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[Starting as a Class 5 Mutant] Chapter 370/371
🕑 Added 2025-01-08 16:00:08 +0000 UTCThor's eyes sparkled with anticipation, as though he could barely contain himself.
Syd resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
Ignoring Thor for now, Syd turned his focus back to Hela.
He wasn't particularly surprised by Hela's disappearance or Heimdall losing sight of her. After all, certain locations or places affected by mysterious forces were naturally beyond Heimdall's vision.
However, this meant they had lost track of her and her movements unless they went there in person...
As this thought crossed his mind, Syd's gaze shifted to Heimdall's golden eyes. "Is it a matter of power?" he asked.
"Power? What power?" Heimdall and Thor looked at him, puzzled by his question.
Syd paused briefly before extending his right hand. Under Thor's confused gaze, Syd placed his hand on Heimdall's shoulder.
In an instant, Heimdall felt a radiant energy, as brilliant as the sun itself, surging into his body.
The sheer strength and purity of the power surpassed his imagination.
"Divine power?" Heimdall muttered in shock.
He had experienced Odin's Odinforce before, even wielded it under Odin's command, but even that didn't feel as unique as this dazzling power.
It was not only more profound but also stronger—similar to Odin's power, yet distinctly different and mystical.
As this divine energy coursed through him, Heimdall felt his abilities enhanced to unprecedented levels. Even his Asgardian physiology seemed to undergo subtle changes.
Though the changes weren't immediately obvious due to the short duration and limited energy, he could still sense them.
Before he could dwell on his astonishment, Syd said, "Try using my power. See if you can locate that place now."
Thor, realizing what had just happened, became curious. He wondered if Heimdall could succeed.
Heimdall instinctively tapped into the divine energy Syd had granted him and activated his abilities.
In the next moment, Heimdall's golden eyes shimmered with light, and a myriad of images flashed before him.
He noticed an immediate difference—he could now see far more than ever before. Places previously shrouded in darkness were now within his vision.
The area where Hela had disappeared, once pitch black, now came into view. Hela reappeared before his eyes.
"This place is surrounded by a peculiar energy…" Heimdall remarked.
He then noticed Hela clashing with a woman wearing a bamboo hat.
Thor and Syd also saw the scene through Heimdall's vision.
An invisible force suddenly struck Hela, rendering her unconscious.
The woman in the bamboo hat carried Hela to a nearby village.
Ten minutes later, Hela awoke, surrounded by a group of people.
"Who are you?" Hela asked, her voice sharp.
"I wasn't aware Midgard had magic like this..." she murmured, recalling the mysterious force that had knocked her out.
"I am Hela…" she began, but before she could finish, the bamboo-hat woman interrupted, "We know who you are. Your companion already told us."
Hela instinctively turned her head and saw the small creature at the woman's feet squeaking. She felt a surge of irritation.
The bamboo-hat woman continued, "We guard this border to protect humans from threats like the underworld, including beings like you."
Hela frowned. "I assure you, I mean no harm. My quarrels are with a few individuals—a man named Wenwu, my father, and my brother."
"Oh, and my father's new girlfriend, Frigga. She's terrifying."
Pausing briefly, she added, "Speaking of the underworld, do you know if anyone's hiring?"
"Also, if you'd like to teach me your techniques, that would be fine—like the one you used earlier…"
Before she could finish, an elderly man retorted, "Why would we teach you?"
Hela shrugged. "Because you vowed to protect this realm from underworld threats. I am the Goddess of Death. What better way to achieve your goal than by conquering me?"
She spoke casually, not expecting them to agree.
To her surprise, the bamboo-hat woman considered her words and replied, "When the sun reaches its peak, your training will begin."
The group was stunned. Even Heimdall and Thor, watching from Asgard, were baffled.
They couldn't understand the woman's confidence or why she wasn't worried about Hela betraying them after learning their skills.
At that moment, two male voices echoed from outside the great hall.
