Ch: 316-325
Chapter 316 Norway
In an uninhabited area north of New York, USA.
A dazzling, colorful light pierced through the cosmos, shooting down from the sky and landing on the ground.
After the light landed, Meng Ran's figure slowly emerged from it.
As he walked out of the light's embrace, the dazzling, colorful light dissipated, leaving only a circular mark with strange patterns on the ground.
"Phew~ I'm finally back." After taking a deep breath of fresh air, Meng Ran sighed inwardly.
Although he hadn't stayed in Nidavellir for long, he was still more accustomed to Earth's distinct day and night environment and fresh air.
One must know that in Nidavellir, even the air was filled with the smell of forged metal and various materials being processed.
After taking a few deep breaths of the fresh air in the suburbs, Meng Ran directly opened a spatial gate in front of him.
Stepping through the spatial gate, he returned to the house he and Gwen rented. The room was empty; Gwen had some classes today, so she wasn't home.
Meng Ran removed all his disguises, returned to his original appearance, and then lay down on the soft sofa, stretching and relaxing.
"Xiao Bai, has anything happened these past two days?" Meng Ran asked Xiao Bai from the sofa.
The time he spent in Nidavellir was neither long nor short. Including the time he was delayed there, and calculating it in Earth hours, approximately two days had passed.
If it weren't for his desire to return to Earth sooner, the enthusiastic Eitri and Ruel would have wanted to keep him for a longer period. After all, dwarves are unlike humans; they have long lifespans like Asgardians, so spending a few days eating and drinking is not considered particularly long.
Hearing Meng Ran's question, Xiao Bai immediately replied, "The energy fluctuations of the Bifrost Bridge have been quite frequent these past two days. Besides the Bifrost Bridge fluctuations when we left for Nidavellir and when we returned, there were two other Bifrost Bridge fluctuations: one arriving on Earth, and one leaving Earth."
"The Bifrost Bridge leaving Earth occurred yesterday, originating from Norway, and there were intense energy fluctuations before it opened."
"Nick Fury began an investigation after the energy fluctuations occurred, and preliminary results indicate that these energy fluctuations should be related to Thor."
"They found traces of lightning burns at the scene and collected the shattered Mjolnir."
Hearing Xiao Bai's report, Meng Ran immediately sat up from the sofa. He had only been gone for two days, and he hadn't expected so many things to have happened in that time.
Mjolnir being crushed likely meant that Odin had fallen, Hela had broken through his confinement, and she had already had an initial confrontation with Thor.
Thinking of this, Meng Ran sighed. Although this world's Thor was much stronger than the one in the movie from his previous life, he still had no chance against Hela, and his hammer was, without a doubt, crushed again.
"Time to get busy again." Meng Ran thought to himself as he sent a message to Gwen.
Given the situation, he had to go and see for himself. He might even have to make another trip to Asgard later.
After sending the message, Meng Ran waved his hand, opening a spatial gate, and then stepped through it, arriving at a seaside cliff in Norway.
This was where the energy fluctuations occurred, and also where Meng Ran had first met Odin.
The scenery here was still beautiful, but the old man who loved to watch the scenery was no longer there. He, like Ancient One, had embarked on another journey.
Not far from the cliff's edge, on the grassy ground, were several black, charred marks. These should be the traces left by Thor's lightning attacks. It seemed he had also fought Hela, unlike in the original movie where his combat power plummeted after losing his hammer, making him unable to even control lightning.
Meng Ran looked at the traces of the battle on the ground and decided to go to Asgard to check the situation.
Thinking of this, he took out Qie Yun again and summoned the Bifrost Bridge. The colorful light reappeared and enveloped him. This time, his destination was not Nidavellir, but Asgard.
Rewind to one day ago, a bright yellow circle of light appeared on the same grassy ground.
Appearing with the light circle were Thor, holding an umbrella, and Loki, who had fallen face-first onto the ground.
After negotiating with Doctor Strange, Thor learned the location of his father from him.
Doctor Strange was quite courteous to Thor, but he had no such reservations about Loki, who had already invaded Earth once.
Before Loki appeared on the grass in Norway, he had been falling for 30 minutes due to Doctor Strange's magic.
His fall on this patch of grass was also because, in his anger, he had originally intended to rush towards Doctor Strange and fight him, but he was directly teleported to the grass in Norway via a portal while running towards Doctor Strange.
"Damn sorcerer, how dare he toy with a noble god." Loki cursed Doctor Strange as he scrambled clumsily to his feet from the grass.
As he stood up, he and Thor had already seen Odin standing at the cliff's edge, gazing into the distance.
At this moment, Odin no longer had the regal demeanor he displayed in Asgard.
He wore a linen-colored jacket, black trousers, and his hair and beard were grizzled, looking as simple as an ordinary old man.
Thor and Loki, seeing Odin's figure, also quickly walked towards him.
Thor walked to Odin's side. He looked at his father, who was gazing into the distance, and softly said, "Father."
"Look at the scenery here, how beautiful it is." Hearing Thor's voice, Odin softly said to him.
"Father, it's us, we've come." Thor continued to say to Odin.
At this moment, Loki also walked to Odin's right. Odin looked at the sea and softly said to both of them, "My sons, I have been waiting for you."
"I know, we've come to take you home." Hearing Odin's call, Thor replied.
Odin nodded after hearing Thor's words and then continued, "I know, home."
"Your mother, she is calling to me, do you hear her?"
"My journey is about to end. Next, I will embark on a new journey with your mother. I have kept her waiting for a long time."
Odin's words left Thor somewhat at a loss. He looked at Loki beside him with some anger and said, "Loki, quickly dispel your magic."
He believed that his father's words were influenced by Loki's magic.
Hearing Thor's words, Loki frowned and shook his head, indicating that he hadn't done anything or cast any magic.
Odin heard this, turned to Loki, and smiled, "It took me a long time to break free from your magic. Frigga would be proud of you."
After speaking, he turned and walked to the side, and at the same time said to Thor and Loki, "My sons, come and sit with me for a while. My time is running out."
Chapter 317 Odin's Fall
The three of them sat down on a large rock nearby, with Thor and Loki sitting on either side of Odin.
Thor sat on the rock, looking at Odin, and said in a deep voice, "Father, I know we have failed your expectations, but we can make amends."
Hearing Thor's words, Odin waved his hand and said, "It is I who have failed you. Ragnarok is coming soon."
"No, I have already stopped Ragnarok. I dealt with Surtur and took his skull," Thor told Odin.
Odin shook his head at this and continued, "Surtur is not the main point. Ragnarok has already begun, and she is coming soon."
"My life is the only thing that can contain her, but now my time is almost up, and I can no longer contain her."
Listening to Odin's words, Thor and Loki were both bewildered. They didn't know who this person Odinwas talking about was.
"Father, who is this person you're speaking of?" Thor asked Odin.
Odin's expression turned reminiscent at this. "The Goddess of Death, Hela."
"She is my eldest daughter, my first child, your sister."
Hearing Odin's answer, Thor and Loki both looked incredulous. They had never heard any news of having a sister before this.
When Hela was mentioned, Odin's eyes showed a complex and sorrowful expression. It seemed his feelings for Hela were very complicated.
