Odin's Passing and a Cringeworthy Declaration

(Bonus chapter with 9700 words)

On the streets of the Big Apple City, Loki, dressed in a sharp suit, and Thor, dressed like a homeless man, stared blankly at the ruins.

"Loki, you mean you sent Father to this nursing home?" Thor turned stiffly to Loki, pointing to the pile of rubble.

Loki's elegance shattered completely. He stared at the smoking ruins before him, his mouth opening and closing silently several times, trying to piece together the words "father," "nursing home," and "address confirmed" into a audible sentence.

He managed to stammer out a few short, breathy words. "Uh... here... before... it really was..." He subconsciously straightened his still-perfectly pressed suit collar, as if that would help him regain some confidence.

Thor didn't have time to watch his stuttering performance. He slammed his fist on the crooked road sign next to him. "'Golden Sunset Senior Care Center'? Loki! This is what you called 'Tranquility and peaceful, with excellent service'?!"

He pointed to half a rickety sign in the ruins, "'Golden Sunset'?! Where is Father?!"

Loki finally regained his composure, forcing a calm. "The address is definitely right! Something must have happened! Maybe... a gas leak? Or perhaps the explosion at the arms dealer's warehouse next door affected this place?"

His tone was certain, but his eyes darted around, clearly indicating that he himself wasn't entirely convinced.

"An accident?" Thor's beard trembled with rage. "Could Odin be in this 'accident'?! Search! Dig him out if you can!"

The ensuing search for their father fully demonstrates how convoluted (and hilarious) the journey of these two dim-witted brothers, one clueless and the other grumpy.

They first sought out "intelligence experts" on the street.

The two brothers stopped a homeless man who was drunk and leaning against a trash can, holding an oversized beer bottle.

Thor's expression turned grave. "Friend! Have you ever seen an old man in a magnificent robe, with one eye, Kamui, and possibly suffering from amnesia?"

The homeless man let out a loud hiccup, his eyes blurry with drunkenness as he sized up Thor's tattered vest and Loki's shiny shoes. He chuckled, "Never seen the dignified old man before... but I did see an old fellow in a golden robe, swaying as he walked, muttering 'Where is my Gungnir?' and heading... hiccup... toward 'The Boar and Rose'!"

Loki frowned. "'The Boar and Rose'? That doesn't sound like a respectable place."

The homeless man rubbed his fingers together slyly. "Heh heh, information fee... ten dollars?"

Thor reached into his pocket without a word (though it probably only contained sand and air), but Loki quickly stopped him and, as if by magic, pulled a brand-new hundred-dollar bill from his sleeve and handed it to him.

The homeless man took the money, his eyes shining. He examined it closely against the light, his smile widening, "Oh! That's right! It's the 'The Boar and Rose' strip club! That old man almost bumped into the doorframe when he went in!"

After saying that, he staggered away, clutching the wine bottle.

Thor: "A strip club...? Father went there to find Gungnir?"

Loki looked in the direction the homeless man had disappeared, then glanced at the lingering traces of Genjutsu energy on his fingertips—that "hundred-yuan bill" would turn into a blank sheet of paper in a few minutes.

He elegantly dusted off his sleeves. "A temporary measure. Let's go!"

After his "The Boar and Rose" attempt ended in disappointment (receiving only disdain and the smell of alcohol), Loki decided to use his "mortal wisdom"—to check the archives!

The dusty paper archives of the city hall became their next battleground.

Thor's massive body swayed laboriously through the narrow aisle, like a Destroyer bull that had stormed into a china shop.

He "accidentally" knocked over a row of filing shelves, triggering an avalanche of paper.

The elderly caretaker rushed in screaming, pointing at Thor and yelling insults.

Loki tried to fool her by claiming to be "Senator Odinson," but the old lady glared at him. "Senator? I've worked here for forty years, I recognize every senator's face! You pretty boy liar! Security! Security!"

