Karl's real combat experience was indeed lacking.
At the very least, it couldn't compare to someone like Hela—a warrior who had carved her way out of countless battlefields.
But his magic was powerful, and his coordination was incredibly seamless.
On top of that, his learning ability was terrifyingly strong.
His combat experience was growing at an absurd pace.
With all kinds of different spells woven together, it was only natural that he could keep Hela pinned down and beat her back.
Of course…
If Hela were in Asgard, the situation would be a completely different story.
Hela in Asgard, and Hela on Earth, were existences on two entirely different levels.
And besides—
The Sorcerer Supreme had suppressed Hela's Realm of Death. With her current state, it was only inevitable that she wasn't Karl's match.
"Hela, surrender and submit. Go back into the seal like a good girl."
"Otherwise I can guarantee you won't have a good ending."
Karl spoke in a flat, indifferent tone.
Hela lifted her chin, coldly staring at him.
Karl, meanwhile, quietly watched the two "Heaven-Punishment-tier" presences in front of him.
"A god?"
"This is the first time I've ever seen such a weak god."
"If Odin said that, fine, I'd accept it."
"But you? Forget it. Earth isn't a place where you get to run wild."
Karl's voice remained as calm as still water.
A god?
Where in this world were there any so-called gods?
They called themselves gods only because they were strong enough.
Hela, on Earth, was still far from meeting the standard of a "god."
"Ignorant!"
"You don't understand the foundation that lets me call myself a god!"
Hela threw out the words with arrogant disdain.
The Death Energy inside her body suddenly surged into violent upheaval.
The aura of death fermented and thickened all around.
Karl could feel it.
Everything around him seemed to die.
Every patch of soil, every particle, seemed to step into death.
The ground that had already looked somewhat gray and lifeless now turned into an even more dead, desolate shade.
There was only one thing left to be felt—
Bleakness, and utter stillness.
"Land of Death!"
"Lend me your power!"
"Grant the death's—!"
Hela raised her head and roared.
Her shout filled every corner of the surrounding space.
Her already sharp, spiked hair stood up even more.
A sickly green Death Energy flowed over her, painting even her face with a faint green tint.
Then—
Hela pointed straight at Karl.
A thin, sickly green ray shot toward him.
It sounded like a long sequence, but it all happened in no more than an instant.
Karl merely calmed the magic within his body—yet that deathly power had already reached him.
His hair stood on end.
He could feel it clearly.
This strike—
Ordinary magic couldn't block it.
Even so, Karl didn't panic. He simply looked at Hela with absolute confidence.
Then he let that power hit him head-on.
Pa!
A soft, crisp sound.
Karl scattered into a sky full of green motes of light.
Hela stared at the scene and immediately felt something was wrong.
This brat—
He hadn't died!
Hela's pupils contracted slightly. Her immense Death Energy vibrated continuously.
That sickly green power swept toward the drifting light.
Over half of the green motes were annihilated by the Death Energy.
But…
It had no effect on Karl at all.
A pale green glow lit up.
Like fireflies, the green lights flickered incessantly.
Then—
Those firefly-like motes suddenly swelled outward.
One after another, beautiful butterflies appeared throughout the space.
If this were simply a scene to be admired, it would be breathtaking.
But at this moment, an inexplicable fear erupted from deep in Hela's heart.
Without any hesitation—
She drove all her divine power, wrapping it around herself layer after layer until she was sealed tight within it.
Clearly, the instinct she had tempered in battle had saved her life.
The entire space lit up.
Every single green butterfly—
In that instant, became a tiny sun.
Platinum-white radiance illuminated the entire area in a flash.
A force of destruction erupted violently.
Before that power—
Everything was shattered and obliterated like rotten wood being crushed.
Stone, soil, debris, residual energy—
In the face of that destructive blast, none of it mattered. In the blink of an eye, it was all vaporized by the platinum-white light.
And it still wasn't over.
The platinum-white radiance expanded again, colliding head-on with the sickly green Death Energy surrounding Hela.
It was obvious—
Hela's usually invincible deathly divine power…
Was completely swallowed in front of this platinum-white light.
In an instant—
That deathly power was directly neutralized by the platinum-white radiance, disappearing without a trace.
The platinum-white light slammed into Hela's body.
Her powerful divinity took effect.
Beneath her skin, faint blue patterns surfaced—Odin's power.
Even so…
Hela still felt as though her skin were being pricked by countless needles, pain stabbing through her without mercy.
Even a battlefield-hardened warrior like her couldn't help but feel it was agonizing.
The platinum-white power, like a surging tide, covered every corner of Hela's body.
Hela could only grit her teeth and endure, her whole body trembling.
At this moment, it felt as though a category-twelve storm had been kicked up inside her mind—
Blowing everything to pieces.
What in the world was this magic?
How could it have such terrifying power?!
Hela faintly sensed a real threat.
As though this power could completely erase her!
That sensation made Hela feel a trace of panic.
As long as Asgard existed, she was immortal.
Even if her body was crushed into dust, she could still revive through Asgard.
But now—
She could sense a kind of danger.
As though this power could sever her connection to Asgard, grinding away her most fundamental spiritual imprint.
A sharp pain stabbed through her brain.
It felt like her soul was being torn apart.
Hela's heart shook violently.
There was mental assault mixed into this attack?!
Too terrifying!
This power was far, far too terrifying!
Even someone like Hela—fearless of heaven and earth—couldn't stop a thread of fear from surfacing in her heart.
Fortunately…
After she held on for a while—
That platinum-white power finally dispersed.
Hela looked utterly disheveled, blood trickling from her lips.
Her battle armor was shattered and ruined.
If her armor hadn't been able to symbiotically coexist with her divine power, the scene would have been even uglier.
"Hah…"
Hela let out a breath and, without caring about her appearance at all, sat down on the ground.
"Hela-san."
"Can you surrender now?"
Karl's calm voice sounded from behind her.
Hela's heart jolted.
Without a second word, she hurled the black longsword in her hand straight behind her.
At the same time, her body flashed—
And she reappeared dozens of meters away.
Clearly, Hela had become a startled bird at the mere twang of a bowstring.
(End of Chapter)
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