Chapter Four: Journey to Asgard!

"Haoyun?" Tony glanced at Haoyun, his expression somewhat peculiar.

Haoyun understood what he meant. Though none of them had ever told Thor about Asgard's future, this time they were prepared. They couldn't simply stand by and watch the queen die and the Dark Elves invade, could they? After all, if they mishandled things, the future they faced would be the Dark Elves' invasion, threatening to destroy all Nine Realms!

Haoyun stepped forward and took Jane's hand, channeling his Level 7 Electrokinesis in tandem with his Haki, probing her body. Jane did not pull her hand away. Her boyfriend was Thor, she'd attended gatherings before, and after their interactions in the first Thor incident, she naturally recognized Haoyun as the Thunder Knight.

"Hmm... it's troublesome. I can't solve it at the moment." He had used Electrokinesis, Haki, and Ninjutsu—his methods were nearly exhausted, but he still couldn't disturb the Aether particles inside her.

No, to be precise, just being able to sense the Aether particles was already quite impressive.

"So what do we do? Wait for Thor?" Angela frowned. Since the Battle of New York, Thor hadn't returned to Earth in nearly a year. And knowing the future, Angela—who leaned toward a certain feminism—was not impressed by such a playboy prince! In fact, she'd recently taken the initiative to introduce Jane Foster to another boyfriend!

"No other choice. We'll have to wait for him. But this time, we can go to Asgard together. I want to cooperate with their medical research—perhaps we can find a safe way to extract the Aether particles!"

No sooner had Haoyun finished speaking than a thunderous boom rolled across the sky. Everyone looked up as a rainbow of light descended. Thor strode from the Bifrost, crackling with lightning as he arrived.

"Thor!"

"Jane!"

Like fire meeting dry grass, the two embraced the moment they saw each other, sharing a passionate kiss. Watching from the side, Angela wore an expression of exasperated disappointment. Long-distance? More like interplanetary. How could this end well? Jane, that foolish girl, was completely smitten the moment she saw Thor.

So unreserved, so very unreserved!

"Everyone, it's been a while!" Only when the two finally pulled apart did Thor notice Haoyun and the others, coming over with a cheerful greeting.

Haoyun looked at him speechlessly. Had he really been the third wheel for this long? Did they really not notice their presence?

"Thor, let's skip the small talk. Do you know what's happened to Jane?" Haoyun stepped forward and gave him a hug, getting straight to the point. Thor's face darkened and he nodded—Heimdall had already told him about the Aether when he arrived. And worse, that thing had been sealed by his own grandfather!

Who could have guessed that the seal from millennia ago would deteriorate, and that his girlfriend would be the one to stumble upon it?

"I know. The Aether... I need to take Jane to Asgard immediately."

"No, don't rush." Haoyun stopped him. "I might understand the situation better than you do." He then recounted in detail the ancient feud between the Dark Elves and Asgard—the Dark Elves' attempt to annihilate the universe and rule over it, only to be discovered and defeated by Thor's grandfather, and so on. He also sternly pointed out that the Dark Elves were not extinct and that Asgard was already under threat.

As for the source of his information? Naturally, it was from the all-knowing and undefeated Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One! The more blame he could shift, the better—he was quite adept at that.

"You're saying the Dark Elves have been watching Asgard, ready to strike at any moment? Impossible!" Thor was incredulous. "Asgard rules the Nine Realms, and my father is still on the throne. The Dark Elves are nearly extinct—there's no way they could breach Asgard's defenses."

Haoyun was speechless. Just how overconfident could Thor be? To be honest, he too had wondered how a nearly extinct race could break through Asgard's defenses, kill the queen, and even threaten the Nine Realms with destruction.

Had Asgard made no progress at all in thousands of years of technological advancement? But considering their disdain for heroes of intellect (Loki), their esteem for heroes of strength (Thor), and the peaceful atmosphere of the divine realm, perhaps it wasn't so impossible after all.

After all, desire is the ladder of human progress, and war is the catalyst of technological advancement. Compared to the Dark Elves, who wandered the cosmos ever on the brink of extinction, the Asgardians' weakness might not be so unimaginable.

"Heh, is that so?" Haoyun sneered. "Then tell me, how did the Destroyer come to Earth? A king's armor—a weapon of mass destruction in Asgard—was controlled by a prince locked up in a cell. Thor, Asgard's security is worse than Earth's!"

"On Earth, to launch a nuclear weapon, you need the president, the secretary of state, and the secretary of defense to all agree. Is Asgard a dictatorship?" Thor angrily swung his hammer. "Thunder Knight, are you mocking Asgard?"

"No, I'm only mocking you!" Haoyun strode up to Thor, jabbing a finger at his nose. "Do you think I have some grudge against you, or some complicated history with Asgard, that I would invent a lie about your kingdom being targeted? I'm warning you out of kindness, but if you insist on ignoring it, don't blame us when the blade finally falls!"

"We Asgardians do not fear any blade from Earth..." Thor turned his head, trying to explain—or perhaps just pouting for effect.

Haoyun scoffed. Pouting? Do you think you're as cute as Thor Odinson? Wielding a hammer doesn't make you the big shot. Thor's hammer is called Mjolnir, and it's not a bit weaker than yours!

"Fine, I've said my piece. Believe it or not—but let me say it one last time: the Dark Elves are always waiting for a chance to reclaim the Aether. You'd better take us with you to Asgard; maybe we can help. If you insist on ignoring us and something goes wrong, don't say we didn't warn you."

With that, Haoyun couldn't be bothered to argue with the arrogant Thor any longer. He took Angela's hand and left.

Thor looked at Haoyun's retreating figure, then at his silent girlfriend... Forget it, the priority was to save Jane. As for danger and security loopholes, he had faith in Asgard's army!

...

After Thor departed Earth with Jane, Tony and the others quickly gathered around.

"Haoyun, are you really not going to intervene with Thor?"

"What can you do? He's a god. He won't listen to mere mortals. All right, go back to your experiments. I have something to discuss with Angela."

Haoyun had no intention of throwing his enthusiasm at cold faces. He casually chose a car, got in, and pulled Angela in with him for a chat.

"Mom, have you been doing well these years? What about the Illuminati? Why does it seem like there are a lot fewer people now?"

"Oh, you mean Steve, Natasha, Barton, and the rest?" His mother brushed back her long hair, still as charming as ever. "Nick Fury borrowed them for something—something about dealing with Hydra infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D...."