The woman in the straw hat said nothing as she gracefully waved her hands, sending pieces of red cloth flying toward Hela, surrounding her.
"Why do you want to master our martial arts?"
Hela deflected the cloth one by one and replied, "To defeat Xu Wenwu, take his Ten Rings, and use them to get revenge on my father!"
As she spoke, an image of a figure dressed in white, emitting a red glow from their hands, flashed through her mind. Hela quickly dismissed the thought.
The woman in the straw hat continued, "And why seek revenge on your father?"
Growing impatient, Hela snapped, "Because only then can I claim the throne of Asgard and continue my conquest of the universe!"
The pieces of red cloth pinned her to the ground.
"And after you've conquered the universe?" the woman asked.
At that moment, a series of memories surfaced in Hela's mind—battles she had fought, images of Xu Wenwu, her father...
Amid the disturbance caused by the red cloth, Hela's thoughts turned to her childhood.
She recalled playing with the giant wolf Fenrir when her father suddenly appeared and tied a rope around Fenrir's neck, pulling him away from her.
"Father, why are you restraining him?" Hela had asked in shock. "He hasn't harmed you."
Odin, clad in armor, replied solemnly, "Not yet, but he will. He's born with the heart of a warrior, just like you."
"A king must tame his threats and ensure they fight for him..."
It was then that her father handed her the black crown, teaching her to become the true Goddess of Death.
Now, reflecting on those memories, Hela realized that conquest and war had been forced upon her by her father, against her will. It was never what she truly wanted.
As Hela lingered in her memories, the woman's voice broke through again, "Beyond conquest, what do you truly seek?"
For a brief moment, the answer became clear in Hela's mind. She forcefully swatted away the red cloth and coldly declared, "Freedom. Freedom from control, to choose my own path..."
The woman in the straw hat smiled. "Now you're ready."
Hela nodded.
Soon, the training began.
"Our martial arts are connected to all things. Once you calm your mind, you will understand the essence of it..."
Under the watchful eyes of Syd and the others, Hela began practicing martial arts, meditating and focusing her mind.
The more they watched, the stranger their expressions became.
Valkyrie, for one, could hardly believe it.
Hela seemed... different somehow.
"When are we heading to Midgard?" Fandral, one of the Warriors Three, hesitated, unsure if they should interrupt Hela's training.
He had a bad feeling. If Hela continued, something unexpected might happen.
At that moment, Heimdall's gaze shifted toward another direction.
A group of black-clad individuals was stealthily closing in on the mysterious location where Hela was training.
Seeing this, Thor and the others discussed among themselves and decided to wait for these intruders to gather before making their move. They planned to capture everyone at once, claim the Ten Rings, and investigate the mysterious site.
Meanwhile, Syd watched their overconfidence with a hint of exasperation.
"Well, this works out. I can use the time to wait for the Infinity Gauntlet's completion and practice Sunshine..."
Syd hadn't forgotten the impending arrival of Arishem the Celestial Judge and the Old One's true form.
Thinking about Sunshine, Syd's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"I just need a bit more experience to upgrade Sunshine to level five. I wonder what changes that will bring, along with my divinity..."
With that, he poured all the faith energy he had accumulated over the past few days into his divinity.
[Divinity Experience +1]
[Divinity Experience +1]
[Ability: Divinity (1022/2000) Level Four]
"Still halfway to go..."
Despite the wait, Syd felt content. The constant flow of faith energy from Asgardians, many of whom had started to revere him after he saved Asgard, provided him with abundant and potent energy.
Thanks to this, it wouldn't take long for his divinity to reach level five!
Thinking about the level-five divinity, Syd couldn't help but feel excited.
The next morning, under Thor's watchful eye, Xu Wenwu led a group of black-clad individuals into the bamboo forest.
With the Ten Rings in hand, he navigated the area as if he had been there before, effortlessly leading his team inside.
"You! Xu Wenwu, why are you here?"
"You're not welcome here."
An elderly man frowned.
Xu Wenwu responded, "I'm here to find someone. Hela is with you, isn't she? Bring her out."
Hela?
The villagers of Taro were momentarily stunned.
Someone quickly went to call Hela.
When Hela arrived and confronted Xu Wenwu, the Asgardian gods made their move.
Thor's eyes lit up as he eagerly prepared for battle. "They're all here. It's time to show these people the might of Asgard!"
Thor hadn't forgotten Xu Wenwu's previous boasts.
From a secluded spot, Syd, still linked to Heimdall, observed the situation while practicing his abilities. Seeing Thor and the others approaching, he casually opened a portal to Earth.
The glowing golden sparks of the circular portal revealed the scene on the other side.
Thor and the others looked at the portal in surprise.
"Brother, let's go!" Thor said excitedly.
Feeling their eager gazes, Syd paused to consider. Deciding to practice a bit more before joining, he said, "You go on ahead."
Although disappointed, Thor reluctantly agreed and, after a few words of persuasion, led Fandral and the others through the portal.
On the other side, the villagers of Taro, Hela, and Xu Wenwu all turned their attention to the arrivals—Thor, the Warriors Three, Lady Sif, and Valkyrie.
"Who are you?"
Xu Wenwu and his group immediately became alert.
"You?" Hela exclaimed in surprise.
Xu Wenwu glanced at her. "You know them?"
Under everyone's gaze, Hela said gravely, "They're Asgardians."
She pointed at them, identifying each one.
"That big guy is my brother, Thor, the God of Thunder. That one is..."
Before she could finish, the mention of Thor's name clicked with someone in the crowd.
