Marvel: Beginning with the Collection of Shinra Tensei

The rippling water around the Sea God solidified in his hands into a tangible trident, which he gripped tightly.

Thor squinted, silver lightning sparking across his body. In the next moment, his figure surged forward like a bolt of electricity.

"Ha!"

A thunderous shout echoed. Though Thor had been in front of the Sea God just moments ago, his voice now rang out from behind him.

Before the Sea God could turn his head, his peripheral vision caught a flicker of lightning at his back. Underestimating this attack would have been a mistake; the energy it carried was enough to deal a devastating blow.

The bolt of lightning struck with incredible speed. By the time the Sea God noticed it, it was too late. Thor's hammer smashed into his back, sending a surge of intense electricity coursing through his body, paralyzing his limbs and flinging him into the air.

Watching from a distance, Heimdall couldn't help but exclaim in awe. "Impressive! Thor's control over his lightning power has improved significantly. He's not just smashing things with his hammer anymore—brilliant!"

Since the Reality Stone incident, Thor—mocked as the "God of Hammers" by Han Yu—had been diligently working to develop his abilities. Han Yu's words resonated deeply: You are the God of Thunder, which is why this hammer belongs to you. You are not the God of Thunder because of the hammer.

Thor's power lay within himself, not in the hammer.

"It's not over yet!"

A glimmer of lightning flashed in Thor's eyes as his grip on the hammer's handle tightened. Thick arcs of electricity, each as wide as a bowl, surged from his body, dancing wildly on the hammer's surface.

"Lightning Annihilation Hammer!"

Thor raised his hammer high above his head, and countless arcs of electricity leaped into the air. They coalesced into a massive hammer, five or six meters tall, composed entirely of crackling energy. With a mighty swing, Thor brought the colossal hammer crashing down onto the Sea God.

The already murky surroundings were now engulfed in a dense cloud of smoke and dust, stirred up by the devastating attack.

"What should we do? Lord Sea God has taken two consecutive hits and hasn't gotten back up! We must help him!" one of the Vanir gods said anxiously as they saw the Sea God being struck repeatedly.

As the speaker took a step forward, they were stopped by someone nearby. Turning around, they saw the person smiling faintly and saying, "Lord Sea God is just relaxing. Let him enjoy himself."

As they spoke, a calm, amused laugh emerged from within the dust cloud.

"Ah, that was refreshing. A nice massage to loosen me up."

The silhouette within the dust waved a hand lightly, and the thick smoke dissipated swiftly under his gesture. The Sea God stood there, completely intact, without even a scorch mark from the high-voltage lightning.

Adjusting his attire, the Sea God looked at Thor, whose expression had grown grim. With a gentle smile, he said, "Come now, show me everything you've got. I'm a few thousand years older than you. If I beat you too easily, people might say I'm bullying a child. That would be awkward, wouldn't it?"

Both the Sea God and Odin were nearly ten thousand years old. To him, Thor was no more than a child.

"Was he holding back just now? Thor's attack would've been considered a killing move even among his previous techniques!" remarked an Asgardian warrior who had fought alongside Thor across the Nine Realms.

"No way! The Sea God must be bluffing. He's just trying to maintain his dignity! That has to be it!" another Asgardian warrior said in disbelief.

He couldn't even convince himself with that excuse. The Sea God stood there with a calm smile, exuding an air of grace and composure. It didn't look like he was pretending; he genuinely appeared unharmed.

"Damn it, this guy's strength is something else!" Heimdall muttered under his breath, pounding the wall in frustration.

In the arena.

Thor's gaze was locked onto the smiling Sea God not far away. His eyes carried an unprecedented intensity, a focus and seriousness he had never felt before.

"Is this… the feeling of death?" Thor chuckled bitterly to himself. "Looks like I'm in real trouble this time. The pressure from this guy is beyond anything a normal opponent could give."

Thor's laugh was a self-deprecating one. He had held nothing back in his earlier attack—it was as strong as it had seemed, no tricks or illusions.

Yet, even such a powerful strike had barely affected the Sea God. Just how impenetrable was his defense?

"No matter. It's do or die now!"

Thor's body surged with electrical energy, arcs of lightning bursting forth, crackling across his skin. His eyes glowed with electric light as if they had become one with the storm.

Dark clouds rolled in overhead, flashing with streaks of lightning and rumbling ominously. Massive bolts, as thick as ancient trees, came crashing down—not at the Sea God, but directly onto Thor himself.

Anyone unfamiliar with the sight might have thought Thor was attempting suicide.

But those watching closely saw something extraordinary: the bolts of lightning gathered above Thor, forming the outline of a giant upper body. As more and more lightning struck, the skeletal form took on muscle, and eventually, faint facial features began to emerge.

"That giant figure… is that Thor?" someone gasped.

The enormous lightning construct bore a face faintly resembling Thor's own. If one didn't focus on the fine details, it was unmistakably Thor's likeness!

"What kind of technique is this?"

The Sea God's smile began to fade as he took in the scene. Even he couldn't fathom how Thor had achieved such a feat. The level of control required over one's power was nothing short of masterful.

As part of the Vanir—a race of technologically advanced extraterrestrials—the Sea God and his kin primarily relied on weapons to channel their "divine powers." Few had ever pursued the art of wielding their raw energy with their bare hands.

After all, in the early stages, such an approach was weak. Even with greater energy reserves than their opponents, their unarmed attacks were far inferior to those delivered through weapons. This was why most Vanir gods had never invested much effort into mastering raw energy manipulation.

If the control of divine power were to be graded, most gods like Thor, the Sea God, and Odin would fall into the B-tier: capable of using divine energy offensively, but typically channeling it through weapons.

What Thor had just accomplished, however—manifesting a colossal lightning avatar at will—was easily at the pinnacle of A-tier mastery.

The Sea God's fading smile didn't escape Thor's notice. For the first time, Thor felt a sense of fulfillment. The power of thunder coursing through him felt complete, as if he had finally tapped into his true potential.

"This is who I really am," Thor murmured to himself, his voice tinged with awe. "If it weren't for Han Yu, I might never have learned to wield my divine power so naturally. I am the God of Thunder, not the God of Hammers."

He lifted his gaze toward the Sea God and shouted, his voice echoing with power:

"Sea God, face me and take this!"

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