The moment the hammer touched my hand, I felt its icy coldness.
Without hesitation, Luca unleashed his inner energy.
Red and blue light instantly shone from the depths of his eyes, then spread to his arms and even his entire body.
He poured all his power into his right hand!
"Rise!"
Luca gave a low shout, his muscles instantly tensing.
Rumble!
The ground within a hundred meters began to tremble violently.
The soil beneath their feet was cracking inch by inch, with huge fissures spreading outwards.
However.
A second passed.
Two seconds passed.
Mjolnir's hammer remained firmly planted in place, without even the slightest tremor.
It was as if its own weight had surpassed that of the Earth, and as if an invisible rule was suppressing Luca's power.
"That's interesting."
Seeing this, Luca released his grip and stood up straight.
Continuing to fight it out is pointless, because he has realized that this is not a matter of weight at all.
Even if he blasted a hole through the Earth, he still couldn't pull this thing out.
" Wanda, you give it a try."
After thinking for a moment, Luca looked at Wanda was standing to the side.
Wanda nodded.
She stepped forward, stretched out her hands, and Chaos Magic instantly condensed in her palms.
A thick, red energy, like a dense fog, quickly enveloped Mjolnir.
Wanda closed her eyes, attempting to sever its connection to the ground using Chaos Magic.
The red light grew brighter and brighter, and the surrounding pebbles floated into the air under the influence of the magic.
However, the hammer remained motionless.
Enveloped in energy, the hammer suddenly flashed with a faint silver lightning bolt, deflecting the magic directly.
"No..."
Wanda took a breath and withdrew her magic.
"The hammer is protected by an extremely powerful energy. My magic cannot penetrate it."
Pietro, standing to the side, stared wide-eyed and couldn't help but complain.
"Good heavens, even Luca's and your magic aren't working?"
"What exactly is this thing? Is it a weight that God put on Earth?"
Seeing this, Gwen Stacy simply shrugged.
"Since even you can't pull it out, I won't waste my energy making a fool of myself."
Then, Gwen Stacy walked over to Luca and took his arm.
"Perhaps it really was glued to the earth with superglue."
In the distance, Thor suddenly made a sound.
Seeing Luca and the others' humiliated expressions, he was stunned for a moment, then let out a low laugh.
Hehe... Hahaha...
The laughter grew louder and louder, eventually turning into unrestrained, maniacal laughter.
"Mortals... you foolish mortals!"
Thor staggered to his feet, pointed at Luca and the others, his face full of condescending mockery.
"I told you long ago! That's Mjolnir! That's an artifact belonging to Asgard!"
"Without Odin's permission, no matter how powerful you are, you absolutely cannot touch it in the slightest!"
"This is God's weapon; you cannot pull it up!"
Hearing Thor's taunts, Pietro clenched his fist in annoyance, about to rush over and punch him, but Luca stopped him with a look.
Thor laughed so hard he almost cried.
Since they couldn't pick it up, the hammer must not be broken.
He thought that Mjolnir must have been joking with him.
So he decided to try again in a different position.
He strode up to the hammer and looked at it as if it were an old friend.
" Mjolnir, only I Thor, am worthy to lift you!"
Thor took a deep breath, gripped the hammer handle with both hands, and pulled upwards with all his might.
At that moment, he eagerly awaited the instant when the power of thunder would once again flow into his body.
However.
The hammer remained completely still.
Thor's smile froze again.
He stared blankly at his hands, then at the hammer on the ground, his mind completely blank.
"No... this is impossible..."
Thor refused to believe it and gripped the hammer handle again, pulling desperately upwards.
You could tell she was using every ounce of strength she had, her face was flushed red.
"Get up! Get up now!"
Unfortunately, there was no lightning, and no response.
The hammer rejected its former owner.
"Why... why did this happen..."
Thor released his grip, his legs buckled, and he knelt before the hammer once more.
He was just laughing at others for not being able to lift it, but now, his pride is gone.
As he laughed, Thor's voice turned into a sob.
Large tears rolled down his face, mingling with the dirt, making him look incredibly pitiful.
Then, he suddenly raised his head and let out a hysterical roar at the sky.
"Why?! Father! Why!"
"I am your son! I am the heir to the throne of Asgard! Why are you doing this to me!"
"I know I was wrong! Give me back my power!"
Thor cried out in despair at the bottom of the pit, his divine majesty gone.
Some are happy, some are sad.
Thor, who was laughing wildly one second and then broke down in tears the next, left the Justice League completely bewildered.
"Dude, does this guy have bipolar disorder?" Pietro muttered under his breath, pointing at Thor's head.
"This condition looks quite serious."
Peter felt a pang of pity and scratched his head.
"He looks so pitiful. He keeps calling out Asgard and his father. Could he really be an alien who was kicked out of his home?"
Luca remained silent.
Observing the hammer on the ground and Thor's broken-down sobs, he sensed something was amiss.
