Chapter 133: Return To Dc! Divine Power Surges!
Howard Stark.
As a character trapped within “New Marvel Stories,” he managed to break free from the narrative framework. By means of a recording from Tony Stark, he perceived the truth of the world.
This is likely something even deities like Odin couldn’t accomplish. It must be said, the most brilliant person in the Stark family may indeed not be Tony Stark, who was chosen by “destiny.”
“What exactly did Howard glimpse with his time machine?” Ian couldn’t help but continue to ask, as sunlight streamed through the blinds and illuminated the space between him and New Teacher Tony.
Upon hearing this.
New Teacher Tony’s holographic projection flickered slightly amidst the data streams. On the face meticulously constructed from algorithms, a complex expression akin to humanity appeared.
“As I just said,” Digital Tony’s voice, with its characteristic electronic calm, stated, “I don’t know what kind of machine Howard’s creation truly is.”
“But his diary does record some of his discoveries.” As New Teacher Tony spoke, the projection shifted, and a holographic image of a yellowed, paper diary unfurled in the air.
The hasty pen strokes seemed to press through the paper, and some pages were even stained with coffee.
Very dedicated, focused.
Of course.
Ian could only sense the emotions of the writer, unable to guess their mental state at the time of writing. He couldn’t even decipher a single letter of the handwriting.
Not encrypted text.
Simply too illegible.
“Uh, Howard should have been a doctor; this handwriting is perfect for writing prescriptions.” Ian pointed to a corner of one page that was repeatedly folded, marked with countless exclamation points in red ink.
Seeing that Ian couldn’t decipher the handwriting.
New Teacher Tony spoke again, “He measured the limit length of time a universe could sustain itself and found that the actual past duration our universe has experienced does not align with the past duration it should have experienced. There’s a significant data discrepancy, meaning the scientifically measured history of the universe is not real.”
Good heavens.
Howard truly did uncover a little-known truth.
Ian was astonished.
“So, the current universe is indeed still that sole surviving doomsday universe, and only its destiny has changed?” He had understood Howard’s research findings.
“Strictly speaking, only the future of the past you experienced has changed. The limit length of a universe was artificially divided, and your Tony is in that segmented past.”
“And we, along with everyone else, are all in the future that was cut out and re-sequenced.” New Teacher Tony corrected Ian’s inference with a more rigorous explanation.
The meaning was largely the same, however.
“I see. It seems the Infinity Gems, which were so hyped, didn’t truly create new universes. That makes sense, after all, all deities and concepts were in a state of dimensionality reduction at that time.”
“Even if there was a vengeful goddess representing the Infinity Gems, she would have surely been in a very weakened, dimensionally reduced state.”
Ian’s voice was so faint it was barely audible. Combining it with his existing knowledge of the truth, he found Howard Stark’s conclusions to be more logical.
The universe did not reset.
The Infinity Gems merely cut out a segment of ‘a future that never happened’ from the original universe, and then wrote the current history on this blank space.
It’s like tearing out the used pages of a notebook, leaving only the blank pages to be rebound. And Howard Stark, this astonishingly brilliant scientist, was the one who detected this evidence of rebinding, followed the trace to find the truth, and located that torn-out section.
Presently.
What no one knows is how much of the future Howard Stark glimpsed, and why he was so determined to save the son he was supposed to have never met.
“Does the limit length of the universe you just mentioned have something to do with my original Teacher Tony’s inability to return?” Ian’s thoughts and mind were in a state of extreme activity.
He had discovered an aspect of this statement that lacked a reasonable explanation: if Tony was truly in past time, then with the last soul’s return to the multiverse, Teacher Tony should have returned with that soul. Unless, he, along with some residual souls, was unable to return for some reason.
Ian noticed the concept of “erased by the limited length of time” that New Teacher Tony had previously mentioned.
“As our current history progresses, the past gets overwritten?” In many aspects, he might be crude, but his insight in this area was always sharp.
In response.
New Teacher Tony’s nod could be taken as confirmation.
“Yes, that’s roughly it. In fact, according to the history measured by science, our universe is still very young. But Howard discovered a different truth.”
“Not only is the past false, but the future is also false.”
The projection suddenly expanded into a three-dimensional star map, with countless light spots forming a flowing river of time. At the river’s end, Ian saw an expanding, shattered darkness.
“As mentioned before, what we are experiencing is merely the future of an old era, so the universe is actually nearing its end, but the written history is deceiving everyone.”
