Hong Fei returned to the lakeside, standing before the weathered wooden cabin. His gaze lingered on the still waters, so absorbed in the view that the world seemed to fade away.
Malekith, leader of the Dark Elves, might not have fully understood the Aether Particle—also known as the Reality Stone—but his prolonged use of it had forged an unbreakable bond between them.
When Jane Foster stumbled into the overlapping space and arrived at the site where Bor had hidden the Aether Particle five millennia ago, the sentient entity awoke from its long slumber. Sensing her presence, it surged into her body.
According to Asgardian lore, the Aether Particle requires a host to draw power and sustain itself. During its initial fusion with Jane, it unleashed its energy for the first time in that unknown space. This outburst roused the Dark Elf army from their five-thousand-year hibernation.
By now, the Dark Elf race had no ordinary civilians left. Any who might have existed perished in the war against Asgard. The cinematic world didn't delve into this detail, but the surviving Dark Elves sealed themselves and their fleet into hibernation.
The rest had been sacrificed by Malekith as cannon fodder, buying time for the military's retreat. Even Bor, victorious in that ancient conflict, likely never knew a remnant of the Dark Elf forces had escaped.
The Aether Particle's immense and bizarre power led some to urge Bor to destroy it. But Bor knew neither he nor all of Asgard possessed the strength to annihilate it completely. He chose instead to bury it deep, hiding its existence.
Perhaps to deter future generations from coveting its power, the official story claimed the Aether Particle had been destroyed.
Thus, Asgard's history simplified the tale: Bor and his army had eradicated the Dark Elves, and Malekith's mighty weapon, the Aether Particle, had been destroyed. When Odin saw the Aether Particle within Jane, his stunned reaction—"Impossible!"—reflected this belief.
Though the Aether Particle resurfaced, Asgard didn't prepare for the Dark Elves' return. Five thousand years was a vast span, even for Asgardians. Thor himself was only fifteen hundred years old.
The Asgardians, convinced the Dark Elves were extinct, dismissed the threat. From their conscious to subconscious minds, they believed the war-loving Dark Elves had perished forever.
Odin and Hela once campaigned together to pacify the Nine Realms, but Odin eventually laid down the Eternal Spear and ceased military expansion. Peace became his priority.
Yet, in their prolonged tranquility, Odin and Asgard might have forgotten the old adage: "Forgetting war invites danger."
Judging by the timeline, the Dark Elves' operation was set to unfold today. A faint whooshing sound echoed from the lake beneath the Bifrost Bridge.
Hong Fei turned to look and saw several floating skiffs rapidly flying from the Bifrost Bridge hub towards the dungeons near the Heavenly Palace. It's hard to say for sure, but on one of those skiffs might be the Dark Elf infiltrator. Algrim, the second-in-command of the Dark Elves, is immensely loyal to the leader Malekith.
For the Dark Elves' ambition to resurge and control the entire Universe, he is truly willing to pay the price of his life. And at this very moment, he is indeed doing just that. On the steps leading to the dungeons, a strong, robust prisoner, escorted by Heavenly Palace guards, was walking down with the group of captives. He wore a tightly sealed helmet, with only a pair of eyes exposed.
As he walked, he kept observing the surroundings as if out of curiosity. And whenever a Heavenly Palace guard urged them on, he would naturally lower his head, quicken his pace for a few steps, then slow down again. Before long, he and several other prisoners were escorted into the same cell. Then, a bright yellow energy interwove and fused at the cell entrance, forming a powerful barrier.
After the Heavenly Palace guards withdrew their attention, unlike the other prisoners who stood curiously before the yellow, transparent barrier looking outward, he stood alone at the back of the cell, his head slightly raised. Then, he reached his hand towards his lower abdomen.
Without a sound, he inserted half his palm into a wound on his abdomen and retrieved an oval object completely coated in dark, viscous blood. Then, with just a glance, he squeezed it forcefully. Instantly, blazing patterns erupted from within the oval object. Extraordinary power surged through his arm into his body.
In the blink of an eye, these lights, like searing magma hidden beneath a volcano, permeated his entire being. Bright flames rose from within, accompanied by billowing thick smoke. This transformation immediately caused his cellmates to turn and look. However, a single glance at this bizarre scene filled them with terror, and they rushed to the energy barrier, pounding on it incessantly.
Amidst the dull thuds, Algrim was completely bathed in scorching flames. As he suddenly knelt, the firelight violently erupted, creating a small mushroom cloud of dense black smoke that rippled through the cell. Within the smoke and dust, Algrim threw back his head and let out a beast-like, muffled roar.
