Chapter 47: Do Gods Deserve to Be Arrogant? Thor Kneels and Cries Like a Dog
The climate control system in the research vehicle was running, but Jane Foster felt the air in the compartment becoming increasingly thin.
Several data models she couldn't comprehend were flickering on the holographic screen.
Just five minutes ago, she had been certain that she had captured some kind of unknown magnetic field fluctuation.
But now, Lin Nuo had merely tapped a few lines of code onto the keyboard, and that garbled data had become extremely docile, forming a perfect closed loop.
"This is impossible…"
Jane stared at the screen, her breathing ragged.
She had spent three months agonizing over this project, losing handfuls of hair, and had consulted almost every authoritative document in the field of astrophysics.
The conclusions she had finally reached were, in front of this man, nothing more than the scribbles of a three-year-old.
"Your deductive logic is sound, but you have overlooked a core dimension."
Lin Nuo stood behind her, his hands braced on either side of the console.
This posture left her with nowhere to escape.
The faint woody scent on him, mixed with the body heat of a mature man, was like an invisible net, enveloping her tightly without a gap.
Lin Nuo leaned over slightly, his head against Jane's ear.
He reached out a finger and tapped the air in front of him.
His slender finger traced across the holographic screen, landing on the final node of the formula.
"The stability of the Einstein-Rosen Bridge essentially depends on the observer's observational dimension."
He lowered his voice, his tone magnetic and dangerous.
"You are trying to observe a collapse beyond four dimensions using three-dimensional thinking, Jane; that's like trying to measure the depth of the ocean with a ruler."
Jane felt a tingling sensation all over from the heat radiating from his fingertips.
She didn't even dare to turn around, because if she moved even slightly, her cheek would brush against the corner of his lips.
"B-but all the literature says that the observational dimension is an uncertain variable in quantum mechanics…"
"Literature is written for people, not for the Universe."
Lin Nuo chuckled.
His palm landed on the back of Jane's hand, forcibly guiding her fingers to input a string of algorithmic characters that Jane had never seen before on the keyboard.
Hum—!
The gravity sensor in the center of the laboratory emitted a slight hum.
The previously chaotic gravitational values were, at this moment, precise to six decimal places.
Jane was stunned.
The confusion in her eyes was replaced by a sense of extreme shock.
The man before her was not just a capitalist with five billion U.S. dollars.
He was a monster.
In terms of academic attainment, he was completely in a position of dimensional reduction strikes.
"Did you see that?"
Lin Nuo's voice exploded in her ear.
His hand did not move away; instead, it slid slowly up along her wrist, finally stopping at the inside of her slightly trembling elbow.
His rough fingertips rubbed gently there, kneading with a punitive intent.
"The knowledge you take pride in is so fragile in the face of this project that it doesn't even count as a single layer of paper."
Jane wanted to retort, but her throat was too dry to speak.
She had always considered herself intellectually independent, even looking down on the heroism of Tony Stark, which relied on wealth and armor.
But now, in front of this man who was equally wealthy, she was not only crushed in terms of resources, but even the scientific thinking her soul took pride in was completely destroyed.
This sense of frustration made her feel both uncomfortable and created a strange, indescribable sense of dependence.
"T-then how should I correct it?"
Her voice trembled as she turned her head, colliding with Lin Nuo's deep, pitch-black eyes.
Lin Nuo did not back away.
He even shortened the distance further.
Their noses brushed against each other, their breathing intertwined.
He stared at Jane's eyes, which were slightly reddened from overthinking, and smiled slightly.
"What you need to do is not to correct, but to obey."
"What?"
Jane was stunned.
"In this laboratory, you are my lead researcher."
Lin Nuo's large hand slid along the back of her neck, gently pinching that sensitive patch of soft flesh.
The force was moderate, neither hurting her nor allowing her to break free.
"Your brain, your inspiration, and even your discoveries all belong to the Star Umbrella Group."
He pressed against the corner of her lips, his tone cold, hard, and full of predatory intent.
"Including… yourself."
Jane's mind went blank.
This extremely explicit aggression made her heartbeat completely out of control.
She wanted to push him away, but her hands rested weakly on the desktop, and she even felt a shiver like an electric current from the movement of his fingertips.
Just then, a heavy knock came from outside the compartment.
"Boss, that one-eyed man from S.H.I.E.L.D. has already set up camp on the perimeter, and…"
The door was pushed open.
Natasha was in her black Agent uniform, her curves fully exposed; her eyes flashed with a hint of playfulness when she saw Lin Nuo trapping Jane in front of the table.
"And what?"
Lin Nuo didn't even turn his head, maintaining the posture of suppressing Jane.
His gaze remained locked on Jane's face, his fingers gently twisting her reddened earlobe.
"And, that so-called 'hobo' just got into a conflict with the Agents outside the fence."
Natasha walked behind the two of them, her tone flat.
"Agent Coulson was almost flipped over by him with one hand, and the situation is a bit out of control now."
Lin Nuo let out a chuckle.
He released Jane and turned to walk toward the console, his demeanor as calm as if he were going to handle a trivial matter.
Jane, having lost support, nearly collapsed into the chair.
She gasped for air, her cheeks burning, her palms covered in cold sweat.
After that extreme sense of oppression was withdrawn, what remained was a void that she was addicted to.
"Let him make a scene."
Lin Nuo looked at the chaotic scene on the screen and waved at Natasha.
"Tell Agent Coulson that if that hobo gets hurt, I want S.H.I.E.L.D. to pay one billion U.S. dollars in medical expenses."
"If that hobo dies, then blow up their headquarters."
Natasha was slightly taken aback, then nodded, the corners of her mouth curling up.
"Understood, Boss."
"And you, Jane."
Lin Nuo turned his head, his gaze falling back onto Jane.
He walked back behind Jane, leaned over again, and completely enveloped that petite figure in his shadow.
He firmly took Jane's hand and placed it on the keyboard.
"Keep calculating."
He lowered his head, his lips brushing against her hair, his voice husky.
"That hobo is just a prelude. If you can calculate the space folding formula by tonight, I'll give you a surprise."
Jane looked at the screen, her fingertips touching the cold keyboard, but her heart felt like it was on fire.
She instinctively wanted to resist this fate of being completely controlled, but such a powerful, overbearing man who could touch the truth was like a poppy, making her unable to stop at all.
"I… I'll try my best."
She murmured softly, her voice carrying a softness she hadn't even noticed herself.
Outside the laboratory, the sandstorm was growing stronger.
And in that dim crater, a blue thunderbolt was quietly gathering deep in the clouds.
Lin Nuo stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at that strange flash of light outside, his fingertips gently rubbing the silver lighter.
"It's here."
He whispered, his tone full of mockery.
"The show is starting."
Jane heard his voice, and her hand movements involuntarily paused for a second.
She looked at the blinding light that flashed outside the window for an instant, and inexplicably felt a sense of panic.
That was not just a physical law; it was more like a suppression from some higher dimension.
And beside her, the man she both hated and loved was standing with his back to her, that signature, unsettling, playful smirk on his lips.
She knew that as long as this man was around, even if the sky fell, she could only end up as a pawn under his control, or… the most perfect trophy.
"Lin…"
"Shh."
Lin Nuo turned his head, a finger pressed against her lips, blocking all her questions.
His eyes became somewhat dangerous, revealing a strong possessiveness.
"Don't speak, look at the screen."
