Asgard.
Fairy Palace.
Odin not only got the [High-Dimensional Space Core Device] he needed, but also a very interesting bill.
"So, you went to the atrium and blew up Luke's house?" Odin's expression didn't reveal whether he was angry or not. He just stared at his second son thoughtfully with his one eye. His tone and eyes seemed to show that he was a little surprised that his second son could do such a thing.
"It's not Loki's fault. He just wanted to get rid of the dark warriors sent by Malekith to monitor him." Thor explained to his brother.
"I didn't expect it to get this far." Loki looked like a child facing his parents after getting into trouble. After all, he had always been more obedient and sensible than Thor, and he knew how to please adults. He had always been good at taking the blame for many things, letting his honest and strong brother take the blame.
But ever since he came into contact with Zhongting, he seemed unable to shirk responsibility even if he wanted to, because there was no one around to take the blame for him.
"Of course you didn't expect the situation to turn out this way." Odin paused for a moment, holding the Gungnir in his hand. "I'm just surprised you had this idea."
Loki smiled awkwardly, a bit confused about what Odin was thinking. Angry? That didn't seem like it. Not angry? That didn't seem like it either.
"What about this bill?" Thor still loved his brother. Seeing Loki standing there trembling, not daring to speak, and Odin falling silent, the atmosphere grew heavy. He could only pray that his mother would come and rescue them quickly, just as she had always done when they got into trouble.
Although they were immediately taken to Asgard by Odin, leaving no time to inform the Queen Mother, Frigga, as the Queen of Asgard, would naturally have known about her two sons' return. Regardless, Thor, knowing the Queen Mother well, assumed she would have come.
"You've brought it all here, what else can I do?" Odin shook the bill in his hand, a look of helplessness on his face. Was he supposed to go to the courtyard and bargain with Luke for such a small amount of money? He couldn't afford to lose face!
He naturally knew that it would be difficult for his second son to destroy Luke's family. He had been to Silent City before! That was Luke's true core area. As for the Hebron in the courtyard, he could build as many as he wanted.
So Loki's achievements were impressive, but Luke's help was certainly a factor. After learning of Loki's plan, Luke might have already begun preparing the bill.
It is affordable enough, and coupled with the current supply and demand conversion relationship, it is possible to cut a little flesh and blood from Asgard without causing him strong disgust.
Odin truly didn't care about the items on the order. As Lord of the Nine Realms, he had conquered countless enemies and captured their treasures during his conquests across the Nine Realms and the universe. The vast treasure trove of Odin's treasures, and the prosperity of Asgard to this day, were largely due to his victorious battles.
If a mortal from the Midgard dared to submit this order to him, even if this mortal was the king of a country, he would either be ignored by Odin or be struck by a bolt of lightning.
But if it was Luke or Ancient One who submitted the order, Odin would be able to consider it calmly.
"Let's restore the Rainbow Bridge first." Odin didn't care about the bill; he only cared about Luke's attitude. He was willing to form an alliance with him in this war. While this alliance without a covenant was not secure, it was the best outcome for now. If Luke truly said he was willing to risk everything to stand by his side, Odin would become suspicious.
Especially since winning over Luke was equivalent to winning over half of the Supreme Sorcerers. At least in this matter, even if the Ancient One did not intervene, he would not jump to the opposite side of the Dark Elves.
Maybe this time we can reverse the Twilight of the Gods?
Yes.
The reason why Odin was pessimistic about this war which had not yet reached the final decisive battle, and even lowered his dignity to send his son to Midgard to seek reinforcements, was because he regarded this decisive battle as the Ragnarok that was destined to happen in the prophecy.
…
Somewhere inside a space fragment wandering in the Nine Realms.
Inside a dim cave.
In the cracks of the boulder at the center of the cave, a faint red light flickered like a candle. Surrounding the boulder were a dozen armed dark elves, and their king, Malekith, stood guard in the center.
"Familiar energy! I finally found you, Ether!" Malekith closed his eyes, feeling the familiar Ether energy lingering around him. His expression was calm, but in the last step he couldn't help but reveal a hint of excitement.
Odin used the Space Stone to create this fragment of space, and used its power to suppress the energy of the Aether, isolating the connection with the Dark Elves. However, with the Nine Realms and Nine Stars aligned and the seal loosened, Malekith still followed that connection to find it.
This is the 44th space debris being searched for.
Malekith chanted the ancient elven language, activating the ether particles nearby.
The Aether, crafted from a cosmic stone, a rare and powerful gem found in the universe, is the pinnacle of Dark Elf technology. The only thing comparable to it in the Nine Realms, as far as he knows, is the Rainbow Bridge, created by Odin using the Space Stone.
The dark elves turned the solid cosmic stone into a fluid that matched the dark elves' physique, raising their upper limit of power and creating a dark army with powerful strength that could sweep across the entire universe.
It is precisely because they hold the artifact, the Aether Particles, that the Dark Elves are able to compete with Asgard for dominance over the Nine Realms.
The ancient elven language he was reciting at this moment was the switch spell to activate and awaken the ether particles. He was responding to the call of the ether particles and activating their energy.
The dim cave began to alternate between light and darkness. The ether particles within the cracks of the boulder expanded and contracted as if breathing. Finally, the already weakened sealing stone began to crack under the impact of the ether particles' energy. Threads of fluid seeped out from the holes, and with Malekith's gesture, they gathered into a ball before him. Finally, after all the ether particles within the stone had seeped out, a ball of red fluid, emitting a captivating glow, appeared before Malekith and began to seep into his body.
Parasitic!
This is the function bestowed upon the ether particles by the dark elves. It can parasitize any intelligent creature and grant it immense power. But first, the creature's physique must be sufficiently strong and possess a certain degree of adaptability!
Among them, the Nine Realms of Life are the most compatible with the etheric particles! And the dark elves who created them are the best among those who adapt. And only the king of the dark elves knows how to fully control the energy of the etheric particles and use it.
Feeling the vast and powerful energy flowing through his body, which had been dry for thousands of years, Malekith closed his eyes in ecstasy. It had been a long time since he had experienced such a feeling of being filled with power.
The Asgardians always loved to strip their kings of their power, taking their sacred artifacts. Those they could treasure were stored in Odin's vaults. Those too dangerous were sealed away in various ways and then banished. But now, he had completely reclaimed his power.
He no longer needed to worry about his etheric power being depleted by frequent battles, and naturally, he no longer needed to hide and avoid a head-on confrontation with Odin in his prime.
It seems that the Dark Warrior and Loki have played their roles well, helping him attract Odin's attention. Now, it's time for all-out war!
Malekith opened his eyes, took a last look at the cave which had become dim again after losing its ethereal light source, and left with his men without looking back.