"Thor, where are we headed this time?"
"Honestly, I can't wait anymore."
Syd, Thor, and Heimdall turned to see the Warriors Three, Lady Sif, and Valkyrie entering.
"Hey, brothers! You're here!" Thor greeted them warmly. After a few casual exchanges, he said, "We'll leave soon. Right now, we're observing something. Once we're done, we'll head to Earth."
"What are you watching?" Hogun asked, puzzled.
Thor glanced at Heimdall, who immediately shared his vision and hearing with the newcomers.
The group instantly saw the situation involving Hela.
"Hela?" Valkyrie exclaimed in surprise.
Her expression turned mocking. She was eager to see just how miserable Hela's life as a mortal would become.
Under their watchful gaze, noon arrived. The bamboo-hat woman led Hela to a peach orchard.
At the center of the orchard stood a burly man. He moved his body rhythmically, manipulating an invisible force that swept up peach blossoms and fallen leaves.
Hela's eyes lit up at the sight. "I have to learn this technique—but not for flowers and leaves. Knives would be much more practical."
"Or maybe fire…"
As she mused, the bamboo-hat woman shook her head. "You're already strong enough. What you need now is to cultivate your inner self. True strength lies in the harmony of skill and spirit."
Under Syd and the others' watchful eyes, the bamboo-hat woman led Hela to an area filled with red cloths hanging to dry.
"Focus. Balance. Calm," the woman said.
"Through these, you will discover what you truly seek..."
Looking around, Hela noticed the hanging red cloths and rolled her eyes. "Did you bring me here to turn me into a martial arts master or a laundry maid?"
(End of Chapter)
The woman in the straw hat said nothing as she gracefully waved her hands, sending pieces of red cloth flying toward Hela, surrounding her.
"Why do you want to master our martial arts?"
Hela deflected the cloth one by one and replied, "To defeat Xu Wenwu, take his Ten Rings, and use them to get revenge on my father!"
As she spoke, an image of a figure dressed in white, emitting a red glow from their hands, flashed through her mind. Hela quickly dismissed the thought.
The woman in the straw hat continued, "And why seek revenge on your father?"
Growing impatient, Hela snapped, "Because only then can I claim the throne of Asgard and continue my conquest of the universe!"
The pieces of red cloth pinned her to the ground.
"And after you've conquered the universe?" the woman asked.
At that moment, a series of memories surfaced in Hela's mind—battles she had fought, images of Xu Wenwu, her father...
Amid the disturbance caused by the red cloth, Hela's thoughts turned to her childhood.
She recalled playing with the giant wolf Fenrir when her father suddenly appeared and tied a rope around Fenrir's neck, pulling him away from her.
"Father, why are you restraining him?" Hela had asked in shock. "He hasn't harmed you."
Odin, clad in armor, replied solemnly, "Not yet, but he will. He's born with the heart of a warrior, just like you."
"A king must tame his threats and ensure they fight for him..."
It was then that her father handed her the black crown, teaching her to become the true Goddess of Death.
Now, reflecting on those memories, Hela realized that conquest and war had been forced upon her by her father, against her will. It was never what she truly wanted.
As Hela lingered in her memories, the woman's voice broke through again, "Beyond conquest, what do you truly seek?"
For a brief moment, the answer became clear in Hela's mind. She forcefully swatted away the red cloth and coldly declared, "Freedom. Freedom from control, to choose my own path..."
The woman in the straw hat smiled. "Now you're ready."
Hela nodded.
Soon, the training began.
"Our martial arts are connected to all things. Once you calm your mind, you will understand the essence of it..."
Under the watchful eyes of Syd and the others, Hela began practicing martial arts, meditating and focusing her mind.
The more they watched, the stranger their expressions became.
Valkyrie, for one, could hardly believe it.
Hela seemed... different somehow.
"When are we heading to Midgard?" Fandral, one of the Warriors Three, hesitated, unsure if they should interrupt Hela's training.