He leaned over and left a scorching kiss by her ear.
"You will see with your own eyes what a god really is."
…
The next day, early morning.
The rain finally eased.
Jane fell into a deep sleep on the table, covered by the dark gray cashmere suit jacket Lin Nuo had taken off.
It carried a woody scent that made her feel both safe and suffocated.
Lin Nuo stood on the observation deck on the roof of the vehicle, looking at the crater in the distance that was heavily guarded by S.H.I.E.L.D.
That muscular, angry-looking man was standing in the rain, roaring at the hammer stuck in the ground.
He had failed.
Even though he possessed divine power, even though he was once the Prince of Asgard.
As long as he wasn't recognized, in front of that hammer, he was not even as good as an ordinary person.
"Boss, do you need to go deal with it?"
Natasha appeared behind him, handing over a cup of coffee.
Lin Nuo took the coffee and sipped it unhurriedly.
"No need."
He watched the Thor kneeling in the rain, crying in pain, his eyes as cold as if he were looking at an insect.
"Let that idiot cry for a while longer."
"What I want is this kind of despair from him."
Lin Nuo turned around and walked toward the laboratory door.
"Notify Betty and Potts that the Star Umbrella Group's global live broadcast plan is ready."
"I want the whole World to see clearly, the so-called god."
"How worthless he is in front of me."
Chapter 48: Tough Guy Tears Up, Knees Go Weak from Lin Nuo's Kiss
The rain was pouring down, raindrops pattering against the bulletproof glass.
The heating inside the research vehicle was turned up high.
Jane opened her eyes groggily, rubbing her slightly sore neck.
"Awake?"
The man's voice was deep and hoarse, carrying an aggressively textured quality.
Jane looked up and saw Lin Nuo standing in front of the holographic monitoring console, holding a cup of coffee.
His long legs were wrapped in well-tailored suit trousers; even just standing casually, he radiated an intense sense of oppression.
She remembered being pressed against the console by this man last night, while he forcibly instilled those space physics formulas that subverted her understanding.
The humiliation of being completely crushed, intertwined with an uncontrollable admiration, made her heart beat abnormally fast as she faced Lin Nuo now.
"How long did I sleep?"
Jane stood up somewhat awkwardly, adjusting her slightly disheveled research lab coat.
Lin Nuo didn't answer; instead, he extended his free hand, gripping her wrist and pulling her in front of him with a slight tug.
Jane gasped, crashing straight into a solid chest.
The man's scorching body temperature radiated through his thin shirt, making her heart tremble.
"Let... let go of me, I still need to look at the data..."
Jane bit her lower lip, extending her hands to press against Lin Nuo's chest, trying to push him away.
"The data isn't going anywhere."
Lin Nuo set down the coffee cup, and his other hand naturally wrapped around her slender waist, holding her firmly in his embrace.
"However, there is a good circus act, specifically saved for us to watch together."
"What circus act..."
Lin Nuo lifted his chin, signaling Jane to look at the giant holographic screen in front.
The screen was divided into dozens of feeds, covering the peripheral S.H.I.E.L.D. containment area from all angles without blind spots. Under the night-vision lens, the streaks of rain became dense diagonal lines.
Right in the center of the screen, the man with golden hair and a massive build was stepping through the mud, punching a fully armed Agent to the ground.
"Him? That vagrant?"
Jane widened her eyes.
"Is he suicidal? How dare he break into the S.H.I.E.L.D.containment area all by himself?"
"People without brains usually don't value their lives much."
Lin Nuo lowered his head, his thin lips almost brushing against Jane's earlobe, his warm breath spraying over her sensitive skin as he spoke.
"Baby, look at his movements, don't they look like a crazed chimpanzee in a zoo?"
Jane's ears turned red, scorched by the "Baby" that had slipped out. She shifted uncomfortably, trying to dodge the man's overly intimate touch.
But Lin Nuo's arm around her waist suddenly tightened.
His large hand moved up her spine, his rough fingertips finally resting on the fragile nape of her neck, gently pinching the soft flesh with a warning.
"Don't move around."
Lin Nuo's voice darkened.
"Watch the screen carefully. I spent quite a lot of money to get you these front-row seats."
Jane, having her vital point controlled by him, felt her body go limp.
The contradictory feeling of resistance and sinking into him completely overwhelmed her; she could only lean against him, forcing her gaze toward the screen.
In the rainy night, Thor's movements were wild and sweeping.
He snatched a riot baton from an Agent, swinging it around to smash it onto another person's helmet.
Immediately after, he side-kicked a guard rushing at him, forcefully tearing a gap in the dense defensive line.
This brutal, flesh-to-flesh fighting style was full of primitive violence.
"His combat skills are extremely crude; he's fighting entirely on instinct."
Lin Nuo watched the screen coldly, his tone carrying undisguised contempt.
"If he encountered real suppression fire, he wouldn't even last ten seconds. To think he can be a savior just by relying on brute force is simply too naive."
"But he really broke in."
Jane watched Thor's desperate charge, her brows slightly furrowed.
"What exactly is he looking for? Is it worth risking his life for a hammer with an unknown purpose?"
"For a stray dog kicked out of its home by its Master, a bone is more important than its life."
Lin Nuo let out a low chuckle that vibrated in his chest. He turned his head slightly and opened his mouth to take Jane's flushed earlobe into it.
"Mmm..."
Jane uncontrollably let out a short, choked sound. The moist, hot sensation with a slight stinging pain made her line of reason retreat step by step.
"Don't... don't do this..."
Even her words of refusal were soft and powerless, lacking any conviction.
Lin Nuo released her ear, his fingertips rubbing the red mark he had bitten onto it.
"Guess what kind of expression he'll have when, after going through all that hardship, he finally touches that thing, only to find he's completely powerless?"
On the surveillance screen, Thor had already broken through the last line of defense.
He was panting heavily, stumbling down the muddy slope into the bottom of the crater.
Rainwater washed over his mud-caked cheeks.
His gaze was locked tightly onto the metal hammer standing on the steps, his eyes bursting with extreme, fanatical brilliance.
Jane could even see the grin spreading across his face on the screen.
Thor strode up the steps, laughing out loud.
He opened his muscular arms and gripped the handle of Mjolnir tightly with both hands.
He was full of joy, thinking that as long as he held Mjolnir, he could regain supreme divine power and let thunder tear through the sky once again.
"Hiyah—!"
Thor let out a roar, exerting immense force with both arms.
However.
Rainwater flowed down the hammer's body, but Mjolnirremained motionless, as if it were welded to the entire Planet.
Thor's laughter stuck in his throat.
He looked down in disbelief at the weapon that had accompanied him for thousands of years.
"Impossible... this is absolutely impossible!"
Thor gritted his teeth, veins popping on his thick, muscular arms.
He used all his strength, his feet carving deep indentations into the mud, and he even let out a painful roar from his throat.
But the hammer remained quietly standing there, not moving even a millimeter.
The scene was extremely bizarre and full of irony.
A strong man who could take down dozens of Agents with his bare hands was now completely stumped by an iron hammer only half a meter long.
Thor tried countless times.
Finally, his strength was completely exhausted.
He released his grip on the hammer handle, his whole body seemingly drained of its soul, his knees giving way as he knelt heavily into the mud and water.
"Aah—!!!"
Thor tilted his head back, letting out a cry of extreme despair into the dark, rainy night.
