CHAPTER 10

Hela glanced at Rhodes in surprise, "It's impossible for Laufey to walk alone so close to our army at this time. It must be as you said; he's heading to the Midgard."

She didn't inquire about how Rhodes predicted it so accurately and immediately led Rhodes and a few important men in the direction pointed out by Heimdall.

Rhodes walked ahead, deliberately leading the way, and soon arrived at the valley.

As they traversed the valley, they spotted Laufey standing in front of the space crack, holding a light blue treasure box in his hand.

Laufey noticed everyone, narrowed his eyes, and then smiled mysteriously.

Suddenly, a giant frost dragon landed above everyone's heads, its massive wings creating a powerful gust that pushed everyone back, leaving marks on the ground.

"Roar!" After the giant frost dragon roared, pale white energy condensed in its mouth and then shot towards Hela.

A beam of light streaked straight at Hela, who hadn't stabilized herself yet, leaving her unable to evade the attack.

She was sent flying by the beam of light and crashed heavily into the rock wall of the valley, coughing up blood.

Her body fell to the ground, and she struggled to sit up, clutching her lower abdomen with a pained expression and a pale face.

"Hela!" Rhode exclaimed and immediately rushed over to check her injuries.

The remaining Protoss soldiers quickly formed a defensive line, shielding Hela, and guarding her with their lives.

Rhodes held Hela in his arms and examined her belly with concern.

The icy frost was spreading from the point of impact, visible to the naked eye.

"Leave me be. This is the Frost Giant's ice magic. It has penetrated into my blood. I won't die, but I'll become a burden to you."

Rhodes frowned. He had read in a book that being hit by Frost Giant magic would freeze the body. Only the mighty Protoss could escape death, but they would still be restricted by the frost. The sun's fire could melt this ice.

"Ding! The host [Rhodes] has evolved [Sun Flame]!"

A flame suddenly ignited in Rhodes' palm and gradually merged into his hand.

He gently placed his palm on Hela's lower abdomen, allowing the flame to slowly melt the frost on her body.

"Ahhh~!" Hela groaned in pain, clutching Rhode's arm and gritting her teeth.

The flame first melted the frost clinging to her body and then ignited and dissolved the ice flowing in her bloodstream from the wound.

The flames spread through her bloodstream, causing cold sweat to bead on Hela's forehead, her entire body overwhelmed by heat, and her face turned red.

She looked at Rhodes with surprise in her eyes, panting:

"You are... clearly just a mortal in the Midgard"

"Stop talking; you need to rest!" Rhode said solemnly.

After clearing the frost from Hela's body, he gently laid her on the ground.

Several Protoss soldiers retreated steadily, positioning themselves beside Rhode.

The Frost Dragon's massive claws descended, aiming to crush everyone.

Rhodes' mouth twitched, a cold gleam in his eyes, and he stepped forward, delivering a powerful punch.

"Boom!"

A visible shockwave emanated from Rhode's fist, directly shattering the Frost Dragon's front paws!

Rhodes' fists were ablaze with solar flames, and he held his empty hands before him, gathering the solar flames into a scorching fireball.

"Perish!"

He hurled the fireball, striking the Frost Dragon's chest.

"Boom!"

Explosions erupted across the Frost Dragon's chest, the flames engulfing the entire beast.

"Ho Ho Ho ~"

The massive dragon emitted a painful growl, retreating and rolling on the ground, attempting to extinguish the flames.

But as the frost on the ground met the flames, it evaporated into white mist and dissipated.

The flames continued to burn, ultimately consuming the dragon in its entirety.

"Boom~"

The dragon's lifeless body collapsed, turning into black ashes. A cold wind swept through, and the dragon dissipated into nothingness.

The Protoss soldiers stood in shock, while Laufey's Frost Giants retreated a few steps, unwilling to meet Rhode's gaze.

A Frost Dragon of such size was incinerated in an instant by flames. What kind of incredible strength did this man possess?

Several Frost Giants quickly fled into the space crack in panic, searching for Laufey.

Rhodes paid no attention to their escape; Laufey still needed time to activate the Frost Treasure Box.

He immediately returned to Hela. "Are you all right?"

With Rhodes' support, Hela slowly sat up, leaning against him.

"I was careless," she chastised herself.

Seeing her condition, Rhodes knew she couldn't continue the fight. He signaled a few Protoss soldiers to assist Hela back to Asgard.

Originally, the Protoss soldiers, as Hela's direct commanders, held higher status than Rhodes. However, after witnessing Rhodes' strength, they now regarded him as a noble on par with Hela.

They promptly obeyed the order and came to Hela's aid.

"As a mortal, you've just consumed the Golden Fruit. Even if you've become an ordinary Protoss, you can't wield your divine power so quickly. How did you do it?" Hela inquired curiously.

Rhodes hesitated briefly, then replied, "I'm not entirely sure; the power surged into my body on its own."

Although he had displayed some power, Rhodes had no intention of revealing his Silver Superman gene to anyone.

Hela pondered for a moment and then suggested, "Perhaps you have Protoss lineage in your ancestry. Some of your ancestors might have been powerful Protoss, and you, as their descendant, awakened your abilities in a crisis, or..."