The properties exhibited by this hammer completely defy common scientific sense.
Not only did it ignore its own power, it could even deflect Wanda's Chaos Magic.
What does this tell us?
This proves that this guy who calls himself Thor and his talk of Asgard are absolutely real!
Therefore, Asgard truly exists!
Moreover, that place may possess advanced technology far beyond Earth's comprehension.
Or rather, it is some powerful force capable of making rules.
That makes sense.
The hammer couldn't be pulled out not just because it was heavy, but because it was set with certain conditions that allowed it to be picked up only under specific circumstances.
Thinking of this, Luca's mind instantly cleared.
He felt he had discovered an unprecedented gold mine!
" Asgard... sounds like a super-rich, advanced civilization."
Luca was secretly calculating in his mind.
"If there really are gods in this universe, then their technology, metals, and resources are definitely of a higher quality than anything you can find on Earth."
"If we could establish a connection with a place like that, or source some goods from there, wouldn't Stark Industries ' territory be able to expand directly into outer space?"
Thinking of this, Luca's expression changed.
Looking at Thor now, it's no longer like looking at a madman.
What's the point of fighting and killing?
Making money and acquiring resources are the key to success.
So Luca put on a sincere expression.
He then gently patted Gwen Stacy's hand to signal her to let go, before walking over to Thor and slowly patting him on the shoulder.
"Hey, buddy. Calm down."
Luca's tone softened, making everyone feel incredibly at ease.
"It seems you're indeed in trouble. Your father is very strict with you, isn't he?"
Thor looked up at Luca, his face streaked with tears.
He never imagined that in an unfamiliar Midgard, at his most desperate moment, he would...
The first to comfort him were surprisingly these Midgardian.
"My father stripped me of my divine power and banished me here... He abandoned me."
Thor spoke in a hoarse voice, like a wronged child.
"Oh? Is that so? Elders are sometimes like that; they always like to use extreme methods to educate children."
Luca sighed, took a handkerchief from his pocket, and handed it to Thor.
"Listen, you can't just give up. The fact that the hammer has fallen to Earth means there's still a chance."
Luca stood up, extended his right hand to Thor, his eyes filled with utmost sincerity.
"Let me reintroduce myself. I am Luca Stark, the owner of Stark Industries."
This is Earth, not Asgard.
"Since you're homeless now and can't take the hammer with you, why don't you come visit my company first?"
At this moment, Luca's tone was seductive, like that of a good person.
Stark Industries loves making friends across the universe.
"We can provide you with shelter and food. We can even work together to study this hammer and help you regain your power."
"What do you think, the great Thor?"
In my most isolated and helpless moment, this sudden act of kindness was like a ray of light in the darkness.
Seeing Luca's outstretched hand, Thor's eyes welled up with tears, and he gripped Luca's hand tightly.
"Thank you, Luca. You are a true warrior and a generous friend."
Thor stood up, deeply grateful.
" Midgardian, you have won the friendship of Thor!"
Seeing this, Pietro and Peter looked at each other in bewilderment.
The boss, who was just a moment ago looking cold and aloof, suddenly transformed into a caring older brother.
And he even managed to move the so-called Thor to tears.
Is this... right?!
"That change of expression... it's faster than me running," Pietro muttered under his breath.
Gwen Stacy and Wanda exchanged a smile.
After all, they were already used to Luca's tactics.
Others were used to it.
"Alright, since we're friends now, let's not stand on ceremony."
Luca turned around and snapped his the Snap at the Justice in the sky.
" JARVIS, take the hammer away. If we can't pull it out, then we won't."
"Sir, it cannot be moved," JARVIS reminded him.
"I didn't say you had to pull it out. Can't you take the soil underneath it along with it?!" Luca, with his wealth and power, gave the order.
"Understood, sir. The cutting laser is being activated."
A few minutes later.
Amidst a blinding laser cutting sound.
Mjolnir and a rock were cut out.
Several drones were then securely secured with steel cables and hoisted directly into the cargo hold of the Justice.
Half an hour later.
High in the sky, the Justice is steadily returning to New York.
In the cabin rest area.
Thor had taken a hot shower and changed into a clean suit.
Although the suit was stretched taut by his muscles, he finally looked somewhat human.
At that moment, he was sitting on the sofa, drinking and lost in thought.
"This drink tastes pretty good, although it's a little less potent than Asgard mead."
Thor downed most of his glass of wine in one gulp and let out a satisfied burp.
With the hospitality of delicious food and fine wine, coupled with Luca's previous goodwill, Thor had completely let down his guard against this group.
Luca sat opposite him, swirling his wine glass in his hand, like an ordinary person full of curiosity.
" Thor, I've always been curious."
"In our legends, gods live in the heavens. Since you are a god, why have you descended to Earth... no, to Midgard?"
Upon hearing this, Thor immediately put down his glass and straightened his back.
