Chapter 189: storage ring, a Pillow for the Drowsy
The moment he heard the system notification, Peter couldn't help but daze for a moment.
Unknowingly, another month had actually passed?
At this thought, Peter felt a bit of nostalgic sentiment.
However, after the sentiment, a stronger surge of excitement flooded his heart.
After all, every refresh of the mall was a genuine opportunity for him to increase his strength!
Thinking of this, Peter glanced at Gwen, who was already showing signs of sleepiness beside him, and whispered in her ear:
"Gwen, I'll head back first, so George doesn't notice anything suspicious tomorrow!"
Gwen let out a soft mumble, which served as a silent agreement to Peter's departure.
Peter then opened the window and quietly left Gwen's house. Upon returning to his own room, he impatiently opened the system panel.
As soon as the system panel opened, the substantial balance of sacrifice points made Peter unable to resist whistling.
[Current sacrifice points: 28,000!]
Wuhu! I've never fought such a wealthy battle in my life!
Without any hesitation, Peter immediately switched to the product interface.
Eight items were quickly presented before Peter's eyes.
[Item 1: High-Grade Storage Ring]
[Source: Douqi Continent]
[Effect: A magical ring crafted from the unique 'Spatial Stone' of the Douqi Continent. It contains over 10 cubic meters of folded space, allowing any non-living items to be stored and retrieved at will.]
[Note: This item is soul-bound to the host and cannot be opened by others.]
[Price: 1,000 sacrifice points]
"Oh ho!"
Peter's eyes instantly lit up.
This really was a pillow for the drowsy.
He was just worrying about how he couldn't carry all his belongings with him at all times!
Take the vibranium saber he obtained not long ago, for example!
Thinking he was only going to see Otto Parker and having no intention of killing the guy, Peter hadn't brought it with him.
He hadn't expected to run into Thor during the battle.
Although he held the advantage throughout the entire fight...
If he had this blade in hand, he wouldn't have had to act so cautiously against the indestructible Meow-Meow Hammer before obtaining the Aesir physique!
"Bought!"
Peter immediately made a willful instant purchase.
At the same time his balance was deducted, Peter felt a coolness in his palm, and a plain-looking black ring appeared in his hand.
The ring was entirely pitch black, with a dark red gemstone embedded in the center, looking quite unremarkable.
But Peter, through his magic talent enhanced by the Vanir bloodline, could feel a unique spatial power contained within it.
Without a second thought, he put on the storage ring, then grabbed the vibranium saber hanging by his bedside, and silently thought "Store" in his mind.
The storage ring on his hand flashed with a faint light.
The vibranium saber vanished mysteriously.
In the next second, with a thought from Peter, the Long saber landed steadily back in his hand.
"Interesting~"
After storing and retrieving it several times, Peter became fundamentally familiar with the storage ring's operation and couldn't help but praise it aloud.
With this thing, it would be much more convenient to carry equipment when going out in the future.
Additionally, he could now make full use of the loot when he wanted to strip enemies after killing them.
Previously, because the system would enter a cooldown after sacrificing one item from the same character, Peter could only take away one item at most after each kill.
But now, with the storage ring, he could achieve maximum efficiency in looting!
Aside from corpses, anything of value could be tucked away in the storage ring.
Bringing them out to sacrifice once every six months might be a bit troublesome, and the rewards surely wouldn't be as rich as the first time, but it was sustainable development!
Thinking about how the storage ring could allow him to better utilize others' sacrificed items besides just storage, Peter's mood improved significantly.
His gaze then turned to the second item of the month.
[Item 2: Zoan Devil Apple · Mythical Zoan · Okuchi no Makami Model]
[Source: One Piece]
[Effect: After consumption, the user can transform into the mythical beast Okuchi no Makami and gain control over frost. Developing the Apple to the Awakening stage grants terrifying physical speed and recovery, but the user will be rejected by the sea and become a 'dry hammer'.]
[Price: 5,000 sacrifice points]
"Tsk~"
The moment he saw the second item, Peter couldn't help but click his tongue in a bit of annoyance.
"Okuchi no Makami... isn't this the Apple of Kaido's daughter, Yamato?"
Although the character Yamato wasn't very likable in the manga because of her association with that piece of trash Kozuki Oden...
Her strength was a genuine Yonko Commander level.
Moreover, the Apple's innate ability to control frost was quite practical.
If this thing had appeared when he first got the system, he might have seriously considered taking it.
But now...
Looking at the witch rider driver on his waist, and then at the little broken watch on his wrist.
Peter couldn't help but shake his head helplessly.
A single transformation plus a single elemental mastery.
Both abilities were perfectly covered by the little broken watch and the Driver...
It was a good item, but for his current self, it was already a bit of a white elephant.
Peter shook his head and decided to skip it.
He then turned to the third item.
[Item 3: Jedi Meteor Hammer]
[Source: Lolo's Adventure]
[Price: 3,000 sacrifice points]
When he saw this item, Peter's mouth couldn't help but twitch.
"Holy crap, Impact!"
If he remembered correctly, this was the ultimate move of that off-road vehicle, Impact.
While the name sounded quite intimidating, the effect... was just so-so.
And Peter wasn't planning on getting himself another hammer to use this skill.
"If it were something like the Thunder Crescent Slash, I might consider it, but this thing... forget it!"
Next was the fourth item.
[Item 4: lightsaber]
[Source: Star Wars]
[Effect: An energy weapon powered by Kyber crystals, capable of cutting through most substances and reflecting some energy attacks.]
[Price: 3,000 sacrifice points]
"A lightsaber, huh..."
Peter couldn't help but sigh.
This was another classic case of 'the right item at the wrong time'.
If he didn't have the vibranium saber, Peter would definitely have chosen to get this weapon.
Cosplaying as a Jedi Knight and swinging a neon tube—this was definitely a scene that countless chuunibyou teenagers had fantasized about more than once.
But now...
He already had the vibranium saber in his hand.
The coolness factor was about the same, it could cut through more things than a lightsaber, and as a physical weapon, it could even be coated with Armament Haki.
It could be said that it outperformed the lightsaber in every aspect.
Although being cool is a lifelong pursuit, Peter hesitated for a moment and still chose to give up on this item.
"Next, the fifth item. Please let it be something useful, I'm begging you!"
Along with Peter's muttering, the fifth item appeared before his eyes, successfully capturing all of his attention!
[Item 5: Choice of Three Talismans]
[Source: jackie chan adventures]
[Effect: After use, the user can select three from the twelve talismans, and then draw one of them to gain absolute control over that Talisman.]
[Price: 20,000 sacrifice points]
This move! It's a different recipe, but a familiar taste!
====================
Chapter 190: A single head pat can solve everything!
The moment he saw the option to select a talisman, Peter's mood could truly be described as "finding a path through the willows to a bright new village."
Although the price was ridiculously expensive.
The effect was truly God-defying!
Unlike the previous random three-choice draws that might yield a useless Serpent Talisman, or mediocre options like the Sheep or Monkey Talismans—which were useful but had limited applications—this was different.
This selectable three-choice draw allowed him to reliably choose one from among the most powerful talismans!
