32

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Prelude to the Birth of the Hulk

In the end, Odin chose to compromise.

Although he still struggled to accept Thor's views, he had to acknowledge that Thor's perspective was more balanced than his own or Hela's. Such thinking was more likely to gain public acceptance.

The more pressing reason, however, was that Odin had no other options. Loki was uninterested, and Hela was even more unlikely to cooperate. Furthermore, the old Odin lacked the time and energy to cultivate a new successor.

…

As soon as Thor entered his palace, the three women surrounded him, with Sif speaking first. " did Majesty, make things difficult for you?"

Although she wasn't sure of the exact details, she had heard Odin's roar from afar.

Sif was most concerned about the conflict between Odin and Thor. As an Asgardian warrior, she was expected to be loyal to the king, but her special relationship with Thor made such conflicts uncomfortable.

Thor smiled and shook his head reassuringly. "It's alright. It's just that I've been away for so long, and I wanted to present myself before the court once more."

Sif smiled and playfully patted Thor, causing the atmosphere to lighten considerably.

After today's confrontation, Thor presumed Odin would no longer interfere with him. However, it also meant that Odin would no longer guide him as he had before. Even if Thor ascended to the throne, he would no longer be following Odin's policies. He would be creating his own era.

Uh, does this mean the "absent father mode" is gone?

Shaking off the thought, Thor turned to the restrained Nebula and asked, "How are you adjusting to life in Asgard?"

Nebula nodded. "It's good, but it's so extravagant, a bit..."

She looked around, realizing that the opulence of Asgard far exceeded even Sakaar's mansion with its swimming pool. She finally understood why Thor appeared so unusually large before.

Thor laughed heartily. "Asgard's standards of living are among the highest in the universe. Just wait for tonight's feast—you'll experience true luxury."

While a life of luxury isn't necessarily a bad thing, it was—

Impressive!

Seeing Nebula's emotional reaction and her now more cheerful demeanor was a striking contrast.

Turning to Maya Hansen, Thor said, "In a few days, I plan to visit Earth. Would you like to come and see it?"

It struck him that it had been decades since he had brought Maya Hansen away from Earth to Asgard. Although she had no relatives or friends, it was still her home.

Maya Hansen hesitated for a moment before breaking into a cheerful smile. "If you want me to accompany you, I will. As for going home, there's no need... Our home is now in Asgard."

Due to her contribution , Maya was highly renowned in Asgard.

…

On Earth, in a café.

Thor held up an old newspaper and said to Maya Hansen, "Did you see this? It says General Ross is conducting a super soldier experiment and has hit a bottleneck. Are you interested? Perhaps you might find inspiration for improving Extremis."

Thor was certain that General Ross's experiment would not succeed, but it would lead to the creation of the Hulk and the Abomination.

"Maybe I should give it a try. I considered it over ten years ago, but the super soldier serum was long gone. Even if the formula existed, I wouldn't be able to obtain it."

Maya Hansen took the newspaper and glanced at it before suddenly smiling.

She asked, "Hey, are you interested in someone's daughter?"

Thor raised an eyebrow, momentarily confused. But this remark reminded him that General Ross was very protective of his plans. If he attempted to get involved directly, Ross would undoubtedly refuse.

Currently, Ross's daughter, Betty Ross, was about to graduate and join the research team.

Approaching General Ross directly would be challenging, so it would be wise to start with Betty Ross.