The distance from Germany to Norway was a few hundred kilometers. For ordinary humans, that might be a huge problem, but for Hela, it was just a matter of minutes.
Every time Hela arrived at the new manor Odin had built for Frigga, she felt an urge to pick up a hammer and smash him to pieces. The guards at the gate all knew Hela's identity.
They likely had no objection to the feuds and entanglements of Odin's family. They were loyal to only one person, the King of Asgard.
As long as someone was a legitimate member of the Odinson family, and according to Odin's official will, whoever sat on the throne could sit as they pleased.
Even at the beginning of the third Thor movie, when the Asgardians discovered that Odin was actually Loki in disguise, they were only slightly startled and had no further reaction.
First, Loki's pranks had been a part of their lives for millennia. Second, it didn't matter whether Thor or Loki inherited the throne after Odin's death, as long as it was the Odinson family.
They feared no enemy. Asgardians were a warrior race.
Hela entered the dining room unimpeded and greeted her mother warmly. "Mother."
Frigga looked down and saw Garfield hiding under the table. She grabbed him and lifted him up.
"Orange cat, where have you been all these years?"
Frigga looked at Hela with a kind expression as she pulled Garfield up and brought him close to her.
She reminded Hela, "Men should prioritize their careers. Being away from home for a few years isn't a big deal."
Hela looked confused. "???"
Garfield looked confused. "???"
Something about that sounded off.
Hela hurriedly explained, "Mother, what are you saying? I just haven't seen him for years. Besides, he's just an orange cat."
Hearing Hela's explanation, Garfield felt much better. Luckily, this crazy woman hadn't taken a liking to him.
Otherwise, Garfield felt that among his family, only his wife Diana could fight back. Most of them would just be easy targets.
"You scared the cat to death. Thank goodness you didn't fancy me."
Hela was furious. It didn't matter if she couldn't get the card herself.
But she wouldn't allow a lowly creature to say she was inferior.
"You stinky cat, what did you say? You look down on me, the Goddess of Death Hela?"
Garfield glared at her. "If you were a Death Lord, maybe that would be more like it. Goddess of Death, humph, what is that?"
"Are you looking for trouble?"
"What? You want to fight me one on one?"
"Afraid of you?"
Hela and Garfield burst out through the window. Frigga heard thunder and the sound of the earth cracking outside, occasionally accompanied by the two's angry roars.
"Cat, where are you scratching?"
"Crazy woman, try kicking me again."
"Let go."
"Let go of my claws."
Ten minutes later, Garfield, covered in mud, and a disheveled Hela returned from the shattered beach.
The beach looked like it had experienced a magnitude ten earthquake.
The two plopped down in their chairs without any regard for appearances.
"Mother, let's eat. I'm hungry."
"Godmother, give me some water. I'm thirsty."
Frigga looked at her eldest daughter and godson. She waved her hand and used magic to clean the dirt off them.
Satisfied, she ordered the maid, "Serve the food. Look how hungry these two little ones are."
Garfield was focused on eating, seemingly oblivious. Hela clenched her fists tightly.
A few years was like a few minutes to Hela, who had an almost endless lifespan. But she hadn't expected this brat to grow up so quickly.
He wielded a set of artifacts crafted by the dwarves of Nidavellir and managed to fight her to a draw.
Hela was inherently proud and arrogant.
She had only initially paid extra attention to Garfield because he was the first outsider besides Odin and Frigga to speak to her in thousands of years.
An outsider cat. Although he was a cat, Hela didn't mind.
After all, with divine power, transforming into human form was a matter of minutes.
But deep down, she still looked down on him a little, since Garfield was practically living off her.
The fact that this stinky cat had fought Hela to a draw surprised Hela.
It elevated Garfield's standing in her heart to a new level, at least on par with herself.
Garfield wasn't happy either. He had cheated in this fight by using the infinite power of the Tesseract.
Otherwise, having only been a god for a few years, he couldn't possibly have fought Hela alone with his own divine power.
Hela's strength wasn't limited to what was shown in the movies.
The Tesseract, as one of the five Infinity Stones, contained immense power. Hela's disdainful glance at it in Odin's vault spoke volumes.
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After dinner, Frigga left early. Before leaving, she said, "You two have a good chat," and departed with a mysterious smile.
What?
Leaving the woman and the cat there looking rather awkward.
Knowing that things might lead to misunderstanding, the two got up and left. They walked to the pavilion outside the manor.
The guards nearby discreetly moved away. Before they did, a maid brought wine and pastries.
"Hela, didn't you say you were going to explore the universe? Why didn't you go?"
Hela picked up her glass and took a sip, savoring the taste. It was a specialty of Asgard.
She loved drinking with the Valkyries after battles, but it seemed she wouldn't see them anymore.
"Oh, nothing. Just wanted to see how Midgard is developing. It's still so primitive. Not even as good as some third rate planets in the universe."
Garfield said, "Every civilization has its own development process. Humans on Earth are no less advanced than other races in the universe. They just lack time."
Hela shook her head in rebuttal. "Midgard used to have some civilizations that developed quite well, but their path narrowed.
Now they've even retreated into the sea, still trying to develop in the universe. It's really..."
It was clear Hela was referring to the Atlantis civilization, currently living a secluded life in the sea.
They seemed indifferent to worldly affairs, and their technology was all water related.
However, Garfield admired them a little. A little seawater could unleash the destructive power of a cruise missile.
They were geniuses, weren't they? Garfield could also hear the disdain in Hela's words.
"Indeed, the people of Atlantis made a major mistake in their development."
Hela said, "More than a mistake. They didn't stay human.
One branch turned into monsters. Another turned into humans.
The remaining two even degenerated to breathe on land, let alone understand space. Their part time jobs are a joke."
Hela sensed something was off about her words. It was a feeling of failure, like a mother seeing her son fail to become a dragon and instead turn into an insect.
Garfield whispered to Hela, "You're not connected to the civilization of Atlantis in any way, are you?"
Hela replied, "No. I just don't like what I see. Let's get down to business."
"Why exactly did you come to Norway for?"
