"Heimdall!" Thor shouted loudly as he raised Mjolnir toward the sky.
In an instant, the clouds above churned violently. The sky darkened as swirling storm clouds gathered into a massive vortex overhead, spinning faster and faster until a brilliant rainbow beam erupted from its center. The Bifrost descended like a pillar of pure light, engulfing Thor, Jane, and Ethan all at once.
Ethan immediately felt his surroundings change. It was as if he had stepped into a strange dimensional tunnel, a corridor filled with cascading rainbow light rushing past them like an endless waterfall. The energy of the Bifrost surged around his body, pulling him forward with irresistible force.
Moments later, the pressure vanished.
The next instant, Ethan found himself standing inside a vast golden chamber shaped like a hemispherical dome. The entire structure gleamed with polished metal and intricate carvings, radiating a sense of ancient grandeur and divine authority.
Standing before them was a tall man clad in shining armor. His gaze was intense, his eyes glowing faintly as if they could see through everything in existence. In his hands he held a massive sword planted firmly against the ground as he watched their arrival.
Heimdall.
"Heimdall, let me introduce you," Thor said as he stepped forward. "This is Jane, and this is the Prophet of Midgard, Ethan Blake."
Heimdall first greeted Thor with a friendly fist against his chest, a warrior's salute accompanied by a brief smile. Then he nodded politely toward Jane, acknowledging her presence without saying anything.
Finally, his gaze shifted to Ethan.
He studied him carefully for several seconds, as if trying to peer into the depths of his soul. After that quiet inspection, Heimdall spoke calmly.
"Welcome to Asgard."
As the guardian of the Bifrost and protector of Asgard, Heimdall was responsible for monitoring every threat that approached the realm. Thor bringing a stranger like Ethan directly into Asgard meant Heimdall had to evaluate him personally.
"This is Heimdall," Thor explained as they stepped away from the platform. "He guards the Bifrost and protects Asgard from any external invasion."
Thor then turned toward the golden bridge stretching outward from the observatory.
"Heimdall, do you know where Father is right now? Jane's condition is urgent."
Heimdall hesitated briefly before answering.
"The All-Father is in the council hall."
"Thanks, Heimdall. Prophet, let's go."
Without waiting for a reply, Thor grabbed Jane's hand, spun Mjolnir, and launched himself into the sky with explosive speed. The sudden movement carried him away like a bolt of lightning.
Ethan watched him disappear and sighed helplessly.
Thor really was a reckless iron-headed warrior. Odin had never hidden his dislike for Jane, yet Thor still rushed straight to him like this. If Ethan had been making the decision, he would have gone to Frigga first. The queen's compassion might have persuaded Odin far more effectively.
But Ethan didn't bother saying anything.
Instead, he activated his telekinesis and lifted himself into the air, following Thor toward the royal palace.
It didn't take long before they arrived at the council hall.
Calling it a council hall was almost misleading. The place was more like a vast throne chamber. Golden pillars lined the enormous room, and the floor stretched across a polished expanse of marble that reflected the light like water.
At the far end of the hall stood a massive throne.
Odin sat upon it.
When Thor stormed inside, Odin casually raised a hand, signaling the attendants and guards to withdraw from the chamber. The room quickly emptied, leaving only the royal family and their visitors.
Odin's gaze briefly swept over Jane.
He didn't bother hiding the clear look of disdain in his eyes.
Then he looked at Thor coldly.
"I told you something once," Odin said slowly. "Yet you chose to ignore it."
"Father, Jane is sick," Thor began urgently. "She—"
Odin interrupted him without hesitation.
"She is human," Odin said flatly. "Humans fall ill. Humans die. She does not belong in Asgard, just as goat meat does not belong on a royal banquet table."
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," Ethan suddenly said, his voice cutting through the room. "But I can't agree with what you just said."
If Odin had only insulted Jane, Ethan might have remained silent. But Odin's words had clearly included all humans as a whole, which meant Ethan himself was part of that contempt.
That did not sit well with him.
"So in your opinion," Ethan continued calmly, meeting Odin's gaze directly, "does that mean the Ancient One, Agamotto, or even me are just goat meat as well?"
The hall fell silent.
