As Ah Fu schemed, Thor and McCarthy were already clashing. Thor was wary of McCarthy from the start, sensing that McCarthy was significantly stronger than the others around him. Therefore, Thor didn't underestimate his opponent. Even though McCarthy's capabilities might only match a moderately trained Asgardian—insignificant compared to the Thor of old—this level of strength was now a threat to Thor, who had lost his divine power and formidable strength.
Unfortunately, not underestimating McCarthy didn't help Thor much. His current strength was truly lacking, especially his combat skills, which were too transparent against a superbly skilled super soldier like McCarthy.
With a "boom!", McCarthy easily dodged Thor's punch, ducking and delivering a swift blow to Thor's abdomen. The impact sent Thor staggering backward, a searing pain radiating through his belly. It had been nearly a thousand years since Thor had felt such pain—the last time being when Loki had schemed against him, resulting in a stab wound.
As Thor winced from the pain, a gust of wind struck him. Reacting instinctively, Thor swung his fist, still accustomed to head-on confrontations even without his hammer. However, he soon felt pain in his fist and before he could react, McCarthy had already adjusted his move.
With another "boom!", McCarthy's fist turned into a claw, grabbing Thor's wrist and lifting him up before slamming him hard onto the ground. The impact didn't create a crater, but Thor felt as if his organs had been severely damaged. He had never experienced such a defeat in battle since his youth.
Stunned by the sudden onslaught, Thor couldn't muster an effective response. McCarthy's rapid attacks pummeled him, and though Thor blocked a few, he couldn't fend off the majority. The difference in strength and speed was apparent, and McCarthy, the super soldier, dominated.
As for defense, Thor hadn't managed to land any significant hits on McCarthy, so comparing their defensive abilities was moot. The battle was decidedly one-sided. Ah Fu, hoping for a surprise from Thor, found his performance, despite his strong physique, barely satisfactory.
That was enough for Ah Fu. Regardless of the bizarre organization that trained Thor, now that he had Thor, with his impressive physicality, there were possibilities.
"Take him to the super soldier lab, inject him with the serum once the process is completed, and prepare the brainwashing protocols. His combat skills are poor, but his physical qualities are apparent..." Ah Fu instructed McCarthy as he looked at the unconscious Thor.
"Indeed, if his combat skills weren't so poor, and he didn't rely solely on brute strength, defeating him wouldn't have been so easy. His physical qualities aren't much less than ours…" McCarthy acknowledged as he carried Thor away, agreeing with Ah Fu's assessment.
"Be ready. Once he's injected with the super soldier serum, he'll be stronger than you!" Ah Fu reminded McCarthy with a smile.
"By then, he won't be the same, and no matter how strong, he'll still follow your orders, right?" McCarthy was not worried, instead reassuring Ah Fu with a nod, "Besides, you're here, aren't you? You wouldn't just stand by, right?"
"Of course not!" Ah Fu clapped McCarthy on the shoulder encouragingly, "With your strength, passing the animal soldier experiment isn't out of the question. If we could locate Baron Strucker, we'd save a lot of effort..."
"It's unfortunate that Baron Strucker has disappeared, and the spell seems to have vanished with his death. Otherwise, our experiments wouldn't be progressing so slowly. After all, I've bought quite a few techs..."
"It will work!" McCarthy took a deep breath, his eyes shining with determination, "Other Hydra branches are waiting to see us fail, but you haven't let them succeed and have steadied our faction. Just give us enough time, and we'll rise again!"
"There will come a day! Go on!" Ah Fu nodded solemnly, his gaze firm.
McCarthy nodded, carrying Thor away to the super soldier lab before departing alone.
"Boss, I've gained their trust and am gathering intel on the animal soldier experiment. However, the data here isn't top-tier; Baron Strucker might have faster progress..." In a secluded corner, McCarthy confirmed no one was around before contacting a mysterious figure.
"Continue to lay low. The information on the animal soldier is crucial, but so is your safety," came the encouraging voice over the line, spurring on McCarthy despite knowing some promises might be empty.
"Typical Hydra..." Clark muttered to himself after witnessing this scene, then decided to inform Robert.
After all, Thor hadn't faced significant trials yet, but now that he'd been thoroughly beaten by McCarthy, he might have endured enough to understand his current situation.
"Robert, I've located the owner of Mjölnir, Thor..." Clark thought, then spoke to Robert
.