"An Avenger?"
"What's he doing here?"
The black-clad individuals started murmuring among themselves.
Xu Wenwu's eyes lit up with interest. "So, Hela, Thor is your brother?"
Hearing this, the group behind him also connected the dots and started laughing mockingly.
The thought of Hela describing Thor as some monstrous, unimaginable destroyer capable of annihilating everything seemed absurd to them.
Clearly amused, the black-clad individuals sneered. Xu Wenwu's eyes glinted with confidence.
Soon, he would prove Hela wrong. Her so-called monstrous little brother, Thor, would be no match for him.
With the Ten Rings, Xu Wenwu was confident he could defeat even Thor.
(End of Chapter)
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The black-clad men standing by Xu Wenwu radiated confidence.
With the power of the Ten Rings, they believed their leader could defeat even Thor, a member of the Avengers. Their confidence stemmed from years of victories won by Xu Wenwu and their unwavering faith in the Rings' might.
Before Hela could speak, Fandral, standing next to Thor, stepped forward and addressed Xu Wenwu. "Hand over the Ten Rings. Such a weapon is not meant for a mere mortal like you."
Hela and the others immediately grasped the Asgardians' true purpose.
A flicker of mockery flashed in Hela's eyes as she remarked dryly, "So, you've come for the Ten Rings."
The black-clad men behind Xu Wenwu exchanged angry glances and muttered amongst themselves.
"I thought they were here for something important, but they're after the leader's Ten Rings?"
"It's no surprise. The Rings are so powerful that even Asgardians would covet them."
"And calling us mere mortals unworthy—what a joke. They just want to steal the Rings!"
Hearing these comments, Fandral frowned.
Xu Wenwu smirked. "If you want the Ten Rings, defeat me first!"
He assumed a combat stance, and the ten golden bracelets on his arms lit up with a dazzling blue glow.
"I must admit, I'm curious," Xu Wenwu said, his gaze fixed on Thor. "Let's see what kind of monster Hela's little brother truly is."
With a confident grin, he added, "Soon, I'll show Hela that her so-called monstrous brother, who can destroy everything, is nothing to me."
Without hesitation, Xu Wenwu made the first move.
With a flick of his right hand, five rings shot forward.
The Warriors Three tensed as the rings hurtled toward them with incredible speed, their impact rippling through the air.
Fandral swung his sword, intercepting two of the rings.
Bang!
The force of the impact sent a shudder through his weapon, forcing him back two steps.
As one of the Warriors Three, even Fandral couldn't hide his shock at the Rings' power.
"Be careful, Thor! These things are powerful!" he shouted, glancing back just in time to see Thor flung backward by the other three rings.
Crash!
Thor hit the ground with a resounding thud, sending a cloud of dust into the air.
"Thor!"
"Your Highness!"
Sif and the others cried out in alarm.
The five rings returned to Xu Wenwu's arms as he turned to Hela with a mocking smile. "Your brother isn't as impressive as you made him out to be."
The black-clad men burst into laughter, their initial skepticism replaced by amusement.
"This Hela really loves to exaggerate. What monster? What destroyer of worlds? Hilarious!"
"Thor can't even stand up to our leader. What a joke!"
Gritting his teeth, Thor stood and muttered angrily, "If my hammer wasn't destroyed, you wouldn't be acting so smug."
Electricity crackled around him as his eyes turned a glowing blue-white. Lightning arced across his body, startling Sif and the others.
"What's this?"
"Has he awakened his divine power?"
A triumphant smile spread across Thor's face. "Now, let's continue!"
Electrified and brimming with power, Thor charged at Xu Wenwu.
Startled, Xu Wenwu instinctively launched five rings from his right arm.
Whoosh!
Thor raised his hand, summoning bolts of lightning to intercept the incoming rings.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The rings' momentum faltered, and Thor easily swatted them aside. They spun back to Xu Wenwu's arms.
The sight left everyone stunned—Xu Wenwu, the Warriors Three, the black-clad men, and even Hela.
Thor's strength, even without Mjolnir, was astonishing.
Realizing this, Xu Wenwu's confidence wavered slightly. No wonder Hela had described her brother as a monster capable of destruction.
"Still, he's no match for me!" Xu Wenwu declared, extending both arms as all ten rings flew forward.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Under his command, the rings attacked Thor relentlessly. Even with his newfound power, Thor struggled without his hammer.
Bang!
A ring struck Thor square in the chest, sending him crashing to the ground once more.
The black-clad men cheered, their leader's dominance reaffirmed.
"Leader, you're incredible! Thor is no match for you!"
"Hela must've been joking when she called him a monster. He's nothing compared to our leader!"
"With the Ten Rings, no one can defeat you!"
As they praised Xu Wenwu, he directed the rings for another attack.
Fandral and the others leaped into action, engaging Xu Wenwu to buy Thor time.
Clang! Clang!
Even the Ten Rings couldn't overwhelm the combined efforts of Valkyrie and the Warriors Three. Xu Wenwu's attacks were deflected repeatedly.
Seeing this, the black-clad men charged into the fray to assist their leader.
Despite their initial dismissal of the grunts, the Asgardians found themselves struggling due to the Rings' interference.
Meanwhile, Thor rose to his feet, lightning surging around him. He charged into the black-clad men, scattering them like leaves in a storm.
"Ahhh!"
"Help!"
With Thor's reentry into the fight, the tide began to turn.
Xu Wenwu, now facing an electrified Thor and five other Asgardians, no longer looked so confident.
(End of Chapter)
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