CHAPTER 61: CHAPTER 061: HELA BREAKS FREE! WANDA RECEIVES THE TWELVE TALISMANS!

Above the waters off Norway, the sea had been silent for thousands of years. No waves, no wind—only a deathly stillness.

But today, after the battle between Lorien and The Ancient One, a surge of overwhelming energy rippled across the entire planet.

It was as if Earth’s magnetic field and the energy in the upper atmosphere had been kicked hard.

"Crack~"

In that instant, the space above the Norwegian sea let out a faint, splintering sound. From within came a low, almost gleeful laugh.

A moment later, a mass of black energy began violently tearing the fabric of space apart.

"Crack~!"

The rift widened with every passing second, until even the air above began to churn with chaotic currents.

"Crack~!"

"Bang!"

With a thunderous roar, the sky above the waters shattered completely—like a dream breaking apart.

But it wasn’t over.

From the void stepped a woman clad in black leather, emerging slowly from the shadows. Her hair hung in a wild, unkempt mess, and she wore no adornment at all, yet her mature, striking features still carried a sharp, commanding beauty.

And her figure... even Wanda would have a hard time keeping up.

At the moment, Wanda might have the edge, but this woman’s beauty was anything but ordinary.

She was Hela, the Goddess of Death, imprisoned by Odin for millennia.

Which also meant... well, she hadn’t bathed or groomed herself in thousands of years. And honestly, fashion from a few thousand years ago? Better left in the past.

Take her eye makeup, for instance—if Lorien were here, he’d probably wonder why it had to be so dark. In fact, she’d look better if she just washed her face.

Still, such details were meaningless compared to what her release meant.

Turning toward the endless sea, Hela smiled.

"Odin, I know you’re still alive. Wait for me to return."

Closing her eyes, she felt for the energy wave that had freed her. It was the residual shock of that immense power that had fractured Odin’s seal just enough for her to escape.

Without it, she might have been trapped for who knew how many more centuries.

Anyone capable of shattering Odin’s seal had to be unimaginably powerful—at least beyond the Sky Father level.

And if someone of that caliber existed, then they could help her defeat Odin, reclaim Asgard, and kill that old bastard once and for all.

Then she—Hela—would take the throne of Asgard.

The thought drew a slow, dangerous smile to her lips. She could hardly wait to see that moment. For that goal... she was willing to sacrifice everything.

She walked to the shore, letting the remnants of the battle between Lorien and The Ancient One wash over her senses.

Moments later, her eyes snapped open in shock.

"The Phoenix Force!?"

Yes—she knew of it.

Though she had never seen it in person, never touched it or wielded it, she had read of it long ago in ancient records.

It was written clearly:

"The Phoenix Force is the most ancient energy in the universe, existing since its very beginning. Any host who reaches its full potential holds the power to freely decompose, transform, restructure, create, and destroy entire universes."

That single passage had etched itself deeply into her mind. She had stared at the image of the phoenix in that book for a long, long time, lost in thought.

She had imagined what might happen if she herself gained such power—ruling Asgard unchallenged, striking down Odin in an instant, conquering the Nine Realms, and finally, claiming the entire Milky Way for her own.

It had all been fantasy... until now.

Yet here it was—the Phoenix Force itself—and it had indirectly freed her from her prison. Without it, all her lofty declarations just moments ago would have been nothing but empty words.

Raising her hand, Hela’s voice hardened with resolve.

"Find the Phoenix Force!"

"Form an alliance!"

"At all costs!"

Hela let her senses stretch outward, following the trail of that overwhelming power. The source was in Midgard—she could feel it. The exact location would have to wait until she got closer, but her first destination was already decided.

New York.

...

The Nine Realms, Asgard.

As the seal shattered and Hela escaped, Odin, seated upon his throne, suddenly opened his eyes.

"Bang!"

He slammed Gungnir down against the floor, the sound echoing through the hall. A cold gleam flashed in his gaze.

"Hela..."

"Father!"

Thor, hearing the noise, hurried in.

"What’s wrong? What happened?"

At the sight of his son, the sharp light in Odin’s eyes faded, replaced by the weariness of an aging king.

"It’s nothing, my son."

