Thor restored, the hammer summoned

Thor stood still, the wind blowing from the depths of the valley. He felt the hammer moving; it wasn't an illusion, but a deep, visceral vibration, like a heartbeat striking his chest.

He wasn't in a hurry to leave.

He was still burning up from the three bolts of lightning that struck him, and his muscles felt like they were being electrified. He knew this wasn't just the restoration of his strength; it was the rekindling of something deeper within him.

"Do you remember me?" he whispered.

The sound wasn't loud, but Ye Mo heard it. He was leaning against the broken wall, the Steel Bone in his right arm had grown to his wrist, and his fingers could move. He looked up at Thor's back, then looked down to check the joint in his arm.

"System notification—Don't get stuck at this time," he muttered, actually speaking to himself.

Emma Frost stood beside him, her hand still on his shoulder. Her complexion was a little better than before; the nosebleed had stopped, and her breathing was steady. She closed her eyes for a moment and used her Mental Network to scan Thor's emotional fluctuations.

"He's hesitating," she said.

"Normal." Ye Mo cracked his knuckles. "I'd hesitate too. Just a moment ago he was a down-on-his-luck old man who couldn't even lift a hammer, and now he suddenly says he wants to regain divine authority? Who would believe that?"

That being said, his eyes never left Thor.

He knew this moment was important. Not just because the hammer was coming back, but because Thor had to overcome that hurdle himself. No one could do it for him.

Thor closed his eyes.

He stopped looking in the direction of the hammer and turned his attention back to the present. Many images flashed through his mind—the great palace of Asgard, the small town on Earth, the strange look in the eyes of the gas station cashier, Jane's smile as she handed him the coffee, and Ye Mo standing in front of him, taking a shot from the Destroyer.

He recalled his own words, "I'm not fighting to be anyone's son; I'm fighting to be myself."

The wind suddenly picked up.

The dark clouds began to churn, not naturally formed, but summoned by human intervention. Lightning bolts danced within the clouds, as if awaiting orders.

"It's about to begin," Emma Frost said.

Ye Mo straightened up a bit. "Nonsense, who can't see that?"

He spoke, but didn't move. His right hand continued to Regeneration, metal fibers wrapping around his bones layer by layer, making a soft clicking sound. This was the only thing he could do at the moment—wait.

Wait for Thor to make a choice.

Waiting for Hammer's response.

When this trial is truly over.

Thor opened his eyes and slowly raised his hands, palms facing upwards. This was not an attack posture, nor a plea, but a declaration.

"If you don't believe I'm still the same guardian," his voice wasn't loud, but every word carried clearly, "Then let me spend my whole life proving it."

The moment the words left his mouth, the air changed.

Mjolnir in the distant valley trembled slightly.

A rune lit up.

Next is the second course.

The soil began to crack.

"It moved!" Ye Mo stared at that spot and couldn't help but take half a step forward.

Emma Frost immediately grabbed him, "Don't come any closer! The magnetic field is changing!"

She's right.

Before the hammer even took off, the surrounding airflow had already begun to become turbulent. Gravel floated in the air, and dust swirled upwards, forming small vortices. This was not just ordinary wind; it was a natural resonance triggered by the awakening of a divine being.

Just then, Ye Mo caught a glimpse of the Destroyer's remains out of the corner of his eye.

The core blue light flashed once; the frequency was incorrect.

"What the hell?" He frowned, immediately realizing the problem.

Someone is still monitoring remotely, and may even be trying to interfere with the summoning process.

Without a word, he activated his Wall Phasing Technique, his body instantly sinking and gliding several meters along the ground, appearing to the Destroyer's right. His left hand, made of Steel Bone, deformed into a pincer-like structure, precisely clamping onto the main energy Circuit interface.

"System notification -- Don't disturb their family reunion." He said this while giving it a hard tug.

Snap!

Sparks flew everywhere.

The core blue light suddenly weakened, leaving only a faint flicker, as if the signal had been cut off.

"Done." He withdrew his arm, Steel Bone returned to its original state.

