After a feast of Asgardian food and wine, Su Zhan returned to his room, ready to begin absorbing the Aether particles. At this stage, the Aether was still relatively stable. Although it slowly drained his energy, it was not enough to truly harm him, and he could recover with some rest. However, the process of truly fusing with the Aether was far from easy. Each attempt to absorb it was met with fierce resistance, making progress painfully slow. The Aether was not willing to be assimilated, and every time Su Zhan tried to draw on its power, he felt a sharp backlash. The pain was intense, and the struggle exhausting.
Looking at his current progress, Su Zhan realized he had no idea how long it would take to fully master the Aether. Without complete control, he could not use its power freely, and there was always the risk that Malekith could steal it back. The thought of all this effort going to waste made Su Zhan frown. He needed a solution—a container, something like the Infinity Gauntlet, that could safely hold the Aether and allow him to wield its energy without danger to himself.
"That kind of container is not easy to find," Su Zhan muttered. "It seems I'll have to think carefully about my next move."
Night fell quietly over Asgard, and Su Zhan spent his first night in the palace lost in thought, planning his next steps.
Early the next morning, Su Zhan woke up and decided to go out for a walk, hoping to see if the palace treasury was accessible. He thought, if he could take just one of the treasures back to Earth, he would have enough power to destroy a world.
Not long after leaving his room, Su Zhan noticed Sif and several others escorting prisoners of war. Among them was a massive figure wearing a helmet, his presence impossible to ignore.
"Things are moving quickly," Su Zhan thought, frowning slightly. He recognized the newcomer immediately. This was no ordinary prisoner. He was the first hand of Malekith, the only Cursed Warrior among the dark elves. The dark elves were clearly preparing to invade Asgard.
"It seems I have to hurry," Su Zhan whispered to himself and turned to leave.
The day before, he had deliberately scouted out the location of the palace treasury. He had not acted yet, but now he felt the urgency. Before heading to the treasury, he went to find Thor.
"You know who I am, and you should know some of my abilities," Su Zhan said directly to Thor.
Thor nodded.
"You know I can predict the future. It's not always reliable, but it's usually accurate. That's how I found the Aether in the Dark Realm. Just now, I sensed that the palace may be in danger," Su Zhan said quietly.
Thor frowned. "If you're joking, this isn't funny!"
"I wish it was just a joke. Malekith, the leader of the dark elves, is about to invade Asgard. Countless immortal soldiers will be killed, and the palace will be nearly destroyed. Believe me, Thor, I am not joking. You had better prepare!"
Thor clapped Su Zhan on the shoulder, thanking him for the warning, but it was clear he did not take it seriously. "Brother, thank you for your kind reminder, but if they dare to come, I will let them know the price of invading Asgard!"
Su Zhan could only sigh inwardly. Whether Thor believed him or not, he had done his duty by warning him.
At that moment, a harsh bell suddenly rang out. Thor's face changed instantly. "That's the warning bell of Asgard. Something has happened. I need to go. Stay safe!" With those words, Thor summoned his hammer and flew off.
Su Zhan shrugged and smiled. "The attack of the dark elves has begun. Now I have to hurry. Palace treasury, don't let me down!"
By this time, the prison was already in chaos. The Cursed Warrior had broken free, killing several palace guards and smashing open other cells to release the prisoners of war. The prisoners seized the opportunity to resist, turning the prison into a battleground.
Amid the chaos, the Cursed Warrior stopped in front of Loki's cell. Loki met his gaze with a calm, almost mocking expression. The Cursed Warrior seemed irritated but did not open Loki's cell. Instead, he turned and left.
"Hey, you better go to the left!" Loki called after him, his voice echoing down the corridor. The Cursed Warrior glanced back but said nothing before continuing on his rampage.
Not long after the Cursed Warrior left, Thor arrived, lightning crackling around him. He ordered the prisoners to return to their cells, but the riot was already out of control. The prisoners, emboldened by the chaos, refused to surrender, and another battle broke out.
Meanwhile, Malekith's warship slipped past Asgard's defenses, cloaked in invisibility. Heimdall, ever vigilant, noticed the intrusion but was unable to stop it. Small fighter ships launched from Malekith's vessel and began their attack, plunging Asgard into confusion and flames.
While the palace was engulfed in chaos, Su Zhan made his way to the treasury. The noise of battle echoed through the halls, but he remained focused on his goal. No matter what was happening outside, he was determined to seize this opportunity in Asgard.