Chapter 112: Emperor Of All Laws! This Is The Oracle! [116k]
When Ian opened his eyes.
A strange smell, a mixture of sea brine and rosemary, immediately filled his nostrils.
He found himself sitting at a long table carved with Norse runes, the surface still bearing several marks that looked like they were made by a battle axe, along with a lot of sticky, old grime.
The whale oil lamps hanging from the ceiling swayed gently with a breeze that seemed to come from nowhere, casting mottled light and shadow on the oak floor, and also illuminating a man with a beer belly who looked suspiciously like Thor.
It was actually noon in the Marvel universe, but there was hardly any sunlight to be seen in the restaurant. At first, Ian thought he had stumbled into some kind of pyramid scheme.
“New customer! Don’t you want to try today’s special?” the man with the beer belly exclaimed enthusiastically again, his voice as deep and resonant as thunder exploding in an iron barrel.
“I’m on a diet, I can’t eat anything.”
Ian looked at the countdown below his field of vision. There were about ten more hours left, and he would likely unlock a new profession 【Entropy Lord】 soon after his Marvel journey ended.
He felt like he was about to starve to death.
“I’ll come back when I’m off my diet.”
Ian could smell the cooking happening in the air, and it smelled pretty good. The reason he recognized the man in front of him as Thor was because he was cooking.
The burly, bearded man was grilling something with tongs, and the blue arcs of electricity dancing on them were quite obvious. At the same time, a garlic scent wafted from the Mjolnir hanging nearby.
Oh.
There was also a hint of Sichuan peppercorn and rosemary on the hammer. It was clear that it was still very important in this kitchen, and its wielder didn’t even bother to wash it.
“You’re the God of Thunder from Asgard, Thor Odinson, right?”
Ian made his final confirmation.
“Hahaha! That’s me!” The burly man’s laughter made the silverware in the cabinet rattle. “It seems my appearance on the 《Gourmet Hound》 show for 500 gold coins really made a name for itself!”
His identity was confirmed.
Ian was once again struck by the shock of the new Marvel universe.
He had imagined Thor might be a blacksmith, a drunkard, or even an esports player, but what was this disheveled cook wielding a spatula, with sauce stains on his apron?
“Lightning Octopus Bake, I really suggest you try it.”
Thor, with a proud expression, shook the cast-iron pot in his hand, still trying to peddle his wares. The sauce in the pot bubbled and sputtered, splashing onto his soy-colored chef’s apron.
He looked like a lightning mage trying to poison all living beings.
“The spices I use here are all flown in from Asgard, imported goods, and they are both high quality and inexpensive.” Thor’s sales tactics also employed some psychology, like 【The moon is brighter on the other side】.
He perhaps didn’t realize one problem.
The ingredients in his restaurant might be good, but the environment was extremely terrible. No customer could stand it, so the restaurant’s location was definitely chosen incorrectly.
This restaurant should have been opened in India, the country across the ocean. Only the Indian brethren would likely appreciate such a clean and hygienic dining environment.
“No, thank you.”
Ian stood up.
But Thor suddenly leaped out of the open kitchen, giving off a fierce aura as if he would resort to robbery if business didn’t go well. Of course, being so burly, he was merely trying to retain Ian as a customer.
“You must think my ingredients aren’t fresh. Come with me, I guarantee you’ll see how conscientious I am. The giant octopus was still fighting a Kraken three hours ago.”
Thor tried to abduct a child. His strength was immense, and even with Ian’s current physical quality, he couldn’t seem to pull away from this future King of Gods of Asgard.
“The ingredients were still alive right before you ate them.” Thor enthusiastically pulled Ian’s arm, pushed aside the animal hide curtain, and led Ian to the incredibly spacious backyard. The rich fool of the landlord really had money, being able to open a restaurant in a prime location like New York, as if he were running a farmstead in the countryside.
In the middle of the spacious open-air courtyard.
There was a “swimming pool” comparable to a small lake. Next to the giant pool were piles of ice and seasoning jars, and a giant octopus, larger than a large truck, lay there listlessly.
It was indeed large.
However, claiming it could fight a Kraken was probably a bit of false advertising.
“Look at these huge suckers! Perfect for teppanyaki!” Thor, unaware of Ian’s judgment, excitedly pointed to the circular indentations on the octopus’s tentacles, which were as wide as car wheels, and began his introduction.
“And the meat at the end of this arm is also very delicious. Which part do you want to eat? I can cut you some to try. Please, support my restaurant business.” Thor leaned closer to the giant octopus, about to cut Ian some sashimi from an octopus that surely had an excessive number of parasites, one longer than a hundred.
