Su Zhan stood at the edge of a cliff in Svartalfheim, surrounded by endless darkness and jagged stone. He listened to the heavy, whistling wind sweeping through the realm. The oppressive air made each breath feel thick and heavy. He turned around and spotted a massive rock with a palm-sized gap at its base. From within the gap, a faint red glow pulsed as if something ancient and powerful were sealed inside.
"Aether," Su Zhan murmured, a smile of anticipation appearing on his lips. This was exactly what he had come for.
According to legend, the world was once ruled by dark elves until Asgardians waged war against them, wiping out the dark elves and restoring light. The Aether, also known as the Reality Stone, had been Malekith's weapon. Its power was so immense that it could not be destroyed; it could only be hidden deep in Svartalfheim. With the Aether, Malekith could plunge the universe into darkness. Now, Su Zhan stood in the very place where this legendary force had been buried.
He knew the Aether was incredibly dangerous. It inhabits a host's body and drains their energy. Su Zhan was not sure if his body could withstand it. The Extremis virus running through his veins gave him powerful regenerative abilities, but that might not be enough. His plan was to absorb the Aether into the system and slowly devour it, minimizing the risk.
However, the Aether was coveted by many. The Dark Elves, the Asgardians, and even Thanos would seek it out. Malekith, in particular, could sense its presence. Once Su Zhan took the Aether, Malekith would awaken and come after him. To avoid this, Su Zhan planned to immediately store the Aether in his system space, where not even Malekith could sense it.
He gazed at the swirling, liquid Aether and slowly reached out his hand. In an instant, the Aether surged forward, wrapping around his arm and entering his body. An overwhelming surge of power crashed through him, and he felt the Aether frantically absorbing his energy.
"Damn," he thought. He had expected the Aether to be powerful, but not this overpowering. Almost immediately, he felt his strength draining away. Before he could command the system to store the Aether, darkness claimed him, and he lost consciousness.
He did not know how much time had passed before he finally regained consciousness.
"It truly deserves to be one of the Infinity Stones. Its power is so immense that ordinary people could never possess it. No wonder Thanos needed the Infinity Gauntlet," Su Zhan muttered as he checked his condition.
The Aether had fused with his body and could no longer be removed. He felt slightly weak, but the Extremis virus seemed stronger than before. As long as he did not actively use the Aether's energy, there did not seem to be any immediate danger. That was a good sign.
"System, can you still put the Aether into the system space?" Su Zhan asked.
"Yes, but it will take some time," the system replied.
"Then do it," Su Zhan commanded. He had just released the Aether, so Malekith might have sensed it and could be awakening to reclaim it. Su Zhan needed to act quickly. If he could store it in system space, Malekith would lose his target.
Suddenly, Su Zhan sensed a powerful force approaching. A dazzling light appeared, and when Su Zhan saw it, he frowned in recognition. It was the teleportation array of Asgard.
The light faded, and a man with blond hair, clad in ornate armor and holding a hammer, appeared. It was Thor, The God of Thunder and Lightning
"System, wait! I have other plans!" Su Zhan quickly said.
Malekith was bound to come for the Aether, but Su Zhan needed time to absorb it fully. With Thor's arrival, he would likely take Su Zhan to Asgard. This was a rare opportunity. There might be benefits to visiting Asgard; at the very least, it would buy him time to finish absorbing the Aether.
With Thor's arrival, Malekith would likely take him to Asgard. This was a rare opportunity. There might be benefits to visiting Asgard; at the very least, it would buy him time to finish absorbing the Aether.