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Chapter 20: Random Miracles
Hela was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into wild laughter.
"Hahahahaha, Odin, Odin, you truly haven't changed at all, still as hypocritical as ever! You old fool, even your son has become more capable than you!"
She turned to look at Thor, finding him somewhat more pleasing to the eye, even though his views didn't entirely align with hers.
She continued slowly, "I am Hela, the eldest child of Odin, the ruler of the Asgardian legions, the first heir to the throne, and the goddess of death. We were once the symbol of absolute power in this universe, and no one dared challenge our authority, but Odin stopped in the Nine Realms."
"Our destiny was to rule over all!"
The more she spoke, the more passionate she became.
"We were invincible, creating the glory of Asgard with our hands, and the world surrendered at our feet in turn."
"But then, because my ambition surpassed Odin's, he exiled and imprisoned me, isolating me like a beast.
Before that, the glory of the Asgardian warriors lay in their heroic bodies, which laid the foundation for this throne.
But now, he only wishes to be a benevolent ruler, and I am buried with his past."
Thor listened quietly. He could understand Hela's displeasure and anger. Both Hela and Odin had killed, though Odin had simply grown weary of it sooner, due to his old age . Ultimately, Hela's neurosis was entirely Odin's fault.
It was clear that Thor had a very important reason for trying to appease Hela. If Hela could be won over, at least a certain level of reconciliation might be achieved, making the situation more manageable in the face of Thanos' future invasion.
Historically, Asgard had been vulnerable after Ragnarök. Hela had decimated almost the entire army.
A newly awakened Thor, a Loki who could only summon minions, along with the Valkyrie and Heimdallr, represented nearly all of Asgard's combat strength at that time.
At that moment, Thor suddenly felt a surge of power. Lightning erupted, illuminating the dark space.
"Sister, you—" Thor was astonished that Hela had actually broken his seal.
Hela responded imperiously, "This is your reward."
"Hey, congratulations to the host for completing the mission - Face Death. The reward is: Death Resistance - under any circumstances, time will rewind after death, and the host will return for a certain period if the host retains memory, up to 15 minutes. Enemies with significant strength may notice."
Hela's exclusive tasks are indeed formidable, and the rewards she offered were incredibly powerful.
In a sense, Thor was now able to "negotiate terms" with Dormammu.
The notification of mission completion meant that Hela had ceased her intent to kill Thor, at least until the seal was lifted.
"Sister, I'm leaving. The seal wasn't specifically targeting me. I have a way to escape," Thor said as he bid farewell to Hela.
He pulled out the Space Stone coupon and opened a portal. Odin's seal was unique, triggered by Hela. Even if she teleported through the space gate, the seal would instantly reappear at her new location. So, Hela was effectively trapped. And Thor couldn't afford to let her escape and confront Odin prematurely.
Hela said nothing but made no move to stop Thor either.
Just before stepping into the portal, Thor's voice echoed, "Leave it to me. When I inherit the throne, I will lift your seal as soon as possible and proclaim your glory to Asgard."
Hela was momentarily stunned, then she smirked coldly, "Heh, inherit the throne? If you have the ability to accept the challenge, I won't mind!"
Perhaps because Thor wasn't as skilled with the Space Stone as Thanos, his teleportation destinations were entirely random at the moment.
The world spun for a moment, and the next thing Thor saw was a group of heavily armed soldiers...
Was this—a Chitauri?