Gaining a fixed, bug-level ability for only twenty thousand sacrifice points.
As the saying goes: he simply had to go for it this time!
His sacrifice points were quickly deducted from 27,000 down to 7,000.
In the next second, a brand-new interface appeared before Peter's eyes.
Aside from the horse talisman he already possessed, the phantoms of the remaining eleven talismans floated before Peter, awaiting his choice.
Unlike the previous times when he nervously agonized over flipping them one by one, Peter made his choice very quickly this time:
"I choose the dog talisman, the tiger talisman, and... the rabbit talisman!"
The Dog and tiger talismans needed no explanation; these were the two abilities Peter wanted most right now.
The former combined with the horse talisman granted absolute immortality. It was like joining the Immortality Sect—with one 'ding,' he could turn on a health-lock cheat.
At that point, even legendary beings whose strength far exceeded Odin's—like Galactus, Dormammu, or even the Celestials and OAA—would be unable to kill him.
As for the tiger talisman, it was an old favorite.
As much as Peter had looked down on it when he first got the system, he craved it just as much now.
With the power of Absolute Balance from the tiger talisman, the various and disorganized energy systems Peter had acquired could truly be integrated and mastered.
With the tiger talisman, Peter would no longer need to exploit bugs in the little broken watch to maintain his Aesir and Vanir transformations.
He could even combine the two, turning himself into a truly perfect ultimate race!
Even without using the powers of those two great divine races, simply stacking the abilities of various animals would be enough to make him an Ultimate Lifeform surpassing Kars.
As for the final choice, the rabbit talisman, it was a decision Peter made after a brief trade-off.
If the Dog, Horse, and Tiger were top-tier T0...
Then the rabbit talisman and Dragon Talisman were T0.5.
The former provided extreme speed, even fast enough to turn back time.
The latter represented endless energy, which could maximally amplify Peter's current output methods, providing him with terrifying energy sufficient to destroy a Planet in one go.
Comparing the two, Peter ultimately chose the former.
While the latter sounded wonderful, that infinite energy had usage restrictions similar to Hulk's 'rage.'
Even if those restrictions were removed, its upper limit was only similar to Captain Marvel's Binary mode or the power of the Sentinel.
In contrast, the rabbit talisman offered more versatility.
Having made his choices, next came the draw.
The three talismans—Dog, Tiger, and Rabbit—spun rapidly in the air. A moment later, with a crisp 'clack,' an ancient hexagonal stone fell into Peter's hand.
Peter took a deep breath and flipped it over, revealing the image of a double-headed white tiger on the front.
[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining: tiger talisman!]
Looking at the tiger talisman glowing faintly in his hand, Peter couldn't help but smile slightly.
The moment he held the tiger talisman, a massive and pure stream of information flooded into Peter's mind, raising his understanding of the tiger talisman to a new level.
According to the information provided by the system, the tiger talisman had three functions in Peter's hands.
The first, and the one he valued most, was balancing conflicting powers.
Peter turned the dial on the little broken watch on his wrist, adjusting the original 100% Aesir DNA to 50%.
Then, he turned the dial again, switching to a 50% concentration of Vanir DNA.
Immediately after, Peter slammed his palm down on the watch face.
Something magical happened!
Peter did not simply switch from Aesir to Vanir.
Instead, he achieved a perfect coexistence of both genomes within his body!
The two divine bloodlines operated together in an unprecedentedly harmonious state.
This joint operation caused visible changes to Peter's body.
A layer of holy radiance quickly emerged on him, and golden inscriptions appeared across his body.
Peter couldn't understand these inscriptions, but he could roughly grasp their function.
These were channels!
Channels that connected cosmic energy and magic energy.
The product of combining these two forces had a more common name—Divine Power!
Through these inscriptions, Peter could mobilize that mysterious Divine Power and guide it into himself.
On one hand, this Divine Power was a top-tier tonic that could steadily temper Peter's physical body and spirit over the long term.
On the other hand, once Peter gradually adapted to this power, he could do the same things as Odin in the future.
Namely, using Divine Power to bestow blessings, allowing originally ordinary people or objects to gain extraordinary power.
After figuring out how to use this power, Peter subconsciously looked down at his little broken watch.
As he expected, the remaining countdown on the watch face had also vanished!
The transformation countdown on the little broken watch was essentially an anti-addiction mechanism to prevent the user's mind and body from mutating.
Now that the tiger talisman perfectly balanced power, good, and evil, it naturally ensured that Peter would not be affected by any erroneous 'cognition'.
Therefore, the anti-addiction system of the little broken watch was automatically deactivated!
From now on, Peter could not only activate this God form but also use the genes collected in the little broken watch to unlock even more fusion forms!
At this thought, even Peter, who was used to grand spectacles, couldn't help but feel his heart race.
Super Divine Power + seamless fusion of the advantages of various species + seamless switching of all magic attributes...
Ultimate Lifeform? No, it's God-level Lifeform! (Tactical lean back)
In the future, forget Kars; even if Odin showed up, he'd have to shine Peter's shoes!
After experiencing this Reality-defying power of balance, Peter turned his attention to the second and third uses of the tiger talisman.
These two uses were Splitting and Calming.
The former was like in the anime; when encountering a troublesome evil villain in the future, Peter could try to split off the opponent's good side and enjoy the fun of watching them fight themselves.
The latter involved using the tiger talisman's power to forcibly stabilize someone else's mental state.
It wouldn't do much for ordinary people, but it would work wonders against beings like the Sentinel, Scarlet Witch, and the Hulk.
In the future, when these people fell into an uncontrollable rampage, he would only need a gentle 'head pat' to make them completely lose their threat.
Chapter 191: An Unexpected Surprise, Haymaker
After obtaining the tiger talisman, this shop refresh was already more than worth it for Peter.
But human nature is greedy; if possible, Peter still wanted to buy a few more good things.
"I hope the remaining three items have something useful!"
Thinking this, Peter once again turned his gaze toward the remaining three items in the system mall.
[Item 6: Soma's God-level Culinary Skills]
[Source: Food Wars]
[Effect: Soma's tempered, God-level culinary skills. With this, you too can create glowing cuisine so delicious it feels like something extra was added!]
[Price: 1000 sacrifice points]
Uh...
The moment he saw this item, Peter's expression couldn't help but become a bit subtle.
This was truly a very subtle item.
If you said it was useful, it provided no help whatsoever in battle.
But if you said it was useless, it might just play a role in some unexpected place.
At the very least, it could satisfy Peter's own stomach!
And while he was at it, he could also fill up Gwen and Felicia's bellies...
Emmm, perhaps not just Gwen and Felicia?
After hesitating for a moment, Peter decided to finish looking at the last two items before deciding whether to take it.
If there weren't any better items, or if there were points left over after buying the last two, then he would take it.
Though with his current status, messing around with kitchen supplies might seem a bit beneath him.
But life shouldn't just be about fighting; sometimes, eating a meal of glowing cuisine with family and loved ones might bring a sense of spiritual satisfaction no less than the thrill of battle.
"Next!"
Peter's gaze moved to the seventh item.