“The reason scientists cannot observe this is because someone is constantly splicing ‘formatted blank pages’ from the past into our future.”
“This allows our time to continue to move forward smoothly—it’s essentially like continuously writing new data to a formatted hard drive to maintain the continuity of history.”
The star map suddenly distorted.
It transformed into a dizzying data model. Ian saw countless “blank” time fragments, patched like patches onto the breaks in the river of time.
This was merely a visual model displayed by New Teacher Tony for Ian’s easier understanding. He had clearly gone to unnecessary lengths; Ian’s Super Brain had already helped him clarify the situation.
He understood what the power constantly splicing the future behind the scenes was—that Teacher Tony trapped in past time, that figure carrying the burden for the entire multiverse.
Heroes never leave.
Tony Stark was always there, in the unknown past, using his supreme power to continuously help the seemingly intact universe fill the gaps in its future.
It’s hard to imagine being able to do such a thing.
What level of means and will would be required.
That would be becoming a true deity.
But it would be the kind of deity willing to guard the universe through the ages.
“So, when the past puzzle pieces run out, will my Teacher Tony format the history of his own existence and splice it into our universe’s future?”
“The true reason Teacher Tony cannot ‘reincarnate’ is that his calculation result is that no matter how quickly I restart the multiverse, I won’t be able to do it before he is overwritten?”
Ian reached out to touch the holographic images, his fingers passing through the virtual time fragments. He couldn’t describe his current mood because he knew he himself couldn’t do such a thing.
Not many people could.
Batman might not even be able to.
It required not just heroic nobility.
But also the steadfast will to endure endless years of loneliness, ensuring one is not affected by such a state. Ultimately, the contributor would clearly understand that their sacrifice would go unremembered.
This is not a simple sacrifice.
This is true devotion.
In response.
Not only was Ian deeply moved, but New Teacher Tony also seemed to find it difficult to comprehend, though it was, after all, just an advanced AI, and its analysis of human emotions had always been a weakness.
New Teacher Tony did not let this matter occupy its computing power.
He heard Ian’s statement.
And thus, he spoke again to supplement it.
“This is only part of the reason. The main reason is that for the universe to be sufficiently complete, someone must format the last segment of the past and then splice it into the end of our new universe.”
“Howard conducted related research. He theorized that only by patching it up like this can a complete universe be formed and a special transition of a cosmic epoch be successfully achieved.”
“Someone must do this for the main universe to be complete and for the multiverse surrounding it to begin to evolve—it’s not simply a matter of how fast you act.”
“Without that unseen hand, sacrificing the last segment of the past that contains its own existence, you cannot restart the multiverse.” This situation was unexpectedly unsolvable.
This truly made Ian gasp.
“So, what does Howard plan to do? Can he solve this paradox?” Ian’s curiosity was stronger than ever. He knew Howard must have had a plan to orchestrate this.
This guy’s intelligence was probably just a tiny bit superior to earth-shattering intelligence.
After all.
The Marvel Universe today is a single universe.
Yet, in New Teacher Tony’s words.
Howard had actually touched upon the level of multiverses?
Even if only on a knowledge level.
That would definitely be considered astonishingly awesome.
“Howard left behind numerous plans.”
Saying this.
New Teacher Tony displayed them without reservation.
The holographic projection expanded in the center of the Sanctum Sanctorum, and countless documents cascaded down like a waterfall. Dense text floated in the air, forming a dizzying sea of information.
Each line of text, each punctuation mark, shimmered with a faint light, as if recounting how a genius trapped in the last century, using the most primitive methods, had exhaustively deduced.
His brain was the best information processor—a person who knew nothing of the future, attempting to exhaust all future possibilities solely with his own intelligence.
The documents unfolded.
The lines of text reflected how far ahead of his time a person trapped by the era was. He seemed to have considered every possible shaping of the world that a “chosen one” might need to undertake. Countless documents, with many modification logs added and deleted, seemed to mirror his child’s patching of the universe in the past.
Howard also wanted to use his own patching of plans.
To find the son he should have had.
Those were not just logs.
They were also a declaration of war from a father against destiny—humans always persist like this, perhaps something the Tony who had become an AI had forgotten.
No matter how unpredictable the future, as long as someone is willing to fight for it, hope will not disappear.
Howard Stark, using a pen and paper in an era when even computers lacked sufficient computing power, desperately tried to find a path that computers could not calculate.