“Splash splash~”
The seemingly listless giant octopus suddenly erupted, and one tentacle whipped out like lightning, wrapping around Thor’s neck and pulling him into the water!
This was truly unsportsmanlike, a sneak attack.
“Ugh!!”
Thor immediately let out a terrified scream. He sank into the water, gulping down several mouthfuls, and despite struggling, his struggle seemed utterly disorganized.
Not at all like the mighty God of Thunder of Asgard.
“Oh no! It’s kissing me!” Thor’s hands flailed above the pool, and his feet kicked beneath the surface, though he didn’t look particularly happy.
The noble prince of Asgard.
At this moment, he struggled like a frog that had fallen into water.
Amidst the bubbling sounds.
He was crying.
“It’s eating my ear!”
Thor, bobbing in and out of the water, looked like he was about to cry from fear.
“It might just want to spread the Gospel of R’lyeh, which it believes in—that’s genuine unholy stuff, I don’t eat it, you eat it.”
Ian murmured softly.
He casually wiped the seawater that had splashed onto his face.
“Save me!”
Thor had been dragged to the center of the pool.
His voice became intermittent.
“Take my hammer!”
The world might have changed, but he was still the Hammer God. Ian looked back; Mjolnir was still hanging by the kitchen door, showing no intention of rescuing its master.
Ian completely understood. If he were Mjolnir, having to hammer rosemary and garlic every day, he would definitely pretend not to see Thor in danger.
“You’re a hammer, it’s normal for you to be blind.” Ian found a good excuse for Mjolnir, but in the end, he still brought Mjolnir over for Thor.
It wasn’t heavy.
Perhaps it didn’t have Odin’s 【impotence】 magic on it.
“Here.”
Ian threw Mjolnir directly into the pool without intervening. He was still confused about the combat power of these heroes in the new Marvel universe.
In any case, Thor wouldn’t drown.
However.
As the hammer traced a perfect parabola.
Thor broke free from the tentacles at the last moment, leaped into the water, and caught the weapon. Instantly, the sky darkened, and a thousand bolts of lightning descended from the heavens—then all the lightning struck him. His golden hair immediately turned into a stylish afro, and a small thundercloud formed in the air from the black smoke he exhaled.
He really looked like he almost electrocuted himself to death.
“Zzzzt zzzzt~”
The aroma of grilled squid and grilled Thor wafted through the air.
Since it was electric grilled.
It lacked the unique fragrance of charcoal grilling.
“Help…”
Thor floated on the water.
His rolling eyes made him look like a carp that had been electrocuted. It was very confusing; even though he could generate electricity himself, after summoning a bolt of lightning from the sky, he rolled his eyes before the giant octopus did.
Of course.
The giant octopus’s health bar was clearly not as thick as Thor’s.
The power of the heavenly lightning was indeed terrifying.
The entire swimming pool was constantly illuminated by dense arcs of electricity.
Amidst the continuous surge of electrical arcs, the giant octopus had completely turned to charcoal. Thor, on the other hand, was still alive, but in a bad state, smoking all over, and convulsing in the pool.
“Damn it, I didn’t bring a camera, otherwise, I would definitely let my mother know that this guy is truly abstract.” Ian saw Thor sinking towards the bottom of the pool.
He finally rushed into the pool and pulled Thor out.
【Berserker Experience +3】
The residual lightning power could still harm Ian’s body, something Ian had discovered the last time he snapped his fingers. He was no longer invincible in this world.
It was like losing his value.
Like a worker who had his salary drastically reduced by the company. However, the good news was that OAA might be a capitalist and not a specific industry leader, so Ian at least received a consolation prize.
【Wielding Destiny】
Although there were no effect descriptions, it had silently appeared on Ian’s status bar since he entered the Marvel universe.
Better than nothing, I guess.
“Huff huff huff~”
After Ian pulled Thor ashore, Thor lay on the ground, calmly spitting out bubbles. His hair was a mess, but his bulging beer belly was the real heavyweight.
“You should lose some weight.”
Ian kindly advised.
All he got in return was Thor spitting a stream of water at his face.
His belly did shrink a little.
However, this behavior was clearly impolite.
“Smack~”
Ian stomped on Thor’s stomach with one foot. Thor immediately spat out a large amount of water, along with several grilled fish. It was clear that more than just one giant octopus had been electrically cooked in the pool by him.
“Thank you, stranger Sun God of the universe.”
Thor was reborn and had also learned politeness. He could sense the power brewing in Ian’s eyes, which was why he had asked Ian to stay.
