Chapter 40:
Mark was completely bewildered, struggling to understand this new module. His system was frustratingly unhelpful, only activating under specific conditions, no matter how much he cursed at it.
"Damn, this is unbelievable."
Feeling numb, Mark stared at the measly 20% progress bar stuck in his mind.
He wasn't sure how this whole unlocking modules with his Stand thing worked. Was this just a roadblock in the progression, or did he need to unlock one module before accessing others? Could he unlock multiple modules at the same time?
For example, if he accidentally triggered a tech-related module he couldn't access yet, could he go to the Sorcerer Tower of Kamar-Taj and mess around with stuff there to unlock a magic-related module?
Lost in thought, a sudden sound snapped Mark back to reality.
"Hmm?"
He looked up and saw a small dot shooting through the sky, heading towards Asgard. In a flash, a bolt of lightning crashed down, engulfing the town in a blinding white light. Rising from the ground, the lightning transformed into shining armor and a majestic cape.
It was Thor, having regained his divine power.
Glowing with lightning, Thor didn't waste any time. He brandished his hammer and soared towards the edge of town, radiating an aura of immense power.
But when he got there, Thor was dumbfounded by the sight of two giant boulders lying on the ground.
"What...?"
Thor stared at the bizarre scene, completely confused. "Where's the Destroyer?"
Just then, a voice echoed through the air.
"You're too slow. I already took care of that thing."
Surprised by the voice, Thor instinctively looked down and saw Mark searching through a large pit. Thor hesitated before asking, "Is that you, Sorcerer?"
"Just call me Mark."
Mark continued examining the pit.
"Mark."
Thor slowly descended, intrigued by this mysterious figure. "Did you really defeat the Destroyer, my father's armor? And what are you doing now?"
"I'm getting my weapon back."
Mark pointed towards the ground.
During the fight with the Destroyer, Mark had used so much force that he embedded his Hellish Cleaver deep into the earth. Luckily, he had activated the Ender Hand force field, causing the ground to shake.
In the next instant, the massive Hellish Cleaver, as wide as a door, emerged from the ground and landed in Mark's hands.
"Uh..."
Thor was speechless, staring at the spectacle. "Is that your weapon?"
"It's forged from a special alloy of Adytite ore and Cobalt Blue, found only in the depths of Hell. I call it the Hellish Cleaver." Mark casually rested the heavy blade on his shoulder. "And I've given it an unbreakable enchantment, making it as strong as any weapon in Asgard."
"But..." Thor seemed puzzled. "Aren't you a Sorcerer?"
"Do you know anything about magic? Are you a sorcerer?" Mark countered. "Although magic usually requires things like rings or accessories at Kamar-Taj, or wands at Hogwarts... who's to say a magical focus can't be a sword?"
"Well..." Thor was dumbfounded.
For some reason, he felt strangely compelled to agree.
His younger brother Loki was a mage. Because he wasn't physically strong, he couldn't become a mighty warrior like Thor.
Their mother, Frigga, took pity on Loki and taught him magic. But Loki didn't act like a typical mage. He focused solely on illusion magic, using it to trick enemies in battle while launching sneak attacks with a small dagger.
That small dagger was a gift from Frigga to Loki, and it was genuinely magical.
Thinking about it, maybe magical focuses could be swords. Perhaps Loki wasn't strong enough to wield a massive sword, so he chose a smaller blade instead.
But weren't mages supposed to be physically weak and rely on powerful spells?
What was this guy's deal?
Could anyone really wield such a huge blade?
"Well, maybe I've been ignorant," Thor finally stopped overthinking it. "Anyway, I appreciate your help, Mark. But I have to go back and have a serious talk with my brother. If there's a chance in the future, I'll invite you to Asgard as a guest of honor."
With that, Thor started to spin his hammer, getting ready to fly off.
"Wait."
Mark suddenly interrupted.
"Hmm?" Thor stopped. "What is it?"
"No need to wait," Mark smiled. "Who knows when the Bifrost Bridge might be destroyed? I've decided to go back to Asgard with you now..."
"This..." Thor hesitated. "While we gods are hospitable, I'm going back to deal with a crisis. My brother is planning to kill our father and take over Asgard..."
"Don't worry, your brother isn't as evil as you think," Mark waved his hand dismissively. "He still cares about you all. He just wants to wipe out Jotunheim and get rid of all the Frost Giants."
"Huh?" Thor was completely lost. "No, why would he do that?"
"Because he's a Frost Giant himself. When Odin was conquering Jotunheim, he found an abandoned baby in the Ice Palace. That child was Laufey's son, the king of the Frost Giants, left to die in a corner because he was weak."
Mark shrugged. "Now Loki knows the truth, and he's not taking it well... But to be fair, his actions are kind of understandable."
"It's like living as a demon in the human world, only to find out you're actually one of them, the same race as the enemy of humans (in your case, Asgardians) who committed terrible atrocities. If that doesn't mess with your head..."
"Are you saying Loki is a Frost Giant?"
Thor's eyes widened in disbelief. "How is that possible? His skin isn't blue!"
"I've been saying... ugh, I mean, Odin gave him some magical blessings," Mark sighed, rubbing his forehead. "When he comes into contact with ice magic, his true heritage awakens. He didn't know who he really was at first. It was you who insisted on taking them to invade Jotunheim, which led Loki to encounter the Frost Giants' magic and learn the truth."
"This..."
Thor staggered back two steps,
shocked. "Could it be that I'm the cause of all this?"