Stripped of divine power, Thor in mortal flesh

Thor's footsteps crunched on the gravel. He didn't look back or stop, but walked step by step toward the edge of the valley. Moonlight shone on his back, and his cloak trailed on the ground, covered with dirt and bits of grass.

Ye Mo squatted at the edge of the ravine, his fingers touching the Vibranium fragment. Its vibration frequency changed, from once every four seconds to once every three seconds, like a heartbeat entering a countdown.

"It's not over yet," he said.

Emma Frost closed her eyes, her Mental Network spreading ten meters wide, gently sweeping across Thor's consciousness. Her brow twitched, and she immediately opened her eyes.

"He was recalling his banishment," she said. "Odin stood on a high platform and said, 'You are unworthy to wield thunder,' and then a golden light descended from the sky and struck him directly in the chest."

Ye Mo nodded. "Then it's not a natural failure, it's a deliberate deprivation."

He's an ordinary person now.

"Not entirely." Ye Mo stared at Thor's retreating figure. "The divine power is still being withdrawn, and his body is adapting. Look at his gait—his left shoulder is slumped, and he's putting more weight on his right leg, which indicates a problem with his balance system."

Emma Frost closed her eyes again. "There's also emotional turmoil. The memory fragments are chaotic, including images of the Bifrost collapsing and scenes of him practicing swordsmanship as a child. There are two voices fighting in his head."

"One says, 'I am God of Thunder, ' and the other says, 'You are nothing.'"

"Almost."

Ye Mo touched his glasses and said in a low voice, "This is even more brutal than a fight."

Thor suddenly stumbled and grabbed a rock for support. He caught his breath, shook off the rock, and continued walking. His breathing became heavy, and his steps began to drag, but he didn't stop.

"His body temperature has dropped below 35 degrees Celsius." Ye Mo looked at the data reported by the system. "It's minus five degrees Celsius in the mountains at night. Dressed like this, he'll suffer from hypothermia in less than two hours."

"You want to save him?"

"No rescue."

"Then why are you staring at it?"

"Research." Ye Mo flipped the Vibranium fragment over. "A god transforming into a human, the entire process recorded. It'll be useful later. For example, if Thanos is stripped of his powers one day, we can predict how he'll react."

"Couldn't you just say you wanted to help him?"

"Helping him is the result; studying him is the goal."

Emma Frost glanced at him. "You're so Coldblood."

"I'm not Coldblood, I'm just clear-headed." Ye Mo chuckled. "Last time, I was overcome with compassion and gave a homeless man some water, only to find out he pulled out a stun gun. Later I found out he was Hydra outpost member, testing the disguise abilities of street agents."

So now you don't even dare to be a human being anymore?

"I'm human, I've just learned to look at the data first and then let my emotions get the better of me."

After walking half a kilometer, Thor's pace slowed noticeably. His arms began to tremble, and his knees bent more deeply, as if each lift of his leg required immense effort. Yet, he did not collapse.

"Metabolic rate is nearing its limit." Ye Mo looked at the notification in his mind. "Insufficient oxygen supply to the muscles, severe lactic acid buildup; an ordinary person would have collapsed long ago."

He has a strong will.

"Forcing him won't help," Ye Mo shook his head. "His body can't hold on. Look at his right hand—he keeps grabbing at the air, like he's trying to hold a hammer, but there's nothing in his hand."

Emma Frost suddenly frowned. "Wait."

"How?"

"A thought flashed through his mind: 'True power comes from within, not from the divine.' This wasn't his own idea."

Whose is that?

"I don't know. But when those words came out, his heart beat 0.8 seconds faster, as if something had been activated."

Ye Mo stared at the Vibranium fragment. It suddenly heated up, and a faint red light appeared on its surface.

"New data has come in," he said. "Genetic fluctuations are occurring during the process of divine stripping, and the system is capturing them."