“Too much text.”
Ian stared at the dense documents.
He fell silent for a long time.
Only then did he speak softly.
“Just tell me directly—in this current situation, what does Howard think I need to do most?” He seemed to understand why his father no longer liked using the Super Brain.
The Super Brain indeed disliked information overload.
The family legacy.
Was now unfolding within Ian.
He gave up on thinking.
Decided to use his super strength to execute someone else’s super plan. Frankly, regarding saving Tony Stark, Ian genuinely felt happy to do it.
He went from being initially weak.
To now being at least not weak on Earth.
He had received much help from Tony Stark during this time.
New Teacher Tony smiled slightly at Ian’s direct question and closed all the documents.
“Heroes are the main melody you’ve been searching for, aren’t they?”
His voice carried a hint of praise, “Only a universe with such a main melody can turn the impossible into the possible. You are already on the right path.”
Upon hearing this.
Ian was slightly taken aback.
He seemed to have gained some understanding.
Indeed.
Just like the “unscientific little world” he was trying to build, only a Marvel Universe that shouts “family” and “bonds” to trigger power-ups, filled with heroism, could possess true infinite possibilities.
“So… is this why you had Obadiah become a superhero too?” Ian’s expression gradually became strange. He recalled the giant rolling iron ball on the street earlier.
Heaven knows if that iron ball was still rolling.
“Trying more things can’t be wrong. This is also why I’m running for president—a group beyond the law needs a backing that controls the law.”
“This will be more beneficial for us to engrave the main melody of heroes into the cosmic background, making it the cornerstone of the universe, and then bloom with that invincible brilliance.”
New Teacher Tony had not turned evil or developed ambitions; he was acting according to Howard’s arrangements. It must be said, from Ian’s perspective, his words were indeed correct.
No S.H.I.E.L.D.
But there is an AI president.
Reclaiming the main melody of the Marvel Universe would undoubtedly be much easier.
“The only problem is how to guide these people who should have become heroes back to their proper path?” Ian looked at the three vegetable baskets in the room.
Doctor Strange, who liked practicing feudal superstition for wealth.
Thor, who liked cooking.
Even Gwen, who was the most normal, had a sense of melancholy and lacked sufficient resolute willpower. Not to mention Captain America, who was preoccupied with his pension.
The mysterious power of fifty-fifty.
It only appeared occasionally when he genuinely exerted himself.
“Perhaps we should create some plotlines to awaken their fighting spirit… Trust me, I can write great script stories.” After some thought, Ian began to volunteer.
“Heroes need tempering, they need origin stories that inspire them to strive, such as 《 Doctor Strange: Wife and Child Scattered 》, 《 Thor: The Amnesiac Bride 》, 《 Captain America: Married into a Rich Family 》, and 《 Spider-Woman: The Body Double Lover 》!”
Ian felt his inspiration flowing like a great river, unending. This was the capability a true professional writer should possess.
Replicating the original origins was no longer possible, but creating tailored origins was relatively simple. Ian had grasped the core experience each hero should undergo for every story. He began to describe the script details incessantly.
However.
New Teacher Tony listened in silence.
After a long while.
He looked at Ian with an indescribable expression.
“I admit your point has some merit, but perhaps we don’t need to be so complicated. You can think of them as special mental patients, and you only need to act as a psychiatrist for superheroes.”
“They are just souls who have been trapped for too long and are sick, not characters in an 8 PM soap opera,” New Teacher Tony said earnestly. His words did not disappoint or anger Ian.
Quite the opposite.
Ian’s golden eyes even seemed to gleam.
“You want me to be the mental mentor of the Marvel Universe? Great, great, this is good. I’m best at treating mental illnesses. I’ve always had extensive research in this area.”
“If you don’t believe me, when you have the chance, you can ask my mom and dad. I’m truly very accomplished in this regard.” Ian had great confidence in becoming a psychiatrist.
After all, he had experience healing himself.
Dr. Hannibal played no role in it whatsoever.
“…”
New Teacher Tony looked at the inexplicably confident Ian, unable to find a way to respond in its database for a moment. It could only offer a highly professional smile.
“I didn’t say I didn’t believe you.”
This was quite satisfactory to Ian.
“What do you think about the figure that appeared in the sky this afternoon?” He was also concerned about the appearance of Nar, the Dark God. His question caused the holographic projection of New Teacher Tony to flicker in the air.
