As if he had noticed Rhodes' gaze, he looked at the empty wall beside him and smiled slightly, as if mocking Rhodes for being a step too slow.
White velvet snowflakes began to fall from the sky. Everyone marveled at the unexpected summer snow, their mouths revealing smiles of wonder. However, their smiles vanished when an Asgardian Pegasus knight touched a snowflake and instantly transformed into an ice sculpture.
It became clear that these were not ordinary snowflakes; they manifested as high-purity frost energy from space.
If exposed to this energy directly, one might as well be running naked in absolute zero. Without frost-resistant armor providing robust protection, no level of physical strength could withstand this universal freezing energy.
Not only did the Asgardian soldiers panic, but even the frost giants on the ground, despite their upbringing in Jotunheim, couldn't endure the chill of absolute zero.
Apocalypse was taken aback; he employed over a dozen consecutive space teleports, appearing in front of Rhodes in the blink of an eye.
However, the dense snowflakes left him with virtually no place to hide. Fleeing seemed the only option; confronting this kind of energy, a fundamental law of the universe, was out of the question.
Rhodes allowed the snowflakes to fall upon him. These flakes, upon touching him, exploded into white halos before vanishing into thin air. His steel body had transcended ordinary cosmic matter and rendered the laws of the universe, even those as absolute as absolute zero, null and void.
However, the situation unsettled Rhodes. Even though he could withstand the intense frost energy radiating from the ice Casket of Ancient Winter's core, the Asgardian soldiers were defenseless against it.
"Follow my order. Preserving your lives is paramount; evacuate from the central battlefield immediately!" Rhodes conveyed his command via his arm's communication device.
The Pegasus knights in the sky wasted no time, riding their steeds towards areas untouched by the colossal snowflake suspended in the atmosphere.
Egyptian soldiers, lacking the mobility of the Pegasus Knights, were rapidly engulfed by the snowflakes, turning into motionless ice sculptures.
Apocalypse comprehended Rhodes' directive, promptly teleporting himself out of the snowflake-encroached area and onto the desert's outskirts. There, he gazed at the snowy veil looming over his city, a twisted smile forming on his lips.
The city he had built over many years was imperiled by a single snowflake, teetering on the brink of obliteration. Should the snowflake's influence expand, it would render the area inhospitable, leaving no chance for survival for the elite Egyptian soldiers or the rest of the population.
However, at this moment, the snowflake continued to spread, blanketing the entire desert sky. Simultaneously, its presence grew increasingly sparse and delicate, fading away entirely from the night sky.
It seemed that the white snowflakes had evenly saturated the Earth's atmosphere, vanishing from sight.
Bewildered by this turn of events, Apocalypse watched as Rhodes suddenly approached.
"I'll deal with you first, then Laufey," Rhodes declared, his intention to eliminate Laufey foremost on his mind. However, the troublesome fact was that Laufey now stood amidst the Pegasus Knight troops.
Rhodes estimated that it would take time for the Casket of Ancient Winters to extend its influence across the entire Earth, so safeguarding his troops became his top priority. Against a foe like Apocalypse, sheer numbers among the Pegasus Knights were inconsequential. His individual firepower could decimate the entire Pegasus Knights army.
Apocalypse smirked, "Kill me? You may be formidable, but your goal is rather naive!"
Rhodes disregarded his words and conjured a blazing sun-like flame before him.
The fiery conflagration bathed the withered yellow desert in its crimson glow, liquefying the gravel beneath Rhodes' feet into transparent crystals.
Startled, Apocalypse stepped back, exclaiming, "Are you serious? Is this flame comparable to the sun? That's mere residual heat!"
"It's not a comparison; this is authentic solar fire!" Rhodes hurled the flames toward Apocalypse.
Apocalypse attempted to teleport away, but his prior exertion from the snowstorm left him powerless to evade.
The fireball reached him and enshrouded him completely. All that could be seen was a dark figure struggling amidst the flames, howling in desperation.
"Ahhhh! Curses! How could I be ensnared by something like this!"
Apocalypse roared as the flames consumed him, charring his entire form, reducing flesh to cinders and leaving burns in their wake.
Nevertheless, the cells throughout his body swiftly regenerated in the fire's crucible.
"Hahahaha! I am the master of this world! The entire universe bends to my will! So long as you exist within the universe's laws, you cannot kill me!" Apocalypse laughed maniacally.
"Hmph," Rhodes sneered, "The speed of the solar flame is relatively slow, and it's challenging to target a teleporting foe like you. I didn't intend to end you this way, but since you doubt my capabilities, prepare to confront your ignorance."
With those words, Rhodes formed claws with both hands, concentrating his power in his palms. The flames before him suddenly surged forth, streaming into the beleaguered Apocalypse.
