The Empowered Laufey

Seeing Heimdall's bewildered expression, Sif hurriedly said, "Li Ang, go help Thor. We've got things covered here."

Business came first. Li Ang wasted no more time and flew toward the palace as well.

He hadn't realized it until he started flying, and then he got quite a shock.

Asgard was enormous. Beyond the palace, there were plenty of towns and stretches of wooded mountains.

It was a world unto itself, after all, about the size of a state in the United States. Li Ang didn't devote all his attention to it as he flew toward the magnificent golden palace in the distance.

Along the way, the Bifrost stretched on beneath him, almost giving him the illusion that he wasn't moving.

Soon, he arrived below the royal palace. Before he could enter, a boom came from the spire above. He looked up and saw a hole burst open in the tower.

Then two figures fell out, locked in combat.

After the rubble hit the ground, Li Ang saw that they were Thor and a Frost Giant.

"Huh?" Confusion appeared on Li Ang's face. Wasn't the Frost Giant supposed to have been killed by Loki's sneak attack? Why was he not only alive but fighting Thor?

There was no time to think about it. Li Ang charged toward them. His eyes lit up along the way, firing two beams of Heat Vision at Laufey!

The Heat Vision was incredibly hot, and Laufey was already vulnerable to high temperatures. When he raised an arm to block, black smoke hissed from the spots where the beams struck it!

"Aargh!" Laufey staggered back two steps in pain, releasing Thor as a layer of frost covered his body.

Li Ang landed beside Thor and pulled him up. "Leave this to me. Hurry up and catch your brother!"

Unexpectedly, Thor didn't leave. He said gravely, "Laufey has absorbed the power of the Casket of Ancient Winters. Can you handle him?"

The Casket of Ancient Winters? Was it like that Eternal Flame thing?

Before Li Ang could figure it out, Laufey snorted and stood up, cold air spreading around him. As he raised his hand, the cold condensed into ice, forming an ice sword!

Clearly, absorbing the vessel of the Casket of Ancient Winters had made him much stronger.

Ever since Odin had taken his people's divine artifact, his strength had been declining.

Now that he had absorbed the cold energy of the Casket of Ancient Winters, even if he wasn't back at his peak, he was definitely stronger than Thor was now!

"Let's see what you're capable of!"

Laufey roared and slashed down. The cold stirred up by his swinging sword made their skin sting!

Amid the white mist, Li Ang shoved Thor aside. Rather than dodge, he punched straight at the sword with enough force to send a crack through the air!

His fist collided with the sword, and a moment later, the blade shattered. Thor looked stunned at first, then broke into a grin. "Yeah!"

"Hurry up and catch your brother!" Li Ang was at his wits' end.

Had Thor been shocked stupid back on Earth? What was he waiting for instead of leaving at a time like this?

"Oh, right!" Thor scrambled up, swung his hammer, and flew upward. Before leaving, he warned, "Be careful!"

Once Thor left, Li Ang looked at his hand.

A wisp of blue energy clung to his knuckles, its tendrils chilling them as though they were pressed against ice.

"Hmph. I've absorbed the cold energy of the Casket of Ancient Winters. So long as you touch it, its magic will freeze you solid!"

Laufey looked smug. Did they really think he, the ruler of Jotunheim, was a pushover?

If Odin hadn't been so powerful, they would have invaded Asgard long ago!

But... watching the cold energy already fading from Li Ang's hand, Laufey felt uncertain.

An ordinary Asgardian would have been frozen solid just from catching that sword strike, yet Li Ang only had a little cold energy left on his knuckles.

"Magic? I know a little myself." Li Ang flexed his wrists, then formed a seal with one hand. A streak of orange light flashed past and settled over his body!

It was just magic. Li Ang could use it too!

"Come on, let me show you my magic!"

Li Ang raised his hand and fired a Gravity Capture Net. Seeing him move, Laufey was just about to dodge when the Gravity Capture Net activated instantly!

Laufey felt as though the air around him had solidified, pressing him downward. His legs buckled, nearly forcing him to his knees, but cold energy surged over his body, and he actually withstood the Gravity Capture Net!

But that brief pause was already enough for Li Ang to reach him.

Laufey's vision blurred, and Li Ang appeared before him in his combat suit, swinging a fist!

The blow was fast and vicious. By the time Laufey reacted, pain struck his face, followed immediately by the sight of Li Ang's excited expression.

Iron fists hammered down, each strike to his face accompanied by the crack of bone!

The blow left him seeing stars. A moment later, another punch hit his back, smashing him into the ground!

"Despicable human! I..." Laufey roared, but Li Ang punched the rest of his words back down his throat, along with two front teeth.

"Still! Talking! We're! Fighting! Here!"

Li Ang gritted his teeth, landing another punch on Laufey's face with every word!

A deep crater had already been smashed into the ground. Every punch cracked the earth with its impact, and Laufey was nearly going mad.

Over a thousand years! He hadn't seen a lunatic like this in over a thousand years!

"Enough!"

Laufey roared, unleashing a burst of cold energy that blasted Li Ang away!

Li Ang drifted backward, watching frost begin to coat the ground beneath Laufey's feet. Even his own combat suit began to change color.

The suit grew increasingly brittle until it finally shattered with a crack!

Li Ang looked down at himself, left in nothing but shorts and a cloak. He was speechless, then finally laughed in exasperation.

Movies were all lies!

How come everyone else could finish a fight covered in dirt with their clothes still intact, while he barely got hurt but had his clothes ripped off every time?

He wasn't in the habit of streaking!

[Master, you can repair it directly for 10 Presence!]

Hearing that, Li Ang looked at his Presence panel to see how much he had left.

[140239]

Seeing that he had over a hundred and forty thousand, he waved a hand. "Repair it! I don't want my shorts freezing to pieces too. I didn't come all the way to Asgard to let it all hang out."

[OK!]

As the system's voice faded, Li Ang's combat suit reappeared. Laufey had recovered by then as well. He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. "You call that magic?"

What ordinary magic didn't come with dazzling light effects and world-destroying power?

Yet this guy called it magic just because he added a little magical effect to his fists?

Li Ang didn't answer, and Laufey had run out of patience. Ice spikes suddenly erupted from the frozen ground beneath them. Seeing this, Li Ang charged forward without dodging!

With magic coating his body, Li Ang could temporarily ignore the cold energy.

Now Li Ang could handle it with ease, but after being empowered, Laufey's physical body was formidable too!

It was no exaggeration to say that Laufey was definitely the toughest opponent Li Ang had encountered since coming to this world!

Laufey's cold energy froze the ground, only for Li Ang to smash it apart again. Their fight nearly demolished the palace square!

The once spacious, imposing palace square had practically become a ruin.

Just then, an aura erupted in the distance, accompanied by bursts of lightning and sounds of shattering.

Thor had subdued Loki and was now planning to smash the Bifrost!

Li Ang's expression shifted slightly. He had come here to complete a mission. If the Bifrost broke, wouldn't he be unable to get back?