[Item 7: Homelander's Baby Bottle]
[Source: The Boys]
[Effect: Homelander's treasured baby bottle, containing the magical little drink that fascinates him.]
[Price: 500 sacrifice points]
Peter:???
System, when I put out question marks, it's not because I have a problem.
It's because I think you have a problem!
Even though this thing is indeed very difficult to obtain and has great collectible value, is it really appropriate for you to shove it into my mall?
I am a man of integrity!
After decisively passing on this abstract item, Peter looked at the final eighth item.
And it was this last item that made his eyes suddenly light up!
[Item 8: Haymaker]
[Source: League of Legends, "The Boss" Sett]
[Effect: Possessing this skill will unlock the special energy system "Grit." Grit is stored when taking damage.]
[Active: Upon activation, consumes all Grit to deliver a heavy punch to enemies in a cone in front of you, dealing true damage to enemies on the center line. You also gain a shield based on the Grit value upon activation.]
[Price: 2000 sacrifice points]
Peter instantly perked up!
Although in terms of skill positioning, the price for Haymaker—a basic skill—being equal to ultimate Skill was a bit ridiculous.
But as everyone knows, The Boss actually has two ultimates!
In fact, most of the time, Sett's actual R skill feels more like a basic skill.
On the contrary, this Haymaker is the key to a low-health reversal.
Do you understand the art of the disappearing health bar? One punch from me sends you to the afterlife!
Thinking of this, Peter couldn't help but look back at that "Jedi Flail."
"I mean, Haymaker only costs 2000; who gave you the courage to charge 3000 for that? So, it turns out Impact really is just a disappointment..."
After complaining, Peter still chose to buy it instantly.
This skill was practically tailor-made for him in his current state!
The more damage he took, the stronger the power became; such a setting, paired with the horse talisman's infinite self-healing, could completely turn him into a unique damage-boosting perpetual motion machine!
As long as you couldn't one-shot him, then just wait to take a punch!
When that punch was thrown, it would be, in the truest sense... earth-shattering!
As the sacrifice points were deducted, the insights regarding Haymaker instantly flooded into Peter's mind.
This also made Peter feel as if a certain strange energy had appeared within his body.
"That's more like it!"
Looking at the five thousand sacrifice points remaining after buying Haymaker, Peter ultimately chose to take the cooking skills of the Soma.
With that, the shopping spree officially ended, and Peter drifted off to sleep.
...
The next morning, Uncle Ben and Aunt May were woken up by the aroma of food.
The two walked out of their bedroom in disbelief. Looking at Peter in an apron in the kitchen, and then at the simple yet extraordinary breakfast on the table, they both felt for a moment like they were hallucinating.
"Peter, you made all of this?"
"Who else would it be, some magic elf?" Peter joked casually as he took off his apron.
Uncle Ben and Aunt May exchanged a look, then skeptically picked up the fried rice in front of them, which was golden in color and seemed to be faintly glowing.
It smelled delicious and looked beautiful, but really... was it edible?
Their Peter had never set foot in a kitchen before!
Uncle Ben cautiously took a bite of the fried rice and nearly chewed his own tongue off and swallowed it.
"OMG!" He shouted exaggeratedly:
"Compared to this, what kind of miserable life was I living before?"
Aunt May gave his waist a sharp pinch:
"Oh, fine! I knew you were lying when you said my cooking was good!"
As she spoke, she huffily scooped a spoonful of fried rice into her mouth, and then... all those half-joking angry words were swallowed back into her stomach.
This was indeed the most delicious food she had ever eaten in her life.
Even the high-end restaurants Peter's parents had taken them to when they were alive couldn't compare!
Watching the old couple happily devouring their food with blissful expressions, Peter couldn't help but reveal a satisfied smile.
Being able to see these two show such satisfied smiles made these 1000 sacrifice points more than worth it!
...
After the heartwarming breakfast, Peter called Gwen and met Felicia at the agreed-upon cafe.
When Gwen and Felicia's eyes met in the air, the atmosphere still inevitably froze for a moment.
Even though everything had been brought into the open, and even though Gwen had already tacitly accepted this strange love triangle.
But when the three were in the same frame, it still felt somewhat awkward.
Clearly, their relationship still needed time to slowly mend.
He believed that as time went on, the two would become more and more accepting of this triangular relationship.
Mm, at that time, Peter might also be able to... develop some new ways to play.
You know, like 'you're just in time' and all that...
Seeing that the atmosphere was truly awkward, Peter took the initiative to start a conversation. He first talked about his and Gwen's experiences in the Parallel Universe.
Then he mentioned something that could successfully attract the two girls' attention—which university they were going to choose to attend next.
However, before he could discuss this issue in detail with the two girls, his S.H.I.E.L.D. private line rang.
The caller was none other than his exclusive secretary, Hill!
====================
Chapter 192: The Vanishing Ivan, Heading to New Mexico
"Long time no see, Agent Maria."
Looking at Gwen and Felicia beside him, Peter's eyes darted around; he didn't choose to get up and walk away to take the call.
His little tactic worked; hearing the clearly feminine name 'Maria', both girls subconsciously pricked up their ears.
As the two eavesdropped on the conversation, Hill couldn't help but snark at Peter's ridiculous remark:
"If a certain someone still remembered his role as Director, we should have been seeing each other every day."
There was a hint of resentment in her tone.
Her cool, mature voice and the keyword "every day" caused Gwen and Felicia to exchange a look, a sense of crisis rising in their hearts.
They had previously thought their only competition was each other, but now it seemed their thinking was a bit too naive.
There were clearly more than just the two of them around Peter, and there would only be more in the future...
When external pressure is strong enough, internal cooperation becomes an almost natural choice.
The two girls reached a consensus almost instantly.
Better to keep it within the circle of best friends than to let an outsider cut in, right?
Peter watched the girls' subtle movements and chuckled inwardly, but on the surface, he said nonchalantly:
"I just trust in your and Phil's work capabilities. Honestly, when that Nick Fury was in charge, wasn't his daily work just drinking coffee in his office?"
"Wow, that makes so much sense, I actually can't argue with it." Hill rolled her eyes on the other end of the phone.
"Alright, back to business. Why contact me all of a sudden? Did you run into something you can't handle?"
Hearing Peter ask about business, Hill's voice immediately returned to its usual efficiency:
"My subordinates found something in the New Mexico desert that fell from the sky... uh, a hammer?"
As she spoke, Hill sent an MMS.
The picture showed the Meow-Meow Hammer that Peter had just seen not long ago.
Was the plot of Thor descending to Earth finally about to begin?
This was a great opportunity to reap some benefits.
Whether it was the casket of ancient winters, the Destroyer armor, or Loki's own Frost Giant royal bloodline, they were all good things.
However, was something not quite right?
If he remembered correctly, shouldn't the plot of Iron Man 2 happen before Thor's arrival?
Where was that 'Whiplash' who dared to challenge Tony with just two small Lashers?
While Peter was thinking about Ivan Vanko's whereabouts, Hill had also finished giving a general overview of the Meow-Meow Hammer.
