Chapter 238: Odin Entrusts His Legacy, Five Divine Artifacts!

The royal garden of Asgard is a serene place located behind the palace's great hall. Its design is both ancient and meticulous, featuring a variety of flowers and plants that Clark had never seen or heard of before. Some even emitted a special energy aura, which, if placed in a world of immortality cultivation, could be directly used for refining elixirs.

In the center of the garden stood a pavilion, shimmering in Asgard's characteristic opulent golden hue. Such architecture, in this setting, could have seemed overly extravagant. However, thanks to the skillful design of the craftsmen, it blended seamlessly into the surroundings, adding an air of dignified luxury, a stroke of genius.

Sitting inside the pavilion were an elderly man and woman.

The man, clad in golden armor and helmet, exuded a majestic aura with his one eye, giving him an air of disdain for the ordinary world. His disability did not detract from his presence; rather, it added a fearsome aspect to his character. He was Odin, whom Clark had met briefly before.

The elderly woman beside him was dressed in European court attire. Despite her age, she radiated an aura of grace and majesty, fitting of a queen.

Though Clark did not recognize the woman, her presence beside Odin made her identity easy to infer.

The two elders sat casually on stone benches in the pavilion. Upon seeing Thor arrive with Clark and Ava, Odin greeted them with a warm smile and invited them to join him in the pavilion.

Once everyone was seated, Odin finally spoke, "I am Odin, and this is my wife, Frigga. I have long known of young Clark through his reputation, and it is a true pleasure to finally meet him in person."

Clark paused for a moment before responding, "Odin, your Mandarin is... well, I must say, Mandarin is a deeply nuanced language. A single phrase can take on different meanings in various contexts."

"Your previous statement doesn't really create ambiguity, but putting 'long known' and 'regret not meeting sooner' together does sound a bit odd."

Odin Bolson's impression of Clark rose by +23333!

Although Clark's directness made Odin feel slightly awkward, he maintained his friendly demeanor and curiously asked, "You mentioned that a single sentence in Mandarin can convey different meanings. Could you give an example to enlighten me?"

Clark didn't really want to elaborate, but as a man, he couldn't just refuse outright. Without much thought, he said, "For instance, when a man invites a woman to dinner and she says 'another day', can you discern the real meaning behind her words?"

Odin was initially ready to reply that 'another day' simply meant to reschedule, but recalling Clark's context, he realized the answer was not that straightforward. After pondering, he looked at Clark with a newfound sense of amusement.

"You're sharing risqué jokes with the King of Asgard, does your family know about this?"

Following the joke, Clark, still feeling unsatisfied, continued, "Or, for example, a man asks a woman, 'Shall we roll in the sheets?' and the woman replies, 'Roll!' Can you, Odin, be certain of the exact meaning of 'Roll'?"

Odin Bolson's impression of Clark rose by +66666!

After a moment of surprise, Odin laughed heartily, praising Clark's humor.

With these jokes setting a lighter tone, the conversation became more lively, covering various casual topics. There was a subtle probing between the parties, but as everyone became more comfortable, Odin finally broached the main topic, "This is Ava's first visit to Asgard. Frigga, why don't you show her around and let her admire the scenery of Asgard?"

Clark wanted to point out that it was also his first visit to Asgard, but realizing that Odin was intentionally separating them to get down to business, he refrained from joking.

Odin then instructed Thor, "Clark has helped Asgard resolve a political upheaval. We must properly thank him. Prepare a grand feast; we shall express our gratitude to this brave warrior from Earth today!"

Thor nodded, "The feast can be arranged to start in the afternoon..."

Odin, however, sternly corrected him, "Start preparing now!"

Thor, feeling slightly aggrieved, complied. Odin, meanwhile, sighed inwardly. If only his son Thor could be half as shrewd as Clark, or even possess half of Loki's cunning, Odin wouldn't have to worry so much.

After the others left, only Clark and Odin remained in the garden. Clark's smile faded, and he spoke gravely, "Odin, the way you handled this matter seems quite underhanded."

Clark had previously predicted the Chitauri invasion of Earth and knew that their ranks included powerful individuals. Yet, he wondered how Odin, supposedly an ally, was unaware of the invasion date and conveniently absent during the critical moment.

The implication that Odin intentionally allowed Loki to misuse the Bifrost to increase the difficulty of the battle was not lost on Clark.

Clark's inner thoughts were filled with indignation: Odin had promised a great reward for watching over Thor, but was this the 'reward' he had in mind?

To put it simply, Clark thought, Odin was a crafty old man!

Odin, faced with Clark's accusation, could only offer a rueful smile before admitting, "I fear my time is running short."

Clark was uninterested in Odin's personal fate. Despite their amicable interactions, there was no real friendship between them, having met only once through the hammer Mjolnir.

However, Odin's mention of his impending death was not an attempt at gaining sympathy but rather a lead into his true intentions.

Odin went on to explain the sequence of events leading to his current situation. He had been aware of Clark since the latter's battle with Hulk and the discovery of Captain America in the ice.

It was Heimdall, charged with monitoring the Nine Realms, who first noticed Clark due to his use of dark energy. Both Odin and Heimdall had studied and used dark magic but not Dormammu's energy. Such use often led to severe repercussions, so they resorted to it only as a last resort.

Odin's inability to discern Clark's destiny, despite his powers, was alarming. Further divination revealed that Thor's and Asgard's fates could drastically change based on his actions, particularly if Thor were exiled to Earth near Clark.

Odin concluded that Clark, a wielder of dark magic, was a key figure capable of altering destiny.

Thus, Odin's decision to send Thor to Earth and leave Mjolnir with Clark was a strategic move to forge a bond, in hopes that Clark would aid Thor and protect Asgard after Odin's demise.

Despite Odin's intentions, Clark was furious upon hearing the entire story. His outburst reflected his anger over the Earth's losses due to Odin's 'test.'

Odin, acknowledging his mistake, offered a divine artifact as compensation, but Clark's anger only grew. To Clark, no artifact could equate to the value of human lives lost.

Finally, Odin offered a choice of five divine artifacts, which somewhat appeased Clark. Clark acknowledged that exposing Earth to alien threats might not have been entirely detrimental, given Earth's prolonged peace.

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