DOTM: Chapter 366/367

Chapter 366: Deeply Mourn

Thor patted his cloak, extinguishing the flames on it, his eyes fixed on Ethan. The lightning bolts splashing around him were like phantoms, completely unable to harm Ethan. He didn't even open his eyes to look at them.

Those lightning bolts were certainly not phantoms. They were the powerful lightning strikes unleashed using Mjolnir. In past battles, he had defeated countless enemies with this lightning. Even residual bolts were terrifying attacks that ordinary opponents couldn't ignore.

Yet, none of them could harm Ethan...

"Is it the power of the Space Stone?"

Thor wasn't foolish. In battle, he could keenly sense any anomalies.

He quickly noticed the glowing Space Stone on Ethan's right hand. Ever since it started glowing, none of his attacks had been able to injure Ethan.

"So that's it."

Both Loki and Ethan had warned him not to underestimate his opponent. But standing in the arena, facing Ethan dressed in ordinary jeans, sneakers, and a casual jacket—he didn't look like someone prepared for a life-or-death battle. Even though Ethan was a mage and didn't need armor like himself, he should at least wear something more suitable for combat, right?

It was precisely because of this appearance that Thor instinctively treated it as a simple spar, letting Ethan test the power of the Space Stone.

Only now did he finally understand why Ethan had the confidence to fight him dressed like that.

Thor racked his brain, trying to figure out what to do next.

While he was deep in thought, Ethan didn't just stand by waiting for him to come up with a plan. With a gentle lift of his left hand and a flow of magic, the surrounding undissipated flames were drawn back to his side, eventually condensing into a massive fireball.

With a slight swing of his left hand, the fireball, compressed to the size of a watermelon, flew toward Thor. Although Thor hadn't yet come up with a countermeasure, he couldn't just stand there.

He leapt high into the air, narrowly avoiding the massive explosion caused by the fireball. It looked as if Thor had used the explosion to propel himself into the air before forcefully throwing Mjolnir.

"I've been waiting for you."

Ethan had been waiting for Thor to throw his hammer. Normally, Thor's favorite move was to throw Mjolnir at an opponent and then summon it back.

The back-and-forth motion could easily catch enemies off guard.

If the first strike killed the opponent, that was ideal. If not, they might still be hit by the suddenly returning hammer.

However, this tactic had a fatal flaw.

If Thor had truly mastered the power of Thor, using Mjolnir purely as a weapon would be fine. But the problem was that Thor relied heavily on Mjolnir to use various powers. Constantly throwing it away was a foolish move.

"When facing an unfamiliar enemy, never throw away such an important item."

Was this a lesson? Or a reminder? The Space Stone on Ethan's right hand suddenly burst with dazzling light, then rapidly shot toward Mjolnir, stopping less than a meter in front of Ethan's right hand.

Buzz~

Mjolnir trembled violently in mid-air, trying to break free from Ethan's restraint.

The power of the Space Stone was incredibly potent, especially in the Marvel Universe, where its energy was virtually limitless. Combined with a mage like Ethan, who excelled at manipulating energy, he could almost perfectly unleash the full potential of the Space Stone.

Clang, clang, clang!

As strange noises continued to ring out, the space around Mjolnir began to solidify layer by layer. Trapped within this solidified space, Mjolnir trembled less and less, until finally, it couldn't move at all.

In the eyes of the spectators, Mjolnir appeared to be wrapped in layers of transparent material. With Ethan's gestures, this transparent material encasing Mjolnir continued to shrink.

All of this happened in an instant. Thor was still in mid-air and hadn't landed yet. Without Mjolnir, he had no ability to fly, so he couldn't adjust his position in the air to "rescue" his beloved hammer.

He could only watch helplessly as Mjolnir was trapped by Ethan's solidified space.

Even then, he didn't anticipate what would happen next. He only felt that he had lost his weapon and that the upcoming battle might be more difficult.

At this moment, Ethan's right hand continued controlling the Space Stone, increasing its power output. The space around Mjolnir was being compressed layer by layer. The light emitted by the Space Stone on his hand grew increasingly intense.

