Just call me Thor

Chapter 496: Step back a bit



"That's more like it!" Mike muttered, clutching the coins, still feeling a phantom pang of heartache. He shoved the money into his backpack, taking a few deep breaths to compose himself. Then, turning to Poseidon with a disarmingly friendly smile, he asked, "Since I've answered your question, and I didn't even charge extra for killing you eight times, it's only reasonable that I have another small request, right?"

Poseidon didn't immediately agree. Instead, he cautiously replied, "Tell me what it is first. Then I'll decide."

"There are a few things I don't quite understand," Mike said frankly, no beating around the bush. "First, why are *you* on this floor?" Poseidon's escape from the Temple of Truth to the 34th floor clearly wasn't done under his own power.

"That's easy," Poseidon said casually. "The human race's Ultimate Lord told me that escaping the Temple of Truth through the black fog at this time was possible."

So it was the human higher-ups who spread the word, and Poseidon was just playing along! The implications were chilling. Mike instantly realized that the deaths of the seventh and eighth demon gods weren't exactly a secret in the abyss, but it would definitely take time for the news to reach the Temple of Truth. In such a short period, Poseidon not only received the message but also devised a meticulous escape plan. Every step had the human race's fingerprints all over it. In other words, Poseidon was the human race's hand-picked eighth demon god!

Even knowing the human race was behind it all, Poseidon was willing to wade into these murky waters. Becoming a demon god of the abyss, reaching level 999, and then finding an opportunity to ascend... This was the only chance he had in this lifetime!

"The black fog is actually cooperating with Poseidon's escape?" Mike thought suspiciously, keeping his doubts to himself. He knew there were two masses of black fog that had invaded the Tower of Truth. One was the Elf Ancestor, and the other, as Gabriel had told him, was a former potential Supreme Being of the angel race who later became a potential Supreme Being of the ghost race, vying for the position of Progenitor of Ghosts. This second mass of black fog had a grand origin, immense power, and very strange behavior.

Normally, bosses had two strategies when fighting heroes. The first was the gatekeeper style: placing minions in the early stages, letting the hero level up by defeating them, and then having the boss guard the final level. Totally boneheaded. The second was the ultimate troll move: the final boss guards the first level, giving the hero zero chance to develop! The black fog, however, did neither.

On the 31st floor, Mike encountered no resistance and conquered it with ease. On the 32nd floor, the black fog summoned the Golden Divine Dragon of Greed, giving the Force of Nature a golden makeover. On the 33rd floor, the black fog went dormant again. And on the 34th floor, it delivered Poseidon.

"This isn't an enemy, this is freakin' Santa Claus..." Mike grumbled internally before turning his attention back to Poseidon. This guy was loaded! He was about to become a demon god; what a waste to keep so much money!

"I'm profiteering now for your own good!" Mike said earnestly. "Have you ever heard the human saying, 'No debt, light as a feather'? It means you're at your most carefree when you're broke."

Before Poseidon could even process this bizarre logic, Mike continued, "If you're rich, Thor will eventually come after you. But if you're broke, Thor will never bother you!"

Poseidon was speechless. Again. He'd lost count of how many times this guy had left him dumbfounded. How could someone be so shamelessly audacious?

"We also have a few unsettled accounts," Mike said suddenly, summoning Dracula. With a dramatic flourish of grief, he declared, "My dear brother was just taking a stroll on this floor when you killed him! This matter can't be settled without some funeral expenses."

Dracula blinked, looking slightly embarrassed. Being killed by divine punishment was embarrassing enough! Now he had to shamelessly ask for money?

Poseidon fell silent. He was at fault in this matter; compensation was due. Soon, they reached a preliminary settlement. Poseidon agreed to compensate 50 drops of forbidden prince blood essence for Dracula's death. Of course, Poseidon didn't have this on hand; he'd have to buy it at a premium from the Mystic Market. And in the Mystic Market, forbidden prince blood essence was priced at 3,000 Lord merits per drop! The seller was a potential Supreme Being who wished to remain anonymous. In other words, Poseidon was paying 150,000 Lord merits for Dracula's life! Factoring in transaction fees, the price would be even higher!

