Chapter 58 The Ancient One's 'Cunning'
In May, the weather in New York was already unbearably hot.
Fortunately, the arrival of a short holiday finally saved Finney Hellseg, allowing him to stay at home comfortably, enjoying the air conditioning and iced cola—it was incredibly pleasant.
However, while enjoying this comfort, he didn't neglect his training. Every day, without fail, he went to Kamar-Taj to train, while also practicing other skills.
Especially 'Explosion Magic'. After this period of arduous training, he had mastered the power and blasting location. Putting aside other things, he could easily become a demolition expert now, without even needing to carry tools and explosives.
This was enough to prove that his talent in magic was actually quite reliable; it was just that he wasn't suited for Kamar-Taj.
In the evening, after darkness fell, Finney opened a portal and arrived at Kamar-Taj.
The early morning in Kamar-Taj was not yet hot with the summer heat. A gentle breeze caressed his face, making Finney feel exceptionally comfortable. Of course, it would be even better if he could also get rid of the guy in front of him.
"What is it?"
Finney asked calmly, looking at Kasirius.
"The mage Kaze sent me to get a few chicken nugget wraps from you,"
Kasirius replied, equally expressionless.
Having been in Kamar-Taj for nearly half a year, Kasirius had finally stopped being so aloof and ignored everyone. Through his daily training, he had made some friends, though his proud and cold personality meant he didn't have many.
Finney frowned at Kasirius. He believed the other man could sense his attitude, yet he still came to him. Could there be something fishy going on?
Finney didn't like to assume the worst of others, but since the Tony incident, he wouldn't be so foolish again.
But at this moment, he couldn't sense anything unusual. He casually summoned three 'Violet Chicken Nugget Wraps' and handed them over. Watching Kasirius leave without even a thank you, without looking back, he wondered if he was just overthinking things.
After finishing his morning practice, Finney looked at the Ancient One, who was unusually present today, and after a moment's thought, walked over to her and asked, "Teacher, what do you know about Asgard?"
"Asgard!?" The Ancient One walked slowly with her hands behind her back. "They're known as the gods in the Nine Realms, and Odin is the Allfather. What? Do you want to go there?"
"I heard they're having a grand banquet recently!"
"A banquet!?" Finney was slightly taken aback, then instantly realized—could it be preparations for Thor's coronation?! He quickly continued, "What's their relationship with us?"
"About a few hundred years ago, we probably had some exchanges, but later, because their lifespans were so long, the contact gradually faded away,"
the Ancient One answered frankly.
"You haven't contacted them either?"
Finney looked doubtful; he absolutely refused to believe that Odin wouldn't know of the Ancient One's existence or ignore her.
The Ancient One stopped and turned to look at Finney with a helpless expression. "So, what exactly do you want to ask?" she said.
Finney replied awkwardly, "I've only heard that Asgard rules the Nine Realms. Is that true? And what is their relationship with Earth?"
"While 'rules' is a bit of an exaggeration, it's true that Asgard maintains the safety of the Nine Realms," the Ancient One explained calmly. "A thousand years ago, the Frost Giants of Jotunheim invaded Earth, and they helped drive them away."
"They even left behind the Asgardians, thus beginning the history of Norse mythology, but they generally don't interfere too much in the development of the other realms."
"So, although they call themselves the rulers, they're really just like property security guards. To enjoy this convenience, no one objects to the title, right?"
Finney concluded, stroking his chin.
"Then their power is far greater than that of security guards." The Ancient One looked at Finney helplessly and continued explaining, "Asgard can freely teleport its army within the Nine Realms, which is probably why they claim to rule the Nine Realms."
"The Rainbow Bridge…"
Finney thought silently, then suddenly asked curiously, "Can you stop their army from teleporting to Earth?"
The Ancient One simply smiled silently, offering no answer.
At that moment, a thought suddenly occurred to Finney: Why was Thor banished to Earth by Odin, instead of somewhere else in the Nine Realms? Could it be because he knew the Ancient One was there, and knew Thor wouldn't get into trouble there?
And the Ancient One, perhaps seeing Thor and Loki's future, understanding that they might cause the destruction of Asgard's most powerful weapon, the Rainbow Bridge, so she deliberately avoided contact.
Although Asgard claims to be the guardian of the Nine Realms, no one wants their doorstep to be freely entered and exited, especially since Odin wasn't always as benevolent as he is now.
Thinking this, Finney felt a pang of unease.
He had been considering going to New Mexico to see Thor and Mjolnir up close, but would that disrupt the Ancient One's plans?
Finney was conflicted, but he was too embarrassed to ask the Ancient One about it. To speculate maliciously about his teacher's thoughts and then voice it would be incredibly foolish.
Most importantly, the Ancient One had just mentioned that Asgard was currently hosting a banquet, indicating that the banishment of Thor was very close, possibly even within the next few days.
This was clearly a covert surveillance of Asgard! Finney hadn't made a decision by the time he left Kamar-Taj. On one hand, he felt he shouldn't worry too much about the Ancient One's feelings, and on the other hand, the Ancient One might not even be that kind of person.
On the other hand, he felt there was no benefit in meeting Thor. Having been stripped of his divine power and banished, he was at best a strong, burly man. With his magical abilities, he likely couldn't unravel or lift Mjolnir.
As for the Destroyer summoned by Loki, destroying it himself would have a very different outcome than Thor doing so.
After all, he was now a man of status. Thor destroying the Destroyer was a family matter; if he got involved, it could escalate into an interstellar conflict. What
if Odin, shameless as ever, blamed him, trying to frame him? He would be at a huge disadvantage.
Although the possibility of such a scenario was extremely small—after all, Odin was the King of Asgard, the Allfather, and wouldn't do something so shameless.
More importantly, he wasn't a significant figure anymore; why would anyone want to provoke him?
But as a sorcerer of Kamar-Taj, his involvement could be either a convenience or a problem; ultimately, it depended on Asgard's attitude.
After careful consideration, Finney decided not to get involved in this Asgardian family affair. While it might lead to Loki ending up with Thanos, upon reflection, even if Loki wasn't allowed to go, who knows what other "Loki" might come along?
Thanos's pursuit of his dreams is absolute; he wouldn't abandon the Infinity Stones on Earth, so he would definitely test the waters step by step.
Unlock 50+ Exclusive Chapters — Only on p@treon.
[email protected]/Horizons685
(End of Chapter)