Thor finally sensed something was wrong, especially when a crack appeared on Mjolnir. He panicked.

"No!"

His shout didn't make Ethan stop. Instead, it drew a lightning bolt that struck Thor just as he landed, blasting him back and slamming him against the wall at the edge of the training ground.

"Oof~"

Loki, who had been calmly watching from the sidelines since the beginning, finally let out a playful exclamation.

"That looks painful!"

Of course, it didn't actually hurt. This bit of magical lightning wasn't enough to cause Thor serious injury. Loki said it only because Thor, the God of Thunder, had just been blasted away by lightning. It was practically a slap in the face.

Aside from Loki, everyone's attention was focused on Mjolnir. Sif, with her sharp observation skills, was the first to notice the crack forming on it. Ethan showed no intention of stopping, seemingly determined to destroy Mjolnir.

"You can't destroy Mjolnir!"

She drew her weapon, ready to charge forward and stop Ethan. Thor's friends didn't know the full context of the battle. They only thought it was a spar between Thor and Ethan. They had no idea that Odin hoped Ethan would fight with the intention of killing Thor.

Just as they rushed forward, they didn't make it more than three meters before slamming into an invisible wall.

The power within the barrier bounced them back directly, sending them flying until they too crashed into the wall and came to a stop.

Odin, who had originally intended to stop Sif and the others, chuckled when he saw this and said nothing.

Loki, however, looked surprised. He hadn't noticed when Ethan had set up this wall-like barrier that 'protected' the entire combat arena.

Perhaps noticing Loki's confusion, Odin, in a rare moment of patience, explained it to his often disobedient younger son.

"As one of the Infinity Stones, the Space Stone contains powerful and stable energy. Its energy properties are particularly suitable for casting this type of spatial isolation spell."

So it wasn't strange at all that Ethan could do this.

Of course, people who could perfectly unleash the power of the Space Stone were rare. Most people, even if they obtained the Space Stone, couldn't use it to this extent.

Besides being a mage skilled in energy control, Ethan had also been studying the Tesseract's energy for years. He was already very familiar with the power of the Space Stone, which allowed him to demonstrate this level of control immediately after taking it out.

"If that's the case, the result might be even better than I expected."

Odin hadn't originally expected Ethan to destroy Mjolnir. In his plan, Ethan, with his mastery of various spells and the Space Stone, would definitely have a way to separate Thor from Mjolnir.

As a father, he was very familiar with his son's habit of throwing his hammer.

That fighting style worked well for defeating weaker enemies, but it was a hidden risk against stronger opponents. Against a mage like Ethan who specialized in spatial magic, it was practically inviting defeat.

All Ethan needed to do was teleport Mjolnir far enough away. Even with its speed, it would take time to return to Thor.

During that time, Ethan would have plenty of opportunities to "educate" Thor without his hammer. Then, with a bit of guidance from Odin, Thor might realize his shortcomings and understand what direction he needed to grow in. Even if he didn't fully unleash his true power as the God of Thunder, recognizing his flaws would still be progress.

But Odin hadn't expected Ethan to be so thorough. It seemed… Thor would completely lose Mjolnir.

Odin didn't feel any regret. After all, it was just an external object. Mjolnir's purpose was to help Thor master the power of Thor. Once he accomplished that, losing Mjolnir meant nothing.

As for a reliable weapon? Asgard had abundant resources. Was there any need to worry about not finding another weapon? Even if they couldn't find one, they could have the dwarves forge a new one for Thor.

So, he wouldn't stop Ethan and was even pleased with what was about to happen.

Crack!

Mjolnir's destruction didn't produce a deafening sound or dazzling light. It only made a sound like shattering glass. The Mjolnir restrained by the solidified space didn't actually exist in the current dimension. That glass-shattering sound was actually the collapse of the highly compressed layers of space in front of it.

As the spatial layers collapsed one by one, Mjolnir was destroyed with them, vanishing completely without leaving a trace.

Ethan lowered his right hand and let out a long breath. The Space Stone on the back of his hand no longer emitted that dazzling light. That last burst of power output hadn't been as effortless as it appeared.

