Chapter 96

Thor's hammer plummeted, lightning crackling and winds howling.

Both Abel and Laufey could sense an immense power surging from the other side of the town, a force imbued with violent and majestic thunder—Thor of Asgard had returned!

This overwhelming feeling... it could only be the power of Thunder. No wonder he was called Thor...

First, they had faced the formidable human mage, and now the resurrected Thor seemed stronger than ever. A part of the latent thunder authority within him had awakened.

Laufey, who had clashed with Odin many times and had witnessed Thor's rise, understood the situation all too well. He knew that Thor's power was intrinsically tied to the authority of Thunder; the Hammer was more than just a weapon—it was the key to unlocking Thor's true potential. The actual thunder authority contained within it was merely a fraction of its overall strength.

Realizing that if Abel and Thor joined forces, he might be outmatched, Laufey hesitated no longer. It was time to abandon his quest for the Ice Treasure Box and escape.

However, Abel was already upon him. As Laufey turned to flee, he was met with the sudden emergence of arms formed from the very earth and rocks, reaching out to grasp him. These rocky appendages created a significant obstacle. Despite his efforts to shatter them with his frost weapons and break free, Laufey found himself ensnared.

With a wand in hand, Abel conducted the chaos around him, the remnants of the battlefield responding to his call.

As he swung his wand, ice, rubble, and debris began to levitate from the ground, propelled by the sheer force of Abel's magic. With a swift incantation, he sent them hurtling toward Laufey at breakneck speed.

In tandem, Abel reached into his robes and activated the ring, opening a vast portal beneath the ruins. Buildings began to vanish, descending toward Laufey, along with the ice and crushed stone, all aimed to overwhelm him.

Boom! Boom! Boom...

A barrage of debris rained down, burying Laufey beneath the wreckage. He barely managed to claw his way out, battered and scarred, exhaustion weighing heavily on him.

If Laufey had been at his peak, possessing the Ice Treasure Box, he would have been confident in withstanding Abel's relentless assault. But the truth was stark: he was not in his prime. Wounded and weary from battle, he could no longer afford to fight. His only thought was to retreat to Jotunheim to regroup, but it was already too late.

An invisible blade sliced through Laufey's limbs, severing his legs and then his arms. As Abel approached, he looked down at Laufey, his expression devoid of emotion. He gently waved his wand, and Laufey's head rolled away from his body, the flow of blood briefly surging before finally settling into silence.

With a flick of his wrist, Abel encased Laufey's body in a massive block of ice and stored it in his magical pouch.

Taking a deep breath, Abel turned his gaze toward the chaos of thunder and lightning across the town, where he could see Thor battling the Destroyer below, alongside the Frost Giant suppressing the Three Warriors of the Immortal Palace and Sif. Without hesitation, he descended into the fray, wielding his wand with determination. He struck from behind, severing the head of a Frost Giant that nearly overwhelmed Sif, and then nodded to her before launching another spell. In a matter of moments, he had dispatched several more Frost Giants, their corpses swiftly vanishing from sight.

"I never knew there was a powerful wizard like you on Midgard!" Vostag exclaimed, awe in his voice.

"There are many mages on Earth stronger than I," Abel replied, "but you've never truly understood its depth."

Without wasting further words, he moved towards Thor and the Destroyer.

Thor, having just regained his powers, was engaged in a fierce battle with the Destroyer. The creature proved to be even stronger than Abel remembered.

Catching sight of Abel approaching, Thor shouted, "It's dangerous here; don't come any closer!"

"Maybe I can help you?" Abel called back.

"You don't understand! This giant is called the Destroyer; he's my father's creation—"

Before Thor could finish, Abel dashed towards the Destroyer. He observed as the Destroyer's facial armor began to part, energy gathering ominously within.

With a swift motion, Abel raised his left hand, unleashing a torrent of white cold mixed with frost and snow that erupted from his palm, enveloping the Destroyer in a thick layer of ice.

But the Destroyer's power was immense, and Abel's icy grip only slowed its movements rather than completely immobilizing it.

Thor, sensing the momentary advantage, charged forward, wielding his hammer with all his might, lightning crackling around him. He struck the Destroyer on the head with a thunderous blow, sending the icy behemoth crashing into a nearby house, which collapsed under the force.

As the Destroyer fell, Thor beamed, ready to praise Abel for his help. But just as he opened his mouth, a beam of flame-colored light shot from the ruins, hitting Thor directly and sending him sprawling, dragging him across the ground and carving a gully in his wake.

It was clear: Thor was indeed a god...

Sighing, Abel opened a portal in front of him and another beside him. At that moment, a beam of energy passed through the portal he had opened, shooting out from the other side and crashing into the ruins where the Destroyer lay buried.

The colossal form of the Destroyer was blasted out of the debris, hitting the ground hard, preparing for another round of chaos!