The situation was much the same as in the movie. Agent Coulson had already led a team to seal off the scene, and the process was incredibly smooth, with no other factions coming to interfere.
After getting the full story from Hill, Peter decisively decided to take over the case:
"I know the origin of this hammer. I'll handle this matter personally."
"Also, help me look someone up."
"Who?" Hill asked.
"Ivan Vanko. I need his detailed information."
"Received. I'll send the data to you later."
After hanging up, Gwen and Felicia's curiosity could no longer be contained:
"Peter, did something happen?"
"Remember that Thunder God Thor from the parallel Universe who I beat into a pulp? The version of him from this Universe has descended to Earth."
"Emmm..." Gwen made a slightly strange expression:
"So, is he going to be turned into a pulp again?"
"His treatment this time should be a bit better than the last... but regardless, I have to take a trip to New Mexico."
"What about university?"
"You guys decide," Peter's gaze swept gently over the two girls. "Which university we go to isn't important. What's important is that you two are in my university life. That's enough."
A small romantic line instantly hit the softest part of Gwen and Felicia's hearts, the sweetness immediately dispelling their earlier slight displeasure.
"Oh, right," before leaving, Peter looked at Felicia and asked,
"While we were away from this Universe, did that guy Tony already finish his Industrial Expo?"
"Yes," Felicia replied.
"The expo was very successful. Your Parker Tech's second-generation Unicorn and new energy vehicles were the focus of the entire event."
"No accidents happened? Like some madman crashing the venue wanting to take Tony down with him?" Peter couldn't help but ask.
Felicia laughed and shook her head:
"Why would you ask that? The entire expo was calm and peaceful; nothing unexpected happened at all."
That's strange!
Did Ivan Vanko really just vanish into thin air?
Peter left the cafe with his doubts. Since Gwen and Felicia still had to consider which university to attend, Peter didn't plan on bringing them along for this trip to New Mexico.
Not long after he walked out, Hill called again:
"Director, if you're asking about the son of Anton Vanko, who once worked with Howard Stark... I'm sorry to tell you, he's dead."
"Dead?!" Peter couldn't help but raise his voice. "How did he die?"
"The death certificate issued by a Moscow hospital shows he died of alcohol poisoning."
"Moscow? That guy didn't come to the U.S.?"
"There are no records of him in the entry-exit system."
"Fine then..."
After ending the call with Hill, Peter unconsciously fell into deep thought.
It felt like a butterfly effect he had caused.
But Peter always felt that things weren't that simple.
Based on past experience, this World always made things as troublesome as possible for him. A small boss simply vanishing into thin air like this felt extremely abnormal no matter how he thought about it.
Behind this, was there an invisible hand plucking the strings of fate?
Was Ivan Vanko really dead? And into whose hands did his primitive arc reactor technology fall?
"Forget it, no point thinking about things I can't figure out."
Since he really couldn't figure it out, Peter simply gave up thinking.
Although the arc reactor technology was valuable, it wasn't a major threat to him now.
Even if that guy or someone else eventually created a robot army to deal with him and Tony, he was confident he could resolve the crisis with his own raw strength.
So, instead of thinking about that, it was better to go to New Mexico and play with those two brothers.
Hmm~ and while I'm at it, use the Destroyer to test the power of the Haymaker.
Thinking this, Peter decisively pulled out his flying skateboard from his storage ring.
Stepping onto his flying skateboard, Peter immediately set off, flying rapidly toward New Mexico.
With the Mach-level flight speed of the flying skateboard, Peter soon arrived in New Mexico and made contact with Phil.
At the same time Peter arrived in New Mexico, Thor woke up in the hospital.
Looking at the hospital gown he was wearing and thinking about how he had completely lost contact with his beloved Meow-Meow Hammer, Thor couldn't help but let out a wail:
"No~~~!!!"
Chapter 193: What? This is Impossible!
Yesterday should have been the most glorious moment of Thor's life!
As the Prince of Asgard, he was about to be crowned the new king of this nation.
He should have been revered by thousands, receiving garlands from fairies and drinking fine wine with the warriors of the Divine Realm.
But just as he was about to reach the pinnacle of his life, those lowly Frost Giants suddenly broke in, attempting to steal the casket of ancient winters.
He fought back, for the glory of Asgard and the majesty of his father—Odin, the All-Father—personally leading a team to charge into Jotunheim!
He thought this would be his first great achievement after succeeding as the God-King.
The Nine Realms would sing praises of his name because of it.
But in the end, all he received was a harsh scolding from Odin:
"Your arrogance and stupidity have left innocent people to be ravaged by war!"
"You are unworthy of this kingdom! Unworthy of this power!"
Then, he was banished from the Divine Realm by his senile father, who forcibly severed his connection with Mjolnir.
"Damn it!"
Thor punched the edge of the bed in anger. Normally, that fragile metal frame should have been flattened like a pancake by his strike.
But now, he only felt a piercing pain in his knuckles...
Feeling that soul-crushing pain and weakness, Thor wished he could grab his old man by the collar right now and ask him:
"Old Idiot, have you gone completely senile?!"
But he knew that saying all this was pointless now.
To question his father and reclaim his dignity as the Prince of Asgard, he had to find his hammer first!
Thinking this, he sneakily slipped out of the hospital and burst into a pet shop:
"mortal! I command you to present the finest warhorse to this god!"
Pet shop owner:...
What a retard!
...
"So you're saying this thing has been imbued with divine power, and only someone truly selfless and righteous can lift it?"
In the deserts of New Mexico.
Agent Phil Coulson listened to Peter's explanation while his hands itched to stroke the handle of the Meow-Meow Hammer:
"Director, hearing you say that, I feel like I'm the perfect candidate to lift it!"
Seeing Phil's smug look, Peter couldn't help but find it a bit funny:
"Then by all means, go ahead."
"Watch this!"
Phil looked at Peter, then at the surrounding Agents who were watching.
He then took a deep breath and gripped the handle with both hands.
He pulled!
He pulled harder!
Because of the excessive effort, his face turned bright red, and the veins on his forehead bulged.
But the hammer didn't budge an inch. In fact, because the handle was so smooth, his hands slipped, and he fell flat on his butt...
Bursts of laughter erupted around him, making Phil's face flush even redder!
To deflect the embarrassment, Phil's eyes darted around, and he decided to shift the blame.
"Sigh, it seems a divine artifact like this can only be lifted by you, Director."
Hearing him say this, the Agents who were laughing at Phil all turned their gaze toward Peter.
Their Director, the Guardian of New York, My Lord Arbitrator, might actually be able to lift this hammer!
Not only the ordinary Agents thought so, but Natasha, standing nearby, felt the same.
Her beautiful large eyes sparkled with a look that said, "Don't tell me you can't do it."
In the original plot, Natasha didn't participate in this mission.
But somehow she heard that Peter was going to make a trip personally, so she rushed over from a nearby state.
Noticing the looks from everyone, especially Black Widow, Peter narrowed his eyes at Phil.
You've got some nerve, kid. To clear your own embarrassment, you didn't hesitate to drag me, your Director, into the mess!
Still... this gave him an opportunity to show off.
