Chapter Text
Chapter 361: Fair Prices and No Deception
The dense rain of energy bullets didn't cause much damage. It wasn't because the bullets were weak, but because there were more Dark Elves than expected, and they weren't foolish enough to just stand there and take the hits.
However, the attack did disrupt the Dark Elves' formation, allowing the Asgardian soldiers to charge in and immediately gain the upper hand.
Then... the battle devolved into chaos.
"So-called advanced civilization... is this what their combat looks like? A chaotic brawl?"
They charged in formation at first, but it all turned into a mess. The battlefield was a chaotic tangle, making it impossible to distinguish enemies from allies. All one could do was strike down anyone who attacked them.
"Perhaps. After all, those powerhouses from Asgard possess overwhelmingly destructive strength. At this level, formations and tactics lose their meaning. The outcome of the battle depends purely on power, so it's not surprising they're used to fighting in chaotic melees."
Tony could only grumble helplessly about the situation as he maneuvered agilely above the battlefield. With the Iron Man suit's mobility, he could freely move around, launch sudden strikes on enemies he didn't like the look of, then quickly retreat before he was surrounded.
The weapons in the Dark Elves' hands weren't just for show; they unleashed concentrated fire toward the Iron Man suit zipping through the air.
If this were the original version of Iron Man from the movie, he wouldn't have had many options against this kind of attack. He would've had to land quickly and blend into the crowd to avoid becoming the focus of their fire.
But the current Iron Man was different. His suit was no longer purely technological. The Arc Reactor had undergone numerous modifications, greatly enhancing both its endurance and output. Combined with magic stones and mystical knowledge, Tony had learned how to better utilize that powerful, pure energy.
Putting everything else aside, just the defensive energy layer on the exterior of the Iron Man suit was enough to withstand the concentrated firepower of the Dark Elves.
"Oh, my dear darlings, let me show you what real firepower looks like!"
As Tony's voice, amplified by loudspeakers, echoed across the battlefield, the mobile logistics station that had been hovering in the distance finally revealed its purpose.
Several components detached from the station and flew toward Tony, attaching directly to the exterior of his suit.
The originally sleek Iron Man suit suddenly bulked up significantly. These heavy external components were all kinds of weapons Stark had developed and modified during his downtime.
Missiles, incendiary bombs, and continuous autocannon fire rained down, directly clearing out large numbers of Dark Elves who had been standing in the back focusing on ranged attacks.
Watching Tony's performance, Ethan knew he didn't need to worry about him. This Iron Man suit was no longer the one he used to know. With just the energy shield, the Dark Elves couldn't do anything to Tony. As for the black hole grenades that could potentially threaten him... they'd have to actually manage to land one near Tony, who was constantly flying around in the sky.
As for the other companions, since they had accepted Loki's payment, Logan and the others weren't going to just sit in the back and wait for the battle to end. They were genuinely contributing to the fight.
There was no need to mention Logan—his fighting style was as direct and brutal as ever. Wearing a combat suit and extending his adamantium claws, Logan charged straight into the Dark Elves. Almost none of them could stop him.
He ignored all attacks, walking forward relentlessly. When the Dark Elves saw this and fired at him frantically, thinking he was crazy, he would suddenly lunge forward and stab them to death while they were still in shock: "How is this guy not dead?"
Selene's fighting style was even more "Dark Elf" than the Dark Elves themselves. She was like a shadow—unseen, untouchable—appearing suddenly to kill a target before vanishing again.
The ongoing battle had damaged much of the surrounding lighting, plunging large areas of the battlefield into darkness. This environment should have given the Dark Elves a significant advantage, but they never expected someone even more adept at fighting in the dark to join the fray.
Not a single Dark Elf died clearly under Selene's hands—they didn't even know how they died. With her style, if Malekith hadn't been standing in a relatively well-lit area, he probably would have been stabbed to death by her in the very first moment.
Ethan wasn't surprised by the combat strength of these two. Even Laura, who displayed strength on par with Logan's, wasn't unexpected.
What truly surprised Ethan was Auriel.
The little guy he had casually named, who looked exactly like a kitten, jumped from Laura's head onto her arm when she extended it toward the enemy. Then it dashed along her slender arm and leaped into the air.
At the highest point of its jump, a strange beastly roar erupted from Auriel's rapidly growing body. As it descended, it transformed into a massive creature nearly three meters long.
From the outside, it looked like a large leopard or tiger. Its once soft fur had become sleek, oily, and emitted a faint reddish glow.
With one paw, it flattened a Dark Elf into a meat patty. As it roared, two orbs of fire appeared around it, quickly launching at nearby Dark Elves and detonating with violent explosions.
"This guy can actually fight?"
That was the only thing that truly surprised Ethan. He had always assumed Auriel hadn't grown up yet. It turned out the little guy had combat capabilities all along, but had just been acting cute to get free food and drinks, never revealing its strength.
If Laura didn't have some druidic talent that allowed her to communicate with animals and fully understand them, this little guy probably would have kept hiding its power. Why fight to the death when acting cute got you all the snacks you wanted?
Although Ethan didn't question it, he was quite certain that was exactly what Auriel had been thinking.