"Oh? Is he strong?" Robert's eyes lit up, his gaze intense, "Norse gods... I wonder who would win between him and Diana..."
"I don't know his original strength, but right now, he's definitely no match for you..." Clark shook his head, "He's just a regular person now, perhaps a bit stronger, but until he earns Mjölnir's recognition, his strength isn't even at a super soldier's level..."
Clark briefly explained Thor's trials to Robert. As he spoke, Robert raised an eyebrow in surprise, "You mean, he's been fighting for a thousand years, loves combat, and yet got thrashed by a super soldier even though they're not far apart in physical abilities?"
"Yes, that's about right..." Clark nodded, not disputing Robert's summary, as it was all true.
"How did that happen?" Robert frowned, puzzled, "Is he really a god who loves to fight?"
Gods with poor combat skills weren't unheard of—Dragon Ball's world had its share, with Supreme Kai Shin known for underwhelming performances among deities.
While Shin's power wasn't low, his combat prowess was unimpressive, even embarrassing among gods. But Shin didn't enjoy fighting, often forced into action, unlike Thor, a god who reveled in battle. How could he be so deficient?
Facing Robert's questions, Clark felt awkward—not for himself but for Thor and King Odin. Clark knew Thor might not grasp Robert's doubts, but Odin...
At that moment, Odin's pride was at stake. He had once seen similarities between his younger self and Thor—both were warlike, vain, greedy, cruel, arrogant, and naive. But now, Odin realized Thor couldn't match his own past prowess. In his youth, Odin had been among the elite in his class!
If Odin had possessed Thor's physical qualities, he would have easily beaten McCarthy or any other super soldier!
"It's hard to believe... Thor has fought for so many years, loves to battle, yet he can't even surpass ordinary humans on Earth..." Odin sighed helplessly, aware that super soldiers weren't ordinary humans. However, compared to the average Asgardian, a super soldier's physical qualities were just barely comparable; even ordinary Asgardian soldiers were superior.
And Thor, destined to inherit Asgard, couldn't even defeat an opponent at that level. It suggested that Thor's starting point was too high, his natural qualities far exceeding those of an Asgardian soldier, and his immense inherent divine power actually hindered him from developing basic skills.
Such a Thor might not reveal his deficiencies when overpowering others or wielding Mjölnir, but against equally skilled or stronger opponents, these flaws could be fatal.
"Super soldier serum? Brainwashing?" Considering this, Odin looked towards the Hydra base, a cunning plan forming in his mind.
While the serum only brought super soldiers to the level of average Asgardians, their combat skills were indeed high—not just one or two, but all of them. The serum didn't just enhance their physical attributes; it unlocked their potential, allowing them to learn combat skills quickly, explaining the proficiency of every super soldier.
As for potential side effects of the serum, Odin had no concerns. Once Thor wielded Mjölnir again, his physical attributes would reactivate. Odin's divine power could dispel any side effects, and Thor's formidable innate constitution alone was likely immune.
Once Thor overcame the serum's effects, the power it contained would be purged, but the combat skills and instincts he acquired would remain. It seemed like a perfect plan.
"Superman, let Thor be for now. This is part of his trials. He can't always rely on us. A bit of hardship wouldn't hurt him," Odin quickly contacted Clark to ensure he didn't send Robert on an unnecessary mission.
"Eh?" Clark paused, unsure of Odin's exact plans, but it seemed like Odin was pushing Thor into a perilous situation.
Clark knew the success rate of the super soldier serum wasn't high. Who could guarantee Thor would survive its injection?
Even if Odin could save Thor's life, it might mean the failure of his trials. Was that really acceptable?
And brainwashing was no trivial matter. The case of Bucky, whom Robert had treated, showed potential complications. Thor might end up with a split personality under Hydra's influence...
Thoughts raced through Clark's mind, but he knew if he could think of these issues, so could Odin. Since Odin had already spoken, Clark felt it wasn't his place to interfere or object—after all, Thor wasn't his son.
"When should we intervene to help him?" Clark needed to know how involved they should get, especially if Hydra's plans succeeded and Thor became one of their enforcers.
"If he starts causing undue harm, then intervene..." Odin initially planned to say they needn't stop Thor unless it was serious, but recalling Clark's role, he established a baseline for this trial
.
It appeared Odin had carefully calculated everything, even if it meant a few Earthlings dying to advance Thor's development...
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