"Is Hela really that powerful? How does she compare to the Saiyan? And what about that so-called Superman, the god among men?" Thor could hear the apprehension in God-King Odin's words when he mentioned Hela, but Thor had no real concept of Hela's true strength.
To Thor, conquering the Nine Realms wasn't particularly challenging. Apart from Earth, most of the places in the Nine Realms didn't have any formidable opponents. Not to mention, Hela had the backing of Asgard's army. Even without Asgard's army, the Nine Realms would struggle to stop an Asgardian god, especially when Hela wielded Mjolnir.
Thor himself had been far less powerful before, yet with the power of Mjolnir, he still managed to dominate the Nine Realms. So even though Thor knew Hela was formidable, he couldn't grasp the extent of the difference between them.
"Hela's strength... If she becomes the God-King of Asgard, stays in Asgard long enough to push her power to the limit, and fights with Asgard as her battleground, she shouldn't lose to that Superman..." Odin paused for a moment, then spoke with some hesitation.
"But that Saiyan is another story. He's not as strong as Superman, but I'm not sure where his limits lie. He seems to have several forms, each with varying degrees of power..."
"In his previous form, he would probably be evenly matched with Hela outside of Asgard. But I know Hela's trump cards and limits. As for the Saiyan, I have no knowledge of his capabilities or his race. He's incredibly skilled in combat—practically a god of war among humans. And the most frightening thing is, his destructive power is terrifying..."
Odin's voice carried a hint of regret as he recalled the devastation Asgard endured during that battle. Asgard was not just a physical realm; it was a dimension formed by divine power, far more durable than any ordinary planet as long as its divine power wasn't depleted.
Yet even such a sturdy Asgard almost failed to withstand Robert's bombardment. Although Robert's power wasn't overwhelmingly strong, the scale and intensity of the destruction he caused far exceeded Odin's expectations.
"However, if they fought on Earth and the Saiyan had no other trump cards, he likely wouldn't be able to defeat Hela. His destructive power is also a limitation for him..." Odin continued after regaining his composure.
"When facing weaker opponents, he can perfectly control his energy to easily crush his enemies. But when facing those of equal or greater strength, defeating them without causing destruction to Earth is incredibly difficult!"
"Of course, this applies not only to him but also to Superman. A planet would struggle to withstand the power of such beings. Even if they fought in the sky, the turbulent air currents alone would affect the entire planet. Unless they could perfectly control every bit of their strength, not letting any force spread, which would divide their focus and limit their power..."
"So, neither of them was fighting at full strength when I saw them?" A trace of dismay flashed in Thor's eyes as he asked in a low voice.
"Who on Earth could force them to use their full power? Unless they turn on each other, or if they were to clash with the Ancient One..." Odin smiled gently, trying to reassure him. "Your current strength isn't enough to challenge them, but that doesn't mean you don't have a chance to surpass them..."
It was clear from Odin's words that he hadn't been watching Clark and Robert closely. He wasn't aware of the numerous dimensional invasions they had repelled or the many powerful beings they had defeated. Then again, Odin was old, and simply keeping an eye on Thor was enough for him. He no longer had the energy or divine power to monitor Earth's affairs. Moreover, as a defeated god, Odin had a certain awareness; he knew that if he recklessly spied on Robert and Clark and they found out, it wouldn't end well for Asgard.
Although such spying wouldn't prompt Clark and Robert to annihilate Asgard, it would certainly bring disgrace to Asgard and Odin. This time, Odin only acted because Thor and Loki were in grave danger; otherwise, he wouldn't have risked it.
"What is this method you mentioned to unlock my potential? What price do I need to pay? And after paying that price, how strong can I become? Will I be able to fight Hela? Surpass the Saiyan and Superman?" Thor's fighting spirit reignited as he looked at Odin with determination in his eyes.
To become stronger, Thor was willing to pay any price. The reason he had grown so much stronger than before was that he had nearly been brainwashed into becoming another version of himself.
"How strong you can become, I don't know. It all depends on you..." Odin's gaze shifted to the World Tree, the anchor of Asgard's divine realm. His voice was filled with nostalgia. "Originally, it's still a bit early for you to unlock your potential. In theory, this should be done after you become Asgard's new God-King and fully develop your Thor's power..."
"But the situation you're facing now is dire. Even if we disregard the ever-present threat of Hela, that Saiyan will eventually come for Asgard if you can't improve your strength. When that happens, the Saiyan, unconstrained by the need to hold back his power, will bring about an even more terrifying apocalypse for Asgard!"
"So, come with me. I could tell you more, but you won't truly understand how much of your potential you can unlock until you experience it yourself..."
As Odin spoke, he stood up with the help of Gungnir and walked toward the World Tree.
Thor watched his aged father in silence, his mouth slightly open, but he refrained from expressing any concern. Instead, he turned to the Warriors Three and Sif behind him. "Wait here!"