"I didn't expect there really would be six powerhouses."
Loki hadn't expected to actually get a good deal. Watching the battle steadily tip in their favor, he even had the luxury to stand beside Ethan and chat.
At first, he had been concerned the Dark Elves' strength would cause heavy casualties among the Asgardian soldiers. That wouldn't reflect well on him as their commander. So after the battle started, he personally charged into the front lines, cutting down many Dark Elves.
With his terrifying frost power and the strong support of Tony and the others, the forces Malekith had brought quickly suffered massive losses. Now, only the final group of enemies remained.
As the battle continued and the number of enemies decreased, Selene no longer stayed hidden in the shadows. She would appear behind the Dark Elves to strike. Even if she didn't have time to retreat and got surrounded, her strength allowed her to handle the situation calmly. If things looked bad, she would immediately release a flash of Holy Light to blind them temporarily, then take the opportunity to retreat.
Her fighting style was driving Malekith insane. He had no time to deal with Loki, which was why Loki could casually stand there chatting with Ethan.
"Your companions are performing so well. Aren't you going to do something too?"
"If I accidentally destroy this entire stretch of coastline, Asgard had better not come looking for compensation."
"Go ahead. Maybe I'll build a water park here or something."
Since Loki didn't object, Ethan didn't hold back. Ever since obtaining the Tesseract, he hadn't truly used its power in combat.
The Tesseract wasn't just a source of nearly infinite energy. The Space Stone hidden inside didn't just allow him to teleport freely across the universe.
It was also an extremely powerful force in its own right. Now that he had the chance to use the power of the Space Stone in actual combat, Ethan didn't want to waste it.
As the Tesseract appeared, radiating blue light in his left hand, Ethan extended his right hand to control the power within it.
The energy of an Infinity Stone is incomparably powerful. Even in cube form, it wasn't something just anyone could wield through brute strength alone.
If it were the old Ethan, he wouldn't have been able to use it at all.
But now, after mastering the Tesseract, he wielded strength that even Loki was amazed by.
With just a gentle wave of his hand, the space in front of him was completely sealed. Although Malekith sensed something was wrong and tried to flee, even if he returned to his ship now, he still couldn't escape this enclosed area.
The moment Ethan agreed to help, Malekith's escape route had already been cut off.
As Ethan slowly walked forward holding the Tesseract, the Dark Elves concentrated their fire on him once again.
Unlike before, where he deflected the attacks with magic, Ethan didn't bother this time. The dense energy bullets passed through him as if he were an illusion.
"Cheap trick."
Malekith assumed the approaching Ethan was just a decoy illusion meant to draw fire, so he turned away, uninterested. He was now focused on finding a way to escape.
But just as that thought crossed his mind, the "illusion" suddenly reached out and grabbed Malekith by the neck, lifting him off the ground.
"This is impossible!"
No illusion, no matter how realistic, could grab someone. What's more, the Dark Elves' firing hadn't stopped, and there was no opening for Ethan to have switched in physically.
So how could this illusion touch him?
Malekith, now caught by the throat, didn't even have time to ask the question. In the next instant, he and all the Dark Elves found themselves in outer space.
"Perfect time to test this move on you."
(To be continued.)
Chapter 362: The Function of the Reality Stone
Regarding Malekith, Ethan had no intention of communicating with him at all.
Setting aside the man's ambitions and disregarding his capabilities, there was a more fundamental issue: due to their differing life forms and almost completely opposite environmental requirements, any possibility of coexistence was impossible. As such, the two sides were mortal enemies, with only one able to survive.
This wasn't a matter of justice versus evil. It was purely an issue of survival and stance.
So what was there to talk about? No matter what was said, it would ultimately end with one side killing the other… or being killed.
Since he had already taken action, there was no need to hold back. Ethan used the power of the Tesseract to create a space that existed between reality and illusion.
This space resembled outer space. The only downside was the surrounding "planets," which looked like background props made with cheap special effects. All of them glowed blue, appearing monotonous and obviously fake.
"Although I've been researching this move for a long time, this is the first time I'm actually using it… As expected, relying solely on the Tesseract can't perfectly replicate this technique."
Even though the "cheap special effects" planets looked a bit tacky, Ethan didn't mind. With a single thought, those planets exploded simultaneously. The terrifying shockwaves generated by their explosions were all directed by Ethan's control toward Malekith and the Dark Elves.
Despite their appearance, the planets were composed of the Tesseract's nearly limitless energy. The power unleashed by these explosions was even greater than Ethan had expected.
Just as the shockwave slammed into the Dark Elves, the "outer space" created by the Tesseract began to collapse.
Even with only a portion of the energy leaking out, the resulting blast carved a massive crater into the coastline where Ethan had been standing. The area between Ethan and the Dark Elf mothership was precisely where Malekith and his forces had been positioned.
Even the mothership, which had already been severely damaged and was shaped like a tall, narrow tower, trembled violently from the impact, as if it were on the verge of collapse.
As for the Asgardians behind Ethan, they felt only a slight tremor and were not harmed. Moreover, Loki had timely deployed an energy shield to block what little remained of the shockwave, protecting his troops.
