Chapter Twenty-Two: The Awakening of the Thunder God!

Gasping for breath, Hao Yun braced his hands on his knees and looked toward the center of the battlefield… There, the head of a Destroyer, nearly severed, was rapidly regenerating before his eyes…

Damn it, with recovery like that, who here is a match for the Destroyer?!

Even the tenacious, never-give-up Tony was at a loss. Tony’s voice came through Hao Yun’s helmet, crafted from nanorobots.

“Stall for time. We’re no match for it right now.”

“Alright.”

Hao Yun fell silent for a moment, then agreed in a heavy voice… It made sense, after all—even an aged Odin was a cosmic powerhouse who had lived for tens of thousands of years. Hao Yun had only recently awakened his abilities. Did he really expect to bridge a gap of several millennia in just over a year? Even with cheats, that was absurd. This wasn’t Saitama’s basic training regimen—he wasn’t bald!

For the next stretch, Hao Yun and Tony relied on their suits’ agility in the sky to delay the battle… Along the way, four Asgardian brutes made an appearance, only to be swatted away by the Destroyer like flies.

Upon learning these four blockheads were famed warriors of Asgard, Tony regained a bit of confidence—at least he’d managed to accomplish something.

Meanwhile, Thor and the institute staff, along with the four battered Asgardians, hurried to evacuate the townsfolk. The buildings of the town, under Loki’s reckless manipulation of energy, were reduced to rubble and ruin.

“Hao Yun, I’m almost out of power,” Tony’s voice came from the sky, just after he dodged a blast from the Destroyer with a serpentine maneuver. The news was grim.

Hao Yun checked the time—it had only been thirty minutes. Damn, Tony, are you a three-second man? The new element reactor, and you’re already running out of juice?

“Retreat to the institute. Leave the rest to me!”

Hao Yun surged forward, his armored hands morphing into a massive tower shield to block the Destroyer’s swinging arm.

He glanced at the sky—blazing sun, no clouds. Damn, his ultimate technique wouldn’t work. He’d have to rely on brute strength!

The shield melted, transforming into two basketball-sized gauntlets. Hao Yun shouted, unleashing his full strength, electricity coursing through his body, stimulating his muscles and enhancing his blows.

“Big wood, big wood, big wood!”

Thunderous impacts resounded as the Destroyer’s armor was knocked backward. Hao Yun took advantage of his size, hammering at the knees and smashing the hollow leg armor forged from uru metal into a disk.

Unfortunately, the divine mark remained embedded in the armor. With effortless regeneration, the Destroyer restored itself to its original form, unharmed. The only benefit Hao Yun gained was trading energy and strength for time.

But as for close combat, Hao Yun’s skills—gleaned from movies and anime—could only go so far.

In the institute, Tony realized that after Hao Yun resorted to physical attacks, he too was nearing his limit… No, he couldn’t let Hao Yun die here—he was Pepper’s nephew, the future of Earth!

“Jarvis!”

Tony, back in his suit, roared, forcing the low-power armor to activate.

“Sir, I advise against further combat. Only five percent energy remaining…”

“Shut up. Activate the suit. Melee mode!”

Tony bellowed—this was Earth, and as long as Iron Man lived, no one would invade his home!

“You can’t go. Your weapons have no energy left!”

Thor tried to stop Tony, unwilling to see an Earthling die beneath Asgardian armor.

“Thor!” Tony grabbed Thor’s collar, pointing angrily at the surrounding ruins, yelling in his face, “Your Asgardian family matters—handle them yourselves! This is Earth, not your territory!”

“Go back! Gods who bring only scars to Earth are not welcome!”

With a forceful shove, Tony sent Thor stumbling, then charged forward again.

A swing of the Destroyer’s right arm sent Tony flying back along the same path—his energy depleted, his strength insufficient. Yet, undeterred, Tony charged again.

Thor watched Hao Yun desperately resisting the Destroyer, then saw Tony, battered and repeatedly thrown back, always returning to the fray. He finally understood what it meant to protect.

To protect one’s people, one’s planet, one’s kin… Perhaps, to guard and defend—that was the essence of kingship.

“Enough! Loki! I said enough!”

Thor strode forward, blocking Tony and Hao Yun from another futile assault, facing the Destroyer head-on.

In Asgard’s healing hall, the slumbering Odin, in his Odinsleep, twitched a finger… A slight smile tugged at his lips—part proud, part sorrowful…

“Brother, no matter how I’ve wronged you, whether it was I who led you to this path, I apologize.

These people are innocent. Killing them will bring you no honor. If you must kill, kill me—cease the battle at once.”

The Destroyer halted, its energy gathering paused, colors returning to normal… Then, with a sudden turn, its left palm struck Thor’s head, sending him flying dozens of meters!

On the other side, Hao Yun grinned, flashing Tony an OK sign.

Inside the base where Mjolnir was kept, researchers cried out in alarm—the energy meter for the hammer was detecting an immense surge! In just a second or two, the readings reached nuclear explosion levels!

With a whistle, as the energy peaked and researchers fled the facility in panic, Mjolnir shot skyward, bursting through the roof and speeding toward Thor’s location!

On the ground, Thor, knocked unconscious and barely breathing, suddenly raised his arm high and clenched his fist…

Lightning crashed down, and Thor stood upright, scales of armor forming across his body—Asgard’s prince, the God of Thunder, had returned!

Nearby, Hao Yun and Tony retreated quietly toward Jane… Now that Thor was revived, defeating the Destroyer was a task best left to a god.

“Will he make it?” Tony asked, watching Thor soar skyward with his hammer, unleashing thunder and tornadoes. Despite the spectacle, Jarvis’ calculations showed Thor’s energy output was still less than Hao Yun’s super-electromagnetic cannon.

“Of course. Don’t worry,” Hao Yun reassured Tony. “The seal’s broken—that means Odin has awakened. Do you think Odin’s son can’t defeat Odin’s armor? It’s all just a performance.”

Then Hao Yun reminded Tony, “Don’t forget, when the Destroyer’s armor shatters, grab some scraps. Its forging metal is far superior to titanium alloy!”