worthy of making me take you even a little bit seriously."
Although his words were polite, the inherent arrogance and disdain were impossible to conceal. It was like a world boxing champion standing at the entrance of a kindergarten, telling a group of children wielding plastic shovels, "Come on, show me your fighting skills."
It was filled with infuriating condescension.
"Is this guy out of his mind?" Tony rolled his eyes under his faceplate.
"Jarvis, analyze his mental state. I suspect he has antisocial personality disorder coupled with severe narcissism."
However, Thor had no time for such flowery nonsense.
He only believed in the hammer in his hand. In his eyes, anyone who threatened Earth or insulted Asgard's honor had only one fate—to be smashed into a pulp by Mjolnir.
"Enough! Mortal!"
Thor roared, his arm muscles bulging instantly, veins coiling. He violently spun Mjolnir in his hand, the divine artifact transforming into a blurry silver storm, emitting a piercing whistle.
"For Asgard! For Midgard!"
"Die!"
Boom!
Thor suddenly let go, and Mjolnir flew out of his hand.
With this throw, Thor used almost all his strength. Mjolnir, imbued with the power of a thousand thunders, tore through the air, creating a deafening sonic boom, like a silver meteor, heading straight for Frieza's face.
Its speed was so great that it left an afterimage in the air.
"Good!" Steve couldn't help but cheer inwardly.
This force, this speed—if he were to block it with his shield, he would probably be knocked back dozens of meters.
Facing this unstoppable blow, Frieza merely stood still, not even making a move to dodge.
He watched the flying hammer, even having the leisure to comment, "Such a straightforward attack, how crude."
The next second.
Just as the hammer was about to smash his face, Frieza slowly raised his right hand. There was no fancy movement, just a simple, casual grab forward.
Thud!
Mjolnir, imbued with the power of thunder and capable of smashing through an aircraft carrier, was abruptly stopped in mid-air. It was firmly grasped by a slender, pale hand, right on the hammerhead.
The violent kinetic energy instantly vanished, and the omnipresent lightning at that moment seemed like snuffed-out flames, instantly silenced.
"Wh-what…"
Thor's eyes widened, almost popping out of his head.
Catching the hammer with bare hands?
How was that possible?
The moment Frieza grabbed the hammer, his expression subtly changed.
Heavy.
An unimaginable weight instantly spread from his palm throughout his body. This was not the weight a piece of metal should have, it was clearly like holding a planet.
Caught off guard, Frieza was pulled down by this terrifying weight, his feet making a "crunch" sound as they shattered the concrete floor beneath him, sinking deeply into it, up to his ankles. Even his perfectly straight posture involuntarily bent a little.
Seeing this, a glimmer of joy flashed in the Avengers' eyes.
"Ha! I knew it!" Tony shouted.
"That's Odin's artifact, no one can easily lift it! This guy overestimated himself!"
Thor also felt a release, reaching out to summon the hammer back. "Foolish mortal, Mjolnir is not something just anyone can touch."
In their view, although Frieza had caught the hammer, he had also suffered a great loss. The next second, he would surely be crushed by the hammer or flown away with it.
However—
"Interesting…"
A low voice emanated from Frieza's mouth.
His slightly bent back, amidst a series of cracking bones, slowly straightened again.
His hand, which held Mjolnir, though trembling slightly and veins bulging, was firmly clamped onto the hammerhead, unmoving.
"To be fair, this hammer does have some weight to it."
Frieza took a deep breath, and the Ki within him circulated wildly.
Odin's magic?
That broken enchantment, "only the worthy can wield it"?
Frieza sneered inwardly.
If it were someone worthy, like Steve, this thing would weigh just a few dozen pounds, like a toy.
But if it wasn't someone worthy, it meant forcibly resisting Odin's divine power, resisting the true weight said to be forged from the core of a dying star—approximately 4.6 trillion tons.
Of course, this number was an exaggeration, but the sense of weight brought by this rule-based power was definitely not light.
"It seems… I'm not worthy."
Frieza looked at the hammer in his hand, still humming and trying to break free from his grasp, his eyes gradually growing cold.
This hammer was rejecting him.
It was resisting the grasp of the Emperor of the Universe.
"Hmph, a mere piece of scrap metal dares to be picky with me?" Frieza was displeased.
He was a man destined to rule the universe, how dare even an inanimate object give him attitude?
"Since you don't acknowledge me…"
Frieza's fingers began to tighten, his fingertips digging deeply into the hard Uru, producing a sound of twisting metal.
"Since you refuse to submit to me…"
"Then be destroyed."
Across from him, Thor, who was about to rush forward to reclaim Mjolnir, suddenly froze.
He witnessed a sight he would never forget in his life, a sight that would make him question his very existence.
Frieza's lips curled into a cruel sneer, the muscles on his arm bulging, and a purplish-red aura burst forth wildly from his palm.
"Break!"
Crack... Crack...
Accompanied by a crisp, heartbreaking shattering sound, Mjolnir, the symbol of Thor's power, the indestructible artifact that had accompanied Thor in his battles across the Nine Realms, actually… cracked in Frieza's hand.
Countless tiny cracks instantly covered the hammer's body, and dazzling lightning burst forth from the fissures, like a star about to explode.
"No!!!" Thor let out a heart-wrenching scream.
Bang!
The next second, Mjolnir exploded.
It turned into countless fragments of scrap metal, clattering to the ground with a desolate, brittle sound.
"..."
The entire rooftop seemed to have become a vacuum, even the sound of the wind vanished.
Thor remained in his outstretched posture, as if petrified, staring blankly at the pile of fragments on the ground.
Broken?
His Mjolnir… was crushed?
How was this possible?
That was Uru! That was a divine artifact forged in the core of a neutron star! That was something even the Hulk couldn't break!
Not just Thor, Loki next to him was also dumbfounded.
Although he had already witnessed Frieza's terror, he never dreamed that this guy could be so monstrous.
Crushing Mjolnir? Was this something a living being could even do?
"This… this isn't scientific…"
Beneath Tony's faceplate, the data on the display was wildly glitching.
He gulped. "Jarvis, tell me this is an illusion."
"Sir, I regret to inform you, this is reality. The target's hand grip strength cannot be calculated, it has exceeded the sensor's limit."
[Ding! Detected Thor's worldview collapsing, generating extreme fear. Fear Points +10000!]
[Ding! Detected Loki's sanity rapidly dropping. Fear Points +5000!]
[Ding! All Avengers shocked. Fear Points +8000!]
Listening to the system's broadcast, Frieza felt a little better.
Crushing this hammer was worth it, the Fear Points was rising quickly.
Frieza clapped the metal dust off his hands, curling his lip in disgust.
"Tsk, what poor quality. I thought it was harder."
These words were the final straw that completely ignited Thor's rage.
"You… you destroyed it…"
Thor's eyes instantly became bloodshot, filled with grief and indignation, as he let out a beast-like growl from his throat.
"I'll kill you!!!"