Asgard, Royal Palace.
Odin, fully armed, stood on the peak of Asgard's mountain, gazing up at the sky above. A profound darkness was gradually merging into the boundless azure.
The darkness, silent for thousands of years, had reawakened in his era.
"Did Thanos's son really find the Aether?" Frigga's eyes behind him were filled with worry. Frankly, she had a good impression of Beckett, whom she had only met once, especially his distinctive golden hair.
However, this did not mean Frigga could accept the fact that the Aether had been taken by Beckett. She had personally experienced that era. If not for the former King of Asgard, Bor, stepping forward, the Nine Realms might have fallen to the Dark Elves and Malekith thousands of years ago.
Therefore, she did not have a good impression of the Aether. She had consistently opposed Odin's decision to hand over part of the Aether's clues to Thanos of the Centaurus Galaxy, but Odin, who was set in his ways, simply wouldn't listen, or rather, he had no intention of listening.
"So what if he found it? As long as Malekith is not dead, no one will ever be able to touch the Aether. It won't be that easy for Thanos's son to take it away."
At this moment, Odin's face was completely devoid of the kindness and friendliness he had shown when facing Beckett. The coldness hanging at the corners of his mouth was enough to send a chill down anyone's spine.
Even Frigga, who understood Odin quite well, couldn't help but feel a chill when she saw the emotion in his eyes. "Aren't you worried?"
"Worried?"
"Why should I be worried?"
For Odin, he could completely watch the battle between Beckett and Malekith from the sidelines, only intervening after one of them had emerged victorious to reap the benefits.
If Beckett won and Malekith was defeated, Odin would have one less major enemy on his path to conquest. What was it to him if Beckett took the Aether?
If Beckett lost, Malekith wouldn't fare well either. Odin could then locate his daughter's coordinates and personally intervene with lightning speed to deal with the injured Malekith, still making a profit.
Regardless of who won or lost between the two, he, Odin, was the beneficiary. Why should he worry?
"But Hela is still with Beckett."
"Don't worry, Hela is the Goddess of Death of our Asgard." Speaking of his most proud daughter, Odin couldn't help but reveal a proud smile.
Hela, who had formed a connection with Asgard upon awakening her Divinity, was a very special existence in this realm. As long as Asgard did not perish, even he could not erase Hela. It was precisely because of this that Odin felt at ease letting the young Hela lead armies and fight for Asgard's glory.
"Hey, are you dead or not?"
Svartalfheim, the Dark World.
Beckett, taking two bottles of Nutrient Fluid from his bracelet once more, tilted his head back and drank them down. The fatigue and injuries in his body quickly recovered under the effect of the green nutrient fluid.
"I am the Goddess of Death of Asgard."
"No one can kill me, no one."
Hela, lying on the ground and taking a deep breath, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. Her black combat suit, adorned with mysterious patterns, was already tattered. Her exposed fair skin was particularly conspicuous in this dark world.
Beckett remained noncommittal. His gaze swept over The Other, who was curled up in a ball not far away, his brow furrowed. He tried to recall the feeling of transforming into his golden-haired state but still found nothing.
The Mind Stone seemed to be playing dead, giving Beckett no response at all.
Boom!
Rumble!!!
The majestic heavenly power did not stop. The lightning, capable of killing ordinary Nine Realms soldiers, continued to indiscriminately attack every inch of land beneath Beckett's feet. Tentacles capable of absorbing life force lurked in the pitch-black mist, causing Beckett's vitality to drain second by second.
Mysterious magic circles flickered faintly beneath Malekith's feet, and the accumulated immense life force surged into them under Malekith's command!
Crack!
The seal set by the former King of Asgard, Bor, was now officially shattered. A power that Malekith was extremely familiar with returned to his body in a beam of light.
All attacks in the dark world instantly ceased. Beckett and Hela, who were struggling to cope, exchanged a look, a sense of foreboding rising in their hearts.
"Darkness,"
"Descends."
Like the whisper of a creation god or the chant of a holy angel, Malekith, floating in the sky, opened his hands. The black mist that enveloped Beckett and the others instantly disappeared, and the fresh air of Svartalfheim returned to them.