The two brothers were kicked out in a sorry state.

In desperation, they unexpectedly discovered a small, familiar fragment of gold fabric near a foul-smelling sewer access point!

A robe from Odin!

Thor was overjoyed and, without a word, lifted the heavy manhole cover, ready to jump down. "Father must be down there! He might have encountered some evil monster from the Nine Realms!"

Loki stared at the black hole exuding a strong "urban" aura, his face turning green. He grabbed Thor's vest tightly. "Thor! Calm down! Even if Father has amnesia, he wouldn't live in the sewers! This might be... dragged down by rats! Or a cleaner!"

"What if!" Thor was strong and was about to break free.

Loki, in a moment of quick thinking (or perhaps a sudden burst of idiocy): "There are Midgard giant rats down there! More terrifying than Fenrir the giant wolf! They eat Asgardians!"

This outrageous lie actually made Thor pause for a moment.

Just as the two were struggling at the wellhead, one trying to jump and the other pulling desperately back.

A slow, leisurely voice came from the side. "Hey, you two weirdos? The strange old man in the golden robe you're talking about... isn't he the one who was wandering around here a week ago, muttering that he was the 'Odin'?"

The two brothers suddenly turned their heads.

An elderly sanitation worker in a fluorescent green vest was holding a broom, looking at the two of them with an expression that said, "You're an idiot."

Loki and Thor exchanged a glance and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, yes, if you have any useful information, I'll reward you!"

The cleaning worker shrugged. "A reward? Tsk, forget it, you look even poorer than me."

After looking Thor up and down, he continued, "That old man, just like you, kept staring at the manhole cover, saying, 'Is this the entrance to Valhalla?' before being taken away by several community volunteers."

Thor was overjoyed. "Great! Let's go find some volunteers and ask them!" The two hurriedly found volunteers distributing food and bottled water to homeless people on the street.

Through their questioning, they learned that Odin had been taken to a nursing home on Long Island.

Long Island, "Longevity Senior Care Center".

It sounds impressive, but it's actually just an ordinary nursing home painted white and smelling of disinfectant.

Loki, dressed in a sharp suit but still looking travel-worn, and Thor, wearing a tattered vest and with messy hair and beard, stood at the front desk, looking like they had just escaped from the set of some disaster movie.

"We're looking for an elderly man," Loki said, trying to keep his tone elegant, but the anxiety in his eyes was unmistakable. "He's easily recognizable: one-eyed, likes to wear... uh, a gold nightgown? He was brought here by community volunteers about a week ago."

The receptionist nurse, a middle-aged woman wearing red triangular glasses, pushed up her glasses and scrutinized the "odd couple" in front of her: one looked like a bankrupt financial elite, and the other looked like a construction worker who had just finished work.

Her fingers unconsciously groped for something under the table.

"Are you talking about... Mr. Odinson?" the nurse asked warily.

"Yes! That's him!" Thor took a step forward urgently, his massive body bringing an invisible sense of oppression.

The nurse's hand immediately went to a red plastic button, her tone even colder. "He did stay here for three days. But on the morning of the fourth day, when the nursing staff bathed him..."

She paused, as if recalling some surreal scene, "He suddenly... his whole body emitted that very bright golden light, and then in the bathtub... 'poof,' he disappeared! Like a soap bubble, without even a splash! We searched the entire center, but found nothing, and the security cameras only captured a burst of golden light!"

Loki's vision went black.

Taking a bath? Turning into golden light? This script is too random! Thor looked bewildered. "Turning into light? Father... he's recovered?"

"Restore what?" The nurse's tone became even harsher. "We thought it was some kind of high-tech kidnapping or a leak from a dangerous experiment! We've already reported it! Now, tell me, who are you? What is your purpose in seeking him out?!"

Her finger was already poised to strike the red alert button.