Everyone had clearly seen what had happened. Although Ethan had created a relatively independent space, it hadn't been separated from the real world. For those who weren't pulled into the space, it looked like watching a projection with decent sound and visuals. So after the Dark Elves vanished, no one questioned where they had gone.
Everyone had seen with their own eyes how, in the explosion of those countless "cheap special effects planets," the Dark Elves were obliterated by the terrifying energy impact.
"In a sense, they didn't even leave dust behind."
Although Ethan's simulated move didn't reach the original version's level of vaporizing enemies down to the last atom, the destructive power was not far off.
What truly fell short of expectations was the level of energy control. The original move could freely direct the energy from the planetary explosions to hit multiple targets, or focus all the terrifying force onto a single enemy, or even concentrate it onto a single point.
In simple terms, it could perform both area-of-effect and high-precision single-target attacks.
This showed that the essence of the move wasn't just about raw destructive power, but precise energy control. Ethan had once thought his control was good enough, but found that when handling such an enormous energy source, there were still some minor deviations. After all, this was his first time using such a vast amount of energy.
If not for the lack of control, the impact directed at the Dark Elves wouldn't have dispersed as much. The outer space he created wouldn't have collapsed prematurely, and no energy would have leaked out to damage the coastline.
Looking at the large crater before him, Ethan could only pat Loki on the shoulder. "You can start designing that water park we talked about."
By now, the battle with the Dark Elves had entered its final stage. Only a few of their fighters were still fleeing through the skies, and their destruction was only a matter of time. Asgard's skiff fleet was pursuing them, having received orders not to let a single one escape.
There were also some straggling Dark Elf troops who had fled into the forest, but the task of hunting them down wasn't something Ethan needed to worry about.
He had accepted Loki's request and only took action in direct combat. Now that he had fulfilled his part, his job was done.
There was no need to haggle over the reward. Although Loki enjoyed trickery, his pride as both a god and a prince meant he disdained such petty tricks.
Ethan only needed to return and rest. Loki would naturally take care of the reward later.
Tony had also stopped flying around and returned to the ground.
This battle had allowed him to thoroughly test his new suit. While its performance was outstanding, it also exposed several flaws.
"As expected, you only find the problems with equipment after real combat."
Finding flaws meant there was room for improvement. Overall, Tony was quite satisfied with this trip to Asgard.
Based on the information he had received earlier, these Dark Elves had planned to plunge all Nine Realms into darkness, which meant Earth had been one of their targets as well.
This battle could therefore be seen as defending Earth. So, Tony felt no psychological burden over killing so many Dark Elves.
Logan and Selene had primarily dealt with foot soldiers, but the fight allowed them to test their full combat abilities. They both felt that their hard work over the past days hadn't been in vain.
These Dark Elf foot soldiers were stronger than elite human soldiers. With their weapons, one of them could take down an entire elite combat team.
If it had been during her days as a Death Dealer, encountering these enemies would have left Selene no option but to flee. But now, killing them was no more difficult than killing chickens. Her progress was astounding.
Logan didn't feel the same way. As someone who had lived through many brutal wars, he had a much more composed attitude toward becoming stronger.
Only Laura was visibly excited. This was the first time she had fully unleashed her combat potential. Still young and full of adrenaline, she hadn't yet calmed down.
If Logan hadn't held her back, she probably would've already chased some unfortunate Dark Elf deep into the forest by now.
As for Auriel...
Watching the majestic three-meter-long big cat licking its paws and then acting cute, begging for magic stones to eat, Ethan couldn't help but feel he had given it the wrong name. Should he rename it Sadaharu? After thinking it over, he decided against it—after all, it still looked more like a cat.
Upon returning to Thor's residence, everyone needed to clean up. Thor's bathroom was large enough, but neither Tony nor Logan had any habit of showering with others.
Tony had worn his Iron Man suit the entire time, and most of the battle had been fought using long-range firepower. So even if he didn't shower, it wouldn't be a big deal.
Logan was different. He had charged into battle more fiercely than anyone. His blood and that of the enemy were splattered all over him. Even though he politely offered to let Selene and Laura go first, Thor still led him to another bathroom to clean himself up.
"Is the Kursed Warrior taken care of?"
"Though it took some effort, I still defeated him."
By the time Ethan returned, Thor had already gotten back to be with Jane. He had wanted to go support his brother after finishing off the Cursed Warrior, but his father informed him that the battle was already over and Loki was leading the clean-up.
He didn't enjoy chasing down retreating enemies, so he skipped the rest and returned to stay with Jane while waiting for Ethan and the others to come back.
He was still thinking of asking Ethan to help remove the Aether from Jane.
Actually, even if Thor hadn't brought it up, Ethan was already thinking about it.
At first, he hadn't been interested in the Reality Stone, feeling it had no use for him. Besides, Jane wasn't in immediate danger. Even if things became urgent, Ethan had ways to suppress it. So even if they waited until after defeating the Dark Elves to handle it, it wouldn't be too late.
But now, things had changed. After using the Space Stone's power in combat, Ethan suddenly realized the Reality Stone might be very important for him.
