Chapter 40: The God of Thunder Arrives
"Don't worry. What we need isn't overwhelming strength," Lance Ryder said as he looked at Dr. Samuel Sterns with narrowed eyes. "What we're looking for is a stable super soldier—someone who can survive in extremely harsh environments for long periods of time."
"For example…"
"Outer space."
He paused meaningfully before adding,
"Now you understand why I brought Dr. Spencer here."
"Outer space?" Sterns immediately grasped the implication.
"That's right," Lance said calmly.
"Stop focusing only on Earth. Compared to this planet, the vast universe beyond it is the real frontier."
"Out there, we won't have to worry about surveillance or suppression from governments."
On Earth, no matter how powerful someone became or how advanced their technology was, there was always one unavoidable threat.
Nuclear weapons.
Once a nuclear bomb was deployed on a battlefield, everything could vanish in an instant.
Many people believed nuclear weapons had only been used twice—at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
But those who truly understood global politics knew the truth was far more complicated.
Sterns understood this reality very well.
Even with his genius-level intellect, he still feared the power of governments.
Unless he willingly joined them and worked under powerful political families and corporate elites, he would always remain vulnerable.
And even if he did join them—
They would still try to control him completely.
But if a research base could be built in outer space—
Even if it were only on the Moon—
All those limitations would disappear.
Sterns had never seriously considered the idea before.
But now, with his enhanced intelligence, he realized it might actually be possible.
Especially with someone like Lance Ryder gathering scientists and resources.
And Lance himself possessed knowledge that seemed almost bottomless.
"I understand," Sterns said quickly.
"I'll adjust the direction of the research—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a powerful thunderclap exploded across the distant sky.
To Sterns, it sounded like ordinary lightning.
But Lance's face turned pale.
He quickly concealed his reaction.
Looking back at Sterns, he said calmly,
"Doctor, everything here is in your hands now."
"Sunil will be leaving soon."
"I hope you won't disappoint me."
Without another word, Lance turned and hurried out of the underground base.
Just as he reached the surface, he encountered Sunil Bakshi, who had just come down from the upper floors.
"Boss," Bakshi said cautiously.
"Dr. Spencer has requested a large number of specialized materials and equipment."
"The total cost won't be small."
Lance raised an eyebrow.
"Buy them."
"Purchase everything he needs."
Bakshi hesitated.
"If we do that, it could affect our plan to acquire Hammer Industries."
That was his real concern.
"Hammer Industries can wait," Lance replied calmly.
"The situation has changed."
"We might not need to spend so much money to control it."
In truth, the current financial pressure existed because Lance had already interfered heavily in Hammer Industries' affairs.
The company wasn't collapsing as quickly as before.
But that could change at any moment—especially once Justina Hammer came fully under his influence.
Although Hammer Industries' stock price remained low, it had stabilized somewhat.
But because Justin Hammer was still involved in legal battles—and many company accounts had been frozen—the company couldn't make any major moves.
"Don't worry, Sunil," Lance said quietly.
"This situation isn't necessarily bad."
"We've already gained a lot through Hammer Industries' stock."
"If we try to seize the entire company now, it will attract too much attention."
"And attention is the last thing we need."
"I understand," Bakshi said.
Recently, he had begun learning more about Lance's deeper plans.
The more secrets he discovered, the more cautious he became.
After giving Bakshi a few quick instructions, Lance left immediately.
This time, however, he didn't return to Manhattan.
Instead, he headed straight to Newark Airport.
Within the hour, he boarded a flight bound for New Mexico.
Before the plane even took off, Lance was already scrolling through news reports on his phone.
Several articles mentioned an unusual event.
Witnesses had reported seeing colorful fireballs falling from the sky and crashing into the New Mexico desert.
If the incident had happened during daylight, more people might have investigated immediately.
But even that limited information was enough for Lance.
He had already reached his conclusion.
Thor.
The God of Thunder from Asgard had arrived on Earth.
The so-called colorful fireball was almost certainly Mjolnir—Thor's hammer.
Or possibly Thor himself.
Lance hoped he was wrong.
But the massive surge of magical energy he had sensed earlier confirmed everything.
New York lay on the East Coast of the United States.
New Mexico was thousands of kilometers away in the southwestern desert.
Yet Lance had still felt the disturbance.
Only one phenomenon could produce such a powerful magical ripple across that distance.
The Rainbow Bridge of Asgard.
