CHAPTER 64: CHAPTER 064: AMBUSHED BY HELA! BEATING DOWN HELA! CRAZY WOMAN!

After Wanda finished speaking, she left with Natasha.

For a newly emerged monster, holding a press conference could go a long way in calming the public. It would also give Wanda’s popularity and approval rating another boost, something Lorien agreed with.

Whether you care or not, as long as you’re a public figure, you need a positive image. Unless you’re a villain, if the internet is flooded with criticism, it’s no different from being cyberbullied. That kind of negativity can easily push someone to the brink, even a superhero. And in America, superheroes are either mentally unstable or have some kind of odd quirk. So yes, positive energy really matters—at the very least, it keeps you happy.

Watching Wanda leave, Lorien let out a slightly regretful sigh, then got into his car and drove off.

The Ferrari sped along the highway. Lorien rolled down the window, letting the wind blow in as he headed home. For some reason, he felt a little bored—not about the future, just at this moment.

Last year, Wanda and Gwen weren’t part of his daily life. Now that they were, having both of them away at the same time felt strangely dull.

"Go home and play games?"

He considered it, then shook his head. It used to be fun playing alone, but after gaming with Gwen and Stephen, he’d realized the best games were the ones played with friends. And the most precious thing in a game was a friend. If that friend found loot and handed it to you, that was a golden legend of a friend!

But right now, he had no one to play with—so he wasn’t in the mood.

"Whoosh Whoosh"

Suddenly, a sharp sound cut through the night ahead of him. Two dark blades seemed to fly straight toward him!

Lorien could tell they weren’t strong enough to hurt him or break through his energy barrier. But Jetfire thought otherwise. The moment the blades shot toward them, Jetfire instantly raised his hood to block the attack.

"Clang! Clang!"

When the assault ended, two black blades were lodged in Jetfire’s hood. Jetfire stopped at once, transformed into his robot form, and activated alert mode. He yanked out the blades and tossed them aside.

Lorien stepped out, glancing first at the weapons, then at the two holes in Jetfire’s chest.

"Sigh..."

He lifted his hand and waved. The Phoenix Force spread out, wrapping around Jetfire’s chest, and the holes sealed up instantly.

"So you’re the one with the Phoenix Force, my treasure~"

A sultry voice came from behind him, accompanied by the sharp click of high heels on pavement. From the moment he saw those black blades, Lorien already knew who it was.

"The eldest princess of Asgard—Hela."

He turned to see her emerge from the darkness. Her hair was a wild mess, her face heavy with smoky makeup. Her figure, however, was striking. In high heels, she easily stood over 5’7", which only made her long legs look longer. Her curvaceous S-shaped figure was straight out of a comic panel.

But Lorien wasn’t thinking about any of that. She’d just put holes in his Ferrari’s hood.

Lorien shook his head helplessly.

"I’ll only ask one question, then I’ll deal with you again. Why did you attack me?"

He genuinely wanted to know. Why come at him for no reason? Lorien wanted that answer before giving Hela a beating.

Hela lifted her chin in response.

"If I don’t test your strength, how would I know whether you’re qualified to help me reclaim the throne of the King of Asgard?"

Hearing that, Lorien smiled wryly and sighed.

"Just for this?"

"No, it’s not ’just.’" Hela shook her head, answering seriously. "As long as you have the qualifications, we can talk about anything."

"Done talking?"

"Hm?"

Boom!

The moment she finished speaking, Lorien vanished from sight. Hela quickly scanned her surroundings, but the next instant, he was right in front of her.

As he raised one leg, he said softly,

"I’m not in the habit of sparing women."

His knee slammed into her stomach.

Bang!

With a heavy, fleshy thud, Hela was sent flying so fast she left only an afterimage. Lorien remained where he was, slowly lowering his right leg. This was nothing more than a basic move powered by his Superman-template physique—speed plus strength. If he wanted, he could kick several people away in an instant, just like Supergirl in the movies.