But to Jane in the research vehicle, this weeping didn't evoke any sympathy; instead, she found it extremely ridiculous.
"He... he is actually sitting in the mud crying because he can't pull out a hammer?"
Jane couldn't understand this behavior.
In the worldview of a top student like her, this was completely a sign of arrested mental development.
"Because he is an idiot who only grows muscles and not brains."
Lin Nuo's fingers, pinching Jane's waist, pressed down heavily, causing Jane to let out another muffled groan.
"To make himself look like a stray dog for such meaningless stubbornness. Baby, if you encounter a formula you can't solve in the future, will you also run out into the rain to cry?"
"I certainly wouldn't..."
Jane bit her lip in rebuttal.
Lin Nuo turned Jane's body around, forcing her to meet his pitch-black eyes.
"Jane."
His voice was hoarse, filled with a lethal, bewitching power.
"Do you know why I wanted to show you this?"
Jane shook her head, her eyes filled with moisture and confusion.
"I want you to understand that pinning your hopes on some ridiculous myth or other people is an extremely stupid thing to do."
Lin Nuo lowered his head slightly, his nose brushing against Jane's cheek.
"Those idiots who don't understand your value only cry in the rain when they encounter adversity. But you are different."
The man's rough thumb pressed against Jane's full, red lips, gently rubbing to create an ambiguous sheen.
"Only in this laboratory, only by my side, will your talent be held in the palm of a hand. I will help you solve any problem you encounter. I will give you the truth of the entire Universe."
The man's words had a highly brainwashing power. Especially after witnessing the "barbarian's" comical display with her own eyes, a sense of belonging and dependency, unprecedented in her heart, emerged.
Lin Nuo's thin lips pressed against the corner of her mouth; he didn't deepen the kiss, just teased her there, tossing and turning with provocative intent.
"You only need to do one thing."
Lin Nuo's voice grew lower and lower, carrying an irresistible dominance.
"Obediently be my exclusive researcher, listen to me, and give both your body and heart to me. Understand?"
Jane's brain completely crashed.
She was completely lost in the giant web woven by Lin Nuo, her hands involuntarily climbing onto the man's shoulders, responding to that kiss clumsily yet actively.
Lin Nuo let out a low, muffled laugh, his large hand supporting the back of her head, and unceremoniously deepened the kiss.
Directly prying open her pearly teeth, beginning a one-sided plunder.
The air in her mouth was completely stolen away, and Jane could only let out weak whimpers.
Her legs were incredibly weak; if it weren't for Lin Nuotightly holding her waist, she would have already slid to the floor.
She tried to struggle, but found that she couldn't bear to push away this man who brought her endless security.
After a long while, Lin Nuo very restrainedly pulled back half an inch.
Looking at Jane's broken appearance, flushed red from being bullied, even the corners of her eyes tinted with red, he wiped the silver thread from the corner of her mouth with his thumb.
Just then, the automatic door of the research vehicle emitted a faint buzz.
Natasha walked in wearing high heels, holding a piece of intelligence that had just been printed out. Seeing the extremely ambiguous scene before her, this top Agentdidn't change her expression, and her gaze cut straight to the point with extreme stability.
"Boss, the intruder has been detained by S.H.I.E.L.D."
Chapter 49: Holding Beauty in Arms, Scientifically Stripping the Divine Body
Natasha walked into the research vehicle, her high heels clicking against the floor.
Her gaze swept over the two of them, who were intertwined, her tone crisp and professional.
However, she emphasized the word "detained," revealing a hint of imperceptible jealousy.
Lin Nuo did not let go at all.
His large hand remained tightly clamped around Jane's slender waist, which could be spanned by a single hand, and he even punitively kneaded that sensitive patch of soft flesh right in front of Natasha.
Jane let out a soft, whimpering gasp, her cheeks flushing so deeply they seemed ready to drip water.
She scrambled to push away the mountain of a man before her, but the heat from his body radiated through her lab coat, making her limbs go weak.
Lin Nuo's voice was hoarse, carrying a lazy tone that suggested he was far from satisfied.
"Detained it is."
"A useless piece of iron that can't even pull out a hammer, leave him for Coulson to interrogate slowly."
"Switch the feed from the interrogation room here directly."
Natasha turned and walked toward the main console, her slender fingers tapping on the keyboard a few times.
"Understood."
Lin Nuo picked Jane up directly.
The sensation of weightlessness caused Jane to instinctively reach out and wrap her arms tightly around Lin Nuo's neck.
Lin Nuo took the opportunity to place her on the edge of the control console, while he forcefully squeezed between her legs.
This position of absolute confinement made Jane's breathing completely erratic.
The hem of her lab coat rolled up, revealing a section of her fair, slender legs that had nowhere to rest.
The holographic screen lit up, splitting into several different viewing angles.
Inside the temporary isolation interrogation room set up by S.H.I.E.L.D., the lights were ghastly pale.
The muscular blond man, soaked by the heavy rain like a drowned rat, was handcuffed behind his back to an alloy chair.
Coulson, in a suit and tie, sat opposite him, holding a thin file in his hand.
Coulson went through the procedure with an expressionless face.
"Name?"
Thor suddenly raised his head; although he was in a sorry state, his eyes were full of arrogance and fury.
"Mortal! Release me at once!"
"You are blaspheming the son of Odin!"
"I am Thor! That hammer is mine!"
The roar came through the speaker, making Jane's ears go slightly numb.
Jane's slender eyebrows knitted together.
As an astrophysicist who championed logic and reason, looking at the muscular man on the screen who spouted myths and acted like a mental patient, her eyes were filled with disgust.
Jane bit her red lip, giving the most straightforward evaluation.
"Is there something wrong with his brain?"
"He robbed a military exclusion zone, and even after being caught, he's still babbling nonsense here."
"Can't he use scientific methods to solve problems when he encounters them?"
"What's the point of yelling here?"
Lin Nuo let out a chuckle that vibrated through his chest.
"Because his head is filled with nothing but muscle, without a single brain cell for thinking."
His long fingers pinched Jane's chin, forcing her to turn her attention away from the screen and back to him.
His rough fingertips stroked that tender skin, bringing a shivering sensation.
Lin Nuo's tone was languid, filled with condescending contempt.
"Baby, look."
"This is the consequence of overly believing in personal heroism."
"Besides impotent rage, he can't even break free from a pair of handcuffs."
"A complete and utter joke."
Jane's body burned, and the conflicting emotions of resistance and surrender tore at her repeatedly.
She tried to reason.
"But... the energy fluctuations outside are clearly real."
"Even if he is a crazy muscle-man, this matter is illogical."
Lin Nuo lowered his head, his nose brushing against Jane's cheek.
"There are many illogical things in the Universe."
"For instance, why are you still worrying about the stray dog on the screen instead of looking at me wholeheartedly?"
The man's hand wandered restlessly down Jane's waistline, easily taking control of her vital points through the slightly thin fabric.
Jane's body went limp, and her hands gripped the edges of Lin Nuo's shirt tightly.
Her knuckles turned white from the effort.
She tried to use work to mask her panic, but her soft, sweet voice completely betrayed her.
"Don't... the data is still running..."
Lin Nuo's voice was extremely seductive.
"That's a job for the supercomputer."
"Your task now is to watch the film with me."
"Be good, let me hold you for a while."
Nearby, Natasha walked over carrying a silver tray.