Dracula was stunned. As a vampire capable of infinite resurrection, this was the first time he realized his life was worth so much!

Mike continued, "Besides funeral expenses, my brother Dracula was carrying a number of divine puppets while strolling, and you destroyed them all..."

"Enough!" Poseidon snapped. Was this ever going to end?

"Dracula, tell me yourself, did this happen?" Dracula was a powerful being from ancient times, even more renowned than Poseidon. Poseidon knew his character well. The proudest forbidden prince of the blood clan, the only one who dared to openly defy the Blood Ancestor's orders! Did he have no pride? Poseidon believed some things in this world were immutable! Money couldn't buy everything! Money wasn't omnipotent!

Dracula's throat bobbed, about to speak, when Thor's voice echoed in his ear, "30% for you." 30%... A fortune, especially for Dracula in his current state. Only with enough money and forbidden prince blood essence could he rebuild his body and return to his peak. Faced with this temptation and test, Dracula's gaze remained firm, unwavering!

"Poseidon didn't destroy a single one of my divine puppets," Dracula said steadily. A smile spread across Poseidon's face. Dracula hadn't disappointed him; this was how a powerful being should behave! But the smile quickly faded as Dracula continued, "Because he destroyed *three*!"

Poseidon was flabbergasted. Was this even the same Dracula he knew? The legendary, decisive, rebellious Dracula who dared to challenge the Blood Ancestor... How could he have become like this?! Back when Poseidon was still weak, Dracula's name was already known throughout the myriad races. Poseidon had even idolized Dracula for a time, using him as inspiration. Now, facing such a shameless Dracula, Poseidon felt a sense of disillusionment, his idol's image shattered.

Poseidon mentally assessed his wallet, realizing he was probably going to be skinned alive this time.

"Thor, have you forgotten?" Poseidon said darkly. "You also killed my daughter. Twice!"

"You didn't mention it, and I almost forgot! My apologies!" Mike exclaimed, eyes sparkling with feigned innocence. "I did you such a huge favor, wouldn't it be rude if you didn't

com

sate me a little more?"

Poseidon was beyond words. Was this guy even listening to himself? Was this humanly possible?! Thor killed his daughter and now wanted *him* to pay? He wanted to run headfirst into the Grievance Drum in front of the 99th floor and list all of Thor's atrocities. Poseidon also realized his earlier worries were completely unnecessary. Thor felt no pressure facing a Supreme Demon God! This guy was more like a Supreme Demon God than the Supreme Demon God himself! After all this back and forth, it still came down to more money. However, Poseidon knew his meager savings were probably not safe. This trip out of the Tower of Truth wasn't a vacation; he was going to become a demon god. No matter what agreements were made beforehand, the conflict between the abyss and the human race couldn't be erased. Therefore, if Poseidon took too many resources out, it wouldn't be good news for the human race. Poseidon even suspected that it was precisely because of Thor's personality that the human race sent him to deal with him.

"My remaining assets, converted to Lord merits, are only 600,000," Poseidon admitted, dropping the pretense. *I'm broke!*

"600,000... I knew you wouldn't agree," Poseidon continued, pointing at Dracula. "Didn't he

say I destroyed three divine puppets?"

Hearing this, Dracula's pale face flushed slightly. This was the first time he'd been so shameless. The shyness and discomfort were understandable. He'd get used to it after spending more time with Thor.

"How about this for compensation?" Poseidon proposed his solution. "Since you're going to kill me eight times anyway, Dracula can take whatever materials he can get during those kills to make puppets. May the best man win. How about it?"

This proposal... seemed fair enough. Mike looked at Dracula, a questioning glint in his eyes.