[Unknown ability fragment detected]

[Type: Passive/Status]

[Source: Asgardians Energy Stripping Phenomenon]

[Storage Location: 15th Floor of the Gene Spiral Tower]

[Current Availability: 0%]

"The ____ does not work?"

"Not for now." Ye Mo narrowed his eyes, "But at least we've memorized the process. If someone has their abilities taken away in the future, we can simulate a response plan."

Thor reached a slope, slipped, and fell to the ground. He lay there for a moment, then slowly pushed himself up with his hands and continued crawling. His palms were scraped and bleeding, but he seemed not to feel the pain.

"He's dying," Emma Frost said.

"I can still walk."

"What if he dies?"

"No," Ye Mo said calmly. "Since Odin threw him down, he won't let him die too easily. This is punishment, not execution."

How did you know?

"Because Gods have a set pattern for what they do," Ye Mo smiled. "They like to leave survivors, making them live in agony."

Thor finally climbed the slope and stood at the top. The wind blew through his hair as he gazed into the distance, standing there for a long time. Then he turned and continued walking.

"He chose the wrong route." Ye Mo looked at the map. "That's a dense forest, no roads, lots of Beast. If he goes in like this, he might not even come out by tomorrow morning."

"Should you remind him?"

"No."

"Why?"

"First, I have no reason to speak; second, he hates being told what to do right now; third—" Ye Mo paused, "The system didn't respond."

"You're using the system as a shield again."

I'm all about logic.

Emma Frost was silent for a moment, then said, "Do you think he'll come back for the hammer?"

"Won't."

"Why?"

"Because he had realized one thing: the hammer didn't want him, not because it was broken, but because there was something wrong with him."

So he has to deal with himself first?

"Yes." Ye Mo watched Thor's figure grow smaller and smaller. "The hardest thing for a strong person to accept is not defeat, but admitting that they need to change."

Thor walked into the woods, his figure swallowed by the shadows. Only the sound of his footsteps continued, one after another, intermittent but uninterrupted.

"He's still alive," Emma Frost said.

"Temporary."

Aren't you afraid he'll die on the road?

"Afraid."

"Then why don't you take action?"

"Saving him now would be interrupting his awakening process." Ye Mo put away the Vibranium fragment. "Some people need to suffer enough before they look up and see where they're going."

"But haven't you always only cared about your own safety?"

"What I'm doing now is also for safety."

How so?

"If one day I also lose my abilities, I'll want to know how to stand up again." Ye Mo looked into the depths of the woods. "What he's going through might be my future."

Emma Frost didn't speak. She looked at Ye Mo's profile and noticed that the smile on his lips had faded slightly.

"You're actually a little worried about him," she said.

"I don't."

"You have."

"I said no, so it's no."

A muffled thud came from afar, like someone had fallen. The leaves rustled, followed by the sound of slow crawling.

"He's still alive," Ye Mo said.

You could tell from that?

"It's not what I heard, it's a system notification." He pointed to his temple, "That fall just now triggered a weak life fluctuation record, and the value is within the survival range."

"You've actually been monitoring me all along?"

"It's just that the scanner wasn't turned off."

"So when are you planning to make your move?"

"Wait until he comes out of the woods."

What if he can't get over it?

"That means he shouldn't be alive."

Emma Frost stared at him for a few seconds. "You're so stubborn."

"I am reality."

The sounds from the woods stopped briefly, then resumed. The climb was slow, but progress was being made.

Ye Mo opened the Gene Spiral Tower interface and found the 15th floor. The newly sealed ability fragment floated silently, showing no signs of activation.

"Maybe it will be useful in the future," he said.

"Maybe I'll never need it."

"Then keep it."

"As a souvenir?"

"As teaching material."

In the distance, Thor parted a clump of bushes, revealing a face covered in sweat and mud. His eyes were open, his gaze unwavering. He took a few breaths, lifted one leg, and stepped over.

Ye Mo watched this scene and tapped his finger lightly in his pocket.

The Vibranium fragment vibrated once.

Three seconds exactly.