...

Hela crashed into a flower bed, sending dirt, flowers, and leaves scattering everywhere.

"Ahem..."

She struggled to sit up, bits of dirt and a few yellow flowers clinging to her hair. Yet her lips curved into a smile.

"Good, very good! Your physical strength is definitely up to standard. Now, what about your other attacks?"

She spoke in a low voice. Lorien’s strike hadn’t hurt her—if anything, it made her more excited, like some kind of masochist.

From a distance, Lorien’s sharp eyesight caught that smile.

Lorien: ???

This woman... is she insane? One kick and she’s enjoying it? If she’s that twisted, maybe I should be the one afraid here.

Hands in his pockets, Lorien hesitated. He was starting to feel reluctant to hit her again. Better go check.

The next moment, he was beside her. Grabbing her head, he vanished once more. In an instant, they were at a completely deserted beach in New York.

Looking down, he saw Hela still smiling—silent, but smiling all the same.

"Come on! Attack me again!"

Suddenly, she raised a hand, fingers curling into a claw before clenching tightly. Above Lorien’s head, five Nightswords materialized, plunging down toward him.

Lorien waved a hand, and the phoenix within him let out a fierce cry.

Clang~~~!

The phoenix soared, its call ringing out as a wave of energy burst from his body.

Bang!

The five blades shattered instantly.

He lifted his left hand, hauling Hela upright. Then he pinched her cheek with his right hand, released his left, and asked,

"What exactly do you want?"

With her face squeezed, even her beauty turned into a pout.

"Mm, I want you!" she mumbled.

Lorien couldn’t make it out, so he let go.

Plop~

She dropped onto the sand, waves rushing up to drench her completely. But she didn’t care. Lying there, she lifted her head to look at him, eyes steady.

"I want you!"

Lorien: ?

This time, he heard her clearly—but that didn’t make it any less baffling.

You want me? For what? Weren’t you talking about the throne of the King of Asgard just a moment ago? Now you suddenly want me?

He glanced down at her. Hela was half-mad to begin with. She had conquered more than half of Asgard herself, and when she was nearly done, she sought the throne. Logically, Odin could have just abdicated if he agreed—if not, he could refuse. But instead, Odin sealed her away for thousands of years, driving her even further into madness.

Lorien thought it over. Best not to provoke a lunatic. She wrecked his car, he hit her back—that was enough. In fact, for someone like Hela, what he’d already done counted as public humiliation.

Good enough.

No loss.

Bye.

With that, he turned to leave. You can’t reason with a madwoman, so better to walk away.

Heading to the roadside, he climbed into the Ferrari he’d left ready and stepped on the gas, driving straight home.

Strangely enough, Hela didn’t chase him.

"Splash, splash..."

On the beach, small waves lapped against Hela’s body.

When she saw Lorien leave, she frowned and pushed herself up with one hand. That kick of his had been anything but merciful—he had put real force into it, sending her flying so far that she crashed straight into the dirt of a flower bed.

Supporting herself with one arm while the other clutched her stomach, her fingers slowly clenched the sand beneath her. Yet, the corners of her lips still curled into a smile.

"That was cruel, but I like you even more now."

"In order to take back everything that belongs to me, I must have you—no matter the cost!"

To a warrior like Hela, the fact that Lorien didn’t go easy on her just because she was a woman, and showed no mercy at all, only earned him her admiration.

In her eyes, that was the mark of a true warrior—never pitying your enemy was also a form of respecting them.

It left her thoroughly satisfied. In all her years of battle, men like him were rare. And Lorien was powerful—powerful enough to end her in a single instant. That only made him seem even more worthy.

When all these factors came together, her satisfaction level with Lorien was: 1000%. Yes, one thousand percent. Off the charts.

...

"Whoosh~~~"

Hela stood up, summoning her cloak with the power of death and darkness. As soon as it draped over her, her injuries healed in an instant. This was one of her treasured pieces of equipment—so long as she didn’t suffer a fatal wound, the cloak could restore her to full health and vitality almost immediately.