"Yes!" The Warriors Three and Sif, already deeply loyal to Thor, responded in unison. They had their own thoughts and reactions to many things, but when it came to Thor and his orders, their loyalty was absolute.
Soon, Odin led Thor to the World Tree. Thor had been here before, and he remembered Queen Frigga telling him and Loki many mythological stories in this place.
In those stories, the World Tree was a vital entity, and the existence of Asgard's pantheon was closely tied to it. Even the Nine Realms were inextricably connected to the World Tree.
"The World Tree? What do I need to do?" Thor's mind raced with memories, but he quickly refocused and asked Odin.
As soon as Thor finished speaking, there was a humming sound, and a chain materialized in Odin's hand. Odin spoke again, "You need to hang yourself from the World Tree. The World Tree will show you what to do..."
"Hang from the World Tree? Just hang there?" Thor was momentarily stunned. He glanced at the World Tree, then at the chain in Odin's hand, hesitating for a moment.
As Thor had mentioned earlier, Asgardians were not true gods but beings of the cosmos. He wasn't sure how long he could survive hanging from the World Tree...
"Does this mean I must push myself to the brink of death to unleash my potential?" However, Thor quickly realized something. He grabbed the chain from Odin's hand, hung it on a branch of the World Tree, and then, with lightning crackling around him, he flew up, placed the chain around his neck, and let his body hang limp.
Odin opened his mouth as if to say something when he heard Thor's words, but in the end, he watched Thor's actions without stopping him. With a sigh, Odin said, "If that's how you understand it, it's not entirely wrong, my child. I wish you good luck!"
As Odin finished speaking, he didn't stay. Instead, he left, leaning on Gungnir, leaving Thor hanging from the World Tree. Thor hung there like a lifeless corpse, showing no signs of struggle or movement, and even his breath seemed to vanish...
The moment the chain tightened around Thor's neck, his consciousness began to blur. He vaguely heard countless voices, but he couldn't make out a single one. These voices made his mind drift further and further away until he was completely engulfed in that state.
...
Meanwhile, on Earth, as Robert left the New York battlefield in search of the Space Stone, various official organizations made their move, scrambling to seize the remaining Chitauri forces.
Of course, calling the Chitauri forces an army at this point was almost disrespectful, as there were fewer Chitauri in the sky than there were fighter jets and mechas from official organizations. It highlighted the saying, "too many monks, too little porridge."
While these official organizations weren't skilled at facing powerful enemies, they excelled at kicking someone when they were down.
Some of these organizations even came close to openly fighting each other over Chitauri bodies and weapons. The Avengers, watching these organizations tear each other apart, had no intention of intervening; after all, it wasn't their people who would end up dead.
However, what the Avengers and the Atlanteans, who were about to inform Robert of their withdrawal, didn't expect was that after the Chitauri were divided up, the official organizations, failing to locate Robert, turned their attention to the Atlanteans!
Initially, the official organizations hadn't paid much attention to the Atlanteans. But their impressive performance on the battlefield quickly caught their eye. Most importantly, the Atlanteans had clearly developed a technology tree entirely different from that of surface humans.
The researchers within these organizations quickly deduced that the Atlanteans
' weapons were powered by water. If they could acquire Atlantean weapons and technology, they would never need to worry about energy consumption again. After all, Earth might lack many things, but it had plenty of water in its oceans!
Considering this, the value of the Atlanteans suddenly seemed higher than that of the Chitauri. The Chitauri's technology was only slightly superior to the hidden assets of the official organizations, while the Atlanteans' technology was a vast, untapped resource...
So, it didn't take long for one greedy official organization to feign ignorance and launch an attack on the Atlanteans. Luckily, Mera reacted quickly, brandishing her trident to conjure a water shield that blocked the attack.
However, neither Mera, the Atlanteans, nor the Avengers were pleased with the situation. After all, the Atlanteans had just fought valiantly to protect Earth, risking their lives. They were comrades-in-arms! How could these officials attack their allies right after the battle ended?
"Despicable surface dwellers! What do you mean by this?!" Orm, holding a silver trident, glared furiously at the mechas in the sky.
Orm couldn't tell which specific organization was responsible for the attack. To him, all surface civilizations were the same. This betrayal enraged him. He had never been fond of surface dwellers, and if it weren't for Mera's orders, he wouldn't have come to help in the first place. Now, being stabbed in the back made Orm want to kill every last one of these surface dwellers!
However, as Orm seethed, the attacking mecha suddenly exploded, and a figure flickered through the sky. Before the other mechas could react, they too were destroyed in a series of explosions.
"Anyone else who dares attack will die!" In the sky, Kara's eyes flashed with a cold light as she glared at the other mechas and fighter jets, her voice icy.
"Avengers! What's the meaning of this? Why are you attacking our mechas?!" the furious voice of the offending organization shouted. "Are you siding with these aliens?"
The next moment, another explosion echoed through the sky. But this time, it wasn't Kara who acted; it was Tony Stark...
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