Take, for example, the move he had just used. The planets he simulated using spatial energy looked like cheap props, completely fake at first glance.
Even though their fake appearance didn't affect the actual destructive power—since the explosion's strength depended on the energy's intensity and not on visual realism—this experience reminded him of something.
He hoped to one day condense his own magic power into a real planet. But did he truly understand what a planet was? Did he understand the world around him deeply enough? Though he had studied a lot, turning that knowledge into true personal understanding was no easy task.
Without some special method, he might only be able to gradually learn and master it through time. But the Space Stone had given him a hint.
The Reality Stone might allow him to understand everything in "reality" much faster.
(To be continued.)
Chapter 363: The Good Show Loki Expects
The Reality Stone can turn the illusions it constructs into reality, and likewise, it can distort objects in reality into other forms.
For example, Thanos used the Reality Stone to create a vivid torture scene that Star-Lord believed was real and even faked being instantly killed by Gamora—of course, this was so absurd that even Star-Lord complained, "That simple?"
At the same time, he also used the Reality Stone to turn Drax the Destroyer into a pile of rocks and Star-Lord's weapon into bubbles.
All of these were abilities of the Reality Stone.
Ethan didn't know whether Thanos had fully tapped into the Reality Stone's power, but even if he hadn't, it was more than enough for Ethan's purposes. He didn't want to gain the ability to alter reality itself, but instead hoped to use the stone to better understand the fundamental composition of various existences within reality.
It wasn't that Ethan lacked the vision to appreciate how powerful the ability to alter reality could be, but rather that he clearly understood he currently didn't possess the strength to master such an ability. Even if he forced himself to learn it now, it would be difficult to truly grasp, and in the end, he might gain nothing.
Considering that the Reality Stone likely wouldn't be able to function at full power outside this universe, he had no intention of taking it with him. It was more practical to focus on making use of what would benefit him most in the present.
This didn't mean Ethan didn't want to eventually gain the ability to alter or even create reality.
In his mind, once his strength was sufficient and his magic could replicate nearly any object across any universe, then the objects he created through magic would become indistinguishable from reality. In other words, as long as he stayed on his current path, he would naturally acquire that ability in the future.
Even without thinking that far ahead, if Ethan could perfectly understand all the fundamental elements of Earth and construct them using magic, he could reproduce any object that exists on Earth using magic alone.
Furthermore, he could go a step further and use those base elements to recreate various tools that humans had already developed.
"Theoretically, the more complex and intricate an object is, the harder it is to create. For example, some advanced machinery involves multiple materials and highly complicated structures, making them difficult to reproduce directly."
A sword and a machine gun are on completely different levels of complexity.
"Magic can do that?"
This was essentially about converting pure energy, like magic, into physical matter. Tony couldn't fully grasp how the process worked.
"The items you create... will they disappear once you stop supplying magic?"
Tony truly had the mind of a mage. He immediately identified the key limitation of this kind of magic—its sustainability.
"It's difficult. Most of the objects created this way will either revert to raw magical energy or simply vanish once the magic supply is cut off. It's hard to maintain the transformation over the long term."
Even Ethan, let alone others, couldn't yet overcome this issue. In fact, even the reality-altering effects of Thanos's Reality Stone weren't permanent. Once Thanos stopped using the Stone, the changes would revert to their original state.
As for the ability to permanently create matter... Ethan had no idea what level of strength would be required to achieve that.
"Can it really reach that level?"
"Theoretically speaking, nothing is impossible."
Of course, theory was just theory. Whether it could actually be realized was still unknown. And right now, Ethan's most immediate problem was that he didn't even know how to convert the Aether into the form of the Reality Stone.
The dark red liquid floating in front of him was currently trapped by Ethan's magic. It couldn't move freely and had no way to find a suitable "host" to hide inside. After struggling for a while without success, it quieted down and remained suspended under Ethan's control. But no matter how much he squeezed or manipulated it, the Aether didn't undergo any fundamental change in form.
"How did Thanos turn this thing back into its Stone form?"
Extracting the Aether from Jane's body hadn't been difficult. Ethan had completed the process within an hour.
With the help of Asgardian medical equipment and the Fountain of Life provided by Ethan, Jane Foster not only suffered no harm, but even felt noticeably healthier.
She didn't understand exactly what had happened, but Thor clearly understood the immense value of what Ethan had removed. Thanks to the Fountain of Life, Jane's lifespan and youthful appearance had been greatly extended. Thor now had plenty of time to be with her, grow closer to her, and think about how to keep her by his side for the long term.
What surprised Ethan was that Odin hadn't appeared at all.
He had thought that once the Aether was removed, the All-Father would suggest storing it in a secure location or propose similar measures. However, ever since Ethan had warned him about the impending arrival of the Dark Elves, Odin hadn't shown up again.
"Could his body no longer endure?"
In the original plot, Queen Frigga had used her magic to maintain Odin's health. After she was killed by the Dark Elves, Odin's condition worsened rapidly. When Loki usurped the throne, the All-Father offered no resistance and was quietly sent to Earth by Loki.
