The Asgardians

Anli used the spacecraft to transport the broken axe to Kyle’s hotel before leaving for the exchange office.

The assorted junk bought from the black market lay scattered across the table in the room, making it clear that its owner had no mind to tidy up.

Kyle sat alone on the bed, pinching an Item Card radiating an intense purple glow between two fingers. A complicated look filled his eyes as he sank into long contemplation.

Unknown Battle Axe: A severely damaged, unknown one-handed battle axe. Rare purple Ability Card.

The axehead was made of Uru Metal and a fading planetary core, while the handle was crafted from World Tree wood. It was a one-handed battle axe forged through the exquisite craftsmanship of the Dwarves.

The original battle axe could be summoned by its owner. Combined with the user's energy, the explosive slash it unleashed could cleave through mountains and earth. It was now severely damaged and had lost all its original functions.

Having long been stained with the blood of ancient cosmic monsters and Celestials, it carried an overwhelming aura of intimidation toward lower lifeforms. Its lingering murderous aura was difficult to erase and could easily affect the user's mind.

This was the broken axe’s detailed information, and the main reason Kyle was so fascinated by it.

Even in its severely damaged state, its incomparably rare materials alone were enough to keep it at the rare purple item grade!

Before it was damaged, this one-handed battle axe had undoubtedly been an artifact beyond the purple category, one that had entered the orange grade!

Of course, merely finding a damaged artifact was not enough to make Kyle ponder for so long. The crucial point was the information revealed by the broken axe.

Uru Metal, the World Tree, Dwarven forging craftsmanship… The materials and techniques used for this axe are far too similar to Thor’s hammer. It’s practically as if they were forged at the same time, Kyle thought.

There were too many similarities between the broken axe and Mjolnir, even some of their functional traits were identical. If this broken axe did not come from Asgard, he would not believe it even if it killed him!

"Asgard." Kyle murmured softly, staring fixedly at the broken axe’s Item Card, longing and anticipation surfacing in his eyes.

At first, when he had decided to leave Earth and venture into the cosmos, the first place that had come to mind was Asgard, the divine realm and celestial palace inhabited by the Asgardians.

The Asgardians were one of the top advanced races currently ruling this region of the universe!

Their lifespans stretched for thousands, even tens of thousands of years. They had been written into Earth’s Norse Mythology, could use the Bifrost to cross the universe at will, and could ascend to heaven or descend into the earth with the aid of divine artifacts.

Their appearance was virtually no different from humans, yet their physical abilities surpassed humanity’s by dozens of times in every aspect. Depending on the individual, they also possessed extraordinary, law-like powers over lightning, death, and more.

They were truly a race of "gods"!

Unlike the Celestial Race that had been born at the dawn of the universe, Kyle believed the Asgardians were the most perfectly evolved advanced intelligent race in the Marvel universe.

They should also be one of the ultimate evolutionary directions for humanity on Earth.

Compared to the Dark Elves, Kyle wanted the Asgardians’ physique Ability Card even more!

Ability Cards that affected one’s physique had to be chosen with great care. So far, Kyle only had two physique-type Ability Cards: Healing Factor and Super Soldier.

For this type of Ability Card, it was not the quantity that mattered, but the compatibility between genes.

For example, the Big-Eyed Alien’s alien physique Ability Card was blue-grade, so Kyle could naturally extract it.

But once he did, while gaining the Big-Eyed Alien race’s innate abilities, his genetic structure would also be altered to become partly that of a Big-Eyed Alien. His eyes might grow larger, and his skin might turn the same bluish-brown color as theirs.

"The Asgardians are, judging solely from their appearance and abilities, practically a deified version of humanity. They should be the most suitable physique Ability Card to merge with Super Soldier at present." Kyle clenched his fists and muttered to himself.

When he learned that he had arrived on Sakaar, Kyle had reluctantly given up on acquiring Thor’s race’s physique Ability Card. He had planned to play it safe and find another suitable race within the next five months or so to replace it.

Until now, when the broken axe he had found on the black market reignited his hopes!

"Anyone who could use a one-handed battle axe from the same line as Mjolnir, and wield it against ancient monsters and the Celestial Race, must have been an Asgardian."

Kyle’s heart trembled slightly as an inexplicable excitement rose within him. Half a year ago, this broken axe fell here. Could the god who owned it possibly still be alive, living somewhere on this planet?

Though it was only a hypothesis, it was enough for Kyle to willingly give everything he had to investigate it.

If he succeeded in stealing an Asgardian physique Ability Card, that would truly mean becoming Superman and ascending to godhood in every sense, standing shoulder to shoulder with the gods!

Before Kyle could emerge from his thoughts, energetic music suddenly rang out beyond the hotel window. The enormous sound waves formed tangible surges that battered his eardrums.

"What is this?" Kyle frowned slightly, returned the Item Card to Card Space, rose from the bed, and walked over to the window.

Outside, in the center of Sakkar Main City, light transformed through holographic projection technology across the facade of the towering Central Building, forming a hundred-meter-tall projection of the Grandmaster.

The Grandmaster also looked much like a human, appearing to be a white-haired middle-aged man.

Dressed in luxurious formalwear, he spread his hands with gentle calmness and looked down over all of Sakkar Main City. Speakers throughout the streets broadcast his words:

"My dear residents of Sakaar. Today is once again the warm-up for the Championship Match! Welcome to the Duel Arena to join me in watching the bloodiest, most brutal, most exhilarating fight to the death!"

The moment his words ended, passionate music resounded through every corner of Sakkar Main City. At the same time, aliens of every kind cheered wildly in the streets, swarming like holiday parade crowds toward the Duel Arena behind the Central Building.

Kyle opened his room door, and Bai Bo in the living room was already itching to move. It hopped and ran over to him.

"Mr. Kyle! The Duel Arena matches on Planet Sakaar are starting!"

Bai Bo shouted, equally excited. The expression on its beast-like face was animated, and its squirrel-like white tail wagged continuously as it explained, "This is a grand event personally hosted by the Grandmaster—the Grandmaster loves collecting powerful fighters from all across the universe, putting them together, and forcing them into one-on-one death matches. Only the final winner who becomes champion can gain freedom! It’s the event the residents of this planet love most!"

"Collecting powerful fighters from across the stars…" Kyle nodded as it wished, becoming interested in the Duel Arena as well. "Let’s go take a look."

He had a feeling that the Duel Arena might contain information on the broken axe’s former owner, whom he wanted to investigate.

Even Hulk and Thor would experience the Duel Competition’s Championship Match in the future. What could possibly be impossible?