"Loki, did you notice anything?"
—Thor nudged Loki, who rolled his eyes but shook his head.
"Is what Father said really true? Just now…they only used a fraction of their power?"
Thor gazed at the devastated wilderness. Who knows how many mountains Odin's body had pierced on impact. And that was just a fraction of his power?
What would happen if he went all out? Would Asgard get wrecked?
This is crazy. Thor never knew his father could be that strong.
Loki shook his head again, but he was staring at the armor on Aaron with burning desire. Man, he really wanted something like that.
If I had that armor, I'd totally become the new God-King. Beating Thor wouldn't just be a pipe dream!
Thor tugged on Loki's sleeve once more, looking torn. In a hushed voice, he asked, "Do you think if I really knuckled down, I could surpass Aaron?"
Huh?
Did I just hear the most ridiculous joke in existence?
"You? Thor?"
Loki shot a quick glance at Aaron, twitched the corners of his mouth, and said, "Are you nuts? You think just 'trying harder' is enough to surpass our great, venerable, handsome, and invincible uncle?"
"Thor, maybe I could whip up a dream spell for you—where you can be the unbeatable God-King in your sleep."
Thor scratched his head at that, eyeing Aaron's strikingly young face (he's only twenty-two) and then looking over at Odin, nearly five thousand years old with an ancient, wrinkled face…
His rusty brain suddenly sparked. "I get it now! If I want to become a God-King, I shouldn't be aiming to surpass Aaron first—I should surpass Father!"
Thor said excitedly, "Father can't really grow any stronger, but I'm different. I'm only fifteen hundred years old—I've got tons of time to train!"
"As long as I step it up a bit more, surpassing Father isn't impossible!"
Loki heard that and thought it actually made sense.
Odin is almost at his limit. His power's basically set in stone. Aaron is only twenty-two, with terrifying room to grow in the future.
But…
Oh, my foolish brother!
You're still daydreaming, while I've already found the real shortcut!
Oh, dear Uncle. I'm your most dutiful, considerate, and understanding nephew—Loki! Sure, we've never met before, but our shared bloodline is like a powerful magnet binding us together. From the moment I first saw you, I knew: you're the person I respect and feel closest to. From now on, I'll be your most loyal follower!
Loki was done working hard for himself—time to cling to someone strong! Clinging to Aaron is guaranteed success—surpassing Thor? That's just a quick detour away. Heh heh, Thor, you can go stand over there!
"Thor! Get over here!"
Odin suddenly spoke, and Thor immediately sensed trouble.
"It's been ages since I tested your strength. Right now, I'm going to see just what you can do!"
Odin still wore the Destroyer Armor. Though he was breathing heavily, his massive, upright form still radiated a daunting, tyrannical aura.
Thor's sharp eyes noticed that the dents on the Destroyer Armor were slowly reshaping. That made him gulp—Aaron had actually dented it with his bare fists? That's insane.
He was still thinking about it when Odin lunged with his spear!
A spear like a roaring dragon, streaking down like a meteor. Thor hurried to block, but in a split second, he was blasted tens of thousands of meters away—his axe even got a hole punched clean through.
"Wait, Father, my axe is busted!"
Thor shouted in panic. Was Odin really about to sacrifice his own son?
"Then use your fists! Act like Aaron, and you'll finally be a real man!"
"What… me?"
Thor was floored, looking at the raging Odin—who seemed to be acting like Thor had stolen his beloved—feeling a gross sense of injustice.
I didn't do anything!
Without hesitation, Thor turned and ran.
"Uncle, are you tired? Need something to drink? Asgardian wine? Some specialty from Midgard? Juice? Coffee? Just say the word and I'll fetch it right away!"
"I could even get you the molten liquor of the Dying Giants or the frozen fire ale of the Frost Giants, no problem!"
Surprisingly, Loki didn't laugh at Thor this time. Instead, he sidled up to Aaron eagerly, looking like a devoted sidekick.
Aaron gave Loki a glance. "Spit it out. What's on your mind?"
Unseen by Loki, Aaron was holding a few drops of Odin's blood in his palm. During that fight, Odin had taken some serious damage—after all, even the Destroyer Armor can't completely resist the Emperor Armor's power.
The Primordial Furnace churned. Light coursed through Aaron's body.
[Dark Energy Teleportation: You can harness dark energy to teleport over light-year distances. Anywhere you can see, you can go. The further the distance, the higher the energy consumption.]
[Odinforce (Complete): Similar ability detected and fused (Thor's lightning powers, by the King of Gods' authority). You now possess the Odinforce, granting you deeper control over Asgard, purer and more potent Asgardian power, further potential growth, and a boosted "blessing" ability—your absorption of Asgard's energy is now even faster.]
