It was unclear whether it was because Odin's time was running short, or Thor had truly matured, or perhaps because Asgard had just undergone tremendous upheaval.
After this heartfelt conversation, the relationship between Thor and Odin had clearly become much more harmonious than before.
Just over a month ago, Odin had angrily stripped Thor of his status as heir to the throne.
Now, with Thor's return—refined and renewed—Odin's perception had changed as well.
He began to fully treat Thor as the next king of Asgard, nurturing him accordingly.
Odin slowly began handing over various Asgardian affairs to Thor to handle himself.
Beyond conquest and battles, Odin also intentionally cultivated Thor's kingly qualities outside of combat.
Of course, both Odin and Thor placed great importance on the critical intelligence revealed in the journal.
However, considering Asgard's current state, aside from commanding Heimdall to search the universe for Loki, Odin could do little else.
News of the Bifrost's destruction would soon spread throughout the Nine Realms and nearby star systems.
It was clear that Asgard would soon face a truly massive mess.
Both Odin and Thor would have their hands full in the coming days.
And as it turned out, Odin's suspicions were correct.
Just three months later, the Nine Realms descended into utter chaos.
"The Frost Giants are rebuilding their home, but some radicals are plotting revenge against Asgard."
"Although Loki dealt a severe blow to Jotunheim, preventing them from consolidating power, it remains a major threat."
"Other forces are also stirring."
"The trolls have targeted the Dwarven forges and launched an attack."
"The primitive Badoon have erupted into civil war, lost in power struggles."
"Even the cosmic pirates are preparing to attack Vanaheim."
In the royal hall, Odin sat on the throne while Thor stood nearby, listening to Heimdall's report.
The atmosphere was tense and heavy.
Everyone had expected the Bifrost's destruction to bring chaos, but not to this magnitude.
Truly, it was a colossal mess.
Yet Odin remained calm and composed on the throne.
Indeed, the Nine Realms were in turmoil, but for Odin, it was also an opportunity.
He would soon die, and Thor would take his place as ruler of the Nine Realms.
However, the indisputable fact was that Thor was far from ready.
He could not yet command fear or respect across the realms.
This current chaos presented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Thor to assert his authority.
If Thor could successfully restore order, both the Nine Realms and the wider universe would recognize him as the rightful new king of Asgard.
This was why Odin had not considered immediately retrieving the Tesseract from Earth or repairing the Bifrost.
A far-sighted king indeed.
"Thor, what are your thoughts?"
Odin, unlike usual, did not issue commands but instead asked for Thor's opinion.
Thor, in turn, did not immediately fly into a rage, smashing everything in sight, but instead reflected deeply.
After careful consideration, he shared his thoughts and suggestions with Odin.
Though not perfect, Odin was pleased; at least Thor was thinking, not just reacting blindly.
Odin lightly "polished" Thor's ideas and entrusted him with full responsibility.
"Have you found Loki?"
After Thor departed, Odin asked Heimdall about this.
Though Loki was Odin's adopted son and Odin naturally favored Thor, his love for Loki was genuine.
He truly considered him one of his children.
Heimdall shook his head.
For three months, he had been monitoring Loki's movements but had found nothing.
"Loki inherited Queen Frigga's advanced magic. He can hide from even my sight."
"If he chooses to conceal himself, even I cannot locate him."
Heimdall paused, explaining this to Odin to comfort him, though he personally believed Loki was likely dead.
Odin merely nodded, silently contemplative, a trace of subtle melancholy flashing in his one eye.
Meanwhile, in the Triskelion, Nick Fury's one eye also gleamed—but unlike Odin's melancholy, Fury's was sharp and unyielding.
Over the past three months, Fury had meticulously gathered all possible information about Pierce: habits, preferences, routines, and networks.
With the Skrulls impersonating Pierce, even his recent memories were obtained, making the disguise flawless.
Fury decided the net was ready to be cast.
He no longer hesitated, pulling out a dedicated satellite phone and issuing commands.
Fury's secretly mobilized forces executed the plan flawlessly.
