Chapter 194: It's Just a Hammer
"You want me to be a savior?"
Loki thought Ben had lost his mind.
Even though he had longed to be that kind of figure since he was young, like Thor, shining brightly in battle and being the one to turn the tide.
But honestly, it was just his dark fantasy.
Even Loki himself didn't believe any of this could become reality. Honestly, he knew he wasn't cut out to be a hero.
If he ever encountered danger, he would immediately run for his life. Not betraying him face-to-face would be considered loyalty.
Although he always felt his Divine Realm was disrespected, he actually knew himself that he wasn't a powerful warrior.
Loki understood his weaknesses better than anyone.
He didn't think he had the ability to shoulder great responsibility.
But when Ben handed the Casket of Ancient Winters and the Cosmic Cube before his eyes, Loki actually felt a little tempted.
He felt the cold, blue blood of the Frost Giant within him begin to boil.
This was the first time he had been entrusted with such an important task.
In the past, no one had ever believed he could do anything like a hero.
Not even Thor thought he could accomplish anything.
But Ben was different.
Loki looked into Ben's eyes and confirmed that the other party wasn't joking, but truly believed he could do it. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
His eyes felt so sore, as if he had been stuffed with a whole onion.
For a fleeting moment, even he himself felt that perhaps he could actually do it, even if it meant sacrificing his life.
Not for anything else, but simply because someone believed in him.
He looked at Ben, opened his mouth, but it took him several seconds to utter a broken sentence.
"...You believe in me?"
Loki shook his head.
"I've already betrayed you once, not to mention... I'm a coward... Maybe, maybe I'll just hand these things over to Thanos, as long as he's willing to let me go."
"Would you?"
Loki shook his head, he wasn't sure, but this was indeed something he would do.
But Ben said, "I believe in you, Loki."
Hearing this, Loki laughed self-mockingly. "Even I don't believe in myself."
"But I still believe in you, just like back on Sakaar."
Ben's words brought Loki back to his time on Sakaar, when Ben had believed in him and freed him from his shackles.
"Look at those fighting, they don't have immense power, but no one gives up."
"Are you going to be a coward, or are you ready to become a true king?"
Ben asked the question again.
"Do you think I'm really qualified?" Loki asked sadly. "Maybe I'll never be able to lift that hammer, let alone talk about qualifications."
Ben didn't answer his question directly, but instead threw the question back at him.
"Who do you think should decide that qualification?"
"A hammer?"
Ben looked at him, then shook his head. "Maybe you can't lift Thor's Hammer, but you can decide what you want to do, and you can decide what kind of person to become."
"Do you think I can lift that hammer?"
Before Loki could answer, Ben immediately shook his head. "I can't!"
"But I am still the King of Sakaar."
"Because the people of Sakaar trust me, because I saved and protected the people of Sakaar."
"Because I brought them hope and vitality."
"This is the true meaning of a king."
"Isn't it for this reason that you're willing to stay with the Galactic Plumbers?"
Loki was stunned, he stammered, "I... I just... didn't know what else to do, so I stayed..."
Ben didn't argue with this.
He smiled slightly, then said, "Loki, what kind of king or god needs the approval of a hammer?"
"It's just a hammer, be a hero."
After speaking, seeing Loki still lost in thought, Ben didn't say anything more.
He believed Loki would understand.
"Send me to Jotunheim."
He said, leaving no room for refusal.
Loki was startled by his roar, his mind went blank, and he instinctively acted according to Ben's instructions.
He took the Cosmic Cube, and the next moment, a portal opened in his hand.
The Cube's energy formed an arc like nebulae, and instantly, the cold currents of Jotunheim surged in!
Ben resolutely walked into the wind and snow.
Loki was left alone on the satellite.
He stood there in a daze, his mind still replaying Ben's words, still unsure if he could do it.
But sometimes, you don't need to think so much.
Just doing it is enough.
"Hacker?"
"Hacker!"
"Ben Parker!"
Tony's voice was like a firecracker going off.
At this moment, almost all the heroes had evacuated space.
Tony, huddled in Veronica, which was just a sphere, was like a carrot dangled in front of a donkey, luring the giant Chitauri Beast closer to Earth's atmosphere.
But now, the giant Chitauri Beast's body had already passed halfway through the designated Planetary Shield location. The scheduled activation time should be now, but there was no movement from the satellite.
Worried that Ben would mess up again, he yelled with all his might.
