Chapter 122: Thor's Awkward Predicament

However, the scene Thor anticipated—his hammer flying into his hand—did not occur. An awkward silence hung over the entire site. Nick Fury cast a skeptical look at Gu Zhongyan once more, as if to ask: "Is this big oaf really the mighty God of Thunder you spoke of?"

Gu Zhongyan smiled slightly, his expression remaining perfectly calm. Thor was indeed the God of Thunder, but in his current state, he had not been found worthy by Mjolnir, so naturally, he could not summon it.

A flash of embarrassment crossed Thor’s heroic face, but he quickly steeled himself, his gaze locked intently on the hammer at the bottom of the crater. His expression grew grave, his eyes seeming to spark with flashes of brilliant lightning. The sturdy muscles in his right arm tensed completely, and he reached out forcefully, grasping at the air.

"Mjolnir!"

Despite his loud shout, the hammer remained unmoved. The once-imposing cry now sounded painfully melodramatic under the circumstances. The already awkward atmosphere grew even more strained; even someone as thick-skinned as Thor felt like he could have dug a hole in the ground with his toes out of sheer mortification.

With a slight twitch of his lips, Thor simply jumped into the crater, marched straight up to the hammer, grabbed the handle, and tugged with all his might.

It was still useless.

Seeing this, Nick Fury couldn't help but interject, "Perhaps we should call it a day and try again next—"

Before he could finish, however, a look of extreme panic appeared on Thor’s face. Although he had been stripped of his divine power and banished to Earth, in his heart, he was still Thor, the God of Thunder. He believed this was merely a punishment from Odin for a minor transgression. He reasoned that once he retrieved Mjolnir, he would regain his power, return to Asgard, and everything would be resolved.

But after failing to summon the hammer repeatedly, and now finding himself unable to lift it, Thor finally realized that Odin’s punishment might not be a simple lesson after all. If he could never lift Mjolnir again, did that mean he would remain a mortal forever, never to return to Asgard?

At this thought, Thor’s heart began to pound violently, and an indescribable panic engulfed him.

"Impossible, this is impossible! I must be able to lift it. I must!"

Thor gripped the handle with both hands, pulling upward with all his might. Every feature of his face and every muscle in his body strained with desperate effort as a guttural roar erupted from his throat.

"Get up!"

Amidst his strained, cracking roar, every inch of muscle on Thor’s body tightened to the limit. Thick veins bulged on his powerful arms like tree roots, pulsing with raw, explosive strength.

Yet, it was still useless. Mjolnir remained as immovable as if it were rooted to the earth.

*Thud!*

Having exhausted all his strength without success, Thor lost his balance due to the intensity of his effort. He tumbled backward, landing head-first with a dull thud that made the surrounding agents wince in sympathy. But Thor seemed not to feel it. He scrambled up immediately, his eyes bloodshot, and lunged at the hammer again.

"Impossible, this is impossible! I am the God of Thunder! I am the God of Thunder! I must be able to lift it, I must!"

He tried again and again, but the hammer showed not the slightest sign of yielding. Finally, after yet another bout of exhaustion, Thor collapsed in the bottom of the crater. His white T-shirt was ruined by mud, and his once-flowing golden hair was now matted with dirt like tangled weeds.

Thor finally gave up. He stood, looked up at the sky, and shouted with all his remaining strength:

"Heimdall! I know you can see me! Send me back! I must see my father! Heimdall!"

The other agents instinctively looked toward the sky, but they saw only the clear, cloudless blue of the New Mexico sky. Nick Fury, however, turned his gaze toward Gu Zhongyan, his eyes filled with silent inquiry.

Gu Zhongyan explained, "Heimdall is the guardian of the Bifrost. He can open the bridge to transport people anywhere within the Nine Realms. His eyes are always watching over the changes in the realms; he is King Odin’s most capable aide."

Hearing this, Nick Fury’s eyes flickered, as if considering something. However, Thor’s cries were destined to be in vain; under the clear sky, nothing happened at all.

Yet, it wasn't only Nick Fury who heard Gu Zhongyan’s explanation. Thor, belatedly recalling Gu Zhongyan’s identity, rushed over to him. He gripped Gu Zhongyan’s shoulders with his large, calloused hands and looked at him with desperate intensity.

"I remember! You said you were a mage of Midgard, right? I have heard my father speak of a group of powerful mages on Midgard who are skilled in the arts of spatial transportation."

"Help me! Help me return to Asgard! Please, I beg you, help me."

Faced with Thor, who was clinging to him like a drowning man to a straw, Gu Zhongyan gently pulled away and shook his head.

"I apologize, but you are likely thinking of the mages of Kamar-Taj. While I have had dealings with them, I am not one of them, nor can I use their portals."

"Furthermore, even for a mage of Kamar-Taj, one would need to know the exact location of Asgard to send you there. I do not believe many mages possess that knowledge. I am sorry."

Upon hearing this, Thor seemed like a balloon losing all its air. The light in his eyes vanished instantly, and he slumped to the ground, an aura of utter despair radiating from him.

At this moment, Nick Fury walked over and whispered, "Kamar-Taj?"

Understanding what Nick Fury was implying, Gu Zhongyan shook his head. "That would be an extra fee. You know the rules if you want to know more."

Nick Fury’s face darkened, and he shot him a fierce glare. "You’ve already profited so much, how can you still be so mercenary?"

Gu Zhongyan shrugged, his resolve not wavering in the slightest despite the dark look. He turned back to the despairing Thor.

"Thor, are you alright?"

"I can't go back. I can't go back. I am no longer the God of Thunder. Never again," Thor said, staring at Mjolnir in despair. The weapon that had once been so familiar now felt like a complete stranger.

"What exactly happened? Could you tell me?" Gu Zhongyan asked, feigning ignorance. Although he knew the entire story from the plot, if he acted as though he knew everything, it wouldn't just be the "eye-patched one" who took notice—even Odin might wake from his slumber to investigate.