Chapter 198

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"So in the future, did Asgard obtain the Reality Stone?"

"No, it might not necessarily be in the future. It's also possible that the Reality Stone has been hidden in Asgard all along."

"After all, we've only just met Thor recently. There's no way he would tell us such important information, right?"

"Is this why Thanos attacked Asgard and killed half of its population? For the Infinity Stones?"

Considering Thor had just taken the Tesseract, Tony felt this possibility was increasingly likely.

"Reality Stone?" Thor of Asgard began to ponder. When did Asgard acquire the Reality Stone?

It seemed the Reality Stone mentioned in the diary was something Asgard obtained in the future. Given Odin's current state, beyond protecting Asgard, he wouldn't likely involve himself in other affairs.

Therefore, it's highly probable that he collected the Reality Stone himself in the future. So, in the future, he really started collecting the Infinity Stones?

But why would Asgard place the Reality Stone with the Collector? Who was this guy anyway?

Thor tilted his head and thought it over. He couldn't recall anyone by that name. He decided to ask his father, Odin, about it after all the spoilers were revealed. With Odin's vast experience, he might recognize this person.

[Don't underestimate the Collector for his unassuming appearance. He has a grand background.]

[In the 199999 universe, it's not entirely clear, but in the main universe, he and the Grandmaster of Sakaar are both Elders of the Universe!]

[These were beings born right after the Big Bang, part of the first life forms in the universe.]

[Although their strength varies, they all have incredible longevity.]

[Their extremely long lives forced them to develop personal hobbies, or else they wouldn't survive. They'd get tired of living.]

[That's why the Collector loves collecting things and the Grandmaster loves his gladiatorial games.]

[It's just unfortunate that the Collector focused on collecting Infinity Stones, which eventually caught Thanos' attention!]

[I suspect the reason the Collector sold Knowhere to the Guardians of the Galaxy was that he was terrified of Thanos.]

[Otherwise, the head of a Celestial transformed into a city would have been immensely prestigious. Why sell it?]

"Elders of the Universe?" 

"The first life forms in the universe?" Tony couldn't help but be astonished. He had always suspected the Collector was a cosmic-level being, but never imagined his origins would be so grand. 

A being born after the Big Bang. So, when did the Big Bang happen? Tony, being well-versed in science, knew that the prevailing scientific view was that the Big Bang occurred about 18 billion years ago!

In other words, the Collector had been alive for 18 billion years?

Hiss!

Tony couldn't help but gasp. The diary was right; the Collector indeed had an incredibly long lifespan!

Of course, the diary mentioned that this was in the main universe. Even though different parallel universes have some differences, their core structures are often quite similar and serve as great references.

Moreover, based on the diary, the Collector's residence was built from the skull of a Celestial? That's insanely extravagant!

One must know that Celestials are beings that even Odin finds difficult to deal with, capable of destroying an entire planet for nurturing a baby. The Collector actually turned one of their skulls into a city?

What a divine feat!

Isn't the Collector afraid that other Celestials, like Arishem the Judge or Exitar the Exterminator, would annihilate him for that?

No wonder he's an Elder of the Universe! Simply incredible!

Besides, a Celestial skull being the size of a city implies that a complete Celestial would be equivalent to an entire planet in size.

That's the Celestials for you! Truly awe-inspiring!

First, an 18-billion-year lifespan, and then using a Celestial's head as a city. The Collector's prestige soared to the highest in the diary.

But even such a high-ranking Collector couldn't stop Thanos? The Reality Stone kept with the Collector was still snatched by Thanos!

Also, the diary previously mentioned the Grandmaster. Turns out, this guy is also just as significant!

No wonder he could pit beings like Hulk, Thor, and Beta Ray Bill in gladiatorial games. Truly an Elder of the Universe!

[No, the most frustrating part is Asgard. They went through so much just to obtain the Reality Stone, but placed it in the wrong hands.]

[Remember, Asgard suffered a dark elf invasion because of the Reality Stone, with heavy casualties!]

[Even Thor's mother, Frigga, died in the conflict. It's truly lamentable.]

[Poor Thor, helplessly watching his mother die at the hands of the Curse Warrior!]

[Poor Frigga, she didn't have to die. If Loki hadn't intentionally misled the Curse Warrior, they wouldn't have accidentally found Frigga.]

"Dark Elves invading Asgard?" Tony raised an eyebrow. This race, also mentioned in Norse mythology, resides below Midgard, which is Earth, on the world tree.

According to mythology, they are dwarves skilled in metallurgy and weapon crafting. They forged Asgard's weapons, including Odin's Eternal Spear and Thor's Mjolnir.

Mythology depicts them as having a good relationship with the Aesir gods and not being particularly powerful. 

Could this race have actually invaded Asgard? 

And even killed Frigga, the queen?