After researching the Aether for half a day without making progress, Ethan finally took out a transparent cylindrical container and stored the Aether in it temporarily.
During this time, he had carefully organized his thoughts and outlined what he needed to do next. It wasn't feasible to spend all his time on the Aether.
Simply put, if he could figure out how to extract the Reality Stone from it, that would be ideal, and he could then use the Stone's power to train.
If not, he definitely couldn't let it delay his other plans. For example, he still needed to visit the shipyard Tony had acquired and check on the progress of his Prinz Eugen.
He also needed to travel to other planets, acquire advanced knowledge and data from different civilizations, and hand them over to Tony for research. He wasn't expecting to develop a spaceship from scratch immediately—he could easily buy a standard one from Xandar or another planet and use that temporarily.
Tony's research was a long-term investment, but all long-term plans had to start somewhere. The sooner he acquired this knowledge, the sooner Tony could decode it, and the sooner Ethan could own a spaceship built entirely for himself.
Putting away the Aether, Ethan looked at Tony, who was still curiously staring at the container in his hand.
"I need to go discuss a few things with the All-Father. If all goes as planned, we'll return to Earth first, and then set off for other planets to collect knowledge from advanced civilizations."
Hearing Ethan's plan, Tony stopped staring at the Aether. In his eyes, the value of that thing was far less than the advanced tech and knowledge Ethan had mentioned.
Technically, it would be more convenient to depart directly from Asgard, but Tony understood that returning to Earth first was really for his sake.
He needed to check on his parents and explain things to Pepper. If he just vanished for several months without a word, never mind Stark Industries falling into chaos, Pepper herself would explode.
Tony wasn't a zombie, and even if he were, he wouldn't want to be blown to pieces by a raging Pepper. So it was best to head back and explain everything clearly.
So, he had no objections to Ethan's plan and simply watched as Ethan walked toward the Great Hall of Asgard.
Odin usually resided there, sitting on the throne even when there wasn't anything urgent.
With the All-Father's power, simply sitting in that hall allowed him to observe nearly everything within his domain. However, the one seated on the throne now was not Odin.
"Loki?"
"You don't look surprised to see me sitting here."
When Ethan arrived, the guards didn't stop him. They simply greeted him respectfully and let him in.
He had assumed Odin was aware of his visit and had given instructions beforehand. To his surprise, he saw Loki.
Could he have sent his father to an Earth nursing home again?
Just thinking about it, Ethan knew that was impossible. After all, Frigga wasn't dead yet.
"Father's health isn't doing well, so Thor and I are temporarily handling Asgard's affairs."
Loki shifted his position several times on the throne, but perhaps it was the way Ethan was looking at him that made him feel uncomfortable no matter how he sat. In the end, he stepped down from the throne.
"After Thor confirmed that Jane was fine, he went off to deal with some Dark Elves hiding deep in the forest."
Thor had left partly because he didn't like handling day-to-day affairs, and partly to avoid running into Odin. As long as he didn't see him, Odin wouldn't nag him about sending Jane back to Earth, and he could take the opportunity to spend more time with his girlfriend.
"Were you waiting here for me?"
The current Loki was very different from the one in the original plot. Ethan wasn't sure what he was truly thinking now. It seemed like he had finally gained his father's recognition—was he satisfied with that?
"Father specifically asked me to bring you to him once you were done with your business."
Loki glanced at the Aether Ethan was holding.
"I figured you'd be dropping by around now."
There were only a few things Ethan would do here. One was to extract the Aether from Jane. He definitely wouldn't resist tinkering with it a bit afterward. Once he had satisfied his curiosity, he would come to the palace.
Whether he had questions or just wanted to say goodbye, Ethan would definitely show up. Loki had easily deduced this and waited in advance.
"The All-Father wants to see me? Do you know why?"
Loki didn't answer. He just told Ethan to ask himself. But judging by the gloating look on his face, it was clear he thought something entertaining was about to happen.
When Ethan met Odin, he finally understood the reason behind Loki's expression.
"I want you to fight Thor with all your might."
(To be continued.)
Chapter 364: Beat
Ethan looked at Loki, who was clearly waiting for a good show, then at the calm Frigga, and finally turned his gaze to Odin, who appeared weak.
"Fight Thor?"
"Fight Thor with all your might, and if possible... fight with the intent to kill him."
Of course, Ethan didn't believe this was some grand scheme orchestrated by Loki to eliminate his older brother and clear the way for himself to inherit the throne.
Although Odin appeared frail, the aura of the King of Gods and the pressure accumulated over countless years weren't something that could be easily imitated through illusion.
When Loki had impersonated Odin in the past, he had managed to deceive people for a while by putting on a blank expression. But his behavior quickly gave him away, and anyone with a bit of sense could tell something was wrong.
Since it wasn't an illusion, then it was real. So why would Odin want him to "severely beat Thor"? Was it because his eldest son had been disappointing lately, and the father wanted to spank him but didn't have the strength to do it himself?
That couldn't be it. Adjusting his thoughts in a more serious direction, Ethan quickly figured out the reasoning.
It was clear Odin was dissatisfied with Thor's current pace of progress and wanted to use an external force to push him—hard.