Ordinary humans couldn't sense such energy.
Only extremely powerful mages could perceive it.
Perhaps the battle mages of Kamar-Taj.
And of course—
Lance Ryder himself.
However, Lance was mistaken about one thing.
When the Ancient One opened a Dimensional Gate above the crater where Mjolnir had landed, she immediately sensed a powerful mind withdrawing from the area.
She recognized that presence instantly.
It belonged to the legendary wizard—
Merlin.
Just as the Ancient One could travel instantly anywhere on Earth through dimensional portals, Merlin possessed similar abilities.
At their level, such feats were hardly surprising.
After all, these mages had achieved legendary power on a planet where magical energy was incredibly scarce.
Their talent was undeniable.
And after centuries of experience, their strength had become terrifying.
Lance's own path had been different.
His entry into the Legendary Realm had depended heavily on the inheritance of a Frost Giant sorcerer and decades spent in Jotunheim.
That frozen world had amplified his power tremendously.
Compared to Earth, Jotunheim was almost like a magical artifact itself.
Perhaps not as powerful as an Infinity Stone—
But still extraordinary.
Even so, Lance's achievements didn't place him on equal footing with beings like the Ancient One or Merlin.
In places like Asgard or Jotunheim, the Legendary Realm was merely the starting point for true warriors.
He was still far behind.
Even the Warriors Three of Asgard might surpass him.
Above the crater where Mjolnir had landed, the Ancient One stood quietly, studying the hammer embedded deep in the ground.
A second portal opened.
From it stepped Master Daniel Drumm, guardian of the New York Sanctum.
When it came to rapid response anywhere on Earth, no one could match the mages of Kamar-Taj.
Looking down at the hammer, Drumm frowned.
After a moment of thought, he asked,
"Master… was my judgment correct?"
"Is that truly what I think it is?"
"Yes," the Ancient One replied calmly.
"It is Mjolnir."
She gazed silently into the vastness of space.
"Asgard has been unusually active lately."
"It seems a storm is approaching."
"For both Earth… and Asgard."
With that, another Dimensional Gate opened.
The two sorcerers vanished instantly.
Knowing Mjolnir had fallen to Earth was enough.
Neither of them wanted to become involved.
If they accidentally took possession of the hammer—
They would simply invite Thor to come looking for them.
As night deepened, another figure approached the crater.
He wore a dark green cloak and a black metal mask.
His eyes were cold and calculating.
Slowly, he walked toward the hammer embedded in the center of the crater.
Carved into its surface were ancient runes.
He read them aloud.
"Whosoever holds this hammer…"
"If he be worthy…"
"Shall possess the power of Thor."
"So this is Mjolnir," he murmured.
"What is Odin thinking?"
"Has he abandoned his own son?"
Anyone familiar with the Nine Realms knew that Mjolnir belonged to Thor, the crown prince of Asgard.
If the hammer had fallen to Earth—
It meant something serious had happened.
Perhaps Odin had cast Thor out.
Or perhaps a terrible war had occurred somewhere in deep space.
Maybe Thor himself had fallen.
Or even Odin.
Shaking his head, the masked man dismissed those thoughts.
Slowly, he reached toward the hammer.
Colorful magical shields flared around his body as protective spells activated.
He had no idea what might happen if he touched Mjolnir.
If the hammer rejected him, the resulting lightning might kill him instantly.
Time seemed to slow.
His fingers closed around the handle.
Nothing happened.
There was no magical backlash.
No lightning.
Encouraged, he tightened his grip and pulled.
The next moment—
He nearly fell forward.
Mjolnir didn't move at all.
It might as well have been welded to the ground.
But he knew the truth.
It wasn't welded.
The hammer's true weight had simply been released.
An ordinary person might try digging around it.
Or pulling it free with chains.
But this man knew better.
According to legend, Mjolnir had been forged from the core of a dying star.
It was not something that could be moved by ordinary means.
Still, no one easily gave up when facing the power of Thor.
The man continued trying.
Minutes turned into hours.
But the hammer never moved.
Eventually, the distant sound of pickup trucks echoed across the desert.
Soon, curious locals began gathering around the crater.
And by midday, a middle-aged man wearing a suit and black sunglasses appeared on a nearby hillside.
His name was—
Phil Coulson.
An agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
And the arrival of Mjolnir had officially drawn the attention of the world's most powerful organizations.
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