The Asgardians were truly stubborn. Even after thirty thousand push-ups, panting and slumped on the ground, they continued to show their defiance. In the end, Thor had to drag them away. One of them, a stout warrior named Volstagg, even nearly fainted, his face ghostly pale.
Kurohane himself was actually quite bored with all this. He had finally come to an alien planet, and he couldn't spend all his time on these kinds of 'mental terror' games. A faint, almost imperceptible smile played on his lips.
At the same time, the Rainbow Bridge opened a path to another realm, and Thor led his team to quell the rebellion in Vanaheim. Conversely, Loki, with his divine powers sealed, his appearance altered, was thrown to Earth by Odin. Sylvie, who remained in Frigga's palace, became the only royal heir left in Asgard. Odin and Frigga even announced Sylvie's royal identity in front of everyone and held a grand celebration, which left Kurohane utterly numb!
"Do these Asgardians have serious business to attend to all day?!" Kurohane thought to himself, staring at the fireworks exploding in the sky, emitting golden and red light. He had been here for three days, and there had been banquets and celebrations for three days. They were relaxed yet also militaristic, like the Great Song Dynasty in Earth-Prime, looking like they were about to be annihilated!
"It seems they are accustomed to living like gods, without the power they possessed when Odin conquered the Nine Realms. No wonder there's a destined day of destruction like Ragnarok. This is fate's choice!" Kurohane shook his head, recalling the images of a ruined Asgard in the future, shadows of ash and devastation flashing through his mind.
Kurohane had tried his best to lower his presence these past few days, but he was like a firefly in a dark night. Wherever he went, he attracted people's attention, especially Queen Frigga. As long as she met Kurohane, Frigga would pull him over to greet him warmly and inquire, and incidentally, praise her daughters. Whether it was Hela or Sylvie, whichever Kurohane preferred, it didn't matter. Or if he wanted both, it was not impossible to discuss. In the eyes of the Asgardians, Kurohane was no longer considered an ordinary Earthling. With the aid of his Sacred Scar, he was even considered "half an Angel," and his lifespan was no less than that of the Asgardians. Of course, more importantly, whether Ragnarok could be safely navigated likely depended on Kurohane!
So, Kurohane chose to seclude himself in the Asgardian library. Although he didn't read books, the Asgardians outside didn't read books either, so he finally had a moment of peace!
Three days later, Thor returned victorious, having almost single-handedly suppressed the rebellion in the other realm. The banquets and celebrations continued successfully. This time to celebrate Thor and their victory!
Kurohane: (Grumbled with an annoyed expression, his eyes narrowed at the crowd.) "Doing business in Asgard is too profitable! The wine and wine glass vendors have made a huge fortune these past few days. Before, they relied on their two feet to get around, but today they're already riding anti-gravity boats!"
Kurohane didn't stay idle for these few days in the library. He began to use the Mind Stone to strengthen his physical fitness. He wanted to increase the upper limit of the Sacred Energy stored within his Sacred Scar, but the Sacred Scar was peculiar. As long as Kurohane used the Mind Stone to strengthen himself, no matter how much mental power he poured into it, the space within the Sacred Scar could not expand even a tiny bit, or rather, it could not stabilize after expanding. As soon as Kurohane stopped using the Mind Stone, it would immediately revert to its original state. Besides wasting time, it had no effect at all!
But if Kurohane used his own mental power to transform it into Sacred Energy via the Sacred Scar, there was no problem. The upper limit increase was insignificant compared to the Mind Stone, but it could be firmly fixed. Even if it only increased a little, the effect was permanent! So, Kurohane could only first exhaust his mental power, then use the Mind Stone to help himself recover. Although it was troublesome, it was also useful, and each time Kurohane used his mental power, his mental power could also increase slightly, which was also a form of cultivation!
Kurohane was just waiting. He wanted to wait until these endless celebrations ended. Otherwise, he wouldn't find an opportunity to speak with Odin and borrow the Rainbow Bridge to "play" in the universe. What's more, the Thor: The Dark World storyline was about to begin. There weren't many easily defeated villains like the Dark Elves left, so he had to take advantage of them!
Until one day, the dignified Asgardian gatekeeper, Heimdall, brought a message for Kurohane. Thor had brought back a countrywoman of Kurohane's. "It appears she will be the future queen," Heimdall said, his voice like distant thunder. He transmitted his vision to Kurohane's eyes, so Kurohane saw this compatriot: Jane Foster, Thor's girlfriend whom he met on Earth, and the daughter-in-law rejected by Odin.
"Now she should have the Aether Particle, which is the Reality Stone, inside her body," Kurohane thought quickly, a faint smile gracing his face. "Thor, in a hurry, went to Earth once, and then brought her back to Asgard, hoping to extract the Reality Stone. Excellent, the villain will appear soon!"
Kurohane drew a glowing circle in the air and arrived outside the medical bay via a portal. Thor was accompanying Jane for a physical examination, but with current Asgardian technology, there was no way to extract the Aether Particle without harming Jane.
Kurohane met Odin outside the door, who was preparing to break up the couple's relationship, and immediately stopped him, standing tall before the Allfather.
"You're going to make Thor give up? After quickly abandoning this Earth woman, marry Sif?" Kurohane interjected, his voice skeptical, a challenging tone implied within it.
"Otherwise?!" Odin was so enraged that his beard stood on end and his eyes bulged, Gungnir in his hand trembling slightly. "Rather than waiting for this Earth woman's lifespan to end, it's better to separate now! I had arranged a good daughter-in-law like Sif for Thor, but after more than a thousand years, Thor hasn't been enlightened, and he met his true love after a trip to Earth!"
After speaking, Odin prepared to push Kurohane aside, wanting Kurohane to make way for him. But Kurohane still had no intention of moving, firmly blocking Odin's path, like an unyielding wall.
"I speak frankly, don't get angry, and I'm not afraid of offending you," Kurohane began, with a calm yet witty tone, a faint smile on his lips. "In the future, you died before Jane. Your breaking up with this couple now is also useless. They will still love each other after you die. Even after Jane dies, she enters Valhalla, staying with you, her father-in-law, forever!"
Odin: (Expression of disbelief, then profound pain flashed across his face, as if struck a heavy blow. He clutched his chest, gasping for breath.) "My heart hurts a little. It seems the divine power in my body is about to run wild! If I don't enter the Odin Sleep soon, I'm afraid I'll explode on the spot!" Odin clenched his hands, trying to control his tumultuous emotions, veins bulging on his temples.
"Anyway, you will eventually be buried in your family's ancestral tomb, so why should you step forward and be the villain now?" Kurohane continued, his voice now softer but still firm, his eyes locked with Odin's. "Thor is my good friend. Although he's a bit slow, I like his character. However, even if I didn't know Thor, even if I were an enemy of all Asgard, I would still protect his freedom to love!"
Kurohane raised one hand, the Infinity Gauntlet gleaming in the dim corridor light. At his waist, the Edman Alloy Knife was conspicuous, reflecting a hint of light. "Reject arranged marriages, support free love!" he declared with a dramatic, slightly exaggerated flourish, a triumphant smile playing on his lips. He had no other intention. Kurohane had to stand on the same frontline as Thor today! As long as Thor wasn't married, he wasn't afraid of Odin forcing Hela to be his wife! "Today, Kurohane will raise high the banner of opposition to arranged marriages! No one can stop him!"
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