Seeing that the alarm was about to be triggered and cause unnecessary trouble, Thor, in a moment of panic, clenched his fist! Zzzzz!

A fine, blue arc of electricity instantly danced and traveled across his body!

The tattered vest was instantly replaced by a set of gleaming Asgard armor in the light, the cloak swayed with divine power, and the umbrella in his hand transformed into Mjolnir, emitting a deep hum!

In an instant, he transformed from a homeless man into the mighty Thor!

The receptionist nurse nearly lost her glasses, and her mouth was agape enough to fit an egg.

An alarm button? What's that? All she wants now is to press the call button to get a doctor to check if she's seeing things!

"... Thor... Thor?!" The nurse's voice trembled. "You... you're Thor?!"

"It is indeed me..." Thor was about to put on airs.

Loki quickly interrupted, saying irritably, "Yes, he is. I'm his brother, Loki. Now, we're looking for our father, Odin, the All-Father of Asgard. Is there a problem? Intelligence! Get to the point!"

The nurse was completely dumbfounded; the amount of information was overwhelming, and her brain was overloaded.

She paused for a few seconds before stammering out everything she knew: how Odin was sent there, how taciturn he was, how he suddenly turned into light and disappeared while taking a bath, and that they did indeed report it to the "Arbitrators" abnormal event handling department immediately.

Loki and Thor exchanged a glance, both seeing the same huge question mark in each other's eyes, followed by deep frustration.

Snap! Snap!

Almost simultaneously, the two slapped themselves hard on the forehead, the sound ringing out!

"Idiot!" Loki cursed.

"We're such idiots!" Thor scratched his head in frustration.

Yes!

Why look for homeless people, check municipal archives, or crawl through sewers?

Thor Odinson, a member of the prestigious "Arbitrators"!

The largest anomaly handling, intelligence, and power consortium on Earth—it's a VVVVVVIP!

Instead of utilizing their own intelligence network, they're aimlessly wandering the streets. Isn't that taking the long way around?

Intelligence? In this world, is there any intelligence source more professional or larger than the "Arbitrators"? (Thor is unaware of the Red Room's existence.)

Looking for your father? Just go back to headquarters and check the database!

The moment Odin vanished in a flash of light, the alarm might already be on Tony's or Chen Tian's desk!

"Let's go!" Thor grabbed Loki, who was still feeling frustrated, without saying a word, and rushed out.

"Hey! Wait! Mr. Thor..." the nurse called out in vain from behind, watching the two figures disappear in a hurry, then looking back at the alarm button she had almost pressed, she silently withdrew her hand and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.

Today's class was so exciting!

The legendary Odin vanished in a flash of light while taking a bath at the nursing home she was in charge of; the legendary Thor and his brother came looking for their father... These experiences were enough for her to brag about for a lifetime.

Loki, being dragged along by Thor, stumbled and gritted his teeth. "If you mess up Father's plans again, I'll turn you into a frog and throw you into the pond in Midgard!"

The two rushed out of the nursing home, their destination clear— the Arbitrator Tower! This time, it was time to invoke their "parental privilege."

Arbitrator Tower, Chen Tian's arcade.

Thor smashed through Chen Tian's door like a gust of wind, Loki slowly stepped in; he didn't want to see that guy Chen Tian.

"Chen Tian! My father! Where is Odin?!" Thor's voice boomed, making the ceiling vibrate, and his eyes scanned the room anxiously.

Chen Tian was curled up on the sofa playing video games, pressing the buttons loudly, without even lifting his head.

Kiana and 2B sat beside him, one with her hands on her knees and the other holding a cake, watching Chen Tian play the game with curiosity.

"Odin?" Chen Tian's fingers flew across the game character. "Ah, I know."

"You know?!" Thor lunged forward and snatched the controller from Chen Tian's hand.

Chen Tian: "Hey! My controller!"

On the screen, the character he was controlling was instantly swallowed whole by the monster, and the large words "YOU DIE" in blood appeared on the screen.