This was indeed surprising for Tony, suggesting there's a significant difference between the actual Dark Elves and their mythological counterparts.

"Dark Elves?" Thor of Asgard also raised an eyebrow. His parents had told him stories of the Dark Elves when he was very young. 

They were beings born from darkness before light appeared, attempting to bring the world back into darkness. 

This led to a war with Thor's grandfather, Bor, who ultimately obliterated them.

"Exactly. According to the stories from Odin and Frigga, the Dark Elves no longer exist!

But looking at this diary, it seems that the Dark Elves, this evil race representing darkness, were actually not exterminated? Not only did they survive, but they might even make a comeback one day in the future and attack Asgard? Thor was truly speechless.

The fire giant Surtur, whom his father Odin killed, was proven not to be dead. The Dark Elves, said to be exterminated by his grandfather, were also confirmed to be alive! Grandfather, Father, you guys don't have to be this untrustworthy!

After a slight grumble, Thor put away his random thoughts and refocused on the diary. His gaze suddenly became intense. The Dark Elves killed his mother!

So that's how his mother died! The diary had previously mentioned that Thor was the most tragic hero, with all his family dead. Thor had always kept an eye on the diary, hoping for spoilers to prevent such tragedies. He already knew about his father Odin's and brother Loki's deaths—one from natural causes and the other at the hands of Thanos. The only one left was his mother.

Finally! The diary finally provided this crucial spoiler. His mother was killed by the Dark Elves! Oh, right, he also had a sister. He wondered how his sister died.

Thor had complicated feelings regarding Hela, having never met her before. He had just found out he had a sister after living for over 1,500 years. In such circumstances, he had no emotional attachment to Hela. Claiming any familial feelings for her would be nonsense. Hence, Hela's matter was of lower priority. He needed to resolve issues regarding his parents and brother before considering her.

At this moment, Thor quickly put Hela out of his mind and continued to focus on his mother's situation. It seemed that the Dark Elves invaded Asgard to seize the Reality Stone. Was this why Asgard decided to store the Reality Stone with the Collector? 

Since the Reality Stone was with the Collector, the Dark Elves' invasion must have failed, right? Thor wasn't surprised; he even expected it. Asgard is not something just anyone can challenge easily! Unfortunately, the price was steep—his mother's sacrifice.

Moreover, his mother's death was related to Loki? What did Loki do by guiding the cursed warrior? What the heck did Loki do!

The diary clearly stated that if Loki hadn't guided the Dark Elves, they wouldn't have found his mother. Although Thor didn't have more information about the Dark Elves' invasion of Asgard, he made a decision. If such an event happens, he must keep a close eye on Loki, preventing him from recklessly guiding anyone.

"If I remember correctly, Thor and Rocket Raccoon return to Asgard on this very day to retrieve the Reality Stone in the future, right?" "Future Thor even met Frigga, and she recognized at a glance that this Thor was from another time."

"Haha, seriously, future Thor is as fat as a pregnant woman. It's not surprising he was recognized as someone else."

"Fat Thor is an eyesore indeed. Can't even look at him."

"But Frigga recognizing that Thor was from the future in an instant is impressive."

"No wonder she's a great sorceress."

Tony Stark, standing before the diary, couldn't help nodding in agreement. He gained a better understanding of the Avengers' future mission to collect the Infinity Stones. The Time Stone, Power Stone, and Mind Stone were gathered by Captain America and his "Earth team." The Soul Stone, which required a sacrifice, was collected by Clint Barton and Black Widow on Vormir. The Reality Stone, as the diary revealed, was collected by Thor and Rocket Raccoon.

What about the Power Stone? It was kept with the Collector before Thanos took it. Would the future Avengers go there to retrieve it? And would it be Nebula who goes there, leading to her unfortunate capture by Thanos?

Tony thought it was possible but couldn't draw a clear conclusion. After a brief consideration, he refocused on the diary.

He paused.

Thor, as fat as a pregnant woman? That was a god! Could gods get fat? One of the universe's strongest beings, one of the top warriors, engaging in countless battles, could he be associated with "fat"?

It was hard to process. Fat Thor or pregnant-like Thor, it was too much to bear. What happened in the future? How did Thor gain weight? Did he get lazy after the victory in Endgame?

It was unlikely. But this wasn't important information for Tony, so he just moved on. However, Frigga's ability to recognize someone from the future with a glance was amazing. She truly deserved her status as a formidable queen.

"What a joke!" 

"What a joke!" 

"How could I get fat!"

Thor's voice echoed in Asgard with indignation. 

This had to be fake. The diary's owner must be exaggerating. His perfect physique was unmatched across the universe. "Fat" and him? Impossible.

He was Thor! Yet, if his future self came back and met his mother, why didn't he warn her? How did she still end up dead?

What prevented his future self from saying anything?

That's all for today, folks. Nothing more tonight.