He paused, then continued to speak to the two of them, "She was once Asgard's bravest warrior, but later her desire for violence kept escalating, expanding to a point where even I could not control it."
"I had no way to stop her, so I could only imprison her, locking her away."
"She draws energy from Asgard. Once she gets there, her power will be limitless."
After listening to Odin's introduction of Hela, Thor firmly stated, "No matter who she is, we can stop her together, fight her together."
"No, no, no, it won't work. I have already embarked on another path. You two will need to face this on your own," Odin said immediately after Thor finished speaking.
Odin did not tell them that he had already made preparations, finding Meng Ran to help them.
He wanted his two sons to rely on their own strength to resolve this matter first, because no matter what, the most reliable thing is oneself.
Meng Ran might help Thor and them, but he also might not. He had been confronting the prophecy of Ragnarok for thousands of years, and from the initial hopelessness to now having a glimmer of hope, he was already very happy.
He couldn't ask for too much. It would certainly be a good thing if Ragnarok was resolved, but if Ragnarok still happened in the end, he also believed his sons would handle it well.
"I love you, my sons," Odin said softly.
After speaking, he pointed in a direction towards the sea and then continued to tell Thor and Loki, "Look over there, remember this place. That is our home, that is Asgard."
Loki and Thor looked in the direction Odin was pointing, and at the same time, Odin's body gradually dissipated, turning into a cluster of golden light particles that drifted towards that direction.
Seeing Odin's demise, Thor and Loki both felt immense grief. Their faces were shrouded in deep sorrow.
Loki had not expected that seeing Odin again today would result in this. He did not want this.
He had settled Odin on Earth to fulfill his own desire to be king, just like his previous pranks.
For Asgardians, a few years is not a particularly long time, even a very short period, and Odin's strength was so great that Loki could only succeed by catching him off guard.
Moreover, Loki had never thought that Odin's life had already reached its end. The consequence of this prank that he could imagine was that Odin would punish him as before, and he would be grounded as before, nothing more.
Death and demise were the worst outcomes Loki had never considered. His heart was now filled with regret. From Odin's words just now, he also knew that Odin had always treated him like his own son, and this final discovery undoubtedly made his heart even heavier and sadder.
Unlike Loki's pure grief and sorrow, Thor was filled with anger alongside his sadness.
He now wanted to severely beat Loki in front of him. If it weren't for his reckless actions, Odin wouldn't have had to wander on Earth during this time, but would have stayed safely in Asgard.
Staying in Asgard, Odin could have used various treasures to alleviate his physical condition, so Odin's demise today would not have happened, and they would not have lost their father.
"Boom!" The roaring thunder echoed through the sky, and thick dark clouds had already begun to gather. Thor's rage instantly changed the color of the sky.
Looking at the gathering dark clouds and roaring thunder in the sky, Loki also nervously swallowed, then looked at Thor and said, "Brother."
"This is what you've done," Thor said in a deep voice, staring at Loki.
His fists were clenched, and blue electric arcs began to flash around him. It was clear that Thor was truly furious at this moment.
Just as Thor was about to teach Loki a good lesson, a mass of dark green energy suddenly appeared not far from them.
Seeing this sudden appearance of dark green energy, Thor and Loki understood that this should be the Goddess of Death, Hela, whom Odin had just spoken of, about to appear.
Thinking of this, Thor glared at Loki several times, then walked towards the mass of dark green energy. Loki followed his steps and walked towards it too.
As a thick bolt of lightning struck Thor, the Thor, who was originally in casual clothes and holding an umbrella, had completed his transformation.
At this moment, he was wearing armor, a red cape on his back, and holding Mjolnir in his hand. Deep blue electric arcs crackled around him.
As Thor completed his transformation, a burst of green energy also appeared around Loki.
Along with this green energy, Loki's black suit also transformed into his usual attire.
The two of them watched the increasingly large mass of dark green energy nearby with vigilance. This mass of energy stopped expanding when it reached a size that allowed a person to freely enter and exit.
At the same time, a tall, graceful figure slowly emerged from this mass of dark green energy. The dark green energy around her was as obedient as a well-behaved child.
Chapter 318 Broken Hammer
After Hela stepped out of the green energy, the green energy immediately returned to her body.
She looked at Thor and Loki in front of her and, with a sense of realization, softly asked, "So, he's dead, isn't he?"
"What a pity, I really wanted to see that moment," Hela said, pouting her lips with some regret.
Looking at the unfamiliar woman in front of him, Thor narrowed his eyes and said, "You must be Hela."
"I am Thor, God of Thunder, son of Odin."
Hearing Thor's introduction, Hela raised her voice with a strange tone and said, "Is that so? You don't look like him."
"Well, your tone is quite like his," Hela said with a wicked smile upon hearing Loki's words.
"Perhaps we can discuss this," Loki said, softening his tone, feeling the energy fluctuations emanating from Hela.
After speaking, Hela looked at Thor and Loki in front of her with arrogant eyes, then said coldly, "Kneel!"
At that moment, Loki felt as if there was something wrong with his ears; this unfamiliar woman, their sister by name, was actually telling them to kneel.
He had always been the one to make others kneel, just as he had done to the people in the square when he invaded Earth; it was the first time he had heard someone tell him to kneel.
In this regard, Loki and Hela did have some similarities: they were both very proud. However, in terms of strength, they were quite far apart. Loki did not possess matching strength, but Hela did.
Unlike Loki's surprise, Thor, standing beside him, was not particularly astonished by the woman's arrogant words, but Hela's haughty attitude further worsened his impression of his elder sister.
It seemed that, just as his father Odin had said, Hela indeed possessed an extremely strong desire for power. Such a person could absolutely not rule Asgard; she would lead Asgard into endless wars until its destruction.
"Swish!" Hela flipped her hand, and a slender, sharp blade appeared in it.
She looked at the two opposite her, twirled the blade in her hand, and then continued to say coldly, "Kneel, and greet your Queen."
Loki wanted to say something else, but Thor beside him had already interrupted him, "Stop thinking about all that nonsense; all we can do now is fight."
As Thor spoke, he directly threw his Mjolnir at Hela.
Accompanied by crackling lightning, Mjolnir, wrapped in deep blue arcs, flew straight towards Hela.
"Bang!" Just as Mjolnir was about to hit Hela, she raised her right hand and gripped the hammer.
Mjolnir trembled in the air, resisting the force coming from Hela's hand. Hela tilted her head at the sight, then increased the energy transfer in her hand.
"This… this is impossible," Seeing Hela grip Mjolnir, Thor immediately extended his right hand, wanting to summon the hammer back, but his summons had no effect.
Although the hammer desperately wanted to return to his hand, Hela had already firmly restrained it.
Looking at Thor's incredulous expression, Hela sneered, "My dear, you can't even imagine what I can do. My power is beyond your comprehension."
After speaking, Hela increased the output of power in her hand, and Mjolnir also let out mournful wails under the influence of her green energy.
Cracks had already appeared on the hammer, and under the continuous action of the energy, it finally succumbed and shattered.
As Mjolnir shattered, a blue energy exploded outwards from its center, and blue electrical arcs crackled and spread in all directions.