Loki was a potential option, but Asgard's future depended on the two brothers working together. Moreover, with Thor's personality, even if he lost to his younger brother, it likely wouldn't provoke any deep sense of urgency or shame.
On top of that, Loki probably couldn't deliver a strong enough blow to Thor.
Loki's strength had indeed grown significantly, but it was still unlikely he could completely dominate Thor. Especially since Thor's own strength had also increased under Loki's recent guidance.
If the fight ended in a stalemate, Thor wouldn't mind, even if he lost. He might even be happy that Loki had grown stronger, and throw a banquet to celebrate with his friends. That kind of result was entirely possible.
After thinking it through, Ethan realized that the only suitable person in Asgard for this task... was himself.
Ethan's own power might not completely overwhelm Thor in a direct confrontation, but he held the Space Stone.
As one of the Infinity Stones, and with Ethan already capable of wielding its power freely, defeating Thor was not out of the question.
Considering the tactics of mages, there was a good chance the battle would be one-sided, with Thor getting completely outplayed. That was exactly the result Odin was after. Only a humiliating defeat could ignite Thor's fighting spirit and push him to more quickly master his thunder powers.
If possible, Odin even hoped Ethan would beat Thor to the point where his true potential would be forced out. That was the reason he had said "fight with the intent to kill."
"I understand what you mean."
Odin nodded. He knew Ethan would get it. Mages weren't fools.
"Loki will arrange everything. We'll begin as soon as Thor returns."
Odin would not interfere too much. He only needed to wait quietly for Thor to return, then have Loki take him to the prearranged location for a truly "dangerous" battle with Ethan.
This battle would not be made public. The people of Asgard wouldn't even know it was happening.
Only a handful of Thor's friends and the guests Ethan had brought, like Logan, would be present. They were given premium viewing seats and could watch up close. With Odin and Frigga nearby, there was no need to worry about stray magical energy harming the spectators.
This wasn't a gladiatorial arena, but rather an abandoned training ground that Loki had tidied up for the battle.
It had been chosen because it was hidden away. It was a training ground Odin had once used in his early years, but it had been unused for a long time.
Safety was guaranteed. Most Asgardians didn't even know this place existed.
Those who had received news of the battle had already gathered on the sidelines. Loki had found several tables and chairs and even prepared fruit, drinks, and wine. He then sat there happily, waiting for his brother to return so he could spring the surprise on him.
Logan and Selene were indifferent about the battle and treated it as entertainment.
Laura, on the other hand, was genuinely excited to watch.
Sif and the other of Thor's companions didn't understand the reason behind the duel, but they had absolute confidence in Thor. They didn't believe that mighty Thor, the pride of Asgard, would lose to a mere human mage.
They hadn't seen Ethan's power, but even if they had, they wouldn't have believed Thor would lose. That was the pride of the gods of Asgard.
As for Tony, he firmly stood on Ethan's side.
"Well? Confident you can beat Thor? If not, I can take your place. I've always wanted to test my Iron Man suit at full power. Opponents like Thor don't come around every day."
"There'll be a chance, but this time, don't steal the spotlight."
After chatting casually for a few minutes, Ethan walked over to Odin.
"Judging by your expression, you're having trouble figuring out how to 'extract' the Reality Stone?"
"I've got a few ideas, but it's a pain."
Ethan had been thinking about the problem during his downtime. The most reliable method seemed to be compressing the Aether over and over again—compressing it to the extreme, then crushing the outer layer to reveal the Reality Stone inside.
There was no sophisticated trick to it. It was purely a matter of applying tremendous energy to force the transformation. Ethan, with the Space Stone in hand, was confident he could do it. It would just take time.
"Leave the Aether with me for now. After the battle is over, I will hand over the Reality Stone to you."
Upon hearing Odin's words, Ethan didn't think for a second that the King of Gods was trying to trick him. It was clear Odin was offering a reward in advance to ensure Ethan would give it everything he had—to beat Thor senseless with full effort.
That's what a real father would do.
Ethan grumbled to himself and handed the cylindrical transparent container holding the Aether to Odin.
"Although I don't know what you need the Reality Stone for, I suggest that once you've accomplished your goal, don't keep both Stones with you."
"I just want to borrow the Reality Stone for a while to train. I don't plan to take it away, and I'm already wondering who to entrust it to for safekeeping afterward."
Asgard clearly wasn't a good option. The palace already held the Mind Stone, and based on Odin's own logic, the Reality Stone should never be stored there as well.
"I can introduce someone to you. If you don't know what to do with the Reality Stone afterward, you can send it to him."
Just like in the original timeline, Odin was thinking of the Collector on Knowhere. Ethan had the same thought the moment Odin began speaking.
Unlike Odin, Ethan had more in mind—this guy wasn't short on money and was willing to spend heavily to acquire Infinity Stones. The Collector also had all kinds of valuable possessions, and Ethan could obtain a lot from him, including advanced knowledge from high-level civilizations and a top-tier spaceship.
"I'm planning to travel the universe for a while anyway. I'll check out the place you mentioned."