A true chef.
Has the ambition to make their restaurant famous throughout the universe.
“Don’t call me Sun God.”
Ian shook the water off his wet hands.
“I’m afraid you’ll pass your bad luck to me.”
He was truly amazed by Thor’s performance.
“Uh, there’s nothing I can do about it,” Thor said with a sheepish grin, scratching his head, which caused some charred hair to fall off. “I’m too clumsy with my divine power!”
“If I used my lightning power more often, this wouldn’t happen!” He declared righteously, swinging his hammer. “It’s all my fault for lacking opportunities to train since I was a child!”
Judging by the way Thor swung his hammer, he might be a cross-world successor of the 【Cape-Wearing Hammer Technique】, which was indeed far from the Asgardian God of War Ian had imagined.
“Opening a restaurant on Earth isn’t exactly an opportunity for training,” Ian rolled his eyes, not very skillfully. He rolled them so far back that only the whites were visible, scaring Thor into taking several steps back.
“The Nine Realms have been peaceful for too long, people live and work in peace. Where would I find opportunities to show myself?” Thor regained his composure and said with a sigh, “As the King of Gods, my father is idle all day, let alone a prince like me. I came to Earth wanting to find something to do.”
“Isn’t this diligent enough?”
Thor was like a several-thousand-year-old chubby kid who wanted praise.
“Yes.”
Ian suddenly understood.
This was a second-generation rich kid who refused to lie flat!
“How’s business at the restaurant?” Ian asked knowingly, glancing around and noticing that the “Best New Restaurant” award plaque in the corner was dated 1997.
That plaque probably cost a lot of Asgardian gold coins.
“It’s okay, after all, I’ve only been open for sixteen years, still in the beginner phase!” Thor proudly puffed out his chest, the red stain on his apron, likely ketchup, was particularly conspicuous.
It was embroidered with 【Thor Odinson’s Restaurant】.
Below it was a line of small text.
【Odin Witnessed, Never Shortchanged.】
Ian almost forgot that he was also someone who liked to brag about his father. However, he no longer liked to compete with others about their fathers, unless his own father could somehow redeem himself and bring glory to the family.
“Keep it up.”
Ian encouraged Thor.
“Okay, okay, I’ll definitely develop well in the future. I’ve loved cooking since I was a child. Recently, I’ve spent a lot of money on marketing. Both 《New York Gourmet》 and 《American Kitchen》 have taken my money.” Thor was greatly encouraged, counting on his fingers in a way that perfectly fit Ian’s stereotype of a second-generation rich entrepreneur.
“The future will definitely be better!” Thor concluded with a hopeful declaration. Sunlight shone through his charred afro, illuminating a few scales of grilled fish inside his hair.
“Yes, the future will be even more beautiful.”
Ian was optimistic about Thor. It would only take three years, no, perhaps thirteen years, for the rise of American Ying Xue, and then Thor would surely shine on the stage. An alien with infinite potential, who abandoned his noble prince status to become a restaurant chef in New York.
What is this called?
This is called the correct benchmark.
It can be used as a benchmark for American Ying Xue for external promotion.
“Are you still the Crown Prince?” Ian prepared to assess Thor’s Ying Xue potential, wiping his hands as he casually asked the foolish son of Odin.
Thor wasn’t very wary of strangers.
“Of course! I am my father’s only son! The ultimate heir to Asgard!” Thor puffed out his chest, his tone carrying a hint of pride.
His words were full of information.
Loki wasn’t a prince in Asgard.
“Is it because the concept of the God of Stories is gone, so Loki’s origin story is also gone, or is it simply that Teacher Tony is once again inserting his own private agenda into the new Marvel universe?” Ian still had many unknown confusions about this world, and as he repeatedly urged his Super Brain to think a little harder.
“Do you want to be my advisor? When I ascend the throne, as my savior, I will appoint you as my Great State Master. But before that, you’ll need to help me kill fish in the kitchen for a few thousand years.” Thor suddenly extended an olive branch to Ian, his tone sincere, not like someone trying to run a scam or pyramid scheme.
However.
“…”
Ian felt that Thor’s sincerity was more ruthless than a scam or pyramid scheme. After killing fish for ten years at a supermarket, one would become numb. He really couldn’t imagine what he would become after killing fish for thousands of years.
“What do you say?”
Thor still looked at Ian with expectant eyes.
“As the Crown Prince of Asgard, why aren’t you doing what a Crown Prince should do, but hiding in Earth as a chef-cum-beggar?” Ian felt he should correct Thor’s misguided thinking.
