Thor never imagined there would come a day when he would ask someone for help.
However, he knew exactly what kind of existence the Destroyer was—and he had to put aside his pride.
Though Volstagg and the others were still exchanging blows with the Destroyer, the truth was that the Destroyer hadn't even used its full strength yet.
Thor, the Son of Odin, was well aware of how terrifying the Destroyer—Asgard's ultimate weapon—truly was.
To say nothing else, its armor alone had been forged over many years by Asgard's greatest blacksmiths. It was strong enough to easily withstand nearly all weapons from Asgard.
Take Volstagg 's earlier attack, for instance. It looked powerful, but in reality, it did nothing—and the Destroyer even melted Volstagg 's axe in return.
Maybe it wouldn't matter much to the old Thor, the one with Mjolnir. But now? He was just an ordinary man.
The strength of the three warriors of Asgard and Sif wasn't bad, but it wasn't enough. Against the Destroyer, they didn't stand a chance.
There was no room for resistance.
So, even with the pride of Thor still burning inside him, he forced himself to swallow it—because his friends' lives were on the line.
He had never seen Blaine's strength—the bounty hunter—but he didn't care to guess.
If Blaine had a good relationship with the girl beside him, then that was enough. Because that girl was terrifying.
Compared to the Destroyer, whose strength had limits Thor could vaguely sense, the girl felt like an abyss—endless and unfathomable. He didn't even dare to imagine her full power.
Meanwhile, just as Thor had expected, the battle between the Destroyer and the four warriors of Asgard was coming to an end.
Volstagg 's massive size and weight meant nothing to the Destroyer. Even when he landed a clean hit, it did no damage at all.
The Destroyer didn't bother unleashing more magma beams—too slow, too easy to dodge.
Instead, it struck Volstagg square in the abdomen with a heavy blow. The very weight Volstagg was so proud of offered no help.
"Volstagg !"
Fandral, Hogan, and Sif were nearly in tears as they shouted his name in rage and despair. They couldn't rush forward to help—because the Destroyer was already approaching, red light gathering in its visor.
It was like a laser beam.
*Zzzzt—*
*BOOM!!*
The red beam blasted across the ground, vaporizing everything in its path with searing heat. The explosions rang like thunder.
"Get out of the way!"
Fandral shouted as he rolled to the side, along with Hogan and Sif. Dust caked their armor and faces, leaving them disheveled and bruised.
Panting hard, they stared viciously at the Destroyer.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
With each heavy step, the Destroyer trembled like a harbinger of doom.
Volstagg , suppressing the urge to vomit blood, staggered to his feet and regrouped with the others to keep fighting.
But they were all at their limits.
This was nothing like fighting Madam Gao.
Just now, they had poured all their strength into every attack, holding back nothing. Yet they had failed to leave even a scratch on the Destroyer. And in mere seconds, they were already close to total exhaustion.
It sounded like a long tale—
But the battle had only started a minute ago.
"Please!" Thor was growing desperate.
He looked up at Blaine with pleading, honest eyes.
Blaine's lip curled with an amused smirk. "You want to hire me?"
"Yes! Yes!" Thor nodded eagerly.
"Then let me ask you a question."
Blaine glanced at Thor, who looked pitiful and near collapse. "Are you rich? Because my services don't come cheap. My basic attack fees start at a hundred million. And if I have to go after something like that Destroyer, I might attract trouble. That means the price goes even higher."
If he had the money, maybe Blaine would consider helping. What, you say he just said he won't interfere and only watch? Well—if there's money to earn, why not?
As long as the cash flows, Blaine would move mountains.
But Thor had no money.
And Blaine wasn't one to take a loss—he wasn't doing charity work.
He wasn't trying to mock Thor—just stating the cold truth.
But that only made Thor feel more ashamed.
He really had no money.
Thor, Son of Odin—the God King of the Norse Pantheon—
Brought to a standstill… by money. Earth's money.
"Well… can I pay later?"
Thor forced down his embarrassment and panic and pressed on. "My friends won't last much longer!"
"Sorry. I don't accept credit." Blaine replied, shaking his head. He ruffled Gali's small head with his large hand, playing with her hair.
He had to admit—it was oddly satisfying.
Gali simply snorted arrogantly and rolled her eyes at him.
"This…"
Thor clenched his fists.
He didn't blame Blaine.
He was just furious at himself—for being weak, for lacking experience.
If only he could lift Mjolnir again… he wouldn't be standing helplessly while his friends bled in front of him.
"Ah!" ×4
Four screams rang out.
Volstagg , Fandral, Hogan, and Sif finally collapsed, blasted away one after another by the Destroyer. They crashed to the ground behind Thor like broken sacks of meat.
The cries snapped Thor out of his self-loathing.
A flicker of steel entered his eyes.
He didn't beg Blaine again. Instead, he clenched his fists and ran to his fallen friends.
Volstagg and the others were just getting back up when they saw Thor rushing over.
"Thor, run! This isn't something you can face right now. The Destroyer… it's probably here for you!"
Looking at the four bruised and bloodied warriors—friends who stood by him without hesitation—Thor's eyes filled with guilt.
They were once proud warriors of Asgard, invincible in battle.
And now, injured and tired, they still stood for him without regret.
Thor's resolve hardened.
"My friends… I can't let you suffer for me anymore."
"You rest here. Let me face it. This… is something I must do."
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