73

Chapter 73: The Ownership of the Tesseract

Hela picked up the Tesseract.

"I had suspected that the belly of this Flerken was unusual, and now we have proof. The Tesseract actually appeared on Earth."

She examined the Tesseract with a complex expression, as if weighing her options.

Thor stepped forward and asked quietly, "Are you planning to use this to return to Asgard?"

Hela was silent, clearly hesitant: "Why, are you worried that I will go back and seize the throne?"

"That's not it."

Thor shook his head: "I'm concerned that you might return and end up delivering your own head, and your father would lock you away in a dark room..."

Hela's face darkened; she was indeed worried about this.

Despite her usual disdain for Odin, she knew how formidable he was—almost beyond her level. Even if she had aged, she was certainly not capable of challenging him.

"Forget it. You can't do anything by going back now, and you probably won't be able to make much of an impact. Stay on Earth. Father might still pretend not to see you."

After Thor finished speaking, he took the Tesseract and left, leaving Hela alone and lost in thought.

…

"Your Highness..."

In the courtyard, Sif stopped Thor.

"Your Highness, is Hela really your sister? His Majesty's first daughter?"

Sif asked with uncertainty.

As a courtier, it wasn't her place to involve herself in matters of the royal family. But Sif clearly felt that the relationship between Hela and Odin was far from a simple father-daughter dynamic, and she worried that their strife might affect Thor.

The most immediate concern was, who would be chosen for the throne?

Without Odin's input, Hela's claim was even stronger than Thor's.

Thor shook his head: "She must have fallen out with her father due to significant disagreements, and they could never reconcile. I understand your concern, but you're mistaken."

Thor turned, placed a hand on Sif's shoulder, and said softly, "In this world, strength ultimately prevails. When it comes to fighting, everything else is irrelevant. That is the truth."

He raised his fist and shook it in front of her.

Sif couldn't help but laugh: "Your tendency to solve problems with violence hasn't changed a bit."

"Naturally." Thor replied matter-of-factly: "Violence might not solve the problem, but it can deal with the person who caused it."

Sif had long grown accustomed to his logic and no longer tried to argue with him.

…

Obtaining the Tesseract wasn't particularly significant for Thor, but the system indicated that the Tesseract could be recycled...

"Space Gem of the Infinite Gems, the system recovery price is 20 million!"

"Based on 50% of the purchase price, I'd still lose 20 million if I don't trade it in!"

Thor rejected the offer immediately.

An Infinite Gem, valued at 40 million by the system, compared to the Phoenix Force, which was only 50 million, shows that the system's pricing is quite advantageous.

In other words, the system merely provides an opportunity to absorb the Phoenix Force Force, and through a backdoor, the points spent are much less...

"Think about it, even if this gem is sold, the points are secondary. The important thing is that there will be one fewer Infinite Gem. If Thanos can't collect all the gems, he won't be able to snap!"

The system's voice was full of temptation.

Uh...Thor had to admit that he was almost swayed. Wait, he nearly fell for it again!

"That's nonsense. Thanos has already started implementing the plan to destroy half the universe, annihilating planets one by one. Even without the gems, he can still cause chaos across the cosmos!

"However, with the Tesseract in your possession, it might attract Thanos to send his forces. Or are you planning to return it to the Fury ?"

asked the system's voice.

"Definitely not. Let's keep it for now and decide later."

There are still over a decade before the New York War, and Loki, the key player, is still in Asgard. It would be a waste to leave the Tesseract with S.H.I.E.L.D. now.

Holding onto it might yield better results.

Loki probably couldn't imagine that his estranged brother was currently contemplating his situation...

…