Theoretically, he really wasn't qualified to pick up the Meow-Meow Hammer.
After all, he wasn't so noble that he would choose self-sacrifice for a large crowd of innocent people.
Essentially, he was just a "Family Man" who wanted his loved ones to have a good life.
He was nowhere near as great as the original Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man or Captain America.
So, according to the enchantment placed by that old man Odin, he truly had no right to lift it.
However... theory is theory, and reality is reality.
He didn't meet the enchantment's criteria, but that didn't mean he would be restricted by it!
To put it simply, isn't this thing just a blessing through divine power?
Peter was a wielder of divine power just like Odin!
So, if all went well, he could perform a "forced entry" act in front of everyone—
namely, using divine power to forcibly bypass the enchantment's restrictions and lift the Meow-Meow Hammer that could control lightning.
With that in mind, Peter quietly turned the little broken watch on his wrist.
At the same time, the tiger talisman instantly activated!
...
Screech!
Just as the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents were watching to see if Peter could lift the Meow-Meow Hammer, a harsh sound of braking echoed through the desert.
"This is it! Wow, that handsome guy looks like he's about to pull the hammer out!"
Jane Foster sat in the SUV. Because of her high vantage point, she could see Peter's attempt to lift the hammer over the crowd.
"That's impossible!" Beside her, Thor noticed that Jane Foster seemed to admire Peter, making him feel a bit annoyed.
He, a dignified Future God-King, hadn't managed to make this Earth woman fall for him at first sight; what right did that Midgardian kid have?
So, he intentionally raised his voice and shouted:
"That overconfident mortal will definitely not succeed!"
"Mjolnir was enchanted by my father, the great God-King Odin. Not even ordinary gods can lift it. In today's Midgard, no one is worthy of my hammer except for me!"
The moment he finished speaking, he pushed open the car door.
Thor couldn't wait to reclaim his power.
He wanted to show these mortals what true God was!
He even imagined his heroic posture as he picked up the hammer again and summoned lightning.
He would even give Jane Foster a cool backward glance to show this beautiful Midgardian woman how powerful and charming the future God-King was!
Just as Thor was thinking this, a holy light pulled him back from his fantasy to reality!
As Peter activated the little broken watch, the genes of the Aesir and Vanir began to merge perfectly.
A holy glow appeared on his skin once more, and golden inscriptions emerged from his body.
Divine power!
Pure divine power flowed through Peter's palm and into Mjolnir.
The moment Mjolnir received this power, the ground began to tremble slightly.
Immediately after, the mark of the enchantment placed by Odin on the hammer began to flicker and then quietly dissipated under Thor's nearly despairing gaze!
Having broken the protection of the enchantment, Mjolnir became as light as a feather in Peter's hand.
Crackle!
The moment Peter held Mjolnir high, his body began to float uncontrollably, and a blinding thunderstorm visibly gathered in the sky.
The thunder roared, seemingly singing a hymn for the birth of a new god!
The surrounding Agents all showed shocked and worshipful expressions. Black Widow and Jane Foster instinctively covered their mouths, their large eyes filled with wonder.
And Peter, as if sensing something, swept his gaze downward and locked eyes with the stunned Thor.
Looking at the dazed Thor, who looked as if he were witnessing the end of the World, Peter, holding the Meow-Meow Hammer high, couldn't help but smile slightly.
Hmm~ Isn't this just another form of NTR!
Chapter 194: Loki is Craving It Madly
Thor's defense has been broken!
Completely and utterly broken!
Ever since Odin bestowed Mjolnir upon him, he and this hammer have fought side by side for over a thousand years!
After a full thousand years of companionship day and night, Mjolnir had long since become more than just a weapon to Thor.
In his heart, the Meow-Meow Hammer's status was almost equal to that of a lover.
But now, his "lover" was in someone else's hands.
And the power it exerted was no different from his own!
Who could stand this!
The moment his eyes met Peter's, his mind could almost fill in Peter's "inner voice."
Your hammer... is very smooth~!
"No~~!!!!"
Thor couldn't help but roar at the sky, then recklessly charged toward Peter:
"It's mine, you damned thief, put Mjolnir down immediately!"
"Give it back to me, or else, when I return to Asgard, I will immediately send troops to flatten Midgard in the name of Thor!"
Listening to Thor's broken-hearted roar, Peter couldn't help but show an expected smile.
He knew Thor would say that again.
Wait... why did he say 'again'?
While Peter was thinking this in his heart, Thor had already rushed close to him.
Although his divine power had been stripped away by Odin, his physical fitness and combat skills were no joke.
Those well-trained Agents were almost no match for him in a single exchange.
Seeing him rampaging through the crowd, Natasha and Hawkeye instinctively wanted to step in.
But they were stopped by a look from Peter.
Peter allowed Thor to rush right up to him.
Playing with Mjolnir, he looked down at Thor and asked:
"You say it's yours? How do you prove it?"
"Put Mjolnir down now, and I can use it to blow your head off!" Thor roared viciously.
"Ho~" Peter raised an eyebrow, then let go, and Mjolnir immediately fell from his hand to the ground.
Thor was overjoyed at the sight and instinctively raised his hand to summon it:
"Come here, old friend!"
Thud~
Mjolnir landed by Peter's feet, smashing a huge crater, completely ignoring Thor not far away.
It was as if a Crow had flown across the sky.
The suppressed laughter of the people around him clearly stung the proud Thor, but he couldn't afford to care about them right now.
He squatted down, grabbing Mjolnir with both hands and pulling with all his might, but Mjolnir didn't budge an inch.
"To be honest, Mr. Thor," Phil on the side couldn't help but add a finishing blow, "your performance isn't much better than mine."
"Bastard!" Thor couldn't accept this fact for a moment, so he roared at Peter once more:
"You must have done something to it!"
As he spoke, he raised a fist and swung it at Peter.
His thought was very simple: perhaps if he just defeated the Midgardian in front of him, Mjolnir would recognize him again.
Only... before his fist could hit Peter, a finger had already appeared at the center of his brow.
This, of course, wasn't the Hell Stab: One-Finger Spear.
Peter just lightly gave him a flick on the forehead.
Although this flick used less than one-thousandth of his strength,
In the God King Mode, a perfect fusion of two divine races, its power was still terrifying to an exaggerated degree.
The seemingly light flick directly sent Thor's robust body flying back several meters instantly.
Bang~!
Thor fell heavily onto the sandy ground like a broken sack, kicking up a large cloud of dust.
His whole body curled up in pain, his head buzzing, and stars dancing before his eyes.
He struggled several times but couldn't crawl up from the ground.
"Wow~ What a weak god." Peter withdrew his finger, adding another heart-piercing blow.
Pfft~
Natasha couldn't help but laugh out loud.
The Agents who had been knocked down by Thor earlier showed expressions of relief.
These laughs further stung Thor, who was as stubborn as a donkey.
He had originally been somewhat despondent because the Meow-Meow Hammer didn't recognize him.
But the ridicule from those around him caused an endless rage to surge in his heart.
He struggled to get up from the ground:
"It's not over yet, mortal!"