*Can you pull this off?*

Dracula wanted to say yes, but he knew if he messed up, he'd be the one to suffer. After all, Poseidon was a level 997 powerful being. Dracula didn't bother pretending, saying frankly, "I need to reach the peak of level 989 to have a chance of snatching some materials from Poseidon." Dracula also knew 989 was Thor's acceptable limit.

Mike didn't hesitate. "How many drops of forbidden prince blood essence do you need?"

Dracula answered truthfully, "Including what I already have, I need another 200 drops." Mike calculated, "I gave you 100 drops earlier, and now another 200. One drop is 3,000 Lord merits. Since we're so close, I'll give you a discount and round it up to 1,000,000 Lord merits." Poseidon was utterly bewildered. Dracula remained expressionless. *Thor's math is... unique. Just roll with it.*

Mike took out two small bottles of blood essence and handed them to Dracula, adding, "The materials you get from Poseidon must first repay the 1,000,000 Lord merits debt. We'll split

the rest 30/70."

"As you wish." This time, Thor was unusually... generous!

Just as Dracula was about to get started, Mike made another small request. "Can I summon people from my private space to help?"

To persuade Poseidon, Mike even described his private space, dispelling any concerns. "A useless vampire Duke, a dirt-poor goblin, a run-of-the-mill two-winged angel, an elf who gives massages..."

Most importantly, Mike guaranteed, "None of them are above level 990!"

"Well... alright," Poseidon conceded, unable to find a reason to refuse. He was a level 997 God; was he supposed to be afraid of these weaklings? Dracula could fight across tiers, snatching things from a level 997 Poseidon at level 989, for one reason only: he was Dracula! The second most powerful being in the blood clan! The people Thor described sounded pathetic. A vampire Duke, forget about it. Goblins were greedy; a dirt-poor one couldn't be capable. The angel was even more laughable. A two-winged angel was probably barely level 600. Elves were the most arrogant; one willing to be a maid couldn't be strong. Nothing to

fear!

So, Poseidon lifted the spatial blockade, allowing Thor to summon reinforcements from his private space. This was the biggest regret of his life.

"My esteemed master, your servant Vladimir answers your call, ready to fight for you to the

last drop of blood!" With a crack of thunder, Vladimir made his grand entrance. The moment he appeared, Poseidon's face stiffened. He sensed the aura of Poseidon on him! This guy was a blasphemer, a devourer of gods, on the same path as Poseidon! If Poseidon wasn't about to abandon his position as God of the Sea, his first act would be to annihilate him!

Next, Poseidon saw a small, thin goblin emerge. "Bilbo, what are you doing here?!" Poseidon exclaimed. The Mystic Market's business in the Temple of Truth was managed by a goblin named Bilbo. This goblin's sharp eye and cunning methods could make even a God tremble! Bilbo, surprised to see a familiar face, smiled subtly. "Thanks to my boss, I'm working here,

paying my own expenses."

Behind Bilbo, a dark-skinned elf with a cold expression and a bow and arrow on her back walked out, radiating an extraordinary aura. The Nature Elf Envoy!? Another powerful being from ancient times; Poseidon had even fought her before!

Bilbo leaned in to whisper to Thor, "Master Fool said she wants 50% of the Nature Elf Envoy's

spoils." The Nature Elf Envoy was Master Fool's maid; summoning her required Master Fool's

consent.

"Look at her being stingy, who does she think she is? Do I look like a cheapskate?" Mike declared, waving his hand dismissively. "Give her 30%!"

Finally, an unassuming two-winged black angel with a numb expression stepped out of the

portal and stood behind Thor.

"This is our opponent?" Gabriel said, looking at Poseidon impassively. "Thor, killing him will

be a bit messy."

Poseidon was taken aback. What an arrogant angel! A mere two-winged being dared to be so.. Before Poseidon could react, Gabriel spoke again to Thor, "Step back a bit. Don't want to get blood on you."