Chapter 30: I'll Give You One More Chance to Rephrase That

"What did you just say?"

The Frost Giant clad in snow-white armor arched an eyebrow in utter disbelief. His fingers tensed on the trigger, and under his control, the pitch-black barrel of his firearm edged forward slightly.

In the century since he had become the guardian of the treasury, never once had he encountered an intruder as brazen as the man before him.

"Do you even realize what you're doing?" Agan stared at Lothar, a mocking glint in his eyes, before squeezing the trigger.

A reckless whelp who didn't know his place wasn't worth wasting words on. This was the treasure vault of Laufey—the greatest king in the history of the Frost Giant race. And yet, Lothar's attitude made it seem as if he were belittling not only him but also Laufey and the entire Frost Giant lineage.

Bang!

The gun barrel shattered!

To Agan's horror, a beam of radiant light had suddenly coalesced at the tip of Lothar's finger, right where the firearm had been pressed.

The light was blinding, and before he could react, a searing pain tore through every nerve in his body.

"Ugh..."

Staring in disbelief, Agan looked down to find a gaping wound—fist-sized—piercing through his chest. That single injury had robbed him of his once-immortal life.

The massive, cerulean-hued body collapsed before Lothar, finally freeing The Other from his restraint.

"Dispose of him."

"Understood, Prince Lothar." The Other retrieved the azure scepter from the ground and respectfully watched as Lothar once again stepped into the disheveled treasury.

"Prince Lothar, according to Woz's scans, the Casket of Ancient Winters is not here." The feline AI, formed from a silver bracelet, continuously analyzed the vault, which had been left in utter ruin by Hela's earlier rampage, delivering results that Lothar did not want to hear.

"Cough… This isn't Laufey's true treasure vault. That bastard has always used a decoy vault to lure in interstellar thieves." Hela, forcing down the blood rising in her throat, struggled to stand from the rubble. Her pale face was now tinged with streaks of red.

"Clever. As expected from Odin's daughter. Unfortunately, your realization came too late."

A grand, resounding voice suddenly echoed through the vault's upper reaches. As Laufey's words fell, the entire treasury trembled violently. Then, in a matter of moments, massive ice pillars surged forth, lifting the structure high into the air.

Rumble!

Shattered stone and crystalline shards from Jotunheim's royal halls plummeted to the ground, the transformation of the terrain accompanied by an ear-splitting roar.

Within mere breaths, the upheaval ceased.

Before Lothar now stood a brand-new grand hall, a fresh horde of enemies, and atop the throne—Laufey himself.

"Son of Thanos, I recall issuing you a warning. Out of respect for your father, I was willing to overlook your prior transgressions. However, it seems you've squandered my generosity."

His right index finger tapped idly against the throne's armrest as Laufey gazed down at Lothar and Hela with cold detachment.

"Yet, seeing as you've brought me Hela Odinsdottir, I will grant you one last chance. Leave Jotunheim. Now."

Laufey extended yet another opportunity for Lothar to depart. There was no choice—Thanos was not an enemy he could afford to provoke at this time.

Even with his formidable forces, merely holding his ground against Asgard had already pushed Laufey to his limits—and that was with allies from the Nine Realms assisting in the struggle. If he were to foolishly antagonize Thanos of the Centauri sector now, he would soon find himself leading the warriors of the Frost Giant race straight into the underworld to meet their forebears.

"You're afraid."

But to Laufey's surprise, Lothar did not take his offer in gratitude. Instead, he stepped forward, approaching the throne with deliberate strides.

"What?"

"You fear my father. You fear that he will join forces with Asgard. That's why you've given me repeated chances to leave Jotunheim."

Lothar's calm words, carried by the frigid winds, pierced straight into Laufey's heart like an arrow.

"Who would've thought? Laufey, the mighty king, finally showing weakness?" Hela, brushing away the blood at the corner of her lips, smirked in open disdain.

Asgard and Jotunheim were already locked in war. As Odin's daughter, Hela had no reason to show respect to the Frost Giant king.

"Do not test my patience, son of Thanos."

Laufey ignored Hela's taunts entirely—she was, in his eyes, already a lamb awaiting slaughter.

"The Casket of Ancient Winters."

When Lothar came within a single step of Laufey, he stopped.

"What?"

"I said, I want the Casket of Ancient Winters in your possession." Having finally found an artifact mentioned in Ebony Maw's archives, Lothar had no intention of letting it slip through his fingers.

Laufey remained silent.

His guards glared at Lothar with unbridled fury, yet Laufey rose from his throne. He knew that had he not commanded them to stand down, Lothar would have already been torn to pieces by their wrath.

"Do you understand, son of Thanos? I am a king. Not just of the Frost Giants—no, of all the giants of Jotunheim. I am the most powerful ruler in our history."

"So, I will give you one final chance—to rephrase that."

Laufey loomed over Lothar, peering down at him with an overwhelming presence. But what caught his eye was the glaringly vivid red tail swaying behind the young warrior.

"Give me the Casket of Ancient Winters."

Boom!

Fury exploded within the mighty king as he launched a devastating punch at the insolent insect that dared to challenge him again and again.

Yet, to his shock, this so-called insect did not cower. Instead, Lothar met him with a fist of his own.

The impact sent both reeling, Lothar's retreat carving twin trails across the frost-laden ground. Knees bent and right hand pressed against the earth, his lips curled into a fearless, reckless grin before he launched himself forward once more.

Every cell in his body trembled with exhilaration. Every punch, every movement left a resounding shockwave in Laufey's wake.

Invisible gusts whipped up the frozen air as Lothar's escalating power solidified in the heat of battle. He fought with wild abandon, unleashing his emotions in every strike, while Laufey's expression darkened.

He felt a bitter humiliation—was this brat actually using him as a mere training dummy?

Yes, Laufey feared Thanos, but that didn't mean he lacked the strength to challenge him. He had withstood Odin's might for ages—what was one more opponent?

Besides, Thanos was not without enemies of his own. Across the cosmos, there were many who would love nothing more than to see him fall.

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