"Odin, I have come for my revenge."
After all of Asgard's combat forces had gathered, Jormungandr arrived at Asgard. A large black hole suddenly appeared in the sky above Asgard, and a massive snake head emerged from it. Jormungandr's first sight was Odin standing behind Thor. Facing his enemy, Jormungandr's massive Dragon Eyes revealed a towering hatred and killing intent. An angry roar instantly echoed across the horizon, the sound waves vibrating the surrounding space. Clearly, the roar back on Earth hadn't used his full voice; otherwise, Phil and the others would have been vibrated into mincemeat on the spot.
"Still as energetic as ever! That's good."
Odin had long been paying attention to Jormungandr. He had already made plans and was determined to find someone to help Thor survive this life-and-Death tribulation. Even starting the battle now wasn't too late; it just depended on whether the other party was willing to come over. Odin's mood was very complex, but that didn't stop him from mocking Jormungandr. Indeed, for Jormungandr to wake up after being sealed for so long and still be able to shout so vigorously was not easy. If an ordinary god had been sealed for that long, they would need at least a hundred years of rest to return to their physical peak. The Midgard Serpent Jormungandr was truly a powerful and strange creature, already able to fight so soon after being unsealed. This was actually when it was weakest, but unfortunately, it was thick-skinned and recovered quickly—something others couldn't match.
"Die, Odin!"
Jormungandr clearly didn't have a good temper. Hearing Odin mock him like that, combined with the shame of being sealed by Odin, his anger instantly flared. Jormungandr opened his massive maw and lunged toward Odin. Black liquid dripped rapidly from the snake's mouth. When it landed on some warriors, they instantly turned into a mass of grayish-black; even their golden armor dissolved as if it had entered a solution of aqua regia. But even this did not cause the Asgardian warriors to feel a hint of fear; instead, it stirred their battle intent.
"For Asgard!"
Shouting encouraging slogans, small aircraft rose from the ground one after another like bees. The densely packed aircraft quickly flew to Jormungandr's side, surrounding it. Countless beams of light shot from the aircraft, slamming into Jormungandr's body. But unfortunately, these weapons were clearly insufficient. They couldn't even leave a bit of charring on Jormungandr's scales, showing just how powerful Jormungandr's defense was. Even so, the Asgardian warriors never knew the word retreat; they continued their attack.
"Partner, it's our turn to take the stage."
Thor took out his beloved hammer and stroked its surface as if looking at a favorite lover. This scene made Odin's face twitch with a feeling of being unable to look. After saying those words to the hammer, Thor swung it, letting the hammer carry him into the air to face Jormungandr head-on. The hammer's flight speed was extremely fast, and with Thor's intentional acceleration, he slammed into Jormungandr instantly. The Impact's shockwave blew the surrounding Asgardian warriors away. At this moment, Jormungandr also noticed the 'fly' that had flown in front of him.
"Go to hell, little bug!"
Due to the recoil, Thor was knocked away onto a nearby mountain peak. Although it didn't hurt him, Jormungandr felt insulted. Odin won't come out, and yet you, a little thing, actually run over trying to stop me? How overconfident. The fires of rage burned even brighter. Jormungandr opened his large mouth toward Thor's position, and a glob of thick black 'phlegm' flew toward Thor. Many warriors had just died under such toxic substance. If Thor were truly hit in the face by this 'thick phlegm,' the consequences would be obvious.
"Thor!"
As his foster mother, Frigga couldn't help but cry out. Even if he wasn't her biological son, she had raised him for so many years. This child and Loki had followed her since they were small; how could she not have feelings for him? At this moment, she was just like Thor's biological mother, looking at her child with worry, wishing she could take his place. But not being a combat deity, she could only watch helplessly as that pitch-black mass flew toward Thor. Odin's fingers gripping gungnir turned white, but as King, he could not act recklessly, and it was already too late from such a distance.
"Lord Camelot!"
Just when everyone thought Thor was a goner, a heroic female voice rang out. A holy light shone upon the mountain where Thor had fallen, and a white, magnificent, and towering wall instantly rose from the ground, blocking Jormungandr's 'thick phlegm.' The black liquid did not cause any damage to the wall; instead, it flowed down to the ground, corroding the soil completely. A hundred-meter-high mountain lost nearly half its mass in an instant, showing just how potent Jormungandr's venom was. The wall disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, and the figure who had successfully blocked Jormungandr's attack stood before everyone. Artoria, clad in silver armor like a goddess of war, stood in front of the newly risen Thor. Beside her stood a panting figure—it was Heimdall, who had brought her there.
"Sorry, I let my guard down."
Thor, dizzy from the Impact, thanked Artoria, but his words earned him simultaneous eye-rolls from Artoria and Heimdall. What do you mean you 'let your guard down'? You've never even been careful! You're a guy who only knows how to charge headfirst, yet you claim you were just careless? It was enough to make one laugh their head off. Artoria gave Thor a disgruntled look before looking toward Odin through her Dragon Eyes. Seeing Frigga smiling in relief and Odin nodding at her, Artoria couldn't help but sigh. This lucky guy—thousands of years old and still treated like a child by his parents. Really.
"This snake... if we made a pot of snake soup, one pot definitely wouldn't be enough. Maybe we should use part of it to make medicinal wine."
After lamenting over the 'big kid' Thor, Artoria focused her attention on Jormungandr, who was fighting the Asgardian warriors. Artoria's appearance might have surprised it, but its target had always been Odin; that hadn't changed. Looking at the giant serpent, Artoria felt her cravings kick in. How nourishing would a snake this big be? Would it be so potent she'd get a nosebleed? Artoria's eyes were now filled with appetite as she looked at Jormungandr, making the serpent feel as if its scales were about to stand on end.
"For Asgard!"
While Artoria was thinking about how to cook Jormungandr, Thor and Heimdall charged forward. This made Artoria decide to hold off on acting for a moment. Since Odin had sent Heimdall to find her, the subsequent reward would surely be generous, so she didn't need to do too much. It was a good chance for Odin to let Thor train. Artoria sat down on the ground, becoming a complete spectator. She only dared to come here because she was confident she could handle Jormungandr; she wasn't unprepared. Since the scabbard had returned, Artoria's life-saving skills were here, so she didn't fear the venom. Moreover, she held the Noble Phantasm capable of cutting through dimensions, excalibur, and if all else failed, she still had the Infinity Gauntlet. Having finally convinced Gaea and Galacta to let her out, how could she miss this chance to earn Red Boxes or holy grail stones? Plus, with the benefits Odin promised, she was determined to fleece the old man to get revenge for the Mjolnir incident.
"Now, things are stable."
Seeing Artoria sitting there steadily, the heavy stone in Odin's heart finally dropped. He couldn't easily interfere with Thor's fate because doing so might make Thor die even faster. However, as an 'Anomaly,' Artoria could do it. She was not on the tracks of fate; she could enter someone's destiny at any time and change their trajectory. Even Fate itself couldn't grasp her, deduce her path, or define her. This was an 'Anomaly.' Odin, completely unaware that he had already been put on Artoria's 'fat sheep' list, was currently commanding the battle with relief.
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