Chapter Fifty-Four: Bah, You Despicable Scoundrel

“Today, I must show you what the power of the God of Thunder truly means!”

Holding his hammer, Thor felt every cell in his body come alive with energy.

He was fired up!

Today, he was going to take on two opponents by himself.

He would teach these two disrespectful fools, who dared ignore the might of Asgard, a lesson that would make them meow for mercy.

First, Thor tossed his hammer into the air, then twisted his neck and arms in a brief warm-up, catching the hammer as it fell and spinning it rapidly by the strap at the end. With a mighty throw, he sent it hurtling forward in a manner that defied all logic, lightning crackling and thunder booming as it rocketed toward Grommash. At the very first sign of Thor’s charge, Vikarn leapt into the air.

Because of the taunting effect Vikarn carried, just as Thor’s hammer was about to strike Grommash, it abruptly veered in a zigzag path, chasing after Vikarn at a different angle in the sky.

“???”

Thor, completely lost as to what was happening, suddenly found his direction changed and, unable to control himself, was propelled after Vikarn, who had used [Phantom Step] to dart around.

The lightning on his hammer seemed to grow more erratic, and his flight path became bizarre, snaking through the air as he followed Vikarn’s evasive maneuvers.

Grommash stood on the ground, scratching his head in bewilderment.

He had no idea what this self-proclaimed Asgardian was up to.

Thor bounced uncontrollably after Vikarn, and before long, he slammed into a towering pillar of frost.

[Lich’s Body] and [Frost Pillar] had taken the blow for Vikarn, who then immediately used his [Blinding Ice Rain] skill on Thor.

His sole purpose was crowd control.

[Lich’s Body: Who says a knight can’t be a mage? While active, you’re immune to all crowd-control effects.]

[Frost Pillar: I am the immovable pillar you can’t budge; immune to forced movement effects.]

[Blinding Ice Rain: Blind your enemy, delight yourself, and send your foe wandering in confusion.]

The skills worked as intended, yet Thor crashed to the ground from midair. The impact didn’t do much harm; he stood, rubbing his head, trying to steady his vision, but found the world spinning.

His head throbbed with dizziness.

Suddenly, Thor noticed a chain of pure frost winding around his body.

The instant Thor landed, Vikarn cast [Frost Chains] on him.

[Frost Chains: This is a proper full-body binding; cold chains bind the target, reducing movement speed by 70%.]

Bound by the chains, Thor felt as if he’d suffered from a decade of chronic chills; he could barely move, every action slowed, and the cold even slurred his speech.

Grommash watched Thor, who had landed with his back to him, and approached with a hint of embarrassment.

“I think things are finally getting interesting, Kel’Thuzad. What about you?”

“I believe Lady Sindragosa’s resurrection is within reach, and Kel’Thuzad is ready to offer you a gift.”

Sensing Loki drawing near through some means, Kel’Thuzad cast a shield to hide Roald, who was still in a daze, and glanced at Loki with a pleased smile.

As the son of the Frost Giants, Loki possessed the purest frost blood. If they could find the dragon bones beneath Manhattan or obtain another gem, Sindragosa could be summoned.

Now he understood all of Roald’s steps.

Marveling once more at the Lich King’s flawless schemes, Kel’Thuzad reinforced the magical shield hiding Roald and waited silently for Loki’s arrival.

“What’s happening to me? What’s going on?”

Feeling the frost chains binding him, Thor at first thought he’d encountered a frost giant, but this power was not only cold—it was evil.

Bruised and battered, he finally began to reconsider his strategy.

When strong, charge in headlong; when beaten, start thinking of a plan.

“Ahhh—for Asgard!!!”

With a thunderous roar, bolts of lightning erupted around him, striking again and again, randomly boosting Grommash’s attack power and fueling his fury.

Grabbing Thor’s red cape, Grommash began to whirl him around like a spinning top.

First, Vikarn had dragged him through the air in circles. Then, after being slammed dizzy, Thor had just regained his footing when a wave of frost and mist stung his eyes, blurring his vision before he could steady himself. All his movements lagged behind, and Grommash seized his cape from behind.

After a wild spin, Grommash delivered a suplex, sparks of lightning crackling with each impact as Thor cried out in pain.

Loki frowned, sensing the presence of the Space Stone flicker and fade. Through magic, he soon spotted Kel’Thuzad nodding at him from behind the obelisk.

He considered for a moment and walked over.

Though Grommash had battered him, Thor was far from defeated. He had faced moments like this countless times in the wars against the Frost Giants.

He was no stranger to being tossed around.

With a sudden kick, Thor sent Grommash flying, then opened his hand to call Mjolnir, which came hurtling from afar to smash Grommash away.

Seeing his attack succeed, Thor broke into a broad grin.

He then raised his hammer high and slammed it to the ground, sending arcs of lightning radiating outward from his feet, forming a field of electricity around him.

These non-lethal attacks only fueled Grommash’s rage even more.

Intelligence -1.

Attack Power +10.

With a furious roar, Grommash charged at Thor, heedless of the lightning strikes hitting him. He forgot all about his axe and swung his fists, ready for a fierce brawl with Thor.

Matching his opponent’s roar, Thor brandished his warhammer, lightning wrapping around his body, his cape billowing without wind.

He was preparing his ultimate move.

Vikarn cast [Frost Chains] on him once again.

In the middle of his skill incantation, Thor was instantly rooted, his roar drawn out, currents faltering, and his body drained of strength.

“Bang?”

Grommash’s fist crashed into Thor’s face.

As fist met cheek, Thor’s facial muscles compressed in slow, rippling waves, as if caught in a lagging slow-motion frame, then suddenly snapped back into place.

He was sent flying.

A collective gasp sounded—not only from Roald, hidden from view, but from many spectators.

“That must hurt, old man.”

“Yeah, just watching makes my bones ache.”

“But well done—I actually can’t stand that hammer-wielding guy!”

Loki spoke as he approached Kel’Thuzad.

“Indeed, it was well done,” Kel’Thuzad replied, completely unfazed by Loki’s arrival.

“Old man, there are some things I’d like to ask you.”

When Loki was in range, he suddenly lunged, his scepter stabbing straight for Kel’Thuzad’s heart.

Kel’Thuzad reacted in kind, his staff thrusting toward Loki’s chest.

A burst of energy exploded as staff met scepter, and almost simultaneously, their spells collided in midair.

Both staggered back three steps.

A cloud of poison erupted between them.

“Despicable!”

Both mages exclaimed in unison.

Roald, hidden away, showed no expression.

But in secret, he fused ten [Anti-Magic Shields] into his own body.