"I don't have any men's clothes here, but I do have a few sets of women's armor. What do you say?"
Inside the magnificent palace, Hela, who had been ordered by her father Odin to bring Beckett down to rest, casually pulled out sets of standard armor and tossed them in front of Beckett, who had just finished his call with Proxima Midnight.
Of course, they were women's armor.
"Want to try one on?"
"I think you'd look good with your blonde hair."
Casually nudging a piece of women's upper body armor with her toe and holding it in her hand, Hela, seated on her chair, had a playful glint in her eyes.
"You foolish woman, what are you doing—"
The Other, believing Beckett had been insulted, couldn't stand it. Before he could finish his accusation, a pitch-black blade appeared before him.
The sharp tip of the sword was just a step away from him, and the terrifying aura of death made The Other instinctively want to retreat. But considering he was representing Beckett's reputation externally, he immediately forced himself to straighten his back and stand firm before the weapon Hela had thrown.
He was the epitome of fearlessness.
"That's enough."
Beckett, too lazy to even look at The Other trembling behind him, stood up from his chair and gazed down at Hela sitting opposite him.
"A childish trick."
"Oh? I think it's quite amusing." Hela slowly examined Beckett's bare upper body, as if measuring whether the women's armor in her hand would fit him.
"If you want something else, defeat me." After the playful taunt, Hela revealed her fangs. Being in Asgard, she had immense confidence in her own strength. This was her home ground, and she wanted to defeat Beckett here, in front of her father, Odin.
Only then could Hela forget the fact that she had been defeated by Beckett. Only victory could wash away the shame of defeat; otherwise, she would be forever nailed to the pillar of shame.
Just like the Frost Giant Laufey.
Rumor had it that Laufey, who was currently in his prime, was treated like a punching bag by a young man named Beckett in his own stronghold, the Jotunheim Royal Court. Not only that, but his royal palace was destroyed by Hela and Beckett working together, and the Frost Giant clan's treasure, the Casket of Ancient Winters, was even forcibly taken by that young man named Beckett.
This obviously outlandish rumor was quite popular in the Nine Realms' battlefields. With Odin's encouragement, Laufey's scandal not only didn't fade away but grew stronger and more widespread with the passage of time, becoming increasingly wild.
Headlines like "Shocking: The Shame of Laufey's Life, the Truth Is...", "Shocking: Frost Giant King Laufey's Unique Hobby, Wrestling with a Man in the Royal Palace...", and even "Shocking: Laufey Did This with a Mysterious Man in the Royal Palace..." spread like wildfire, all sensational and eye-catching.
And all of this was simply because Laufey hadn't gotten his revenge on Beckett.
In fact, the enraged Laufey had considered salvaging his reputation, but he simply couldn't produce any decisive evidence. The fact that the Casket of Ancient Winters had been taken by Beckett was a done deal, and he had no room to argue.
"You're still far from it."
With a dismissive tone and contemptuous gaze, although his hair color was different from the black Hela remembered, Beckett's arrogant demeanor still made Hela clench her fists in resentment.
This was Asgard, a place that greatly amplified her power, not Jotunheim.
Most importantly, she didn't want to hear her father Odin occasionally praising Beckett in front of her anymore.
Her pride made her feel that the only reason Odin mentioned Beckett's name to her was because he thought Beckett had defeated her.
"Hah!"
With a sudden low shout and a sudden attack, Hela's vision blurred. A tremendous force struck her, and her body suddenly went airborne!
"Ugh!"
Strong fingers easily gripped her throat, and Hela, pinned against a palace pillar by Beckett, had eyes filled with unwillingness and despair.
How could this be...
She could still fight Beckett not long ago. How could she have no ability to resist after such a short time?
"I told you, you're still twenty thousand years too early to challenge me."
Hela's despair and unwillingness didn't escape Beckett's notice, but even so, he had no concept of politeness and ruthlessly struck down the woman who was determined to defeat him.
"Hela, it's not appropriate to treat our Asgardian guests like this."
The woman Beckett sensed appeared, accompanied by a maid, and entered his view with an elegant and dignified demeanor.
"Nice to meet you, Beckett. My name is Frigga, Odin's wife and Hela's mother."
The brief introduction left Beckett in silence, and he then released his right hand that had been gripping Hela's throat.
"I apologize for Hela's behavior," Frigga's smile was warm, and her tone was perfectly measured.
"I've already had someone prepare clothes for you. Would you like to try them on to see if they fit?"
Beckett's gaze fell upon the gentle-smiling Frigga, offering no reply.
"Esteemed Lord Beckett, please follow me this way." The maid behind Frigga intelligently stepped forward and extended an invitation to Beckett.
"Tsk..."
Watching Beckett and The Other depart, the dejection in Hela's eyes flashed away. She was truly unwilling, but also truly powerless.
She hated this feeling of powerlessness.
"What's wrong, child? This isn't like you." Frigga, who had taken in Hela's expression, reached out and tidied her daughter's messy shoulder-length hair, asking gently.
"I know." In front of her loving mother, Hela regained her usual composure.
"I just feel… unresigned."
"Unresigned is what gives you more motivation, isn't it?"
Frigga smiled and soothed her daughter, her mind recalling the image of Beckett from earlier, a silent shock rippling through her.
As the most profound magic user in Asgard, she was the first, besides Odin, to recognize the power within Beckett.
[Incredible.]
However, even so, Frigga remained optimistic about Hela.
As long as Hela continued on the path laid out for her by her husband, Odin, the supremely powerful Asgard of the future would undoubtedly bestow upon Hela endless strength, even surpassing that of her father, Odin.
As long as Asgard endured, Hela would one day be able to fully perfect the Death Divinity awakened within her, becoming invincible.
It was just that, in Frigga's view, this path was far too cruel for Hela. But it was Odin's decision, and Hela's own choice, and Frigga was powerless to interfere.
The second update today will be quite late, around 1 AM...
My foot was cut by rusty rebar tonight, and now I'm in the hospital queue waiting for the doctor to disinfect it and give me a tetanus shot. This is awful...
Why am I so unlucky
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