“Ah?”
Thor blinked his blue eyes, tiny charred debris still clinging to his eyelashes.
“What should a Crown Prince do?”
He seemed to be genuinely seeking advice.
Regarding this.
Ian definitely had something to say. Teacher Tony had only asked Ian to shape the Marvel he wanted, not to recreate the old version of Marvel from before the apocalypse.
“I’m familiar with this. History is a mirror, from which we can learn the duties of a Crown Prince. Louis XIV of France’s son spent all day at the Palace of Versailles, dancing from dusk till dawn.”
“The Crown Prince of King Charles II of England reportedly had three mistresses a day, and could write poetry while drinking. The son of an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh spent his days in the palace engaging in artistic creation, and even built himself a statue larger than the pyramids—you need to learn all of this, it’s much easier than learning a foreign language.”
Ian spoke with earnestness.
Thor was stunned into silence.
“A Crown Prince can act like this?”
It was as if Ian had completely redefined his worldview.
“Yes, this is all preparation for your ascension to the throne. Only by developing these habits as Crown Prince can you truly become a qualified monarch after you ascend.”
For the next ten minutes.
Thor experienced a mental shock far more profound than Ragnarok.
Ian spoke of King Zhou of Shang’s opulent feasts and Louis XVI’s locksmith workshops, of Roman emperors’ fashion in horse racing and Emperor Wuzong of Ming’s entrepreneurial ventures in his imperial zoo.
As Ian spoke eloquently, about using the Bifrost as a transport channel, gathering princesses from across the universe, and banishing all disloyal individuals to Pluto to grow lychees.
“Hiss~”
Thor gasped in disbelief.
The Hammer in his hand clanged to the ground.
“Isn’t this a bit… improper?”
Thor’s pupils were constricting.
“What’s improper about it?”
Ian looked at him deeply. He wasn’t saying all this out of idleness, but to probe whether Thor was still the Thor he knew. Teacher Tony had commissioned Ian to shape this new world, and Ian naturally had to take it seriously, testing Thor’s kingly heart.
“Thor Odinson, you need to understand a truth. Your father built such a great empire; if you don’t squander some of it, wouldn’t that be a betrayal of his diligent efforts?”
Ian’s rhetorical question.
Made Thor feel as if he’d been struck by lightning again.
“There’s such a perspective?”
He seemed to understand, yet not, his face a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.
“Of course. Think about it carefully, if you don’t squander a bit, how will you create opportunities for your children to be diligent?” Ian asked forcefully, this time truly deafening. “Do you want your future children to be like you, coming to Earth to sell local specialties because they have nothing to do?”
His words struck a chord with Thor.
That’s right.
It was precisely because the great Father God had governed the country so well that he himself had lost opportunities for progress. How could he bear to let his descendants be idle like him?
“Heavens, Father God above, I think you are right. I’ve wasted so much time these years.” Thor seemed to have undergone a great enlightenment.
A spark of awakening flashed in his eyes.
“Heimdall, open the Bifrost! I’m returning to Asgard to resume my duties as Crown Prince!” Thor raised Mjolnir aloft and shouted to the sky.
The supernatural power in this world was still immense, and Ian had indeed tested it. Amidst the surging energy fluctuations, a low and ancient hum continuously sounded.
Like the roar of an engine.
Then, a rift tore open in the sky—not a tear in the clouds, but a fissure in reality itself. A blindingly radiant pillar of light descended straight from the heavens.
The Bifrost’s summons descended with a roar.
“Rumble~”
Where the pillar of light touched the ground, the earth was instantly gilded with a faint golden radiance. The stone bricks vibrated and cracked, as if unable to withstand this pressure from the center of the Nine Realms.
“Thank you for your guidance, goodbye. Feel free to visit anytime.” Thor’s blonde hair whipped in the wind as he thanked Ian sincerely. With a single step forward, he was drawn upward by the pillar of light. After a loud bang, the light pillar retracted, finally transforming into a soft golden ripple that carried Thor away, making him disappear.
In the blink of an eye.
In the backyard with roasted octopus, only Ian remained.
“This is something else.” Ian looked down at the ground beneath his feet, discovering a shallow scorch mark, perfectly circular in shape.
As if it were a mark left by some ancient ritual.
“So, in essence, the supernatural is still powerful, just without a place to be used?” Ian had obtained the information he wanted and also felt that he had truly corrected Thor’s life trajectory.
To be a King.
To be a Crown Prince.
And not indulge in pleasure?
