Chapter 211

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However, for Zhou Cheng, there were some aspects he was not quite satisfied with. After pondering for a moment, he made another request to Thor: "This is nice, but is there an even simpler method? One that would allow us to communicate directly with you?"

"What method are you referring to?" 

Thor gulped down a sip of the beer Zhou Cheng had prepared for him, his eyes lighting up slightly. "This is indeed good! Can I take some back for my father to try?"

"Of course, you can."

"Take as much as you want," Nick Fury agreed without hesitation and then brought the conversation back to the main matter. "Don't you Asgardians have magical or technological means of communication? How do you normally communicate with other planets?"

Thor was stumped by Nick Fury's question, and after thinking for a while, he shook his head. "I'm not too clear about these trivial matters. I am the Prince of Asgard, son of Odin!"

Nick Fury: "…"

If it had been anyone else, Zhou Cheng would have thought they were feigning ignorance or bluffing.

But Thor?

Well, Zhou Cheng believed it was true. After all, the legendary Thor was indeed not known for his intelligence.

"Alright, let's skip over this part then."

Nick Fury gave up. Regardless, establishing direct contact with Asgard was a significant step forward. One shouldn't be too greedy, right?

"If the Dark Elves are indeed awakened, and I timely inform you, what do you plan to do? Will Asgard dispatch an army to eliminate them?" Nick Fury asked Thor seriously. 

"Of course," Thor nodded firmly. "If the Dark Elves' fleet is spotted, I will lead Asgard's warriors to annihilate them immediately."

Zhou Cheng nodded in satisfaction, feeling a surge of confidence. They had aligned with Asgard against the Dark Elves. 

"By the way, Thor," after pausing for a moment, Nick Fury remembered another crucial matter and asked Thor, "Are you aware of the Convergence of the Nine Realms?"

The Convergence was still somewhat an "advanced" subject for Earth's civilization. Coulson, under Nick Fury's orders, assembled a research team to study the Convergence. Predictably, they had not made much progress. The reasons were two-fold. Firstly, a notebook's description of the Convergence was vague and imprecise. There indeed were astronomical phenomena fit the description of a Convergence. The nine planets did align on the same side of the Sun within a relatively small angular sector and sometimes form a straight line!

However, the pivotal problem lay in the varying angular sectors and the different number of bodies that could align, leading to widely varying consequences, from occurring every thirty years to every several thousand years!

Without more accurate parameters, further predictions would be impossible. Secondly, the current level of astronomy limited them. Even with precise parameters, the astronomers' calculations came with considerable variations.

Hence, Nick Fury queried Thor about this matter. 

Asgard, as the leader of the Nine Realms, although Thor and the other warriors looked rather "classic" in their armor and cold weapons, they most likely possessed a more advanced interstellar civilization than Earth.

"The Convergence of the Nine, you've asked the right person." Thor laughed, sensing an intellectual superiority, "Do you know about the relationship between the Nine Realms and Yggdrasil? Should I start from the beginning?"

"I'm all ears!" 

Seeing Thor's eagerness to boast, Zhou Cheng was not going to burst his bubble. He immediately nodded. Moreover, Nick Fury was genuinely curious about things like Yggdrasil which must be different from the mythical Yggdrasil.

Thor cleared his throat and began explaining the concept of the World Tree, followed by the significance of the Nine Realms' Convergence to Nick Fury. 

"Nine celestial bodies aligning in a straight line?" Nick Fury frowned slightly as he recognized it as the rare astronomical event known as the "Nine Pearls Alignment," occurring once every six thousand years!

The last alignment was in 1149. And the next? Regrettably, it was beyond astronomers to give an accurate prediction. What about Thor?

"Less than a year!"

Thor provided an astonishingly precise answer. Less than a year? So imminent!

Even Zhou Cheng, the SHIELD Director, felt the pressure. After all, the Dark Elves were a terrifying race that had once invaded Asgard and killed the Goddess of Stars, bringing darkness to the entire Nine Realms.

"Thor, I will mobilize all resources, closely monitor everything, and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. In the meantime, I hope Asgard will also be prepared," Zhou Cheng solemnly spoke after a moment of silence. Thor's face turned grim too.

His concern for the Dark Elves was certainly no less than Nick Fury's, perhaps even greater!

Then, the two discussed further details and achieved a strategic partnership in combating the Dark Elves. Both parties could say they had gained a lot.

"Alright Nick, I should be heading back now. Keep me posted on any developments!"

Thor didn't linger on Earth any longer. After bidding Nick Fury farewell, he left.

And Nick Fury? He began pacing back and forth, a contemplative expression on his face. With less than a year remaining, the Dark Elves posed a threat to the entire Nine Realms. Undoubtedly, this was the most urgent and significant issue facing Zhou Cheng.

"The development of Vision needs to be accelerated!"

After some deliberation, Zhou Cheng couldn't help but mutter these words. According to the notebook, the Dark Elves' leader, Malekith, was incredibly powerful. If it weren't for the Aether particles being stripped away, even Thor would not be his match.

Even though he was eventually crushed by a spaceship, leaving Satan to mock the situation, the threat was far from over.

