Those time travelers that year

Recently, New Mexico has been anything but peaceful. Of course, this unrest isn't due to some small, monstrous creatures causing a demolition, nor is it because some supervillain is trying to boost his reputation. Neither of those things are likely to come here; they're more likely to go to New York.

The unrest stems from the recent appearance of an aurora borealis in this desert region at night. Experts described it as a very rare 'natural phenomenon,' but most locals dismissed it as nonsense. Similarly, shortly after the brief aurora display, suddenly… oops! It was a meteorite that struck—a fiery meteor streaked across the dark sky after the aurora dissipated, crashing into a desert landscape. You see, with meteorites, even a small fragment can fetch a satisfying price from both nouveau riche and space agencies.

So early the next morning, a large group of cowboys with nothing better to do hurriedly set off on their motorcycles and off-road vehicles towards the spot where the meteorite had fallen the previous night. Of course, along the way, they encountered people they didn't get along with, and the cowboys would overtake each other, turning what should have been a treasure hunt into an off-road rally.

However, before the cowboys arrived, an uninvited guest had already reached the site of yesterday's strange occurrence. Braving the blazing sun, he ventured into the desert ahead of the cowboys. This visitor's attire was also peculiar; under the scorching sun, he was wearing a black trench coat, seemingly unconcerned about the heat. In fact, anyone who approached this uninvited guest would be surprised to find that the heat around him seemed to vanish, with the overall temperature remaining a comfortable 21-24°C.

The one who arrived here was, of course, Ciel, an outsider to the Marvel universe. In fact, after sensing the power that tore through endless spatial dimensions and traversed light-years of space to reach Earth last night, Ciel immediately used Apparition to travel to New Mexico. With his extrasensory perception, Ciel accurately located the place on Earth that he estimated was caused by the energy fluctuations generated when the Rainbow Bridge opened last night.

Now, looking at the series of messy tire tracks on the sand, these tire tracks, some bright and some dark, crisscrossing the gravelly land, tell Shire that last night, when the Rainbow Bridge opened, there were some people on this part of Earth.

Following the tire tracks for a while, Charles unsurprisingly discovered a huge circular pattern on the ground. To an ordinary person, these patterns appeared orderly but were actually somewhat chaotic. However, to Charles, this pattern was actually a strange magical rune. Its function was for location, and even with his extrasensory perception, the spatial folds within the area of ​​this pattern were slightly different from other places, suggesting that this space had once highly overlapped with the space of another place.

Unfortunately, although he could tell what the pattern was for, Ciel couldn't copy it at all, nor could he understand the magic runes on it. He could only vaguely make out that it resembled runes. Of course, the runes Ciel knew came from the magician Ken, who lived in the Type-Moon world, so the two should be different.

However, the focus is not on this pattern.

One after another, black wolves emerged from the shadows spreading out from beneath Charles's feet, and dozens of black wolves suddenly formed a huge pack around Charles.

"Go! Find it..."

As soon as the Shire gave the order, the entire wolf pack scattered in all directions. If I remember correctly, along with Thor, who fell into Middle-earth last night, his artifact, the sword crafted by the dwarves of Watt Alheim using the core of a dead star and through profound magical knowledge, was also among the artifacts that fell to earth last night.

A divine weapon forged from the core of a star intrigued Sharl. After all, disregarding everything else, the sheer weight of this warhammer's material could crush the Earth. How was this possible? How could a star's core be transformed into such a powerful weapon? How were all that weight and mass, that immense gravity strong enough to tear the Earth apart, and that star's energy compressed into a warhammer? Or rather, where did all that go?

This is a genuine divine artifact, unlike the divine and demonic artifacts in The Elder Scrolls, which are mostly passed down by holy spirits and demons to intervene in the human world. This is the weapon used by the Asgardian god of thunder. It is a divine artifact used for combat, not for status or any other purpose. Even the two scriptures among gods and demons that can reverse life and death are far inferior to Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor.

Soon, the scattered black wolves discovered the target's location. After obtaining the exact location, Charles quickly arrived at the target's location. When Charles stood on a hill and looked down, he saw a short-handled warhammer, about thirty meters deep, resting quietly on a rock in the middle of a large crater.

172. Mjolnir

"Well done!" He clapped his hands, and the black wolf lying at Charles's feet instantly turned into a shadow and merged into his shadow. At the same time, a series of black shadows flew rapidly from the surrounding desert and eventually disappeared into Charles's shadow. After he had retrieved all the black wolves, Charles stamped the sand under his feet and then slid down the dune.

