137

Chapter 137: Controlling the Phoenix Force

Thor has set aside this matter for now; the groundwork has been laid, and some arrangements are nearly complete.

After all, he is not a politician, nor does he excel in that field. The responsibility for such matters rests with Onyxia and Loki.

Both of them are masters of intrigue and skilled in mind magic, making them well-suited for handling extraordinary situations.

As for the others, gold is sufficient.

Despite being a mortal without superpowers, Thor considers this individual to be even more valuable than an omega-level mutant like Jean Grey.

In a past survey, the most terrifying villain in the Marvel Universe was revealed not to be Thanos or Dormammu...

But Kingpin.

Because Kingpin is the villain most likely to exist in reality.

Right now, Kingpin is the only one who has discerned Thor's true intentions and is already putting his plan into action.

Thor is indifferent to his loyalty or lack thereof. After all, Kingpin's interests align with his own. In some ways, Kingpin is even more reliable than many of Thor's allies; at least there are no moral complications.

"This wine is excellent! Your tricks are impressive; teach me later!" Thor said, observing the rising level of his wine glass and nodding to Strange, who sat opposite him.

Unlimited refills are definitely of profound significance to Asgard!

Thor had heard about the death of the Ancient One. The Sorcerer Supreme, who had protected humanity for countless years, finally accepted his fate after selecting Doctor Strange, the most promising successor.

Had Thor not witnessed the Ancient One's final moments, he might have doubted the authenticity of the news. However, he had no such doubts now.

Even Thanos couldn't suppress Hela's strength with a mere gesture. To Thor's knowledge, only Odin or Dormammu possessed such power; even Surtur was nearly on their level.

Despite his immense power, the Ancient One faced death with calm acceptance, making it difficult for Thor to relate to him.

"If I had such strength, I wouldn't care about my fate. If you wanted my life, you'd have to take it without hesitation!"

Thor felt little regarding the Ancient One's death. They were not aligned in any way, and he could only lament the loss of another powerful figure on Earth...

If the Ancient One had still been alive, perhaps the Phoenix Force could have been better understood...

This is crucial; if the Phoenix Force were to erupt, whether as "Dark Phoenix" or otherwise, Thor did not wish to be involved.

Whether Jean Grey harmed those close to her or if he had to confront her, it was unacceptable. His concern was that the power within Jean was continually growing. Even if she managed to control her emotions, there would eventually come a breaking point.

Strange observed Jean Grey closely, frowning before shaking his head. "I'm not sure what to do now. However, you might find something useful in the many books of Kamar-Taj."

Before his death, the Ancient One had indicated that the future of the Earth was intricately tied to Thor. Kamar-Taj was willing to cooperate as much as possible, without violating their principles.

Thor nodded. He hadn't expected much from Doctor Strange, who had just become Sorcerer Supreme.

"If, hypothetically, her power were to erupt, could you use this artifact to turn back time and bring her back to a state before the explosion?"

Strange thought for a moment but ultimately shook his head. "Some entities transcend time, like Dormammu, who sees beyond the time cycle. The power within her also transcends time..."

Forget it; I should have known earlier.

Noticing Jean's troubled expression, Thor attempted to comfort her. "Actually, there are still ten ways to completely solve the problem."

"What way?" Jean's eyes brightened.

"Let that power truly become your own and be fully under your control!"

Jean remained silent. It was not an easy task...

...

Searching through Kamar-Taj's collection yielded nothing.

This was to be expected; mutants do not exist in this universe, and the this Kamar-Taj had never encountered pheonix force.

"No, I might have a solution!" Thor suddenly exclaimed as Jean's expression grew darker.

Jean glanced at him and said quietly, "I will do my best to control my emotions."

"No, I really do have a solution!" Thor replied, pulling out a blueprint.

This blueprint was acquired fifteen years ago during his time on Sakaar. After spending five years with Nebula, he had triggered a task related to her and received this reward. He had always thought it was useless, so he had forgotten about it...

He didn't expect to find an opportunity to use it now!

"Forging Blueprint: Qiankun Circle."

"From the world of 'Nezha: The Devil Boy Comes into the World'."