[Complete Magic Codex (Odin Edition): You've gained every magical property Odin knows, including various enchantments, active and passive spells (now part of your own repertoire, matching Odin's level).]
"Odinforce..." Aaron's eyes shone. Adding it to his previous "God of Thunder" power meant he now had two of the three major parts.
He wondered if acquiring Hela's inheritable power might cause an even bigger transformation—maybe leading to complete mastery over Asgard?
In truth, each person's share of that heritage shows a different focus. Odin's is well-rounded, heavy on magic. Hela's is more about healing and conjuration, while Thor's is thunder and physical strength. Thor might have the highest raw potential, but that doesn't mean he and Hela have the total package. After all, early on, either of them could absolutely destroy Thor in his earlier days.
"Huh, maybe I should visit Hela sometime. If I gather all that inherited power, wouldn't I become the true master of Asgard?"
"Or maybe… the 'Borrforce'?"
Aaron shook his head, bumping himself one generation higher up.
But the biggest gain this time was definitely dark-energy teleportation. He'd been after that for a while. Compared to Loki's short-range teleport, dark-energy teleportation was on a whole different level. In a single thought, he could bounce between planets. Energy consumption? Please—Heimdall, practically on his last legs, could pull it off, so it's a piece of cake for Aaron, whose energy dwarfs Heimdall's.
Loki was still fussing over him in an ingratiating tone. "I don't want anything in particular right now—I just want to follow you, Uncle."
Aaron gave a half-smile.
Loki grinned awkwardly. "I know you see right through me, Uncle. It's just… I've noticed you seem really into all sorts of unusual things, so I was wondering…"
"Could I work under you, help gather those things for you, and in return…"
Loki glanced at the radiant Emperor Armor Aaron was wearing.
"You want the Emperor Armor?" Aaron raised an eyebrow.
Loki bowed slightly. "I'm definitely not worthy of the same armor as you, Uncle. But… given how hard your nephew is trying, maybe you could spare me a slightly weaker one?"
"I'm thinking… something strong enough to beat Thor, at least."
Loki's request was simple and direct.
Beating Aaron? Impossible, now and forever. But beating Thor? That he could do. Loki didn't need the best suit—just a suit better than Thor's. That would put him in the spotlight for Odin and all Asgard. And if one day Aaron got bored and stopped caring about things, wouldn't that open the door for Loki?
He'd noticed that Aaron, when he was on Midgard, didn't really bother managing his companies. So Loki could potentially become the behind-the-scenes king of Asgard. All he needed was to be stronger and smarter than Thor.
Of course, it's crucial to win Aaron's approval and support. Loki's a smart guy—he immediately sees that Asgard's future basically belongs to Aaron. All he has to do is serve Aaron well, and everything's golden.
Aaron chuckled and shook his head. "Loki, you're clever. Sure, let's do it. If you do your job well, I don't mind tossing you a powerful set of armor."
Crafting another suit is no big deal for Aaron—just not the Emperor Armor. But anything else is fair game!
An armor made from the Eternal Flame's fire dragon, or the eagle aspect of air (wind), the black rhinoceros aspect of water, the ground tiger aspect of gravity (earth), or the snow musk aspect of ice (metal). Weren't those basically just different "five-element" armors?
What? Not enough? How about eighty-eight Saint Cloths? Hundreds of Sacred Robes? Or a near-infinite supply of Sea Scales?
And if that's not enough, why not Kamen Rider suits? Sure, we can do that too!
Even if they're more form than function, that's fine—it's still early. With enough data, forget about baseline versions—I can make super-upgraded versions, no problem at all! Time, space, the works! If you can imagine it, I can probably make it happen!
Aaron felt confident. As long as Loki brought him enough benefits, anything was possible.
Looking for a freebie? Then go get yourself reborn in Hel as a beautiful woman, and we'll talk next life.
If Loki heard that, he might have said, "Transforming isn't out of the question—I can do that!"
Of course, if he did say that, he'd probably be fast-tracked to Valhalla.
"Dear Uncle, that's a promise, then!"
"Leave everything to me! I'll definitely be more loyal and capable than that Midgardian Norman or whoever!"
With that, Loki left, mind abuzz with plans. Thor may have Odin's favoritism, but Loki could secure Uncle Aaron's backing. Everyone has someone in their corner, but Thor's sponsor is basically a sunset, while Loki's is the rising dawn.
He's the future!
Seeing Loki off, Aaron glanced over at Odin and Thor's "father-son bonding" time. "Ah, so warm and loving," he said sarcastically.
Shaking his head, Aaron took a single step forward, disappearing instantly.
Odin sensed something. "Dark energy?"
"Father, give me a moment to prepare!" Thor shouted, making Odin even angrier. Aaron didn't need time to prepare, so why do you? You worthless son—trouble every single day.