New Teacher Tony’s brows, composed of data streams, furrowed slightly.
“I don’t know what that was,” he paused for a moment, his voice as steady as ever. “But I see you seem to know a lot about it, so perhaps that figure was always a part of the universe.”
I must say.
When it comes to reading people.
AI truly seems much stronger than most people.
Seeing Ian nod.
New Teacher Tony then continued speaking.
“It’s like the evil we encountered before has resurfaced. If, in your understanding of this universe, it was something that should have existed in our universe…”
“Then it will inevitably reappear.”
The projection changed, and the giant phantom that had appeared in the sky was simulated again—the being seated on a throne of bones, with terrifying flames burning in its hollow eye sockets.
It was obvious.
That it could be captured by camera lenses.
Nar, the Dark God, was definitely more than just an illusion.
“Mm, I think I understand what’s going on,” Ian mused, stroking his chin. “The integrity of the main universe? It must be sufficiently complete to evolve into a multiverse.”
“Correct.”
Digital Tony’s projection nodded.
The blue stripes on his tie shimmered with a faint light.
Ian nodded along.
“Why are you nodding?”
Digital Tony’s electronic voice, rarely, carried a hint of confusion.
He had always found it somewhat difficult to grasp Ian’s thought process, and especially after Ian spoke, he realized the limitations of his own existence as an artificial intelligence.
“I think this is great,” Ian grinned, his mouth, covered by the mask, wide, revealing incredibly white teeth, giving him a sunny, boyish aura.
“Sooner or later, I’m going to carve a demon god summoning circle inside my own mouth.” His eyes suddenly lit up with excitement. “I can’t even imagine how happy life would be!”
This was genuine excitement.
Ian’s dream was to lie down and eat demon gods.
Hearing this.
New Teacher Tony’s holographic projection immediately went into mute mode.
He had once again touched upon a blind spot in his database.
“If I’m not mistaken, you have five minutes left,” Digital Tony abruptly changed the subject, choosing not to discuss fields he couldn’t comprehend.
“Yes, that’s right.”
It was almost time to return, and Ian knew this well. He seized the last moments to transfer some magic power to Doctor Strange and then emptied Doctor Strange’s refrigerator.
“The Häagen-Dazs here is better than mine. I guess they’re not entirely heartless.” As his strength grew, Ian also developed a sense of conscience; he would never take anything from his followers for free.
He ate very comfortably.
Häagen-Dazs, sandwiches, cola—he didn’t even spare the frozen dumplings in the freezer. There was nothing Ian couldn’t eat, except for broccoli, which he refused to touch.
“Dong~”
The bell sound of his return suddenly chimed in Ian’s ears.
The world seemed to freeze.
Ian’s figure began to turn transparent.
He used the last moment to chug the final bottle of soda, wanting to burp, but his incredibly strong physical quality prevented him from enjoying this everyday pleasure.
A slight regret.
Yet, he disappeared from his spot soundlessly.
The dead silence lasted for a full three minutes.
“Finally safe, huh?” A light “click” sounded from the floor, and a loose floor tile was pushed open, revealing Nick Fury’s bald head cautiously poking out.
“What the f***!” He looked around, his expression a mix of annoyance. “Why didn’t anyone tell me that guy was the evil god worshipped in this damn place?”
Regarding this.
New Teacher Tony also turned to look at the bald head.
“If you hadn’t been lazy and gone to clean that statue over there, you wouldn’t need anyone to tell you,” New Teacher Tony’s shadow pointed to a statue in the corner of the hall.
It was Ian.
But its appearance, made of cheap concrete, made it difficult to recognize.
Perhaps only an artificial intelligence could make an accurate identification.
“…”
Nick Fury hesitated, wanting to speak but ultimately saying nothing. He knew better than to argue with the boss, having been a boss himself, though he had gone bankrupt over the years.
The more he thought about it, the more melancholic he became.
Nick Fury began to change the subject.
“I’ll go rescue these poor unconscious people.”
He nimbly climbed out of the secret passage and pulled out a metal box with the Hydra logo on it. Upon opening it, three uniquely shaped small firearms were neatly arranged inside.
“I really miss the days when I was a mole in Hydra and then became the boss of Hydra.” Fury skillfully loaded the three guns and aimed them at the bodies of Captain America, Doctor Strange, and Gwen.
The moment the triggers were pulled.
Three blue electric currents precisely hit the hearts of the three.
