In any world, "a general charging solo through a thousand troops" was a legendary feat simply because the difficulty was astronomically high.
The failure rate far outweighed the success rate!
For example, in the video, Malekith personally leading an elite squad almost failed. Heimdall raised the shield just in time. If Malekith hadn't planted a sleeper agent (Kurse) to break through from the inside, the assault would have been impossible.
And if he hadn't broken through immediately, he would have been surrounded and annihilated by Asgard's fleet.
He would have died!
Even Odin hadn't dared to linger in Jotunheim when he rescued Thor, fearing he would be overwhelmed and killed.
Moreover, Malekith's personal combat power wasn't that impressive. He was completely suppressed by Queen Frigga. Given his lack of martial prowess, attempting such a reckless assault suggested he was out of his mind.
But then again, the stories Thor grew up hearing always portrayed the Dark Elves as deranged beings representing darkness, while the Nine Realms represented the light.
Regardless, it proved how desperate Malekith was. The thing he was willing to risk his life for was the Aether.
"He must be trying to get the Aether. But Father, what is the Aether?" Thor asked.
He only knew from the video that Malekith's target was the Aether, but he had no idea what it was. He just guessed it was incredibly important to the Dark Elves.
And judging from the dialogue, this object had somehow ended up inside Jane Foster, forcing Malekith to cross the stars to retrieve it.
Odin sighed. "Our Asgardian territory encompasses the Nine Realms. You know this."
"Yes," Thor nodded.
"Once, the Dark Elves sought to conquer the universe and plunge it into eternal darkness. It was I who led the combined armies of the Nine Realms to defeat and banish them," Odin revealed.
Thor was stunned. He didn't know Asgard had such a history.
Since his birth, Asgard's relations with the other major factions of the Nine Realms hadn't been great.
Apart from the Dwarves, who relied on Asgard's protection, the only realm they had no conflict with was Earth, which was still in its indigenous civilization phase and worshipped them as gods.
Basically, Asgard had to maintain a facade of rule while constantly beating the other realms down to keep them quiet.
Another ancient secret.
That was the perk of living a long time: you knew things the current generation couldn't possibly know. Though on a cosmic scale, Odin's lifespan wasn't even considered that long.
"That was when Asgard was at its peak..." Odin sighed, seemingly reminiscing.
Back then, Asgard was at the height of its power. Odin was at his peak. And he had his eldest daughter, Hela, the Goddess of Death, who was also at her peak.
Under those circumstances, who in the Nine Realms would dare disobey?
Except for Earth, whose waters ran too deep, everyone else had to fall in line.
That was why he could rally the full strength of the Nine Realms to fight the Dark Elves and banish them.
It was Asgard's most glorious era.
"But have you considered how the Dark Elves managed to fight us to a standstill when we were at our strongest?" Odin asked.
"I... I really don't know," Thor admitted.
Thor realized the implication. Odin had just described peak Asgard plus the combined forces of the Nine Realms. If it took all that just to banish the Dark Elves, how terrifying must they have been?
"They relied on the Aether," Odin explained. "Long ago, at the dawn of the universe, the Big Bang created several gems with miraculous powers. The Aether is one of them. It has another name: the Reality Stone."
"Reality Stone?"
This was the first time Thor had heard of these miraculous gems, let alone the Reality Stone.
"We won't discuss the others for now. Just know that the Reality Stone allows its wielder to alter reality out of thin air. It was because of this power that the Dark Elves could fight us for so long," Odin continued.
"The Dark Elves thrive in darkness. The darker it is, the stronger they become. They intended to use the Reality Stone to plunge the entire universe into darkness. I defeated them, seized the Aether, and restored the universe to its natural state. After that, I sealed the Reality Stone away."
"But looking at this..." Odin gestured to the frozen frame of the video. "It seems the Reality Stone has somehow ended up inside your little Earth girlfriend. That is why Malekith came for her."
Odin quickly analyzed the deeper context of the video.
He understood why Malekith launched a suicidal raid on Asgard.
The Reality Stone was essential to the Dark Elves. Only by using it could they alter reality and reshape the universe into an environment suitable for them.
It was crucial for their power. They could even use it to directly enhance their combat strength. In short, without it, their ambition to conquer the universe was just a pipe dream.
That was why Malekith risked everything.
"The Reality Stone must have resurfaced," Odin deduced. "I sealed it in a pocket dimension. There is only one way your little girlfriend could have obtained it: she must have accidentally stumbled into that dimension, and the Stone merged with her body. That triggered this whole chain of events."
Odin was well aware of the Infinity Stones. In fact, he knew them deeply.
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