"Take my spear!"
Aaron had just returned to the Golden Palace when two maids approached, guiding him to a chamber brimming with a blend of magic and technology.
"Your Highness, the All-Father asked us to deliver this geography record. It includes star charts of the Nine Realms and most of the Milky Way."
One maid, staring at Aaron curiously, quickly looked down when he returned her gaze. He ignored the maid's nervous fidgeting and accepted the small device—like a USB drive.
With a bit of magic, a brilliant star map projected into the air. It was a spectacular map of the Milky Way, showing hundreds of billions of stars and trillions of planets, plus partial info on some galaxies beyond. Though those extra-galactic maps weren't as detailed.
Aaron glanced at the top-left corner and twitched his lips.
"This is a star map from a thousand years ago?"
He recalled Odin telling him it was the newest chart—so this is what he meant, apparently. A thousand-year-old map? How reliable could it be?
One maid quickly explained, "We got this star map from civilizations that trespassed into our territory—Asgard hasn't really connected with the outside for over two thousand years, so we know very little about what's going on beyond. Still, from what we've heard, the major forces in the galaxy haven't changed much in a thousand years, so this map should be basically fine.
"If Your Highness wants something more accurate, you may have to ask the Guardian God. He carries a record of all the Milky Way in his mind."
Aaron nodded. He skimmed the map, and like a supercomputer, memorized it in an instant.
He recognized familiar names: the Kree Empire, the Nova Corps of Xandar, and Knowhere, the Collector's base. Naturally, the other Eight Realms of the Nine Realms were there too, detailed more than anything else. Studying it, Aaron found that while the Nine Realms were quite far apart, they were linked by a special "Tree" that essentially formed a miniature branch of the cosmos. Plus, there were certain hidden pathways connecting the realms. Through those shortcuts, traveling distances of hundreds or thousands of light-years could take mere seconds! But these passages weren't listed in the official records.
"So, Odin must've known from the start that Loki was bringing in Frost Giants?" Aaron had that random thought and then let it go—none of his business.
"Your Highness," one maid ventured, cheeks flushed, "is there anything else we can help you with?"
Her eyes shone with obvious admiration. Aaron didn't tease her—she just wasn't his type.
Taking the star map, he left to find the "museum" Lady Sif had mentioned. This time, he no longer needed Sif's guidance—he could get in just by showing his face. Odin had already sent word throughout Asgard's branch of the universe, letting everyone know that this once-unknown Midgardian was actually Borr's son, Odin's brother, and a Celestial-level deity on par with a Skyfather. Meanwhile, stories of Borr "winning glory for Asgard" were spreading like wildfire, the hot topic everyone was discussing.
Walking along, Aaron couldn't help but cringe at all the bewildered stares and the over-the-top rumors swirling around—stuff so far-fetched it was on the level of a third-rate roadside gossip rag. But gossip is universal; even Asgardians can't resist it. They're even saying things like "Borr battled the Mother of Celestials." Aren't they worried the Celestial might catch wind of this and pop over from trillions of light-years away to have a chat with Asgard?
Looking rather grim, Aaron stepped into the "Interstellar Museum."
Inside were relics Asgard had gathered across millennia of conquests, including the finest Elven armors, the fangs of a Frost Beast, a Fire Demon Dragon's scales, and a metallic decorative pauldron made from some monstrous creatures…
There were also Kree rifles, an ancient Skrull star chart, the chest stone of a Rock Giant, and… black silk stockings? How did something so random get in here?
Aaron surveyed the place, then asked a museum staff member if it was possible to take anything out. The staffer hesitated for a moment but then nodded. "The All-Father said that seeing you is as if seeing him. If you have any need, help yourself. They're just the leftovers from defeated foes. If we ever run out, we can always go get more."
You've got to love the pride of the gods.
Aaron patted the staffer's shoulder. "You're a true Asgardian warrior."
Hearing that, the staffer lit up. "You really think so? But the army says I'm too weak—they've turned me down three thousand five hundred times…"
Aaron was speechless. Asgard recruits once a year—getting rejected 3,500 times means he must be unbelievably stubborn. On Earth, that level of perseverance would make him the next Captain America.
Oh wait, he's Asgardian, probably at least on Cap's level physically. Well, never mind then.
Aaron asked him to take out a Frost Beast's fang and Fire Demon Dragon's scales. Unfortunately, there was no Kree Warhammer. Apparently that would have been a decent piece of tech.
Suddenly, Aaron noticed a round object. "Hey, what's this?"
The staffer glanced over. "Oh, that's said to be a leftover Dark Elf hand grenade, at least four thousand years old. It's kind of ancient—it's no big deal."
"A black hole grenade?!"
~~~
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