Chapter 288: Dire Situation
As everyone remained silent and still, Thor's sudden movement stood out starkly. Without hesitation, Rocket pulled the trigger, and a beam of energy brimming with destructive power shot toward Thor.
Just as Thor was about to speak, the attack forced him to swallow his words. In a split second, Thor rolled out of the way, narrowly dodging Rocket's attack. The beam grazed him, vaporizing countless empty seats behind him, leaving a vast void in its wake before vanishing into the depths of space with its immense destructive force.
Fortunately, earlier when Hela had attacked Queen Frigga, accidentally killing the leader of a civilization behind her, many people had already distanced themselves from the area. Otherwise, Rocket's shot would have easily claimed hundreds of lives.
"What are you doing? I'm trying to help protect Lord Zane with you!" Thor shouted in frustration as he scrambled to his feet, glaring at Rocket.
But Rocket's only response was to light up his cannon again.
"Move again, and you die."
The cold, emotionless synthesized voice came from Rocket's armored suit. At the same time, Lorna, Little Black, Little Bone, and Groot all shifted their gaze to Thor.
To them, in the vastness of the universe, they only trusted each other. Others could be friendly, could share strong bonds, or engage in conversation. But when it came to approaching Zane in a moment like this?
Sorry. You die.
The infinite killing intent and madness in their eyes made Thor freeze, every muscle tensing in an instant. His complaints died in his throat as he silently returned to his seat, head bowed.
No one could tell what was running through Thor's mind, but Thor knew. He had been mere moments from death. His instincts screamed at him that if he had made even the slightest wrong move, Lorna and the others would have killed him without hesitation. And without Mjolnir, there wasn't a shred of hope—he would definitely have died.
These companions of Zane, who usually appeared harmless, had transformed into a pack of irrational maniacs the moment Zane's condition worsened.
If this had been the old Thor, he would have argued with them, maybe even fought them regardless of the consequences. But now, things were different. He was no longer just Thor; he was the King of Asgard. Since Odin's death, his life no longer belonged to himself. He was responsible for the people of Asgard.
The supreme power he now wielded came with an enormous cost, one he had to be prepared to pay. Yet, the feeling of helplessness rising from deep within made Thor's eyes bloodshot, his iron fists clenching involuntarily in frustration.
"Power—only with great power can one have a voice in this world," Thor silently reminded himself.
From a hidden angle, a flash of lightning briefly flickered in Thor's eyes. A dormant power within him, long asleep, began to stir with the rise of his emotions.
Thor's submission set a perfect example for everyone else. It made it clear that Lorna's earlier words were no joke—anyone who stood up from their seat would be killed. Even Asgard, an ally of Zane, wasn't exempt. So, what chance did the bystanders have?
After Thor quietly conceded, the dark energy rapidly surging within Satan and the tense muscles of Thanos both relaxed at the same time. They each exhaled and suppressed their intentions. They had decided to abandon their plan to assassinate Zane.
It wasn't just a question of whether they could even get past Lorna and the others' tight defense and reach Zane. Even if they did, who could say that Zane didn't have some hidden defense? If they failed, they'd be in for endless trouble afterward.
The best-case scenario would be living the rest of their lives as invisible men, always hiding. The worst-case? Immediate death.
The risk simply wasn't worth the reward—it was too high a price. Their earlier thoughts had been born of impulse, but Rocket's laser blast had woken them up. They wisely gave up on the unrealistic idea.
However, Zane's condition was far worse than anyone imagined. The death laws Hela had mastered over the last thousand years in the Realm of Death, along with the rules and insights contained in the previous Death God's divine core, were all flooding into Zane's own godhood. There was no consideration for whether Zane could handle it.
If not for the special attributes brought by the Time Stone and the Mind Stone, Zane would have been overwhelmed by the torrent of death rules in less than three seconds. His mind would have completely collapsed, leaving him in a vegetative state—or, worse, he would become enslaved by the concept of death itself, turning into a puppet whose sole purpose was to bring everything to its end.
As time slowly passed, Zane struggled to maintain the balance between his own understanding and the death rules pouring into him from the outside world. It was like walking a tightrope, with bottomless cliffs on either side. A single lapse in focus would break the delicate equilibrium, allowing the death rules to completely consume his mind.
Deep within Zane's soul, his godhood was like a rock constantly battered by waves. Its sharp edges were gradually being worn down, and its impurities were slowly being cleansed. From a 56-faceted oval-shaped gem, it was beginning to evolve into a perfectly round Death Orb.
Unbeknownst to anyone, an entire day had passed. Lorna and the others remained by Zane's side, never straying for a moment, guarding against anyone who might disturb him.
Having spent countless days and nights with Zane, Lorna keenly sensed that he was in a crucial stage. If he could endure this, he would ascend to an even higher level.
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