He sighed helplessly, "... My unblemished record..."

Kiana chuckled and quickly covered her mouth, while 2B also giggled.

Loki stood a little distance away, watching Chen Tian's usual nerdy demeanor, and recalling the terrifying scene of him shattering the Celestials and half a star system with a single punch, his scalp tingled, and he didn't dare to utter a sound.

The contrast is terrifying.

Despite his complaints, Chen Tian didn't forget his business.

He rolled his Byakugan at Thor: "What's the rush? We're not going to die."

He raised his hand and waved it.

Buzz--

A huge holographic projection instantly appeared in the center of the room.

Clear and stable video: Norway!

The rugged, steep coastline, with its surging waves crashing against the dark reefs, and the salty, icy sea breeze seeming to blow through the projection.

Not far from the coastline, a forest stands tall.

Chen Tian pointed to the forest, "Look, it's right there."

Thor and Loki held their breath instantly, their eyes fixed on the forest.

"Look," Chen Tian stood up, walked to the projector, and swiped two fingers across the forest image, which slowly zoomed in.

The image is steadily focused on the front of that Scandinavian cabin.

Kratos, shirtless and muscular, wields a giant axe that cleaves through the air with a dull thud, his movements brimming with primal violence.

Under the eaves, Odin, wrapped in a thick wool blanket, with sparse white hair and a hunched back, was fast asleep in a rocking chair, holding a cup of tea that had long since gone cold.

Sunlight filtered through the trees and fell on him, only making him appear even more somber and gloomy.

"Look, it's right there." Chen Tian pointed, and the image froze on Odin's sleeping face. "He suddenly appeared in that forest a few days ago."

He glanced at Kratos and added, "What a coincidence, isn't it? Tony just gave Kratos this villa as his 'retirement home,' and your old man has already appeared on his doorstep."

Thor stared intently at his father's aged and frail figure in the projection, his eyes instantly reddening, his throat tightening as if blocked. "Father... how could he... become like this..." He had never seen the Odin so decrepit.

"Chen Tian... thank you..." Thor's voice was hoarse and urgent, "I have to go there now!"

Chen Tian shrugged indifferently. "Fine, what can I do, I'm too soft-hearted. I'll give you a ride. Should we go directly through the portal, or speed over on the Silverwing Fiendstar? Just so you know, if we speed over, there might be some vomiting along the way, so we'll have to clean up the aircraft."

As he said this, he made a point of glancing at Loki.

"A portal!" Thor and Loki exclaimed in unison without a second's hesitation; the lesson from the sewers was still fresh in their minds!

"Tsk." Chen Tian curled his lips, waved his hand, and the Space Stone appeared out of thin air, flowing with a ghostly blue light.

He waved his hand casually, as if shooing away flies.

Buzz--

A massive portal with blue energy leaping from its edges appeared instantly in the center of the arcade.

Behind the door, the crisp air of the Norway forest, carrying the scent of pine and snow, rushed in, and the clear "thump, thump" of Kratos chopping wood echoed through the air.

"Let's go." Chen Tian took the first step and crossed over.

Thor didn't waste a second and followed closely behind.

Loki took a deep breath, glanced at the wood-chopping monster and his father on the other side of the door, and, tensing up, stepped inside.

The three figures disappeared.

Kiana blinked, looking at the air curiously. "Um, has the Commander forgotten about the two of us?"

2B calmly began tidying up the arcade, not answering Kiana's question, but changing the subject instead, "Kiana, want to go swimming?"

Kiana's slightly depressed mood instantly lifted, and she raised her hand high. "Yes! I just learned a new surfing technique from Dante!"

The two women left the arcade hand in hand.

Norway Forest, with its biting cold winds.

Thor burst through the portal, his gaze instantly locking onto the frail figure under the eaves. "Father!" he cried, his voice trembling, as he strode toward him.