Apocalypse wanted to teleport away, but the prior snowstorm had depleted his energy significantly, rendering him defenseless.
As the fireball enveloped him, he became a shadow writhing within the flames, his desperate screams echoing.
"Ahhh! Damn it! How could I be trapped by something like this!"
Apocalypse roared as the flames consumed him, turning his body into a charred silhouette, skin peeling and flesh smoldering.
Only his head remained, still struggling. It seemed he'd focused his regenerative abilities there to preserve his life.
Undeterred, Rhodes heightened the flames once more. In an instant, Apocalypse's form disintegrated into a smoky blur and vanished from existence, leaving behind no trace.
Pegasus knights who had retreated looked upon Rhodes' surroundings, astounded. The once yellowish terrain had transformed into pure, crystalline formations.
Rhodes' body was enveloped in the intense heat, making the scorching desert wind feel like a mere breeze.
"Legion Commander," someone uttered hesitantly, "What should we do now?"
Rhodes surveyed the Pegasus knights who remained. A considerable number had evacuated to a safer distance.
Outside the city, the frosty aura continued to expand, making the desert's landscape increasingly desolate.
Rhodes mounted Pegasus, rallying the knights around him, and together they charged back into the city.
Simultaneously, he instructed the Pegasus knights on the opposite side to encircle the city.
Laufey was now trapped, with no means of escape.
Swiftly, Rhodes led his knights to encircle Laufey in the courtyard before the palace.
Laufey regarded the assembly with a sinister grin, unshaken by the situation.
"The Earth is now within the grasp of our frost giants; what can you hope to achieve?"
Behind him, the Casket of Ancient Winters rested on the Egyptian priest's altar, emitting a steady stream of white mist.
This mist didn't settle but dissipated into thin air, its destination unknown.
Rhodes understood that the Casket of Ancient Winters was channeling frost energy across the Earth, slowly lowering its temperature.
"Cease the Casket of Ancient Winters, and I may spare your life," Rhodes demanded.
"Hahaha! Spare my life? What a joke!" Laufey guffawed. "Soon, you and all within the Earth will be immobilized by the Casket of Ancient Winter's energy. What can you do then?"
With those words, he turned his gaze toward the Pegasus Knights beside Rhodes.
Sure enough, these knights, closest to the Casket of Ancient Winters, found the temperature drastically plummeting, rendering them immobile.
Laufey observed the knights, who trembled uncontrollably and could hardly move, with satisfaction.
"Don't endure unnecessarily; you are on the brink of death," Laufey taunted. "Your ordinary bodies cannot withstand such severe cold like we Frost Giants."
Without reacting to Laufey's taunts, Rhodes approached, raising his fist and drawing closer to the trapped Frost Giant King.
Laufey retreated, placing his hand upon the box, his arm rapidly freezing due to the concentrated frost energy.
However, he clung to the Casket of Ancient Winters tenaciously.
"Don't come any closer! If you approach, you'll meet your demise!" Laufey threatened.
Ignoring his warnings, Rhodes advanced, ready to deliver the final blows to Laufey. He was a man who believed in eradicating problems at their source.
Just as Rhodes raised his fist, intending to end Laufey's life, a crimson light suddenly appeared in the sky.
Odin descended from the heavens, accompanied by his high-ranking servants, and arrived at Rhodes' side.
"Do not kill him," Odin ordered. "He is the Frost Giant King. His death would lead to a revolt among the Frost Giants, plunging the Nine Realms into chaos."
Rhodes' mouth twitched, not due to Odin's authority but because a Frost Giant uprising would spell doom for Earth.
"My parents are still on Earth," Rhodes realized. "If the Frost Giants launch an assault, Earth's current forces won't stand a chance. Who can guarantee my parents' safety amidst the chaos?"
With no other option, Rhodes cast Laufey before Odin, like he was disposing of trash.
Odin promptly ordered his servants to seize Laufey, then utilized the Bifrost to transport him back to Asgard, where he would be imprisoned.
All eyes turned toward the Casket of Ancient Winters. The white mist it emitted continued to saturate the Earth through its teleportation magic, gradually reducing global temperatures.
If not addressed, the Earth would indeed become a paradise for Frost Giants as time passed.
"Proceed," Odin commanded several of his high-ranking gods.
The high-ranking gods hesitated but ultimately advanced toward the white mist. As they reached out, their fingers froze instantaneously, startling them into swift retreat. Even slight movement shattered the ice cubes formed on their fingertips, the fingers turning into ice crystals and breaking.
"My God King!" They turned to Odin, their expressions filled with desperation. "This white mist triggers absolute zero; it freezes our bodies upon contact!"
Odin's expression was grave. He understood the gravity of the situation.