DOTM: Chapter 364/365

Chapter 364: Beat

Ethan looked at Loki, who was clearly waiting for a good show, then at the calm Frigga, and finally turned his gaze to Odin, who appeared weak.

"Fight Thor?"

"Fight Thor with all your might, and if possible... fight with the intent to kill him."

Of course, Ethan didn't believe this was some grand scheme orchestrated by Loki to eliminate his older brother and clear the way for himself to inherit the throne.

Although Odin appeared frail, the aura of the King of Gods and the pressure accumulated over countless years weren't something that could be easily imitated through illusion.

When Loki had impersonated Odin in the past, he had managed to deceive people for a while by putting on a blank expression. But his behavior quickly gave him away, and anyone with a bit of sense could tell something was wrong.

Since it wasn't an illusion, then it was real. So why would Odin want him to "severely beat Thor"? Was it because his eldest son had been disappointing lately, and the father wanted to spank him but didn't have the strength to do it himself?

That couldn't be it. Adjusting his thoughts in a more serious direction, Ethan quickly figured out the reasoning.

It was clear Odin was dissatisfied with Thor's current pace of progress and wanted to use an external force to push him—hard.

Loki was a potential option, but Asgard's future depended on the two brothers working together. Moreover, with Thor's personality, even if he lost to his younger brother, it likely wouldn't provoke any deep sense of urgency or shame.

On top of that, Loki probably couldn't deliver a strong enough blow to Thor.

Loki's strength had indeed grown significantly, but it was still unlikely he could completely dominate Thor. Especially since Thor's own strength had also increased under Loki's recent guidance.

If the fight ended in a stalemate, Thor wouldn't mind, even if he lost. He might even be happy that Loki had grown stronger, and throw a banquet to celebrate with his friends. That kind of result was entirely possible.

After thinking it through, Ethan realized that the only suitable person in Asgard for this task... was himself.

Ethan's own power might not completely overwhelm Thor in a direct confrontation, but he held the Space Stone.

As one of the Infinity Stones, and with Ethan already capable of wielding its power freely, defeating Thor was not out of the question.

Considering the tactics of mages, there was a good chance the battle would be one-sided, with Thor getting completely outplayed. That was exactly the result Odin was after. Only a humiliating defeat could ignite Thor's fighting spirit and push him to more quickly master his thunder powers.

If possible, Odin even hoped Ethan would beat Thor to the point where his true potential would be forced out. That was the reason he had said "fight with the intent to kill."

"I understand what you mean."

Odin nodded. He knew Ethan would get it. Mages weren't fools.

"Loki will arrange everything. We'll begin as soon as Thor returns."

Odin would not interfere too much. He only needed to wait quietly for Thor to return, then have Loki take him to the prearranged location for a truly "dangerous" battle with Ethan.

This battle would not be made public. The people of Asgard wouldn't even know it was happening.

Only a handful of Thor's friends and the guests Ethan had brought, like Logan, would be present. They were given premium viewing seats and could watch up close. With Odin and Frigga nearby, there was no need to worry about stray magical energy harming the spectators.

This wasn't a gladiatorial arena, but rather an abandoned training ground that Loki had tidied up for the battle.

It had been chosen because it was hidden away. It was a training ground Odin had once used in his early years, but it had been unused for a long time.

Safety was guaranteed. Most Asgardians didn't even know this place existed.

Those who had received news of the battle had already gathered on the sidelines. Loki had found several tables and chairs and even prepared fruit, drinks, and wine. He then sat there happily, waiting for his brother to return so he could spring the surprise on him.

Logan and Selene were indifferent about the battle and treated it as entertainment.

Laura, on the other hand, was genuinely excited to watch.

Sif and the other of Thor's companions didn't understand the reason behind the duel, but they had absolute confidence in Thor. They didn't believe that mighty Thor, the pride of Asgard, would lose to a mere human mage.

They hadn't seen Ethan's power, but even if they had, they wouldn't have believed Thor would lose. That was the pride of the gods of Asgard.

As for Tony, he firmly stood on Ethan's side.

