Chapter 167: Chapter 167: The Goddess of Thunder
"Mortal, release Mjolnir! The sacred weapon of Asgard is not to be defiled by the unworthy!"
A majestic voice boomed from all directions, transforming into an overwhelming pressure that shook Sean's mental fortitude.
A pair of aged, wise eyes slowly opened, piercing through the barriers of time and space. A phantom figure projected from a distant star system materialized into a mighty, golden-armored old man wearing a winged helmet.
Two ravens, symbols of thought and memory, perched on his shoulders while his single remaining eye gleamed with cold authority. In his hand was the legendary spear, Gungnir.
Sean merely smiled, unfazed by the Allfather's stern rebuke. This cross-dimensional manifestation of Odin hardly warranted his reverence.
A sharp golden light flashed in his eyes as a torrent of radiant energy erupted from his body, surging like a cosmic tide to clash against the divine will.
The projection of Asgard's king rippled like disturbed water under the impact...
Freshly roused from his slumber, Odin had not expected this seemingly insignificant Midgardian to possess power capable of resisting a god.
Beneath this human form pulsed a terrifying presence... One like a violently burning sun, ready to unleash unimaginable power at any moment.
"Honorable Allfather, perhaps I shall visit Asgard soon to pay my respects. Until then... you might want to deal with your own enemies first." Sean chuckled softly as his consciousness sharpened into a mental lance, piercing through the divine illusion.
The majestic figure of Odin dissipated like a popped bubble.
It was a small trick he'd learned from Professor X, and it worked splendidly against a sleep-deprived Odin.
"Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor..." Sean murmured the inscription while golden flames enveloped the hand gripping Mjolnir.
He would claim this symbol of glory and authority through sheer, unadulterated power.
Two violent forces collided repeatedly. The golden torrent raged like floodwaters battering a dam, relentlessly assaulting the hammer's core... a dying star's heart that was sealed with divine energy.
His consciousness extended like tendrils of wind, rain, and silk, infiltrating Mjolnir layer by layer. Beneath its indestructible shell lay a colossal flaming sun, its heat and energy woven into an intricate, stable matrix.
"The blessings of the gods?"
Sean's gaze flickered as his mental probe advanced along the hammer's arcane runic pathways, bypassing barrier after barrier.
The esoteric fluctuations shifted rapidly, like a cryptographic lock constantly altering its combination. Only by matching Mjolnir's exact frequency could one earn its acknowledgment.
Sensing the intrusion, the hammer's resistance intensified. Its immense power surged in tidal waves, retaliating through the mental link. A majestic will flooded Sean's mind, lightning crackling like rolling thunder.
Yet the golden sun hanging in his mental sky remained unmoved. Through the storm, Sean glimpsed Mjolnir's core... and with golden light entwining the dancing electricity, he gradually permeated the hammer's central heart.
This psychic battle manifested physically...
Dark clouds gathered overhead as free electrons danced eagerly in the air, drawn to their new master.
For a fleeting moment, Sean's consciousness traveled upstream through time. He witnessed a dying star in the vast cosmos. Its core was harvested by Odin, and forged in dwarven fires into the mighty Mjolnir.
"Worthy?" Sean smirked as he effortlessly lifted the hammer from the crater.
No longer heavy, Mjolnir felt light in his grip, its magnetic field manipulating surrounding electrons into crackling lightning.
This was why it was deemed a divine weapon... Because it was indestructible, energy-adaptive, mass-altering, and electromagnetism-controlling.
Thor had only scratched the surface of its potential, yet it made him one of Asgard's mightiest...
...
Meanwhile, the battle in town escalated.
The Sentinel armor, piloted by Earth's most advanced AI, dominated the fight with blinding speed and precision. The Destroyer could only endure the relentless assault.
The heat beam meant for Thor froze mid-air as a spatial vortex yawned open, and Odin's golden-armored form began its descent.
"ODIN!"
A roar interrupted the Allfather's arrival. A towering blue-skinned giant emerged... It was Laufey, King of the Frost Giants, Odin's lifelong nemesis.
Upon learning his true heritage, Loki had secretly allied with Jotunheim, unleashing their forces upon Asgard to strike at his sleeping foster father.
The heat beam hesitated just long enough for Thor to roll aside.
Gazing up at the charging Destroyer, determination hardened his features as he strode toward the battlefield's heart.
"Brother, whatever I have done to wrong you, whatever has driven you to this, I am truly sorry. No more fighting. Take my life, end this!" Thor approached the Destroyer openly, his princely pride refusing to let others die for him.
On his throne, Loki remained silent. The sounds of battle echoed from the palace... Odin and Laufey were locked in mortal combat.
He closed his eyes, "There's no turning back now."
The Destroyer turned, but instead of standing down, it backhanded Thor away, its stored energy erupting in a deadly blast...
...
Within Sean's sensory range, Jane Foster dashed into the battlefield, frantically searching for someone.
"Hmm... foolish woman."
That heat beam would vaporize her before reaching Thor. Sean cared little for the consequences of the Thunder god's death, but he wouldn't let this brilliant woman perish.
"Catch..."
At the whispered command, Jane instinctively reached up. A lightning-wreathed hammer fell into her grasp.
Mjolnir felt weightless in her hand. Blinding electricity lit the surroundings as gentle, yet immense power flooded her veins. The usually poised astrophysicist raised the hammer skyward, and thunder answered.
Dark clouds swirled as if the Valkyries themselves had returned.
A shockwave of energy deflected the incoming blast. Compelled by instinct, Jane swung Mjolnir downward.
The Asgardian armor had no chance. Under the hammer's divine might, the "indestructible" Destroyer shattered into scrap metal.
The clouds parted. Sunlight returned.
Jane stood frozen, utterly bewildered by what had just transpired...