This sound awakened Loki.
He patted his head, then gritted his teeth and shoved the Cosmic Cube back into the machine. He then broadcasted over the comms:
"There is no Ben Parker here, only Loki."
"Bambi?"
Tony blinked in surprise.
Then, thinking Ben had been attacked after being betrayed by Loki, he immediately questioned:
"What did you do to Ben?"
Loki ignored Tony. He took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind of everything, just to do it.
Then he exhaled the heavy breath and said, "Hold that thing off for five more seconds, Midgardian."
Immediately after, Loki resolutely pressed the activation button for the Planetary Shield.
The next moment, the Cube's energy was completely unleashed!
*BOOM!!!*
A dazzling and brilliant beam shot out from the satellite beneath his feet!
Infinite energy began to spread, a surging torrent impacting the satellite's body. From the core machine, energy patterns started to spread outwards.
The blue radiance expanded layer by layer. Loki felt as if he were standing on the shore, enduring the waves crashing against his body, layer by layer.
He saw the abundant energy flowing into the conduits.
He had to admit, Ben Parker was truly a genius.
The Celestial Palace had studied the Cube for so long before finally mastering its use, while this person had invented technology that could utilize the Cube's energy in just a few days.
He even knew exactly how much destruction the energy released by the Cube would cause when the Planetary Shield activated. This modified satellite was precisely at the critical point.
This was the limit of what could be achieved in such a short time.
At this moment, near Earth's atmosphere.
Tony hadn't yet understood what Loki meant, and the next moment, he saw a strong blue light erupt from the satellite where Ben had been, shimmering with an ancient radiance like the morning star in the night sky.
Immediately after, the light, like a meteor, shot out in three different directions.
The Planetary Shield was activated!
He breathed a sigh of relief, but also realized that he now had to delay the Chitauri Beast's advance as much as possible.
It would take some time for the energy to reach the four satellites and connect to form a plane.
"Slow it down as much as you can!"
Tony shouted.
But there weren't many heroes left who could act.
Once they were within Earth's atmosphere, everyone was captured by Earth's gravity. Although they could fly wearing their battle armor, at such altitudes, it was very difficult to perform their tasks precisely.
Not to mention the countless Chitauri still attacking them, protecting the giant beast.
Peter and Venom plummeted towards the ground, completely unprotected.
The immense acceleration made it difficult for them to control their bodies, and the high temperature generated by friction made Venom extremely uncomfortable.
Fortunately, they managed to grab a glider, and amidst Peter's helpless roar, Venom crushed the heads of the Chitauri, rejoining the fight.
However, all they could do was deal with the Chitauri warriors.
"Who can hold it back?!"
Black Panther shouted.
At the same time, inside the Chitauri Beast, Natasha's face was deathly pale. The weightlessness of the rapid descent made her feel like she was trapped in a runaway elevator.
Tony also felt helpless.
But at this moment, Norman patched into the channel.
"Let us handle it."
On the ground, or rather, not on the ground.
It was on the Helicarrier that Norman had prepared a massive amount of firepower, ready to welcome this battle on the second line of defense.
Countless missiles were launched under his command.
Instantly, Tony and the others high in the sky seemed to witness a meteor shower surging upwards from the other end of the horizon.
"Retreat!"
Tony yelled.
Immediately, everyone accelerated and plunged towards the ground.
*BOOM!!!*
In an instant, the entire sky seemed to become a bombing zone.
If it weren't for the giant Chitauri Beast containing Natasha, Norman might have directly used nuclear bombs.
But even so, the fierce bombardment did indeed slow down the Chitauri's advance.
At this time, the Planetary Shield finally began to expand.
Like a gathering bubble, the immense energy feedback slowly retracted.
Though it was described as slow, it was actually very fast.
It flashed by like a ripple, and the next moment, the giant Chitauri Beast was instantly cut in half from its abdomen!
In an instant, the monster completely lost its life.
Half of its body plummeted rapidly towards the surface, while the other half remained on the shield, slowly turning to dust under the high-temperature energy!
Seeing this, everyone was invigorated and simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.
But some knew that the battle had just begun.
For example, Peter and the others, who saw the War Lord standing on the head of the falling beast, and Loki, who was currently in the Space Station, holding the Casket of Ancient Winters and turning around to await the arrival of the Black Order.
Next, the real battle would begin.
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Translation by: randomtranslator.com
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