In the center of the crater, where the one-handed warhammer rested, was a rock. Looking at this Mjolnir embedded in the rock, Ciel had a sense of déjà vu, like watching King Saber pull the sword from the stone. Similarly, without acceptance, one cannot lift Mjolnir—a story that perfectly echoed the legend of the sword in the stone. Ciel hadn't thought much of it when watching the movie before, but now he desperately wanted to criticize the screenwriter's laziness.

Mjolnir, Thor's hammer, looks like an ordinary wooden-handled one-handed hammer. However, the Sharl has no idea that Mjolnir's handle is just ordinary wood. If he's not mistaken, it's most likely a branch of the World Tree, Yggdrasil, just like Odin's Gungnir. The hammer is covered with mysterious and intricate patterns that look like decorations. But in the Sharl's eyes, these are not decorations; instead, they exude a sacred feeling, making one want to worship.

"This must be one of the magic runes!" Looking at the hammer, which contained enough energy to shatter him in his extrasensory perception, Charles couldn't help but exclaim, "However, this probably surpasses most levels of magic. It's a divine artifact created from a star. In other words, the magic runes on it should be called divine runes!" After seeing this hammer, Charles realized that this was probably not just a simple movie world. The Thor storyline should be closer to the comic book setting. The hammer's owner, Thor, who wields Mjolnir, might not be able to unleash the hammer's full power.

Even so, as long as he can unleash a portion of his power, Thor could be considered a pseudo-god. Of course, this pseudo-god level is based on Ciel's own assessment. In Ciel's mind, a fully realized god-level being should be equivalent to the Time Dragon God in The Elder Scrolls, essentially a representative of some kind of rule. The two Counter Forces in Type-Moon that tricked him should also be at a similar level, or perhaps even god-level beings in some sense. However, lacking certain comparisons, Ciel isn't entirely certain.

That said, while Thor, in the world Ciel currently inhabits, might not be a fully-fledged god-like being, it's undeniable that Mjolnir, which Ciel considers incredibly powerful, would be a true god-like being if it could unleash its full power. Thor can't unleash it, but Odin, the All Gods who easily stripped Thor of his divine power and sealed Mjolnir, is likely a true god-like being, on par with Akatosh. Even if, due to the world's rules, Odin might not be able to detect Ciel's transmigration as easily as Akatosh and the two restraining forces, Ciel still feels uneasy.

However, if Charles intends to go further, it will likely take him a long time to find the path to godhood without getting involved. Fortune favors the bold, and in a world with so many god-like figures, it's easier to find a way to advance further. Otherwise, in other worlds, it wouldn't be so easy.

At least Charles didn't know of any other way to easily become a god. If he wanted to pursue the path of faith and godhood, that would be fine; he could find a world where gods were worshipped… or he could simply go to the universe within the Toril universe. With his abilities, even if he didn't become a god of faith, he could still fall into the trap of becoming a demon lord or a devil duke. He could even directly kill a weak or low-level god and seize their divine office and divine status.

Unfortunately, while becoming a worshipped deity brings convenience, the drawbacks are enough to ruin one's life. Charles isn't foolish enough to bind himself to a single world.

Stepping forward, Ciel bent down and reached for the handle of Mjolnir. After a moment's hesitation, looking at this divine weapon whose power had been sealed by Odin—which in reality still provided Thor with a backdoor—Cial still grasped the handle. With a squeeze, he gripped Mjolnir, and a flow of light, like a circuit board, appeared on the back of Ciel's bare hand.

The force that could negate the Iron Monger's tens of tons of power, just as Ciel had predicted, was utterly incapable of shaking Mjolnir in the slightest. It was as if this hammer was connected to the earth itself.

"Just as I expected!" Although he already knew this would happen, Charles couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. After all, it would be a lie to say he didn't have some ideas about something that could instantly grant one such power. He clapped his hands and straightened up. Anyway, this was all part of his plan. This charade of Thor being banished to Earth was just Odin's test of his two sons. In Charles's mind, Odin, a truly divine being, wouldn't leave any room for error.

"I remember Oldbridge City is around here!" After taking one last look at Thor's hammer left in the crater, Ciel turned and left without hesitation. Soon, the cowboys who had set off early and were about to arrive would turn the place into a wild party, until they attracted the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Let me see how the Armor of Destruction, which existed in the comics to fight the Celestials, differs from the one in reality!"

