*Chapter 162: The Strange Disappearance (3rd Update)*

"I'll destroy you first—"

Facing Malekith head-on, one would truly experience how much more powerful he was after obtaining the *Aether Particle*, far more terrifying than in the movies.

Every surge of particles he unleashed felt like a 100-meter-tall giant wielding a 40-meter-long blade, carving deep, terrifying scars into the land with each slash.

If not for the fact that all three women were hovering above ground, their movements would have been slowed by the increasingly complex terrain.

The terrifying red tide formed by the *Aether Particles* resembled a tornado, kicking up dust and debris, reducing visibility to near zero.

In the next moment, the scarlet tide suddenly turned and surged toward Atreus.

The overwhelming sensation was exaggerated, as if someone had dumped an entire Olympic-sized pool of Lanzhou noodles on his head.

Yes, a super spicy version too, with everything bathed in an ominous red glow.

Then, a flash of fire.

Atreus evaded the largest concentration of particle beams with high-speed dodging, while channeling the power of *Lava Fist* into his dual blades. From afar, he looked like an invincible spinning firewheel, blocking the roaring red tide in front of him.

"Death is not enough to atone for your sins!" Malekith shouted with great pomp.

Atreus smirked and retorted coldly, "Then I'll just kill you!"

How laughable!

The victor always sits at the judge’s bench in military courts. Only losers end up on the defendant's seat!

Countless crimson particle beams shot from around Malekith toward Atreus. These beams should have easily pierced through him.

However, Atreus had figured out Malekith’s weakness—his dynamic vision was relatively weak.

Though he could single-handedly wield the *Reality Stone*, Malekith’s strength wasn't to be underestimated, especially in terms of intelligence and willpower, where he was extraordinarily high.

But unfortunately, he wasn’t a true mage and lacked an acute sense of elemental perception and manipulation.

Despite possessing the *Reality Stone*, which could shape, simulate, and destroy anything, Malekith wasted it by using it like simple tentacles.

You can align all nine realms, but you can't create a few black holes to wipe out Thor and the others? Or use space power to directly slice them into pieces?

Atreus didn’t use illusions; he simply employed basic tactical moves like sudden stops, directional changes, and S-shaped maneuvers, along with nearly 200 points of agility, to outmaneuver Malekith.

Though countless crimson tentacles shot toward Atreus, they always lagged a step behind, making them the perfect background visuals.

At this moment, Thor and the three women launched a collective assault, making Malekith flustered.

"Get lost!"

The crimson particle storm ceased being a one-way attack and instead swirled around Malekith in a tornado, making it nearly impossible to find any openings within a hundred-meter radius.

Thor… well, he just charged straight in.

His approach was always a straight line—such a stereotypical move!

"Boom!" He swung his beloved Mjolnir like a fan, emitting terrifying lightning as he leaped forward with a heavy chop.

"Hmph!" Malekith’s particle beams, like a cluster of vines, struck Thor in an instant.

Under normal circumstances, the sheer force of the Aether particles would’ve easily shredded enemies of *War Machine*'s caliber into pieces.

But Thor wasn’t just anyone.

He was a god of Asgard!

His thick skin and tough body were on a level far above Achilles' invulnerable form.

Though Thor grunted, the attack wasn't enough to cause any fatal damage. Not only did it fail to penetrate his god-forged armor, but it only left small scratches on his face.

A few shallow wounds, no more than half a centimeter deep, and a couple of centimeters long—Atreus figured a band-aid would do the trick.

Thick skin really does allow you to do whatever you want!

However, Malekith’s shifted focus made Thor scramble in embarrassment.

Seizing the opportunity, Atreus darted behind Malekith like a cannonball, while the three women launched their attacks from different angles.

Malekith was forced to use the largest surge of particle streams to knock Thor away, then turned back to fend off Atreus.

At that exact moment, Wonder Woman launched another assault. She dove down from an airship, hiding behind her shield, forcing her way through Malekith’s crimson tornado. She was just two meters away from reaching him when, unfortunately, she was blasted back again.

A series of relentless attacks frustrated Malekith, but regaining control in such a situation wasn’t easy.

Five enemies, none of them weaklings.

Each one was as tough as the next. Even after landing hits, none of them coughed up blood, let alone being killed instantly. It was more like giving them a light massage.

Malekith was losing his mind.

Then, the unexpected happened, right on cue.

Seizing a moment of distraction as Malekith focused on Atreus, Thor hurled *Mjolnir* at Malekith’s face. Atreus thought they had it in the bag, but in the next second, as Thor charged in to land the finishing blow, he disappeared along with the hammer right into Malekith’s chest.

It wasn’t that the dark elf boss had a grand chest; rather, a bizarre spatial rift had opened up.

Playing with the alignment of the nine realms had destabilized the space around them. Thor’s charge had unknowingly sent him into one of the worlds, and who knew how long it’d be before he returned.

After a brief moment of shock, Malekith immediately refocused on Atreus. "I'll kill you first!"

"Can you… really do that?"

The women thought this was just another round of banter, but in the next second, Atreus was grabbed by a massive crimson particle hand.

"Hahaha! I’ve got you!" Malekith gleefully expanded the crimson tornado, leaving a small opening. Judging from the women’s horrified expressions, he knew they cared about Atreus.

He made up his mind!

He would publicly execute this bald man who had taken his lackeys and his lair.

But just as the raging Aether particles brought Atreus to Malekith, Atreus suddenly vanished.

(End of the Chapter)