However, the onlookers didn't know this. In their eyes, Ethan had simply raised his hand and then slowly clenched his fist—and Asgard's famed Mjolnir, the God of Thunder's hammer, was utterly destroyed without a trace. And Ethan hadn't even broken a sweat.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 367: Nothing Seems to Have Changed

"Why?"

Thor, who had originally treated this as mere sparring, now wore an unhappy expression. Given his personality, he wouldn't hold a grudge against a friend for destroying his weapon. What filled his mind at this moment were countless questions—why would Ethan destroy Mjolnir in such a match?

"I reminded you again and again that this is a real fight, not a game, but you never took those warnings seriously."

Ethan checked the condition of his right hand. His focus wasn't on the Infinity Stone itself, but on the glove embedded with it.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Infinity Stones didn't seem to have strict requirements for their host. For example, the Aether could reside within Jane Foster, a normal human. The Tesseract could be installed on various rudimentary devices. Even the most dangerous Power Stone could be casually embedded into a warhammer.

However, embedding a stone was one thing. Withstanding the power it unleashed was another.

If Jane Foster had attempted to use the Aether's power, even if she didn't mind her life force being drained, her body still wouldn't have been able to endure the explosion of that immense energy.

Even Thanos's Infinity Gauntlet, which was specially forged by the dwarves, was severely damaged after he snapped his fingers.

The Space Stone's power that Ethan used was relatively stable and could be embedded in many objects. However, at full power output, the glove had to fully withstand the immense energy of the Infinity Stone. Because of the extremely high energy intensity, it would inevitably cause irreversible damage to a less durable host.

The glove on his right hand was barely maintaining its shape. Its interior was completely destroyed, and it was only being held together by Ethan's magic, preventing it from instantly turning to dust.

In other words, he was currently connecting his magic directly to the Space Stone.

He didn't want to maintain this state for too long. This was his first time truly using an Infinity Stone, and he wasn't sure what kind of burden excessive use would place on his body.

He was ready to end this battle.

"To defeat you, the key lies in that hammer... You even believe so yourself, don't you? You believe you lose your power once you lose the hammer."

Thor remained silent, unsure of how to refute. Deep down, he truly did believe that. His power came from Mjolnir. It was Mjolnir that granted him power . When he held the hammer, he was Thor. Once he lost it, he felt like nothing more than an ordinary strong man.

He clearly remembered the time not long ago when he had been exiled to Earth and couldn't lift the hammer. He never thought he would feel the loss of his divine power again so soon.

"So... you're actually the God of Hammers?"

Ethan once again channeled spatial energy, distorting and restructuring the space of the training ground. Thor, who was standing at the edge of the arena, was instantly transported to stand in front of Ethan. Instinctively, he raised his arms to block Ethan's heavy punch.

"See? Even without the hammer, you still know how to fight!"

Thor seemed to realize something in that moment, but Ethan didn't give him time to think. After his punch was blocked, he immediately threw another punch at Thor's ribs.

Thor, having countless years of combat experience, wouldn't be hit by such a simple move. He ignored Ethan's punch and launched a heavy punch of his own at Ethan.

His speed was faster, and his strength greater. As long as his punch landed first, Ethan's attack would be nullified.

This was combat instinct honed over many battles. But this time, it didn't work.

Thor's heavy punch swept past Ethan, just like before, as if he were striking a phantom.

And then, he was hit by Ethan's punch. This time, it wasn't an ordinary strike. Ethan's fist carried a terrifying amount of energy that erupted the moment it connected.

Thor, having taken a heavy blow, should have been sent flying, but within the space distorted by Ethan, although it looked like Thor was knocked backward, he remained "in place," unable to move at all.

Ethan didn't hold back. Waves of energy and heavy punches rained down on Thor. The final explosion of energy directly shattered the space Thor was confined in, finally allowing him to break free and crash heavily to the ground.

Even the reinforced floor was dented. Thor lay on the ground in a daze, completely at a loss.

When he regained a bit of clarity and looked at Ethan standing before him, he saw the Space Stone on Ethan's right hand glowing intensely again. The blue radiance almost dyed the world around them blue.