"Well? Confident you can beat Thor? If not, I can take your place. I've always wanted to test my Iron Man suit at full power. Opponents like Thor don't come around every day."

"There'll be a chance, but this time, don't steal the spotlight."

After chatting casually for a few minutes, Ethan walked over to Odin.

"Judging by your expression, you're having trouble figuring out how to 'extract' the Reality Stone?"

"I've got a few ideas, but it's a pain."

Ethan had been thinking about the problem during his downtime. The most reliable method seemed to be compressing the Aether over and over again—compressing it to the extreme, then crushing the outer layer to reveal the Reality Stone inside.

There was no sophisticated trick to it. It was purely a matter of applying tremendous energy to force the transformation. Ethan, with the Space Stone in hand, was confident he could do it. It would just take time.

"Leave the Aether with me for now. After the battle is over, I will hand over the Reality Stone to you."

Upon hearing Odin's words, Ethan didn't think for a second that the King of Gods was trying to trick him. It was clear Odin was offering a reward in advance to ensure Ethan would give it everything he had—to beat Thor senseless with full effort.

That's what a real father would do.

Ethan grumbled to himself and handed the cylindrical transparent container holding the Aether to Odin.

"Although I don't know what you need the Reality Stone for, I suggest that once you've accomplished your goal, don't keep both Stones with you."

"I just want to borrow the Reality Stone for a while to train. I don't plan to take it away, and I'm already wondering who to entrust it to for safekeeping afterward."

Asgard clearly wasn't a good option. The palace already held the Mind Stone, and based on Odin's own logic, the Reality Stone should never be stored there as well.

"I can introduce someone to you. If you don't know what to do with the Reality Stone afterward, you can send it to him."

Just like in the original timeline, Odin was thinking of the Collector on Knowhere. Ethan had the same thought the moment Odin began speaking.

Unlike Odin, Ethan had more in mind—this guy wasn't short on money and was willing to spend heavily to acquire Infinity Stones. The Collector also had all kinds of valuable possessions, and Ethan could obtain a lot from him, including advanced knowledge from high-level civilizations and a top-tier spaceship.

"I'm planning to travel the universe for a while anyway. I'll check out the place you mentioned."

Odin nodded and said nothing more. He simply let Ethan go prepare himself and get into optimal condition.

From the look in Odin's eyes, Ethan could tell Thor had likely just returned. He walked quietly to the center of the training field and began thinking about how to fight in a way that would fulfill Odin's request.

Just a casual fight? That wasn't what Odin wanted. He wanted Thor to suffer a crushing defeat—ideally one that left him completely devastated.

It wasn't easy to judge the right intensity on his own, but Ethan happened to have a perfect reference.

In Thor: Ragnarok, Thor had experienced a deeply painful loss.

The one who gave him that humiliating defeat was his sister, Hela. In that fight, not only was Thor utterly outmatched, but even his most beloved weapon, Mjolnir, had been shattered by Hela.

"Weapon."

Ethan suddenly realized the key point.

Odin's ultimate goal in having Thor suffer such a defeat was to force him to awaken his hidden potential—the power of thunder within him.

Mjolnir was meant to help Thor master his power. But now, it seemed to have become a shackle holding him back.

So if Ethan really wanted to satisfy Odin's expectations, defeating Thor wasn't the goal. Destroying the hammer was.

Once the hammer was gone, Thor, the God of Thunder, would likely be thrown into a daze after the defeat. That would be the perfect moment for Odin to subtly plant the idea: Are you the God of Thunder or the God of Hammers?

Maybe with just a little extra push, Thor would unlock the thunderous power within him.

"This script is solid. I'm sure Odin won't find any fault with it."

With the plan in place, Ethan now had to think about how to turn the "script" into reality.

After all, it was one thing to say it and another to actually pull it off.

Hela had been able to crush Mjolnir with one hand. Ethan wasn't confident he could do the same.

Unless...

Ethan opened his eyes, his decision made.

He slowly raised his right hand, his slightly bent fingers grasping at something. With a thought, the Space Stone appeared directly in his palm.

"I've used it for so long. I'm really a bit reluctant to part with it."

