23
Chapter 23: Ritzy Mall
A few days ago, when Thor encountered the Tesseract, the Cosmic Cube unleashed an immense force.
Perhaps Red Skull had inadvertently triggered some sort of cosmic anomaly while using the Tesseract to forge weapons, causing the Cube to become a ticking time bomb.
But now, the focus is on Thor...
As life and death hung in the balance, Thor's latent power erupted with full force, breaking through Odin's seal and shattering the spatial barrier.
The more power that emerges in a critical moment, the more severe the aftereffects. This power was so immense, surpassing even the divine awakening strength described in the original Movie, that his body could barely contain it...
Fortunately, his potential is vast; otherwise, it would be uncertain if he could withstand it.
"Mission: Contact Infinite Gems (Space) is complete. Please choose a reward: detection or 500,000 points."
"Reminder: It requires 1 million points to purchase detection directly from the mall. Please choose carefully."
"Select detection."
"Detection Technique: This can reveal the basic information of a person or object. The higher the target's level, the lower the detection success rate."
Thor nodded and used the detector on himself.
"Name: Thor Odinson."
"Age: 1547."
"Strength Evaluation: Beyond the top, unmatched within the Nine Realms."
"Special Note: Highly dependent on Mjölnir in battle. Without the hammer, strength is reduced by 60%."
"Status: Sealed, unable to use divine power, but his physical condition is far superior to that of ordinary Asgardians."
…
Thor wondered, "Isn't this detection technique a bit too simplistic? It only provides a strength evaluation without a specific value?"
The system's voice responded with a pout: "What do you expect? A combat power value? Or a bunch of attribute points? Don't be ridiculous. If that were the case, even magicians like Wanda and Strange, except for mental strength, would have single-digit values. Does that mean they're weak?"
That made sense.
The real world isn't a game where strength and weaknesses can be easily quantified.
Thor had an idea and used the detection technique again.
"Name: Mixie."
"Age: 1547."
"Strength Evaluation: Capable of swatting a mosquito."
"Special Remarks: IQ 150, EQ 100."
"Status: System."
…
"You've got to be kidding. The names are all jumbled up."
The system's voice was silent.
Thor commented, "But why does it sound like an ice cream brand?"
"I don't converse with individuals of low emotional intelligence."
"IQ 150 plus EQ 100 makes 250, right?"
"..."
"I didn't realize it; you're the same age as me, a thousand-year-old aunt..."
"Go away, you dog!"
…
Teasing the system and being teased by it were mere trivialities in life.
Thor opened the mall interface, revealing a dazzling array of goods on the shelves.
And that was just the first page.
Band-Aids: 1 point.
Desert Eagle Pistol: 100 points. (bullets 1 point/box)
AK47: 500 points (bullets 5 points/box)
…
Thor scowled, "Can I get something useful?"
These days, everyone who uses guns seems to be slacking off; they're only useful for hiding behind and fighting minor enemies.
Even a warrior like Loki prefers to use a dagger.
"Useful? Yes!"
The mall interface refreshed immediately.
Kryptonian Bloodline: ** Points. (Don't even think about it; it's the most common one, and you can't upgrade to silver!)
…
Thor's expression darkened again.
He counted the zeros at the end of the price and glanced at his meager 10 million points...
If he hadn't touched the Tesseract a few days ago and nearly been sent to the planet Vormir, he would still be hovering at seven figures...
Don't be fooled by the appearance that gaining more than 10 million points in just a few days after activating the system is easy. It's because his accomplishments over 1,500 years were credited all at once.
The strength of the Asgardian royal family grows with age. Thor figured that by the time he gathers enough points for the Kryptonian bloodline, he might end up exhausted...
Do you want an upgrade that's impossibly out of reach?