Support me and be 30 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/Draco_
For every 5 Patreon memberships I receive, I'll release 15 chapters all at once. Your support means a lot to me.
*****
Fini didn't harbor any suspicion that Nick Fury might be trying to hoodwink him with a fake. Unless HYDRA was pulling strings from the shadows, it was highly unlikely that the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. would resort to such a petty tactic.
Closing the suitcase, Fini didn't beat around the bush. He looked at Nick Fury and asked directly, "How much do you actually know about Norse mythology?"
"In what regard?" Nick Fury replied, his expression turning serious as he prepared for a debriefing.
"Uh..."
Fini paused for a moment, momentarily unsure of how to phrase it. He scratched his head awkwardly and said, "Forget it, it doesn't matter. Anyway, all you really need to know is that the original Norse myths were passed down by the Asgardians themselves."
"You can think of Asgard as an extraterrestrial civilization. In fact, they're quite famous throughout the universe."
"They refer to themselves as a race of gods, just like in the legends. However, their lifespans truly do far exceed our own, and they possess various supernatural abilities. On an individual level, their strength is incredibly formidable."
"Take that hammer, for example. If you don't earn its 'recognition,' or manage to break the enchantments placed upon it, it's virtually impossible to pick up."
"How can a hammer 'recognize' someone?" Nick Fury interrupted, his brow furrowed in skepticism. "And did you say... magic?"
"If a hammer can't recognize people, then how come some rocks require sacrifices?" Fini sighed, shaking his head. "Their civilization practices a dual mastery of both advanced technology and magic."
Sometimes, Fini found himself wondering: if he were to take out Gamora right now, would Thanos be permanently barred from ever completing the Infinity Gauntlet?
But on second thought, he realized that was unlikely. The Soul Stone required the sacrifice of a loved one. If Gamora were gone, Thanos might just sacrifice Nebula instead. He couldn't exactly go around killing everyone close to the Mad Titan.
Furthermore, as long as Thanos knew the location, he could simply send others to retrieve the stones for him. That plan was fundamentally flawed.
Shaking off these wandering thoughts, Fini continued his explanation. "If you find it hard to wrap your head around, just think of it as genetic technology—like a DNA lock or facial recognition. Either way, it's a very sophisticated piece of tech."
Nick remained silent for a short while before asking in a low, heavy voice, "Then what is the purpose of this 'God of Thunder' coming to Earth with his hammer? And what method did he use to get here?"
"Before I answer that, let me explain the relationship between Asgard and Earth," Fini said.
"In the Asgardian worldview, there are the Nine Realms. Earth is referred to as 'Midgard,' and Asgard serves as the administrator or protector of these nine realms."
"So, what you're saying is... we're essentially being kept like livestock?" Natasha chimed in from the side.
"I wouldn't put it that way." Fini looked at Natasha and shook his head. "It's like how you guys are responsible for maintaining global security and stability. Can you really say the entire Earth belongs to S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
"In a way, their responsibilities are actually quite similar to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s—they exist to ensure the stability of the Nine Realms."
Fini's answer clearly did nothing to put Nick Fury at ease. On the contrary, it made him feel a heightened sense of danger. This was the first time he realized that extraterrestrials had been standing right over their shoulders this entire time.
"In Asgard, there is a structure called the Bifrost. It's a Rainbow Bridge that can teleport armies instantaneously to any location within the Nine Realms. Moreover, it can double as a planet-destroying weapon. So, my advice is: unless you're absolutely certain of your chances, don't even think about picking a fight with them for now."
Fini didn't mind painting Asgard as a significant threat. Doing so would likely dampen Nick Fury's tendency to court disaster. In case the Director ever got the bright idea to kidnap Thor for a premature dissection, he needed to be mentally prepared for the consequences.
Fini's words made Nick Fury's already dark face look even gloomier. Natasha's expression also turned grim.
"But you don't need to worry about Asgard for the time being," Fini added, fearing he might have overplayed his hand. He pivoted to offer some reassurance. "The current Asgard is peace-loving. Besides, Odin is in the twilight of his life; he doesn't have the energy to start a war."
"The reason Thor, the God of Thunder, is on Earth is that he made some mistakes and was banished here by Odin."
"So, our Earth is basically acting as a halfway house for Asgardian convicts?" Nick Fury's expression soured even further. The most frustrating part was that the enemy's strength far exceeded his initial estimates.
Currently, Earth's most powerful weapons were nuclear missiles. But those required a target to hit. They didn't even know where Asgard was located, yet the other side could already lock onto them and fire a planet-killer. If this were a war, they would have lost before even seeing the enemy.
"You can't look at it like that. He is their Prince, after all—the future King of Asgard. Sending him here for 'rehabilitation' shows they have a certain level of trust in Earth."
Although Fini secretly agreed with Nick Fury's assessment, he still felt the need to provide a more diplomatic explanation on the surface.
Nick wasn't the type to pin his safety on the mercy of others, nor did he want Earth to rely on outside protection. However, he still needed to confirm one final thing.
"How can I be sure that what you're telling me is the truth?" Nick Fury stared intently at Fini, trying to discern if the boy was spinning a yarn or speaking facts.
"That..."
Fini hesitated. He didn't really have a great way to prove it. He couldn't exactly beg the Ancient One to open a portal and give Nick a guided tour of Asgard. And he certainly couldn't try calling Heimdall to see if he'd send down an elevator.
"If everything goes according to plan, Thor should have already made contact with some locals by now. You can go investigate. Besides, Asgard isn't just going to ignore this situation."
"They will likely send more people down soon. You'll see if you keep watching. If you're really that desperate, you can just go find Thor and interrogate him yourself. He's bound to be near the hammer. At the end of the day, this is still our turf."
After thinking it over, Fini spoke with an air of indifference. Even if Nick didn't believe him, it wasn't a big deal. He had said what he needed to say to fulfill his end of the bargain.
"Alright, if there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave."
Picking up the case, Fini prepared to depart. Now that he had the item in hand, he just needed to study it and ensure it wasn't dangerous for Skye before he could help her trigger her awakening.
"Wait a minute."
Nick Fury stopped him once more. "If you were to compare yourself to this God of Thunder, who is stronger?"
Fini's footsteps halted. He rubbed his chin and answered somewhat hesitantly, "It's probably a fifty-fifty split, but since we haven't actually fought, I can't say for sure."
Despite saying that, Fini felt in his heart that Thor might currently be a bit stronger due to the massive weapon buff provided by Mjolnir.
Speaking of weapons, his 'Incursio' was technically a longsword, but after transforming into the armor, it came with a specialized weapon: the spear, Neuntote. He felt that he was very close to being able to summon it recently.
However, he wasn't particularly fond of the weapon's type.
Neuntote was a spear—not a firearm, but a traditional cold-steel polearm. Fini had zero experience using such weapons, and he had no intention of learning. A person's energy was limited, after all, and given his current combat style, a spear didn't really fit.
He was a dignified mage. It was bad enough that he had to wear heavy armor, but if he started carrying a long spear, he'd never be able to shake off the 'Knight' label.
Besides, since ancient times, Lancers have always had Rank E Luck, while Archers are usually the ones with the 'broken' cheats. He had no desire to become a victim of bad luck.
Of course, the most important point was that this weapon didn't offer a significant boost to his overall power. His primary output still relied heavily on 'Explosion Magic.'
Therefore, even though he was close to being able to use it, Fini felt no sense of anticipation. He didn't even plan on testing it out, fearing it might somehow jinx his luck for his next skill draw.
(End of Chapter)