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Morning!
Arthur stretched his arms and climbed out of bed. Though his body had long surpassed human limits, and he could survive for extended periods without sleep, the mental fatigue of travel still accumulated. Even if there were no apparent issues on the surface, neglecting rest and recovery could become a significant hidden danger in the future.
After arriving in Asgard yesterday, Arthur had not only stayed up late chatting with Thor, offering comfort and encouragement to the giant, which rekindled his enthusiasm for the future. Back at his residence, he had also spent a long time chatting with Lily.
Arthur naturally felt guilty for not contacting his girlfriend for so long.
Only Lily could understand Arthur's situation. If it were anyone else, they would probably have gone mad long ago.
Even so, Lily still had some complaints. When she returned home, the place was cold and empty, the chill almost reminding her of the time her parents had passed away, leaving her alone in that house.
Desolate, helpless, she tried to escape.
But the thought that Arthur would always return brought a smile back to her face.
Then Lily and Arthur discussed her work. She explained that her company's leadership highly valued her, and she was already earning a substantial salary despite just joining.
She planned to make a name for herself in her future career, fully utilizing her skills and knowledge.
Of course, Lily still felt a pang of regret for not becoming a pure artist. But as long as Arthur was by her side, she could accept anything.
Through phone calls, texts, and messages, they carefully read between the lines, feeling each other's warmth and affection. Arthur even wished he could immediately return to Earth and be with Lily.
But... it was just an impulsive thought, not something he acted on.
He had matters to handle in Asgard, and recently, he needed to find a way to visit the Treasure Vault and search for items worth Disassembling.
With his current status, as long as he didn't try to empty the vault entirely, Thor would surely let him take a few items, wouldn't he?
Three days!
For three full days, Arthur and Thor were utterly swamped.
Some things might have seemed empty, as if there was nothing to do. But once they actually started working, they discovered countless tasks awaiting them—a tangled demon with a thousand threads, eager for battle.
Loki's departure left behind numerous minor but irritating problems.
Moreover, during his reign, he had enacted several nonsensical policies, primarily to indulge his own amusement.
Harmless yet utterly pointless, they served no purpose other than wasting resources and burdening the people.
Naturally, all of them had to be overturned.
Thor was currently handling these matters as the prince, explaining to others that Odin had gone on vacation, leaving most responsibilities to Thor with Arthur as his assistant.
With Arthur's endorsement, no one suspected any dark conspiracies like "parricide" or "usurpation."
Overall, Asgard was now stable and gradually becoming more so, poised to grow even stronger.
Arthur had some ideas that required the aid of the Asgardian gods. He hadn't been able to discuss them before, but once Thor solidified his position and Odin officially issued a royal decree of succession, those plans would inevitably be set in motion.
At the entrance to the Treasure Vault!
Two Einherjar bowed to Arthur and Thor. Thor turned to Arthur and asked, "Do you want me to accompany you inside?"
Arthur smiled. "If you trust me, I'll go alone. If you don't, we can go together."
"...I have no reason not to trust you," Thor replied. "I just don't understand how these things are helping you so much. Or, if there's something truly useful, you could teach me, explain it to me... The power of mere treasures is ultimately limited. Yet you seem to be growing stronger and stronger by using them. Fine, I admit it: I have no idea how you're progressing."
Thor's voice trailed off, his expression dazed.
He remembered when Arthur had been nothing more than a slightly stronger-than-average human. He possessed some special abilities, but nothing remotely as terrifying as his current power.
As time passed, Arthur had not only mastered one strange energy skill after another but also surpassed Thor himself in physical prowess.
In terms of defense alone, Thor doubted he could match Arthur anymore.
Arthur chuckled. "If you want to learn, I can teach you. But I'll only teach you how to use it. How you acquire it is up to you. Besides, didn't you say you weren't interested in Magic?"
"You dare call what you wield Magic?" Thor rolled his eyes. "Fine, go ahead. I have plenty of things waiting for me at my desk... Also, to fulfill your request, the Bifrost is ready. We can leave for the Dwarves' realm anytime."
Arthur nodded contentedly.
Asgard's Treasure Vault, plus the Dwarves' Workshop, and all sorts of Disassemble materials awaited him.
As he walked inside, Arthur murmured to the Disassembler, "This time, I'll make sure you eat your fill."
Once inside the Treasure Vault, Arthur didn't bother with anything else. He went straight for the Casket of Ancient Winters!
This treasure of the Frost Giants was something he'd considered choosing back then. If he hadn't found Thoth's Pen and felt it would be more useful to him, he might have chosen the Casket of Ancient Winters instead.
Arthur, familiar with the route, arrived at his destination and let out a soft sigh as he gazed at the Casket of Ancient Winters before him.
A prompt from the Disassembler appeared. Arthur selected the "Disassemble" option, and the Casket of Ancient Winters vanished into his palm.
His primary reason for choosing this wasn't the frozen power it contained, but rather the vast energy it held.
Energy was the fundamental essence of all things!
As the Disassembler began to disassemble the Casket of Ancient Winters, Arthur wandered through the Treasure Vault, searching for items that weren't particularly powerful but were rich in inherent energy, to collect and disassemble.
This was a delicate task. He couldn't empty the Treasure Vault entirely, especially not leaving behind enough precious treasures. Otherwise, if he simply disassembled everything he found, Thor would likely come after him with a vengeance...
(End Of This Chapter)