Rhodes quickly nodded and affirmed, "My father also mentioned that some of our ancestors were formidable and possessed unique abilities."

Hela didn't press further and returned to the army with everyone's support. She promptly dispatched a messenger to inform Odin of Laufey's presence in the atrium.

In the sky, a rainbow light descended, and Odin, riding a Pegasus, appeared from it.

Behind him, a Pegasus troop assembled, presenting a magnificent sight.

Odin noticed the injured Hela and immediately descended on his Pegasus into the midst of the army.

"My daughter~" Odin's voice trembled as he gently embraced Hela, his eyes filled with concern.

"Father, I'm fine. Rhodes saved me. Without him, I'd have succumbed to the frost."

Odin turned his gaze to Rhodes standing nearby and nodded approvingly.

This slight gesture astonished everyone.

The King of the Nine Realms, the Father of All Gods, had nodded in gratitude to a mere bodyguard.

The individuals surrounding Rhodes dispersed, creating space and showing their respect for him.

"Bring Hela back to Asgard, and the rest, follow me to the Midgard and make Laufey pay with blood!" Odin commanded.

In his anger, Odin exuded a dominating presence, causing everyone to instinctively lower their heads, unable to meet his gaze.

Only Rhodes appeared unaffected.

Odin's gaze settled on Rhodes, who met it unwaveringly. "You, come with me!"

With that command, an elite Protoss warrior with golden armor led a Pegasus horse to Rhodes.

The horse had snow-white wings on both sides, its blue eyes fixed on Rhodes, as if communicating with him.

The horse's holy white body was sleek and firm. Rhodes ran his hand through its golden mane, and the horse nuzzled his arm, expressing joy.

Rhodes mounted the Pegasus and followed Odin's lead, departing for Asgard via the rainbow bridge.

Upon their return to Asgard, Odin summoned Heimdall.

"Use your all-seeing eyes to reveal Laufey's whereabouts."

Heimdall gazed into the distance, his eyes gleaming.

After an extensive search, he eventually half-knelt and lowered his head.

"I apologize, my king, he has concealed himself. I can only ascertain that he is near Europe in the Midgard, but I cannot pinpoint his exact location."

Heimdall gestured to the soldiers around him and indicated his room, saying, "Open the Midgard map."

"Yes!" Following the order, several soldiers activated a 3D imaging device, projecting a 3D map of the Midgard.

Rhodes studied it carefully, noticing differences from the map he had seen during his time on Earth. After all, thousands of years had passed, and the continents' shapes had evolved.

"Here, my king," Heimdall pointed to a corner on the map, outlining the European continent.

Odin furrowed his brow. Even though Heimdall had highlighted a portion, the actual area was vast, offering countless hiding places for Laufey.

With such a broad range, searching effectively would take considerable time.

"Let us wait until Laufey activates the ice box before we mobilize. Asgard can detect that powerful energy," an eagle-eyed soldier suggested.

Odin stroked his beard and shook his head, "Laufey is ruthless and ambitious. He may not only seek the Midgard, but we cannot allow him to roam freely."

A hushed silence fell, everyone gazing at the map, their minds racing.

Odin paced back and forth, deep in thought, his hands clasped behind his back.

Rhodes leaned over, scrutinizing the map. Most of the countries were unfamiliar to him, given the time difference.

Recalling his tutor's teachings and the knowledge he had gained from Hela's library on Earth, Rhode suddenly had an idea and spoke up.

"Greece! It should be here!"

All eyes turned to Rhodes, eager for an explanation.

"Why Greece?" Odin inquired.

Rhodes pointed to the European plate on the map, covering the northern part with one hand. He gestured to the rest of the land and said, "This is Northern Europe, your believers' territory. Laufey hiding here would be like being under constant surveillance."

"If he's not a fool, he'd avoid this area, which is filled with your watchful eyes in the Midgard. Instead, he'd head to Southern Europe, where ancient Greece worshipped the gods of Mount Olympus."

"It serves as a natural barrier for him. He can evade your surveillance in the Midgard and go unnoticed by mortals. In ancient Greece, nobody would pay attention to a Frost Giant; they'd simply dismiss it."

The realization spread among those present, their attention turning to Odin.

"Very well! We'll heed your counsel and send troops to search in Greece." Odin signaled.

The soldiers on the Pegasus stood up and lined up neatly in front of the Rainbow Bridge.

"Rhodes!" Odin said firmly, "You will accompany me and oversee the army's deployment!"

Rhodes was taken aback. Deploying troops? It was akin to wielding military power, a privilege exclusive to King Odin. His trust was evident.

The soldiers on the Pegasus regarded Rhodes with serious and respectful gazes. They had heard of Rhodes' exceptional battlefield prowess from Hela's troops.

Faced with such a courageous and resourceful young man, and with God King Odin's trust in him, they were willing to follow his lead, yielding control to him.

Their collective gaze weighed heavily on Rhodes. He furrowed his brow, shook his head vigorously, and felt a burning fire kindling within him.

Hot blood surged in his veins, igniting every inch of his skin.

To everyone's astonishment, Rhodes exuded a fierce aura and commanding presence, like a formidable general, earning admiration for his courage.

"Army, heed my command!" Rhodes bellowed.