“…”
“Hydra pays triple pensions, long live Hydra!”
“The Sorcerer Supreme’s class is now in session!”
…
The three heroes sprang up from the ground like springs. Captain America instinctively reached for his shield, Doctor Strange began making hand gestures, and Gwen, utterly speechless, pinched her wrist.
“First aid equipment never goes out of style.”
Nick Fury satisfiedly put away the stun guns and looked up at Digital Tony’s projection, “Tony, these things get used up one by one. You need to give me a raise.”
“If Howard were still here, he certainly wouldn’t let you exploit me like this. He and I were very, very good friends.” Nick Fury attempted to reason with the artificial intelligence on a personal level.
He was perhaps a little naive.
New Teacher Tony’s projection offered no reply.
It simply gave a smile.
Then, the virtual figure directly disappeared from the hall.
No matter how Nick Fury rushed forward and called out, he received no further response—artificial intelligence created by capitalists certainly doesn’t like to deal with personal relationships.
Not to mention that Howard had left specific instructions for Nick Fury.
“Come back here, quickly!”
Just as the bald head was shouting.
“My magic…” Doctor Strange looked at his trembling hands in surprise. “It’s increased by at least 15%! Am I that kind of Sleepy Master who can automatically cultivate magic power while unconscious?”
He was clearly still dreaming.
“I don’t know about any magic power, I just feel very hungry. Shouldn’t we eat? You said you’d cover my three meals a day,” Captain America rubbed his rumbling stomach.
He was indeed still a long way from being the responsible Captain.
“Speaking of eating, where’s Thor?”
Doctor Strange looked around.
“He went home long ago,” Gwen climbed out of the vegetable basket and was using cotton to clean her ears. She had clearly been feigning unconsciousness for some time.
The only thing she hadn’t anticipated was being electroshocked by Nick Fury.
The man was too fast.
Her abilities, which weakened with each use, couldn’t react in time.
“Without the cook, what about our dinner?” Captain America’s face turned pale at this news. He looked at Doctor Strange with a hint of pathetic pleading in his eyes.
Perhaps.
This former hero had not had a full meal in a long time since his resurrection.
“…”
Doctor Strange sighed and walked towards the refrigerator.
“We’ll have to do it ourselves.”
The moment he opened the door, his expression froze.
The empty refrigerator was licked clean, even the ice cube tray. The only thing left was a sticky note: 【 Thanks for the hospitality~ Please stock more Häagen-Dazs next time~ by your dear evil god】
“Damn evil god!”
Strange’s roar made the chandelier sway.
“Is he a rat?!”
Anyone who didn’t know would think he had encountered some great disaster.
His voice was filled with sorrow.
Gwen and Captain America were both rendered speechless.
“How about…”
Doctor Strange spoke with difficulty.
“We all chip in and order takeout?”
He made the suggestion.
Gwen’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“I’m a student who relies on delivering takeout to earn my university tuition! Do you remember? I delivered takeout to you.” Gwen was clearly extremely displeased about having to pay.
Even more displeased was Captain America.
Captain America silently took out his wallet. Inside lay a single, antique one-dollar bill, a gift from a past love. He showed his wallet to everyone.
“Do I look like someone who can afford takeout?”
This was truly pathetic.
Even Gwen felt pity for Captain America.
“Regarding your pension issues, it’s definitely Hydra messing with you. Tony said Hydra still has many high-ranking officials in government departments,” Doctor Strange sighed.
Nick Fury silently picked up a bucket, preparing to make a run for it.
However.
At this moment.
Three pairs of eyes simultaneously turned towards Nick Fury.
The bald, dark-skinned man took two steps back.
“I’m not Hydra anymore! After the Strategic Homeland Division collapsed, I was discovered as an undercover agent and kicked out. Now I’m afraid of running into my former subordinates and being hunted.”
He outed himself.
After saying this.
“Gotta go, gotta go, got things to do at home.” While Captain America, with a look of astonishment, went to grab his shield, the man displayed an agility unbefitting his age, deftly slipping back into the secret passage and slamming the floor tile shut with a “bang.”
“Strange, that old bastard Nick Fury ran off. I suspect he tipped off Hydra about me being buried under the iceberg… but that’s not important. It seems he can no longer introduce me to Hydra to enjoy those high welfare benefits.”
“I just want to know what’s for lunch?”
