Chapter 184: Thunderstorm Magic Unleashed

"Quick! Mobilize all craftsmen to build temporary floating platforms!"

Observing the battle from the rear, Loki quickly noticed something amiss.

The Rainbow Bridge was only so wide, allowing six Asgardian soldiers to attack at a time while the defenders also numbered six. Each skirmish was a balanced six-on-six.

The problem was, when six Asgardian soldiers were defeated, the defenders didn’t toss them into the starry abyss beneath the bridge. Instead, they simply incapacitated them and left them on the ground.

The soldiers behind couldn’t just push their fallen comrades off the bridge. To continue their assault, they had to move the injured to the rear for treatment, which delayed their advance and gave the defenders time to catch their breath.

With this rhythm, the defenders could defeat six soldiers, rest, and repeat without feeling strained. If things continued this way, the already lukewarm morale of the Asgardian soldiers might be worn down entirely.

Despite Asgard having a population of fifty thousand, its actual fighting force of soldiers was less than ten thousand.

Loki couldn’t let this continue. He ordered the craftsmen to construct floating platforms so that the Asgardian soldiers could swarm in from all directions. This would allow dozens to attack simultaneously, overwhelming the defenders.

Soon, Asgardian craftsmen arrived at the bridge with peculiar golden devices. When activated, these devices emitted beams of golden light that formed floating energy platforms connecting to the Rainbow Bridge, creating an enormous battlefield surrounding the control room.

With the platforms in place, soldiers no longer needed to worry about falling and weren’t bottlenecked by the bridge’s narrow width.

"This isn’t good!"

Seeing Asgardian soldiers swarming in from all sides, Steve Rogers and the others felt their situation take a sharp turn for the worse.

The emergence of the massive floating platform increased the intensity of the attack tenfold, placing the defenders under immense pressure. The defensive line began showing signs of breaking.

Steve had no choice but to unleash the power of Mjolnir, summoning thunder to assist in the fight.

However, not being of Odin’s lineage, Steve couldn’t fully wield the hammer’s potential. While his combat skills made up for this in close combat, his use of thunder attacks lacked the impact Thor could achieve.

"Banner, it’s your turn!"

As the Warriors Three and Lady Sif began to sustain injuries, and Logan’s body bristled with weapons he didn’t have time to remove, Steve knew they couldn’t hold out any longer. He called for Banner to step in.

Banner, who had risked his life jumping out of a plane to save others, didn’t hesitate. With a yell, he charged toward the Asgardian soldiers.

One soldier instinctively stabbed at him with a weapon, but it was already too late—the Hulk emerged.

"HULK SMASH!"

With a thunderous roar, the Hulk swung his massive fists, sending a group of Asgardian soldiers flying.

"Hulk, help them!"

Hearing Betty’s call, the Hulk turned to look at her, nodded, and dove into the fray.

With the Hulk on their side, the tide shifted once again.

Watching this unfold, Loki’s frustration mounted.

"These wretched mortals! Fine, they can all die!"

Raising the Eternal Spear, Loki summoned the Destroyer, the enchanted guardian of Odin’s vault. Moments later, the massive figure of the Destroyer, forged entirely of Uru metal, descended before him.

"Destroy them!"

The Destroyer leapt forward, landing in front of the Hulk. Its faceplate opened to unleash a high-temperature energy beam that sent the Hulk flying.

This only enraged the Hulk further. Roaring, he charged back and engaged the Destroyer in a brutal melee.

With the Hulk’s near-impenetrable defense and incredible regeneration facing the indestructible Destroyer, the two were locked in an intense stalemate.

However, with the Hulk occupied, the defensive line against the Asgardian soldiers began to crumble. Steve couldn’t hold them off alone.

"Let’s see how you handle this!"

Standing behind his advancing troops, Loki laughed maniacally. At this rate, his plan would soon come to fruition.

But then, dark clouds began gathering above the Rainbow Bridge control room. Lightning flickered ominously within the dense storm.

"What’s happening?"

Loki looked toward Steve but saw that he wasn’t using Mjolnir.

"It’s finally ready."

At that moment, George stepped out of the control room, spinning his right index finger.

"Time to show them real magic!"

Raising his hand to the sky, George shouted: "Ancient Magic: Thunderstorm Descent!"

The dark clouds above unleashed a torrential storm of lightning. Bolts struck the Asgardian soldiers, leaving their bodies weak and their movements sluggish. Many could barely stand, leaning heavily on their weapons.

Though George’s skill in ancient magic was not as refined as his mentor’s, the alloy ring he wore significantly amplified his spells, surpassing even the power shown by his mentor during their last encounter in the French magical marketplace.

However, the Asgardian soldiers were remarkably resilient. What would char ordinary humans to a crisp only left them weakened and unable to fight effectively.

But that was enough.

With the soldiers rendered nearly immobile, Steve and the others easily overpowered them, clearing the lightning-struck area of enemies.

As the remaining soldiers hesitated to enter the lightning’s range, George used telepathy to instruct Steve: "Steve, help the Hulk. Use Mjolnir to destroy that magical armor!"

Following George’s command, Steve charged toward the Destroyer with Mjolnir in hand.

George’s lightning magic couldn’t damage the Destroyer, but Mjolnir could. Once the Destroyer was dealt with, the Hulk could rejoin the battle, turning the tide decisively in their favor.

Ancient magic relied on drawing power from nature rather than the caster’s internal energy. George only needed enough magic to maintain the spell.

As long as his body held out, the thunderstorm could rage until Odin awakened.

"Charge! Let’s see how long his magic lasts!"

Realizing the danger, Loki shouted to his remaining soldiers.

Their resilience was being tested to its limits.