Then it would be better to find a place to grow sweet potatoes. At least by choosing pleasure, he would be happy and wouldn’t be seen as a tyrant, at most just a foolish ruler.
What do you call this?
It’s definitely a technique of emperorship that stabilizes the bottom line!
“My knowledge base is just too comprehensive.” Ian felt happy after doing a good deed. He gathered some roasted octopus in a few takeaway boxes and planned to go find his followers.
However.
“Rumble!”
Just as Ian was about to head to the front hall.
The roar of the Bifrost echoed from the backyard again.
Then.
The familiar lightning surged again.
It was Thor’s descent.
Accompanied by a muffled thud.
The Bifrost spat Thor out like it was spitting watermelon seeds. The Prince of Asgard, now with a bruised and swollen face, looked like a golden retriever thrown into a washing machine.
“Thump~”
A cry of pain echoed through the backyard. Thor looked truly miserable, thrown heavily to the ground, his face bruised and swollen – the look of someone who had genuinely been beaten.
Ian hadn’t experienced it.
But that didn’t mean he couldn’t recognize it.
“Respected Teacher, my Father God beat me and told me to go back to Earth and open a restaurant. I can see that his aptitude is inferior to mine; he couldn’t grasp your world-awakening truth.”
“He actually hit my face with Gungnir! This handsome face, which only cost me three hundred gold coins to get featured in a magazine, is ruined!” Thor looked like he was about to cry.
He directly clung to Ian’s leg, lying on the ground.
It was as if he had come home after being beaten, his rebellious spirit completely broken.
“…”
Ian hadn’t expected to face this day. He, the renowned founder of the “Network Entanglement” skill, was unexpectedly ambushed by Thor, who called upon his respected teacher.
Not yet fifteen years old.
And already ensnared by a greasy, low-class man!
“When you’re out in the world, it seems like you always have to pay up.” Ian was quite dejected, but with his Super Intelligence, the skill founder naturally knew how to counter.
At least he had to ensure he wouldn’t lose out.
“With just one ‘Respected Teacher,’ I can already feel your comprehension. However, if you wish to receive further teachings from me, you must join the church I belong to.”
Ian pulled his “Chicken Protector Plate” from his crotch.
That is, the Demon Book.
“Sign here, and then, according to this prayer, praise the great, ultimate, invincible, final judge, Emperor of All Laws, Ian God.” He intended to trick Thor into reciting his true name and joining the cult.
In response.
As the Crown Prince of Asgard, Thor possessed some basic caution.
“This isn’t a proper church, is it?” He didn’t fall for it. Instead, relying on the knowledge he had learned since childhood, he noticed something strange about the “Book of Creation” Ian had taken out.
Of course.
It was only enough to notice that something was off.
“This is an Evil God’s church.” Ian used a term that Thor found very unfamiliar. The thousands-of-years-old man had only heard of Evil Gods in stories his mother told him.
“Are you the leader of this church?”
Thor was somewhat fearful.
“No, I am not the leader. I am an Evil God.”
Ian corrected him earnestly.
The air froze for three seconds.
“No, are you serious? Who would call themselves an Evil God? You are clearly the Sun God!” Thor was no longer sure how many times today he had been inexplicably shocked.
“An Evil God who likes to play with the sun, why can’t he be an Evil God? Playing with the sun, doesn’t that sound inherently wicked?” Ian clung to his remaining shreds of honesty.
He knew that honesty was the most crucial element in proselytizing.
“…”
Thor fell into a long silence.
“No, as the Crown Prince of Asgard, the future King of Gods, how can I believe in other gods?” He seemed to be genuinely contemplating Ian’s suggestion.
After all, Ian had saved his life.
That sense of loyalty still existed in this new version of Thor.
“I can create new magic soon, containing ten thousand recipes, making your dishes not only delicious but also able to glow, in whatever color you wish.”
Ian attempted to display his persuasive abilities to Thor.
It was very effective.
“What a wicked sorcery! Just like in my mother’s stories… it strikes fear into the heart of a god!” Thor looked utterly panicked, as if his weak spot had been hit.
“Alright, I admit defeat. I will believe in your Evil God church, but this is not because my willpower is insufficient; it’s because I need to infuriate my useless Father God!”
Thor might just be the truly filial son.
As soon as he finished speaking.
Before he could even bicker with Ian, negotiate conditions he could withdraw from at any time, his soul suddenly felt a constraint.
As if grasped by an invisible hand.
Like the sky crushing down, like an iron law imposed.
This was not the adherence of faith, nor the surrender of spirit, but a more fundamental, irreversible connection. Deep within his soul, a brand slowly took shape.
