When Ethan Blake stepped forward, the surrounding conversations gradually died down.
Although Ethan had already said he couldn't lift the hammer, no one present truly believed him. In their eyes, Ethan was far too mysterious. Considering everything he seemed to know, perhaps he had some special method to lift Mjolnir.
Even Ethan himself felt a little curious.
The hammer was right in front of him. If he hadn't been curious, Natasha Romanoff's provocation wouldn't have worked in the first place.
He reached out and grasped Mjolnir's handle with one hand.
Taking a deep breath, he suddenly pulled upward.
The strength he used was more than enough to yank a tree as thick as a wrist straight out of the ground. Yet when that power was applied to Mjolnir, it felt like throwing a stone into the ocean.
Nothing happened.
There was no lightning, no strange weather, and the hammer didn't move even slightly.
Ethan pursed his lips.
This hammer had absolutely no respect for him. It couldn't even pretend to move a little.
Looks like I'm really not superhero material, he thought.
Just as he was about to release the handle and step away, something unexpected happened.
Ethan suddenly felt his vision go dark.
When his sight returned a moment later, everything around him had completely changed.
Mjolnir was gone.
Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, Natasha Romanoff, and the others were gone too.
In their place stood a magnificent golden hall. The entire chamber seemed to be built from shining gold, with towering pillars and intricate carvings stretching high above.
Ethan's first thought was simple.
Where am I?
His second thought came immediately after.
Teleport.
He tried to activate his teleportation ability.
But nothing happened.
A trace of panic flickered through Ethan's mind.
His teleportation ability didn't respond at all.
However, he forced himself to calm down quickly. Panic would only make things worse, and he knew very well that keeping a clear head was always the better option in dangerous situations.
There were only two possibilities.
Either something in this place was suppressing his teleportation ability, or he wasn't physically present here in the first place and was instead in some kind of special state.
Ethan leaned toward the second explanation.
After all, his teleportation ability originated from the world of Doraemon. Compared with the vast Marvel multiverse, that world wasn't necessarily inferior in terms of power.
Only entities standing at the absolute peak of the multiverse could realistically block an ability like that.
But if someone at that level truly wanted to harm him, they could have done it long ago. There would be no reason to wait until now.
Then Ethan thought about the moment just before this happened.
He had been holding Mjolnir.
And the architecture surrounding him now…
It looked exactly like Asgardian design.
At that point, Ethan already had a strong guess.
There was an eighty percent chance Odin had brought him here.
"Greetings, child of Midgard."
A deep voice suddenly echoed through the grand hall.
Ethan turned toward the source of the sound.
Just moments ago, the throne at the far end of the hall had been empty.
Now an old man sat upon it.
The man was tall and imposing, wearing brilliant golden armor. In his right hand he held a long spear, and one of his eyes was covered.
The All-Father.
Odin.
With just a single glance, Ethan recognized him.
"Your Majesty," Ethan said immediately.
He placed his right hand across his chest and gave a respectful salute.
Facing someone as powerful as Odin, basic courtesy was the least he could show.
"You truly know who I am," Odin said calmly.
Ethan's heart skipped.
Damn.
He had overlooked something important.
His mind raced rapidly.
Should he try the same kind of vague explanations he used with Nick Fury and Tony Stark? Absolutely not. If Odin saw through the lie, the consequences could be disastrous.
Ethan knew better than most people how terrifying Odin had been in his youth.
The All-Father had once waged war across the Nine Realms, conquering realm after realm. At that time, the name of Asgard had inspired fear throughout the universe.
In other words, Odin was not a gentle old man.
If Ethan angered him now, things could end very badly.
Damn it.
If I had known this would happen, I never would've touched that stupid hammer.
Natasha, this is all your fault.
Before Ethan could think of a proper explanation, Odin spoke again.
"I heard what you said earlier."
Ethan blinked in confusion.
What exactly had he said?
Odin continued.
"I'm surprised that you know so much about Asgard, about Midgard, even Loki's identity… and the recent events that have occurred in Asgard."
Ethan froze for a moment before understanding.
Everything he had casually said earlier in front of Fury and the others… Odin had apparently heard all of it.
Of course.
This was Odin.
Who else could casually observe events across realms like that?
"Your Majesty…" Ethan began carefully, unsure how to explain himself.
Odin raised a hand slightly, interrupting him.
"When one grows old," Odin said calmly, "curiosity becomes less important. The universe is vast and full of secrets. There is no need to uncover every single one of them."
Ethan immediately nodded.
"You're absolutely right, Your Majesty."
If Odin was willing to ignore the issue, Ethan certainly wasn't going to bring it up again.
"Then you should also know the true reason why I exiled Thor to Earth," Odin continued.
Ethan hesitated briefly before answering honestly.
"Yes, I do."
"Thor is destined to become the future king of Asgard," Odin said slowly. "But he still does not understand what it truly means to be a king."
The All-Father's single eye fixed on Ethan.
"I hope that you will give him a little help. Guide him so that he can recognize his mistakes and learn his responsibilities."
His tone was calm.
"Will you do that?"
Ethan responded immediately.
"Asgard has protected Midgard from countless alien invasions for thousands of years. If the future king of Asgard needs help, then assisting him is my duty as someone from Midgard."
His answer sounded extremely righteous.
Of course, in Ethan's mind, it was simply a matter of saying something nice. Words cost nothing, and making Odin happy was obviously the safest strategy.
Odin seemed very satisfied with Ethan's response.
For the sake of Thor's growth, the All-Father had invested an enormous amount of effort. Ethan's sudden appearance had become an unexpected variable in his carefully arranged plan.
Soon enough, Thor would encounter Ethan.
Odin worried that Ethan might accidentally reveal something and ruin the entire lesson he had prepared for his son. That was the real reason he had summoned Ethan here.
"I believe you and Thor will become good friends," Odin said.
After a brief pause, he spoke again.
"Then accept this as my gratitude for the help you will give my son."
....
Join my P@treon and get 60+ advanced chapters.
Link: p*atreon.com/0LordSilvere0 (Remove the *)
Free members get 2 chapters free.
Join Right Now