Emma Frost wasn't idle either. She closed her eyes, concentrated her last bit of mental energy, and transmitted a series of images to Thor —the looks in the eyes of the townspeople as they hid in their basements, Jane recording storm data in front of her telescope, and the boy's blurt-out question when he saw Thor conjuring lightning, "Can he really control lightning?"

These are all true.

These are all things worth protecting.

Thor's body jolted.

He sensed it.

It's not just the visuals, but the emotions they convey: trust, expectation, and hope. It's not because he was once God of Thunder, but because he chose to stay and fight.

"Boom--"

The first bolt of lightning struck the spot where the hammer was stuck.

The soil exploded, and flames rose.

The hammer finally began to rise.

It moved slowly, as if struggling, or perhaps confirming its position. With each inch it rose, a ring of runes lit up, until the entire hammer was suspended in mid-air, crackling with lightning and emitting a deep hum.

"I'm out..." Ye Mo murmured.

Emma Frost helped him to his feet. "Now it's up to him."

The hammer hovered for a few seconds, then suddenly accelerated.

It ripped through the sky with a deafening roar, heading straight for Thor. Along the way, it triggered a chain of thunderstorms, with bolts of lightning chasing after it and striking down, as if the heavens and earth were witnessing this moment.

"Holy crap!" Ye Mo pulled Emma Frost behind him and activated his Steel Bone Full Coverage Mode, instantly hardening his right arm and left shoulder into metal armor.

A strong wind swept in, and pebbles shot towards the two of them like bullets.

He stood firm, his back to the eye of the storm, like a wall blocking Emma Frost's path.

Emma Frost, not to be outdone, raised Mental Barrier to slow the shockwave's advance. The two stood back to back, neither retreating.

In the sky, the hammer drew ever closer.

Thor stood still, without moving.

He opened his arms, not to welcome, but to accept.

As the hammer flew overhead, he knelt on one knee, gently pressing his forehead against the handle.

"Boom--"

The lightning exploded, spreading in a ring.

The entire valley was illuminated.

Ye Mo was thrown back a step by the shockwave, his knees buckling and he almost knelt, but he held on. He saw Thor's entire body enveloped in lightning, his muscles bulging, and his aura surging. It wasn't an infusion of external power, but rather the complete restart of the internal contract.

He's back.

The real God of Thunder has returned.

Emma Frost took a breath and slid her hand off Ye Mo's shoulder. "It's over."

"Not yet." Ye Mo stared in that direction, a smile playing on his lips. "This is just the beginning."

Thor slowly stood up.

He gripped the hammer with both hands, his knuckles white, as if trying to reclaim everything he had lost over the years. His eyes had changed; they were no longer filled with confusion or anger, but with unwavering determination, pure and simple resolve.

He turned to look at Ye Mo and Emma Frost.

The two exchanged a glance.

Without saying a word, we both know what the other is thinking.

At that moment, the pile of Destroyer's remains on the ground flashed with blue light again.

Faint, but present.

"Hey," Ye Mo suddenly spoke, "You can still hear me, right? Tell your master to send someone more reliable next time."

Thor walked over.

Each step he took caused the ground to tremble slightly. Lightning danced around him, yet remained uncontrolled, as if completely obedient to him. He walked up to Ye Mo and stopped.

"Thank you," he said.

Ye Mo waved his hand, "Don't thank me, I'm just an employee."

Emma Frost chuckled softly.

Thor didn't say anything more, he just slung the hammer over his shoulder. He glanced back at the sky; the dark clouds were dispersing, and sunlight was streaming down, illuminating the ruins.

Everything was quiet.

But everyone knows that this is just the calm before the storm.

Ye Mo stretched his newly Regeneration right arm, the metallic sheen flashing in the sunlight. Looking at Thor's profile, he suddenly asked, "Where to next?"

Thor gripped the hammer handle tightly, his gaze fixed on the distance.

"Go home," he said.

Ye Mo nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

Emma Frost stood behind the two, silently watching everything. She sensed that Thor's Mind Stone state had completely changed; there were no more cracks, no more doubts.

He is whole.

Just then, the core of the Destroyer's remains suddenly emitted an encrypted signal.

Beep beep beep--

The sound was very short, lasting only half a second.

Ye Mo's ears twitched, and he immediately turned around.

"Wait," he said, "Did it just... send something out?"