Chapter 610: Chapter 609: Loki
Charles sat on the left side of the dining table, while Thena sat across from him. The table was laden with a variety of dishes.
Gilgamesh approached with an apple pie in his hands, placing it on the table.
"The final dish, done."
Charles smiled and said, "Thank you for the hospitality."
Gilgamesh picked up an old-style jug from a nearby table and explained, "This is a mix of wine, beer, and mead, specially brewed for the soldiers of the Trojan War."
Charles examined the ancient-looking jug and nodded, "It looks quite good."
After setting down the jug, Gilgamesh retrieved another drink and placed it in front of Charles. "This is a special brew taught to me by Odin, to thank us for defeating Laufey's army in Tønsberg."
Listening to Gilgamesh's introduction, Charles poured himself a cup and tasted it.
"Indeed, this is Asgardian mead. I've had it at Odin's place before."
"I'm surprised you can brew it. It's very good."
"But there's some news you probably don't know."
Gilgamesh, curious, asked, "What news?"
"Laufey is dead. You'd never guess who killed him."
As Thena enjoyed her food, she mostly focused on Charles, listening to their conversation.
Gilgamesh pondered for a moment and then, uncertain, asked, "Could it be you?"
Charles shook his finger. "No, no, no!"
"Was it Thor, then?"
Charles shook his finger again. "Nope, keep guessing."
"Was it Odin? But that wouldn't make sense. He signed the peace treaty. If he wanted to kill Laufey, he would have done it after winning the war, not just taken the Casket of Ancient Winters."
Charles smiled, "Think harder."
"I can't figure it out. Just tell me."
Seeing that Gilgamesh was genuinely stumped, Charles slowly revealed, "Loki."
"What? Loki?"
"How could Loki kill Laufey? That's impossible."
Charles shrugged, spreading his hands. "But that's the truth. Loki personally killed Laufey."
Gilgamesh muttered to himself, "I still can't believe it. I can't understand how Loki managed to kill Laufey."
Seeing Gilgamesh deep in thought, Charles didn't reveal any more details and instead turned to Thena.
"Thena, which dish do you think I should start with?"
Thena pointed to one dish, "You can start with this one, and then move on to this one. These few are lighter and won't overwhelm your taste buds."
"Then you can try these others. Gilgamesh's cooking is really excellent."
"Alright."
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Elsewhere-
In the vastness of space, Thanos gazed at a man kneeling on one knee before him and spoke coolly:
"Son of Odin."
"If you want Earth, I can assist you. But I have one condition: the cosmic cube of Earth…"
"You must bring it to me."
Loki, staring at Thanos seated on the throne, also laid out his demand: "I need an army to conquer Earth."
Thanos snapped his fingers, and the Chitauri leader emerged from the shadows.
"The Chitauri army will assist you, ensuring the success of your invasion of Earth."
Loki, somewhat familiar with the interstellar pirate Chitauri army, smiled upon hearing they would assist him.
"With the Chitauri army's help, I foresee no issues in subjugating Earth, but I must have control over this army."
Thanos looked down at Loki, remaining silent for a few seconds before speaking: "As long as you bring me the Tesseract, the army will be under your complete command."
The Chitauri leader did not object to Thanos handing over command to Loki, standing respectfully to the side.
Unlike the uninformed Loki, Thanos knew Earth was no simple target. He then waved his hand, and a scepter embedded with the Mind Stone appeared.
"To better equip you for conquering Earth and winning this war, I will grant you ancient knowledge and this scepter."
"Once you have mastered these, begin your mission."
"Yes!"
As Loki departed, Thanos gazed into the depths of space. Beyond the Mind Stone in his possession, he was aware that both the Space Stone and Time Stone were on Earth, while the Reality Stone was linked to Asgard.
The whereabouts of the Power Stone and Soul Stone remained uncertain.
Thanos stared in the direction of Earth, muttering to himself: "The time is not yet right. Let Loki test Earth's defenses first."
"As long as Odin and the Ancient One are alive, that place remains one of the few forbidden zones in the universe."
"Given Asgardians' lifespan, Odin should not have long left. "
"I am still young. I have time to wait. Eventually, time will claim them..."
··
"Charles, you mentioned earlier that you are not an Eternal. Can you tell us about your origins?"
"With such powerful abilities, you must not be an ordinary person."
Charles waved his hand, and the Staff of Merlin appeared in his grasp.
"I am a ninja, and the Supreme Merlin, master of magic."
Hearing Charles's introduction, Gilgamesh was momentarily stunned. He had never heard of Ninja and was unfamiliar with them, but he knew the legend of Merlin.
"Heavens, you have inherited everything from Merlin and become the Supreme Merlin. No wonder you are so powerful."
"We always thought Merlin ventured into the stars, but it turns out he left a legacy on Earth."
Charles smiled and then turned to Gilgamesh: "Thena is awake now. How about a sparring match later?"
"I still have many powerful abilities I haven't used."
Charles was curious to see which of his ultimate ninja techniques could penetrate their defenses.
Hearing the proposal for a fight, Gilgamesh thought for a moment and agreed.
"I can spar with you, but remember, no serious injuries."
"Thena and I don't have the ability to heal others."
Charles extended his hand, revealing the green glow of the Palm Sage Jutsu.