This energy came and went quickly; two seconds later, the dispersed energy had already dissipated into the air, and Mjolnir had turned into fragments, falling onto the scorched grass.
After crushing Mjolnir, Hela began to change her attire. She first touched her hair, putting on a thorny crown, then with a flick of both hands, she conjured two sharp blades and slowly walked towards Thor and Loki opposite her.
Witnessing the shattering of Mjolnir deeply shocked both Loki and Thor. Mjolnir was not an ordinary weapon; it was a divine artifact forged by the dwarf race from the core of a star.
Being able to crush Mjolnir with one hand fully demonstrated how formidable Hela's strength was.
What Loki and Thor didn't know was that Hela was the previous owner of Mjolnir.
This was also why Hela could so easily crush Mjolnir. One reason was that Hela's strength was indeed formidable enough, and another was that Hela understood Mjolnir well enough.
Before Mjolnir was bestowed upon Thor by Odin, Hela had wielded Mjolnir, charging into battle with Odin across the cosmos, slaughtering all foes.
Countless souls had tragically died beneath this hammer, all serving as stepping stones for Asgard's current status.
After Hela was imprisoned, this hammer was collected by Odin into his treasury and put aside until Thor awakened his power of thunder. Only then did Odin make some modifications to it and bestow it upon Thor as a weapon.
Seeing Hela's ferocity, Loki immediately panicked. He hurriedly shouted up at the sky, "Take us back quickly!"
He just wanted to leave here as fast as possible, to get away from this dangerous woman. No wonder Odin had imprisoned her; she was so volatile, so dangerous, what else could be done but imprison her?
Hearing Loki's shout, Thor immediately turned and loudly yelled, "No! Don't open the Bifrost Bridgeyet!"
The distance was so close now; if the Bifrost Bridge were opened immediately, then it wouldn't just be him and Loki returning to Asgard. Hela would certainly take the opportunity to return to Asgard as well.
He hadn't forgotten what Odin had just told them: Hela drew her power from Asgard. If she returned to Asgard, her power would be immeasurable.
Although Hela was powerful now, Thor believed he could still contend with her for a while. There were still demons and other superheroes on Earth; as long as he could stall for time, the demons would surely notice the anomaly here.
As long as he and the demons joined forces, Thor believed that defeating Hela at her current level would not be particularly difficult.
Although Thor's thinking was very thorough, Loki's words had already been shouted out. At this time, the person guarding the Bifrost Bridge was not Heimdall; they did not have eyes that could penetrate the universe to see what the situation truly was, so upon hearing Loki's shout, they immediately activated the Bifrost Bridge.
A brilliant rainbow light descended straight from the sky, enveloping Loki and Thor beside him.
As the two of them began to teleport, Hela seized the opportunity to enter the Bifrost Bridge.
Her timing was exceptionally clever; after they all entered the Bifrost Bridge, its light instantly vanished from Earth.
Only the circular imprint and the scorch marks from the lightning left on the grass could indicate what had just happened.
Chapter 319 A Fierce Battle
Asgard, Bifrost Bridge.
After a dazzling, colorful light descended, Meng Ran's figure emerged from it.
In the distance, directly facing the Bifrost Bridge, a towering structure stood majestically.
Beside it were numerous other buildings, integrated with the mountains, appearing incredibly magnificent.
Meng Ran fixed his gaze on that area, and through his exceptional hearing, he could discern helpless screams and intense sounds of battle within the splendid complex of buildings.
"It seems the situation isn't looking good," Meng Ran mused to himself, as he quickly hurried towards the noisy square.
At this moment, in the square in front of Asgard's palace, Hela, riding a giant wolf, looked down upon a miserable Thor, Loki, and a group of soldiers not far away.
Surrounding them was a circle of undead soldiers emitting green flames. These soldiers and the giant wolf Fenris beneath Hela were all resurrected by Hela using the Eternal Flame.
They were immortal, invincible, and possessed extraordinary combat power; compared to the living soldiers, these undead soldiers were simply unstoppable.
Many Asgardian soldiers on Thor's side had already died or were wounded, their bodies even still lying in the square. After returning to Asgard, Thor and his companions had been fighting continuously, without even having time to collect the bodies of these poor soldiers.
Their battle with Hela was extremely brutal; Thor's right eye had even been slashed by Hela's blade, leaving only a blood-red cavity.
Looking at Thor and the others, who were still clinging to life and stubbornly resisting, Hela narrowed her eyes and coldly said, "Foolish people, look at yourselves now. Why waste your lives in such a place?"
"Rather than dying here, you should die on the battlefield, on the path to spreading Asgard's glory throughout the universe."
Hearing Hela's words, Thor solemnly replied, "You only know war and conquest, but you don't know that for a monarch, maintaining the peace and prosperity of the country is the most important thing."
Upon hearing Thor's words, Hela couldn't help but burst into laughter. She looked at Thor and the trembling commoners and coldly said, "You only remember the high-sounding words spoken by Odin, but you don't know who I am, nor do you know what the true history actually is."
"Hypocritical Odin, he only prides himself on achievements, yet he finds the means by which those achievements were gained to be shameful."
As Hela spoke, she waved her hands, displaying scenes depicting true history in the air with green energy.
"We were once unstoppable, trampling all our enemies underfoot."
"During the expansion of the Asgardian Empire, I was Odin's weapon. We conquered kingdom after kingdom, letting them all bask in the glory of Asgard."
"Asgard's current splendor is permeated with the blood and tears of those enemies; their wronged souls still wail in hell to this day. But you have forgotten these things, and you have forgotten who I am."
"Odin's solution to all problems was always concealment and banishment. He not only concealed the true history and the truth of what once happened, but he also imprisoned me like a beast, concealing my existence."
At this point, Hela's face twisted. She shouted loudly at Thor and the commoners, "You have never witnessed Odin's true self, nor have you seen his most glorious moments. The blood on his hands is enough to drown Asgard."
"Where do you think the gold for these palaces came from? They are all spoils of war that Odinplundered from his enemies."
"After countless years of conquest, suddenly one day he decided to be a benevolent monarch. He decided to create peace and protect life."
"So he exiled me, imprisoned me, and made me cower like a criminal in that tiny space for a thousand years."
At this, the gritting Hela took a deep breath to compose herself.
After striving to calm her emotions, she looked down at Thor and the commoners with a cold, disdainful gaze and spoke loudly.
"Everything Odin did to me made me hate him to the core. But he is dead, so now what I must do is let you know what the truth is, what the real history is, and how glorious Asgard once was. And I will lead you to embark on this glorious path once again."
"Mighty Asgard should not stop at the Nine Realms; there is a broader universe waiting for us to conquer. It is their honor for those weaker civilizations to bask in the glory of Asgard."
"Follow me, and I will lead you to create unparalleled glory once more, making the name of Asgardresound throughout the universe."
The trembling commoners remained silent after hearing Hela's speech; they dared not express any opinions.
After Hela finished speaking, Thor loudly rebuked, "Stop your high-sounding words! What Asgard's glory, what Asgard's splendor—you merely want to satisfy your own desires."