Ethan unleashed his full magic power, concentrating it in his right hand and violently compressing the blue cube. With a crisp crack and a fleeting ripple of blue light, the Space Stone completely shattered into fragments.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 365: The Battle Begins

Ethan stood in the center of the training ground, every movement watched closely by those around him. Everyone saw the Tesseract shattered in his hand. Tony, who knew how precious the Tesseract was, felt his cheek twitch. He was frustrated by Ethan's seemingly wasteful act. He had desperately wanted to study the Tesseract in detail and prove he had surpassed his father, Howard.

Originally, with the Tesseract in Ethan's possession, Tony thought he would have plenty of chances to borrow it for research. He never expected to witness its destruction today with his own eyes.

Of course, he also knew the Tesseract was just a container, and the true core was the Infinity Stone hidden within. Ethan destroying the Tesseract now was clearly to extract the Infinity Stone.

And the reason for doing so was, obviously, the upcoming battle.

Ethan held the shattered fragments of the Tesseract in his right hand, his thumb gently feeling over them, revealing the true form of the Space Stone within.

It was an overall oval-shaped but jagged blue stone, radiating a glowing blue light.

Such an inconspicuous gem contained an astonishing amount of energy. After pressing his thumb on the stone, Ethan gave a light shake of his hand, letting the fragments of the Tesseract fall away, leaving only the gem in his palm.

"Indeed... using the Infinity Stone directly and using the power channeled through the Tesseract are completely different levels."

Just as Ethan was sensing the vast energy within the stone, Thor, led by Loki, arrived. Naturally, Thor's current girlfriend, Jane Foster, was with him as well.

Thor didn't know what was going on. Seeing his good friend and his parents all gathered here, he greeted everyone with a smile.

"What's this? A party?"

Casually picking up a piece of fruit from a table and taking a bite, Thor noticed everyone staring at him. He looked down at what he was wearing.

"Oh, this outfit isn't really fit for a party. Wait a second, I'll go change."

He had just returned from hunting down Dark Elves and was still wearing armor and carrying Mjolnir—definitely not dressed for celebration.

However, they weren't hosting a party today. Loki directly stopped him.

"Your current outfit is perfect for what's about to happen. No need to change."

Still a bit confused, Thor walked toward Odin. Finally, after Odin's explanation, he understood why he was here and what was about to take place.

"Fight Ethan?" Thor looked back at Ethan, who stood in the center of the training ground. "All-out?"

He wasn't completely clear. Although he enjoyed a good fight, why Ethan?

"You'll understand everything after the battle."

Some things couldn't be explained in advance. Forcing Thor to awaken his potential couldn't be told outright, only triggered through action.

Thor glanced around and saw everyone staring at him. He knew there was no way to avoid this.

Besides, as the God of Thunder of Asgard, he had never been one to fear a fight. His only concern was whether Ethan could withstand his attacks.

"Don't underestimate Ethan. His strength is very formidable."

Loki understood his brother well. Seeing Thor's hesitant expression, he knew what was going through his mind.

Fighting was one thing, but accidentally hurting a friend was something Thor didn't want to see happen.

To prevent Thor from holding back, Loki specifically reminded him, "It's best to discard any thoughts of going easy. Otherwise, you'll be the one getting beaten."

Being a sorcerer himself, Loki had a clearer understanding of Ethan's strength than most.

Even without the Tesseract's power, Ethan's strength was terrifying. Now that he had extracted the Infinity Stone, Loki had no idea how powerful Ethan truly was.

"I understand."

Thor, hammer in hand, stepped into the center of the training ground. Looking at Ethan, who was smiling at him across the field, he waved and said, "Didn't expect to have a chance to spar with you."

Ethan maintained his smile and nodded. "Don't treat this like a spar, or you'll end up at a disadvantage."

As he spoke, Ethan took out a glove.

It was a simple, fingerless glove with no enchantments. The only unusual feature was a metal plate on the back of the hand, meant to block weapons during combat.

Ethan chose it because if he wanted to use the Space Stone in battle, he needed a medium. He couldn't just hold it the whole time—it would interfere with movement and combat.

After some consideration, he selected this ordinary glove.

