Nolan's training sessions were comfortable for him, but for Thor and Loki, it was anything but.
To them, it was pure torture.
Not a single day passed without both of them leaving bruised and battered. They could clearly feel it now, Nolan Lock was actually enjoying it. It almost seemed like if he did not beat them up every day, he would feel uncomfortable.
"That damn bastard. I will get my revenge sooner or later," Thor said unhappily.
Loki rubbed his still aching face and replied helplessly.
"My dear brother, you should save yourself the trouble. I do not know exactly how strong Nolan Lock is, but right now, you cannot even take a single move from him. In my opinion, it will take you hundreds of years to surpass him."
Loki shrugged and continued.
"Considering that humans on Earth only live for a few decades, I doubt you will ever get the chance."
Thor froze.
Loki's words instantly drained all his motivation.
Even worse, Loki added calmly.
"Instead of thinking about how to defeat Nolan Lock, maybe we should think about why he is keeping us here and why he is training us. Honestly, I do not see any benefit for him in doing this. The reasons he gave before sound more like excuses."
Thor narrowed his eyes.
"What do you mean?"
Loki's eyes flickered.
"There must be something we do not know. It cannot be just about Hela. But clearly, Nolan Lock has no intention of telling us."
Thor took a deep breath.
"Then we will make him tell us."
Loki could only sigh helplessly.
Talking to this brother was truly the most hopeless thing in the world.
Time passed quickly.
A week of being treated like punching bags had gone by.
But their progress was far from what Nolan expected.
"This does not make sense…"
Nolan frowned slightly.
Both of them had excellent bloodlines.
Thor was the son of Odin, born with divine strength. Loki, although not Odin's biological son, was still the prince of the Frost Giants. At their peak, the Frost Giants were powerful enough to rival Odin himself.
It seemed the stimulation was still not enough.
Nolan came to a conclusion.
So he decided to add a stronger push.
As usual, after another "training session," Nolan casually said,
"It looks like rescuing Odin is not possible for you two."
"What did you say?" Thor immediately caught the key point.
Nolan smiled faintly.
"Oh, did I not tell you? Your father, Odin, is already in my hands."
"What!"
Thor erupted instantly.
Even Loki's expression changed sharply.
Odin might not have treated Loki as well as Thor, but Loki still had feelings for him.
Nolan remained calm.
"When Odin came to Earth, his power was already fading. He was about to enter the Odinsleep. After thinking about it, I decided to invite him to Lock Technology since he still has some useful value."
"Invite?"
Thor's face darkened completely.
He did not believe a single word.
Odin and Nolan had no connection. There was no way Odin would willingly follow him. That word "invite" was clearly replaced in Thor's mind with "kidnap."
And this was the first time Thor heard about Odin's weakening condition.
Odinsleep meant near-death, a state of deep slumber that could last until death itself.
And while his father was on the brink of death, he could not even see him.
Thor's power surged violently.
It even surpassed his previous peak.
Loki's power also began to rise. Both of them were enraged.
At that moment, they truly wanted to kill Nolan Lock.
Seeing this, Nolan nodded slightly in satisfaction.
"Now this is more like it. Hatred really is the best fuel for power."
He did not bother explaining further.
Instead, he said calmly,
"If you want to see Odin, then defeat me."
"As you wish!"
Thor roared.
Mjolnir erupted with blinding lightning. A massive storm of divine energy gathered and struck toward Nolan.
If not contained, this strike could destroy an entire continent.
But the room was specially designed to withstand beings like them.
Nolan did not move.
Instead, he smiled faintly.
This was a perfect test for his Second Generation Super Soldier body.
All his resources had been invested into this upgrade.
If he could not handle Thor now, it would be a disappointment.
Fortunately, when the lightning struck, his body reacted instinctively.
His gene engine activated at full speed, and the lightning energy was absorbed directly.
It vanished without a trace.
As if it had never existed.
Thor's eyes widened.
"How is that possible…"
He could not believe it. Even Odin might not be able to do something like this.
"Not bad," Nolan said casually.
Then he turned to Loki.
"Aren't you going to join?"
Loki hesitated for a moment, then simply dropped his weapon.
There was no point.
If Thor's full power could not do anything, neither could he.
Nolan looked at him with mild annoyance.
"I really dislike smart people like you. Look at Thor. Because he is not smart, his strength is easy to awaken. You? I doubt you will ever fully unlock your potential."
Loki's face darkened.
This man was truly infuriating.
Thor suddenly reacted.
"Were you lying?"
Nolan smiled.
"It was a lie. But I can make it real if I want."
Then his expression turned serious.
"Your power is still not enough. Do you think I am joking? Hela, the Goddess of Death, is about to break her seal. And you two are still playing house."
"At your current level, even Odin could not stop her."
"Do you think he avoided her because he did not want to fight? No. It is because he knows he cannot win."
Thor clenched his fists.
Loki frowned deeply.
But neither could refute it.
Nolan continued coldly.
"If you want to face Hela, you need real strength. Not this childish level you are at now."
Thor was furious, but a trace of helplessness appeared in his eyes.
Because he knew it was true.
Nolan had just blocked his strongest attack effortlessly.
"How did this monster become this strong…"
"Enough," Nolan said.
"Let's continue training."
And once again, it became another round of brutal beating.
Meanwhile, back in Asgard, Sif and the Warriors Three had already returned and spread news across the realm.
The entire Asgard was furious. Many demanded war to reclaim their prince.
But their true goal was not war.
It was pressure.
Once the internal rebellions across the realms were handled, Asgard would be free to act.
And then they would force Earth to release Thor.
What they did not know was that far away in the Land of the Dead…
Hela stood alone beneath an invisible seal.
She looked up at the sky, sensing Odin's weakening life force.
"It is almost time…"
She smiled coldly.
Once Odin died, she would return.
And nothing would stop her conquest.
One month later.
Nolan finally decided it was enough.
He looked at the two battered brothers and said,
"Your training is complete. You can go see your father now."
Both of them froze.
"You are serious?" Loki asked suspiciously.
"If you do not want to leave, you can stay," Nolan replied casually. "I can play with you for another year."
Loki instantly shuddered.
"No thanks."
Thor immediately asked,
"Where is my father?"
"Norway," Nolan replied.
Loki's eyes lit up.
"I told you. I was right."
Thor hesitated, then looked at Loki.
"I should have trusted you, my brother."
Loki sighed in relief.
At last, they could leave this nightmare.
Before leaving, both of them looked back at the room that had imprisoned them for over a month.
They shivered.
They would never come back here again.
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