No matter what, this was about Asgard, the realm that saw the Queen of Heaven slain! How could Nick Fury afford to take it lightly? Even though he had just successfully entered into strategic cooperation with Asgard, Asgard was only an ally, not a power intrinsic to Earth. Earth's own forces were still too weak. Zhou Cheng was truly eager to bring Vision to fruition. Unfortunately, the progress on Vision, based on feedback from Tony, was far from satisfactory. "It seems I need to have a serious talk with Tony," Zhou Cheng thought. "It's time to bring in some more capable individuals."

This decision became unprecedentedly firm for him. Nick Fury had been considering seeking external help ever since he realized that Banner and Tony were not making smooth progress. However, due to Tony's pride, he was flatly rejected. If it weren't for the spoilers in his journal and the fact that both had previously faced enemies together, not to mention Banner being an expert in organic biology, Tony wouldn't have agreed to involve Banner at all. But now, reality no longer allowed Tony to be so "willful." In this situation, Zhou Cheng once again approached Tony, presenting the stark and bloody reality to Iron Man. "Less than a year, huh?" "Can we trust Thor? He's just a muscle-bound man with little wisdom, we all know that, right?" Tony thought for a moment before seeking confirmation from Nick Fury. Deep down, Iron Man also believed it. Would Thor speak carelessly about such a critical matter? If Nick Fury hadn't been sure, he wouldn't have approached him, right? "Stark, within a year, do you have confidence in bringing Vision to life?" Zhou Cheng didn't answer Tony's question but posed a very sharp question instead. "A year? No!" Doctor Banner shook his head before Tony could respond, "No one can guarantee this. It could take months, a year, or even several years." "Banner, don't be too pessimistic. I think we can do it." "With my intelligence and yours added, we definitely can," Tony continued to display his arrogance and confidence, but it also showed that he wasn't entirely sure. "At times like these, we can't put all our hopes on your 'definitely'." Nick Fury, seeing that the groundwork had been laid, directly stated his purpose, "I want to bring another person into this." "Please, Nick!" Iron Man shrugged, seemingly indifferent, "Look at this line-up—Jarvis, me, Banner. Who do you think qualifies to join us?" "Reed Richards." Zhou Cheng already had someone in mind and didn't hesitate to say the name. This was a person even smarter than Tony, approved by the journal! From actual interactions, this man indeed matched Tony as a super-scientist. Mr. Fantastic! Tony's attitude softened significantly because of a butterfly's wings flapping, causing changes, Iron Man actually knew Mr. Fantastic in this universe. Even their relationship was quite good. After all, Tony had once funded Mr. Fantastic's research. Thus, knowing his capabilities, Tony, though he would never admit it, deep down knew that he was on the same level as himself. With time indeed running short, Tony, after some thought, finally agreed to Nick Fury's request. And soon, he called Mr. Fantastic, extending an invitation. As expected, there were no surprises. Faced with a significant scientific challenge that even Tony couldn't solve, coupled with his history as a former benefactor, Mr. Fantastic was more than willing to join. Soon he too joined the process of creating Vision. And Mr. Fantastic, being smarter than Tony as designated by the journal, made his presence felt immediately. Both Tony and Dr. Banner could clearly feel that with Mr. Fantastic's involvement, their progress significantly accelerated. 

Meanwhile, elsewhere, the Eternals, scattered globally, engaged in various professions and living different lives, finally gathered. Ajak, to entertain everyone, organized a barbecue party in her yard. Everyone enjoyed grilled meat, beverages, and laughed together. At least on the surface, the atmosphere was very positive. Even into the night, they danced around the bonfire in forgotten traditional styles, partying till late into the night before falling into a deep sleep. Ajak's little house was hardly big enough. Fortunately, as none of the Eternals were ordinary people, everyone managed to sleep on sofas or in cars and still looked vibrant the next day. 

"Everyone, I've called you here because there is an urgent matter to discuss," Ajak began seriously after breakfast. Whether it was Ikaris, Druig, or Kingo, everyone present showed solemn expressions. Whatever Ajak's reason for convening the group, it was obviously no small matter. "Five hundred years ago in Tenochtitlan, we eliminated the last of the Deviants." "I told you then that our mission was over, that you were free." "But the truth is, it wasn't over." "Our mission hasn't ended." Facing everyone's gaze, Ajak spoke in a grave and somewhat heavy tone. 

"What does this mean? Have the Deviants returned?" Kingo ventured a guess, "I thought we had wiped them out." Not just Kingo, but other Eternals who were unaware of the full truth also speculated similarly. "No, it's not about the Deviants because they were never our real mission," Ajak shook her head, firmly clarifying Kingo's statement. "OK." Gilgamesh spread his hands, "Then what is our real mission?" "To ensure the emergence of the Celestials!" Ajak revealed the entire truth to everyone. 

The place became utterly silent for a moment. Aside from a few who were informed, all of the Eternals were shocked by the news, speechless for a long time. 

Today, there's only this one update, and in the next few days, updates may not be very consistent as I am commuting back and forth to the hospital. Ah, headache.