Go with you...?
Listening to Frigga's teasing, Heisenberg sighed softly.
The Queen of Asgard really knew how to lighten the mood. Those in the know would realize he was going with her to obtain the power of the runes. Anyone who didn't might think she was leading him on some holy pilgrimage.
Seriously though...
Heisenberg swallowed and shook his head. No matter how beautiful the Queen was, he was not about to play the part of a widower.
So he composed his expression, acting as if Frigga had never teased him at all, and followed her deeper into the treasure vault of Asgard's palace.
As they walked, Frigga quietly introduced the nearby artifacts to Heisenberg.
"That is the Infinity Gauntlet. It's said that Odin once used it to collect five Infinity Stones, though I'm not entirely certain. After all, I am only a little over three thousand years old, still quite young. Odin collected the stones roughly five thousand years ago."
"Yes, I've heard of that."
Heisenberg nodded and casually pulled out Thanos's double-bladed greatsword.
"I killed Thanos in the future and heard that piece of history from his own mouth. Odin defeated him."
"Oh?" Frigga looked slightly surprised. "I didn't know you had such an experience. But Thanos..."
"Don't worry. It's currently Earth's year 2012, and in our universe, by 2014 Thanos will head to a parallel universe looking for me, only to meet his end."
Heisenberg smiled and stuffed the greatsword back into his pocket.
Frigga, ever wise, instantly grasped the meaning behind his words and nodded in understanding.
"Well then, it seems we won't need to wage a full-scale war against Thanos after all. His fate will be sealed in just two years."
"Exactly."
Heisenberg agreed, his gaze drifting toward a ball of flame burning not far away.
Noticing his attention, Frigga quietly explained.
"The Eternal Flame of Surtur, the very core of his divine power. In countless prophecies, Surtur is the destroyer of Asgard and one of the executors of Ragnarok. So, long ago, Odin seized his core and locked it in the vault, hoping to delay Ragnarok just a little longer."
As she spoke, Frigga waved her hand and used magic to open the portal to the World Tree.
Heisenberg passed by the Eternal Flame and followed Frigga through the magically concealed gateway.
In the blink of an eye, he arrived in a completely different space.
What lay before him was not a tree at all, at least not in the conventional sense of the word.
What Heisenberg saw was clearly a chaotic river of wormholes connecting countless points in spacetime. At the center of this vast and majestic cluster of wormholes were innumerable fragments of spacetime, clustered together like shattered glass.
Seeing Heisenberg's astonishment, Frigga pursed her lips.
"Legend says the World Tree is a colossal tree that upholds the Nine Realms, but in reality, it is a chaotic yet strangely ordered high-intensity energy source that links all nine realms. The Bifrost draws upon the World Tree's energy to achieve large-scale, long-distance teleportation for battle. And both the runic power of the Aesir and the light-energy technology of Asgard are derived from their study of the World Tree."
As she spoke, Frigga extended her hand and gently took hold of Heisenberg's right hand.
"My King, allow me to guide your movements. Do not resist my direction."
Invisible energy gradually entwined around his right hand. Passively, he reached out and gently pressed his palm onto the stone altar before the World Tree.
The moment his hand landed on the stone, the spacetime energy source ahead instantly began to surge.
Watching the energy churn as if in an explosion, Frigga gazed on with reverence, her lips parting.
"This is truly incredible. Your potential makes the World Tree exceptionally excited. When I received my rune in the past, the World Tree was as still as a pool of stagnant water. You are uniquely gifted."
She spoke with deep admiration, then placed her hand beside Heisenberg's.
A moment later, a dark, murky energy emerged before Frigga, extending and linking toward the World Tree.
"That is my Rune of Love. Because I am not of the Aesir, I cannot fully command the power of the runes. You may encounter similar difficulties, but your foundation far surpasses mine. No matter what, the rune you bear is destined to shine far brighter than my own."
Thump!
The instant Frigga finished speaking, Heisenberg's heart gave a violent lurch.
Immediately after, an energy completely invisible to him silently surged into his heart.
In a brief moment, two drops of sweat seeped from Heisenberg's body, which normally never perspired. He truly felt as if a miniature sun had been placed inside his chest. He even felt as though he had gained a source of infinite power.
That was merely an illusion, of course. But the Asgardian rune truly contained the power of the sun, and that power could genuinely enhance the strength of a Kryptonian.
This realization quickly set Heisenberg's mind racing. It seemed that traveling to worlds inhabited by gods and plundering solar godhoods could become yet another regular method for him to grow stronger. Who would have thought that a Kryptonian's body could indeed be enhanced by the divine positions of the sun gods from Earth's mythological systems?
"Alright, my King. You may withdraw your hand now."
Seeing Heisenberg immersed in the sensation of power, Frigga offered a quiet reminder.
