Facing the God-King Odin, Locke stood tall, outwardly calm and fearless. Underneath that composure, however, every muscle in his body was coiled tight, ready to react at the slightest hint of danger. The moment anything felt off, he instinctively shifted his stance, edging just a fraction behind the Ancient One, using her as both shield and anchor in this tense standoff.
Odin's single eye gleamed with faint amusement as he observed Locke's subtle movements. The old god's voice carried both authority and curiosity when he finally spoke. "You are very brave, Midgardian," he said, his tone somewhere between praise and quiet evaluation.
Locke gave a slight nod, keeping his expression relaxed even as his mind raced. "Appreciate the compliment, God-King," he replied smoothly. "So, does that mean you're ready to hand over Mjolnir to a brave Midgardian like me?"
Odin paused, his expression unreadable for a moment before a cold sneer tugged at his lips. "If you can do me a favor," he said slowly, "I will not only give you Mjolnir. I will also grant you an additional reward."
Locke's eyebrow lifted slightly, suspicion flickering through his gaze. Odin, a being who ruled over gods, needed help? That alone set off alarms in his head. His first instinct was to refuse outright, because anything that Odin couldn't handle personally was guaranteed to be trouble on a catastrophic scale.
Before he could voice that refusal, Odin continued, his tone sharpening. "The journey to Hell will not be as simple as you imagine. The power of the Hell Lords is rooted in their domains. Within their territories, they perceive everything."
Locke's expression tightened just a fraction as he listened. Odin went on, his voice heavy with certainty. "The stronger among them can move entire cities within their domains. They can even resurrect those who perish there. If you step into certain territories without preparation, you may be discovered instantly. And once discovered, they can control you in an instant."
That gave Locke pause. His plan had always relied on speed and surprise, but what Odin described made it clear that Hell itself was an active battlefield, one that watched and reacted. He narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "So… the God-King has a solution to that problem?"
Odin's gaze settled on him, steady and unyielding. "That depends on your choice."
Locke didn't hesitate this time. Whatever the risk, the reward was too tempting to ignore. "Then let's hear the deal you mentioned," he said decisively.
…
Hours passed in tense negotiation, each side testing the limits of the other. Locke pushed for every advantage he could squeeze out of the agreement, while Odin remained firm, conceding only what he deemed necessary. By the end of it, the deal was sealed, binding both sides to their terms.
Without delay, the Ancient One began constructing a teleportation array within Asgard itself. The glowing lines of energy etched across the ground hummed with immense power, forming a gateway that bridged realms.
Using Asgard as the departure point meant something significant—any retaliation from Hell would partially fall upon Asgard. Locke didn't know how the Ancient One had convinced Odin to accept that risk, but it was clearly not a trivial matter. Still, that wasn't his concern.
As the teleportation array flared to life, Locke stepped into its center without hesitation. At that moment, Odin extended a hand, offering him a horn imbued with divine magic. This was part of their agreement.
The artifact had changed drastically under Odin's blessing. It now allowed Locke to teleport freely between Hell, the Beast Dimension, and Earth. More importantly, it contained the coordinates of seven Hell cities, letting him move between them at will once inside Hell.
The only problem was his limited arsenal. He had just five nuclear warheads prepared. Anton and his son had been focused on armor development, leaving their super bomb research lagging behind. Otherwise, Locke would have happily tested every single Hell city on the list.
As the teleportation array surged, flames erupted across his body, consuming him in an instant. His flesh peeled away into a skeletal form, transforming into a blazing demon. At the same time, Asgardian divine power wrapped around him, cloaking his presence.
The next moment, he vanished.
When Locke reappeared, the world around him was drenched in crimson. The air burned, the ground pulsed faintly, and everything carried the oppressive weight of Hell.
His arrival was unnervingly smooth, like sliding down an invisible path. No ripples, no disturbances. It was as if Hell itself had failed to notice him.
He tested his abilities immediately. The Absolute Zero Domain activated without issue, stabilizing his condition.
Looking ahead at the towering demon city before him, Locke let out a low whistle, clearly pleased. The city teemed with demons, but compared to human metropolises, it was relatively small.
He slipped into the city unnoticed and found a secluded corner near its center. Without wasting time, he pulled a modified nuclear bomb from his Absolute Zero Domain and set the timer.
"Ten, nine, eight, seven…"
The countdown ticked down rapidly. He had no intention of lingering. The faster it detonated, the less chance of interference.
Gripping the horn, he activated it and vanished in a flash.
At that exact moment, deep within the palace at the city's core, Mephisto frowned. He sensed something familiar, something that shouldn't have been there. The hesitation lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough.
By the time he appeared above the city, the countdown had already reached zero.
A blinding flash erupted, followed by an overwhelming explosion. The sheer force of it sent a wave of terror through Mephisto, a rare sensation even for him. Instinctively, he warped space and teleported himself dozens of miles away.
"Boom!"