Two glasses of poured romanee-conti exuded a rich fruity aroma.
She placed the wine glasses on the control console, swaying her waist, and leaned her red lips close to Lin Nuo's ear.
Natasha deliberately dragged out the end of her sentence, her eyes showing a sophisticated sense of tension.
"Boss, this kind of boring interrogation drama is so dull just to watch."
"Do you want me to help find some fun?"
Lin Nuo turned his head and gave those alluring red lips a heavy kiss, tasting a hint of wine.
"Go lower the bulletproof isolation panels of the carriage."
"Without my order, no one is to spoil the mood."
Natasha chuckled and turned to press the control button on the wall.
"As you command, Boss."
The thick metal shutter slowly descended, completely sealing off the outside yellow sand, sound of rain, and searchlight beams.
The spacious research carriage turned into an absolutely private, airtight iron cage.
There was only the dim ambient light and the eerie glow emitted by the holographic screen.
Inside the screen, Thor was exhausted from struggling and was rendered speechless by a few extremely professional and cold questions from Coulson.
He discovered that he had lost his divine power and could not summon even a shred of thunder.
The way those mortals looked at him was like looking at a clown.
Thor hung his head in despair, his blond hair covering his face, and surprisingly, a suppressed sobbing sound could be faintly heard.
Watching this scene, the last lingering trace of curiosity in Jane's heart was completely extinguished.
That man was not only a thug but also a giant baby with extremely fragile psychological defenses.
Lin Nuo's large hand traveled up Jane's back, precisely gripping her fragile nape.
A slight application of pressure made Jane go limp in his arms.
"Do you find him ridiculous?"
Jane nodded, moisture overflowing from the corners of her eyes.
"Mm..."
Lin Nuo bluntly and cruelly dissected her past.
"You were just as ridiculous before."
"Holding a few dilapidated detectors, you vainly attempted to measure the dimensions of four-dimensional space."
"When you couldn't get funding, you begged for help everywhere on the streets."
"Do you think there is any difference between your past actions and the crying golden-haired dog now?"
Jane was stung by these words.
She wanted to retort, but the facts were right before her eyes.
Without the five billion U.S. dollars and the dimension-reducing data models provided by this man, she would still be eating dust in the desert.
Her pride, her self-esteem as an academic high-achiever, had been ground into nothingness within the giant web woven by Lin Nuo.
Jane gave up resistance.
She closed her eyes and buried her face in Lin Nuo's broad chest, craving that suffocating sense of security.
"I... I was wrong..."
"Everything was given by you... I only have you now."
Desire surged in the depths of Lin Nuo's eyes.
"That's a good girl."
He picked up the goblet on the bar, took a mouthful of the crimson wine himself, and then roughly pinched Jane's chin open and kissed her directly.
The rich aroma of wine exploded between their lips and teeth.
Lin Nuo unceremoniously pried open her pearly teeth, beginning a one-sided oral plunder.
Red wine spilled from the corners of their mouths, flowing down Jane's fair neck and disappearing deep into her collar.
Jane couldn't breathe at all, her hands could only weakly claw randomly at Lin Nuo's solid shoulders.
She felt like she was going to drown in this deep kiss.
Until the air in her lungs was almost exhausted, Lin Nuofinally withdrew half an inch with extreme restraint.
His heavy breathing hit Jane's face.
Watching the red wine flowing down her collarbone, Lin Nuo's eyes grew darker, and he lowered his head to suck and bite at that patch of skin, leaving an eye-catching mark.
Natasha leaned on the swivel chair nearby, swirling her wine glass, watching Jane's broken appearance—completely devoured and yet still grateful—and revealed a smile that saw through everything.
Jane gasped for air, her legs weak to the point of collapse.
She knew that in front of this man named Lin Nuo, she couldn't even find a way out.
What was even more terrifying was that she didn't even want to find a way out.
Lin Nuo's voice was hoarse, filled with the pressure of controlling everything.
His fingers brushed aside Jane's messy hair.
"Baby."
"Tomorrow morning, I want to see you derive that variant formula."
Jane opened her eyes in a daze, her brain still unable to process things properly.
"What variant formula?"
Lin Nuo's hand slid in along the edge of her lab coat.
"Don't play dumb."
"Doesn't the myth say that the muscle-man possesses some kind of divine constitution from Asgard?"
Lin Nuo chuckled, his tone full of greedy plunder.
"I want you to use the spatial constants captured tonight, combined with the data from the biological laboratory, to find the key to stripping away that constitution."
"As long as you solve this formula..."
Lin Nuo whispered against her ear, enunciating every word heavily.
"I will let you experience for yourself what a real 'God' is."
Chapter 50: Possession of Body and Soul, Thor Becomes a Third-Rate Soldier
The night was heavy.
Inside the research carriage, the light was dim; only the holographic projection screen emitted a cold, blue glow, casting a pallor over Jane Foster's cheeks.
She sat before the high-precision console, her hands typing rapidly on the keyboard.
Her breathing was completely unsteady.
The reason was not the complex data before her, but the man standing behind her, trapping her within his arms.
Lin Nuo's chin rested lightly in the crook of her shoulder, and the aggressive scent of woody cologne, mixed with the body heat of a mature man, drilled into Jane's nostrils without obstruction.
The man's warm breath hit the side of her neck directly, triggering a tremor she couldn't suppress.
Lin Nuo's voice was husky, the deep timbre stimulating Jane's nerves through her eardrums.
"The third set of data is off by 0.4 percent, baby."
Jane gritted her teeth, forcing herself to focus on the long string of collapsing numerical spirals.
"Don't touch me... my mind is a mess, I can't calculate this at all."
"If you can't calculate it, then you'll be punished."
Lin Nuo reached out his large hand without mercy.
That bony, distinct hand reached directly over the console and pressed onto her slender waist.
His rough fingertips, separated by the thin lab coat, leisurely kneaded the extremely sensitive soft flesh on her waist.
Jane felt a sharp pain, and a soft, muffled whimper escaped her throat.
She tried to use her hands to block the man's excessive movements, but Lin Nuo easily caught her wrists and forcibly pinned them to the table.
"Let go..."
Jane's eyes turned red, and even her voice carried a pitiful sense of brokenness.
Lin Nuo ignored her resistance entirely, his tall body pressing even closer against her.
"The algorithm I gave you is enough to make the entire field of astrophysics start over.
Haven't you always longed to touch the core of the Universe?
Now the truth is right in front of you, and you can't even manage this little bit of focus?"
Lin Nuo's words were blunt and cruel.
He was not only pressing her physically but also crushing and rebuilding the academic pride that Jane was so proud of.
Jane's heart was beating terrifyingly fast.
In front of this man, all her past persistence had become a joke.
The few formulas Lin Nuo casually threw out directly broke through her three-year research bottleneck.
The shock brought by this dimensionality-reduction strike gave her a feeling of extreme, twisted submission.
She knew that in this life, she would never be able to escape this man's control.
"I'll calculate..."
Jane completely compromised.
She gripped the mouse again and corrected the deviated data one by one.
Time ticked by, and the temperature in the carriage kept rising due to their close contact.
Lin Nuo's hand did not stop, wandering upward inch by inch along her waistline, igniting a wave of scorching heat wherever it passed.
Jane suppressed the soreness in her limbs and typed the last string of space-folding code into the core system.