Odin nodded and said nothing more. He simply let Ethan go prepare himself and get into optimal condition.
From the look in Odin's eyes, Ethan could tell Thor had likely just returned. He walked quietly to the center of the training field and began thinking about how to fight in a way that would fulfill Odin's request.
Just a casual fight? That wasn't what Odin wanted. He wanted Thor to suffer a crushing defeat—ideally one that left him completely devastated.
It wasn't easy to judge the right intensity on his own, but Ethan happened to have a perfect reference.
In Thor: Ragnarok, Thor had experienced a deeply painful loss.
The one who gave him that humiliating defeat was his sister, Hela. In that fight, not only was Thor utterly outmatched, but even his most beloved weapon, Mjolnir, had been shattered by Hela.
"Weapon."
Ethan suddenly realized the key point.
Odin's ultimate goal in having Thor suffer such a defeat was to force him to awaken his hidden potential—the power of thunder within him.
Mjolnir was meant to help Thor master his power. But now, it seemed to have become a shackle holding him back.
So if Ethan really wanted to satisfy Odin's expectations, defeating Thor wasn't the goal. Destroying the hammer was.
Once the hammer was gone, Thor, the God of Thunder, would likely be thrown into a daze after the defeat. That would be the perfect moment for Odin to subtly plant the idea: Are you the God of Thunder or the God of Hammers?
Maybe with just a little extra push, Thor would unlock the thunderous power within him.
"This script is solid. I'm sure Odin won't find any fault with it."
With the plan in place, Ethan now had to think about how to turn the "script" into reality.
After all, it was one thing to say it and another to actually pull it off.
Hela had been able to crush Mjolnir with one hand. Ethan wasn't confident he could do the same.
Unless...
Ethan opened his eyes, his decision made.
He slowly raised his right hand, his slightly bent fingers grasping at something. With a thought, the Space Stone appeared directly in his palm.
"I've used it for so long. I'm really a bit reluctant to part with it."
Ethan unleashed his full magic power, concentrating it in his right hand and violently compressing the blue cube. With a crisp crack and a fleeting ripple of blue light, the Space Stone completely shattered into fragments.
(To be continued.)
Chapter 365: The Battle Begins
Ethan stood in the center of the training ground, every movement watched closely by those around him. Everyone saw the Tesseract shattered in his hand. Tony, who knew how precious the Tesseract was, felt his cheek twitch. He was frustrated by Ethan's seemingly wasteful act. He had desperately wanted to study the Tesseract in detail and prove he had surpassed his father, Howard.
Originally, with the Tesseract in Ethan's possession, Tony thought he would have plenty of chances to borrow it for research. He never expected to witness its destruction today with his own eyes.
Of course, he also knew the Tesseract was just a container, and the true core was the Infinity Stone hidden within. Ethan destroying the Tesseract now was clearly to extract the Infinity Stone.
And the reason for doing so was, obviously, the upcoming battle.
Ethan held the shattered fragments of the Tesseract in his right hand, his thumb gently feeling over them, revealing the true form of the Space Stone within.
It was an overall oval-shaped but jagged blue stone, radiating a glowing blue light.
Such an inconspicuous gem contained an astonishing amount of energy. After pressing his thumb on the stone, Ethan gave a light shake of his hand, letting the fragments of the Tesseract fall away, leaving only the gem in his palm.
"Indeed... using the Infinity Stone directly and using the power channeled through the Tesseract are completely different levels."
Just as Ethan was sensing the vast energy within the stone, Thor, led by Loki, arrived. Naturally, Thor's current girlfriend, Jane Foster, was with him as well.
Thor didn't know what was going on. Seeing his good friend and his parents all gathered here, he greeted everyone with a smile.
"What's this? A party?"
Casually picking up a piece of fruit from a table and taking a bite, Thor noticed everyone staring at him. He looked down at what he was wearing.
"Oh, this outfit isn't really fit for a party. Wait a second, I'll go change."
He had just returned from hunting down Dark Elves and was still wearing armor and carrying Mjolnir—definitely not dressed for celebration.
However, they weren't hosting a party today. Loki directly stopped him.
"Your current outfit is perfect for what's about to happen. No need to change."
Still a bit confused, Thor walked toward Odin. Finally, after Odin's explanation, he understood why he was here and what was about to take place.
"Fight Ethan?" Thor looked back at Ethan, who stood in the center of the training ground. "All-out?"
He wasn't completely clear. Although he enjoyed a good fight, why Ethan?
"You'll understand everything after the battle."
Some things couldn't be explained in advance. Forcing Thor to awaken his potential couldn't be told outright, only triggered through action.
Thor glanced around and saw everyone staring at him. He knew there was no way to avoid this.
Besides, as the God of Thunder of Asgard, he had never been one to fear a fight. His only concern was whether Ethan could withstand his attacks.
"Don't underestimate Ethan. His strength is very formidable."
Loki understood his brother well. Seeing Thor's hesitant expression, he knew what was going through his mind.
Fighting was one thing, but accidentally hurting a friend was something Thor didn't want to see happen.