……

Coulson felt incredibly unlucky lately. His vacation was over, he had no overtime pay, and he had to pay out of his own pocket to gather intelligence. He'd also had an exorbitantly expensive meal with a mobile nuclear weapon, which his boss wouldn't reimburse. His worldview had been shattered by so-called magic and wizards, and now, because of Old Bridge, a small town in New Mexico with a population of only 2175 but an elevation of 6056 meters, he'd travel all that way to eat sand and dust.

While buying something at a convenience store, I ran into two idiot thieves trying to rob me. What could you possibly rob at a convenience store?! What's even more baffling is that you were carrying a gun and didn't even try to cover your face. Did you really think there weren't security cameras in the store?! Installing security cameras in convenience stores isn't illegal!

After dealing with those two idiots, Coulson drove his own car to the scene of the incident overnight and began organizing his agents to deal with the cowboys who were not so willing to cooperate.

Those cowboys treated the scene like a picnic, with several cars crowding around it. It seems like all the bored guys from Old Bridge City who had nothing better to do came here.

However, one good thing about the United States is that the vast majority of ordinary people know that the government's iron fist is not so easy to withstand, especially after the FBI was brought in and a few drunk and uncooperative guys were beaten up. Everything went smoothly after that.

As for whether those who were beaten will, after waking up, sue the government for using excessive force like idle reporters, that's none of his business. In the end, it'll just be the FBI taking the blame; isn't that their job?

Anyway, some people will say I'm padding the story! Haha, if I don't bring out the plot this way, people will complain; if I do bring it out, people will complain again. I really don't know if I'm writing the book or if those trolls are writing it. Sigh, if I slowly build up the plot to save up chapters, I'll be accused of padding. Fine, the author knows that his writing is terrible!

But then another troll appeared, launching into a tirade against the entire book, nitpicking and saying I shouldn't have done this or that! In the end, the author got so angry that he deleted the review to get some peace and quiet. If you don't want to read it, you don't have to. Why the trolling? Is this to show off your superiority or to act like you're better than everyone else? Or is it just to criticize my son?!

The author simply doesn't understand. Don't those nitpickers know how difficult writing is? If the plot isn't clearly explained, there's no way to continue! If you're not editing, it's just endless killing spree—this isn't a Hong Kong comic...

Anyway, this complaint will probably just attract more criticism from trolls...

I should have stopped a reader from recommending it on Longkong. Ever since then, there have been a lot of trolls with very aggressive tones!

I'm so tired!!!

173. Thor (Part 1)

The dispersal of the studio went smoothly. Faced with the helicopter, the special forces descending from it, and a dozen or so machine guns, the New Mexico cowboys wisely raised their hands and stepped aside. Once all the troublemakers were gone, Coulson began setting up a temporary experimental base. If he could take that damn hammer with him, things would probably be much less troublesome!

"Looks like you're having a hard time!" Just as Coulson was watching the camp being built bit by bit using building materials that had been airlifted in, a sudden voice rang out beside him.

“YES…” Coulson instinctively replied, then immediately realized something was wrong and quickly turned his head away. The agents around him immediately raised their weapons, aiming at the uninvited guest who had somehow appeared beside Coulson. “It’s you?! Okay! Guys, put your weapons down…” He ordered the agents to lower their weapons; after all, those things were just toys to the newcomer.

“Alright, Mr. Charles Gretel, may I assume that this matter is related to you?”

“No!” Tilting his head, Charles looked at Coulson with his dark golden eyes and said sincerely, “In fact, although I was the first to see it, I was also very surprised. After all, I did not expect to see its existence in Midgard, which is on this side of Earth.”

"Is this thing special?" Coulson asked.

"It's quite special; you could say it's an extremely powerful weapon, provided you can use it."

"How powerful is it?"

“If we unleash its full power, it could wipe out the entire Americas in a flash,” Charles said with ill intent. “In fact, if used properly, it could probably trigger the extinction of the dinosaurs.”

"...This looks dangerous!" Coulson paused, then looked at the hammer. "You mean you're the first one to see it? Then, do you know how to use this thing? Or rather, do you know who made it, and who it belongs to!"