Then, in a tone meant to send him away, Odin said,

"Thor, go with Heimdall and patrol the outer borders. See if there are any signs of intrusion."

Thor blinked in surprise. Odin was actually letting him leave Asgard?

In the past, he’d always had to sneak away to get into a good fight. But this time, his father was giving him permission outright—and that alone was enough to send him bounding away in excitement.

Once Thor was gone, Odin’s gaze hardened again.

"Hmph."

He extended a hand toward Asgard’s treasure vault, his voice low and cold.

"Hela, don’t think hiding in Midgard will save you. I locked you away for thousands of years—I can do it again for tens of thousands more."

Deep within the treasury, behind a wall of flawless crystal, a set of jet-black armor slowly emerged into view.

The next instant, it vanished from its pedestal and streaked away into the distance, hurled by Odin straight toward Midgard.

This was the true Destroyer Armor.

The "Destroyer" Thor had once smashed was nothing more than a replica. The real armor was a divine artifact—one of Asgard’s mightiest weapons, and formidable even below the Sky Father–level.

Watching the Destroyer’s departure, Odin’s lips curved into a confident smile.

Hela had only just broken free. There was no way she had regained anywhere near her full strength.

One Destroyer Armor would be more than enough.

...

At the same time, in Midgard—Earth—Lorien was taking Wanda out to enjoy the sunset.

They first found a beautiful spot and parked the car. Then they walked to the edge of a sea reef, sitting together on the grass as they watched the sun slowly sink toward the horizon.

The warm evening glow painted Wanda’s face, her long hair dancing lightly in the breeze. When the sunlight passed through her hair, the scene looked like something straight out of a movie.

Lorien sat beside her, catching the faint fragrance the wind carried from her. Wanda was beautiful—so beautiful.

It was then that Lorien noticed her hand was bare.

"Right!" he suddenly remembered. There were two Twelve Talisman bracelets, but so far, he had only given one to Gwen. Wanda’s was still with him.

"What’s wrong?" Wanda turned to look at him.

"Close your eyes," Lorien said with a mysterious smile.

Wanda’s face lit up. She closed her eyes happily, her expression full of anticipation.

Lorien took out the Twelve Talisman bracelet, then said softly, "Give me your hand."

Wanda obediently stretched it out. She felt his fingers wrap around hers, and then something cool slipped onto her wrist.

"Take a look, Wanda."

Opening her eyes, Wanda glanced down. Sure enough, a bracelet inlaid with twelve beautiful gems now rested on her wrist.

Her first reaction was delight—but almost immediately, she shook her head.

"Lorien, this is too expensive. These are gemstones."

In her mind, each gem had to be worth a fortune. She didn’t know the exact price, but she knew it had to be astronomical.

Growing up in a small country like Sokovia, she couldn’t bring herself to accept something so valuable. Lorien had already said he wanted to give her a car; now there was this bracelet... Could she even pay him back if she sold herself?

Even now, at his side, Wanda still thought of herself as just an ordinary girl.

Sensing her thoughts, Lorien gently held her hand.

"This is magical equipment. Money means nothing to it. What matters is that it can protect you—and help you."

"Magical equipment?" Wanda repeated, startled.

"Yes." Lorien nodded, then began explaining the bracelet’s abilities to her—from how to bind and unbind it, to the powers of each talisman, starting with the Rat and ending with the Pig.

By the time he finished, Wanda’s mouth was slightly open in awe.

"Then... I can fly?" she asked without thinking, clearly revealing where her first interest lay.

"If you want to fly, use the Rooster Talisman," Lorien told her.

At once, Wanda stood up, eager to try. She focused, activating the talisman—and as expected, her magical talent was exceptional.

In the very next moment, her body began to rise off the ground, lifting higher as she spun joyfully in circles above him.

"I’m really flying!"

Watching her happiness, Lorien called up to her,

"If you use the Rabbit Talisman at the same time, you can even fly at supersonic speed."

"I’ll try it!"

No sooner had she activated the Rabbit Talisman than she shot forward—straight toward the open sea.

"Huh?"

Lorien was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t even done anything yet when—

"Boom!"

Wanda dove headfirst into the sea.

Impressive.

