Thor was shoved roughly into a circular room by two guards. The metal door slammed shut behind him with a loud bang.
He staggered a few steps before regaining his balance and scanned the surroundings. It looked like a waiting room. The walls were cold metal, and a dozen strange-looking aliens sat around—each of them injured, their eyes dull and numb. The air carried a strange mix of blood and disinfectant.
Thor ignored their stares. Right now, he was burning with rage.
He slammed his fist against the metal wall with a heavy thud.
"Levi! I know you're here! Come out!" he shouted toward the ceiling, guessing Levi was watching him make a fool of himself from some VIP box with that effeminate Grandmaster.
No response.
That bastard was really planning to stand by and watch.
A large creature made of stone walked over and patted Thor on the shoulder, causing a pile of stone dust to fall off.
"Hey, newcomer," the rock man said gently. "Don't shout so loudly—you'll scare my friend Miek."
He pointed to a creature at his feet that looked like an oversized beetle.
"My name's Korg, and this is Miek. You look pretty tough. Did that drunken woman capture you too?"
Thor didn't bother replying. His gaze moved past Korg and landed on a woman leaning against the wall at the other end of the room, drinking.
Black hair. Familiar armor—old and worn, but instantly recognizable.
It was the uniform of Asgard's elite Valkyrie corps.
"It's you," Thor said coldly, brushing past Korg and walking toward her. "A Valkyrie—one of Asgard's protectors—working here as a slave trader?"
The Valkyrie looked up and sized him up before curling her lips into a mocking smile.
"The Prince of Asgard? You look more like a drowned rat."
She took a long swig from her bottle.
"I stopped being a protector a long time ago. And besides—you were stupid enough to fall into my trap."
Thor's fists clenched, cracking loudly. Looking at this fallen compatriot—and thinking of Levi calmly watching outside—a sense of helplessness surged within him.
Here, he could rely on no one.
---
The arena gates lifted, and blinding light along with thunderous cheers flooded in.
Thor was shoved forward by a powerful force from behind and fell onto the scorching sand.
He climbed to his feet and looked around at the circular stands. Countless creatures were roaring at him in frenzy. In a luxurious box at the top level, he could clearly see the Grandmaster, Loki… and Levi.
They held wine glasses as if watching a circus performance.
Thor's anger burned hotter.
He turned toward another rising gate. A massive figure walked out.
It was a giant beast called Crusher. Its body was covered in thick rocky armor, and its eyes glowed with savage light.
Thor froze for a moment, then his expression turned serious. He had never seen such an enormous creature. He shouted at it, trying to draw its attention.
The response was a roar.
Then Crusher charged at him sideways like a living battering ram.
Thor dodged aside just in time. The beast smashed headfirst into the metal wall, making the entire arena tremble.
Thor tossed away the shield and helmet he'd been given and clenched his fists.
Even without his hammer, he was still the Prince of Asgard.
He rushed forward to meet the monster, relying on combat skills to maneuver around it. A punch to its jaw snapped its head back. A kick to its knee made its enormous body stumble.
The cheers from the audience faded slightly.
The Grandmaster looked surprised.
Loki looked utterly incredulous.
Only Levi remained expressionless, leaning back in his chair and lazily swirling the blue liquid in his glass.
This was just the appetizer.
---
Thor's attacks enraged Crusher. With an even louder roar, it grabbed Thor's ankle.
Before Thor could react, his entire body was lifted and smashed into the ground.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The whole arena trembled.
Thor felt like his bones were coming apart. He spat out a mouthful of blood.
Crusher tossed him away like a rag doll, then leaped into the air and hammered down with massive fists again and again.
Thor could only curl up, shielding his head with his arms.
The audience erupted into even wilder cheers. The Grandmaster leapt up excitedly. Loki laughed with schadenfreude.
Levi watched the scene below, black lines almost forming on his forehead.
"Why do big guys always go for this move…"
He set down his wine glass.
That was enough.
Closing his eyes, a strand of mental power crossed the distance and entered Thor's chaotic consciousness.
He didn't control anything.
Instead, like playing a movie, he projected the image of Odin inside Thor's mind and let him speak a single sentence.
"Are you the God of Hammers?"
Odin's voice echoed through Thor's mind.
Thor's body trembled violently.