"Logically speaking, as my elder sister, you are equally qualified to be an heir to the throne, but being qualified does not mean you can be a good king."
"Asgard will have a king, but that king can never be you. You, who cannot gain the love of the people, can never be king."
"So, stop looking down on us with that condescending attitude!" Thor roared his final words.
At the same time, furious lightning erupted from his body. These lightning bolts had turned deep blue, even faintly tinged with purple.
Thor swung his arm at Hela, and with his movement, the violent lightning, carrying a hint of purple, roared and struck Hela.
Caught off guard, Hela was sent flying by Thor's attack.
After sending Hela flying, Thor once again unleashed a wide-ranging lightning attack, completely clearing out the surrounding undead soldiers.
After clearing the undead soldiers, he hurriedly shouted to the soldiers and commoners behind him, "Run! Get to the Bifrost Bridge!"
After shouting, he looked at Loki next to him and said, "Quickly, take them and escape! I'll hold Hela off."
Chapter 320 Purple Lightning
Looking at Loki's complex expression, Thor also said in a deep voice, "Loki, the people of Asgard are in your hands."
"I know you've always wanted to be king, and you are indeed more suited to inherit this throne than I am. So, for Asgard and for our father, lead them to survive."
Hearing Thor's words, which sounded like a dying wish, Loki roughly guessed what he intended to do.
"You know how strong she is. Perhaps we can concede, after all, she is our sister."
Thor shook his head upon hearing Loki's words and said, "You've seen how brutal she is. If Asgard falls into her hands, it will be destroyed."
"When she first poked out one of my eyes, I awakened a stronger power of Thor, and I also saw our father in my mind."
Speaking of this, Thor looked at Loki and smiled, "He told me that Asgard has never just been a place. Where the people of Asgard are, Asgard is."
"I will use all my strength to hold her back and then try to perish with her. The future of Asgard is entrusted to you."
Loki had always wanted to be a true king, but when this moment truly arrived, he didn't feel as happy as he expected.
He looked at Thor's determined expression, nodded, and said, "I will lead them to a safe place, but you must also take care of your own safety."
"You said before that Surtur would be the destroyer of Asgard. Now his skull is in the treasure room. Perhaps he can be used to hold Hela in check."
Hearing Loki's suggestion, Thor responded, "That's a good idea. I'll find an opportunity to go to the treasure room later. For now, take them and leave here quickly. Heimdall is at the Bifrost Bridge; go and meet him."
After their exchange, Loki no longer hesitated or lingered. Thor was responsible for holding back Fenrir, while Loki led the remaining soldiers and civilians to escape towards the Bifrost Bridge.
"Let me teach you a good lesson, you hateful little dog!" Thor said, unleashing lightning that repeatedly repelled Fenrir.
Under Thor's fierce attack, Fenrir let out screams and howls, its fur scorched by the lightning.
"Boom!" Just as Thor was thrashing Fenrir, Hela, who had just been blasted away, returned.
She was stepping on spikes formed from dark green death energy.
Seeing Thor beating Fenrir, Hela angrily waved her hand.
With her wave, countless dark green spikes and blades shot towards Thor like rain.
Seeing this, Thor stopped his attack on Fenrir. He looked at the countless blades about to fall and stood in place, spinning.
Deep blue arcs of electricity, tinged with purple, flashed around his body. As he spun, these arcs shot towards the blades falling from the sky, shattering them.
Seeing this, Hela stood in mid-air and said to him coldly, "It seems the previous battle has given you some improvement, but it's useless."
"Covering the retreat to let the civilians evacuate, what a foolish and touching decision. Who gave you the confidence to think you can resist me?"
Hela said, conjuring a blade in the air with a wave of her hand, and mockingly scoffed at Thor, "In that case, I will grant your wish. I will let you die right here."
"No one can stop me, not even Odin, let alone you, a weak God of Thunder."
After speaking, she waved her hand and flung the blade at Thor. Thor, seeing this, released violent lightning from both hands to block the incoming blade.
"Haaah!" Thor roared, continuously increasing the power of the lightning in his hands. Although he was resisting with all his might, the dark green blade, controlled by Hela, continued to approach him.
"There's no point in struggling, my foolish brother. Let your death announce the return of the Goddess of Death." Under Hela's continuous power infusion, the dark green blade was now less than ten centimeters from Thor's head.
Thor's hands trembled as he desperately resisted the blade's advance. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Asgardians about to reach the Bifrost Bridge's teleportation point.
If he could hold on for a few more minutes, all the people of Asgard would be able to transfer to safety.
Although Thor was clenching his teeth and persevering, his strength was constantly weakening in the struggle.
The dark green blade drew closer and closer. If Hela's power increased again, Thor's head would be directly severed.
"Goodbye, Thor. Odin is dead. No one can stop me." Hela said to Thor coldly, simultaneously increasing the energy output to the dark green blade.
Just as the blade approached Thor's neck, several thick purple lightning bolts suddenly descended from the sky.
One lightning bolt directly shattered the dark green blade controlled by Hela, and another lightning bolt blasted Fenrir nearby.
The thickest, dragon-shaped purple lightning bolt roared down from the sky, biting Hela directly and blasting her away once again.
"Ghost!" Seeing these lightning bolts, Thor shouted excitedly. He hadn't expected Ghost to come to Asgard.
"Don't worry, I will take care of her." Meng Ran's black figure instantly appeared beside Thor.
While speaking to Thor, he channeled a golden Odin Force into Thor's body.
As the golden Odin Force merged into his body, Thor's eye socket and other wounds on his body began to feel warm and tingly.
His previously blinded eye miraculously regained its sight under the influence of the Odin Force, and the injuries sustained in the recent battle were completely healed.
"This energy... could it be..." Thor murmured in disbelief as he felt the familiar energy.
Hearing Thor's words, Meng Ran said to him, "You guessed correctly. This is the Odin Force, which your father once gave to me."
Hearing Meng Ran's words, Thor was somewhat puzzled. Seeing this, Meng Ran continued to explain, "Your father knew about the prophecy of Ragnarok a long time ago, and he had always been trying to avoid this tragic outcome."
"He found me and explained the prophecy of Ragnarok to me, and also gave me the Odin Force, hoping that I could help you deal with Hela after his death."
"I'm sorry, Thor, I didn't tell you about this before, because I once promised your father not to reveal this to you, so that you could learn and grow through various experiences on your own."
Hearing Meng Ran's explanation, Thor understood his father's painstaking efforts.
It turned out that Odin had already foreseen today's situation before his death and had even found him a helper in advance.
Chapter 321: Indiscriminate Bombardment
Thinking of this, Thor's heart was filled with emotion and admiration for his father's foresight.
He looked at the situation of the people on the Bifrost Bridge, then turned to Meng Ran and said, "Hela's strength is not only extremely powerful, but she is also connected to Asgard. The longer she stays in Asgard, the stronger she becomes."
"If we want to get rid of her, we can only destroy Asgard as well. This is the prophecy of Ragnarok."
Speaking of this, Thor also sighed, "The prophecy of Ragnarok truly cannot be avoided. Now, I must actually hasten its arrival."