The console emitted a crisp electronic beep, and all the garbled code on the holographic screen turned green.
A double-helix gene model emitting a dazzling light completely formed in the air.
Those Asgardian Divine factors that were originally unparseable, under the algorithm provided by Lin Nuo, perfectly revealed their fragile nodes.
Jane had done it.
She had deciphered the gene lock of a mythical race.
She looked at the model, her strength completely drained.
Her long-standing research obsession was satisfied at this moment, followed by an extreme dependence on the man behind her.
Without Lin Nuo, she would still be that ridiculous woman eating dirt in the desert.
"I solved it..." Jane murmured, her body collapsing directly, leaning against the wall of a person behind her.
Lin Nuo let out a very lazy chuckle.
He hooked the edge of the swivel chair with one hand and turned the chair half a circle.
Jane was forced to turn around, facing the man's bottomless black eyes.
Her sea-blue eyes were full of moisture.
Jane tilted her head up; her original cold intelligence had now completely turned into a delicate softness, ready to be plucked.
"Do you want a reward?"
Lin Nuo pinched her pointed chin, his fingertips gently rubbing against her reddened lips.
"Yes..."
Jane's voice was pitifully small, but her hands honestly climbed onto Lin Nuo's sturdy shoulders.
Lin Nuo wrapped his arms around her, lifted Jane directly from the chair, and laid her down on the cold, wide console.
The hem of her cumbersome lab coat was rolled up, and the silk shirt underneath completely outlined her undulating curves.
"Call me something nice."
One of Lin Nuo's long legs forcefully squeezed between her knees, forming a position of absolute confinement.
"Lin Nuo..."
Jane was unable to breathe, forced by this highly oppressive posture.
"Wrong."
Lin Nuo tilted his head slightly, his lips brushing against the side of her neck as if there or not, while the large hand covering her waist pinched heavily.
"Mmm... husband..."
This extremely delicate and soft call completely snapped the last thread of reason.
Lin Nuo lowered his head, pressing fiercely onto those rosy lips.
He forcibly pried open her tightly closed teeth, taking over, giving Jane no room to breathe.
Jane had all her breath stolen away; her mouth was filled with the strong, domineering taste of Lin Nuo.
She wrapped her hands tightly around the man's neck, only able to emit intermittent whimpers.
Lin Nuo's movements became more and more excessive; he went down along that fair jawline, sucking and biting on her long swan-like neck, leaving several extremely eye-catching red marks.
His large hand unceremoniously kneaded that handful of a waist, causing Jane to tremble repeatedly.
If it weren't for Lin Nuo's sturdy arms tightly hugging her slender waist, she would have long since slipped onto the cold metal floor.
[Ding! Detected that the target "Jane Foster" has completely collapsed mentally, achieving the "Complete Possession of Body and Soul" achievement!]
[Congratulations to the host for triggering "Ultimate Possession Critical Hit"!]
[Extracting the original male lead's core destiny... Extraction successful!]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining an epic-level reward — [Asgardian Divine Constitution (magicImmunity / Lightning Immunity)]!]
[Note: This constitution has removed all impurities, physical strength has leapt to the peak of the Asgardian royal family, completely immune to conventional physical attacks, and absolutely immune to magic and lightning elemental damage.]
A series of electronic prompts echoed in Lin Nuo's mind.
Only then did Lin Nuo stop his movements with extreme restraint.
He pulled back half an inch, looking at Jane who was lying on the console, her eyes dazed and her clothes disheveled, and wiped the silver thread from the corner of her mouth with his rough fingertips.
"Good girl."
He said hoarsely, pulling a thin blanket from the side to cover Jane's curvaceous body, hiding those alluring sights.
Jane had no strength to move at all, her legs weak, and she could only curl up obediently, gasping for air, craving the lingering sense of security in the air.
At the same time, Lin Nuo sensed an extremely vast and violent energy erupting within his body.
It was the exclusive destiny belonging to Thor.
His already formidable body, which had reached the level of Hulk, ushered in an even more terrifying qualitative change at this moment.
His muscle fibers and bone density were undergoing a complete restructuring under the flushing of the Divine factors.
Lin Nuo opened his large palm and looked at his palm.
There was no electric light jumping there, but he clearly sensed that as long as he was willing, he could crush a lightning storm sweeping across the U.S. with his bare hands.
Whatever mjolnir's recognition, whatever Odin's curse, in front of him, they were all just a pile of ridiculous waste paper.
His current body was a walking, absolute god.
That blonde man who was still in the S.H.I.E.L.D.temporary interrogation room, raging incompetently because he couldn't pull out Mjolnir, had completely lost his greatest reliance.
Now, even if Thor held Mjolnir, he was not even as good as a third-rate grunt in front of Lin Nuo.
"Boss."
Before the metal isolation panel of the research carriage had risen, Natasha's capable voice came through the internal encrypted communication channel.
Lin Nuo calmed the surging divine power in his body and reached out to pat the slender waist through the thin blanket soothingly.
Natasha on the other end of the communicator spoke very quickly, revealing the professional vigilance unique to a high-level Agent.
"Something big happened over at the old town."
Chapter 51: Holding Two Beauties, Watching Thor Get Beaten
"Tell me the details."
Lin Nuo pulled over a thin blanket and tightly wrapped Jane, whose clothes were in disarray on the console.
His rough fingertips brushed against her flushed cheeks.
Jane didn't even have the strength to resist, leaning limply into his palm, gasping for breath with her eyes half-closed.
"An extremely powerful beam of energy just landed on the main street of the Old Town."
Natasha's voice came through the communicator, carrying a high level of professional poise.
"A metal giant over three meters tall walked out of the light beam. S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel have already engaged it."
"Open the door."
Lin Nuo commanded nonchalantly.
The heavy metal isolation plates rose.
Natasha walked in on high heels, her gaze sweeping over Jane before her red lips parted slightly:
"Boss, it looks like your new Chief Researcher needs to take sick leave."
Jane was so embarrassed by those words that even the tips of her ears burned red.
She tried to bury her face in the blanket, but Lin Nuo pulled her, blanket and all, into his arms with one hand.
"She just solved a major problem for me."
Lin Nuo settled Jane onto his sturdy thighs, his iron arm encircling her slender waist.
"As a reward, I naturally have to take her to see something interesting. Switch the live feed over."
Natasha skillfully operated the main console, and the holographic projection lit up.
The town under the night sky was already illuminated by firelight.
In the middle of the street, a giant suit of armor made entirely of dark silver metal was approaching step by step.
It had no facial features, only a few thick slits on its face.
Just as the Agents raised their guns to fire, the slits on the metal monster's face suddenly opened, and a beam of scorching orange-yellow destructive light shot out.
Two black S.H.I.E.L.D. SUVs blocking the way didn't even have a chance to react; they melted into a puddle of molten iron under the high heat, and the blast's Impact sent four or five Agents flying.
"What kind of alloy is that?"
Jane stared at the screen, her scholarly curiosity temporarily overriding her physical exhaustion.
She tried to sit up straight on Lin Nuo's lap, but was unceremoniously pressed back down by the large hand on her waist.
"Don't move, just lean back."
Lin Nuo whispered against her ear, the heat of his breath making Jane tremble slightly.
"That is Asgard's Destroyer Armor, the watchdog of Odin's vault. With Earth's current technology, you couldn't even scratch its paint."