He had a bad feeling. If Hela continued, something unexpected might happen.
At that moment, Heimdall's gaze shifted toward another direction.
A group of black-clad individuals was stealthily closing in on the mysterious location where Hela was training.
Seeing this, Thor and the others discussed among themselves and decided to wait for these intruders to gather before making their move. They planned to capture everyone at once, claim the Ten Rings, and investigate the mysterious site.
Meanwhile, Syd watched their overconfidence with a hint of exasperation.
"Well, this works out. I can use the time to wait for the Infinity Gauntlet's completion and practice Sunshine..."
Syd hadn't forgotten the impending arrival of Arishem the Celestial Judge and the Old One's true form.
Thinking about Sunshine, Syd's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"I just need a bit more experience to upgrade Sunshine to level five. I wonder what changes that will bring, along with my divinity..."
With that, he poured all the faith energy he had accumulated over the past few days into his divinity.
[Divinity Experience +1]
[Divinity Experience +1]
[Ability: Divinity (1022/2000) Level Four]
"Still halfway to go..."
Despite the wait, Syd felt content. The constant flow of faith energy from Asgardians, many of whom had started to revere him after he saved Asgard, provided him with abundant and potent energy.
Thanks to this, it wouldn't take long for his divinity to reach level five!
Thinking about the level-five divinity, Syd couldn't help but feel excited.
The next morning, under Thor's watchful eye, Xu Wenwu led a group of black-clad individuals into the bamboo forest.
With the Ten Rings in hand, he navigated the area as if he had been there before, effortlessly leading his team inside.
"You! Xu Wenwu, why are you here?"
"You're not welcome here."
An elderly man frowned.
Xu Wenwu responded, "I'm here to find someone. Hela is with you, isn't she? Bring her out."
Hela?
The villagers of Taro were momentarily stunned.
Someone quickly went to call Hela.
When Hela arrived and confronted Xu Wenwu, the Asgardian gods made their move.
Thor's eyes lit up as he eagerly prepared for battle. "They're all here. It's time to show these people the might of Asgard!"
Thor hadn't forgotten Xu Wenwu's previous boasts.
From a secluded spot, Syd, still linked to Heimdall, observed the situation while practicing his abilities. Seeing Thor and the others approaching, he casually opened a portal to Earth.
The glowing golden sparks of the circular portal revealed the scene on the other side.
Thor and the others looked at the portal in surprise.
"Brother, let's go!" Thor said excitedly.
Feeling their eager gazes, Syd paused to consider. Deciding to practice a bit more before joining, he said, "You go on ahead."
Although disappointed, Thor reluctantly agreed and, after a few words of persuasion, led Fandral and the others through the portal.
On the other side, the villagers of Taro, Hela, and Xu Wenwu all turned their attention to the arrivals—Thor, the Warriors Three, Lady Sif, and Valkyrie.
"Who are you?"
Xu Wenwu and his group immediately became alert.
"You?" Hela exclaimed in surprise.
Xu Wenwu glanced at her. "You know them?"
Under everyone's gaze, Hela said gravely, "They're Asgardians."
She pointed at them, identifying each one.
"That big guy is my brother, Thor, the God of Thunder. That one is..."
Before she could finish, the mention of Thor's name clicked with someone in the crowd.
"An Avenger?"
"What's he doing here?"
The black-clad individuals started murmuring among themselves.
Xu Wenwu's eyes lit up with interest. "So, Hela, Thor is your brother?"
Hearing this, the group behind him also connected the dots and started laughing mockingly.
The thought of Hela describing Thor as some monstrous, unimaginable destroyer capable of annihilating everything seemed absurd to them.
Clearly amused, the black-clad individuals sneered. Xu Wenwu's eyes glinted with confidence.
Soon, he would prove Hela wrong. Her so-called monstrous little brother, Thor, would be no match for him.
With the Ten Rings, Xu Wenwu was confident he could defeat even Thor.
(End of Chapter)
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