To prevent Thor from holding back, Loki specifically reminded him, "It's best to discard any thoughts of going easy. Otherwise, you'll be the one getting beaten."
Being a sorcerer himself, Loki had a clearer understanding of Ethan's strength than most.
Even without the Tesseract's power, Ethan's strength was terrifying. Now that he had extracted the Infinity Stone, Loki had no idea how powerful Ethan truly was.
"I understand."
Thor, hammer in hand, stepped into the center of the training ground. Looking at Ethan, who was smiling at him across the field, he waved and said, "Didn't expect to have a chance to spar with you."
Ethan maintained his smile and nodded. "Don't treat this like a spar, or you'll end up at a disadvantage."
As he spoke, Ethan took out a glove.
It was a simple, fingerless glove with no enchantments. The only unusual feature was a metal plate on the back of the hand, meant to block weapons during combat.
Ethan chose it because if he wanted to use the Space Stone in battle, he needed a medium. He couldn't just hold it the whole time—it would interfere with movement and combat.
After some consideration, he selected this ordinary glove.
He put it on his right hand, then held the Space Stone in his left, aligning it with the metal plate on the back of the glove. His right hand, clenched into a fist, began channeling magic, which pulled the energy of the Space Stone toward it.
With a "ding," the Space Stone struck the metal surface and fused with it, as if it had always been a part of the glove.
Ethan didn't know if this was a trait of the Infinity Stone itself, but he didn't need to use magic to modify the glove. Yet he could already feel that he could freely draw on the Space Stone's power, unaffected by the glove's ordinary material.
He guessed it was likely because the Space Stone's energy was extremely stable, and thus it didn't require a special medium.
Ethan casually moved his right hand a few times to confirm that the Stone wouldn't fly off mid-battle. Then he turned to look at Thor across from him.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Thor nodded. He had been observing Ethan the entire time and hadn't launched a surprise attack. In his eyes, this was a fair duel, and he wouldn't fight dishonorably.
He also noticed that the blue gem Ethan used was the Space Stone hidden within the Tesseract.
"So this spar is to test the power of the Space Stone?"
Thor thought he had figured it out. If that was the case, then he did need to give it his all—he knew the reputation of the Infinity Stones.
"Let's go with that," Ethan replied, glancing at Odin seated at the side of the training field. "Looks like everyone's growing impatient. We should begin."
Thor said no more. He took his stance, warned Ethan to "Be careful," and then raised his hammer, charging straight at him.
As the God of Thunder of Asgard, Thor's combat strength was immense. Even without using the terrifying lightning he could channel through Mjolnir, his physical strength alone far surpassed any normal person.
Could an ordinary person take a punch from the Hulk and still get up to continue fighting? Thor could. He could even wrestle the Hulk to a standstill. That alone proved how terrifying Thor's physical strength was. If it were the old Ethan, he wouldn't even need to take a direct hit—just a glancing blow would be enough to cause serious injury. Dodging would be the only option.
Now...
Ethan watched Thor charge with complete calm. He gently clenched his right fist. The Space Stone embedded on the back of his hand flashed brilliantly, and then Thor, hammer raised, passed straight through Ethan.
"An illusion?"
Thor's first thought was the same as Malekith's—this version of Ethan was just an illusion. As a mage, Ethan knew illusion magic, and Thor had seen this kind of trick countless times from Loki.
Just as he dismissed the "illusion" behind him, Ethan casually turned, reached out, grabbed Thor's red cape, and with all his strength, swung him around and slammed him hard into the ground.
Boom!
As Odin's former training ground, this place was clearly reinforced. Ethan's slam had used full force. His strength now was far beyond that of an ordinary human. Even so, while Thor was slammed into the ground with a thunderous crash and kicked up a cloud of dust, the ground itself remained undamaged.
The ground was fine, but Thor was a bit stunned. Lying on the floor, he looked at Ethan, still not sure what had just happened.
If this had been a normal spar, Ethan might have reached out to help Thor up, then reset their stances and continued the fight.
But this time was different. Odin had specifically instructed him to fight with the intent to kill Thor. This battle was meant to make Thor face a dire situation and awaken the potential within him.
So, while Thor was still dazed, Ethan immediately attacked.
A sudden burst of blazing fire snapped Thor back to his senses. A pair of enormous flaming wings spread from Ethan's back and surged toward him.
The terrifying heat caused the surrounding air to rise in temperature. Thor even found it hard to breathe.
"Interesting!"
Thor didn't mind Ethan's sudden attack. A fight like this, where both sides went all out, was exactly what he enjoyed. Ethan's aggressive move had ignited his fighting spirit. He swung Mjolnir with his right hand and used the hammer's forward momentum to leap into the air.
He didn't retreat. Instead, he gathered lightning on his hammer and charged head-on into the flaming wings.
Rumble!
Two completely different yet equally powerful forces collided, erupting in a violent explosion.
Flames and lightning scattered in every direction. Thor was thrown out from the blast, clearly overwhelmed by the shockwave.
Compared to Thor, whose cape was scorched and now looked a little disheveled, Ethan stood calmly amid the swirling fire and lightning, completely unaffected—not even a speck of dust on him.
(To be continued.)