In the footage, Coulson was holding a megaphone, trying to communicate with that emotionless killing machine, only to be met with an even thicker high-heat ray.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents hid behind cover, frantically pouring fire; submachine gun and rifle bullets hit the Destroyer, but aside from a few sparks, they did nothing to slow it down.
"This firepower is just a scratch."
Lin Nuo scoffed.
"Is Coulson giving that scrap metal a full-body massage?"
Natasha walked to their side, her elbow resting on the back of the seat.
Her well-endowed chest brushed against Lin Nuo's shoulder, whether intentionally or not.
"If that old fox Nick Fury saw this, he'd probably have to take blood pressure medication overnight. Boss, is this thing also coming for that hobo?"
"To be precise, it's coming for his life."
Lin Nuo freed his other hand and naturally pulled Natasha's slender waist toward him, drawing the top-tier female Agent close.
"Thor's dear brother Loki is probably sitting on the throne of Asgard right now, watching this show."
Natasha leaned obediently into his arm, letting the man's restless hand roam her waist.
"A palace coup, fratricide. This alien drama is no different from the ways of Earth's Middle Ages."
"Loki is a smart player."
Lin Nuo squeezed the soft flesh on Natasha's waist with his fingertips, drawing a faint hum from her.
"He knows Thor has lost his divine power here. By sending down an obedient dog, he can eliminate the heir to the throne legitimately. It's called killing with a borrowed knife."
Jane was sandwiched in the middle of the conversation between Lin Nuo and Natasha.
She was extremely uncomfortable with this overly intimate atmosphere, especially with the man's body heat constantly burning her from behind.
"But..."
Jane bit her red lip, her sea-blue eyes filled with pity.
"There are still hundreds of civilians in the town! That thing doesn't distinguish between friend and foe. If this continues, the whole town will be leveled. Can't we do something?"
"Baby, your compassion is always so ill-timed."
Lin Nuo lowered his head and took a light bite of Jane's fair, fragile neck.
"Ugh..."
Jane felt a sting of pain, and her body immediately went half-limp.
"What do I care about the lives of those townsfolk?"
Lin Nuo's voice was extremely cold, reflecting the disdain of a superior toward ants.
"As long as the people in this vehicle are safe, even if everyone outside dies, it's nothing more than a statistical number."
Natasha giggled from the side.
"Hear that, little genius? The boss is teaching you the basic qualities of a capitalist. Don't pay for other people's stupidity."
...
Just then, the situation on the screen changed.
Several people in strange costumes rushed out of the ruins, wielding cold weapons and attempting a physical attack on the Destroyer.
"It's Thor's friends from Asgard."
Natasha raised an eyebrow.
"Longswords against laser cannons. Admirable courage."
Lin Nuo's tone was full of mockery:
"Just a bunch of brainless brutes."
Sure enough, though they were agile, they were soon routed in the face of the Destroyer's absolute defense and high-heat rays.
The female warrior named Sif was sent flying by a shockwave, slamming heavily onto the hood of an abandoned car, unable to get up for a long time.
Thor, who had been hiding behind cover, saw his companions injured; his golden hair looked particularly messy in the firelight.
He had no hammer, no divine power; he was completely a mortal with no strength to truss a chicken.
But he still stood out resolutely.
"He's coming out."
Jane gripped Lin Nuo's arm nervously, her knuckles digging into the suit fabric from the force.
Lin Nuo watched the silhouette striding toward the Destroyer on the screen and let out a cold snort full of contempt:
"This is the common ailment of individual heroism. Always thinking they carry some great mission, without even the brains to recognize reality."
In the image, Thor walked directly in front of the Destroyer.
He spread his arms, shielding his heavily injured companions behind him, and looked up to shout at the emotionless machine:
"Loki! I know you can hear me! This is all about me! Come at me!"
The Destroyer actually stopped its path of destruction, the slits on its face slowly closing, and the scorching energy temporarily extinguished.
"What is he trying to do?"
Jane watched the holographic projection.
"Is he trying to reason with a killing machine?"
"He's seeking death."
Lin Nuo's fingers tightened on Jane's chin, forcing her to see the reality.
"He wants to use his mortal life to trade for a touching scene of brotherly love."
"Boss, should we intervene?"
Natasha's fingertips traced circles on Lin Nuo's firm chest, her breath like orchids.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. can't hold on anymore. If this goes on, the town really will be flattened."
"There are quite a few assets there acquired by our Star Umbrella."
Lin Nuo didn't answer immediately.
"Intervene? Of course."
He let go of the two women, stood up composedly, and slowly adjusted the cuffs of his suit.
"Since Thor loves getting beaten so much, let him roll in the mud a few more times first. When he's been beaten so badly that even his father wouldn't recognize him, then we'll make our appearance."
Lin Nuo turned around, looking down at Jane, who was still limp in the chair, wrapped in the blanket.
"Get up and change your clothes."
Jane's legs were terribly weak, and she looked up at him aggrievedly.
"I don't have the strength..."
"Natasha, go help our Chief Researcher change into something more presentable."
Lin Nuo left those words and strode toward the carriage door.
"Since the gods of Asgard have set the stage on Earth, how can Star Umbrella Group not go and show some support?"
Natasha walked over, yanked the blanket off Jane, and threw a set of professional attire over with a charming laugh.
"Hurry up, poor thing, the boss doesn't like waiting."
Jane scrambled to put on her clothes, her heart racing wildly.
The carriage door opened, and the night wind, mixed with the smell of gunpowder, rushed in.
On the holographic screen, Thor was still continuing his tragic speech, while the Destroyer's face had once again lit up with lethal orange-red fire.
"Let's go, the show is starting."
Lin Nuo stood with his back to the light, his tall frame radiating an extremely dangerous pressure.
Chapter 52: Crushing Light with Bare Hands, You Call This a Mortal?
The night wind kicked up dust on the town's main street.
Mixed with the pungent smell of high-energy lasers scorching the asphalt, it rushed toward the metal steps of the research vehicle.
Lin Nuo stood tall in the night, one hand tucked into his suit pants pocket.
He let the gale flutter the collar of his exquisite white shirt.
Natasha leaned against the car door.
Her fingertips, painted with bright red nail polish, played nonchalantly with a specially made miniature listening device.
Her eyes flickered, her gaze drifting between the desperate battlefield ahead and the man beside her.
"Boss, you chose a perfect spot to watch the show."
Jane was wrapped in her slightly oversized professional attire.
Her legs were still uncontrollably weak.
She could only lean passively against Lin Nuo's other arm, using the man's sturdy limb to support her weight.
With every breath, the scent of woody cologne from Lin Nuo's body forcefully invaded her senses.
Reminding her of everything that had just happened in the vehicle.
In the center of the battlefield, Thor's shouts seemed particularly ridiculous in the face of the Destroyer's absolute power.
"Loki! This is between you and me! Let these innocent people go!"
Thor stumbled forward.
His blonde hair had long since lost its luster, stained by mud and the blood of his companions.
He spread his arms, attempting to use his mortal flesh and blood to block the three-meter-tall dark silver killing machine.
The Destroyer showed no emotional fluctuation whatsoever.
The metal fissures on its face emitted a piercing mechanical grinding sound.
Scorching orange energy gathered once more deep within the gaps.
"Is he crazy?"
Jane grabbed Lin Nuo's cuff, her nails unintentionally digging into the smooth fabric.