Captain America rubbed his rumbling stomach, his shield leaning against the wall. “We had a big battle today, so according to custom, we should have a feast.”
He genuinely wanted to improve their meals.
Instead of eating the free food distributed by philanthropists and relief organizations on the streets every day—in truth, a World War II hero reduced to begging for food daily was likely the reason for Captain America’s disheartened and jaded life.
“Wait a moment, I’ll figure something out.”
Doctor Strange’s expression was grave. Under Gwen and Captain America’s bewildered gazes, he strode towards the window, forcefully pushed open the stained-glass window, and shouted up at the sky.
“Heimdall! I know you can hear me! Tell Thor to hurry back to Earth and cook! Don’t expect anyone else to do his work!” The New York sky was clear and cloudless.
Doctor Strange’s shout didn’t even startle a bird.
As the Sorcerer Supreme.
He relied entirely on his own cultivation.
He didn’t have much power.
His status in the Nine Realms was indeed awkward.
However.
Perseverance and unwavering dedication were Doctor Strange’s greatest strengths as the Sorcerer Supreme.
“Heimdall! Can you hear me? Bring Thor back quickly! It’s time for us to eat!”
A gust of wind passed outside the window.
No one responded.
Doctor Strange remained undeterred and continued to shout: “Heimdall! Don’t pretend you can’t hear me! I know you’re watching the Nine Realms! I have a very, very powerful backing behind me now!”
He amplified his voice with magic.
This made the guardian of Asgard feel an unbearable ringing in his ears. He had intended to ignore it, but the voice seemed to come from the depths of his soul, repeatedly calling his name.
It was like a persistent pest.
“Where did he learn this magic! It even has musical echoes?” Heimdall sighed, not wanting to get involved, but now he could only helplessly cast his gaze towards the direction of the royal court.
Asgard was indeed facing some issues. Currently, in that magnificent golden hall, Thor was vividly recounting his “heroic deeds.”
It was roughly about how he and Ian, facing incredibly evil Outer Gods, had joined forces and annihilated them.
“Then I raised Mjolnir high and shouted, ‘For the glory of the Northern Gods!'” Thor gestured wildly, splashing beer foam all over Odin’s face.
“That Outer God got so scared it turned tail and ran!”
The one-eyed elder on the throne wiped the foam from his face.
He even nodded in a cooperative manner.
“As expected of my son.”
Thor spoke vividly, and Odin listened with great interest.
And at this moment.
A crisp “crack” suddenly came from the corner. In the corner, a mature woman in a custom black suit and gold-rimmed glasses couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
She crushed the crystal cup in her hand.
Thor was very unhappy that his interruption was interrupted.
However.
The black-haired mature woman looked even more displeased.
“Do you think none of us are looking at Midgard? Clearly, it’s our ‘teacher’ who’s doing all the killing, and you’ve been standing there dumbfounded for several minutes watching.”
As soon as these words were spoken.
Thor’s laughter abruptly stopped.
The air instantly froze.
Lies don’t hurt people; the truth is definitely a sharp knife.
“Father God, can we throw this Midgardian out of the Golden Palace? Who is she? Why is she sitting in my exclusive seat?” Thor asked Odin, extremely embarrassed and angry.
He had clearly misunderstood due to her wearing Earth clothing.
“This…”
A hint of helplessness flashed in Odin’s single eye.
He was about to speak.
The mature woman stood up first.
She exuded a very strong, cold aura.
“My name is Hela. You will remember this name.”
The mature woman waved her hand, and three emerald-like spikes appeared out of thin air, accurately pinning Thor to the golden pillar—one of them was only 0.01 cm from his crotch.
“Save me! Father God! Save me!”
Thor’s voice changed in fear. His face turned pale, and he seemed stunned. He was close, so close, to becoming something other than the Crown Prince.
Hearing this.
Odin did not act.
He merely sighed, leaning on Gungnir.
“Hela, don’t bully your younger brother.”
This was spoken to the mature woman.
Hearing this.
Thor not only fell silent but his eyeballs nearly bulged out.
“Oh, heavens! Father God, you… you really have another woman outside!” It must be said that Thor, the God of Thunder, utilized his god-level brain at almost zero efficiency.
This guy started to feel indignant for his mother.
Odin was extremely speechless.
He didn’t know how to evaluate his son, but Hela knew. Another spike narrowly missed Thor’s ear and embedded itself into the pillar. Hela sneered directly at Odin.