Heisenberg nodded and slowly drew his hand back to his chest. He clenched his fist hard, and the air let out an explosive crack. Veins bulged on his right hand. His heart's ability to pump blood had grown at least twofold. At the same time, his absorption rate for solar radiation had increased by at least three times compared to before. The path to becoming the golden Superman had just shortened significantly.
But it still wasn't perfect. After all, the runes of the Aesir were tailored to the bloodline and physique of the Aesir. So, Heisenberg had to make some fine adjustments to this new rune.
He called out to the System in his mind.
Naturally, he couldn't adjust his own Kryptonian God bloodline. That was a precious bloodline that could lead directly to higher-dimensional life. So, if the rune wouldn't adapt to him, then he'd just have to make it adapt instead.
"System, adjust the Aesir Sun Rune to a state compatible with my physique."
[Received. A total of 3,420,000 units of Origin Materials are required.]
"Alright."
The price wasn't cheap, but it was acceptable. After all, the runic power of the Aesir had the potential to reach at least the multiversal level! The Thor in the comics had once used the Rune King state to put an end to the doom of Ragnarok itself.
As the System modified the Sun Rune, boundless flames suddenly erupted from the surface of Heisenberg's body.
The blaze made Frigga stagger back several steps in shock. She stared dumbfounded, her mouth hanging open. She murmured in disbelief.
"You... you've already awakened it? This... how is this possible?!"
...
At the same time, on Earth, Norway.
Thor and Loki stood to the left and right of their father, supporting him.
The three of them stood beside a lighthouse on the coast. Odin said nothing, simply gazing at the deep ocean in the distance.
Loki looked at his adoptive father. Even now, he still didn't understand. Since Odin was so powerful, why had he allowed Loki to carry out all those little schemes over the years? The reality was slowly dawning on Loki: no matter how much he resented Odin, Odin had truly loved him. Even if that love was something he could hardly bear and caused him lifelong pain.
As for Thor, the poor God of Thunder's mind was a complete mess right now. He looked at Odin, wanting to speak but unable to get the words out. His mouth opened again and again, only to close each time, as if countless words were hidden just behind his lips.
Odin gazed at the ocean while watching both his sons from the corner of his eye. Only after more than ten minutes had passed did he shake his head in resignation.
"Both of you... have disappointed me greatly."
At these words, Thor and Loki immediately lowered their heads in shame.
Odin continued to softly reprimand them.
"Thor, I always hoped you would be brave and decisive enough. Only then would you be worthy to face the doom of Ragnarok. But you mixed bravery with decisiveness and turned two fine qualities into a wretched flaw. Recklessness."
Hearing Odin's assessment, Thor instinctively raised his head, as if to argue.
But the very next second, he lowered it again weakly, because he knew all too well that Odin was right. After enduring countless setbacks, he had finally gained the wisdom to see the world clearly. It was only a shame that his wisdom had come far too late.
After finishing with Thor, Odin turned his head toward Loki and scolded him softly.
"As for you, Loki, do you even understand what it means to be a king of gods? A king, even in defeat, should bear it himself rather than place his hopes of victory on others. The moment you chose to cooperate with Thanos, and the moment you chose to serve Heisenberg, you completely lost the qualifications to be a king. This is Asgard, the Nine Realms, not some mortal game of thrones. Mortals can rely on lies, deceit, and even betrayal to expand their power. But above the Nine Realms, before the throne of the King of Gods, power is nothing but the purest strength. Thor does not have your cunning, so I hoped he would be decisive enough. That way, even if he was truly foolish, he would not hesitate or falter. And you, you possess plenty of intellect, so I would rather you had been reckless enough. Then you would not have fallen from a god worthy of inheriting the throne into a mere servant who follows orders."
At this point, Odin let out a long sigh.
"Forget it. As things stand, neither of you needs to sit upon that accursed throne anymore. In this way, even as I am about to die, I no longer need to worry about your future fates. I... I fear I truly am a poor father. Otherwise, at a time like this, I should be sharing happy memories with you. That way, after I am gone, you might still keep this old man in your hearts. Ah..."
Odin sighed one last time. His body gradually began to scatter, continually transforming into thunder and flecks of light, slowly fading away between the two of them.
Tears immediately streamed down Thor's face, and Loki's expression was far from calm either.
Then, at the final moment, Odin spoke to them.
"Go now, my children, and do not be burdened. For the one who once restrained you has now found the finest resting place. A glorious battle and a death on the field of war. I have lived out my final moments as a true Aesir. This is the life I sought. And both of you, go and pursue the lives you desire. Thor, I will no longer stand in the way of your love for the mortal girl. Loki, I will no longer scold you for the little things of the past. Find a beloved, like Thor. Have a few children, and experience the taste of being a father. I love you both..."
/-\
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