Chapter 19: Facing Death
The sky was a desolate gray, a lifeless expanse stretching endlessly in every direction. Silence and shadow blanketed this dead world.
"Hm?" A cold, eerie voice drifted through the air, as if rising from the depths of the underworld.
A figure in black, silver-trimmed armor strode forward, her eyes narrowing as she gazed at the unconscious Thor lying on the ground. A faint smirk twisted her lips as she muttered to herself, Asgard must truly be in decline if this is how they present their warriors…
Thor, however, was already awake, and he'd immediately heard the system's prompt echo in his mind.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering Hela's exclusive mission: Facing Death. As Asgard's eldest princess, Hela will one day reclaim what she considers her birthright. Today, she'll begin that task ahead of schedule!"
"Mission goal: Survive against Hela without using external powers. Mission reward: Passive Skill – Death Resistance. Upon death, time will reset by a few minutes, allowing you to retain memory. This time reversal should not exceed fifteen minutes, and enemies with strong awareness may detect the effect."
If he were still in his prime, Thor might have had a chance to fight back. After all, Hela hadn't yet returned to Asgard in full force. But as he was now, with his godly powers sealed, he was simply a strong mortal, barely a match for her. He briefly considered using his trump cards—the three Infinity Stone experience coupons that flashed through his mind.
Power Stone. Space Stone. Soul Stone.
Each coupon granted him the ability to wield the full force of one of these gems once, enough to escape or turn the tide. But using them would mean forfeiting the mission and its rewards.
No…maybe there's another way, he thought, forming a plan.
Thor feigned grogginess and slowly "woke up," taking in his surroundings before his gaze fell on Hela.
Her appearance was striking—almost regal. She had the same face as the Elf Queen, but her wild, dark hair and smoky eyeshadow gave her a menacing aura. Thor looked at her, allowing confusion to flicker across his face before it shifted to shock and excitement.
"Sister?!" he exclaimed, a look of disbelief and joy spreading across his face.
Hela froze, momentarily thrown off by his reaction. She was well aware of Odin's attempts to erase her from history, to bury her existence. In Asgard, only Odin and Frigga knew who she was, and neither of them would have dared to reveal her.
Thor's expression turned hopeful. "Sister, you're alive! I thought you were gone for good!"
"Stop, enough of that!" Hela snapped, her discomfort visible. She cut him off, clearly not interested in any sentimental sibling reunion. "You answer my questions, nothing more. If you cooperate, maybe I'll let you live."
No chance of kneeling to her—never in this life, Thor thought.
Hela's tone was ice-cold as she began her questioning. "First, how do you know who I am? Odin erased all trace of me."
Thor sighed, feigning reluctance. "You've never appeared in Asgard's official history. But I read about you in an old tome and asked Father about it. He gave me a harsh lesson, told me never to bring it up again. Later, my mother confirmed you existed, but she didn't tell me where you were."
Hela sneered. "Sure enough. And why are you here now?"
Thor could sense she'd already noticed the seal on him, so he leaned into his story, letting anger and frustration color his voice.
"Because I defied him! The enemy breached our palace gates, and yet he wanted to negotiate! I went ahead and attacked the Jotunheim giants without his permission, but he stopped me before I could finish them off. He's too obsessed with peace to act when needed!" Thor's voice grew louder, his words tumbling out with genuine emotion mixed with his calculated performance. "It's time for the universe to remember Asgard's name. But Father holds onto his vision of benevolent rule. So now, I'm exiled—just for standing up to protect our people!"
The more he spoke, the more energy Thor put into his words. While some of it was an act, much of it came from his real frustration with Odin's overly lenient approach.
Thor understood that war was harsh, but avoiding it altogether often emboldened the enemy. In his mind, peace only came when your adversaries knew you were ready to defend it by force if necessary. Laufey and the frost giants wouldn't respect Odin's kindness; in the future, Laufey would even attempt to assassinate Odin, only to be thwarted by Loki at the last second.
Thor didn't endorse Hela's obsession with conquest, but he also struggled with Odin's extreme stance on pacifism. Only those strong enough to fight can ensure peace, he thought, echoing his belief as he faced his formidable sister.