"I have the ability to heal. Even if you get hurt, I can heal you quickly."
Seeing the green energy in Charles's hand, Gilgamesh shook his head and said, "Actually, I'm worried about you. If you get injured, how will you be healed?"
Charles sighed, a bit exasperated but still responding, "I'm not as fragile as you think."
Seeing Charles's determination, Gilgamesh relented. "Alright then! When do we start?"
Charles smiled, "Let's start now. It's good to have some exercise after a meal."
Thena then spoke up, "In that case, I'll be your referee."
The three of them quickly left the place and headed to a barren area in the distance.
Standing between the two, Thena announced, "I'll throw this scarf into the air. When it hits the ground, that's when your sparring begins."
"Got it!"
Thena took out a white scarf from her pocket and, with both men watching intently, tossed it high into the air.
As the scarf floated down, Charles bent his right leg, cracking the ground beneath him as he launched forward like a gust of wind, creating a sonic boom.
Gilgamesh, however, did not charge at Charles. Instead, he raised his right arm, conjuring a golden gauntlet with his divine power.
He thought to himself, "I'll use just ten percent of my strength for this punch. He should be able to handle it."
In the blink of an eye, Charles was in front of Gilgamesh. Raising his right fist, visible deep blue chakra surrounded it.
"Chakra Enhanced Strength!"
Seeing Charles's punch coming, Gilgamesh countered with his own punch. Their fists collided, generating a massive shockwave.
"Boom!"
With a loud crash, Gilgamesh was launched like a missile by Charles's punch, flying a considerable distance before smashing into a small mountain, leaving a human-shaped crater.
It was clear Gilgamesh had underestimated Charles. He thought ten percent of his strength would be enough, not expecting Charles's punch to be so powerful.
As the dust settled, Gilgamesh emerged from the mountain, brushing off the dirt from his clothes.
At the moment their fists clashed, Gilgamesh realized his mistake, but it was too late to adjust his strength, resulting in him being sent flying.
"It seems I underestimated you. Your strength is not that of a typical mage."
Charles used the Body Flicker Technique to appear in front of Gilgamesh, saying, "Since this is a sparring match, show me your true power. That last punch didn't live up to the name of Gilgamesh."
With arms crossed, Gilgamesh replied, "In that case, I won't hold back."
Charles and Gilgamesh engaged in a fierce battle, their punches connecting with powerful force, each blow resounding through the barren land.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Whenever their fists clashed, it would produce intense booms and powerful shockwaves.
Under their battle, the rocks around the mountain were all reduced to rubble by the shockwaves.
Gilgamesh laughed, "Haha, exciting!"
At this point, Charles had already used all his strength, each punch and kick capable of splitting mountains and rocks.
Thena, on the side, watched Charles's battle, feeling the urge to join in herself.
These years of suffering from the disease had kept her from fighting while awake. Watching their sparring made her eager to join the fray.
After Charles using all his strength, Gilgamesh was still holding up without any issue.
Charles frowned slightly. Could it be that this guy hasn't used his full power yet?
Seeing this, Charles decided to abandon Chakra Enhanced Strength and prepare to use another move. He clenched his fists and shouted:
"Eight Gates - First Gate: Open!"
As the first gate opened, chakra around Charles's body materialized into tangible energy swirling around him.
"Eight Gates - Second Gate: Open!"
"Eight Gates - Third Gate: Open!"
Opening three gates in succession, veins bulged on Charles's forehead, and a large amount of chakra surged from his body, creating a green chakra vortex around him. Strong gusts of wind appeared around, shattering rocks on the mountainside instantly.
Seeing this, Gilgamesh's expression became more serious. Originally intending to use sixty percent of his strength, he now raised it to seventy percent.
However, Charles wasn't done yet. He continued to open the other gates.
"Eight Gates - Fourth Gate: Open!"
"Eight Gates - Fifth Gate: Open!"
"Eight Gates - Sixth Gate: Open!"
At this point, Charles's face turned crimson, veins bulging on his forehead, surrounded by green chakra steam like a ferocious beast.
"Dynamic Prelude!"
Charles unleashed a shockwave of force and launched a powerful flying kick towards Gilgamesh, sending him flying.
"Leaf Strong Whirlwind!"
After kicking Gilgamesh, Charles didn't stop, launching a three-stage attack with Leaf Strong Whirlwind.
Charles's terrifying strength overwhelmed Gilgamesh's expectations, and suddenly he found himself being overwhelmed by Charles's relentless assault.
However, after four consecutive attacks, Charles realized that Gilgamesh, although battered, hadn't suffered any substantial damage. Not holding back anymore, he roared:
"Peacock's Opening!"
A green chakra shockwave sent Gilgamesh flying, while Charles leaped into the air, rapidly swinging his fists. Flames erupted from the friction, carrying the force of missiles raining down on Gilgamesh, leaving him no breathing room.
The flames scattered from the punches painted the sky red like a brilliant sunrise, shining as bright as peacock feathers.
Thena, watching from the side, murmured, "Such beautiful fist techniques."
At this point, Gilgamesh was sent flying underground by Charles's attack, creating a massive crater on the surface. The flames scattered around upon impact, resembling meteorites falling.
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