[What is this?]
Beckett, gasping for breath, was filled with surprise and uncertainty. Before he could react, a dense torrent of energy erupted from beneath his feet like a volcanic eruption!
Boom!!!
"I am the King of the Nine Realms."
Malekith opened his eyes and slowly landed on the ground.
With a wave of his right hand, the reality around Beckett and Hela was distorted, and in the next second, they were forcibly transported to Malekith's side.
"Now, kneel before your king."
Enjoying a power far exceeding that of the past, Malekith indifferently commanded the two immobilized figures before him.
Invisible pressure continuously pressed down on Beckett's spine. His physical abilities had deteriorated to a certain extent, and he seemed completely unable to resist.
"Chii..."
"Aargh!!!!"
Veins bulged on his arms. The newly born strength allowed Beckett to instantly break free from Malekith's distortion of reality. Roaring, he swung his fearless right fist, but it came to a halt just before reaching Malekith's forehead.
"Overestimating yourself."
Malekith, standing with his hands behind his back, flicked his finger. Beckett felt as if his chest had been hit by a meteor. His scarred body was instantly sent flying backward, dragging a long trail across the plains of Svartalfheim!
"His Highness Beckett!"
The Other, who had been cowering to the side, could no longer sit still. He stood up and trotted over to Beckett's side, reaching out to help the heavily wounded Beckett, but was immediately shoved away by the latter.
"Get lost!"
Beckett's hoarse voice accompanied his movement, sending The Other stumbling back. Beckett's pitch-black pupils were filled with a rage that chilled The Other to the bone.
"His Highness Beckett..."
The Other, stumbling to the ground, gazed blankly at Beckett, who was downing his last dose of medicine, his expression complex.
"You don't seem to treat your subordinates very well."
Watching Beckett shove The Other away with great interest, Malekith beckoned again, and Beckett's body reappeared before Malekith.
"Or perhaps, this is your impotent rage?" Malekith, in a great mood, smiled charmingly. The abundant power he felt after a long time made him incredibly pleased.
He reveled in this supreme power, in the might that could change mountains and rivers with a wave of his hand.
Splat!
Black tentacles, summoned by Malekith in an instant, pierced through Beckett's chest!
"His Highness Beckett!"
Scarlet blood splattered everywhere. The Other, witnessing everything with his own eyes, felt his pupils contract sharply. Beckett, his life force rapidly draining, struggled but could not break free from the Aether's restraint.
Malekith's understanding and application of the Infinity Stones' power were far beyond what Shafrin of the U40 Planet could compare to.
"Chitauri, now, I can give you a chance to choose again." Malekith stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze falling upon The Other, or more accurately, upon the scepter embedded with the Mind Stone in The Other's embrace.
"In the name of the King of the Dark Elves, as long as you are willing to serve me and lead your Chitauri legions for my use, you can live. What do you say?"
Malekith, smiling, stepped on Beckett, who had lost the ability to resist, and asked in the name of the king.
"Serve you, as master?"
Upon hearing this, The Other's expression was filled with disbelief. He had no idea he was so sought after.
"That's right, what do you think of this offer? Leave this man who completely disrespects you and come to me." Malekith twisted his right hand, and with a vicious stomp, he drove Beckett, who was still trying to resist under his foot, into the ground of the plain!
"Of course, you'll have to bring that gem with you." Malekith narrowed his eyes, pointing at the Mind Stone atop The Other's scepter.
"However, I don't have much patience. Now, tell me your answer."
"Tell me, in front of the Son of Thanos."
Beckett, still covered in wounds, struggled desperately under Malekith's foot, while Hela, clutching her warhammer, was trapped in a virtual reality, unable to extricate herself. The Other closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and made up his mind.
"I understand,"
"In that case, there is only one answer!"
Raising the scepter embedded with the Mind Stone with his arm, The Other's eyes snapped open. As if delivering a token of allegiance, he directly snapped the scepter in half!
Crack!
"I! Will be loyal to you!"
Thanks to [Book Friend 20170824071214105], [Dou Dou], and [Mr. L] for their rewards~
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