Meanwhile, an unsuspecting Pierce in his penthouse office remained oblivious, diligently working for HYDRA's cause.
"Sir, reliable intel shows Tony Stark has teamed up with Nick Fury."
"This may explain why our undercover agents keep being exposed. We know exactly what that playboy is capable of."
Pierce frowned, feeling uneasy.
Stark was a major problem.
The previous assassination attempt, seemingly perfect, had been foiled by none other than Stark.
The man simply would not die.
Now, Stark would likely uncover the secrets behind the Hulk incident.
With technology traces still present, the next phase of the plan was compromised, forcing Pierce into Fury's hands.
This was like shooting oneself in the foot.
It didn't end there.
Shiv's technology was proven fake, Captain America's serum supply was nearly depleted, yet Fury was detecting more and more.
HYDRA's recent streak of failures was evident.
Pierce massaged his temples and issued further orders to his senior operative.
"All right, you may go."
After dismissing the operative, Pierce leaned back, closing his eyes briefly.
Age had taken its toll; even mental work was exhausting.
Yet HYDRA's plans were not complete, so he could not relax.
After a short break, he sat upright and resumed his work.
At sunset, Pierce finally returned to his luxurious mansion.
He changed shoes, casually hung up his suit jacket, and went to the fridge for a bottle of iced tea.
Bang!
As soon as he closed the fridge and opened the bottle, his body tensed.
Though old, Pierce's elite training instincts were still intact.
He immediately sensed someone had broken into his house.
Whoosh!
The next moment, Pierce turned—and saw a figure sitting arrogantly on his sofa.
"Nick?"
Pierce froze.
He never expected the intruder to be Nick Fury!
"What's going on? How did you get in my house?"
Pierce masked his alarm with calm, though his mind was alert.
Fury clearly came with ill intent.
Was it about his HYDRA connections?
No way! Pierce had always thought he was careful, leaving no trace.
Yet Fury appeared like this—clearly the situation was unfavorable.
Pierce quietly activated a hidden signal transmitter—but Fury had already blocked all outgoing signals.
"Honestly, Pierce, I really didn't want to be here," Fury said.
"I also can't believe that the mastermind I've been clashing with for the past six months is you."
Fury slowly rose, expressing genuine exasperation.
Pierce immediately realized: Fury had uncovered his true identity.
This man was truly the best operative he had ever seen.
"This isn't personal—it's a matter of opposing sides," Pierce said calmly, taking a sip of iced tea.
Fury began approaching.
Pierce remained unflustered, curious. "Is this your plan? Kill me or secretly capture me?"
"Come on, Nick Fury—you should have more sophisticated methods," he added.
Given Pierce's status, such a crude approach could cause major trouble.
But what options did Fury have that could justify acting against someone of Pierce's rank? Pierce couldn't guess.
"You're too valuable to just be killed," Fury said coldly.
A notorious HYDRA leader could not die so easily.
Pierce held countless secrets, making him too valuable to eliminate.
"So you're going to arrest me? You should know what that implies."
"I have friends. If I disappear, do you think you can handle it?"
Pierce remained calm, analyzing the situation with Fury as if discussing someone else entirely.
"Stop stalling—your people won't come."
Fury pointed behind Pierce.
Pierce glanced back—Black Widow had silently appeared.
"Natalia, are you sure about this?"
"You should know what you're doing. Once we act, there's no turning back."
Pierce tried to shake her resolve, though he knew chances were slim.
"I know exactly what I'm doing."
Natasha swiftly injected Pierce with a syringe.
His eyelids grew heavy, and he collapsed.
Before losing consciousness, Pierce seemed to see another version of himself sitting on the sofa.
But the details were beyond his understanding—Fury left no chance.
After subduing Pierce, Fury secretly transported him to a classified base for containment.
Once the follow-up was secured, Fury finally exhaled in relief.
Three months of planning had culminated in total success!
The thorny HYDRA problem that had troubled Fury for so long was finally resolved.
Fury's mood could not have been better.
"Mission accomplished!"
Stretching his weary body, Fury was about to head home. But habitually, he checked Lin Feng's journal.
-----------------------
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