Lin Nuo looked down, catching a glimpse of Jane's pale face from the corner of his eye.
Instead of pushing her away, he raised his arm and naturally pulled most of her body into his embrace.
Through the clothing, the warmth of his palm flowed continuously into her.
"He's not crazy, he's just stupid."
Lin Nuo's tone was as flat as if he were critiquing a third-rate movie.
"The Crown Prince of Asgard is used to being high and mighty, thinking that a mere gesture of sacrifice can move heaven and Earth."
"Unfortunately, a machine without a sense of pain doesn't buy that."
Natasha chuckled softly beside them.
"Not only does the machine not buy it, but it seems his dear brother doesn't either."
The Destroyer's attack arrived.
There was no deafening laser beam; this time, the Destroyer chose the most primitive physical destruction.
Its massive metal hand, capable of flattening a main battle tank, swung high and slammed heavily into Thor's chest with a sharp whistle.
The dull sound of breaking bones was exceptionally clear in the night air.
Thor flew like a broken kite, tumbling over a dozen meters in the air before crashing violently onto the bed of a long-scrapped pickup truck.
The pickup's metal frame deformed severely under the immense force, and glass shards sprayed everywhere.
"Pfft..."
Thor spat out a large pool of blood and tried to prop himself up with his elbows.
But his broken ribs made even breathing a form of torture.
"Thor!"
Hogun, the only one of the Four Warriors of the Heavenly Palace still able to move, eyes red with rage, swung his mace and charged at the Destroyer.
However, the gap in strength was far too vast.
With a backhand swing, the Destroyer's dark silver metal arm struck Hogun squarely in the abdomen.
The warrior didn't even let out a grunt before following in Thor's footsteps, collapsing in the ruins, his fate unknown.
"The kinetic energy output of this mecha far exceeds any internal combustion or nuclear-powered engine currently on Earth."
Leaning in Lin Nuo's arms, even after experiencing a massive physical and mental shock, Jane's scholarly instincts still had her rapidly calculating the battle situation.
"If it continues to advance, the entire town will be wiped off the map in less than half an hour."
"Scared?"
Lin Nuo's voice sounded right against Jane's ear, his warm breath sending a shiver down the side of her neck.
Jane didn't deny it.
She did indeed feel an unprecedented panic.
It wasn't the fear of death, but the feeling of helplessness where a mortal is reduced to an ant in the face of absolute power.
She tilted her head up slightly, looking at the man within reach.
In this chaotic and desperate rainy night, the composure and control radiating from Lin Nuo became her only sanctuary.
"With me here, all you need to consider is which new pieces of equipment to add to the lab tomorrow."
Lin Nuo tightened his arm around her waist, but his gaze remained fixed on Thor ahead.
"As for that stray dog, his part in the play is over."
Thor lay on the dented truck bed, gasping for air.
His vision was blurred by blood, and the divine power he once prided himself on was completely gone.
Even standing up had become a luxury.
Odin's incantation echoed in his mind.
He thought his sacrifice would awaken Mjolnir's recognition and allow his father in Asgard to see his change.
Nothing happened.
There was no lightning in the night sky, and no miracles.
Only the heavy footsteps of the Destroyer, approaching step by step.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents had completely withdrawn from the area.
Coulson was urgently calling for backup over the radio.
But under this level of suppression, ordinary firepower wasn't even enough to tickle the Destroyer.
The Destroyer stopped in front of Thor.
It leaned forward slightly, the fissures on its face fully opening, as the orange heat capable of melting steel underwent its final charge.
The surrounding air distorted under the intense heat, and even the puddles on the ground hissed as they evaporated.
"Thor..."
In the distance, Sif called out weakly, her eyes filled with despair.
Natasha straightened up and put away the listening device.
Her right hand quickly reached for the holster on her outer thigh.
"Boss, if you don't act soon, our leading man is going to turn into roast meat."
"If Star Umbrella's security can't even protect a town, those old geezers on Wall Street will have a field day tomorrow."
She spoke jokingly, but her body had already entered a combat state.
Although she knew a pistol was useless, her training as a top Agent required her to remain vigilant.
Lin Nuo let go of Jane's waist and took a step forward.
"What are you doing?"
Jane instinctively grabbed his sleeve, her eyes full of protest.
"That's an ultimate weapon of an alien civilization; its energy readings are off the charts, you..."
Lin Nuo gripped Jane's wrist and pulled her hand down with a gentle but firm motion.
"Baby."
He whispered at a volume only the two of them could hear.
"Stay here and be good."
"Open your eyes wide and see clearly who is the only one on this land who can rule over life and death."
There were no unnecessary movements.
Lin Nuo didn't even bother to straighten the buttons on his suit jacket.
He strode forward with his long legs, walking unhurriedly toward the center of the street against the terrifying heat wave radiating from the Destroyer.
The Destroyer's sensors quickly detected the approach of a new life form.
The soulless killing machine didn't care who the newcomer was.
The fissures on its face merely shifted slightly, redirecting the scorching light beam originally locked onto Thordirectly at Lin Nuo.
The orange destructive ray pierced the night sky, draining all the air along its path with an all-consuming power.
Jane gasped, covering her mouth to keep from screaming.
Natasha's finger also tightened slightly on the gun's grip.
Thor, in the ruins, struggled to open his eyes.
He saw only a tall back in a white shirt, blocking that lethal blow for him.
"Get out of the way!"
Thor roared with all his might, his voice hoarse and broken.
The figure didn't even sway.
Lin Nuo stopped.
He casually raised his right hand.
Under the horrified gaze of everyone, the Destroyer's Ray, which could melt even S.H.I.E.L.D.'s specialized bulletproof armor, slammed directly into Lin Nuo's open palm.
The terrifying mass of orange energy was like hitting an invisible, intangible, yet indestructible wall.
It was stopped dead in front of Lin Nuo, then dissipated around his palm, plowing two deep, charred furrows into the ground on either side.
Lin Nuo didn't retreat a single step.
Not even the cuff of his white shirt was scorched in the slightest.
The so-called absolute temperature was no different from a summer breeze before the Asgardian Divine Constitutionhe had just acquired.
The Destroyer seemed to experience a brief stall due to this situation exceeding its parameters.
It increased its energy output, and an even more blinding light erupted from its face.
"Is this all the heat you've got?"
Lin Nuo chuckled, the mockery in his tone sharper than the night wind.
He closed his fingers and grabbed the beam of energy.
"Is the Boss planning to..."
Standing in the distance, Natasha let out a rare gasp.
Chapter 53: Absolute Crushing, Cutting Off His Destiny
The orange beam of destruction was forcibly blocked in the palm of Lin Nuo's hand.
The high temperature, sufficient to melt a main battle tank, failed to burn even a corner of his white shirt.
He clenched his five fingers tightly.
The massive pillar of energy emitted an overwhelmed explosion in his hand, turning into countless sparks of flowing fire that splattered in all directions.
The high temperature ignited the surrounding car wreckage, and the flames illuminated the entire street in a crimson glow.
Lin Nuo casually shook his wrist and commented nonchalantly.
"Only this much heat?"
Thor, lying in the ruins, gaped, forgetting the sharp pain of his broken bones.
The Prince of Asgard could not understand how an Earthling, wearing no battle armor, could catch the Destroyer's main cannon with his bare hands.
The metal fissures on the Destroyer's face opened and closed rapidly; clearly, its internal control core was performing high-load calculations.