Just then--

"Thump!"

A heavy thud! Kratos's wood-chopping motion froze at its highest point.

He slowly turned his head, his eyes cold and sharp, like Beast before its prey, piercing Thor who had intruded.

The heavy handle of the Leviathan axe felt weightless in his hands, yet the invisible pressure seemed to freeze the air itself.

Thor's feet were frozen in place.

It wasn't out of fear, but rather the pure, undisguised killing intent that stirred the thunder within him instinctively.

Loki silently moved half a step behind Chen Tian, watching the bald, menacing figure warily.

Chen Tian, as if nothing had happened, casually glanced around, hands in his pockets, as if admiring the scenery. "Nice setting. Tony knows how to give gifts."

Odin, sitting in the rocking chair, seemed startled by the sudden silence, and his eyelids fluttered.

"You've brought trouble, Chen Tian," Kratos's voice rang out in a deep tone.

Chen Tian waved his hand, pointed at Loki, and said with a smile, "Look, this is Loki from this world. I brought him with me."

Kratos's eyes swept over Loki, lingering for a brief moment before he let out a cold snort, "That joke isn't funny."

He turned back to chopping wood, the logs splitting open with a crack. "He's too weak, far inferior to Atreus."

"Weak?!" Loki's carefully maintained composure nearly crumbled, and he raised an eyebrow, about to retort.

But the words were barely out of his mouth when Kratos's gaze flashed through his mind, and his throat was instantly gripped by that merciless look, choking back all his excuses and sarcasm.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he subconsciously shrank back behind Chen Tian, his face full of resentment and frustration—the pressure from this bald man was more terrifying than Thor's hammer!

Just then, a weak, hoarse whisper came from the rocking chair.

"Thor Loki...?"

The sound was as dry as the rubbing of withered leaves, yet it struck the two brothers like an electric current.

Thor turned his head sharply and saw Odin struggling to open his eyelids a crack, his cloudy single eye focusing with difficulty, and his withered fingers twitching slightly, as if trying to grab the blanket on his body.

"Father!" Thor didn't care about Kratos's aura at all. His huge body took a step forward and almost pounced on the rocking chair. He knelt on one knee and carefully placed his huge hand on Odin's cold hand.

"It's us! Father! We've come to pick you up!" The voice was filled with barely concealed excitement and choked with emotion.

Loki, disregarding his embarrassment and fear of Kratos, followed closely behind Thor, his expression a complex mix of relief and somberness at the sight of his father's decline.

Chen Tian, hands clasped in his pockets, leaned against a pine tree trunk, watching this cross-planetary "family reunion" scene, and muttered to himself, "Tsk, it feels like Odin might be heading to Valhalla at any moment..."

Kratos then raised his giant axe again, shifting his gaze from Odin and his son to the next innocent piece of firewood.

The dull chopping sound rang out again, as if the little episode just now was insignificant.

Odin's gaze lingered on Thor's face for a moment, then moved with difficulty to Loki. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, it only turned into a long and weary sigh, and his eyelids closed heavily again.

Thor held his father's cold hand, feeling the faint flame of life within him, and the excitement in his heart was gradually replaced by a heavy worry.

He knew that what they had found was no longer the incomparably majestic Odin of the past.

After a long while, Odin slowly opened his one tightly closed eye, his voice weak but exceptionally clear. "Take me to the seaside... for a walk."

Thor and Loki were both taken aback.

The beach? Father's condition... can he walk? But seeing Odin's gaze, the two didn't hesitate and simultaneously looked at the only "vehicle" in the field— Chen Tian.

Chen Tian chuckled and raised his hand, "Happy to help." He snapped his the Snap crisply.

Buzz!

A dark blue portal opened up before them.

Behind the door lies a completely different scene: a cliff covered with green grass, with waves gently lapping against the dark reefs below, and in the distance, the sea and sky blend into one, calm and vast.

