Even if he dodged the black hole, could he dodge that cold current?
One must know that even Surtur, after absorbing the Eternal Flame, couldn't break free from the seal immediately.
Odin was deep in thought when he suddenly startled awake.
He realized that the power Aaron wielded already surpassed his own as the All-Father and King of Gods!
If Aaron wished, Asgard could be wiped out with a mere lift of his hand!
What was even more terrifying was that Odin didn't know if Aaron was using his own power or simply the power of that armor… Chapter 71: Aaron, All-Father? The Norn Queen!
"All-Father… Muspelheim…"
After a long silence, Heimdall came to his senses, his golden eyes sweeping over the annihilated royal court and the tens of millions of dead and wounded Fire Giants, especially the extremely regular hemispherical abyss.
His words were filled with hesitation.
Since the war with the Dark Elves, this was probably the most brutal conflict.
The Fire Giant King was utterly destroyed, and the fire demons and fire dragons suffered heavy losses.
It was simply too brutal!
The Fire Giants were truly on the verge of extinction.
"Until tomorrow, Aaron is not one of us Asgardians, is he?"
Odin collected himself and pondered for a moment.
"Announce everything that happened here to the Nine Realms!"
"Because Surtur unilaterally broke the agreement, the great son of Bor, Vice-Regent of Asgard, Master of Storms, Controller of Flames, Ripper of Space, Wielder of Ice, Overseer of All Things, Celestial, Destroyer of Muspelheim, and King of the Crystal Palace, Aaron, returned the Eternal Flame to its rightful owner and slaughtered the Eternal Surtur in his royal court!"
Odin spoke expressionlessly.
Thor listened, his blood boiling. What kind of glory was this? What kind of valor!
With so many noble and powerful titles converging on one person, Aaron was undoubtedly the greatest being after Odin!
That was Surtur at his peak, surrounded by countless fire demons and fire dragons!
But Aaron, in the time it took for a casual chat, forcefully slew him!
Such a magnificent feat was worthy of being sung for tens of thousands of years!
He could already imagine the stories that bards would tell in future feasts and taverns.
Thor was filled with envy, jealousy, and admiration!
But he understood that this was Aaron's well-deserved glory.
If Thor had gone himself, he had no confidence whatsoever in defeating the Eternal Surtur, who could effortlessly cleave mountains and rivers and whose roar could shake the heavens!
However, this did not prevent Thor from being proud of Aaron.
Because Aaron was his uncle!
Father, Zeus, I'm sorry, but from now on, the person I admire most might just be Aaron.
Thor joyfully told his companions everything that had happened in Muspelheim.
He also intended to go to the taverns to let everyone know about Aaron's magnificent feat.
This was not comparable to Volstagg killing a few beasts or Fandral fighting a dozen enemies from Nornheim alone.
Many noble ladies and gentlewomen would likely be sleepless tonight.
Heimdall, meanwhile, was responsible for delivering the announcement to Nidavellir, Alfheim, Norheim, and other places.
Of course, one of the most important places was Jotunheim, to the Frost Giant Laufey.
Loki, upon hearing this, took it upon himself to handle it, deciding to go personally.
After all, that was his true father, even though Loki didn't acknowledge him and even wanted to eliminate him for the greater good, proving his love for Asgard.
Loki replicated a projection and went alone to Jotunheim.
This was a celebration for his uncle Aaron, so he naturally had to handle it perfectly.
Originally,
Laufey was indifferent to Loki's arrival; even though he knew Loki was also a Frost Giant, and his own abandoned child, he still didn't consider him one of his own.
"If you're here to invite me to some ridiculous celestial feast, then you can leave. I will absolutely not go to Asgard, absolutely not!"
"Not even if it kills you?" Loki smiled confidently.
Laufey immediately laughed upon hearing this, "Look around, this is Jotunheim!"
Loki proudly raised his head, "Is that so? But in my uncle's eyes, you are nothing but a bunch of withered bones in a tomb!"
"Loki! You are too presumptuous! Do you think you are Odin…"
Just as Laufey was about to say something, Loki raised his hand and cast a projection spell.
Surtur's terrifying titan-like figure instantly drew the attention of all the Frost Giants.
Laufey, in particular, looked at Surtur's appearance and immediately became uncertain.
"Surtur's Eternal Flame…"
"Yes, my uncle returned the Eternal Flame to Surtur. This is Asgard's sincerity." Loki smiled.
Laufey's expression tightened as he watched the scene: Aaron pressed a flame onto Surtur's face, and his eyelids twitched slightly.
Are you telling me this is sincerity? Whose sincerity is it that gets shoved in someone's face?!
Laufey saw through Loki's lie; at least Surtur regaining his power was true.
He had to admit, even with the Casket of Ancient Winters, he would struggle to contend with the Eternal Surtur.