Quickly, it gave up on long-range shooting. Its heavy body, over three meters tall, crushed the pavement as it strode toward Lin Nuo.
A dark silver metal arm rose, bringing a sharp sound of breaking wind as it smashed down heavily toward the top of Lin Nuo's head.
Natasha, standing behind, blurted out.
"Boss, watch out!"
Lin Nuo had no intention of dodging.
He raised his right hand, fingers curved like claws, and met the giant metal fist head-on.
The dull sound of the impact caused the surrounding air to vibrate with ripples visible to the naked eye.
The Destroyer's massive kinetic energy was caught steadily by Lin Nuo with one hand.
The asphalt road beneath Lin Nuo's feet cracked and collapsed over a large area because it couldn't withstand the reaction force, but his tall, straight figure didn't retreat a single step.
Lin Nuo looked up at the faceless mecha inches away from him.
"The strength is too light."
"Doesn't Odin usually give you maintenance?"
As the insulting words fell, Lin Nuo's free left hand turned into a heavy fist and smashed hard against the Destroyer's chest plate.
The screeching sound of metal deformation echoed through the night sky.
The supposedly indestructible Uru metal actually had a deep pit smashed into it by a single punch from Lin Nuo's terrifying strength—a monstrous force that combined the physiques of the Hulk and the Asgardian Royal Family.
The Destroyer's massive body tilted backward uncontrollably.
Lin Nuo gave it no chance to adjust its center of gravity.
He exerted force with his feet, lunging forward, and his hands accurately gripped the edges of the two cracks in the Destroyer's faceplate that were re-accumulating energy.
Thor struggled to sit halfway up in the ruins and roared loudly.
"What are you doing?!"
"Let go! The internal flow of Uru metal contains Asgardian Destructive Magic Energy; a mortal's flesh and blood will be burned to ash if they touch it!"
Lin Nuo turned a deaf ear. The muscles in his arms suddenly bulged, stretching his white shirt until it nearly shredded.
"Open for me!"
Accompanied by the ear-piercing sound of tearing metal, that watchdog—personally ordered to be forged by the God-King Odin, a creature even Skyfather-levelpowerhouses would be wary of—was thus pried open from the middle by Lin Nuo's bare hands.
Blinding orange energy gushed out from the rift, pouring entirely onto Lin Nuo.
That magic energy, which even Thor wouldn't dare to face head-on, hit Lin Nuo without leaving even a single white mark.
The Magic-Immune Physique he had just acquired perfectly demonstrated its value.
Lin Nuo reached into the core of the mecha and ripped out the glowing energy source.
With a squeeze of his fingers, the crystal that kept the Destroyer running was crushed into a cloud of light powder.
Losing its energy source, the giant metal monster completely lost its vitality and fell heavily into the ruins, kicking up a large cloud of dust.
The entire battlefield instantly fell silent.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents hid behind cover, staring dumbfoundedly at the man standing on the metal wreckage.
Coulson didn't even notice when the walkie-talkie in his hand dropped to the ground.
This had completely exceeded the scope of human understanding.
Lin Nuo stood on the wreckage of the Destroyer, took a pocket square from his pocket, and slowly wiped away the metal powder stained on his knuckles.
He turned around, his gaze passing over the still-dazed Thor and landing on Jane, who was by the research vehicle in the back.
Jane was leaning against the bulletproof car door, her breathing rapid.
She had witnessed with her own eyes how this man knocked a high-and-mighty god off his pedestal and how he tore apart an alien civilization's ultimate weapon in the most brutal manner.
All the laws of physics and scientific common sense in her mind completely collapsed at this moment.
All that remained was an unconditional looking up to this man.
Lin Nuo threw away the pocket square and walked toward the research vehicle with steady steps.
When he passed by Thor, this once-arrogant God of Thunder didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
The combat power he was so proud of was a ridiculous joke in front of this Earthling in a suit.
Natasha looked at the approaching Lin Nuo; even the highly professional Agent now had a hint of heartfelt awe in her tone.
"Well done, Boss."
"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence database is going to have to undergo another major update for you."
Lin Nuo ignored Natasha's teasing and walked up to Jane.
Jane looked up at him, her chest heaving violently.
She wanted to say something, but her throat was so dry she couldn't make a sound.
Lin Nuo leaned down slightly, closing the distance.
The scent of woody cologne mixed with the smell of gunpowder forcefully enveloped Jane's senses.
He raised his hand and, with his cool knuckles, extremely gently scraped away a smudge of ash on Jane's cheek.
The restrained yet extremely natural action broke down Jane's defenses more than a passionate embrace ever could.
Lin Nuo's voice was very low, heard only between the two of them.
"The calculations were not wrong."
"The structural strength of that mecha was even more fragile than you thought."
Jane's heart was beating so fast it felt like it would jump out of her throat.
She understood that Lin Nuo was affirming her previous research results, casually attributing this world-shaking battle to her 'contribution'.
The feeling of being cherished and taken under the wing of an absolutely powerful person made Jane lose the ability to think.
Jane's voice was very soft.
"Th... thank you."
Lin Nuo turned his head and looked at Thor, who was still lying not far away.
Thor was staring intently at them.
He had lost his divine power, but his warrior's intuition remained.
The way that female researcher named Jane looked at Lin Nuo had a light in it that he had never seen before.
It was a look of complete submission and extreme obsession.
Thor didn't know Jane.
In his original timeline, he was supposed to have been picked up by Jane in her RV on that rainy night and developed a deep bond with her in the following days.
Now, his destiny had been forcibly severed by Lin Nuo.
Jane didn't become his guide; instead, she became someone else's exclusive researcher, kept like a hidden treasure.
Without the memories of their meeting, seeing Jane like that caused a strong sense of loss and nameless fire to rise in Thor's heart for no reason.
It was as if a treasure that originally belonged to him had been snatched away right in front of his face.
Thor finally couldn't help but speak, his voice hoarse and full of wariness.
"Who are you, exactly?"
"It's impossible for someone like you to exist on Earth."
Lin Nuo looked down at him.
"Who I am is not important to the current you."
"What is important is that the heir of Asgard can't even beat his own family's dog. Now that's big news."
"If Loki knew about your current miserable state, he'd probably be laughing so hard on the throne he wouldn't be able to sleep."
Thor clenched his fists, his bones creaking.
But there was nothing he could do.
His broken ribs made it difficult for him to even stand up straight.
Lin Nuo pointed to the research vehicle nearby.
"However, you should be glad."
"Star Umbrella Group just bought the property rights to this block. As the landlord, I can barely manage to take in a homeless alien drifter."
"After all, a living God of Thunder always has more research value than a charred corpse."
Thor roared.
"Don't you dare think of me as an experimental subject!"
Lin Nuo ignored his protest and turned to give Natasha an order.
"Contact Coulson and have them take this guy back to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s temporary Base."
"Tell Nick Fury that this is my advance investment in that so-called Avengers Initiative."
Natasha nodded and immediately contacted S.H.I.E.L.D.through her communicator.
Lin Nuo looked at Jane again.
"Today's experimental data is abundant enough."
"Now, follow me back to the Base to rest."
"Tomorrow, we will begin researching how to extract the Asgardian genetic sequence."
Jane followed Lin Nuo toward an unaffected bulletproof maybach without any hesitation.
Before getting into the car, she took one last look back at Thor.