He turned his head and continued to Meng Ran, "Please hold Hela back for a moment. I will go to Asgard's treasure vault now to awaken the Fire Giant. Only he, reborn by bathing in the Eternal Flame, can fight Hela."
Hearing Thor's words, Meng Ran shook his head and said to him, "There's no need to awaken the Fire Giant. I will take care of Hela."
"You should go and join them on the Bifrost Bridge now. The commotion from our fight might be quite large later, and you won't be affected over there."
"Once I've dealt with Hela, you can all come back."
Hearing Meng Ran's words, Thor wanted to say something more, but Meng Ran didn't give him the chance, directly grabbing him by the collar and throwing him towards the Bifrost Bridge.
After doing this, Meng Ran flipped his hand and took out Cutting Cloud, waiting for Hela to arrive before him.
Originally, he could have arrived less coincidentally, intervening in their battle much earlier.
However, after initially sensing the situation of their battle, he first went to Asgard's treasure vault and took the Tesseract.
He had to get the Tesseract into his hands before joining the battle, otherwise, once the fight started, the commotion would surely be significant.
If, by chance, the contents of the treasure vault were accidentally blasted out and scattered across the universe during the battle, he would have nowhere to cry.
Hela, once again blasted away by lightning, now returned to the battlefield. She looked at Meng Ran's unfamiliar figure, narrowed her eyes, and said coldly, "Who are you?"
Looking at Hela, who still had faint scorched marks on her body, Meng Ran said loudly, "I am the Evil Ghost, Thor's good friend. Before Odin's death, I promised to help Thor eliminate you, so are you ready to die?"
Hearing Meng Ran's words, Hela angrily cursed in a low voice, "That damned old man Odin, even in death you arrange people to stop me."
After cursing, she looked at Meng Ran with cold eyes and scoffed, "Your tone isn't small. Although your lightning is much stronger than my foolish brother's, this isn't enough for you to resist me."
"Speaking of which, he's truly disgraceful. The lightning of a God of Thunder is actually not as powerful as yours. I wonder how Odin educated him."
Listening to Hela's sarcasm, Meng Ran said nothing. He simply bared his teeth and let out a hoarse laugh, then instantly moved in front of Hela and slashed down at her with his blade.
Hela hadn't expected Meng Ran to be so fast. After realizing, she immediately threw out several sharp blades to block Meng Ran's slash.
"Crack, crack!" With crisp cracking sounds, all the sharp blades Hela held in front of her were shattered by Meng Ran's single strike.
In the brief moment these sharp blades were shattered by Meng Ran, Hela had already conjured two even more solid blades in her hands.
Wielding the blades in her hands, she instantly engaged in battle with Meng Ran, who held Cutting Cloud. Relying on his superb swordsmanship and combat prowess, Meng Ran's battle with her immediately fell into a stalemate.
It must be said that Hela's strength was indeed extremely formidable. Aside from her innate energy fluctuations, her overall combat prowess was also top-notch.
Meng Ran's ability to fight her now was largely thanks to the cheats of the System and Venom; otherwise, how could Meng Ran, who had only been fighting for a few years, compare to Hela's thousands of years of accumulated combat experience?
One must know that even Thor, the God of Thunder, with thousands of years of combat experience, appeared to have clumsy combat skills like a child when facing Hela.
Hela and Odin jointly conquered the Nine Realms, defeating countless enemies—this short sentence was forged from the blood and souls of enemies who had died by Hela's hand over a millennium.
After close-quarters combat with Hela for a while, Meng Ran also began to use his other abilities.
He first blasted Hela away with a single strike, then raised his right hand, controlling a nearby mountaintop to directly smash onto Hela.
After pinning Hela down, Meng Ran continuously controlled gravity with his left hand. Under his gravitational force, the mountaintop became increasingly compact and dense, and the pressure on the ground below suddenly increased.
While controlling gravity, Meng Ran also simultaneously raised and waved his right hand. With his movements, countless purple lightning bolts fell from the sky, striking the increasingly compact mountaintop.
As Meng Ran's attack continued, Hela, who was pinned at the bottom of the mountaintop, began to resist.
Dark green energy began to seep out from the base of the mountaintop, and at the same time, the entire mountaintop began to tremble slightly.
This energy gradually began to erode from the base of the mountain, eventually engulfing the entire mountaintop.
"Boom!" Under the continuous action of the dark green energy, the entire mountaintop disintegrated, and Hela, who was pressed beneath it, now broke free.
Hela's appearance now could not be described as anything but disheveled. Her already somewhat gloomy complexion became even paler after Meng Ran's series of attacks.
Her dark green battle armor and the thorny crown on her head were no longer intact, becoming tattered.
It seemed that to break free from Meng Ran's attack, Hela had expended a considerable amount of energy.
"Little one, you—" Looking at Meng Ran standing in the air not far away, Hela wanted to say something more.
But before she could finish her sentence, Meng Ran's attack interrupted her once again.
Two crimson energy beams shot out from Meng Ran's eyes, and at the same time, he transformed his vast mental power into a mental shockwave, attacking Hela.
Upon seeing this, Hela could only grit her teeth and curse Meng Ran in her heart, then simultaneously used her death power to condense countless dark green crystals to block the crimson energy beams.
Tangible attacks are easy to defend against, but intangible energy impacts are invisible and impossible to guard against.
Chapter 322 Blender
Finally, as Hela resisted Meng Ran's heat vision attack, a surging mental shock directly hit her head.
The mental shock caused Hela's head to throb with pain, and the crystal shield she had condensed in front of her shattered with a crash.
It was as if countless sharp blades were stirring in her head; the pain of her mind being torn made her groan, and her mental power seemed so powerless before Meng Ran's abnormal mental shock.
After the crystal shield in front of Hela shattered, Meng Ran's heat vision passed through the shield and directly struck her body.
The scorching energy rays pierced her armor, continuously causing damage to her body.
But at this moment, Hela was powerless to retaliate; she couldn't bother to block the scorching energy rays, still covering her head with both hands, trying to calm her turbulent mind.
Seeing Hela, who had lost her ability to resist, Meng Ran naturally wouldn't hold back.
He wanted to seize this opportunity to launch an even more ferocious attack on her; if he could resolve it in one go, that would be even better.
Given Hela's physical strength and power, it wouldn't be easy to finish her in one go, but causing her serious injury was still very possible.
With this thought, Meng Ran also concentrated his energy, fully mobilizing his abilities.
He first used his gravity ability to firmly press Hela to the ground, preventing her from moving, then he waved his hand to create a violent tornado that enveloped Hela, using sharp wind blades to continuously inflict damage upon her.
In addition, Meng Ran also summoned a large expanse of gloomy clouds, making them concentrate above Hela's head to rain down a needle-like, chilling, and bone-piercing gloomy rain.
Accompanying the gloomy rain were purple thunderbolts; in the overcast sky, colossal purple lightning dragons coiled and danced, taking turns to blast Hela, who was at the center of the tornado.
This was Meng Ran's first time using such a combination skill, and seeing the booming attacks not far away, he was inspired and thought of a name that perfectly suited this combination skill.
"Blender."
The name might sound strange at first, but when combined with the various attacks being used not far away, it suddenly felt quite apt.
