After learning that Odin could get up at any moment, Su Ming no longer had to worry about Gungnir. Now, he could focus solely on finding Zemo.
The contract couldn't be signed, and the verbal agreement got no response, but just as Odin had thought, neither Su Ming nor Ancient One could allow the Serpent to destroy Earth.
No matter what, they had to face him—slacking off wasn't an option.
Su Ming casually closed the door for Odin, letting him continue enjoying his sauna-like dry heat, then strolled out, searching for a place like a records room or library.
There wasn't much to say. Whenever he passed guards, Su Ming assumed Odin's stern face.
But in empty areas, he was knocking on walls and floors, even having his cloak search for magical traces, hoping to find some secret chamber.
He hadn't found the records room yet, but he stumbled upon the treasury first. Su Ming pushed the door open for a quick look, saw the Destroyer standing in a corner like decorative armor, and promptly left.
The items here were powerful, sure, but their use came with high requirements. Without significant magical expertise, they were useless.
The Infinity Gauntlet had no such barrier, but without the stones, it was just a decoration.
If Su Ming touched the treasures, the Destroyer would activate, and the commotion would be too great.
Though Odin and Frigga knew his identity, Su Ming didn't want Thor and his crew to find out. This was grown-up business; the kids could go play.
Leaving the treasury, Su Ming wandered some more. The golden palace had multiple floors, its corridors like a maze, making things hard to find.
But with the cloak's help, he finally located the place.
The records room was a mess, with all the tables, chairs, and benches toppled over. When Su Ming pushed open the door, he saw a scene as if bandits had ransacked it.
A patrolling guard happened to pass by and was shocked by the sight.
"Your Majesty, we didn't see any intruders."
Su Ming let out a deep breath and bent down to examine the footprints on the floor.
Human and Frost Giant prints, with no dirt or grass on them. Zemo's team had been to the golden palace before heading to the World Tree.
Yet no one had seen them, as if they were all invisible.
It was likely due to those floating runestones above their heads.
There were many possibilities for their invisibility: cloaking, phase-shifting, group teleportation, shape-shifting, and so on.
In all of Asgard, only Heimdall, with his unique eyes, could see them—a trait that couldn't be replicated.
"Frost Giants… Here's what you do: inform all the guards to sprinkle fine sand across every corridor and doorway in the golden palace."
Since footprints were visible, it meant the enemy still needed to touch the ground. Sprinkling powder was a reliable strategy to counter invisibility.
Even if an invisible person walked by, their footprints would betray them.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Go on, I'll check the situation here."
Su Ming waved the guard away.
He stepped into the vast records room and pulled a parchment from under a fallen bookshelf. As expected, it was covered in indecipherable runes.
At the center of the records room were several long benches surrounding a large fire pit, where a bonfire still burned.
The fire pits in the golden palace were fueled by eternal flames, enchanted with magic. They might look like a small pile of wood, but they could have been burning for ten thousand years.
The records room had a large balcony, offering a clear view of distant rolling green hills and cascading waterfalls.
For preserving books, such a room might not work, but for stone tablets, slabs, and magical parchment scrolls, Su Ming wasn't sure how they were stored.
Maybe they needed to "breathe" or something. Kamar-Taj kept books chained with iron, after all.
Su Ming surveyed the room and checked the balcony.
No footprints, no signs of climbing or scaling. Below was the smooth outer wall of the golden palace, a sheer, mirror-like cliff that even bugs couldn't climb.
This meant Zemo's group had come through the corridors, wandering the golden palace openly, just like Su Ming.
For Frost Giants to restrain their wild nature and follow orders, Zemo must have some serious skills.
Su Ming returned inside, righted a bench, and sat down, beginning to deduce in his mind.
Recalling all the fallen furniture and scattered items, he used the angles of their fall to reconstruct the original layout and trace the enemy's movements.
A clear image quickly formed in his mind, like a 3D model, with enemies matching the number of footprints moving along their tracks.
Opening his eyes to double-check the scene and confirm his deductions, he began playing the mental reconstruction.
He could see Zemo, with the smallest footprints, pushing open the door and leading the charge. Then he ordered a search, and the Frost Giants, familiar with runes, began helping him look for something.
Their goal was clear, but the Frost Giants' large size and heavy movements knocked over furniture in the process.
Su Ming paused his mental playback. The commotion must have been loud, yet no one noticed. The runes above their heads likely muffled sound as well.
Resuming the playback, he saw the footprints converging toward a corner, where Zemo likely took some stone tablets from a shelf.
Su Ming stood and walked to that corner, closely examining the traces left behind.
It was hard to say what it was, but the object taken seemed like a "cauldron" or a small cabinet.
It had four legs, wasn't very tall, and had been there for some time. Dust had formed drag marks around the legs, indicating some weight.
"Hm… Zemo stole a heater?"
Su Ming casually stuffed the parchment into his bag. Since he was here, he might as well grab a souvenir for Ancient One.
Lost in thought, he left the records room.
He needed to find Heimdall. As the only one who could see the enemy, Heimdall couldn't stay on the mend—he had to join the search.
And Su Ming needed a sorcerer's help. He planned to call in Monarch.
Asgard had plenty of mages, but none were particularly trustworthy. Monarch, at least, was somewhat on his side.
With World War II long over, Monarch should be well-rested by now.
With Gin added, the team would have four members, enough to handle most situations.
Plus, with Odin's identity, Su Ming could muster an army if needed.
He first returned to the healing ward to find Heimdall. After briefly explaining the situation, the sturdy guardian donned his armor without hesitation, grabbed his greatsword, and followed him to the Bifrost.
As for why Odin needed a Midgard sorcerer, Heimdall didn't need to know—he just followed orders.
"Your Majesty, is it him?" Heimdall had Odin confirm. The description didn't quite match, but the address and magical energy were correct.
"Hm."
Su Ming gave a vague grunt. He couldn't see, so probably.
Heimdall didn't hesitate. He plunged his greatsword into the observatory's base, and the Bifrost activated instantly. Moments later, a bewildered Monarch appeared before them in a rainbow's glow.
Compared to their last parting, the magic prince had clearly gained weight—not normal fat, but a side effect of spellcasting, causing issues with his energy metabolism.
Fortunately, it was just a bit of a bulging belly, his formal attire's buttons straining slightly. Not a big issue, just a slight hit to his appearance.
He looked a bit older.
The war was over, but clearly, this guy hadn't been idle. Su Ming noticed Monarch was holding a struggling rabbit in his hand.