In a cave somewhere on the planet Sakaar.
Flames licked at a rotating spit of meat, giving off a savory aroma. From a distance, Horse-Faced God of Thunder returned, carrying the unconscious Thor on his shoulder.
Thud!
Horse-Faced God of Thunder showed no mercy to his younger self, simply dropping the unconscious Thor onto the ground in a cloud of dust.
"It happened earlier than in my memory. As I thought… history has been completely changed…"
Horse-Faced God of Thunder sighed inwardly, recalling the time he first set foot on Sakaar. In the original timeline, Lothar didn't return so early, and his father didn't die so soon. But now, everything had changed. Everything he knew had been altered by that one uncontrollable impulse he'd had.
A butterfly effect, sweeping into the future.
This was also why he had stayed on Sakaar for so long. Besides waiting for his younger self, he was also afraid. Afraid that the future would change again, afraid that his younger self would never land on Sakaar. A person always needs to go through something to grow, and the same was true for Thor.
"However…"
"Since history has already been changed…"
"Then I have nothing left to fear."
Horse-Faced God of Thunder held out his hand, and obscure runes appeared in his open palm. A mysterious power surged from his body and enveloped the unconscious Thor.
Buzz!
A low hum, but it did not escape Horse-Faced God of Thunder's ears. A layer of blue light suddenly appeared on Thor's body. Seeing this, Horse-Faced God of Thunder immediately lowered his hand and stood with his hands behind his back, waiting for the blue light to condense.
An aged figure gradually separated from Thor's body and opened its cloudy eyes before Horse-Faced God of Thunder, the will of the deceased All-Father of the Nine Realms, Odin.
"Has the power I left for Thor been forcibly awakened?" As the last remnant of Odin's will, he found it strange.
"Is that you?"
"It's me... Father." Horse-Faced God of Thunder's voice was calm, devoid of any excitement at seeing Odin again after all these years. He slowly took off his mask, and a face carved from the same mold as the Thor on the ground appeared before Odin. However, it had more wrinkles, more gray hairs, and a weathered look.
"Thor…?"
The awakened Odin's will flashed with confusion, then understanding. "So that's it. You haven't gone back yet."
"History has been changed. I wasted too much time on Sakaar, and now I can't go back." The middle-aged Thor smiled, explaining the reason to his father.
"You're still too impulsive, Thor." Odin looked at his son's wrinkled face and sighed, shaking his head.
"Perhaps."
The middle-aged Thor was non-committal. There were some things he did that he didn't regret, even if he knew they were wrong.
"At least Mother is still alive, isn't she?" He smiled brightly.
If he hadn't intervened back then, Frigga, who had a chronic illness, would have died from a sudden attack when he brought his girlfriend to Asgard.
In life, you have to give something to gain something.
"So, you want to awaken your younger self ahead of time?" Odin's gaze suddenly became sharp.
"Yes."
The middle-aged Thor's expression remained unchanged. "History has already been changed. What else do I have to be afraid of, Father?"
"But you will die. You will lose everything!"
Odin's will looked extremely serious.
There could never be two Thors in one timeline.
If the middle-aged Thor continued to live as Horse-Faced God of Thunder and never interacted with his younger self, time's correction wouldn't kill him. But now, they had met.
The middle-aged Thor had even activated the last of Odin's power left within the younger Thor. This was absolutely forbidden. This violated the rules of the universe, and the middle-aged Thor would have to pay a heavy price.
"I know, Father."
The middle-aged Thor nodded with a smile, but his eyes were filled with sorrow. "But… I have nothing left to lose."
Odin was dead, Frigga was dead, his brother was dead, and the people of Asgard had lost the home they had lived in for generations. He, Thor, the king of Asgard, had nothing left to lose.
Rather than live a long life as Horse-Faced God of Thunder with unbearable grief, he would take one last stand. He would use his life to give the Thor of this timeline a brighter, better future.
"The price you'll pay will be far crueler than you can imagine."
"I know, but…"
"I am the King of Asgard, am I not, Father?" The sadness in the middle-aged Thor's eyes faded, replaced by the sense of responsibility of a true king.
Odin's will was stunned.
A relieved smile then appeared on his aged face.
The Asgard of this timeline had not yet fallen, and the middle-aged Thor, as king, was already prepared to bear the consequences of all his mistakes.
This was the self-awareness and responsibility of a true king.
Smiling, Odin's will slowly dissipated before the middle-aged Thor, turning into countless specks of starlight that completely merged into the unconscious, younger Thor.
Rumble…
Rumble…
A low rumble of thunder grew louder and louder. In the end, everyone on Sakaar could hear the thunder, as if a divine judgment was about to descend!
BOOM!
A bolt of lightning suddenly descended from the newly formed storm cloud, striking the unconscious younger Thor. Next to him, the middle-aged Thor put his mask back on, becoming Horse-Faced God of Thunder once more.
"AAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
With a hysterical roar, Thor, imbued with the power of lightning, suddenly awakened. His eyes were filled with silver electrical arcs!
The power of the God of Thunder had fully awakened!
"Remember, you are the God of Thunder of Asgard."
The middle-aged Thor, now in his horse mask, lightly touched his fingertip to his younger self. An ancient, abstruse runic seed, along with the surging power of lightning, was imprinted into Thor's body.
"I…"
"I am the… God of Thunder of Asgard…"
He murmured unconsciously, repeating his identity as Odin's chosen heir over and over again. And with Odin's blessing, the swelling energy within Thor did not tear his body apart.
At the same time, on distant Asgard, Hela had just opened the door to the secret prison. Above the bustling, rebuilt Asgard, a massive storm cloud crackling with lightning suddenly formed.
"Looks like my brother is a lot of trouble, isn't he?" The Queen Hela, who had just ended the Ragnarok brought by Surtur, and gained a huge boost in prestige from the people of Asgard, laughed dismissively.
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This fanfic has been fully translated!