Hela was like ingredients placed in a blender, being frantically churned by lightning, hurricanes, and gloomy rain.
Loki and Thor, who were not far away arranging the evacuation of civilians, both witnessed this scene; they never imagined that such a powerful and brutal Hela would be suppressed by Meng Ran to the point of being unable to retaliate.
And with such terrifying combined attacks, Loki felt that if he were at the center of that storm, he would probably be torn into fragments or turned into a pile of thoroughly cooked rotten flesh within a few seconds.
Watching the battle in the distance, Loki suddenly remembered what Meng Ran had said to Thor after his failed invasion of Earth with the Chitauri.
To bring him back to Asgard for judgment, Thor had reached an agreement with Meng Ran and other superheroes on Earth, the content of which was that Loki could no longer appear on Earth.
At that time, Meng Ran had said that if he ever found Loki causing trouble on Earth again, he would absolutely pulverize Loki, no matter whose son he was.
Loki hadn't taken those words to heart at the time, because he didn't care about the threats of Earthlings, who were like ants; as a god, how could he bow to foolish mortals?
But now he saw how terrifying Meng Ran's power was, and after witnessing Hela being brutally beaten, Loki suddenly felt a chill run through his body, and he was completely unnerved.
Thinking of this, he also looked at the distant battle and secretly prayed, hoping that Meng Ran and Hela's fight wouldn't collapse Asgard.
As long as the foundation didn't collapse, even if the buildings above were destroyed, they could be rebuilt; he was just afraid that the battle between the two would be too intense, directly destroying all of Asgard.
If Asgard was destroyed, then with Thor's mind and personality, he would definitely bring all the Asgardians to Earth to settle down, and what would he do then?
Thor didn't know what Loki was thinking; seeing Meng Ran gaining the upper hand in the battle, his anxious heart finally settled.
As long as Hela could be defeated, then the prophecy of Ragnarok would fail, and Asgard's greatest crisis would be safely overcome.
Meng Ran, who was currently fighting, didn't know Thor and Loki's thoughts; he was currently increasing the intensity of his attacks, wanting to cause as much damage as possible to Hela to make the subsequent battle easier.
Hela, who was being frantically churned by various attacks, finally stabilized her mind at this moment; although her head was still throbbing, it no longer affected the upcoming battle.
Her armor and the crown on her head were already shattered, and her entire being looked incredibly pale, as if she had been drained of all strength.
Sharp wind blades and gloomy rain struck her body, causing countless wounds and continuous damage.
This battle made Hela incredibly furious and frustrated; even when facing Odin, she had never been so disheveled.
She was now severely injured, and if she still used conventional attack methods, she would certainly not be Meng Ran's opponent.
She had to use an absolutely powerful attack to defeat Meng Ran and achieve an overwhelming victory.
With this thought, Hela also let out a roar towards the sky, and as she angrily roared, dark green Death Force surged out from her body.
These dark green energies enveloped her body, eroding Meng Ran's attacks.
Whether it was the storm, the gloomy rain, or the lightning, all of them, upon hitting these dark green energies, were like sinking into a quagmire, slowly being worn away.
Seeing the Death Force truly begin to exert its power, Meng Ran couldn't help but narrow his eyes and become serious.
He felt a similarity between this Death Force and the gray Wither Force on his Cloud Cleaver.
After his Cloud Cleaver was reforged, it gained a rule-like power similar to the Eternal Spear; anything touched by that gray energy would decay and wither.
The similarity between Hela's dark green Death Force and Wither Force lay in that they both caused anything they touched to be reduced to destruction.
It was just that the dark green Death Force did not possess the abnormal, rule-like power of the Wither Force, but even so, this Death Force was exceptionally powerful.
Under the devouring of the Death Force, Meng Ran's attacks were gradually worn away.
At this time, Hela was no longer in human form; her entire being had transformed into a dense mass of dark green energy.
In this form, she could not only be immune to most physical attacks but also greatly enhance the power of her Death Force.
This form was a powerful trump card she had researched during her thousand years of imprisonment by Odin.
Originally, she had intended to keep this trump card as a last resort, not revealing it easily.
However, she hadn't expected this suddenly appearing demon to be too powerful, causing her to suffer severe injuries in her normal state, so she had no choice but to stop hiding her power and display her strongest form to quickly end this battle.
Chapter 323 The Power of Death
Looking at the constantly expanding dark green energy mass in the distance, Meng Ran's expression also grew solemn.
Hela had directly transformed herself into a ball of energy, losing her physical form, which rendered most of his attack methods meaningless.
"Perhaps I can only rely on "Moon Cutting" to eliminate her," Meng Ran thought to himself, taking out "Moon Cutting" once more and holding it in his hand.
Conventional attack methods had become useless; it was estimated that only the rule power of "Moon Cutting" could completely eliminate Hela.
This was also because the rule power of "Moon Cutting" happened to be decay and withered, which allowed it to pose a life-threatening danger to Hela.
Otherwise, if it were a rule power like Odin's Eternal Spear, which never missed, he would also be unable to eliminate Hela.
The reason Odin imprisoned Hela was because Hela was bound to Asgard; without special means, only by destroying Asgard could Hela be destroyed.
"I sense a powerful force; it complements my power of death," Hela's voice came from the dark green energy mass.
She no longer had a physical body, only able to simply outline her face in the center with energy.
Looking at the ancient "Moon Cutting" in Meng Ran's hand and the gray energy entwined around the blade, Hela couldn't help but exclaim, "It's truly beautiful, but unfortunately, it's in your hands.
However, it doesn't matter; once you die, it will be mine."
Hela's praise for "Moon Cutting" was indeed from the heart, as she felt this weapon perfectly matched her divine power and characteristics.
There was now one more reason to eliminate Meng Ran; once she eliminated this hateful fellow, she could claim this weapon for herself.
"It is indeed beautiful, but you don't need to be so envious, because I will use it to send you on your way in a moment," Meng Ran said in a deep voice upon hearing Hela's praise.
"Arrogant!" Hela shouted loudly, simultaneously releasing dense dark green energy towards Meng Ran.
She wanted Meng Ran to be slowly eroded and eliminated, fully experiencing the terror of death, enveloped by this power of death.
Meng Ran snorted coldly at the large surge of energy coming towards him, then gripped "Moon Cutting" with both hands and slashed forward.
""Moon Cutting"!" With a low roar, a circular moon-shaped blade light, mixed with gray energy, directly cut towards the dark green energy assaulting Meng Ran.
The dark green energy rapidly melted away upon contact with the circular moon-shaped blade light, which was mixed with the power of withered, like snow meeting hot water.
After cutting through this energy, the circular moon-shaped blade light also directly struck the energy mass where Hela was located.
"Damn it!" Hela couldn't help but curse, feeling the erosion of the power of withered.
This rule-like power was truly unsolvable; just that single blade light had already caused her considerable damage.
"The power of the rule only exists on that blade; this damned fellow himself has no rule power.
He can only control this power by means of this blade," Hela quickly thought to herself.
This current form consumed a great deal of energy; she had to deal with Meng Ran as quickly as possible, otherwise, the longer it dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for her.
