Chapter 112: The Four Warriors of the Immortal Palace

After instructing Phil Coulson to evacuate the town’s residents, Wang Jing entered the local tavern.

By the time he arrived, Thor, Jane Foster, and the others were already inside, trying to comfort the heartbroken Thor. Clad in his battle suit, Wang Jing pushed open the tavern doors, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.

Wang Jing stepped out of his armor and said to the tavern owner, "Boss, give me an ice-cold beer, and put it on their tab!" He gestured toward the table where Thor sat with his head bowed.

Jane Foster and the others, who had been looking at Wang Jing with envy, bristled at his words. They had already endured a string of misfortunes—first, the burden of dealing with Thor, and then having all their research equipment and data confiscated by S.H.I.E.L.D. Now, they were expected to pay for Wang Jing’s drink?

Before Jane could speak, the tavern owner walked over with a bottle of ice-cold beer, grinning. "Haha, Mr. Wang, forget the money. Could you sign an autograph for me?"

Wang Jing smiled and nodded. After taking the paper and pen from the owner and signing his name, he said, "In exchange for the drink, here’s a heads-up: this place is about to become a battlefield. You’d better grab your valuables and get out of this town immediately."

The entire tavern went silent. Even Thor, who had been staring at the floor, lifted his head at the news.

Faced with their questioning gazes, Wang Jing shrugged. "Believe it or not, that’s my warning. When the fighting starts, I can’t protect all of you."

"Mr. Wang, may I ask what exactly is happening?" the owner asked cautiously.

"Nothing much, just his brother trying to finish him off," Wang Jing said, pointing at a bewildered Thor.

The people in the tavern followed his finger to Thor, who was flanked by two beautiful women and an old man with white hair.

"Impossible! Loki would never do that! And who are you, anyway? How do you know about Asgard?" the muscular Thor demanded as he jumped to his feet.

"Don't get excited. I'm just an ordinary human. And don't forget, you're just a mortal now; I could take you out with a single shot." As he spoke, Wang Jing triggered the electromagnetic cannon on his suit’s back to demonstrate his point. He retracted it immediately, however, as he didn't want to burn any bridges. "The Warriors Three will be here shortly; you can ask them what happened."

Just as Wang Jing finished speaking, four Asgardians in medieval armor walked in. They embraced Thor warmly, leaving Jane Foster and Dr. Erik Selvig staring in astonishment.

Dr. Selvig was so surprised that the glass in his hand dropped to the floor.

After the emotional reunion, Thor introduced them to Jane and the others. "These are my dear friends, the Warriors Three."

"I am so happy to see you, but you shouldn't have come here," Thor said, confused.

"We came to bring you home," replied Volstagg, the bearded warrior.

"I cannot go back. I am a mortal now, and I have caused my father’s death!" Thor said dejectedly.

"Thor, the All-Father is not dead!" Sif interjected.

Just then, an announcement echoed from outside: "Attention citizens, there is a chemical leak in the area. For your safety, please vacate the premises immediately."

Thor and everyone else in the tavern looked toward the door as a Humvee with a loudspeaker drove past. Thor was the first to react. He looked at Wang Jing, who was still sitting comfortably, and asked, "Did you do this?"

Wang Jing shrugged. "I just wanted to ensure fewer people die in the coming fight."

No sooner had he spoken than a deep, rumbling roar echoed through the town. Thor and the Warriors Three rushed outside to see a massive tornado slowly churning in the desert in the distance.

"Something else is coming down," Sif muttered.

Thor returned to the tavern and asked in a softer tone, "What else do you know?"

Wang Jing stood up, walked over to his armor, and said, "Your unlucky brother, while your father was in his slumber, sent your father’s armor down here. He’s targeting you. Ending this is simple: just let your brother kill you."

"Don't listen to him! We will defeat him together, bring you back, and beg for the All-Father's forgiveness!" Volstagg declared, brandishing his battle-axe.

Thor looked at Wang Jing, who had already donned his armor, and nodded. He then turned to Jane Foster and the others. "You must leave. This is a matter for the Realm of Asgard!"

"No, if you aren't leaving, I’m not leaving either!" Jane insisted.

Thor looked at Wang Jing and said, "I don't know who you are, but I know you are a good man. I ask that you take Jane and the others away!"

Wang Jing nodded and pulled Jane, who was trying to stay, back. "Going with him is a death sentence; you won't be of any use. Besides, even if you wanted to die for love, it’s not your turn—his fiancée is right there. You’re just the 'other woman'!"

Stung by his words, Jane stopped struggling and glared fiercely at the helmet of Wang Jing’s armor.

Wang Jing released her and turned to Dr. Erik. "Get them out of here now. I’m not going to be your human shield!" With that, Wang Jing took flight.

At the edge of the town, Wang Jing encountered the towering Destroyer armor. Although he knew conventional physical attacks were ineffective, he still fired an electromagnetic shell at it.

There was a metallic *clink*, but not even a dent remained where it struck.

Seeing the Destroyer’s faceplate open and a surge of fire building up, Wang Jing made a split-second decision to teleport. He vanished just moments before the blast of energy hit. To Thor, who had just arrived, it appeared as though Wang Jing had been incinerated instantly.

Despite having only known him for a few minutes, Thor felt a pang of guilt over Wang Jing’s death, while the Warriors Three silently paid their respects.

"We split up!" Sif commanded, heading toward the nearby buildings.

Fandral assisted in launching Volstagg into the air, aiming for the Destroyer. Though the attack looked fierce, the Destroyer swatted Volstagg away with ease, sending him crashing heavily into a car.

Just as the Destroyer prepared to finish off Volstagg with a blast, Sif lunged from a rooftop, driving a spear into the creature's neck to disrupt its charge.

Just as everyone thought it was over, the Destroyer’s head and torso rotated, and it unleashed a massive beam of light. Fortunately, Sif reacted quickly, leaping away from the armor just in time.