Chapter 28: The Predator Behind

"Besides fighting, what other nonsense did Thanos even bother teaching you?"

Hela's mocking words showed no mercy.

As long as you will it, fate will stand by your side? What do you take yourself for?

The center of the universe?

Wrapped in a coat made from the fur of some unknown beast, Hela didn't give Lothar a chance to respond before stepping forward. After marking the location on his wristband, Lothar followed closely behind, while The Other, holding his azure staff, muttered incessantly under his breath.

The biting wind silenced The Other's disdain for Hela as the trio moved further from the concealed fleet, leaving footprints in the snow that were soon erased by fresh frost. After traversing through the storm-laden landscape for some time, the grand and resplendent Frost Palace finally came into view.

"That is Laufey's palace. Going any farther means stepping into the patrol zone of the palace guards."

"Is there no way to bypass the patrols?" The Other wasn't thrilled about the prospect of confrontation.

"You're welcome to burrow through the snow like a rat, chipping away a path with that fragile cane of yours."

Hela seriously doubted the intelligence of both master and servant. One had an inexplicable sense of confidence, while the other spoke without thinking.

"This is the key that holds the lives of countless Chitauri, not just some cane!" The Other bared his teeth at Hela in frustration.

"Remember your place, Hela Odinsdottir." Lothar's voice cut through, halting The Other's threat.

"You are my prisoner. Don't force me to throw you at the feet of the Frost Giants." At this moment, with Odin waging war with his spear in hand, if his only heir were to fall into the hands of the Jotun, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"If your plan is to completely evade the patrol squads, then I suggest you turn back now."

"Lead the way."

Hela brushed the snow from her coat and advanced toward the palace treasury, with Lothar and The Other in tow.

Yet, before they could take more than a few steps into the patrol zone, a Frost Giant squad emerged from around a corner. The Other tensed, preparing to summon the fleet with his staff, but before he could act, he saw energy waves ripple through the air, piercing the chests of the six Frost Giants, felling them in utter silence. They died without a sound, as if slipping into a peaceful slumber.

"Proceed."

Lothar retracted his hand, his expression unchanging, treating the scene as casually as one would disposing of trash. He then gestured for Hela to continue.

Has this bastard's power grown this much?

As a warrior herself, Hela could immediately tell how far Lothar had progressed since their first encounter on the Blood Plains. She frowned slightly.

While The Other collected the corpses into the energy reserves of his staff, Lothar and the others continued their approach toward the Frost Palace.

One by one, silent waves of energy culled the patrolling squads. Lothar's version of stealth shattered every definition Hela had ever known.

"Are you sure this is what you call 'stealth'?"

By the third patrol squad, which Lothar obliterated beneath his boot, Hela couldn't help but voice her thoughts.

Lothar glanced at her but didn't bother answering. Instead, he extended his index finger, pointing into the unknown distance. The unspoken pressure silenced Hela, forcing her to resume her role as their guide.

After crossing paths with five more patrol squads, they finally reached the side gate of the palace.

"Typically, Laufey stations three to four squads here on rotation. Each squad consists of six Frost Giants, meaning you'll need to deal with at least nine or, at most, twenty-two giants at once."

"Not eighteen or forty-two?"

The Other looked skeptical of Hela's arithmetic. She shot him a sharp look. "I'll handle half. You're in charge of cleanup."

With a swift motion, Hela conjured two jet-black weapons forged from enchanted metal.

Laufey was too sensitive to Odin's magic lingering in Mjolnir, so Hela had no intention of summoning it for a stealth operation.

"You—"

Whoosh!

Before The Other could finish speaking, Lothar and Hela had already vanished from sight. The hulking blue forms of the Frost Giants crumbled, undone by silent waves of energy and Hela's blades that materialized at their throats.

Pierced hearts. Slit throats. By the time Lothar and Hela stood atop the side gate, The Other had barely raised his staff.

"Clean up these corpses. Consider it a reward." Power surged around Hela as she stepped on the fallen Frost Giants, her proud Asgardian princess demeanor returning, shedding the pretense she had worn before Lothar and The Other.

"I told you, Lothar—I'll make you regret this."

With a smirk flashing across her face, Hela spread her arms wide and leaped from the gate, her eyes brimming with arrogance and scorn.

Letting her recover even a fraction of her strength was Lothar's biggest mistake.

Now, with her power partially restored, she could let Lothar's forces draw attention while she infiltrated Laufey's treasury. The very weapons Laufey prepared to use against Odin—she would claim them for herself.

"Damn it! Prince Lothar, what do we do now?"

Gazing at the corpses littering the ground, The Other knew without a doubt that Laufey's elite guard would soon discover the attack. That damned woman actually dared to betray Lothar with only a fraction of her power regained.

"Obviously, we wait for her to lead us to Laufey's treasury."

Kicking a corpse out of his way, Lothar pressed a button on his silver wristband. A holographic blue screen flickered to life, displaying two blips—one yellow, one red.

"What is this?"

The Other squinted at the screen. That yellow dot looked oddly familiar. A closer look revealed—it was their location. And the rapidly moving red dot…

Hela Odinsdottir.

"Regaining power comes at a cost."

A cold smirk spread across Lothar's lips as he followed leisurely behind.

Blind strength alone would make one no different from Cull Obsidian, a brute with nothing but muscle for brains.

"My father once told me, as long as I will it, fate will stand by my side."

-----------------------

Want to read ahead of schedule?

Join here for advance chapters: PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON