Hearing this, Thanos' face grew even darker. He sneered coldly:
"There must be some mistake."
"The Infinity Stones that were supposed to be mine… how could they end up in the hands of this man?"
No wonder Corvus died at his hands!
Proxima Midnight gritted her teeth:
"He must have used the power of the Infinity Stones! Otherwise, how could he have destroyed our whole fleet with a single sword strike?"
In her mind, only the universe's treasures—the Infinity Stones—could explain such divine retribution-level power.
Thanos ignored her guess, turning to his most powerful advisor:
"Ebony Maw. What do you think we should do?"
Faced with this mysterious enemy possessing multiple powerful identities and at least three Infinity Stones, even someone as arrogant as Thanos had to be cautious.
Ebony Maw thought deeply, mind racing. After a while, he spoke:
"Master, from the video sent by General Corvus before his death, aside from the Infinity Stones, Lucci's personal power must not be underestimated."
"The beams from his eyes easily pierced Corvus's body—this type of power is god-king level."
"Moreover, Odin stands behind him."
"To attack Asgard directly, even if victorious, would come at a great price and could derail our plan to collect the other stones. Thus… a frontal assault is our last resort."
Thanos nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.
A cold light flashed in Ebony Maw's eyes:
"But… no fortress, no matter how strong, can withstand a breach from within."
"Remember, before Surtur, Odin actually had… an eldest daughter, who once fought alongside him and built the Nine Realms for Asgard… The Goddess of Death!"
"Her name… is Hela."
"She was said to have power equal to Odin's, but was later sealed away by Odin himself after a falling out."
At the mention of "Hela," Thanos' deep eyes suddenly shone with dazzling light!
"Oh? You mean… using one's own force?"
"Exactly!" Ebony Maw's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Imagine, if this vengeful Goddess of Death were released!"
"All of Asgard would fall into unprecedented civil strife! Odin would be too occupied to mind himself, and Lucci would inevitably be recalled! We could sit on the mountain and watch them fight!"
"We'd not only easily seize those three Infinity Stones, but maybe even… all of Asgard itself!"
Thanos was very pleased by this scheme. But Ebony Maw added:
"However, Master, there's one crucial issue."
"That's Odin. As long as he sits in Asgard, with god-king power, even Supergiant would struggle to break Hela's seal in secret."
"So…" Ebony Maw looked at Thanos respectfully.
"We need… an opportunity. A chance to lure Odin out of Asgard!"
"And in this universe, only you, my lord, can do that."
Take action himself to lure Odin away? Rather than anger, Thanos laughed. Raising his gauntleted hand, feeling the earth-shaking power of the Power Stone, his eyes brimmed with peerless confidence and fighting spirit!
"Perfect. I'd like to test just how strong this Power Stone really is!"
"Then, go fetch Odin… let's begin!"
Thanos gave the order via his communicator:
"Supergiant, go challenge Odin, King of the Gods of Asgard, for me!"
"Tell him Thanos wishes to duel, to decide the future ownership of the Nine Realms!"
…
Asgard, Hall of the God King
Odin was preparing to deal with affairs of the Nine Realms, when suddenly, as he approached his throne, his movement stopped.
On the throne lay a black, cube-shaped device filled with unfamiliar, cold technology. It sat quietly, emitting no energy fluctuation, yet Odin's face instantly darkened!
This was the God King's Hall! The most heavily guarded, secure core of all Asgard! Something had been placed on his throne, unnoticed by guards—or even himself?
He summoned Gungnir, gently tapping the device with the spear's tip.
Buzz—
The device activated, projecting a dark-purple hologram before him—a tall, ugly, purple figure. Thanos!
"Odin,"
The holographic Thanos sat upon a throne, voice low and brimming with unquestionable dominance.
"I heard you were once conqueror of the Nine Worlds, a famous ruler of the universe."
"But now, you hide in Asgard, a decrepit old man content with pleasure."
"I, Thanos, have come to challenge you!"
"In ten cosmic days, at coordinates XX-XX-XX on a barren planet, you and I will duel to decide the future of the Nine Worlds!"
"If you lack the courage, I will enter your fairy palace myself and take what I want!"
With that, the projection instantly vanished. The black device turned to a wisp of green smoke and self-destructed.
A deathly silence fell over the God King's Hall. Odin's face turned blue with rage!
"Thor! Loki! And Heimdall, come here!"
Odin's roar echoed through Asgard. Soon, Thor and Loki rushed in.
"Father, what happened?" Thor asked, confused by Odin's rare fury.
Odin fixed them with a lightning-bright eye, then sternly questioned Loki:
"Loki! Was this one of your pranks?"
"Me?"
Loki immediately protested his innocence.
"Father! I've been well-behaved lately, haven't even left the palace! And I'd never dare joke about Thanos!"
Odin scrutinized Loki's unadorned expression, then looked to the approaching Heimdall.
"Heimdall! Did your all-seeing eye spot any intruder in my hall?"
Heimdall knelt and replied in a low voice:
"Your Majesty, my eyes saw no intruder. But… please forgive me… let me look back in time."
Saying so, his golden eyes flashed with light, time rapidly rewinding before them. After a moment, he opened his eyes, a hint of fear on his face.
"Your Majesty, I saw… just moments ago… a nearly transparent, almost unnoticeable figure slipped into the God King's Hall, placed it, and left."
A transparent figure? Odin instantly thought of a name—Supergiant! Thanos' stealth-assassin!
So this was a direct challenge from Thanos!
"How could this be real?" Thor was furious, lifting Mjolnir, the hammer's head crackling with lightning.
"That mad Titan, does he think he's something? He dares challenge you, father? Let me fight this battle! I'll crush that ugly head myself!"
"No! That won't do." Heimdall interjected, "All-Father, Thanos must have a scheme. Plus, Corvus just fell to Prince Lucci. For Thanos to challenge you now, the timing is too odd. I suggest you consult Prince Lucci first."
But upon hearing this, Odin suddenly looked up and laughed!
"Ha ha…"
His one-eyed gaze swept over Thor and Heimdall, then he said,
"What's this? In your hearts, as God King… even a duel must be fought by someone else, even decisions require others' counsel?"
"Father! That's not what we meant!" Thor hastily explained.
"All-Father, please don't misunderstand! That wasn't our intention!" Heimdall also bowed in fear.
Odin waved a hand and rose from the throne, revealing supreme divine power that had ruled the world for millennia!
"If Thanos wants to challenge someone, he'll face me—Odin! King of Asgard!"
His voice rang out, full of unwavering resolve.
"If I avoid this fight, won't the whole universe laugh at Asgard?"
"I will go to this battle myself!"
Then, in a very serious tone, he commanded Thor, Loki, and Heimdall:
"And from now on, none of you may speak of this to anyone! Especially… Lucci!"
He knew Thanos' true aim was the Infinity Stones in Lucci's hands. Odin was ready to face this threat himself—a father's decision and responsibility!
Moreover… Odin's eyes shone with fighting spirit. For years, he had been training the "Secret Codex of Divine Power Refinement" learned from Lucci. Not only had his waning god-power returned to its peak, it had even surpassed it! Now, he was looking for a worthy opponent to test this new strength. Thanos' challenge came at just the right time!
…
After instructing Thor and the others, Odin quietly left Asgard alone, unnoticed, and departed for the barren planet Thanos designated.
Meanwhile, Thor, following his father's orders, went to Queen Frigga's palace. He pretended to chat casually, making sure she didn't notice Odin's absence. Frigga watched her slightly reckless but bright and affectionate son, her face warm and peaceful.
But at this moment—
Boom—
A dull, thunderous sound came from deep beneath Asgard! The entire splendid palace trembled violently, as if some ancient beast, sealed for eons, had suddenly stirred underground!
"What's wrong?" Thor's smile froze instantly. He leapt up, expression changing. He could sense the shock was not from an external attack, but… from within Asgard itself! As if something long suppressed had awakened!
He rushed to check, but before he could reach the doors, they burst open! Loki stumbled in, panic overtaking all his usual elegance and composure.
"Thor! Oh no! Something big happened!"
"Calm down, Loki! What happened?" Thor frowned.
Loki pointed at the God King's Hall, voice trembling with fear:
"Just now… beneath the God King's temple… a thick, unmelting black smoke suddenly rose!"
"Then… it condensed into a… a woman!"
Before Thor could process this, Frigga's face went pale at Loki's words! She accidentally knocked over her teacup, exclaiming in disbelief,
"Hela? She… she's free?!"
"Hela?"
Thor and Loki were both stunned, turning to each other in confusion.
"Who's that?"
Frigga looked at her two sons' blank faces, her eyes flashing with complexity—pain, guilt, and… deep worry. She realized that things had reached a point where the secret she and Odin had hidden for years could no longer be concealed.
She took a deep breath and spoke heavily to her sons:
"Hela… she is your… sister."
"Sister?"
Thor and Loki were utterly shocked!
They had a sister? How was that possible? After all these years, they never knew?
"Yes."
Frigga nodded painfully.
"Hela is not only your sister, but also Asgard's former… first crown princess, the Goddess of Death."
She looked at her sons' stunned faces and began to recount the dusty, dark past.
"Before you were born, Hela was your father's most powerful general and his proudest daughter. She fought at his side, conquering north and south, and with death and iron, won Asgard great fame across the Nine Realms."
"But," Frigga's tone turned helpless and sorrowful, "as Asgard expanded, so too did her ambition. She was no longer satisfied with the Nine Realms, but aimed to conquer the entire universe! Her methods grew ever bloodier and crueler… only death and conquest filled her heart, no humanity at all."
"Your father tried many times to persuade her, but failed. In the end, he realized the executor he'd created was about to become uncontrollable."
"For the sake of the Nine Realms' peace, for your father's sake… he had to seal her beneath the God King's Hall himself."
"But unexpectedly, after so many years, she has now… emerged!"
After hearing their mother's story, Thor and Loki struggled to recover from the shock of such enormous revelations. They never imagined Asgard's past was so dark. They really had a terrifying sister!
Thor reacted, turning eagerly to Loki:
"So… Hela! Where is she now?"
Such a dangerous figure could not be allowed to roam Asgard unchecked!
Loki gulped:
"As soon as she emerged, she took a few guards and inquired about the situation in Asgard. When she learned the current crown prince Lucci was away… she headed straight for Midgard!"
"What? She went to find Lucci?"
Upon hearing this, Thor's tense nerves relaxed. Letting out a long sigh of relief, his expression softened.
"No problem then," he said. In his view, for anyone who could match Lucci's power, a newly unsealed "sister" was no threat.
But Frigga's face grew even more anxious!
"Thor! It's not as simple as you think!"
"You have no idea how terrifying Hela truly is!"