Bearing an irresistible majesty and absurdity.
“What’s going on? Why has a soul contract suddenly been established between us!” Everything happened too quickly, leaving Thor no time to react.
Caught completely off guard.
He found himself a follower of Ian.
“I don’t know either.”
Ian’s statement was also true.
“No, this contract is wrong. Oh my god!” Thor felt it carefully and was greatly shocked. His future divine power would be 30% contributed to this boy opposite him?
“Is this what an Evil God is like?”
Thor was hit with a devastating shock.
Far more terrifying than the false Evil Gods depicted in the stories his mother told him.
His voice trembled.
“Mmm, an Evil God is like this.” Ian became increasingly satisfied with his path as a Dimensional Demon God, even though he didn’t fully understand what type of Dimensional Demon God he was.
Nor what authority he possessed.
“Fortunately, I can still unilaterally tear up the contract… Hiss, it requires half of my divine power?” Thor felt the contents of the contract and let out a sharp gasp.
His power would regress by a thousand years?
What kind of cosmic joke was this!
The part Ian showed him earlier didn’t include this.
“An Evil God is like this.”
Ian felt Thor’s shock and began to patiently explain. He knew that people in this world, due to their abrupt birth, lacked a standard concept of Evil Gods.
“Where exactly do you come from?”
Thor felt more like crying than when his own father beat him.
“I come from the Justice League.”
Ian still couldn’t forget that his old man formed a team without inviting him. He decided to preemptively join the Justice League and find a way to complete the relevant procedures later.
“…”
Thor fell silent.
Just hearing the name.
He felt it was likely an organization for Evil Gods to disguise themselves.
“I won the gamble again.”
Ian looked up at the sky. King of Gods Odin had not descended. The adventure had indeed been rewarding. This time, his “Leader” profession had been awakened.
“You have gained a massive amount of Leader experience.”
“Leader profession has been upgraded.”
“Leader profession has been upgraded.”
…
“Leader LV5 [13/160].”
Yes.
He had directly leveled up to five.
Far exceeding Ian’s prediction. He had expected one kill to yield only one experience point. Who knew Thor would directly bring him several hundred experience points for the Leader profession.
The rewards from a high-quality follower were indeed abundant.
Although the advancement of ordinary professions wouldn’t enhance physical quality, the “Leader” profession, upon reaching level five, did grant Ian a skill reward.
“Share: Temporarily lend your strength to followers. Strength can be recalled at any time, and followers must pay a certain price each time they use your strength.”
Such a seemingly ordinary skill was listed under Ian’s general skills, forming a triumvirate with his defense techniques and 【learning】.
“Isn’t this also a form of trinity?”
Ian was happy, looking at Thor, whose happiness he had absorbed, and said in a light tone, “You can keep calling me Respected Teacher; I enjoy that title and don’t like putting on airs.”
“Only true gods put on airs,” Ian might have gotten into character very quickly. “Now, I can teach you a supreme storage magic.”
He also knew that he should offer some benefits to appease Thor’s emotions at this moment.
“Don’t teach me magic yet, I need to recover,” Thor said, plopping down on the floor. His 450-pound weight shook the floor, yet he still looked as wronged as a child.
“Asgardians have amazing constitutions. I can already feel my magic power steadily increasing.” Ian wasn’t being provocative; he was genuinely praising from the bottom of his heart.
“……”
Thor’s expression became even more wronged.
“That’s the magic tax I’m giving you. We Asgardians get stronger by the moment just by living.” He now realized that his divine power might ultimately be lost by thirty percent for his lifetime. No wonder Mother told me to be a homebody; the outside world is truly terrifying!
“Believe me, it’s worth it.”
Ian had discovered that he could even share his professional abilities with his followers, so he was naturally very confident in his professional skills, and the high usage fees he could collect were also worth it to him.
“Even so, I still need to recover first,” Thor said indistinctly, continuing to eat voraciously as if trying to fill the void in his heart with food.
Seeing this.
Ian’s high emotional intelligence also began to come into play.
“I’ll go check on my other follower. Just pray if you need anything.” He knew he should leave at this point, giving Thor some time to digest this good fortune.
“There’s a unlucky one too?”
Thor looked up abruptly, sauce still on the corner of his mouth.
“How many followers do you have?”
His tone carried a hint of probing.
He had joined the Evil God’s church anyway.
He had to see what the future held, right?
Thor didn’t ask for anything else; he just hoped that the number of followers would reach half of Asgard’s population. That way, when he returned and was stripped of his Crown Prince title, he could defiantly say he did it for freedom.