“I don’t understand. In fact, this thing doesn’t acknowledge me. Those who aren’t acknowledged by it can’t even lift it, let alone use it,” Charles replied harshly. “But I know who owns it, and I know where it came from…you might even know, mortal!”

Coulson narrowed his eyes and asked curiously, "Where...is he from?"

"Its name, according to your Midgard translation, is Mjolnir. It's quite famous on Earth. Just search for this name online, and you'll find that reality is just that kind of nonsense," Sharl said. "As for where it belongs and who made it... it was forged by the most outstanding craftsmen of Wat Ahlheim, used in Asgard, and wielded by a powerful warrior. Lightning and gales accompanied this warrior on his campaigns. Similarly, the once rampant Vikings held this weapon in the highest esteem."

“Vikings!” Coulson was stunned. He didn’t understand what this thing had to do with the Vikings who had already faded into the dustbin of history.

"Of course, just search online for those names I mentioned!"

Still somewhat skeptical, Coulson, seeing Charles's certain expression, subtly gestured to one of the agents standing nearby to go and look. The agent quickly returned, his expression extremely strange. Coulson, seeing this, went over, and the two whispered amongst themselves for a while. Even Coulson's expression became strange afterward.

"Hammer, Asgard, Midgard, Watt Alheim... OMG!" Coulson suddenly felt his worldview crumbling. Although his worldview had already been shattered once before, what was happening now was utterly absurd. "Nine Realms, Nine Kingdoms... I see. No wonder you always called Earth Midgard. Is that why, Mr. Ciel Gretel?"

“Hehe…” Charles laughed. “How could mortals living on Midgard possibly know whether myths are true or false? Of course, the appearance of truth is always unacceptable to people… even to the point of madness.”

"So, the so-called gods in mythology are actually all aliens like you?" Coulson looked at Sharl with a serious expression. "Then why would this hammer, which only exists in Norse mythology, land on Earth?"

“Then you’ll have to ask its owner!” Charles pointed to Thor’s hammer, which was embedded in the rock. “The weapon is right here, so, as its user and master…”

"Thor, the Norse god of thunder..." Coulson took a deep breath and said, "He's here too!" When mythology becomes reality, when a god who should have lived in legends and epics descends, proving that mythology is not just a fabricated story, but a real fact, then where should humanity go from here?!

Even as a seasoned S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, who had seen countless things on Earth that defied scientific explanation, Coulson still found the world utterly insane when a myth became reality. Advanced technology could at least be categorized as 'technology,' but mythology? Not to mention, it seemed a living, breathing deity had indeed descended upon this world.

This is as absurd as Jesus descending from heaven to drop by your house and freeload a meal while you're eating. This isn't some ridiculous empire where God descends to earth to drop by your neighbor's house and casually grab a lunch.

——————————Divider Line——————————

What's more dangerous than aliens? It's when an alien god happens to be right next to you. After reporting to his superiors, Coulson quickly received a second wave of reinforcements. The team of research experts originally scheduled to come to analyze and study that troublesome hammer was reduced by half, replaced by a heavily armed reinforcement force. It's said that transport planes will also be used to bring over several tanks and armored vehicles later.

It seems that although the dark-skinned Wu Ke didn't quite believe Xia Er's words, he was becoming more cautious. However, in Xia Er's opinion, having a few more tanks and armored vehicles was of no use; it would just create more targets.

Meanwhile, after reinforcements arrived, Coulson dispersed his agents to search for the 'Norse Thor' who might have already arrived on Earth. Initially, Coulson wasn't optimistic; after all, he was a 'god,' and while weapons had fallen there, it was unlikely that a group of ordinary agents could find a 'god.' Conversely, the only agent on his team who could find this 'Norse Thor' on Earth, Charles, seemed completely unconcerned. All he did was pull over the power storage device of the electronic equipment they had transported, connect a cable, and… openly begin playing with EVE Online via their satellite signal.

Agent Patton, codenamed Hawkeye, had already complained to Coulson about this, but after some thought, Coulson felt that this time they might encounter even bigger trouble, so he acquiesced to Sharl's approach. After all, if a conflict were to arise with the 'Norse Thor,' having a mobile nuclear weapon by his side would provide a greater sense of security. A 'wizard' and a 'god' would likely exchange ideas, even if it was amidst the chaos of war.

Double update today!!!

