“Thor! That’s a Frost Giant!” Volstagg’s voice boomed with alarm.

“Why did the Frost Giants come to Midgard?” Fandral’s question hung heavy in the air.

Thor listened to the words of Volstagg and Fandral, two of the three warriors of Asgard, with a gravely serious expression etched on his face. If it were the old Thor, he might have charged recklessly to battle the Frost Giants by now, but now, perhaps because he had matured, or perhaps because he no longer wielded Mjolnir’s divine might, he could hold back and ponder the situation with a clear mind.

Thor drew a deep breath and spoke in a low, resolute tone: “It should be Loki. Although I don’t know why, the fact that the Frost Giants can come to Earth must be something that Loki orchestrated behind the scenes.”

Hearing Thor’s words, Hogan, the last of the three warriors of Asgard, leaned in and said to Thor: “Thor, before we came here, Heimdall once told us that Loki had lingered in Jotunheim for a long time earlier, but he shielded his actions from Heimdall’s sight. I don’t know what conspiracy he’s weaving.”

“Then it must be tied to Loki,” Thor concluded, his jaw tightening.

Sif glanced at Thor, who had fallen into a thoughtful silence, and then flicked her eyes toward Jane Foster, who stood nearby with a curious look. She stepped forward, as if by chance, positioning herself between Thor and Jane, and said: “Thor, why don’t we return to Asgard first, regroup, and then come back here to tackle the Frost Giants. You’re merely a mortal now—it’s far too perilous!”

“No, whether I am a god or a mortal now, I will not flee,” Thor declared firmly. “The Frost Giants are wreaking havoc here, and I have a duty to confront them, even as a mortal! Besides, I have steadfast friends like you. If we stand united, we can surely take on those Frost Giants!”

Having said that, Thor grabbed a gleaming fire axe from a nearby wall and gripped it tightly, testing its weight to prepare for the fight ahead.

Before engaging the Frost Giants, Thor intended to escort Jane and her companions safely away from the danger zone. But just as they dashed outside and readied to drive Jane and the others to safety, a dazzling, rainbow-hued beam of light plummeted from the sky and crashed into the heart of Puente Antiguo, unleashing a thunderous roar and a billowing cloud of smoke.

As the smoke and dust slowly cleared, the Destroyer’s colossal, molten-metal form loomed menacingly before Thor and his allies.

Staring at the approaching Destroyer, Volstagg, the slowest-witted of the three Asgard warriors, let out a hearty cheer, mistaking it for aid. But when he caught the grim faces of his comrades and Thor, he finally sensed trouble, blinked in confusion, and silenced his cheer.

“Volstagg, only the God King can release and control the Destroyer. My father is asleep, and the only one who can release and control the Destroyer is probably Loki. And I don’t think the Destroyer under Loki’s control will help us deal with the Frost Giants.”

“So…” Sif hesitated, her shield raised warily.

“So we must find a way to neutralize the Destroyer before we can face the Frost Giants,” Thor said. “At the very least, we must force the Destroyer to leave Earth and keep it out of this conflict!”

As for the name of Earth, Thor had shifted from calling it Midgard, a term from Asgard’s lofty perspective, to its true name, Earth. The sharp-eyed Fandral had already noticed this change in Thor’s mindset, but he held his tongue. Thor’s growth was largely for the better. In Fandral’s view, Thor now embodied the title of Thunder God more than ever.

At the same time, as Thor and his companions braced to confront the Destroyer, the Frost Giants finally spotted them, their attention drawn by the Destroyer’s dramatic arrival.

Gazing at Thor from afar, Laufey paused briefly, then raised a massive hand and gestured toward Thor, commanding: “Send some warriors to slay those Asgardians. If possible, capture Odin’s son alive. It seems he’s become a mortal for some reason, which suits us perfectly. I will drag him before Odin and end him!”

After receiving Laufey’s order, twelve towering Frost Giants immediately charged toward Thor, their icy footsteps shaking the ground.

As for the Destroyer’s presence, Laufey had just received a cryptic message from Loki, revealing that he had dispatched the Destroyer to hunt Thor and his allies, so Laufey didn’t even consider addressing the Destroyer’s role.

Seeing his warriors surging forward, Laufey wasted no more time. Facing a three-story building before him, nearly as tall as his own towering frame, he swiftly conjured a shimmering layer of ice over his hand, shaping it into a razor-sharp short sword. As Laufey swung with mighty force, his arm plunged straight into the building’s third floor, carving a gaping hole in its structure!

At that moment, a swirling stream of black smoke burst from the shattered building and streaked rapidly toward Laufey and his Frost Giants.

Seeing this, Laufey raised his left hand and swept it forward with authority. A bone-chilling wave of frost erupted, and a thick, glistening ice wall sprang up before him, squarely blocking the black smoke’s advance.

But at that instant, the black smoke slammed headlong into the ice wall and dissolved into nothingness, vanishing without a trace.

Hmm…? Escaped? Laufey’s scarlet eyes narrowed.

Although he was puzzled, Laufey refused to lower his guard.

However, just because Laufey remained vigilant didn’t mean his warriors followed suit. While Laufey warily scanned the surroundings, the cluster of Frost Giants behind him fanned out slightly, searching for any sign of the mysterious black smoke.

At that moment, Sebastian’s cloaked figure flickered into view behind a Frost Giant, and with a silent flourish of his wand, the giant’s head toppled to the ground, cold blue-purple blood gushing forth in a grisly spray.

“Enemy attack! Everyone, stay sharp! Stand back-to-back and don’t let your guard down!” Laufey bellowed, his voice a commanding roar.

Laufey was indeed a formidable leader who had once faced Odin in battle. He pierced through Sebastian’s stealthy tactics with a single glance and instantly rallied his warriors to alertness.

With his scarlet eyes narrowed to slits, he scrutinized the area around him. Suddenly, Laufey thrust his hands outward with fierce intent, and a colossal blizzard roared to life, its icy gusts swirling and spiraling around him and his warriors. Finally, with the blizzard’s aid, Laufey pinpointed Sebastian’s elusive trace.

When Laufey unleashed the blizzard, Sebastian realized what the Frost Giant king was attempting, but he was a heartbeat too slow and was spotted by Laufey’s keen senses.

“Sneaky human, perish!” Laufey snarled.

With a casual yet mighty grasp, a massive ice ball, as large as a house, formed in Laufey’s hand. Laufey hurled it with devastating force, and it rocketed toward Sebastian with crushing intent.

Seeing the ice ball hurtling toward him, Sebastian finally chose to abandon his Disillusionment Charm, casting Apparition to reappear beside another Frost Giant. He waved his dragon heartstring wand in a relentless flurry, casting Sectumsempra. Instantly, the Frost Giant’s body erupted in countless bloody gashes, deep enough to expose bone. Though the giant didn’t die on the spot, he crumpled, robbed of his ability to fight on!

However, as Sebastian had anticipated, the Frost Giant fought with fearless valor. The gravely wounded warrior, undeterred by his injuries, lunged toward Sebastian without a moment’s hesitation, determined to grapple him and create openings for his comrades and his king!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep