Mobius wasn't so quick to believe Tony Stark's words. Once a genius himself, Mobius had, after all, turned himself into a vampire through scientific means, curing his rare blood disease even though becoming a vampire wasn't his intended outcome. Knowing firsthand how difficult it was to acquire such expertise, Mobius understood the challenge of advancing from novice to surpassing his level of knowledge.
Despite Tony Stark's transformation into Iron Man, Mobius still saw him as no different from the playboy he used to be. If it weren't for his status as a defeated captive without the right to refuse, and knowing Robert's capabilities and tracking abilities equated escaping to certain death, Mobius would have wanted to leave.
"Forget it, let him do as he will. Though I've lost my freedom, I've survived. I might as well follow his advice and study my own condition, especially since my financial situation is much better than before..." Eventually, Mobius decided not to protest. His current situation was certainly an improvement from when he first turned into a vampire and was under General Bart's control.
Meanwhile, Tony Stark began to study biology, particularly interested in Mobius's unique condition, the transformation process, and Mobius's failed experiments.
Robert, uninterested in scientific knowledge, preferred studying extraordinary powers. After dinner, finding the conversation unappealing, he left.
On another front, Clark had been following Robert's advice by staying close to Lana, free from Lois's occasional calls. This reprieve was thanks to the shielding effects of the wilderness and his feelings of responsibility and guilt when with Lana, which distracted him from thinking about Lois.
"What's that?" Clark frowned as he heard a strange noise in the sky while with Lana. Looking up, he saw ripples in the sky as a hammer-like object appeared out of nowhere, hurtling towards Earth like a meteor.
"Weapon? Attack?" The thought crossed Clark's mind without hesitation, and he instantly disappeared from the spot, leaving Lana unfazed as she was used to such interruptions.
Lana had hoped that gaining powers might narrow the gap between her and Clark, but over time she realized that her abilities, while improved, hadn't brought her any closer to Clark's level. Her strength was comparable to Robert's normal state initially, and although she was no match for Robert now, she possessed the combat power of a demon lord, capable of dealing with mask hosts without issue.
"That's an odd hammer..." Clark reappeared next to the plummeting hammer, ready to stop it from striking the Earth. He could see the immense energy within the hammer, a force more potent than Robert's Kamehameha.
With a snap, Clark caught the hammer, its inertia nearly pulling him off balance as he felt as though he were not just holding a hammer, but pulling the entire planet. The hammer's weight suddenly decreased, weighing only 42.3 pounds, feeling as light as a feather in his hand.
However, Clark was surprised not by the hammer's changing weight but by the consciousness within it that connected with him, making the hammer feel like an extension of his own arm, easily controllable.
Moreover, the hammer infused Clark with a mighty thunderstorm force, capable of altering the weather around him. While this power wasn't particularly strong compared to his own, just the power within the hammer could contend with a demon lord from hell. And if fully unleashed, it might reach the level of a lesser god, suggesting it was a divine artifact.
"What does this mean? Did I just randomly acquire a weapon? It seems sturdy and could be a good asset if it could maintain its earlier weight," Clark muttered, puzzled as he examined the hammer. It seemed less like an instrument of attack and more like a fortunate twist of fate for him.
Meanwhile, in Asgard, Odin looked towards Earth with an odd expression after he had thrown his son and the hammer there. Beside him, Heimdall, the guardian of the Bifrost, also appeared slightly bemused, unsure of what to say. Loki, looking rather lost, watched Odin and Heimdall, unaware of what had caused their unusual behavior.
This episode had its roots in Odin's past as a forceful and aggressive god. Despite stepping back from conquests and even downsizing Asgard's armies, the other realms of the Nine Realms were not fully subdued and continued their covert scheming.
Odin's heir, Thor, wasn't pleased, especially under Loki's influence. After an incident with the frost giants in Jotunheim nearly sparked a war, Odin, now a benevolent king, did not want Thor to emulate his younger self—warlike, vain, greedy, cruel, arrogant, ignorant, and untrustworthy.
To temper Thor, Odin stripped him of his hammer and powers, sending him to Earth with the hammer for a trial. Only if Thor proved worthy of Asgard's throne would Odin allow him to reclaim Mjolnir. Moreover, Odin enchanted
the hammer: "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."
But Odin hadn't anticipated that before Thor could reclaim the hammer, someone on Earth would grasp it and gain Thor's power.
Not omnipotent, Odin couldn't have foreseen this. Even when he realized that Clark, with a terrifying power beyond Mjolnir's, held the hammer, he was taken aback.
"Kryptonian? Since when was there such a powerful Kryptonian on Earth? This shouldn't be..." Odin puzzled as thoughts raced through his mind.
Even if a mortal became worthy of Mjolnir, Odin would not readily let them keep it. After all, it was meant for the heir of Asgard, not so easily given away. Even a benevolent Odin wouldn't be so generous; the enchantment was meant to train Thor, not to be taken literally.
"Ahaha!" The Ancient One, aware of Odin's predicament, couldn't help but laugh slyly, "Odin probably never expected his training plan to backfire like this. What does this mean? Over before it started?"
"I wonder what Odin will do. With his years of accumulated divine power, defeating Clark should be no problem, but now, can he still manage? And if they fight, that would be troublesome…"
"Kryptonian…" As the Ancient One watched, Odin finally reached out to Clark.
"Hmm? Who is this?" Clark frowned, his expression turning serious as he looked at the hammer in his hand.
"I am Odin, a deity from Asgard. In the myths of your Earth, I am known as the All-Father of the Aesir in Norse mythology…" Odin's voice continued, filling Clark's mind with information.
"So, this is the legendary Mjolnir? Thor's weapon?" Clark quickly connected the dots with what he knew of Norse mythology.
Indeed, Mjolnir in Norse mythology was powerful, but seemingly not as potent as the one he held.
"Yes, this is indeed Thor's weapon…" Odin sighed, deciding not to hide his plan for Thor's trial from Clark, a powerful being in his own right.
If Odin could have reclaimed Mjolnir directly, he would have, but seeing Clark's strength, he chose not to act forcibly, as he was no longer the aggressive youth he once was. These matters could be negotiated.
"A trial? Your method of training is certainly... unique," Clark said, somewhat speechless as he looked at the hammer. The universe was vast, and not only Thor could be deemed worthy by Mjolnir.
"It is indeed rare for someone to be deemed worthy by Mjolnir. I hope Thor can become such a person..." Odin, guessing Clark's thoughts, explained gently.
"And if Thor fails to meet Mjolnir's criteria or change as you hope, would you really deny him its power indefinitely? After all, these conditions are just a word from you…" Clark shook his head, his voice soft.
"As long as Thor can shed his tendencies toward war, vanity, greed, cruelty, arrogance, and ignorance, even if he isn't wholly good and just..." Odin's voice carried a hint of embarrassment, as being exposed by a peer could be quite face-losing.
"That many faults? And some of them, it sounds like Robert has them too, especially the love for battle..." Clark mused, glancing at Mjolnir, "And Robert can indeed be quite ruthless against his enemies. But, people have their personalities. There's no need to forcibly change them, especially since Robert isn't in line for any divine throne…"
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