174. Thor (middle)

This world is always full of unexpected situations. It's like how two 1.2-meter-tall lolis can suddenly pull out cannons from their personal space that are much larger than themselves, and at the same time, they can unleash a helium flash wave called 'Loli Lion's Roar,' which is unstoppable and even Ultraman would kneel down in its presence. But they just can't grow taller, not even by a millimeter.

Unexpected events happen every year, but this year there seem to be more than usual.

This is Coulson's current feeling. Originally, he only sent his men out as a precaution to search for the possible existence of the 'Norse Thor'. To be honest, neither he nor Agent Barton believed that these ordinary agents could actually find him. Although even the worst-performing agent in S.H.I.E.L.D. would be a top-tier member in the CIA or FBI, that doesn't mean that a group of mortal humans could actually find a 'god'.

However, the agents soon brought back good news. They had indeed found the suspected target at the hospital in Old Bridge. Reportedly, it was a large, blond man, very strong, but seemingly under the influence of drugs. When he arrived, he was disoriented and even attacked medical staff, repeatedly shouting things like Odin, hammers, and so on. He was eventually diagnosed as a severely mentally ill drug addict. Due to the severity of the situation, local police had launched an investigation, suspecting possible involvement with Mexican drug traffickers. However, things took an unexpected turn: the suspected mentally ill man managed to break free of his restraints and escape from the hospital, disappearing without a trace.

"Your men are quite capable!" While Coulson was still in a daze, Sharl glanced at him and said, "Although it seems that he has run into some trouble, it's still quite something that the mighty Thor of Asgard is now living such a miserable life!"

"Do you know where that 'Thor' is?" Coulson looked up at Shire in surprise.

“Many hands make light work! If you can send people out to search, why can’t I?” Charles rolled his eyes and said.

"Your people? I didn't see them!?"

"Are you an idiot?" Charles stared at Coulson with deadpan eyes, waving his hand. With a harsh, cawing cry, a black raven appeared out of nowhere, fluttering down to Charles's side and landing on his outstretched left arm. "I'm a 'wizard'! Although it's true that you need a human to find someone, sometimes animals are much more reliable than humans!"

"Uh! I forgot you're a 'wizard'..." Coulson recalled. What could be related to 'mythology' but a 'wizard'? So, if they wanted to find a 'god' who had come to earth, relying on a 'wizard' was probably more reliable. "...Mr. Gretel, you've already found the trail of that 'Norse Thor,' haven't you?"

“Found him!” Charles nodded. “But he doesn’t look well. Something interesting must have happened.”

"What's wrong?" Coulson frowned.

“He has lost all his power and become weak and fragile!” Shire said. “He is no longer Thor, the God of Thunder of Asgard, but just a strong mortal.”

"...I don't quite understand?"

"His power has been sealed, he's lost his weapon, he's lost his divine power!" Charles said leisurely. "He's now at most at the level of Hawkeye Barton, no longer a 'god' with extraordinary power. A single bullet can take his life, like this... Bang!!!"

"So, this 'Norse Thor' is now just an ordinary person?" Coulson's eyes narrowed.

“If you’re planning to take him down right now, then save your breath!” Looking at Coulson’s expression, Charles immediately guessed what he was thinking. Although Coulson was one of the few principled guys in S.H.I.E.L.D., he was still just an agent. “Don’t forget, I said Thor’s divine power was sealed, and he was reduced to a mortal…”

"So, in Asgard, among the Norse gods, who has the ability and the right to banish the mighty Thor to the mortal realm?"

"Alright! Looks like there's a big problem here!" Coulson said helplessly. "It feels like Earth is a public toilet, anyone can come in!"

“Hey! Pretty much! For civilizations capable of traversing the stars, arriving on Earth is indeed a piece of cake as long as they have coordinates. Even without coordinates, arriving here by accident is the same! Just like me!” Charles shook his arm, causing the raven perched on his arm to flap its wings and fly into the sky. Then, looking at the sunset on the horizon, he said to Coulson, “You don’t need to worry too much. I should be able to handle Thor. However, don’t expect me to go toe-to-toe with Thor. I don’t think I’m a match for Odin, the king of Asgard.”

"Do you think that Thor would come here?" Coulson asked, seizing on Sharl's lead.

"If you originally possessed unparalleled power, but lost it, what would you do?" Charles countered.

"Um... I'll probably... try to find it back?" Coulson paused before answering.

"So! Thor's weapon is here. What do you think is the most reassuring thing when you've lost your powers and are stranded in a place where you know no one?"