"The power of death cannot erode his blade, but it can erode his body."
"As long as I can quickly envelop him in the power of death before he reacts, then even if he can utilize the power of the rule, it will be too late."
Thinking this, Hela finalized her plan to deal with Meng Ran.
She was seen releasing energy masses towards Meng Ran while simultaneously taking the opportunity to move towards him.
After finally moving to a spot not far from Meng Ran, Hela swiftly mobilized all her energy, causing the mass of power of death she was in to suddenly expand several times over.
The suddenly enlarged power of death energy mass enveloped Meng Ran, just as Hela had planned.
As long as the power of death continuously eroded, then even if Meng Ran possessed a blade that could control the rule here, it would be useless, because his body would eventually turn into a skeleton after failing to withstand the energy's erosion.
"Just peacefully await death; you are beyond saving," Hela's wild voice echoed within the energy mass, her plan having succeeded.
Listening to Hela's voice and feeling the power of death constantly eroding his body, Meng Ran couldn't help but let out a hoarse laugh.
Hearing Meng Ran's hoarse laughter, Hela's voice abruptly stopped.
She didn't understand what was wrong with this person; didn't he realize the seriousness of the current situation?
Golden light slowly emerged from Meng Ran's body, and at the same time, he mockingly said to Hela, "Your power of death is not a rule after all.
I have countless ways to resist its erosion."
"This golden light is one of them.
How about it? Doesn't it look very familiar?" Meng Ran continued, grinning at Hela.
"This is the reward I promised for eliminating you.
If you want me to die, you must first wear it down.
Just slowly erode it with your power of death."
After speaking, Meng Ran gripped "Moon Cutting" with both hands, then used all his energy to activate the power of withered.
On the ancient blade of "Moon Cutting", the gray energy began to grow increasingly dense, and Hela felt the threat of death from this mass of gray energy.
But she had no choice now; she could only use all her strength to erode the golden light on Meng Ran's body.
Hela believed that even with the protection of the Odin Force, Meng Ran would not last long under her full-force erosion.
While the Odin Force was being fully eroded, Meng Ran was not idle.
He simultaneously activated the rule power and strode towards the center of this gray energy mass, which was the core area where Hela had transformed.
As he got closer to the core area, the erosion of the Odin Force by the power of death became more severe.
However, Meng Ran didn't care about these things; even without the protection of the Odin Force, he had other means to protect his body, such as a gravity field.
Even without these flashy methods, his physical fitness alone would allow him to last a very long time.
He thus wielded "Moon Cutting" and gradually stepped into the core area, then released all the power of withered amidst Hela's fierce screams.
The gray power of withered gradually expanded, devouring and clearing the dark green power of death.
Chapter 324: The Rebirth of Asgard
As the dark green death energy mass was gradually devoured, Hela could no longer maintain its form.
The energy mass gradually shrunk back into a human shape, but at this moment, her body was already covered in gray withering power, and her body was rapidly collapsing.
"Heh! Odin really found a good helper, cough, cough, cough!" Hela collapsed to the ground, looking at Meng Ran not far away, she said coldly.
The rapidly spreading withering power made her unable to stand up. Her lower body had completely disintegrated, scattering with the wind.
Looking at Hela, who was about to die, Meng Ran also said softly, "If you weren't so extreme, perhaps the story would have a different ending."
"To be honest, neither Thor nor Loki are suitable to be a king. You, who fought alongside Odin for a thousand years and studied for a thousand years, are more suitable to be a king than them."
"It's just that your personality is too extreme, and these thousands of years of imprisonment have driven you close to madness, so perhaps the current outcome was predetermined many years ago."
Listening to Meng Ran's words, Hela burst out laughing, "Ridiculous! I am Hela, the Goddess of Death!"
"If Odin hadn't abandoned the conquests and imprisoned me, then half the universe would now be filled with Asgard's glory."
"My ideas are not extreme, nor are they madness; they are simply the truth."
"The strong are born to conquer, and the weak are born to be conquered. This is an immutable truth in the universe."
After speaking, Hela sighed and said in a deep voice, "I'm not the one who is wrong, it's Odin."
As her voice faded, her entire upper body also turned to dust and scattered with the wind.
Hela's death marked the end of Ragnarok. Meng Ran looked at the ruined battlefield and pondered for a moment, then instantly teleported to the Bifrost Bridge.
"Is Hela finished?" Thor asked, looking at Meng Ran who had suddenly appeared.
He had seen Hela suddenly transform into a giant dark green energy mass during the battle, and he had also seen that energy mass suddenly shrink back just now.
However, he didn't see the more detailed aspects clearly, which is why he asked Meng Ran with some uncertainty.
Hearing Thor's question, Meng Ran chuckled softly, "It's over. Hela is dead, and Ragnarok has ended."
Upon hearing Meng Ran's reply, Thor and the people behind him cheered happily.
Although Loki was also happy that the crisis was averted, he still felt a faint tension and disappointment.
The tension was due to the strength Meng Ran had displayed, while the disappointment was because the throne he had just had within reach was now slipping away again.
"I'm sorry, although Hela has been dealt with, many of your palaces and buildings have been destroyed," Meng Ran said, turning to Thor as he looked at the Asgard Royal Palace, which was now a ruin in the distance.
Thor, hearing this, waved his hand and smiled, "For us, Asgard still being here is the greatest comfort."
He then looked at Meng Ran and said gratefully, "Thank you. If it weren't for your intervention, all of Asgard might have been destroyed, and we would have become homeless wanderers."
As they were speaking, the central palace, which was already somewhat shaky, collapsed with a crash.
"It seems we'll need to do some major renovations first, hahaha," Thor said, laughing heartily as he saw the palace collapse in the background.
Then they led the people, who had originally prepared to flee, back to Asgard's residential area.
Although most of the houses here had collapsed due to the successive battles, some more remote areas remained intact.
So Thor first settled all the Asgardians in these still-intact houses, and those who had no houses to live in could only make do with tents for now.
Now that the greatest crisis had been resolved, a scene of renewed vitality emerged from the dilapidated ruins, and Asgard would experience rebirth from the rubble.
Late at night, the Asgardians, burdened with countless fatigues, had all fallen asleep peacefully. The crisis of the day had left them all physically and mentally exhausted. Although the current environment was simple, they felt an immense sense of peace.
Under the moonlight, Thor and Meng Ran were walking on the Bifrost Bridge. The crisis had been resolved, and Meng Ran was about to return to Earth. Thor could not leave Asgard yet, so he came to see him off.
"Phew~ These past few days have been truly long, making me feel as if several years have passed," Thor said to Meng Ran as he looked at the bright night sky and walked.
"My father's death, and Hela's power, have exhausted me. In the end, when facing Hela, I had already decided to fight with all my might and die with her."
"Thank you, Evil Spirit. You saved me and you saved Asgard," Thor said sincerely, looking at Meng Ran.
If Meng Ran hadn't arrived in time, he couldn't even imagine what would have happened next.
Although he said he wanted to die with Hela, he didn't even know if it was possible for him to do so with his strength.
Meng Ran smiled and said, "There's no need to be so polite, aren't we friends?"