Flames pierced through his armor and helmet, rapidly destroying his original body as they burned. He pounded the ground with his fists repeatedly. The firelight on his body grew increasingly intense, every inch of flesh seemingly melting into magma. Amidst this unimaginable agony, his body was also undergoing an extremely thorough transformation from the inside out.
Moments later, the firelight burst apart. Algrim suddenly threw back his head and roared. This roar pierced directly through the cell, causing the Heavenly Palace guards outside the dungeon to whirl around. At this very moment, Thor was holding Jane Foster's hand, explaining the concepts of the Convergence and its perplexing fusion, until his mother appeared and interrupted their intimate moment.
And Hong Fei was still watching the lake surface. The previously mirror-like, placid lake water suddenly rippled. These ripples did not originate from the surface but seemed to rise from the deep lake bottom. However, the total kinetic energy propelling the ripples was evidently insufficient, gradually dissipating and diminishing during its progression.
In the end, what Hong Fei saw was just the slightest, almost imperceptible disturbance. But that was enough. Seeing the subtle reveals the whole; observing the beginning knows the end. In Asgard, Hong Fei found it inconvenient to openly unleash his Psychic Power.
Not only might it make that stubborn old man Odin think he was secretly spying, but it could also lead to some unfavorable consequences for him. Hong Fei turned his gaze towards the Heavenly Palace. The entrance to the dungeons was right beside the Heavenly Palace. In principle, the dungeons were secure, and enemies of Asgard imprisoned there could not hope to escape.
The Cursed Warrior had arrived. While the name lacked the grandeur of the Thunder God, this newly transformed entity could easily overpower the current Thor.
Devoid of divine power or lightning, the Cursed Warrior possessed unmatched strength, speed, reflexes, and a body of extraordinary vitality that rendered most attacks futile. Thor couldn't even lift his hammer from the ground. Even if he managed to wield it, he stood no chance against the Cursed Warrior.
This assessment, of course, applies only to the cinematic version of the Cursed Warrior. In the comics, Thor's defeat would be even more crushing. Simply put, the Cursed Warrior was born for battle and destruction. For this mission, Hong Fei carried only the Ten Rings, leaving behind his other weapons.
First, Vibranium had rendered the stark blade obsolete. Second, he left the Sword of Sif behind, fearing she might reclaim it. Its near-unstoppable sharpness would have been useful, but Hong Fei doubted Sif would actually ask for it back.
Third, Hong Fei needed to create a scenario where he lacked a primary weapon. How else could he borrow Gungnir from Odin? The Ten Rings, an orange-tier weapon, were undeniably powerful. But against the Cursed Warrior? Even Thor couldn't defeat him. It's only natural I wouldn't stand a chance, right?
Hong Fei's brows furrowed slightly. After a moment's thought, he activated the Hidden Identity skill card. He created an illusion standing by the lakeshore, gazing toward the Bifrost Bridge hub. Meanwhile, his true self flew toward the sky above the Heavenly Palace. Midway, a second illusion descended toward the dungeons.
In the dungeons below, Algrim shattered the energy barrier sealing his cell with a single punch. Stepping out, he swiftly killed the Heavenly Palace guards and freed many of the prisoners. These prisoners, hailing from different realms and beyond the Nine Realms, quickly incited chaos.
They charged at the guards, flooding out of the dungeons. The clash of weapons, screams, and slaughter filled the air. Algrim arrived at Loki's solitary cell, intending to free him. But Loki stood inside, a sly smile playing on his lips, his eyes gleaming with mischief. Algrim paused, withdrew his hand, and left.
"I suggest you take the stairs on the left," Loki called out suddenly.
Algrim glanced back. Loki's smile widened. Once Algrim was gone, Loki paced with his hands behind his back, looking immensely pleased, as if he'd just pulled off a masterful prank.
"Feeling quite smug?" a voice interrupted.
Loki's smile vanished instantly. He turned to see Hong Fei standing outside the cell, a teasing smile on his lips.
Loki sneered, narrowing his eyes.
"He actually brought you along too?"
Hong Fei ignored the question.
"Are you pleased with yourself because that single sentence could cause trouble for Odin?"
Loki gave a hollow laugh.
"Last time, I knew you weren't simple. You seem to know things even gods don't. Isn't that right, Dragon King?"
"I do know many things," Hong Fei replied, glancing at the energy barrier. "And I don't mind others knowing that I know many things. But what does that have to do with you, Prisoner?"