LRAB Chapter 100 Odin's Doubt
Chapter 100 Odin's Doubt
The battle was over, but its shadow still loomed over Asgard. Warriors were clearing the battlefield and tallying casualties in the Golden Palace square, while the medical wing was packed with soldiers and doctors working tirelessly.
The Holy Lord stood by the window of the guest room, looking at the night view outside, while Wanda sat on the edge of the bed, playing with a ball of chaotic magic in her hand.
"Master," Wanda began, "Do you think Loki would betray us?"
The Holy Lord did not turn around: "He has already betrayed us."
The Holy Lord's words carried a hint of amusement: "He commands Odin not just to curry favor, but also to tell Odin about the Dark Elves' objectives and the Aether. Most importantly, he will tell Odin about what happened in the Vault of Heaven."
Wanda frowned: "What if Odin...?"
The Holy Lord shook his head: "No, Odin needs me now. The threat of the Dark Elves has not been eliminated, the Aether is still in Jane's body, and I am the only person in Asgard who can sense the Dark Elves' movements and retrieve the Aether. As long as these conditions remain unchanged, Odin will not make a move against us."
Wanda breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good."
The Holy Lord glanced in the direction of Odin's royal family, a cold glint in his eyes: "But Loki's betrayal reminds me that we cannot use the Mind Stone to completely control Loki and Thor right now. Loki is an unstable factor, and he might side with us at a crucial moment."
Wanda lowered her head: "I'm sorry, Master, I should have been watching him."
The Holy Lord patted Wanda on the shoulder: "This has nothing to do with you. Loki is the god of trickery; deception and betrayal are his instincts. You have done very well."
Wanda looked up at Shendu's profile, her heart pounding even faster. "Master," she whispered, "Wanda will never betray you."
The next day, Thor, looking exhausted, excitedly approached the Holy Lord and said, "Holy Lord, my father wants to see you."
The Holy Lord stood up and asked, "What is it?"
"About the Aether particle," Thor said excitedly, "Father has decided that you will be the one to retrieve the Aether particle from the Simplified Body after the celestial convergence is complete."
The Holy Lord raised an eyebrow slightly: "Odin agreed?"
Thor walked up to the Holy Lord and lowered his voice: "Yes, but Father has one condition: after you retrieve the Aether, you must hand it over to Asgard for safekeeping."
The Holy Lord paused for a moment and then nodded: "Alright."
Thor was taken aback; he hadn't expected the Holy Lord to actually agree. He had already prepared his words of persuasion before coming: "You agree?"
The Holy Lord's lips curled slightly upward: "What reason do I have to refuse? I never needed the Aether particles in the first place; all I wanted was to reclaim my power."
Thor breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good."
The two walked out of the guest room and headed towards the main hall of the Golden Palace. Wanda followed behind the Holy Lord, her eyes scanning everything around her warily.
Inside the Golden Palace, Odin sat on his throne, with the Spear of Eternity standing beside him. Frigga stood beside Odin, her face still bearing that signature gentle smile.
Loki stood on the other side of the hall, trimming his nails with a dagger, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
Thor walked to the center of the point, knelt on one knee, and respectfully said, "Father, the Holy Lord has arrived."
Odin nodded, his gaze falling on the Holy Lord: "Holy Lord, I have heard about your performance."
The Holy Lord stood calmly in the center of the hall, looking at Odin: "I simply did what I was supposed to do."
Odin's voice echoed through the hall: "You helped Loki defeat Malekith and protect the treasury. Asgard owes you a favor."
The Holy Lord remained silent, waiting for Odin to continue.
Odin rose, gripping the Spear of Eternity, its tip slightly tilted towards the Holy Lord, and solemnly said, "The celestial convergence will reach its peak in one day. At that time, I hope you will extract the Aether particles from the Sylvanas and hand them over to Asgard for safekeeping."
"Yes," the Holy Lord replied readily.
Odin's single eye narrowed slightly. Like Thor, he hadn't expected the Holy Lord to answer so readily: "You have no other conditions?"
The Holy Lord shook his head: "No, I don't need ether particles in the first place."
Odin paused for a moment, then nodded: "That's settled then. Asgard will fully cooperate with you."
After the meeting, Shendu walked out of the hall, with Wanda following behind him. "Master," Wanda asked, "are we really going to give the Aether to Odin?"
The voice of the Holy Lord echoed in Wanda's mind: "Of course not. The Aether is a very powerful weapon, and I will not give it to anyone."
"And what you just did...?"
"I'm just stalling for time." The corners of Shendu's mouth turned up slightly. "I'll help Odin remove the Aether from Jane's body. Whether Odin can get it then won't be up to him."
A bizarre sight appeared in Asgard's space: the light and shadow of the Nine Realms intertwined in the sky, breathtakingly beautiful yet exuding an aura of destruction.
In the garden of the Golden Palace, Jane sat alone by the fountain. She looked up at the light and shadow in the sky and felt a kind of magical power flowing through her body. She could clearly feel it in her blood, limbs, and every part of her body.
"Dr. Foster."
A gentle voice came from behind Jane. She turned around and saw Queen Frigga walking towards her along the garden, her face still bearing that reassuring smile.
"Your Majesty." Jane rose and gave Frigga a somewhat awkward curtsy.
Frigga waved her hand and smiled, "Don't be shy, here you're just Saul's friend."
Jane forced a smile and sat back down by the fountain, with Frigga sitting next to her watching the light and shadow in the sky.
"Isn't it beautiful?"
Jane nodded: "It's beautiful, but it also feels terrifying."
Frigga turned to Jane, her words carrying a deeper meaning: "Beauty often coexists with terror, just like the aether within you, which is both a powerful force and a deadly threat."
Jane's fingers clenched slightly: "Your Majesty, can you tell me what the Aether is? Thor only said it's a weapon, but didn't specify what it is."
After a moment of silence, Frigga spoke: "Before the birth of the universe, there was darkness. In that era, the dark elves were the only rulers, and the aether was their source of power—a power that could transform any matter into dark matter and light into darkness."
Jane's breathing became rapid.
Frigga continued, "Then light was born, the Nine Realms were formed, the Dark Elves were defeated, and the Aether particles were sealed away."
Jane's voice trembled slightly: "It's inside me right now."
Frigga nodded: "Celestial conjunctions are when it's most active, and if it's not handled properly, it might..."
Frigga didn't finish her sentence. Jane already understood what she meant, but still couldn't help asking, "What will happen?"
"It will devour you, then spread throughout the Nine Realms, turning everything into darkness."