Marvel x Genshin: Mavuika, The Sun Goddess Rules Asgard — Chapter 151

Chapter 151: Much Simpler Than Magic

He planted his foot onto the moving step—and promptly missed his footing.

Thor stumbled, a surprised grunt escaping him as he nearly pitched forward. Fortunately, Loki, standing beside him, was quick to react, his hand shooting out to steady his brother’s arm.

“Careful now,” Loki said, his voice a smooth, silken purr dripping with undisguised amusement. “This is Midgardian ‘magic.’ It’s not quite as reliable as Asgard’s.”

Thor righted himself, a faint flush creeping up his neck. “I—I’m just not used to it yet!”

Mavuika walked over and stood beside him, her presence a calming anchor. “Just stand still,” she murmured, her voice low and gentle. “It will carry you up on its own.”

Thor nodded, planting his feet with the deliberate obedience of a chastened child. His eyes, however, remained glued to the grooved metal steps beneath him, terrified of making a fool of himself a second time.

As the escalator began its slow, steady ascent, Thor’s tense expression gradually melted away, replaced by a look of pure, unadulterated wonder.

“This… is actually quite interesting,” he declared, a grin spreading across his face. “You arrive at your destination without even having to walk.”

Mavuika simply smiled, watching the childlike fascination light up his features.

Upon reaching the second floor, Thor was the first to leap off. He had learned his lesson, timing his dismount perfectly this time. He turned back, his eyes bright with excitement.

“Big Sister! Is there more of this? Is there more?”

Mavuika gestured toward the next flight of stairs. “There are many more floors above us.”

Thor’s face lit up like a child on a festival day. “Then let’s ride it up, floor by floor!”

Loki shook his head, a long-suffering sigh escaping his lips. “Childish,” he muttered, though the corner of his mouth twitched with a faint smile.

Despite his words, he followed his siblings onto the next escalator without another word of protest.

After a few more joyous rides for Thor, Mavuika chose a decent-looking men’s clothing store. The shop itself wasn’t particularly large, but it was exquisitely decorated, with warm lighting glinting off polished wood racks filled with various styles of shirts, suits, and casual wear. Several well-dressed clerks moved quietly through the space, attending to a handful of customers.

Mavuika pushed the glass door open, the chime above it announcing their arrival. Thor and Loki followed her inside.

A young female clerk with a practiced, professional smile immediately approached them. “Welcome. How may I help you today?”

Mavuika gestured over her shoulder toward her brothers. “I’d like to find a few outfits for my two younger brothers.”

The clerk’s gaze shifted to Thor.

And her eyes widened almost imperceptibly.

Thor stood there, his souvenir T-shirt stretched comically out of shape over his massive chest and his casual pants riding a bit too high on his ankles. It was hardly a flattering look.

But his physique—that was another story entirely. He stood well over six feet tall, with shoulders as broad as a doorway. The powerful swell of his pectoral muscles and the faint, hard lines of his abdomen were clearly visible even beneath the cheap cotton of his shirt.

The clerk’s professional composure wavered, and a delicate blush colored her cheeks. “Th-This gentleman… please, follow me.”

Thor, oblivious to her reaction, simply grinned and followed her deeper into the store.

Ten minutes later, the dressing room door swung open, and Thor stepped out.

He was wearing a dark blue button-down shirt. It was supposed to be a standard fit, but on him, the buttons over his chest were strained to their absolute limit, looking as if they might surrender and go flying at any second.

The clerk’s face grew an even deeper shade of red. “This… seems a bit tight…” she whispered, her eyes fixed on the straining fabric.

Thor moved his arms, testing the fit. “It is a little restrictive,” he agreed.

He then took a deep, experimental breath—

Pop!

A pearlescent button shot from his chest, ricocheted off the ceiling with a sharp tink, and clattered across the polished floor.

The clerk froze, stunned into silence.

Thor looked down at the new gap in his shirt and scratched the back of his head, looking utterly perplexed. “Uh… do you have a larger size?”

The clerk swallowed hard, her voice barely a squeak. “I—I’ll go look…”

Five minutes later, Thor emerged wearing a shirt one size larger. This time, the buttons held—but it was still a tight squeeze. The fabric was stretched taut across his back and chest, revealing the powerful contours of the muscles beneath as if it were a second skin.

The clerk was simply speechless.

From his spot near the entrance, Loki let out a soft, muffled chuckle. “Big Sister,” he called out, his tone laced with mirth. “Perhaps you should just buy him some sportswear. The kind with more… elasticity.”

Mavuika nodded, a slight smile playing on her lips. “A good idea.”

Half an hour later, Thor was finally clad in a suitable outfit: a black athletic T-shirt that hugged his form without threatening to tear, a pair of dark gray sweatpants, and a light, comfortable windbreaker.