Ethan wasn't afraid of Odin. Although the old king was extremely powerful, Ethan still had ways to escape if things turned ugly. If pushed far enough, he could even unleash the giant demon magic that would bring Ragnarok crashing down ahead of schedule.
Odin's single eye narrowed as he stared at Ethan.
A wave of invisible pressure rolled outward from the throne, the overwhelming aura of a god-king bearing down on him like a mountain.
Ethan didn't retreat.
Instead, a surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted from his body, colliding head-on with Odin's presence. The invisible clash of wills filled the chamber like two titanic storms colliding.
Odin paused.
A hint of surprise flashed across his face as he felt the power Ethan released. After a long moment of silence, the old king frowned slightly and spoke again.
"Very well. I retract my previous statement."
"I'm sure Your Majesty didn't mean it that way," Ethan replied calmly. He withdrew his Haki immediately as well, since there was no need to escalate the situation further.
After all, he still wanted the Reality Stone. Leaving Asgard right now wasn't part of his plan.
Thor stood nearby looking completely stunned.
In his memory, Odin had never backed down in an argument like this before.
Odin shifted his gaze back to Thor.
"Midgard has its own healers," he said. "They are called doctors. Guards, escort this woman back to Midgard."
Two guards stepped forward and began walking toward Jane.
"Father!" Thor shouted anxiously. "The Prophet said Jane's illness is connected to Grandfather Bor. Something about a Dark Elf defeated by him."
Before Thor could finish speaking, a burst of crimson light suddenly exploded from Jane's body.
The two guards were thrown backward instantly.
"This is impossible…"
A trace of shock appeared in Odin's eyes.
"Father, do you know what's inside her?" Thor asked urgently. "Then please help her remove it!"
"I cannot."
Odin's voice returned to its usual calm tone.
"Only the leader of the Dark Elves can extract it. But the Dark Elves were eradicated long ago by my father, your grandfather Bor."
Thor froze.
If that were true, then there was no way to save Jane.
"Extinct?" Ethan suddenly said with a faint smile. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. After all, wasn't the Aether supposed to be destroyed too?"
Originally Ethan hadn't planned to interfere further, but Odin's earlier insult still irritated him. Since the old king had dragged him into the conversation, Ethan might as well add a little fuel to the fire.
"Prophet, what do you know?" Thor asked immediately. "Tell me!"
"I don't know everything about the Dark Elves," Ethan said slowly. "But I can confirm one thing. They were not wiped out. Their leader, Malekith, is still alive."
"Where are they?" Thor demanded.
"I don't know," Ethan replied honestly. Then he continued thoughtfully. "However, Malekith shares a unique connection with the Aether. By now he must already know it has awakened."
"In other words," Ethan concluded, "you don't need to search for him. The Dark Elves will come here themselves."
"They'll come for Jane," he added calmly. "More precisely, they'll come to reclaim the Aether inside her."
Thor's expression hardened.
"You mean war will come to Asgard?"
"I believe so," Ethan said.
At that moment, footsteps echoed through the chamber.
Ethan turned toward the entrance and saw a gentle middle-aged woman walking inside. She wore a flowing light green dress, and her warm presence instantly softened the heavy atmosphere in the hall.
"You two are arguing again," the woman said with a small smile. "Couldn't you sit down and talk like reasonable people?"
"Prophet, this is my mother, Frigga," Thor introduced.
Just then, a piercing alarm suddenly rang out across the palace.
Odin and Frigga both turned their heads toward the same direction.
"That's coming from the prison," Frigga said.
Thor's mind immediately jumped to a single conclusion.
"It must be Loki again."
If Loki was trying to escape prison, things could become very dangerous. Thor instinctively spun Mjolnir, preparing to fly out immediately. But when he glanced at Jane standing beside him, his movements slowed.
Frigga noticed the hesitation.
"Go," she said gently. "I'll take care of her."
Thor finally nodded and launched himself into the air, racing toward the prison.
Ethan remained where he was for a moment, deep in thought.
If the prison was under attack, that meant there were prisoners inside. Anyone locked up by Asgard was certainly no ordinary criminal. To Ethan, those prisoners looked less like enemies and more like walking sources of summoning energy.
He could practically see the energy waving at him.
No way he was going to miss that opportunity.
"I'll go help," Ethan said casually.
With that, he lifted himself into the air and flew after Thor.
....
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