The explosion lit up the sky, its brilliance nearly searing his vision. Even Mephisto, ancient and experienced, found himself momentarily stunned.
A nuclear bomb?
How had such a thing appeared in his domain without detection?
Rage surged through him as he realized what had happened. "My people…" he growled, his voice trembling with fury.
He reappeared within the city and shouted, "Stop!"
The shockwave slammed into an invisible barrier, its force rapidly weakening as it collided with his power. However, the backlash was immense. Mephisto coughed up a stream of black energy, his aura dimming noticeably.
Though he managed to suppress the shockwave, the radiation spread unchecked. Demons collapsed one after another, their bodies disintegrating under the invisible assault.
Mephisto roared into the sky, his fury echoing across Hell. "Locke! I will kill you!"
Meanwhile, Locke had already reached the second city. He didn't waste a second choosing a perfect location. Speed mattered more than precision now.
As he planted the second bomb, a series of notifications rang out in his mind.
[Congratulations on triggering the first 500 kill streak reward…]
[Congratulations on triggering the first 1000 kill streak reward…]
[Congratulations on triggering the first 2000 kill streak reward…]
The rewards stacked rapidly, flooding him with attribute points. Just the kill streak bonuses alone amounted to tens of thousands of points, not to mention whatever came from the additional reward packs.
Even as he moved, the notifications continued. The delayed lethality of nuclear radiation was doing its work, extending his kill count far beyond the initial blast.
He set the second bomb and vanished again.
Moments later, another explosion tore through Hell, a massive mushroom cloud rising into the crimson sky.
This city lacked a ruling lord, making the slaughter even more devastating. The kill count soared.
Locke had originally worried that the Hell Lords would communicate quickly and prepare defenses after the first explosion. But that fear proved unnecessary.
Mephisto sensed the second blast, but instead of warning others, he chose to conceal it. Even when questioned by other lords, he forced a smile and dismissed their concerns.
"Nothing's wrong. You're imagining things."
It wasn't until the third explosion that the truth became impossible to ignore.
One of the most powerful Hell Lords, Lucifer, appeared instantly above his capital. His power surpassed even Mephisto's, and the moment Locke activated the third bomb, Lucifer felt an overwhelming sense of danger.
His gaze locked onto Locke immediately.
"Boy, what are you doing?" Lucifer demanded.
Locke turned, grinning. "Planting mushrooms. Big ones. Enough to feed your entire city."
Lucifer's eyes narrowed as he sensed the growing threat behind Locke. He didn't hesitate and moved to act.
But just before he could strike, a spear appeared in Locke's hand.
Lucifer's expression changed instantly. "Gungnir? What's your connection to Odin?"
Locke smirked. "Let's just say I owe him."
Without waiting, he swung the spear forward.
Lucifer's body reacted instantly, dodging backward as a chill shot through him.
Locke glanced at the countdown. "…three, two…"
The horn activated again, and he vanished.
Seconds later, the explosion erupted.
By the time Locke reached the edge of the fifth city, a flash of light streaked through the sky. Gungnir returned to his hand, stained with blood—and something else.
He frowned slightly, examining it before storing the residue in his Absolute Zero Domain. Preservation first, questions later.
Despite reaching the fifth city, Locke chose not to enter. By now, the Hell Lords were fully aware. Pushing further would be suicide.
He activated the horn again, preparing to leave.
At the very last moment before teleportation, he caught sight of massive hands reaching toward him and Lucifer's furious face twisting with rage.
Locke grinned and raised his hand, leaving only his middle finger extended.
Lucifer roared, his voice shaking the void. "You shameless bastard! I will drag you into the Sea of Fire and torture you for ten thousand years!"
Moments later, Mephisto arrived with two other lords. He sniffed the air, frowning. "I sense another god's power here… not Locke alone."
Lucifer's expression darkened. "I don't know."
Ignoring his attitude, Mephisto turned to the others. "I know who attacked Hell. We should deal with him together."
"No. I'll handle it myself."
With that, Lucifer tore through space and vanished.
Mephisto sighed, shaking his head before opening a portal. The remaining lords quickly offered cooperation, but he dismissed them with a scoff.
"I came for Lucifer. We'll talk later."
Then he disappeared as well.
…
Back in Asgard, Locke emerged from the teleportation array, completely unharmed.
He glanced at Odin and the Ancient One before breaking into a wide grin. "Mission accomplished. At least a hundred thousand demons are gone. Let's see them try messing with Earth now."
The Ancient One rolled her eyes at his tone.
Odin, however, stared at him intently. After a moment, he cleared his throat. "Gungnir."
Locke blinked, then quickly handed the spear back, though the reluctance was obvious on his face. It was a weapon he wouldn't have minded keeping.
The Ancient One inclined her head slightly. "Your Majesty, the matter is concluded. We will return."
Odin gave a small nod before fixing Locke with a final look. "Do not forget your promise."
Locke flashed a casual gesture in response. "All good. Deal's a deal."
....
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