When Arthur first found this object, the golden-clad High Priest hadn't fully completed his goal, so what ended up in Arthur's hands was only a half-finished product.
During its time stored in Arthur's Disassemble space, it remained in a static state, showing no signs of transformation.
So, Arthur's hesitation now stemmed from a crucial question: Should he try to Disassemble it?
The High Priest had clearly poured immense effort into this object. If Arthur could Disassemble it, he might gain a significant boost in power.
But another option lay before him: to finish the work the High Priest had left unfinished, to fully awaken Adam!
"But... what if he doesn't obey?" Arthur hesitated.
This wasn't just a recent concern. He'd wrestled with the same dilemma when he first acquired the object. Otherwise, he would have sent it to Camp Lehigh's research lab long ago, back when he was still on Earth.
After all, if Adam were to fully awaken, he would either become Camp Lehigh's newest, overwhelmingly powerful combat asset... or a ticking time bomb whose true birth would trigger his detonation.
Arthur had no real certainty about this.
He placed a hand on the golden outer shell, and the Disassembler's prompt appeared:
'Do you wish to Disassemble High-Energy Pseudo-Lifeform (Pink)?'
Could he really disassemble it?
Arthur rubbed his face, fully accepting a harsh reality: "It seems that just because something possesses a soul doesn't make it human."
He had disassembled an entire planet, including Star-Lord's father... Could anyone claim that man lacked a soul? He was as vibrant and alive as could be, even interfering with Arthur's upgrades. Yet the Disassembler had still dismantled him without issue.
It seemed that the Disassembler's boundaries for disassembly were already becoming blurred.
"Fortunately, humans can't be Disassembled. Could it be that the very definition of a Disassembler is that it can't Disassemble humans? Are all other beings, even those who can speak, laugh, run, cry, and even reproduce, merely Pseudo-Lifeforms? And are Pseudo-Lifeforms defined as entities that can be Disassembled?"
Arthur was slightly dazed. The choice between 'yes' and 'no' lay before him, waiting for his decision.
After a long moment of hesitation, Arthur withdrew his hand and finally placed it back on the creature, sending it into the Disassemble space.
The still-unconscious 'Adam' shouldn't have been capable of trembling, but Arthur himself wiped his brow, feeling as though he had just danced along the edge of some fundamental boundary.
"I suppose this is all a result of the Soul Stone incident."
Arthur had always viewed the Infinity Gems as mere 'tools,' but the Soul Gem had taught him a harsh lesson.
These gems were far more than just simple 'tools'!
They might hold secrets he hadn't even begun to fathom!
...
...
Compared to the outward journey, the return trip was far from smooth sailing, with most of the dangers originating from the depths of space.
Thanks to Banner and Arthur's expert piloting skills, there were few close calls and no emergency landings. In the end, the group returned to Asgard without incident.
The Spaceship landed on the Bifrost, and only three figures emerged: Arthur, Thor, and Mordo.
After a final farewell with Mordo, Heimdall assisted in sending him directly to Kamar-Taj.
For him, this journey was complete... but the outcome was far from satisfactory.
The outward journey had been glorious and unstoppable, fueled by an eagerness to fight.
When they returned, most were still dazed, and it took days for most to fully grasp the outcome of their journey, even Arthur himself.
The remaining members, along with the Spaceship, were transported directly to Camp Lehigh via the Bifrost.
Throughout their return journey, information from Earth constantly streamed before Arthur and his companions.
On Earth, under the leadership of Tony and Natasha, the "Operation Hydra Strike" had launched with full force!
Their mission: to crush Hydra!
Fury's final decision, which intelligence network SHIELD's information would flow through, was entirely filtered and received by Natasha. Combined with Camp Lehigh's existing knowledge of Hydra, their intelligence advantage was undeniable.
This left Hydra, hidden on Earth, exposed like a mosquito under a magnifying glass, with nowhere left to hide.
Tony and Natasha's relentless attacks had left him nearly numb. But to prevent any unforeseen incidents, most of the team still needed to join the fray. After all, the closer they got to the end, the more likely the enemy was to retaliate.
Who knew what these lunatics, who had tried to destroy the world more than once, might do in their final moments?
On another note, Hawkeye had fully integrated into Camp Lehigh's ranks, becoming one of Arthur's partners.
However, he still hadn't met Arthur in person. His impression of Arthur remained that of the crazy guy with the giant sword, shouting "Moon Fang Heaven Strike!"
This perception hadn't changed even after he learned Arthur's true appearance.
Arthur had remained in Asgard for two reasons.
First, Loki's mess needed Arthur's help to sort out with Thor. There were many matters Thor couldn't decide on his own, requiring Arthur's consultation.
Besides this, Arthur wanted to meet the massive 'Dwarves'.
Leaving the Disassembler idle when it was ready to function at any moment was not a quality a Disassembler host should possess.
After being idle for so long, Arthur was eager to find a batch of good items to disassemble properly.
Of course, Asgard's treasury would be the best choice, but Thor would likely refuse. Otherwise, his mighty hammer would have been lost long ago.
Returning to the Golden Palace with Thor, the iron-willed warrior gazed at the throne high above, a hint of confusion in his eyes, and fell into a long silence.
Arthur patted his shoulder and said, "Now, you're the only one we can rely on here."
"I know..." Thor murmured, "I've always known..."
(End Of This Chapter)
This work is finished; you can read all the advanced chapters on my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GGS6395