Chapter 117: The Hammer Descending from the Heavens (Additional Chapter)

The power behind this design bore the marks of magic as well as the force inherent in the rules themselves.

Gu Zhongyan guessed, without much doubt, that this staff must be the masterpiece of the Ancient One.

After all, the Ancient One relied on the power of the Dark Dimension to sustain life, and it was no secret among travelers through time and space that she protected Earth.

Because of this, the Ancient One was the person in Kamar-Taj who understood the existence of the Dark Dimension best.

Whether it was the magic related to Kamar-Taj or the power of the Dark Dimension, the One Staff had reached an extraordinarily high level.

Among the supreme sorcerers throughout history, only the Ancient One achieved such mastery.

Both the profound magic and the embodiment of the rules made Gu Zhongyan gain a more intuitive understanding of Kamar-Taj’s magic and deepened his knowledge of the magical system throughout the Marvel universe.

In addition, the many powerful dark spells recorded in the Dark Book greatly expanded his horizons.

Though it could not compare to the One Staff, the Dark Book was a replica of the Darkhold, carrying the power of its fragments; it was itself a formidable magical weapon.

As his strength grew, the Dragonbone Wand gradually became less essential to Gu Zhongyan, and the Dark Book perfectly filled that gap.

Speaking of the One Staff, it was impressive, but unfortunately its power originated from the Dark Dimension, making it incompatible with Gu Zhongyan’s magical system. Holding it was of little use to him, and since it was Nicole’s artifact, after some study, Gu Zhongyan returned it.

With the hidden threat of Morgan le Fay resolved, the Young Defenders began to get back on track. Gu Zhongyan announced that their western journey had come to an end, and the group set off on the road back to New York.

Although all three possessed superpowers, to give this trip a proper beginning and end and to relax properly, they chose to drive back—as they had on the way there.

After leaving Los Angeles, the red secondhand Ford raced like a crimson lightning bolt, once again streaking across the straight western highway.

None of the three were ordinary. Whether it was Gu Zhongyan’s magic, Su Yan’s abilities, or Richard’s Nova powers, the seemingly ordinary car surged to a terrifying speed of 300 kilometers per hour.

The car sped as if it were on an F1 racetrack rather than a highway.

Passing gangs of reckless drivers occasionally wondered if they were hallucinating. Could such a speed really come from a half-new, secondhand Ford? And on a desolate western highway, no less?

Never mind the confusion their speed caused other drivers on this interstate road.

Just when they thought they could speed back to New York without trouble, the sky suddenly darkened and roared. A meteor tore through the atmosphere, bursting into dazzling flames as it hurtled straight toward the road ahead of them.

“What is that!” Richard slammed the brakes without hesitation. Su Yan’s pupils contracted sharply as a powerful wind resistance wrapped around the red Ford, bringing the speeding vehicle to a rapid halt.

In an instant, the screeching brakes left black skid marks on the highway.

Yet their eyes were fixed solely on the fiery light descending from the sky.

The meteor blazed fiercely in broad daylight, its terrifying heat distorting the air around it.

The deafening roar ripping through the atmosphere heralded destructive power so immense there was no doubt of the threat it carried.

Before the car fully stopped, the blinding light forced the three to squint instinctively.

Boom!

The earth shook violently under the dreadful impact. The meteor’s collision with the ground sent out a raging heatwave like roaring ocean waves, spreading fiercely in all directions.

“Cast protection on all of us!” Gu Zhongyan commanded without hesitation, stretching out his hands as an invisible shield instantly enveloped the vehicle.

Sand and dust whipped up into a storm, completely obscuring their vision.

But moments later, Su Yan waved his hand, summoning a whirlwind that scattered the sand, revealing the impact site.

The three stared in stunned silence at the ground ahead.

On the flat desert plain, the violent collision had created a massive crater.

This was not unexpected, but what truly stunned them was the hammer lying at the center of the crater.

Su Yan and Richard were utterly bewildered.

How could a hammer fall from the sky?

Even more baffling was that despite the violent impact and scorching heat, the hammer bore no marks of damage. From afar, the intricate patterns on the hammerhead remained perfectly intact.

Even the wooden handle and the leather strap at its end showed no sign of wear or harm. Was this really wood and leather?

While their gazes were fixed on the hammer, neither noticed the complex expression on Gu Zhongyan’s face.

Su Yan and Richard were dumbfounded because a hammer had fallen from the sky.

Gu Zhongyan was stunned because he recognized the hammer—anyone with even a passing familiarity with Marvel would recognize it.

This was Mjolnir, the iconic hammer of Thor, the God of Thunder.

Forged from Uru metal—an Asgardian metal capable of holding vast amounts of magic and energy—within a dying star, its handle crafted from the wood of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, Mjolnir was one of the most powerful artifacts in the Marvel universe.

In "Thor," Thor ignored Odin’s warnings and, under Loki’s instigation, led the Warriors Three and Sif to attack Jotunheim, home of the Frost Giants, nearly losing his life in the process.

Fortunately, Odin arrived just in time to save them. But as punishment, Odin stripped Thor of his powers and exiled him to Midgard—Earth.

Along with Thor, Mjolnir was also cast down to Earth.

Before exiling Mjolnir, Odin had cursed it: “Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” Meaning only those deemed worthy could lift it.

After Thor was killed by Loki’s Destroyer robot, Mjolnir acknowledged him and resurrected him, restoring Thor’s godly powers.

Clearly, this so-called punishment was merely a trial Odin devised for his son.

However, this trial brought considerable trouble. Not to mention the speculation the hammer’s sudden appearance from the sky caused within S.H.I.E.L.D., the ensuing battle between the Destroyer and Thor nearly leveled a small town—classic godly warfare with innocent casualties caught in the crossfire.