He was not the progenitor of the Frost Giants; his bloodline was incomplete, and his giant-size ability alone was far inferior to Surtur's.
Moreover, he couldn't absorb and strengthen himself with the power of the Casket of Ancient Winters, putting him a step below Surtur from the start.
"You Asgardians are truly reckless, daring to give the Eternal Flame to Surtur. Does Odin intend to clear a problem for you with his life before he dies?"
Laufey sneered; he knew Odin was nearing his end and patiently waited.
The moment Odin died would be the day the Frost Giants invaded Asgard.
Neither Thor, the heir, nor Loki, did he take seriously.
Even without the Casket of Ancient Winters, Laufey was confident he could defeat an Asgard that was complacent in its past glory, with lax military readiness and weakened combat power!
Look, a battle that should have been resolved in a few days, they would spend a month eating and celebrating.
Every year, they repeated localized peacekeeping wars, merely dealing with a few minor characters, yet they would boast about it for several years.
How could such an Asgard be an opponent to the Frost Giants, who lived in harsh, cold lands, harbored deep hatred in their hearts, and diligently practiced their martial arts day after day?
All he had to do was outlive Odin.
Until… Laufey suddenly stood up.
He saw
Aaron instantly freeze Surtur!
Even the flames of the Eternal Flame couldn't melt the extreme cold!
He saw
Aaron stand on Surtur's head, devouring him with strange spatial power.
He saw
Aaron conjure a black hole with a raised hand, annihilating Surtur into nothingness!
Then, on the land of Muspelheim, he left a bottomless sphere!
The Fire Giants suffered heavy casualties.
The Eternal Surtur was utterly annihilated!
Aaron, however, left the battlefield unscathed.
"Loki, what are you trying to do? Use ridiculous magic to deceive the Frost Giants?"
"What, is this all Asgard is capable of now?"
Laufey sneered on the surface, but his hands, hidden behind his back, were tightly clenched, his heart filled with terror.
The Frost Giants surrounding Loki watched as the mighty Surtur vanished like a phantom, amidst desperate, thunderous wails.
These ice demons were all genuinely terrified.
Especially when they looked at the man in the image, vaguely overlapping with Odin.
No, he was a hundred times more terrifying than Odin!
The Frost Giants looked at each other, then in unison, turned to Laufey, gesturing and muttering.
As if saying: such a big Surtur lasted three seconds, how long can our tiny leader last? Half a second?!
Laufey's face darkened, and he took a few steps down from the platform.
Not much taller than Loki… Loki smiled faintly: "I believe the dignified Frost Realm has the means to verify its authenticity."
"My words are final."
"Tomorrow is the celebration for my closest uncle, Aaron, returning home. Every living being in the Nine Realms must attend the ceremony!"
"Laufey, my uncle is very kind and gentle, and he's very reasonable. He will absolutely not intentionally pay attention to who attends the ceremony or who sends gifts, but he will definitely remember who doesn't attend, understand?"
Loki was smiling. Laufey really wanted to punch him to show him a father's care.
But Laufey endured it!
After all, Loki's body flowed with his blood.
Even after living in Asgard for a thousand years, it couldn't erase the familial bond born deep within his bloodline.
As a father, Laufey felt it necessary to make up for a thousand years of delayed care and love. For Loki's sake, this Asgardian ceremony of showing off might not be impossible to attend after all.
After all, everyone belonged to the small circle of the World Tree; they had always been one family from ancient times, and should live in harmony.
As the saying goes, a loving family, nothing more.
"Loki, go back and tell Odin, tomorrow… I will come!"
Laufey said the most unwilling words through gritted teeth.
There was no other way. Odin was old, and so was he.
Twenty-two-year-old Aaron had boundless potential and unfathomable strength.
He could outlive Odin, but he would definitely not outlive Aaron.
If he didn't retreat today, Aaron would make it so that the Frost Giants had nowhere to retreat tomorrow.
Muspelheim's today was Jotunheim's tomorrow.
Laufey took a deep breath, sitting dazed on the throne, not even knowing when the triumphant Loki had left.
His mind still echoed with the image of millions of Fire Giants and the Eternal Surtur being mercilessly erased.
Laufey couldn't help but roar upwards:
"I'm about to outlive one tyrannical king, only to usher in an even more tyrannical one… Ancestor of Giants above, this is unfair!!"
The next day,
Aaron, focused on cleansing the impurities, looked down at Sif, who was kneeling and admitting her mistake, and sighed.
"Sif, you are a Valkyrie who has received blessings!"
"Your performance in last night's battle was too disgraceful for a Valkyrie."
It turned out that the effect of a double sensory experience was somewhat too terrifying!
Sif, as a Valkyrie, under the unique double stimulation, became the second Felicia.