At this moment, faint sparks of electricity really seemed to be flickering on his body.
This gave the surrounding Agents a fright.
Until...
Zzzzt~
Natasha appeared behind him at some point, the Widows Bite on her wrist quietly landing on the back of his neck.
The high-frequency pulse current immediately shocked Thor into unconsciousness.
When he fell to the ground, he was still twitching like a salted fish...
"Done~"
Black Widow, putting away her Widows Bite, looked at Peter and asked:
"What do we do with this guy?"
"Take him into custody first, along with that young lady over there." Peter jerked his chin toward Jane Foster, who was seeing things go south in the distance.
He thought to himself that this should be enough to make that fellow Loki come running for him to fleece...
...
What Peter didn't know was,
In fact, everything he had done was being watched by Loki, who had just become the acting king.
Loki originally just wanted to see Thor's broken and despondent look after being unable to pick up the Meow-Meow Hammer.
He never expected to see such a scene.
It almost made his jaw drop in shock.
Then, as he came to his senses, his body couldn't help but tremble.
In those emerald eyes, an intense longing emerged.
"That Midgardian... is very unusual."
That guy's posture, bathed in holy light, and those golden inscriptions on his body, made him look more like Odin's child than Thor did.
If he didn't know perfectly well that Odin didn't have the bad habit of spreading his seed all over the Nine Realms like Zeus next door.
He would have almost thought that guy was Odin's illegitimate son in Midgard!
"This power must be related to Asgard. If a Midgardian can control this power, then why can't I?"
Thinking of this, Loki's heart couldn't help but beat violently.
The reason he was so obsessed with the throne wasn't because he was particularly greedy for power.
But because he felt he had been the unloved one since childhood.
Especially after discovering his Frost Giant bloodline, he self-righteously believed he had learned the "truth."
The reason Odin didn't love him, the reason he biasedly passed the throne to Thor—all of it was because the blood flowing in his body wasn't Asgardian!
Only Thor was his true child, while he was just a trophy, a tool used so that Jotunheim and Asgard could coexist in peace!
Originally, Loki thought he would never be able to change his bloodline in this lifetime.
But now, Peter's appearance gave him new hope.
Kill Thor, and then obtain the true power of Asgard from that Midgardian...
In that way, he would be the only legitimate one!
At that time, he wanted to see what reason Odin would have to refuse him ruling Asgard after he woke up from the Odinsleep!
This thought, like a poison, instantly eroded Loki's reason.
He gripped the Eternal Spear in his hand and immediately strode out of the palace.
He wanted to descend to the lower realm immediately; he wanted to get the secrets from that Midgardian immediately!
Chapter 195: Are Midgardians This Brave?
Just like in the original movie, after descending to the lower realm, Loki immediately found the imprisoned Thor.
He lied, claiming that Thor had angered Odin to death and that he would be exiled for life, never to return to Asgard.
After enjoying Thor's expression of agony, Loki manipulated Phil and headed straight for Peter's temporary office.
In the temporary office, Peter was making idle small talk with Black Widow.
He could sense that Black Widow seemed to have a bit of a thing for him, but to be honest, he wasn't quite sure what she was really up to.
If she just wanted a 'friends with benefits' encounter, he wouldn't mind giving her one.
But if she wanted something serious, then forget it.
He was a traditional person with double standards; he could allow himself to maintain emotional relationships with multiple girls.
But if a woman who might have ambiguous relationships with multiple men were to appear in his inner sanctum, she could go stay wherever it was cool.
While he and Natasha were in the middle of their push-and-pull, there was a knock on the office door, and "Phil" walked in with a gentle smile:
"Director, that arrogant fool and the girl beside him have been taken care of."
Noticing Phil's intrusion, Black Widow subconsciously picked up her coffee cup, her expression looking somewhat unnatural.
Peter, however, looked at the guy with a strange gaze, a look that made "Phil" feel slightly uneasy.
"Good job, Phil."
After quietly deactivating his Byakugan mode, Peter started chatting with Phil about mundane things while "unconsciously" fiddling with the little broken watch on his wrist.
[Unknown biological gene detected, starting collection...]
Hearing the prompt in his mind, Peter couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
As expected, it's you, God of Mischief!
It had to be said, Loki's illusions were indeed remarkable.
Even his Byakugan couldn't see anything abnormal.
If Peter wasn't a transmigrator who knew the plot, he might really have been played for a fool by the other party.
But now, unfortunately, your genes have exposed your origin!
Why would he suddenly come looking for me? Could it be... this guy has already seen my 'Little Golden Man' mode?
Thinking of this, Peter's heart stirred; it seemed things were about to get interesting.
On the other side, seeing that Peter had completely ignored her since Phil came in, Natasha's heart was filled with mixed emotions.
Again!
Is her status in this guy's heart really that low!
He would actually rather have an awkward chat with a boring guy like Phil than give her another look?
Just as Natasha was wondering if she should wake up and stop fantasizing about unrealistic ideas,
Peter's voice suddenly reached her ears:
"Agent Natasha, it seems you've really been neglecting your training lately!"
"To think you haven't even noticed that the enemy has already come knocking on our door!"
Huh? What the hell!
A bewildered Black Widow looked at Peter, then at Phil, her face still full of confusion.
Peter means that the Phil in front of them... is a fake?
But how is that possible?
From the aura to the tone of voice to the mannerisms, it's definitely Phil!
Just as she was thinking this, the Phil beside her suddenly broke into a strange smile.
Then, he leaped behind Black Widow, taking her hostage, and his face rapidly shifted, revealing his original appearance:
"Should I expect no less from a powerhouse who can lift Mjolnir? To actually be able to see through my illusions."
Damn it, this Phil was actually a fake?!
Black Widow's mind went blank; she almost instinctively wanted to activate the Widows Bite on her wrist, but a dagger had appeared in Loki's hand at some unknown point, deftly disabling the Widows Bite before resting against her neck.
Now, even an ace Agent like Black Widow was helpless!
"I'm curious, how exactly did you see through my illusion?"
Peter glanced at the 70% collection progress displayed on his wrist, thinking to himself that this guy was indeed quite sharp.
He had tried his best to act as if he hadn't noticed anything unusual, but he still ended up alerting the enemy!
And he didn't know what was up with Black Widow; some ace Agent she was—he had dropped such obvious hints, yet she still failed to react.
Seeing that Loki had already started his 'hissing kitten' act, Peter didn't bother pretending anymore.
He simply activated his Dual God Resonance 'Little Golden Man' mode, looked at Loki, and asked:
"Do you think your petty parlor tricks can hide from this power?"
Observing Peter's aura and inscriptions at close range, Loki became even more certain of the source of Peter's power.
This is power from Asgard!
The moment he realized this, a look of greed unconsciously flickered in his eyes.
But he quickly suppressed that greed, instead adopting the aura of a royal proxy and questioning:
"mortal, confess honestly, how exactly did you steal our Asgardian divine power!"
"If there is a single lie..."
At this, he pressed the dagger down slightly, leaving a shallow red line on Natasha's neck:
"Not only will this beauty lose her life, but Midgard will also be crushed to dust by the iron hooves of Asgard!"
