"Big black guy… you really dare to say that."
Ethan Voss glanced back at Heimdall in surprise and clicked his tongue in amusement. The guardian of the Bifrost stood motionless behind him, towering like a statue carved from dark steel.
Ethan turned his gaze back toward the vast sea stretching beyond Asgard's golden railings. The ocean shimmered under the sky's strange light, peaceful and magnificent.
He remained silent for a moment before speaking again.
"How long do you think a place as beautiful as Asgard can continue to exist?"
Heimdall's expression changed instantly.
His eyes sharpened, and his entire body stiffened.
"What do you mean by that?"
Ethan did not answer directly.
"Have you been paying attention to what's happening in Midgard lately?"
A flicker of confusion crossed Heimdall's face. Midgard was Asgard's name for Earth.
Normally, Midgard was not one of his primary concerns. Among the Nine Realms, there were several worlds far more significant than Earth.
Seeing that Heimdall remained silent, Ethan continued speaking as if he were simply thinking out loud.
"Not long ago, a billionaire in Midgard was kidnapped."
"Then suddenly—bang—he appeared wearing a flying suit of armor."
"Now he flies through the skies regularly, fighting criminals and playing hero."
Ethan continued calmly.
"After that, a yellow monster appeared in New York City and smashed half a street to pieces."
"Then your two princes suddenly arrived in Mexico and staged a little drama about brothers competing for the throne."
"And not long ago, someone dug a century-old soldier out of the Arctic ice."
He spread his hands slightly.
"These are just the major events."
"There are plenty of smaller ones I haven't even mentioned."
"Wait." Heimdall interrupted him.
"What does any of this have to do with your question?"
Ethan turned around slowly. His expression was completely serious now.
"The events I just described would normally happen once every ten or twenty years."
"But now they're happening one after another."
He looked directly into Heimdall's glowing eyes.
"Do you really think that's just coincidence?"
Heimdall paused.
"What… are you implying?"
Ethan spoke quietly.
"Earth. The Nine Realms. The Milky Way."
"The entire universe is heading toward a catastrophic transformation."
"No one."
"And nowhere."
"Will escape it."
"This… is impossible."
Heimdall finally understood why Ethan had asked how long Asgard could survive.
But how could such a massive disaster occur?
Who possessed that kind of power?
Ethan sighed silently in his heart.
In truth, he already had the ability to prevent the catastrophe entirely.
The solution would actually be simple.
All he needed to do was find the right opportunity and bring the Tesseract into his divine kingdom.
If the Infinity Stones were never gathered together, then Thanos would never snap his fingers.
But Ethan was not a superhero.
He was not a savior.
In fact, he was deliberately allowing the world to continue down its current path.
He would help those who were suffering.
He would offer a hand to those who were afraid.
But he would not stop the inevitable.
Because this disaster was also his opportunity.
It was the path he had chosen to grow stronger.
The path that would eventually allow him to become the god of his divine kingdom—and perhaps one day the god of the universe itself.
The Ancient One had warned him before.
But Ethan had already decided long ago that he would follow the timeline he knew.
As long as his strength remained limited, foresight was his greatest advantage.
When he became strong enough, then he could rewrite the future however he wished.
Before Ethan could say anything else, a series of melodic bells suddenly rang out from the palace in the center of Asgard.
Heimdall's expression shifted again.
"His Majesty Odin has awakened from the Odinsleep."
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
A loving father indeed.
His two sons returned home, and suddenly he woke up.
To celebrate Odin's awakening and the safe return of both princes from their trials on Earth, a grand banquet was held in the royal palace that evening.
Ethan was invited as well.
He sat at a long table with Thor's four closest companions.
The wine served in the palace was extremely potent. After only a few cups, Ethan was already beginning to feel the effects.
At that moment, Thor himself walked over and loudly challenged everyone at the table to a drinking contest.
Ethan did not refuse.
He also chose not to use his powers to neutralize the alcohol.
How many times in life could a person drink freely like this?
If joy was present, that was enough.
…
The next morning, Ethan woke up with a pounding headache.
He found himself lying in an unfamiliar room.
After looking around, he realized it was probably one of the side chambers inside the royal palace.
Without someone to guide him, wandering through the palace randomly would probably cause unnecessary trouble.
So he closed the doors and windows carefully.
After taking a deep breath, he whispered quietly in his mind.
Divine Kingdom Portal.
The next second, a familiar vortex appeared in front of him.
The swirling gateway slowly expanded.
It worked.
Ethan felt a surge of excitement.
He had suspected this for a long time.
His divine kingdom existed in an unknown dimension, almost completely independent from the physical universe.
Which meant something very important.
He could open a portal to it from anywhere.
Distance did not matter.
The divine kingdom had effectively become the most convenient transportation system imaginable.
Even the Rainbow Bridge could not match it.
And the most astonishing part was this.
Anyone who wanted to use this "transportation network" would have to pass through his divine kingdom first.
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
Ethan assumed it was Thor.
But when he opened the door, he saw a beautiful maid standing outside.
At first he thought Thor had sent someone to take care of him, and he felt slightly touched by the gesture.
The maid bowed politely.
"The Queen wishes to see you."
"Are you available?"
Ethan froze for a moment.
The Queen.
Frigga.
She was a legendary figure in Asgard—noble, wise, gentle, and generous.
A perfect queen.
And a loving mother.
Why did she want to see him?
Ethan frowned slightly before a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Perhaps…
His plan could begin with her.
Guided by the maid, Ethan entered the palace's inner gardens.
The buildings here were even more magnificent than the rest of the city.
Towering pillars supported high golden roofs. The entire area radiated royal elegance.
He eventually found Queen Frigga waiting in a peaceful garden beneath a pink flowering tree.
A table had already been prepared with pastries and drinks from the palace kitchens.
Ethan was unfamiliar with Asgardian court etiquette, so he simply bowed politely.
Frigga did not mind.
She smiled kindly and gestured for him to sit down.
"What brings the Queen to summon me?" Ethan asked.
Frigga smiled gently.
"It's nothing serious."
"I simply heard that Thor has fallen in love with a woman from Earth."
Ah.
Ethan immediately understood.
A concerned mother asking about her son's romantic life.
He nodded.
"Her name is Jane Foster."
"She's an excellent scientist."
He briefly explained how Jane and Thor had first met after a car accident and how their relationship gradually developed afterward.
Frigga listened quietly before asking another question.
"What kind of person do you think she is?"
Ethan considered the question for a moment.
"She's simple, straightforward, honest, and sincere."
"She's also a scientist with her own ambitions and goals."
"In general… she's a very good person."
Frigga lowered her head thoughtfully.
After a moment she looked up again.
"And what about you, Mr. Voss?"
"You helped Thor greatly during his time on Earth."
"Although Loki may have suffered a bit because of you, Asgard still owes you thanks."
Fortunately, Ethan had already prepared for questions like this.
"I don't know whether the Queen heard about my conversation with Heimdall yesterday," he said calmly.
"But those were words meant only for him."
"They were not meant for you."
He paused briefly.
"For Heimdall—or for anyone else—I simply wanted to help them save Asgard."
"And save themselves."
He looked directly at Frigga.
"But for you…"
"There's only one thing I want to say."
"I want to help you save something far more important."
He leaned slightly closer.
"Your two sons."
.....
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