He seemed to see again the look in his father's eyes before Odin faded away.
The hammer… had only ever been a tool.
The power had always been inside him.
Crusher's fist descended again.
This time, Thor's eyes held no anger—only clarity.
He didn't block.
The instant the fist touched his body—
Countless streaks of blue lightning exploded from him, spreading like a giant web and blasting Crusher away.
The monster rolled several times across the ground before stopping. Confused, it looked at its own fists, then at Thor slowly rising in the distance.
Thor's body was now wrapped in crackling arcs of electricity.
His eyes no longer had pupils—only two blazing spheres of blue lightning.
Above the arena, the artificial sky darkened.
Storm clouds gathered.
A massive bolt of lightning crashed down from above and struck Thor directly.
He wasn't burned.
Instead, it was as if he'd been supercharged. Every muscle swelled with power, every strand of hair sparking with electricity.
He spread his arms and roared to the sky, the sound mixed with thunder.
He had awakened.
A true God of Thunder didn't need a hammer.
---
Levi watched the lightning-wreathed figure below, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
This was exactly the result he wanted.
The guidance of the Mental Law consumed almost no energy yet produced astonishing results. It gave him new ideas for developing his abilities.
Thor's awakening had inspired him.
If mental guidance could awaken others… could it awaken himself?
He decided to try immediately.
His consciousness sank once more into the chaotic ocean of laws within his body.
This time, he activated the Mental Law to construct a protective "diving bell" around his awareness.
Carefully, he extended his consciousness toward the crimson ocean representing Reality.
The violent whispers of madness surged again—but now the diving bell blocked them out.
Levi's mind became a calm observer behind a layer of safe glass, analyzing the sea of insanity.
He saw matter forming from nothing.
He saw concepts arbitrarily rewritten.
Water turning into fire. Stones turning into bread.
This power neither created nor destroyed.
It simply modified.
Levi immersed himself in the realization.
But the intense analysis of laws placed enormous strain on his body. Fine cracks appeared across his skin like a dried riverbed. Golden blood seeped out before his healing factor rapidly repaired the damage.
Destruction and regeneration reached a terrifying balance within him.
He couldn't continue.
He forcibly withdrew his consciousness and opened his eyes.
Looking at his arm—covered in cracks yet rapidly healing—he activated the new technique he had just grasped.
Reality Distortion.
"These injuries… do not exist," he said softly.
The next second, every wound caused by the backlash of the laws vanished completely—along with any scars. His skin returned to perfect condition.
He had succeeded.
Not only had he deepened his understanding of the Law of Reality, he had also discovered a method to ignore the side effects and effectively grind experience.
---
The door to the VIP box burst open. The Grandmaster rushed in excitedly.
"My friend! My honored guest!" he shouted, grabbing Levi's arm. "Did you see that?! Lightning! Real lightning! He can actually summon thunder himself! I'm going to make a fortune!"
Levi calmly pulled his arm back and glanced at the arena below.
Thor and Crusher were still fighting, but Thor—now awakened to his thunder power—had completely gained the upper hand. Lightning crackled around him as he electrocuted Crusher, making the giant howl in pain.
For the first time, the Grandmaster's champion showed signs of defeat.
"I need a quiet place for a few days," Levi said.
The Grandmaster froze for a moment before understanding.
"Of course! Of course! A powerhouse like you needing time for meditation is completely understandable!"
He immediately called for attendants.
"Take my guest to the Meditation Chamber on the top floor! Fulfill any request he has!"
Levi nodded and prepared to leave. He needed time to digest what he had just learned.
At the door, he paused and turned back to the Grandmaster.
"That Asgardian and his friends—let them go."
The Grandmaster's smile stiffened slightly.
"My friend… he's my newest cash cow…"
"He's already defeated your champion," Levi said calmly. "Audiences want new excitement. If he keeps winning forever, they'll get bored."
He paused before adding:
"As compensation, when I come out, I'll bring you some more interesting gladiators."
"For example… a red giant who's unbelievably strong and nearly indestructible."
The Grandmaster's eyes lit up instantly. His mind was already calculating betting odds and ticket sales.
"Deal!" he agreed without hesitation. "When you're done, we'll talk details!"
Levi said nothing more and followed the attendants out of the room.
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