Lorien couldn’t help but laugh, but he still used his energy to lift her out of the water.

"Splash!"

Once he set her down on the shore, he looked at her dripping, pitiful state and almost burst out laughing again.

"You really do have magic, Lorien!" Wanda said in surprise. "No wonder I felt like I liked you the first time we met!"

Seeing her looking happy instead of upset, Lorien stepped closer, brushing her messy hair aside and smoothing it down.

"Want me to use magic to dry you?"

"No!" Wanda shook her head firmly.

"I made this mess myself—I’ll take care of it."

"Alright."

Lorien slipped off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. Wanda stayed where she was, then began using her magic to dry herself. Scarlet energy surged from her body, flowing quickly over her skin and carrying the water away.

Before long, she was completely dry.

"How is it?" she asked expectantly.

Lorien pursed his lips, then nodded.

"No technique. All talent."

"You~!"

At first, Wanda didn’t catch his meaning. Then, after a moment, she realized and gave him a playful punch.

"In that case, this bracelet is even more expensive... How am I supposed to pay you back?"

"It’s simple." Lorien waved a hand. "You can owe me for now. Once you’re done being a superhero in the Avengers, you can work for me. Five hundred dollars a day."

He smirked. "A kiss for the boss? Another five hundred. A massage? Two thousand. The rest? We’ll negotiate."

Wanda laughed and nodded. "Alright, I’m in. But... how much is the bracelet worth?"

Ah, she’d asked the real question.

Lorien sat back on the grass, one hand bracing behind him while the other traced a sideways figure eight in the air. "Infinite. Which means... you’ll have to work for me for the rest of your life."

It sounded like the ultimate capitalist line—but Wanda, clever as she was, understood the real meaning instantly. She threw herself into his arms.

"Then it’s for life!"

The moment she said it, Lorien knew exactly what she was planning.

"Yaaah!"

He wrapped his arms around her, then flipped her over, pinning her down. His coat served as an impromptu cushion beneath them as they lay on the grass.

Wanda’s hair fanned out across the ground, stretching far behind her.

After a while, she tapped Lorien’s shoulder, and he finally let her go. She breathed in the fresh night air, eyes shimmering.

Lorien pinched her cheek. "Still feeling bold?"

"...Not anymore," she said weakly.

He tugged gently at her earlobe, making her shrink her neck.

Satisfied with taming the witch, Lorien stood. This was the seaside—no place to get carried away—so he left it at that.

By now, the sun had fully set, and the sky was dark. Lorien reached down, pulling the limp Wanda to her feet.

"Let’s go, Wanda."

She leaned into him. "I don’t want to go back to the base..."

"I know." He patted her shoulder, and she tightened her arms around him.

"Come on, I’ll take you shopping by the beach."

"Okay~!"

They made their way back to the roadside, heading for the car. But as they neared it, they spotted a shadowy figure blending into the night, sneaking toward Lorien’s Ferrari.

The man crouched by the door, pulling a tool from his pocket to try and open it. Whether he planned to pry it or pick it, Lorien couldn’t say—but he’d chosen the door of a Transformer.

Talk about bad luck.

Wanda chuckled against Lorien’s shoulder, then quickly pulled out her phone to start recording. "I have to show this to Natasha. She’ll laugh until her stomach hurts."

Lorien stayed back, watching with amusement, signaling Jetfire not to react just yet.

Sure enough, the man worked at the door for a long time before taking out his phone and snapping a picture.

"What!?"

He rubbed his eyes, peering again. "Why isn’t there even a mark?"

He’d been hammering away for ages, yet Jetfire’s surface remained flawless—no scratches, no chipped paint, still shining like new.

Frustrated, the man hurled his tool at the door, determined to at least cause some damage if he couldn’t steal anything.

But when he looked again—

"What the f—?"

Not a single mark.

From a short distance away, Lorien laughed aloud. Wanda, still recording, shook with laughter against him.

Their amusement finally drew the thief’s attention. He turned, ready to shout.

"You mother—ah!"

He didn’t finish. Jetfire’s door swung open, sending the man flying dozens of meters like a ragdoll.

Lorien shook his head with a smile. "Alright, let’s go. Get in."

...

(80 Chapters Ahead)

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