He put it on his right hand, then held the Space Stone in his left, aligning it with the metal plate on the back of the glove. His right hand, clenched into a fist, began channeling magic, which pulled the energy of the Space Stone toward it.

With a "ding," the Space Stone struck the metal surface and fused with it, as if it had always been a part of the glove.

Ethan didn't know if this was a trait of the Infinity Stone itself, but he didn't need to use magic to modify the glove. Yet he could already feel that he could freely draw on the Space Stone's power, unaffected by the glove's ordinary material.

He guessed it was likely because the Space Stone's energy was extremely stable, and thus it didn't require a special medium.

Ethan casually moved his right hand a few times to confirm that the Stone wouldn't fly off mid-battle. Then he turned to look at Thor across from him.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Thor nodded. He had been observing Ethan the entire time and hadn't launched a surprise attack. In his eyes, this was a fair duel, and he wouldn't fight dishonorably.

He also noticed that the blue gem Ethan used was the Space Stone hidden within the Tesseract.

"So this spar is to test the power of the Space Stone?"

Thor thought he had figured it out. If that was the case, then he did need to give it his all—he knew the reputation of the Infinity Stones.

"Let's go with that," Ethan replied, glancing at Odin seated at the side of the training field. "Looks like everyone's growing impatient. We should begin."

Thor said no more. He took his stance, warned Ethan to "Be careful," and then raised his hammer, charging straight at him.

As the God of Thunder of Asgard, Thor's combat strength was immense. Even without using the terrifying lightning he could channel through Mjolnir, his physical strength alone far surpassed any normal person.

Could an ordinary person take a punch from the Hulk and still get up to continue fighting? Thor could. He could even wrestle the Hulk to a standstill. That alone proved how terrifying Thor's physical strength was. If it were the old Ethan, he wouldn't even need to take a direct hit—just a glancing blow would be enough to cause serious injury. Dodging would be the only option.

Now...

Ethan watched Thor charge with complete calm. He gently clenched his right fist. The Space Stone embedded on the back of his hand flashed brilliantly, and then Thor, hammer raised, passed straight through Ethan.

"An illusion?"

Thor's first thought was the same as Malekith's—this version of Ethan was just an illusion. As a mage, Ethan knew illusion magic, and Thor had seen this kind of trick countless times from Loki.

Just as he dismissed the "illusion" behind him, Ethan casually turned, reached out, grabbed Thor's red cape, and with all his strength, swung him around and slammed him hard into the ground.

Boom!

As Odin's former training ground, this place was clearly reinforced. Ethan's slam had used full force. His strength now was far beyond that of an ordinary human. Even so, while Thor was slammed into the ground with a thunderous crash and kicked up a cloud of dust, the ground itself remained undamaged.

The ground was fine, but Thor was a bit stunned. Lying on the floor, he looked at Ethan, still not sure what had just happened.

If this had been a normal spar, Ethan might have reached out to help Thor up, then reset their stances and continued the fight.

But this time was different. Odin had specifically instructed him to fight with the intent to kill Thor. This battle was meant to make Thor face a dire situation and awaken the potential within him.

So, while Thor was still dazed, Ethan immediately attacked.

A sudden burst of blazing fire snapped Thor back to his senses. A pair of enormous flaming wings spread from Ethan's back and surged toward him.

The terrifying heat caused the surrounding air to rise in temperature. Thor even found it hard to breathe.

"Interesting!"

Thor didn't mind Ethan's sudden attack. A fight like this, where both sides went all out, was exactly what he enjoyed. Ethan's aggressive move had ignited his fighting spirit. He swung Mjolnir with his right hand and used the hammer's forward momentum to leap into the air.

He didn't retreat. Instead, he gathered lightning on his hammer and charged head-on into the flaming wings.

Rumble!

Two completely different yet equally powerful forces collided, erupting in a violent explosion.

Flames and lightning scattered in every direction. Thor was thrown out from the blast, clearly overwhelmed by the shockwave.

Compared to Thor, whose cape was scorched and now looked a little disheveled, Ethan stood calmly amid the swirling fire and lightning, completely unaffected—not even a speck of dust on him.

(To be continued.)