Once she was healed, Hela soared into the human city. Concealing herself with the cloak, she stepped into the bustle of human life.

For the first time, she laid eyes on the dazzling variety of clothing displayed in the mall: leather boots, jackets, trench coats, and more. She passed beauty and luxury stores stocked with endless rows of cosmetics—Gucci, Hermès, Chanel...

She also noticed how different modern makeup had become. No one wore smoky eyes anymore. No one left their hair hanging loose. No one painted their face like she did now.

Approaching a mirror, she examined her reflection. If not for her striking beauty, flawless figure, and commanding aura, she would look utterly out of place. Years sealed away by Odin had left her hopelessly behind the times.

Touching her face, she turned and caught sight of a daring fashion boutique next door. The bold designs inside widened her eyes—and yet, she couldn’t deny how good they looked.

Slipping inside invisibly, she noticed the strange S-symbol price tags on the garments. Wandering through other shops, she realized something else: whether clothes, cosmetics, or anything else... everything required those green bills.

Or a card swipe.

Leaving the mall deep in thought, she spotted a bank just across the street. An armored truck was unloading gold and cash reserves under the watch of armed officers. Her eyes went straight to the stacks of crisp green bills.

Well then...

Swish—

The Nightsword shimmered into existence in the air.

...

Meanwhile, after Lorien returned home, he trudged upstairs in a gloomy mood—only to brighten the moment he opened the door.

There was no need to guess why. A pair of Gwen’s shoes sat by the entrance.

Ever since their first time together, Lorien had given Gwen both a key and fingerprint access, telling her she was welcome anytime. Which meant she was here now.

"Whoa~"

He stepped inside, shut the door, took off his shoes, and walked in. Sure enough, Gwen was sitting cross-legged on the living room carpet, playing on his PS5.

Two TVs faced the couch—one looping various programs, the other dedicated to her game.

When she saw him, she lit up.

"Yay! You’re back, Lorien!"

She tossed the controller onto the carpet and leapt into his arms. Lorien caught her with one hand, carrying her toward the fridge.

He opened it, pulled out a bottle of milk tea, and said, "Help me open this."

Gwen took it, twisted the cap off, and handed it back. "Here you go."

He took a long swig, draining it nearly to the bottom in one go. Gwen grabbed it back and finished the rest.

After they polished off the bottle, Lorien tossed it into the trash, grabbed another controller, and settled with Gwen back onto the blanket in front of the sofa.

"Come on, let’s play."

"Woo~~~" Gwen was overjoyed.

The two of them sat together on the blanket. At first, they were facing each other, but that made playing games a bit awkward. So Gwen shifted her position, turning so they were back-to-back—though in reality, she was sitting comfortably in Lorien’s lap, using him as a human pillow.

Lorien spread his legs slightly while Gwen crossed her slender legs and settled in.

"What should we play?" Lorien asked, scrolling through the game library with the controller.

"There are too many," Gwen said, staring at the endless list of titles without knowing which to pick. But she was certain it had to be a co-op game.

Lorien skimmed the list, then suggested, "How about It Takes Two?"

"Okay!" Gwen agreed without hesitation.

Lorien launched the game, but before the title screen fully loaded, a news broadcast came on the other TV.

"At 10:56 p.m. New York time, a bank in the 66th District was robbed by an unknown hostile force. Although there were no casualties, property losses have reached millions of dollars! The NYPD is conducting a full-scale search for the perpetrators!"

The screen shifted to several photographs. In the armored car, all the stacks of green bills were gone—but the crates of gold remained untouched.

"Why would they take only the cash and not the gold?" Gwen asked in puzzlement. "Isn’t gold worth more?"

"They’re probably not right in the head," Lorien replied casually.

Then the TV feed changed again—showing the armored truck with the Nightsword embedded in it.

Lorien: ...