Perhaps dazed from the beating, Thor seemed to see countless blue planets behind Ethan. His instincts screamed that if he didn't react, he would truly die at Ethan's hands.

"But I've lost my power. What can I do?"

Just as this thought crossed Thor's mind, the scenery around him suddenly changed. He stood on a lush green plain, with a vast ocean stretching out in the distance.

His father, Odin, stood there, watching him.

"You know what to do. Fight with all your might!"

"But..."

"But what? Do you think you can't fight without the hammer? Is it really like Ethan said—that you're the God of Hammers?"

Thor fell silent. Hearing those words again made something finally click in his mind...

Ethan looked at Thor and suddenly sensed a strange fluctuation in the surrounding energy. He knew Odin had intervened, likely offering guidance to his hammer-dependent son deep within his mind.

He didn't stop. Instead, he increased the energy output.

Odin didn't need his help. Ethan's job was to continue intensifying the pressure to push Thor further.

By now, the spectators on the sidelines were growing restless. This fight had clearly gone far beyond what they expected. Looking at Ethan, it seemed like he truly intended to kill Thor.

Several Asgardian warriors were pacing anxiously, but they were completely helpless against the barrier Ethan had created.

They could only turn to Odin, hoping the Allfather would step in to stop the battle.

But Odin only said, "If he dies here, it only proves that he is unfit to guard Asgard," and then closed his eyes in silence, as if asleep.

Left with no alternative, they went to Loki, since Thor was his brother. But Loki simply replied, "This is a fair fight. Out of respect for Thor, I won't interfere."

An enraged Volstagg believed Loki wanted Thor to die so he could claim the throne. He even suspected this battle had been Loki's scheme all along.

If Odin weren't present, Volstagg might have drawn his weapon and attacked Loki. Of course, had he done so, Loki would likely have killed him first.

While Thor's friends were worried and everyone nervously watched the battle unfold, Ethan finally made his move.

The energy condensed into planets burst forth with terrifying force. Even with the magical barrier, everyone could feel the horrifying power of the attack—it felt capable of destroying everything.

Sif stared at the raging energy storm within the training ground, fearing that Thor wouldn't even leave a body behind after such a devastating strike.

Tony was worried too. Had Ethan gone too far? He didn't want Ethan to actually kill Thor.

But compared to the others, Tony thought more quickly. He couldn't see the arena clearly, but by watching one particular person, he could deduce what was happening.

He slightly shifted his gaze and noticed a faint smile appear on Odin's previously expressionless face. With that, he knew the outcome.

The terrifying energy gradually subsided, and the raging storm faded. Everyone could finally see Thor's condition clearly.

Thor stood empty-handed, shrouded in lightning. His eyes no longer showed their pupils—only bright blue-white light shone from within.

Although his armor was tattered, his red cape only half remaining, and his once-shiny golden hair had turned into a messy bird's nest like it had been chewed on by a dog, he showed no other signs of injury. Not only had he survived Ethan's attack, but he didn't even seem seriously hurt.

"Tsk, what a cheat."

Though that final strike hadn't been fully concentrated on Thor—most of the energy was diverted to other dimensions—the remaining power wasn't weak. Yet it was completely neutralized by the lightning that had suddenly erupted from Thor, making Ethan quite envious.

His task was complete. Thor had been provoked enough to awaken the power of Thor within him. What followed was simply a matter of Thor familiarizing himself with it. Ethan didn't need to worry about that part.

Thor lowered his head, gazing at the blue-white lightning dancing around his hands, occasionally arcing and connecting. He felt stronger than he ever had before.

In that moment, he finally understood why Ethan had done everything he had.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me, my friend."

Thor truly wanted to test how powerful he was now, and also get some revenge for his hammer. So instead of stopping the fight, he prepared to charge again.

Ethan lightly moved his right hand, and Thor found that no matter how he ran or flew, he couldn't get close to Ethan.

That wasn't the worst part. He also had to keep dodging magical attacks that, although launched directly at him by Ethan, came at him from bizarre and unpredictable angles. He looked rather clumsy dodging them. The thrill of awakening the power of Thor instantly vanished.

It seems... nothing has really changed?

(To be continued.)