"By the way, what are your plans afterward? Are you going back to Earth? Or are you staying in Asgardto be king?"
Hearing Meng Ran's question, Thor said softly, "Once things here settle down, I will still return to Earth."
"I don't want to be a king, and I'm not suited to be a king. Besides, Jane is waiting for me on Earth."
"I will entrust the matters of Asgard to Loki. Although he has many flaws, his personality is more suited to be a king than mine."
Hearing everyone's thoughts, Meng Ran said with some uncertainty, "Loki? Can he do it well? To be honest, his strength isn't very strong."
"As the King of Asgard, strength should still be very important, just like your father, otherwise, how will the stability of the Nine Realms be maintained?"
As Meng Ran spoke, he casually glanced at an empty spot of air nearby, where Loki was currently standing, having concealed his form.
Although Thor couldn't see Loki's presence, Meng Ran could clearly sense him.
He could also feel Loki's body tremble slightly just now when he denied Loki's strength, as if he was agitated by his words.
Thor was unaware of these things happening around him. Hearing Meng Ran's words, he smiled and said, "Compared to you, his strength is indeed not enough, but actually, Loki's strength is not weak. He is quite skilled in magic, and even my mother highly recognizes his magical talent."
"It might be because he was influenced by me and wanted to compete with me, so he often doesn't show this side during combat. Instead, he often charges like a warrior, but this actually doesn't help him utilize his strength."
"Moreover, I am only staying on Earth; I am not completely detached from Asgard. When I am needed, I will return to Asgard to fight. No one can challenge the dignity of Asgard."
Chapter 325 Storm Axe
Hearing Thor's words, Meng Ran also smiled and said, "It's good that you have a judgment in your heart. Then I'll wait for you to return to Earth."
Thor nodded in agreement, and the two of them walked towards the Bifrost Bridge, chatting as they went.
Not long after they walked away, Loki's figure appeared in the air, watching the departing Thor and Meng Ran with a somewhat complex gaze.
He hadn't expected Thor to actually hand over the throne to him. He had originally thought that after this matter was over, he would go back to how things were before.
At this moment, a rare trace of emotion and a hint of guilt appeared in the cunning God of Mischief's heart.
Meng Ran, who had already walked far away, showed a mysterious smile at the corner of his mouth after sensing this situation.
He had already sensed Loki's presence after stepping onto the Bifrost Bridge. His questions about the throne and Thor's subsequent arrangements were also deliberate.
He knew what Loki wanted and what Loki was worried about, so he made Thor say those words himself to put Loki at ease.
Now that the situation had finally stabilized, he didn't want any more trouble to arise due to misunderstandings between them.
Loki would fulfill his dream and be a good king, while Thor, after handling these matters, would return to Earth and continue his carefree life with Jane.
It's a bit strange to mention, but in this world, Thor and Jane haven't broken up; they are still together.
After walking to the Bifrost Bridge with Thor, Meng Ran used Asgard's Bifrost Bridge to return to Earth. Since he could get a free ride, he didn't need to bother using Cutting Cloud to open the Bifrost Bridge.
Brilliant multicolored light shone, traversing the cosmic galaxy and falling directly onto Earth.
In the northern suburbs of New York, Meng Ran returned to Earth with the light of the Bifrost Bridge.
"Phew~ I'm finally back. There shouldn't be anything else now." It was already night when he returned to Earth, and Meng Ran sighed as he looked at the stars in the sky.
Then he casually opened a Spatial Gate and stepped into it.
In a flash, Meng Ran returned to the apartment. At this time, Gwen had just come home and was about to take a shower.
Seeing Meng Ran suddenly appear, Gwen was pleasantly surprised.
She bounced and jumped into Meng Ran's arms, then leaned against his chest, pouting and cooing, "I missed you so much. My bed has been so cold these past few days without you."
Looking at Gwen, who had only half-undressed, wearing only her panties with her cleavage exposed, Meng Ran was greatly stimulated.
Gwen, feeling Meng Ran's arousal, blushed, bit her lip, and looked at Meng Ran with watery eyes, saying, "It, it... Mmm~"
Gwen's words were cut short as her mouth was covered. Meng Ran picked her up in one swift motion, and they walked into the bathroom together.
Not long after, melodious 'singing' echoed in the bathroom, then successively in other parts of the room. Beautiful spring scenery filled the entire house, gradually fading away until dawn.
After spending a few days with Gwen, Meng Ran began to intensify his research with Tony and others on the Iron Legion and the super AI Ultron.
At this time, the Iron Legion had already taken shape, with five hundred robots of each model. Ultron's research had also made great progress, and it was estimated that it could be put into initial use in not much longer.
The progress of these researches greatly excited Meng Ran and Tony; their goal of arming the entire world was finally about to be realized.
Now, all they had to do was continue mass-producing Iron Soldiers and then further perfecting Ultron.
If an event like the Chitauri invasion were to happen again now, the outcome would certainly not be as tragic as the last Battle of New York.
The current Iron Legion could deal with the Chitauri soldiers from back then with absolute ease; a thorough beating would be no problem at all.
This level of strength also alleviated much of Tony's long-standing worry. He had once fallen into anxiety because of the Battle of New York. Now that his envisioned Iron Legion had taken shape, this anxiety had also disappeared.
In the time that followed, Meng Ran lived a peaceful and stable life on Earth.
Apart from his daily life with his family and Gwen, his main activity was conducting research and development.
Time flew by like a white colt passing a crevice; a year passed in the blink of an eye.
Just as everyone on Earth was living their normal lives, a tide-like army in the universe was approaching the Dwarven Realm—Nidavellir.
The Dwarves on the ring didn't know that danger was approaching them. They were all still immersed in blacksmithing as before, unable to extricate themselves, occasionally admiring and learning from each other's excellent works.
Dwarf King Eitri sat at a table, looking at the design drawing of an axe. This axe was the design drawing for a new weapon he was forging for Thor.
After Mjolnir was crushed, Thor had been unable to find a suitable weapon, so he entrusted Eitri to forge a new one for him.
This Stormbreaker was the new weapon Eitri had selected from many weapon designs as suitable for Thor.
Stormbreaker would also be forged from uru metal, and its power was astonishing, even more powerful than Mjolnir.
Compared to the previous Mjolnir, which leaned towards physical attacks, this Stormbreaker was more inclined towards magical and area-of-effect attacks. It not only had the abilities of flight, recall, and power projection but, more importantly, it had the function of spatial teleportation.
Now, Thor's power was even greater than before, so if this Stormbreaker were successfully forged, it would definitely bring about a qualitative leap in his strength.
After finalizing the design and making the mold, Eitri stood up and walked towards the material storage.
After taking the materials for the axe from the material storage, he went to the furnace and threw the uru metal into it.
He had a premonition that if this weapon was completed, it would be another one of his proud creations. Although it might not produce a qualitative change like the Cutting Cloud he made for the demon, it wouldn't be far off.
Watching the furnace's temperature gradually rise, he climbed onto a nearby shelf to observe the melting of the metal inside.
Seeing the metal completely melted, Eitri climbed down from the shelf, then pulled a handrail and poured the molten solution into the mold.