To everyone's surprise, Odin actually used the armrests of the rocking chair to stand up steadily!

The previous signs of decay and old age seemed to have been somewhat dispelled by the sea breeze. He tightened the wool blanket around himself, looked at no one, and strode forward, his figure disappearing into the emerald green and azure blue.

Thor and Loki exchanged a glance and immediately followed.

Chen Tian grinned and turned to Kratos, who was still struggling with the firewood. "Kratos, wanna go watch the show?"

Kratos continued chopping wood in silence, without stopping.

"Tsk." Chen Tian ignored him, stepped forward, and hooked his arm around Kratos's strong arm. "There's going to be a good show later."

Kratos' axe froze in mid-air as he glared at Chen Tian, his eyes filled with suppressed rage and a hint of helplessness.

The next second, their figures were also swallowed up by the portal.

On the cliff, the sea breeze, carrying a salty tang, rushed towards us.

Odin stood on the edge of the cliff, his white hair blowing in the wind. His figure, wrapped in a gray blanket, appeared small against the vast backdrop of the sea and sky, yet it exuded a sense of timeless desolation.

Thor and Loki stood on either side of him, holding their breath.

Odin didn't look at his two sons, but instead murmured to himself, "What a beautiful sight."

"Father, "Thor said worriedly, "Let us take you home."

Odin smiled and shook his head. "My children, I am dying. I can already hear your mother calling me."

Thor frowned and looked at Loki. "Loki! Release your spell!"

Loki opened his mouth, then shook his head.

Odin spoke again, "Ah, magic," he chuckled, looking at Loki, "It won't be easy to get rid of your magic. Frigga will be proud of you."

As he spoke, he turned around shakily, "Let's go, let's sit for a while."

The three sat down on a boulder on the cliff edge. Thor's eyes were filled with worry. "We have let you down, but please believe us, we will make amends."

Odin took a few deep breaths. "No, my children, I have failed you. Ragnarok is coming."

Thor and Loki exchanged another glance, Thor smiled, saying, "Father, Surtur has been killed by me, Ragnarok has been stopped."

Odin chuckled upon hearing Thor's words, then gasped for breath. "No, Thor, this is just the beginning. She's coming."

"I've spent my whole life trying to stop her, but my days are numbered, and I'm powerless to stop her anymore."

"Hela, the Goddess of Death."

Odin's voice was soft, "My first child." His one eye turned to Thor, "Your sister."

Thor's worried face froze instantly, his mouth slightly open, while Loki's complex expression shattered completely, leaving only astonishment.

Sister? Hela? Father never mentioned her!

Odin gasped for breath, his gaze fixed on the surging sea, as if recalling a dark past. "Her ambition... swelled beyond my control. I couldn't stop her... I could only imprison her."

"Her power originates from Asgard..." Odin's voice carried a deep weariness, yet also a warning, "Once she sets foot on her homeland... her power will be limitless..."

Thor clenched his fist, a flash of lightning in his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Whatever she is, as long as we..." Before he could finish speaking, Odin Teuchi.

"My path... is complete." Odin's gaze swept over his two sons, the heaviness of which almost froze the air on the cliff.

"From now on... it's up to you." He looked at Thor's face, a rare smile of relief appearing on his face.

"Thor... you've finally broken free from the hammer's shackles... your power... originates from within you... I'm so glad to see you awaken."

"Father, I will stop her!" Thor's tone was resolute.

Odin did not respond to Thor again. His gaze passed over Thor's shoulder and landed on the two silent figures standing behind Thor — Chen Tian with his hands in his pockets and Kratos holding an axe.

His gaze lingered on Kratos for a moment, and a hint of understanding flashed in his cloudy eyes as he noticed the lingering aura of another pantheon on the bald man.

"Thankfully..." Odin's voice was barely audible, "You... still have help..." It sounded more like a statement than a request.