Although it wasn’t the “shiny armor” he secretly craved, he at least looked like a normal inhabitant of Earth now. Thor stood before the full-length mirror, turning left and right, his brow furrowed in thought.

“This clothing… why does it feel so flimsy?”

“These are Earth clothes,” Mavuika explained patiently. “As long as they’re comfortable, it’s fine.”

Thor still didn’t look entirely satisfied, but he wisely chose not to argue the point further.

Things were, unsurprisingly, much simpler for Loki. He tried on several outfits, and every single one looked as if it had been tailored specifically for him. With his handsome, sharp features and tall, upright posture, he carried himself with the effortless grace of a young lord from some ancient, noble family.

In the end, he selected three casual outfits, two formal suits, several crisp shirts, and an assortment of accessories. Throughout the entire process, the young clerk watched him with a gaze that bordered on pure adoration.

At the checkout counter, Mavuika pulled out a thin piece of plastic.

Thor eyed the small card with intense curiosity. “What is that?”

“A credit card,” Mavuika said as she handed it to the clerk. “You don’t need to carry cash; you just swipe this.”

Thor’s eyes lit up again. “Is this also a form of technology?”

“Yes.”

Thor stared at the card, his expression thoughtful as he became lost in his own ideas, no doubt pondering the mechanics of such a device.

By the time they left the clothing store, it was nearly noon, and Thor’s stomach began to rumble audibly.

“Big Sister, I’m hungry,” he announced, his voice taking on a pitiful, pleading tone.

Mavuika looked around, her gaze settling on a bustling street corner nearby. “There are food trucks over there,” she said, pointing. “Let’s go eat.”

The food truck area, situated near the edge of Central Park, was a vibrant scene. Over a dozen colorful trucks were lined up, their windows open for business, selling everything from hot dogs and burgers to pretzels, kebabs, and ice cream. The air was thick with a delicious mix of savory and sweet aromas.

Thor’s eyes were instantly captivated.

Mavuika walked up to a hot dog stand. “Five hot dogs, please,” she said to the vendor.

The vendor, a portly, cheerful middle-aged man, glanced at Thor’s formidable frame and let out a hearty chuckle. “You got it! This young man looks like he can eat!”

Thor beamed. “I certainly can!”

Five minutes later, Thor was clutching three hot dogs, his mouth already stuffed full with his first one. Even as he chewed, his eyes were darting around, greedily taking in the other food stalls.

“Delicious!” he managed to say indistinctly, a bit of mustard at the corner of his mouth.

Loki stood a short distance away, holding a large, salt-dusted pretzel. He took small, delicate bites, his posture the picture of elegance. His eyes, however, had brightened considerably—he was clearly enjoying the simple fare as well.

Mavuika bought herself a cup of coffee and leaned against a nearby railing, watching her two brothers eat with a warm, maternal amusement.

Thor quickly demolished the three hot dogs and immediately went back to buy two more. As he finished those, his gaze fell upon the burger stand next door.

Mavuika noted his still-flat stomach and gave a slight, permissive nod.

Thor’s face split into a wide grin. He ran over excitedly and returned moments later with three massive burgers.

Ten minutes later, the three burgers were gone, too.

Thor’s gaze then landed on the kebab stand, where skewers of meat sizzled over an open grill.

Mavuika finally spoke up, her voice calm but firm. “Slow down. No one is going to take it from you.”

Thor turned back to her, chuckling. “Big Sister, you don’t understand. I haven’t had anything this delicious in ages! Asgard’s food is plentiful, yes, but it’s all heavy meats and roasted fish. It’s completely different from this!”

Loki, ever the contrarian, commented faintly from the side, “The last I recall, you were proclaiming that Asgard’s mead was the finest drink in all the Nine Realms.”

Thor shot him a glare. “That’s a drink! This is food! It’s different!”

Loki merely shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips, and continued to nibble on his pretzel.

An hour later, Thor had finally eaten his fill.

He sat heavily on a park bench, rubbing his stomach with a look of pure, blissful satisfaction.

“Midgard is truly a wonderful realm,” he mused aloud. “There are so many delicious things here.”

Mavuika sat down beside him and handed him a bottle of water. “Drink some of this. Don’t overstuff yourself.”

Thor took the bottle and gratefully gulped down half of its contents in one go.

Loki joined them on the bench, holding one of the new phones Mavuika had acquired for them. He had been studying it for a while now, his long, nimble fingers swiping and tapping at the screen, and had essentially mastered its basic functions.

“Big Sister,” he said, not looking up from the device, “this ‘phone’ is quite an interesting little thing.”

Mavuika glanced at him. “You’re a quick learner.”

Loki chuckled softly, a low, pleased sound. “It’s much simpler than Asgardian magic.”