New York, having endured a nuclear explosion, wouldn't recover in a short period.
However, besides a Villa and an AI named Aiya, Rimuru didn't have anything else particularly worth lingering over in New York.
The Villa.
Before leaving, Rimuru had entrusted it to Tony, asking him to look after it if conditions allowed.
As for Aiya, Rimuru didn't need to worry.
As long as the Earth still had an internet connection, Aiya would be fine.
A house was just a house; there was no one in it worth her lingering over.
Although Aiya was created by her and could talk to her and relieve boredom, an AI was, after all, just an AI.
Her heart, Aiya didn't understand!
Even if talking to her yielded satisfactory answers, they were merely pre-programmed responses.
After the Battle of New York, the Avengers went their separate ways, each returning to their own homes.
To be honest, it made Rimuru feel a bit empty, lonely, and cold!
Rimuru even uncontrollably recalled her previous life, her parents, and the period when she lived under someone else's roof.
What was happening to her?
Had she become emotional from hearing too many tales of sorrow and joy recently?
Upon returning to Jotunheim, the first thing Rimuru saw was a sky full of falling snow and a World covered in silver.
However, as Rimuru's perception extended through the air, she could feel the festive atmosphere permeating everywhere!
Veldora was specifically left behind to guard the home, with the purpose of preventing Thanos's attack.
It seemed Veldora had done quite well!
"Don't run!"
"If you've got the guts, come chase me!"
"Only running, what kind of skill is that?"
"Haha, you can't catch me, you big dummies!"
"Ahhh, how dare you call us dummies! Just wait until we catch you; we'll give you a good beating!"
Several young giant children were chasing and playing in the snow, exuding an indescribable joy and harmony.
Seeing these carefree young children, Rimuru couldn't help but smile.
She even remembered playing in the snow and having snowball fights with her friends when she was little!
However, when the children saw Rimuru, they were startled, quickly stopped, and awkwardly and clumsily bowed.
Shh!
Rimuru raised a finger, making a "shush" gesture, "I came back quietly, don't tell anyone!"
The children nodded vigorously.
Although young, their upbringing had instilled in them a deep reverence for the King, which was already ingrained in their blood.
Whatever Rimuru said, they naturally listened.
"Here, since you're so well-behaved, these little gifts are for you!"
Rimuru immediately handed out the prepared small gifts, which were some candies and snacks.
They weren't valuable, but Rimuru had brought them specifically from Earth, making them unique in Jotunheim!
Smelling the sweetness of the candies, the children's eyes immediately lit up, and they kept swallowing their saliva.
But their reverence for the King still made them forcefully restrain themselves!
Rimuru straightened her face, feigning anger, "If you don't listen, I'll get angry!"
The children immediately stopped hesitating and took the small gifts Rimuru had prepared.
After licking a bit, the sweetness went straight to their hearts. They were even more delighted, their entire little faces filled with happiness and joy.
"Thank you, King Sister!"
With that, the children happily ran off.
Watching their retreating figures, Rimuru couldn't help but smile, a hint of joy and satisfaction rising within her.
Crunch! Crunch!
Her shoes crunched on the accumulated snow on the ground, sinking deep with each step, constantly making "crunching" sounds.
This uncontrollably brought a sense of novelty and amusement to Rimuru's heart.
After seeing that no one was around, Rimuru deliberately started stepping on the snow.
She savored the process of the soft, fluffy white snow contacting her feet, being compacted, and making crunching sounds.
Walking and crunching all the way, her mood was better than she could have imagined!
As her thoughts spread, Rimuru gradually understood what had happened in the Royal City.
Not long ago, Thanos attacked, and Storm Dragon Veldora had a great battle with Thanos.
Thanos was indeed the overlord of the Universe; his strength was beyond imagination, especially in terms of skill and will, where he far surpassed Veldora.
But how could Veldora, Storm Dragon Veldora, one of the four noblest dragon species in the Dragon World, be an easy opponent?
Veldora's magicules were almost inexhaustible, and moreover, this was Jotunheim, where blizzards filled the sky.
It was even more of a home advantage than a home advantage!
In this battle, Thanos was ultimately defeated by Veldora.
Thanos, that was Thanos!
The high-ranking officials of Jotunheim were quite familiar with this mad Titan.
After this battle, Veldora's status in Jotunheim soared dramatically, and countless beauties threw themselves at him.
This caused Veldora to sink into a life of pleasure, spending his days in revelry!
As for his miserable defeat at the hands of Ancient One, and Veldora's vow to no longer slack off or goof around, forget about it!
It was like "How can you lose weight if you don't eat enough?" or "I'm fat, I need to lose weight, oh, this is delicious!"
A great victory, coupled with the arrival of Jotunheim's grandest festival, the Midsummer Festival, plunged the entire Jotunheim into an unprecedented atmosphere of joy.
As for why the people of Jotunheim celebrated the Midsummer Festival, it was actually easy to understand.
Not every person of Jotunheim could endure the most extreme cold!
In any World, commoners were always more numerous.
The arrival of the Midsummer Festival meant warmer weather, more abundant produce in the Black Iron Forest, and fatter prey.
The festive atmosphere was truly very thick, very thick. Although the way of celebrating was quite different from Earth, the festive mood within it was the same.
Upon learning of Rimuru's return, the atmosphere throughout Jotunheim immediately escalated!
When Rimuru distributed the various gifts brought back from Earth, the festive atmosphere was pushed to its peak.
Jotunheim's festivals were robust!
Simply put, it meant eating heartily, drinking heavily, and then dancing around bonfires together.
The most distinctive "event" should be the Great Warrior Tournament!
With Rimuru personally attending, this grand tournament was naturally spectacular, with every participant showcasing their best skills.
The ultimate champions, runners-up, and third-place winners, who received an audience and rewards from Rimuru, were even more overjoyed.
What surprised Rimuru the most was that there was even a newlywed couple who asked her to officiate their wedding.
Rimuru did not object and, using Jotunheim's traditional methods, blessed and officiated the wedding for the two newlyweds.
After officiating the wedding, Rimuru could clearly feel that she was even more revered by the people of Jotunheim.
They liked a powerful King, and a powerful King who could respect their customs was naturally even more popular!
The Midsummer Festival itself only lasted three days, but the tail of the festival was long, dragging on for almost half a month.
Half a month later, Jotunheim finally completely emerged from the festive atmosphere, and everything returned to normal.
The Royal Palace, grand and magnificent, was imposing.
But because of this, it appeared even more empty and desolate!
A sense of loneliness and emptiness invaded her heart again and again.
When the prosperity faded, and the superficial glamour was washed away, only solitude remained!
This was Rimuru's most authentic feeling at this moment.
After greeting Veldora, Wind giant, and some ministers, Rimuru returned to the Royal Palace alone.
On the magnificent bed, Rimuru's thoughts stirred, and she took out the Mind Stone.
Crack!
With a gentle squeeze of her small hand, the Mind Stone was crushed, and the Mind Stone appeared in her palm.
Seeing the soft yellow light, Rimuru murmured, "As expected of the Mind Stone, its interference with the mind is truly strong. Earlier, my becoming so sentimental was your doing, wasn't it!"
No one answered.
Only a gem lay quietly in her palm.
"However, it won't happen again!"
Rimuru didn't waste any more words and immediately tossed the Mind Stone up, then, like catching a peanut, caught the gem with her small mouth.