"Are you hungry? Want something to eat first?"
Karl tossed a hamburger to Tony and then asked the others.
The moment the burgers and sandwiches appeared, the rich aroma of grilled meat mixed with melted cheese spread instantly. Even Jane felt her stomach growl.
Soon, everyone gathered inside the small ship and began eating heartily.
Karl had more food in his system inventory than they could ever finish. The inventory allowed identical items to stack in each slot, so every type of food he carried was already in the hundreds. With just this small group, they barely made a dent.
After eating and drinking their fill, the ship finally flew out of the ruins and arrived at a vast, flat expanse resembling a desert.
Suddenly, a faint engine hum echoed through the sky.
Everyone looked up.
A massive, sword-shaped warship was already hovering overhead, like a black blade hanging upside down in the air.
"They're finally here…"
Thor murmured, then turned to the others.
"According to the plan, the moment Malekith extracts the Aether, we strike immediately."
The group nodded slightly.
Loki immediately cast a spell, concealing Karl and Tony and rendering them invisible. He and Thor then accompanied Jane as they walked toward the warship.
The sword-shaped vessel descended slowly, while their small ship landed on the desert below.
Led by Malekith, dozens of Dark Elves disembarked from the warship.
"Brother, this ridiculous plan of yours is very likely to get all of us killed."
Loki sighed helplessly. Planning had always been his job—Thor was the executor, the one who charged in headfirst.
In Loki's eyes, this plan was crude to the point of recklessness. It barely qualified as a plan at all—nothing more than baiting the enemy and drawing the battlefield away from Asgard. There was no protection whatsoever for Jane, a mere mortal. Her life—and everyone else's—was being used as a gamble.
After all, this place had once been the Dark Elves' homeworld. Who knew what hidden contingencies Malekith still had?
"Maybe," Thor replied calmly. "But at least Asgard won't be destroyed."
Thor was resolute. Even if given another chance, he would make the same choice. He refused to let the flames of war reach Asgard.
"Loki," Thor said seriously, turning to him. "I can trust you… right?"
Loki smiled faintly, his expression filled with cunning and deceit.
"Of course, my brother."
The next instant, Loki drew a dagger and plunged it straight into Thor's abdomen.
Thor cried out and collapsed to the ground, his hammer flying out of sight.
"Thor!!"
Jane was stunned. Just a moment ago, the brothers had been talking normally—now they were killing each other?
She rushed toward Thor as he raised his hand to summon Mjolnir.
The hammer tore free from the ground and flew toward him—but suddenly, Loki's dagger flashed. Thor's right hand was severed cleanly, bone exposed, and Mjolnir lost its target, crashing uselessly to the ground.
"You really think I care about the people of Asgard?" Loki sneered. "Do you honestly believe I care about any of you?"
He stepped forward and kicked Thor onto his back. Thor clutched his severed arm, screaming in agony.
"The only thing I desire," Loki roared, "is to watch you and Odin die beneath my feet!"
Jane reached Thor's side, but before she could tend to his wounds, Loki seized her and dragged her before Malekith.
"Malekith," Loki announced loudly, "I am Loki of Jotunheim. I bring you a gift."
He shoved Jane to the ground at Malekith's feet.
"My demands are simple," Loki continued, gripping his dagger fiercely. "I want to see Asgard destroyed. I want to watch it turn to ashes with my own eyes!"
Malekith studied Loki in silence.
At his side, the creature that had previously shattered Asgard's defensive barrier spoke up.
"Leader, he is an enemy of Asgard. I saw him in Asgard's prison."
Malekith glanced at Thor clutching his severed arm, then back at Loki, before slowly approaching Thor.
He kicked Thor aside and examined the severed limb. The wound was already charred black from searing heat.
Malekith raised his hand.
Jane's body lifted into the air.
Streams of crimson, particulate energy were forcibly drawn from her body, as if pulled toward their kin. The energy surged toward Malekith, gathering into a dense red mass in midair.
Jane collapsed to the ground, as though all strength had been drained from her.
"Loki—NOW!"
Thor suddenly shouted.
Green light flashed over his body. His severed arm instantly reformed, whole and intact, and Mjolnir flew back into his grasp.
The severed hand had been nothing more than Loki's illusion. Everything had been an act—to force Malekith to extract the Aether from Jane, creating a chance to destroy it.
Loki immediately threw himself over Jane, shielding her with his body.
Thor, lightning crackling around him, channeled a massive bolt through Mjolnir and struck the Aether directly.
BOOM!
The Aether detonated violently. The air itself trembled as sand and dust exploded outward across the desert.
When the dust settled, Thor stared at the Aether.
It had crystallized—shattering into countless tiny fragments scattered across the ground.
Then, as if gravity no longer applied, the fragments began to float upward, gleaming like countless red gemstones suspended in the air.
They converged toward Malekith, reassembling midair into fine particles before surging straight into his body.
Malekith's skin visibly darkened to an ashen black. Half of his face, scorched by lightning, was completely charred. His blood-red eyes locked onto Thor.
"Now!!"
Thor roared.
Though failing to destroy the Aether had not been part of the plan, there was no turning back.
At that moment, Karl and Tony revealed themselves.
The barrel of Karl's Judicator unleashed more than a dozen energy rounds.
Caught completely off guard, over a dozen Dark Elves were shot down instantly, each with a fist-sized hole blasted through their chests.
Tony shot into the air as well. Six autonomous drone cannons detached from his armor and opened fire, unleashing a relentless barrage.
Seeing this, Malekith turned and retreated toward the warship. The monster hurled a black hole grenade behind him before following Malekith aboard.
The grenade landed near Loki and Jane.
Loki shoved Jane away at once.
The device detonated, forming a small but terrifying black hole. The immense gravitational pull dragged Loki into the air, his body helplessly drawn toward it.
At the critical moment—
A bolt of violet lightning descended from the heavens, striking the black hole with pinpoint precision.
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