Then, with great effort, he raised his arm, pointing to the horizon where the sea met the sky, his voice trembling with his last strength. "Look..."

Thor and Loki instinctively looked in the direction he was pointing.

Waves roll, seabirds soar, and in the distance, only endless deep blue stretches out.

"Remember..." Odin's voice was like a candle flickering in the wind, wavering and uncertain, "That is... home..."

Odin's reclining body, along with the gray wool blanket he was wrapped in, began to sag from the edges.

Countless tiny golden grains of sand were gently swept up by the sea breeze, drifting towards the ocean, towards the golden glow he called "home."

"Father!" Thor cried out in alarm, instinctively reaching out to grab it, but only grasping at a Void of golden quicksand. The golden particles flowed without pause, gently yet resolutely sweeping across the cliff, merging into the magnificent distant sea, and disappearing completely between the sea and sky.

Thor's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, his massive body trembling slightly, as an overwhelming sorrow engulfed him like icy seawater.

Loki stared blankly at the empty cliff edge, his lips pressed tightly together. For the first time, a clear crack appeared on his usually composed face, and deep in his eyes was a surging, indescribable pain and confusion.

Father... just like that... vanished?

The cliff was deathly silent, save for the Eternity howling of the sea wind.

Kratos, clutching his heavy Leviathan Axe, silently watched the direction where the golden light had vanished.

He had seen too much death. His heavy breathing formed a white mist in the cold wind, and he remained silent.

Chen Tian sighed, breaking the heavy silence. Within just a few days, the Ancient One and Odin passed away one after another, as if it had been arranged. Odin, who was supposed to die in 2017, died a whole year earlier.

He put his hands back in his pockets, pursed his lips, and glanced at the two brothers who were still immersed in immense grief and shock.

"Alright, let's get ready."

Thor and Loki turned to look at him, their eyes red, not understanding what he meant.

Chen Tian didn't explain, he just gestured with his chin towards the sky behind them.

The two instinctively looked in that direction.

Suddenly, a cloud of dark green smoke appeared in mid-air outside the cliff!

The smoke was so thick it resembled an unyielding poison, churning and expanding rapidly, emanating a chilling and decaying stench.

Thor and Loki exchanged a glance, instantly understanding what Chen Tian meant, their eyes becoming wary and serious.

The two brothers strode forward in unison, heading towards the ever-expanding dark green smoke.

Stop about ten meters away from the smoke.

The smoke stopped expanding and began to contract and condense rapidly inward, eventually revealing a human-shaped outline.

A woman stepped out.

The dark green, form-fitting armor outlined a powerful figure, her flowing black hair resembled seaweed, and her eyes were surrounded by heavy, unmistakable black smoky makeup.

A disdainful smile played on her lips as her gaze swept over the remaining golden glimmers on the cliff face before settling on Thor and Loki.

The smoke completely retreated back into her body.

Her voice carried a hint of mockery. "So, he's dead?"

Thor and Loki remained silent, staring intently at her.

Hela raised an eyebrow, a cruel smile playing on her lips, "What a pity, I wanted to see him breathe his last."

Thor took a deep breath, lightning flashing in his eyes. "You are Hela? I am Thor, Son of Odin."

Hela's face showed a hint of surprise as she looked Thor up and down. "Son of Odin? Seriously?" She chuckled. "You and him... don't look alike at all." Her gaze shifted to Loki.

Loki immediately flashed a sly smile, trying to ease the tension. "Perhaps we can talk? After all, we're family..."

Hela casually raised her hand and pointed at Loki, "You do have a bit of his style." She was referring to that inherent scheming.

A brief silence once again enveloped the cliff.

Hela's gaze turned icy, and she slightly raised her chin. "Kneel down."

Loki frowned, as if he hadn't heard him clearly. "What did you say?"

Hela gestured with her right hand, and a longsword instantly appeared in her grasp! The tip of the sword pointed diagonally at the ground, and although her voice wasn't loud, it carried an absolute tone of command.