“Including you, a total of two.”
Ian was always honest when he was an Evil God.
“……”
Thor watched Ian leave, his eyes gradually shifting from shock to bewilderment. This wasn’t just a bleak future; he even felt he might never be able to return to Asgard in his lifetime.
He would be laughed to death.
【Higher than the starry sky. 】
【More ancient than the universe. 】
【Ian, the God, Emperor of All Laws, who wields hidden authority. 】
【You are the weaver of magic. 】
【You are the witness of history, the ultimate interpreter of the Marvel Codex, order and chaos intertwine in your hands… 】 Thor muttered the ten-thousand-word prayer that appeared in his mind. He began to console himself, thinking that at least he could learn some boasting from Ian, which could be considered a real skill?
“If he can lift my hammer, he must at least have the qualifications to be a leader.” Thor looked at the hammer placed beside him, entering a mode of intense self-consolation.
Eating heartily.
He was clearly heading towards a physique of five hundred pounds—meanwhile, in the Asgardian royal court, an aged king sat on the Golden Throne.
The Eternal Spear Gungnir leaned against the throne, its tip still bearing a few strands of explosive hair. Odin, still with only one eye, seemed capable of penetrating all Nine Realms to reach any place.
Odin had witnessed everything.
However, he had not intervened.
He simply watched his overweight son and sighed softly.
“Fool’s luck, I suppose.”
Slowly retracting his gaze, Odin remained silent for a long time, finally sighing softly. His murmur was almost inaudible, as if no one in this hall of revelry could hear him—the entire palace was filled with glittering lights, melodious music, and gods raising their cups, drinking, singing, and dancing amidst a joyous uproar.
It seemed as if it would continue like this forever.
Mm.
Only it seemed that way.
……
The sun was high in the sky.
It was a bright and sunny day.
Just like Ian’s joyful mood at that moment. The door to the Sanctum Sanctorum was kicked open by Ian, and the air was filled with the faint scent of sandalwood and residual magical energy fluctuations.
“Surprise! My loyal follower, come and see what special gift your god has brought you.” Ian’s words stopped abruptly.
He saw.
In the center of the hall.
Doctor Strange was sitting cross-legged, surrounded by golden magic runes. His face was as pale as paper, his forehead covered in cold sweat, and his red Hover Cloak drooped listlessly over his shoulders.
He looked as if he had just gone through a soul-stripping ordeal.
He was indeed as if he were tearing his soul apart, because what he was doing was “severing ties” with Ian, directly and forcefully discarding half of his magic power to tear up the contract with Ian.
“What are you doing?!”
Ian’s eyes widened.
He suddenly felt his magic power surge again.
From a small well.
It had become at least fifty or sixty small wells.
“Splash~”
After the contract was terminated.
Doctor Strange fell from mid-air.
He weakly raised his head and looked at the Evil God in front of him, his eyes unusually firm: “I, the Sorcerer Supreme, will never collude with a demon like you who has survived from ancient times!”
Although his voice was equally weak and powerless.
It was resonant and powerful.
Filled with strong conviction.
“Uh…”
Ian began to admire Doctor Strange’s backbone.
He had finally seen someone in the Marvel Universe with the spirit of a superhero. As for tearing up the contract, Ian, who found that his experience hadn’t decreased, was naturally not angry.
As an Evil God.
He always gave his followers the right to choose whether to stay or leave.
This was not nobility.
But the basic etiquette of a new era Evil God.
“If you’re willing to wait for me to recover before having a final battle, then…” Doctor Strange was completely weak and powerless, failing to get up from the ground several times.
“You’re still as good at negotiating; this is the Doctor Strange I know.” Ian thoughtfully went to help support him, though he didn’t hear what condition Doctor Strange wanted to negotiate.
The reason was simple.
Doctor Strange himself had frozen.
It wasn’t because of Ian’s approachability.
“No! How could this happen!” Doctor Strange’s expression was incredibly stiff. He pushed Ian away and stumbled back several steps, collapsing against the wall.
“Why do I have to offer more magic power to you after giving up the contract?!” He was truly shocked, his trembling voice full of disbelief—even though the contract had been severed, it seemed that the contract’s constraints still lingered, causing forty percent of the magic power Doctor Strange cultivated in the future to flow to Ian.
This was simply an increase, not a decrease!
The previous magic power tax only required thirty percent!
“Young Evil Gods need alimony; it’s like that,” Ian’s explanation was always so patient. His words plunged the entire Sanctum Sanctorum into silence.