Although Natasha was still a bit confused, she realized the gravity of the situation and spoke without thinking:
"Dire... Peter, don't worry about me, just kill him! Only by keeping him here can Earth be spared from the flames of war!"
Loki:???
Wait? Are you Midgardians all this tough?
How are you even less afraid of death than our Asgardian warriors!
Peter:???
I know you have a great spirit of self-sacrifice, but isn't this being a bit... too proactive?
Though caught slightly off guard by Natasha's sudden interruption, Peter quickly adjusted his mindset.
He looked at Loki with a contemptuous expression and said:
"Has anyone ever told you that the last fool who said he'd send troops to trample Earth just recently began enjoying high-quality, baby-like sleep?"
That idiot Thor!
Loki cursed Thor wildly in his heart, but sneered on the surface:
"I am nothing like that waste. That waste has been exiled from Asgard forever, while I am the new God King of Asgard. Now, all the warriors of the Asgard follow only my command!"
"If you really had that kind of ability, would you need to come to Earth alone to threaten me?"
Peter easily saw through Loki's lie:
"Stop making your father laugh. If the Asgard you speak of were really that powerful and completely under your command, would you still need to be standing here talking nonsense?"
Damn it, this Midgardian is truly more like Odin's child than that idiot Thor!
Just as Loki was marveling at Peter's sharpness in his heart, Peter's voice rang out again:
"Furthermore..."
Thud~
Mjolnir, which had floated behind Loki's head at some point, slammed heavily into the back of his skull, knocking him to the ground instantly and causing the dagger to fly out of his hand.
At that moment, Peter decisively flashed to Natasha's side, pulling her into his arms, and then looked down at Loki on the ground with mockery:
"You're even weaker than the previous fool. A specimen like you is fit to be king?"
Chapter 196: You Won't Even Call Me King
It's actually Mjolnir?
Watching Mjolnir land steadily in Peter's hand, Loki's mood became incredibly complex.
On one hand, he was depressed that he, the dignified God of Mischief, would suffer such a huge loss.
On the other hand, thinking about his brother's treasure being held by a mortal—and seemingly being used even more skillfully than his brother—
He felt... incredibly satisfied.
"mortal! You will definitely regret this!"
After struggling to leave behind such a weak parting shot, Loki's eyes rolled back, and he quite simply fainted.
As a "God," his fragility was practically a disgrace to all deities...
At the same time Loki fainted.
Natasha, held in Peter's arms, also had a complex expression.
Peter didn't just let the other party kill her.
Does this mean she actually holds a place in his heart?
Besides, this was a life-saving favor; should she take this opportunity to let something happen between them?
While Black Widow's mind was filled with a thousand thoughts, she felt that warm embrace suddenly empty.
Peter had already let her go.
He was still teasing her carelessly:
"Agent Natasha, it looks like you've been a bit slack lately."
"Can you really complete the other tasks I'll give you later like this?"
"Also, considering I saved your life, can that favor I promised you earlier be written off now?"
Peter was just trying to joke with Natasha.
After all, their previous mode of interaction was like this; they had been mocking and trash-talking each other for a long time.
But after he said those words, Natasha's face suddenly changed.
An unprecedented anger instantly swept away the romantic thoughts originally in her mind.
What did this bastard take her for?
In his eyes, was she just a petty person like Nick Fury, only thinking about using favors for profit!
Such a thought made Natasha both angry and heartbroken.
So, she just coldly dropped a sentence:
"Suit yourself!"
Then, with a flick of her fiery red hair, she left the office.
Peter watched her departing back, feeling somewhat speechless for a moment.
What was this about?
Is this how this woman treats her savior?
Normally.
Shouldn't she have followed the flow and continued joking with him?
Then the atmosphere would gradually heat up, and she would unconsciously look at his lips.
And then a passionate kiss.
Finally, after saying some wonderful little flirtatious words, wouldn't she pin him down on the spot like a predatory leopard?
As an experienced top female Agent, who was she showing this willful little girl act to?
With this thought, Peter subconsciously activated his Byakugan, intending to see Natasha's expression after she went out the door.
Was she really angry, or was she just playing hard to get?
However,
When Peter activated the Byakugan, what he saw was...
No angry cursing, no smugness waiting for the prey to take the bait.
Natasha, she just walked alone to a deserted corner of the stairs.
Then she silently squatted down, curling her lonely self into a ball.
As if only this could allow her to barely draw a bit of warmth...
Peter suddenly felt an impulse to slap himself.
I'm such a jerk!
He subconsciously got up and had even walked to the door.
But at the moment he was about to push the door open, he pulled his hand back.
Black Widow was not Gwen after all.
He would completely lose the ability to think because of Gwen's sorrow, but Natasha... it could only be said it hadn't reached that level yet.
Therefore, reason overcame the momentary impulse—he had just recently settled things with Gwen and Felicia.
Now, after just a trip to New Mexico, Black Widow was by his side.
How would the two girls view him?
On the other hand... the one who flirts first is cheap!
To put it bluntly, his heart still held the idea that his relationship with Black Widow should stop at being lovers.
If he actively pursued her now, God knows if it would give her ideas she shouldn't have.
He didn't want to cruelly strip away hope after granting it to her.
Rather than causing that kind of secondary trauma, it was better to let her clearly understand her position from the start.
So...
He could comfort her, he could apologize.
But not now!
...
In order to play the long game and better get his hands on treasures like the Destroyer and the casket of ancient winters.
Peter did not set up a truly tight defense for Loki.
The room where Loki was imprisoned seemed heavily guarded, but in reality, it was full of loopholes for Loki.
After Loki woke up, he returned to Asgard almost openly.
When he left, he was smugly despising Peter in his heart:
"Ha, stupid Midgardian, did you think those moronic mortals could keep watch over the great God of Mischief?"
"How naive! mortal, you are destined to pay the price for your arrogance and conceit!"
While Loki was secretly mocking Peter for being "witless" in his heart, he suddenly discovered something unusual...
Wait!
Where did Heimdall go?
That Guardian of the Bifrost Bridge would not leave the Bifrost Bridge without reason!
Loki sensed an unusual atmosphere.
He didn't issue a grand order to find Heimdall, but quietly returned to the palace and secretly watched the direction of the Bifrost Bridge.
After waiting for only a few minutes, he saw Thor's four confidants: Volstagg, Hogun, Fandral, and the goddess Sif!
The four of them sneakily activated the Bifrost Bridge to descend.
As for Heimdall, as soon as the four left, he returned to the Bifrost Bridge and completely ignored the bridge that hadn't fully dissipated, acting as if nothing had happened.
Seeing this scene, Loki's face instantly turned ashen!
Clearly, Heimdall had condoned or even secretly authorized the departure of the four!
And his purpose for doing so was self-evident!
This guy did not recognize him as the new king!
He had only just left Asgard for a short while, and this bastard wanted to welcome Thor back to overthrow him!
"Good! Very good!"
Loki smiled through gritted teeth, then strode toward the Asgard's treasury and took out two things—the Destroyer and the casket of ancient winters!