"Kneel down." Her gaze swept over the two of them, like a queen scrutinizing her subjects.

"Before your queen."

Thor's clenched fist crackled with fine blue arcs of electricity; his anger finally overwhelmed his sorrow.

"I don't think so!" he growled, and suddenly swung Mjolnir up!

The hammer, accompanied by a howling wind and thunderous sound, tore through the air and slammed into Hela like a cannonball!

Thump!

A dull, heart-stopping thud rang out.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only the sickening groans of metal structures being forcibly squeezed and twisted.

Hela stood motionless. Her hand, a fair and seemingly slender hand, was casually raised, fingers spread, firmly grasping Thor's Mjolnir that was hurtling towards her!

The violent lightning power on the Hammerhead struggled and leaped in her palm, but like a spark trapped in swamp, it quickly dimmed Oblivion.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Thor and Loki's pupils constricted as they stared in disbelief at the scene before them.

Hela's face showed not a trace of strain, only a hint of disdainful amusement.

She looked down at Mjolnir, which was buzzing and trembling in her hand, trying to break free but unable to, and sneered.

Then, her five fingers suddenly exerted force!

Click--!!!

A sharp, piercing crack suddenly tore through the oppressive air on the cliff!

Countless tiny arcs of electricity flew wildly in all directions, accompanied by strange light and shadow as metal fragments shattered and scattered!

Thor's ever-present weapon, the divine weapon symbolizing thunder and power— Mjolnir of Mjolnir.

In Hela's seemingly delicate palm, like a fragile bubble, it was forcefully burst! It turned into countless shimmering metal fragments and dissipated lightning energy!

Fragments clattered and scattered across the ground, the remaining lightning leaping a few times unwillingly before finally extinguishing completely.

Thor's hand remained frozen in mid-air, in a throwing posture, his face contorted in a blank expression of utter shock.

His proud symbol of power... just like that... shattered?

Hela casually flicked her hand, looking at Thor's bloodless face with eyes that seemed to look down on an ant:

"Poor Hammer God."

Kratos, watching all this silently from a distance, turned to Chen Tian and asked, "Aren't you going to make a move?"

Chen Tian pursed his lips, then stretched. "Alright, I had no idea where Hela was being held before, but now that she's shown up, let's give her a beating."

Hela tilted her head slightly, her icy gaze sweeping over Chen Tian and Kratos. "Two ants."

Before she finished speaking, she casually flicked her hands, and two ferocious longswords tore through the air with a low whistle of death, shooting straight towards Chen Tian Kratos's faces!

Chen Tian sighed and merely took a small step forward casually.

Swish!

The two longswords, imbued with terrifying power, seemed to have struck an invisible wall of sighs, abruptly freezing in mid-air about a meter away from Chen Tian's body!

The sword tip hummed and trembled violently, as if it were stuck in an invisible, infinitely extending quagmire, and no matter how far it advanced, the target remained out of reach.

Chen Tian raised an eyebrow smugly and turned his head to look at Kratos, who remained motionless beside him.

The God of War didn't even lift an eyelid. "See, Kratos."

Chen Tian his chin, a hint of smugness in his voice, "This move is a perfect counter to physical damage."

Kratos sighed at Chen Tian's boasting.

The disdain on Hela's face was replaced by a hint of scrutiny.

"Who are you?"

"Me? Cough cough." Chen Tian coughed twice and cleared his throat.

"Since you've asked so sincerely, we'll mercifully tell you: to prevent the world from being destroyed, to protect world peace, to uphold love and truth against evil, there are lovable and charming heroes of justice."

"I am the slayer of the Celestials! The executioner who killed Thanos!"

Chen Tian looked utterly naive; the awkwardness of his past attempts to summon Diablo was long gone, replaced by a look of reverence.

"Arbitrators!"

"Chen Tian!"