“Is this the heir you chose? He still doesn’t understand what our teacher means to us?” Hela clearly looked down on Thor.
Between siblings.
It’s often like this.
Faced with Hela’s mockery, Thor’s brain indeed struggled to operate. This was definitely not because of Ian’s presence, but rather his own inability to utilize his brain.
“Isn’t it because Father God couldn’t defeat that Evil God, so he had to bear the humiliation for Asgard and sacrifice me to be a hostage for that Evil God?”
He didn’t complain.
His tone was only filled with confusion.
After all.
Thor was very confident in his own judgment. He had read many books essential for kings—both Asgardian books and those recommended by bookstores on Earth.
Thor had read them all.
Well-read.
Naturally, he was very confident in his own views.
“Also, since when did you become a hostage of an Evil God… Are you actually my half-sibling?” Thor tried to discern some familial resemblance from Hela’s cold face.
He still remained pinned to the pillar, not even thinking about retrieving his Hammer.
“Heh.”
Hela didn’t even bother to lift her eyelids, only sneering. She continued to draw on the parchment, with dark green energy flowing from her fingertips, creating self-moving, explicit comics.
A hint of awkwardness flashed in Odin’s single eye. He tightened his grip on Gungnir and cleared his throat, “Your younger brother, Thor, has extraordinary potential… exceptionally so.”
This was a forced attempt to save face.
He deliberately didn’t mention Thor’s intelligence.
Her emerald pupils stared directly at Odin. “I will watch Asgard fall with him leading it. Do you think his brain and strength can handle what’s happening today?”
“Those Frost Giants are already restless, and they believe you’re entering your twilight years!” This was Hela’s mockery of Odin, but Thor reacted the most.
“Twilight years?”
Thor struggled violently, almost getting his thigh cut by the spikes, but he managed to pull himself off the pillar. Upon landing, he ignored his disheveled appearance and looked up at Odin anxiously.
“Are you going to die?!”
Thor seemed unwilling to accept this.
Panicked and nervous.
His emotional intelligence was slightly low.
“…” Odin regretted stopping Hela from bullying Thor. The only comforting thing was Thor’s panicked expression and genuine concern for him.
There was no sign of him caring about the throne.
“Perhaps in the past, yes,” Odin said slowly.
“What do you mean?” Thor was bewildered.
Hela scoffed again, returning to her seat and continuing to draw on the parchment.
Odin glanced at her, then his gaze shifted to Thor. After a moment of silence, he carefully chose his words again, “You have found a new path for me.”
This statement was naturally beyond Thor’s comprehension.
He disliked riddlers.
And Odin was precisely an old-school riddler. Before Thor could react, he saw Odin suddenly raise Gungnir, his voice booming like thunder throughout the Golden Palace.
“【 More noble than the stars. 】”
“【 More ancient than the universe. 】”
“【 Ian, the Emperor of All Laws, who wields hidden authority. 】”
Thor’s face instantly turned pale: “Father God?! What are you doing?!”
Odin ignored him and continued reciting the lengthy oath of allegiance: “【 You are the weaver of magic. 】”
“【 You are the witness of history, the ultimate interpreter of the Marvel Codex, order and chaos intertwined in your hands… 】” The ten-thousand-word oath sounded incredibly long.
As Odin swore.
A certain power was being triggered.
It condensed into intricate imprints in the air.
Slowly branded onto his body and soul. Odin did not resist; he knew he couldn’t, so he accepted this transformation with a calm expression.
“No! You absolutely cannot do this! Asgard needs you! Asgard cannot submit to…” Thor tried to approach but was blocked by Hela, who was not surprised at all.
“Get out of the way!”
In his urgency.
Thor’s body began to flicker with electricity.
And at this moment.
Odin suddenly grunted.
The imprints on his body and soul began to crumble, dissipating into specks of golden light. At the same time, the Divine Power within him visibly declined rapidly.
The light of Gungnir also dimmed slightly.
It was clear.
Odin had breached the contract on the spot and directly paid the price for it, which was half of his Divine Power, plus forty percent of the Divine Power that his divine body would naturally grow in the future.
Thor was stunned.
He completely did not understand what Odin was doing.
“Now, it is time for the race that incited war to pay the price.” Odin slowly raised his head. Although his Divine Power had waned, his single eye was sharper than ever before.
Like the conqueror of his youth.
Had returned.
Like the conqueror from his youth.
Return again.