"Go kill those rebels and... my worthless brother!"
After giving the Destroyer its task, Loki picked up the casket of ancient winters and walked toward the Bifrost Bridge without a second thought.
"Loki?"
Seeing Loki approaching, Heimdall couldn't help but be shocked,
"How could you?!"
At this moment, because Loki had touched the casket of ancient winters, he had completely revealed the blue skin and red eyes characteristic of a Frost Giant!
"You won't even call me King?" Loki sneered, then instantly activated the casket of ancient winters.
The terrifying cold was something even Heimdall, the third strongest in Asgard, could not resist.
His body, clad in golden armor, was instantly frozen into an ice sculpture.
"Fool, you brought this on yourself!"
Leaving behind those words, Loki quietly activated the Bifrost Bridge.
Before long, a large number of Frost Giants arrived in Asgard.
And the leader was none other than Loki's biological father—the "King of the Frost Giants" Laufey!
Chapter 197: What a Fine Hammer
Although they were father and son, there was not the slightest warmth between the two upon meeting.
There wasn't even the pretense of polite small talk.
Laufey completely looked down on Loki as his son.
Ever since Loki was born, his smaller stature compared to other Frost Giants led Laufey to conclude that this child would only become his disgrace.
If it weren't for Odin, Loki, as an abandoned infant, would have been eaten by wild Beasts near the temple a thousand years ago.
Even though Loki now controlled the authority of Asgard, Laufey hadn't changed his opinion.
He only wanted to retrieve the casket of ancient winters from Loki and lead his kin back to Jotunheim.
After that, their father-son relationship could be completely severed.
As for Loki, he hated his biological father to the bone.
In his original plan, he had superficially agreed with Laufey that Laufey would kill Odin, helping Loki become the true God-King.
But behind the scenes, his real plan was to personally kill his biological father in front of his adoptive mother, Frigga, to prove his absolute loyalty to Asgard.
However, now, he had changed his mind.
He didn't want his biological father, who had abandoned him, to die so easily, so... before killing him, why not make use of him one last time!
"Listen, if you want to get the casket of ancient winters, you must do one more thing for me."
"What is it?" Laufey asked, confused.
"Go to Midgard now and bring a mortal named Peter Parker before me," Loki said arrogantly, holding the casket of ancient winters in his hands.
"I don't care what means you use to accomplish this, as long as you bring him here, this thing is yours."
"This is different from our initial agreement."
"So what? This thing is in my hands now. If you want it, you must do as I say," Loki said with an arrogant expression.
The way Laufey looked at Loki was definitely not how a father looked at his child, but he still took a deep breath before speaking:
"You must promise me this is the last time you change the price!"
"Of course~" Loki said yes, but what he thought in his heart was...
Of course it's not the last time. Otherwise, why do you think I'm called the God of Mischief?
After giving Loki a deep look, Laufey ultimately chose to comply:
"Warriors, let's go."
Watching the retreating figure of Laufey leading the Frost Giant army away, Loki couldn't help but lick his lips.
Damn mortal, since you don't respect the heir of the two God-Kings, then let me see how capable you really are—can you defeat the Frost King just like Odin!
...
Accompanied by the light of the Bifrost Bridge, The Warriors Three descended.
Although Thor had been stripped of his divine power at this moment, Sif, as Thor's playmate since childhood, still managed to locate Thor using her excellent perception.
"Thor!"
Thor, trapped in the quarantine area, heard the familiar voice and saw the familiar faces of the four, instantly springing up from the ground as if he had been injected with adrenaline.
"How did you all get here?"
Thor rushed to the edge of the quarantine area, stretching out his hand, wishing he could immediately embrace them.
Volstagg stepped forward, his large, muscular arm instantly bending the iron bars of the cell. Then he laughed and clapped Thor on the shoulder with such force that Thor nearly fell apart.
"Of course we came to take you back to Asgard! My old friend!"
"But... I'm completely unqualified. I angered my father to death and was permanently exiled as a condition of the truce..."
The excitement in Thor's eyes quickly faded, leaving only utter dejection.
"Perhaps you should leave immediately too, before anyone discovers you snuck out to see me."
"Thor, you've been tricked!" Hogun couldn't help but speak, exposing Loki's lie.
"That's right! Loki tricked you!"
Sif concisely revealed what Loki had been doing in Asgard:
"The All-Father has merely fallen into a deep sleep, but Loki used this opportunity to seize power extensively. He wants to be king; he wants to be the sole ruler of Asgard!"
Thor was completely stunned after hearing this.
Loki... tricked him?
His father wasn't dead!
This amount of information was too much, making him unsure whether to be happy or angry for a moment!
Just as he didn't know how to face this issue, Hogun spoke with a sincere expression:
"Thor, wake up. If you can't return to Asgard and lead us to overthrow that guy, Asgard will ultimately be destroyed by Loki's hands!"
Hogun's words finally brought Thor back to his senses. He shouted in anger:
"Does he think he can deceive everyone? I'm going back to Asgard right now. I'm going to expose his lies in person!"
As Thor spoke, he was about to rush out.
But at that moment, he stopped his steps. His gaze involuntarily glanced at Jane Foster, who was detained not far away.
That mortal girl gave him warmth and trust when he was at his lowest point. He couldn't just leave like this.
"Can you also save that girl?"
Thor pointed in Jane Foster's direction, his tone laced with a hint of pleading.
Sif and The Warriors Three exchanged glances. Although they were somewhat confused why Thor was so fixated on a mortal girl, they ultimately nodded.
"Alright, since it is Thor's request, we shall comply."
Volstagg thumped his chest, appearing utterly righteous.
However, before they could make a move, an annoying voice came from not far away.
"I regret to inform you that on Earth, breaking out of prison is not permitted, oh!"
Before the voice faded, Peter's figure appeared silently before them, looking exactly like a dean of discipline cornering a truant student behind the school wall.
Seeing someone dare to obstruct them, the expressions of The Warriors Three instantly darkened.
"mortal, you should not meddle in the affairs of gods."
Volstagg let out a cold snort and approached Peter like a wild bull, tapping Peter's shoulder repeatedly with a finger as thick as a carrot:
"What I mean is, you are utterly unqualified!"
Facing Volstagg's mockery, before Peter could make a move, the loyal Mjolnir flew over at lightning speed as a streak of light.
The Meow-Meow Hammer was as fast as a meteor, striking Volstagg's large belly at a speed Sif and the others couldn't react to at all.
The terrifying impact sent Volstagg's robust body tracing a perfect parabola through the air.
Then, accompanied by a series of loud 'boom boom' sounds, his body consecutively smashed through walls, dragging long trenches on the ground.
Suffering such a heavy blow completely unprepared, even Volstagg, the thickest-skinned among The Warriors Three, could not bear it.
He didn't even have time to let out a scream before he let out a 'hiccup' sound, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
Successfully acquiring high-quality, infant-like sleep...
And Peter, under the stunned gazes of Sif and the others, and Thor's heartbroken look, gently patted the body of Mjolnir:
"What a fine hammer~ I'm growing more and more reluctant to give you back to someone."