“There was no such clause before!” Doctor Strange’s face turned green and white. Finally, gritting his teeth, he spat out the question from between his teeth in furious indignation.
“This clause was just added five minutes ago. You were probably busy with the contract termination and didn’t notice.” Ian lifted his clothes, revealing the Book of Creation that he had tucked into the top of his waistband.
“……”
Silence, still silence.
“This shouldn’t be the outcome.”
Doctor Strange’s facial muscles trembled, his cheeks puffed out into two bulges, like he was holding two walnuts. His fingers tightly gripped the edge of his Hover Cloak, his knuckles turning white, his lips pursed into a thin line—this Sorcerer Supreme, who considered his intellect comparable to Sherlock Holmes, was using all his cultivation to control himself from crying.
“Honestly, I admire your backbone; this is the superhero I know.” Ian handed over the gift in his hand, the aroma of roasted octopus filling the air.
However.
Doctor Strange did not reach out to take it.
“Wait, don’t admire me yet, you’re admiring me too soon… Give me a chance, I want to enlist again. I was actually secretly bewitched by other demons before.”
Doctor Strange put on a sincere expression, his Adam’s apple bobbing with difficulty. Between his dignity and the loss of magic power, he chose to trust his math.
The difference between thirty percent and forty percent.
He was quite clear about it.
After all, he enjoyed reading 《Sherlock Holmes’s case files》.
“What demon? Where did other demons come from?”
Ian was surprised.
He had always been good at believing people.
However.
Doctor Strange’s “Sherlock Holmes” brain didn’t seem inclined to make him believe.
“Just demons… the kind that look scary. Uh… the kind with big wings and arrogant smiles.” Humans can never imagine things they haven’t seen.
At this moment.
The weight of this statement was proven by Doctor Strange. Since he had no access to real information on the subject, he could only describe based on movies he had seen.
“I believe you.”
Ian nodded.
He displayed his magnanimity.
“Come on, of course, you can. The Evil God’s quilt is always open for followers to come and go freely.” As the saying goes, new era Evil Gods have their own etiquette.
“Thank you.”
Strange squeezed out a single word through gritted teeth.
His Adam’s apple bobbed with difficulty.
Looking at Ian taking out the book that should be the 【main body】, this Sorcerer Supreme, who appeared to have backbone but perhaps just didn’t want to cultivate for others, decided to endure humiliation.
“What sin have I committed? After all that effort… I’ve directly lost half my magic power.” With boundless grief, Doctor Strange placed a new fingerprint on the book.
The moment the contract took effect, a familiar sense of constraint began to regenerate within him—the extraction of magic power tax had indeed returned to thirty percent.
However.
He didn’t even have time to breathe a sigh of relief.
“No!” Doctor Strange immediately turned into a marmot again, freezing as if struck by lightning, and once again, with extreme shock, let out an incredulous exclamation.
“Why is the content of this contract different from the last time!” Doctor Strange stiffly looked at the smiling Ian, his eyes shifting from terrified shock to numb indifference.
“Is this what Evil Gods are like?”
He felt he had guessed what Ian was going to say.
However.
“It’s like a second marriage versus a first marriage. Do you think there’s no difference?” Ian patted Doctor Strange’s stiff shoulder reassuringly, his tone very light and with a hint of self-righteousness.
“……”
Doctor Strange opened his mouth.
Ultimately, he could not find a counter-argument.
Perhaps Ian’s sophistry was too flawless; even this genius, who loved Sherlock Holmes from childhood, learned advanced medicine as an adult, and eventually became the Sorcerer Supreme, found it hard to cope.
“So, demons are truly that terrifying.”
He could only murmur in a low voice with a lifeless expression, his gaze vacant.
“I saw you bought a lot of Sherlock Holmes magnifying glasses. If you don’t use a magnifying glass to look at the contract, you’ll encounter this situation.” Ian tried to teach his follower how to guard against demons, but his good intentions did not earn his gratitude.
The air became even quieter.
Doctor Strange’s breathing grew heavier.
Gradually approaching Uncle Bruce, who had been overdosed by Ian.
Still owe 4000 words… There were earthquakes this morning at five o’clock and again this afternoon. My location is in between the two epicenters, and I felt significant tremors. It really made me unable to sleep and caused me to rush out in fear, wasting a lot of time. I am still asking for monthly votes. The additional monthly vote chapter is still ongoing; for every 1000 votes, an additional 4000 words will be added. If the monthly votes exceed ten thousand by the end of the month, an additional ten thousand words or more will be added.