" Midgardian, your understanding of the universe is far too limited."
"The gods do not reside in the heavens, but in Asgard, the highest of the Nine Realms!"
Seeing the Midgardian's curiosity about their hometown, Thor felt very proud and immediately began to give a long and detailed explanation.
"There are nine worlds in the universe, connected by the branches of the World Tree. Your Midgard is merely the most vulnerable of them all."
"And Asgard is the guardian of the Nine Realms!"
"Our palaces are made of gold, and our Bifrost can traverse galaxies in an instant. We wage war across the stars, protecting the peace of the universe."
Peter and Pietro stared wide-eyed, like children listening to a story.
"The aliens used the Bifrost to teleport? That's space technology!!" Peter exclaimed.
Luca ignored Peter's fuss and listened with a smile on his face, while in reality he was rapidly extracting useful information.
Nine Realms? Bifrost? Technology for instantly traversing galaxies?
Isn't this an interstellar-level highway network?!
If Stark Industries could master the technology for the Bifrost, what would Earth's resources matter?
The entire universe is Stark's mine!
"What an amazing place."
Luca displayed his amazement perfectly, then smoothly steered the conversation to the heart of the matter.
"But since Asgard is so powerful, what exactly is your hammer made of? Why can't we budge it?"
"You just said that was your father's spell, a locking program for some high-tech weapon?"
Thor laughed loudly and waved his hand.
"Technology? No, Luca. It's a combination of magic and forging techniques."
As he spoke, Thor's eyes shone with pride.
"The hammer's name is Mjolnir."
"It was forged in the dwarven ring forge of Nidavellir using the core of a dying star!"
Its main material is a magical iron called Uru.
"This metal is extremely rare throughout the universe. Not only is it incredibly hard, but it also possesses an extremely strong affinity for magic, allowing it to perfectly contain and store vast amounts of Cosmic Energy!"
"As for why you can't pull it out..."
Thor's expression turned somewhat reverent.
"Those are Asgard runes and Odin's Word of Power magic."
"My father Odin was the most powerful god in the Nine Realms, and he imbued the hammer with a spell of law."
"Apart from those who possess the qualifications of a king or are warriors with pure and kind hearts, no one can break the suppression of the rules."
After hearing what Thor said...
The people in the cabin were stunned.
Although Luca remained outwardly calm, a storm was brewing within him.
Uru Metal?!
Built from the core of a dying star?!
Cosmic iron capable of perfectly containing magic and energy?!
Asgard Rune Magic?!
If we could get our hands on a batch of Uru metal, combine it with Vibranium, and then add Chaos Magic...
How defensive is his suit?
"If Tony learns Asgard Rune Magic and then imprints magic circles onto his Uru metal-forged nanotech armor, wouldn't Tony's fighting power be enough to sweep across the galaxy?"
Asgard? The Realm of Gods?
No! This is clearly a gold mine!
In comparison, Earth's resources are like a slum!
We absolutely have to find a way to get to Asgard! We absolutely must go!
Luca made a decision in his heart.
Now, as he looked at Thor, his gaze softened considerably.
This guy is the key Stark Industries uses to unlock the universe.
A few hours later.
The Justice landed at the base.
Everyone dispersed to rest.
Luca brought the rock containing Mjolnir to the laboratory.
He was prepared to thoroughly study this so-called Uru metal.
I had just sat down at the lab bench, and hadn't even taken a sip of my coffee.
"Gentlemen."
JARVIS's gentle voice echoed in the laboratory.
"We just intercepted a message from the New York underground intelligence network."
"An underground intelligence network? Kingpin's side?"
Luca raised an eyebrow.
Since taking over Kingpin's forces, he has been monitoring every move in the New York underworld.
"Yes, sir."
A holographic screen unfolded in front of Luca, displaying a surveillance screenshot of an underground tunnel in Brooklyn.
"Intelligence indicates that a strange bio-energy fluctuation has been detected deep underground in Brooklyn."
"According to intelligence from Kingpin's the Hand is conducting a large-scale secret excavation in that underground area."
"They appear to have discovered an ancient, massive skeleton there. The Hand internally refers to this skeleton as... the Dragon Bone. And they are preparing some kind of ancient resurrection ritual."
" The Hand? Dragon Bone?"
Luca put down his coffee, raising an eyebrow slightly.
A mysterious ninja organization is digging for bones underground in New York? And they're dragon bones?
This thing sounds like it not only contains bioenergy, but it's also an excellent experimental material.
Luca smiled slightly.
I was just worried about not having a new source of energy to strengthen my body, and now, someone has offered it to me.
"It seems New York's underworld is still too active and needs a good cleanup."
Luca got up and stretched his fingers.
JARVIS.
"Yes, sir."
"Notify Matt and Frank. Tell them they've had enough rest."
"Tell them to get ready; the Justice League is going to have a thorough cleanup tonight."