After cursing Thor internally for being a muscle-headed brute, Loki, eager to leave the scene and avoid further embarrassment, began wondering why Heimdall hadn't activated the Bifrost to bring them back to Asgard.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed several shadows moving near the bridge tunnel. Turning to look, he felt a dozen cold, predatory gazes fix on him.
Reacting instinctively, Loki cast a quick spell, and moments later, he saw the Xenomorph-Yautja hybrid accompanied by a swarm of Xenomorphs stealthily approaching.
"Wait, Thor!" Loki shouted as he summoned more magic to block the Xenomorphs' advance.
As a prince of Asgard, Loki was well aware of the danger posed by Xenomorphs. He quickly turned to Thor and said, "We have to deal with these pests first. Heimdall won't bring us back to Asgard if there's any chance of us carrying this threat with us."
Thor, still fuming from his encounter with William, shifted his focus to the creatures. Recognizing the danger, he twirled Mjolnir rapidly, creating a vortex of wind as storm clouds began gathering in the sky.
The sound of thunder rumbled ominously, growing louder as Thor rose into the air.
"Die, you monsters!" he roared, pointing Mjolnir at the bridge tunnel where the Xenomorphs were hiding.
Terrified, Loki darted out of the way.
A massive bolt of lightning erupted from the clouds, striking the tunnel in a blinding flash of light.
For several seconds, thunder and crackling electricity filled the air. When the lightning storm subsided, the tunnel was filled with scorched, smoldering remains of the Xenomorphs and the hybrid.
Watching from afar, William couldn't help but feel a chill. The sheer destructive power of Thor's lightning made him grateful he hadn't tried to engage the God of Thunder in physical combat.
If Thor truly understood magic, or if I couldn't disable Mjolnir's power before he used it, he might've crushed me or electrocuted me into oblivion, William thought.
Thor's arrogance and impulsiveness, combined with his raw power, made him difficult to approach. Given their rocky first encounter, William decided it would be best to avoid the Asgardian in the future.
Seeing the Xenomorphs destroyed, and unwilling to provoke further conflict with Thor and the Asgardians, William turned to the Yautja leader.
"Let's go," he said. "I doubt you want to deal with Thor's temper any more than I do. If another fight breaks out, your ship might not survive."
The Yautja leader nodded eagerly. He had no desire to face Thor's wrath, especially since William could escape using his portals while the Yautja bore the brunt of the consequences.
As their ship departed, Thor and Loki were enveloped in the Bifrost's shimmering light.
When they reappeared in Asgard, Thor scowled at Heimdall. "Why didn't you send us back to that Midgardian?"
"My apologies, Prince Thor," Heimdall replied calmly. "But it is not your decision to make. Odin wishes to see you both."
Meanwhile, aboard the Yautja ship, William finally relaxed as they left the solar system.
To him, the Asgardians' strength wasn't just about Odin and Hela's personal power or their reputation as formidable warriors. The true ace up their sleeve was the Bifrost, which allowed them to travel anywhere within their domain almost instantly.
The Bifrost could turn any battle into a logistical nightmare for their enemies.
If two fleets were engaged, the Asgardians could bypass the opposing fleet entirely and strike their base or supply lines directly. By the time reinforcements arrived, the Asgardians would already be attacking another vulnerable location.
And the Bifrost wasn't just a transportation tool—it was also a planet-destroying superweapon. No wonder no one dared challenge Odin while he was alive, not even powerful beings like Thanos, who instead chose indirect approaches.
When the ship reached the jump point, it activated its spatial drive.
A beam of energy shot out from the ship's prow, creating a dark rift in space. The ship accelerated, plunging through the expanding tear.
Moments later, the rift closed, and the ship stabilized.
William immediately tested his portals, relieved to find that his magic still worked across the vast distance. As long as he could vividly recall a location, he could open a portal to it.
With his safety assured, William turned his attention to the planet visible through the bridge's viewport. It was surrounded by three moons, creating a striking image.
The Yautja leader approached and said, "This is what we call Planet X17, approximately 160 light-years from Earth."
Hearing this, William's thoughts turned to the limitations of space travel without advanced technology.
Without jump drives, even traveling at light speed, it would take 160 years to reach this planet.
He imagined the implications: A ship with cryostasis pods could launch, but by the time it arrived, the passengers' families on Earth would have lived for seven or eight generations. They'd wake up as ancestors to descendants they'd never meet.
And what if a second ship launched a century later with more advanced technology? It might reach the same destination years earlier, rendering the first ship's journey pointless.
Space travel without jump technology is not just slow—it's absurdly inefficient, William mused.
In contrast, the Yautja's spatial jump had taken less than 30 seconds to cover 160 light-years. A smaller 30-meter ship could prepare and execute such a jump in mere seconds.
As the larger ship descended toward the planet, William observed its lush surface.
The Yautja leader explained, "This planet has a surface area roughly three times that of Earth. While its animal population is sparse, the plant life is abundant, indicating a rich supply of water.
The oxygen levels are slightly higher than Earth's, and gravity is about 0.9 times that of Earth's."
Listening to the explanation, William asked, "You call this X17. Does that mean you've found at least 17 planets suitable for your species?"
The Yautja leader smiled faintly. "Yes. Across the galaxy, we have identified several planets that can support life. But not all are suitable for extensive colonization."
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I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 79)
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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