CHAPTER 43

Hela's Palace gradually returned to its usual serenity.

...

Meanwhile, Heimdall discreetly harnessed the power of the Rainbow Bridge while Hela and Rhodes were preoccupied, transporting himself to Earth.

Heimdall, still clad in his distinctive armor, wandered aimlessly through the bustling streets.

Curious passersby cast intrigued glances at Heimdall, who stood out due to his unusual attire.

Some young individuals, fond of novelty, approached Heimdall, patting him on the shoulder and offering warm greetings.

"Hey, buddy, your cosplay outfit is really cool. It looks incredibly authentic. Did you make it yourself?"

These young people even rapped their knuckles against Heimdall's guardian armor, producing a crisp sound.

"Wow, it's made of metal, isn't it? It must be quite heavy. You're really dedicated."

Heimdall promptly swatted the intrusive hand away.

"This is Asgard's guardian armor; please treat it with respect."

"Hehe, I'm quite into it. What's wrong, buddy? Are you lost?"

Having not visited Midgard for many years, Heimdall felt a bit disoriented amid the towering buildings.

"Do you know where Thor is?"

"Haha, is he your cosplay partner?"

"Haha, Thor doesn't know, but I know Zeus is here."

One of the young men playfully teased Heimdall, pointing to himself and claiming to be Zeus.

Ignoring the jovial young men, Heimdall continued his quest, asking others about Thor's whereabouts.

Heimdall had to resort to employing his divine senses to track down Thor, although his divine senses were not as vast as Rhodes', they still covered a considerable range.

Fortunately, Thor, the God of Thunder, often emitted thunderous bursts as he flew about with his enchanted hammer, which made him relatively easy to locate.

Having pinpointed Thor's approximate location, Heimdall identified a concealed alley and created a passage with the Rainbow Bridge's power, conserving his energy.

Emerging on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge, Heimdall found himself in the midst of a lively pool party.

Bikini-clad individuals danced and reveled, with hot babes sipping drinks by the poolside.

A blond man, none other than Thor, was dancing exuberantly by the pool, clad only in shorts adorned with lightning bolts.

Thor was engaged in conversation with some blonde beauties and occasionally took sips from his beer.

He even used Mjolnir, his mighty hammer, as a prop, performing acrobatics to impress the ladies.

Seeing Thor in such high spirits, Heimdall couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief.

Despite the changes in his homeland and his father's fate, Thor seemed blissfully ignorant.

Heimdall approached, called out to Thor, and was tapped on the armor by a dark-skinned beauty as he passed by.

"Hey, handsome, care to share a drink?"

Heimdall, however, was in no mood and ignored her, promptly moving to Thor's side.

"Thor, you're still reveling here?"

Thor turned his head, spotting Heimdall, and broke into a broad grin.

"Fear not, my friend! You've arrived on Earth? Perfect timing! There are plenty of beautiful women here. Let me introduce a couple to you. Come, let's have a drink!"

"Why are you so formally dressed? Courting women in armor is a bit outdated, don't you think?"

Heimdall took hold of Thor and led him away.

"Enough nonsense, Thor. Do you realize the time? You're still in the mood for revelry. Things have changed at home."

Thor shrugged off Heimdall's grip and addressed the ladies around him.

"This is my buddy. I'll be right back with three roasted pigs, a special treat I reserve for important guests."

The ladies chuckled coyly.

Thor, the God of Thunder, was then led by Heimdall to a quieter spot.

"Hey, buddy, relax. Why so serious? I don't have a sister, but I do have a sister, Hela."

"Yes, that's right, Hela."

Heimdall spoke earnestly, causing Thor to misunderstand his intentions.

Thor appeared shocked. "What? Are you teasing me about Hela?"

"No, not at all."

Heimdall then proceeded to explain the situation in Asgard to Thor.

Thor's eyes widened in astonishment. "This is more serious than your flirtations, indeed."

"Nonsense. God King Odin is missing, and we can't allow Hela to rule Asgard unopposed."

Thor took a deep breath, downed his beer, and composed himself.

"Very well, let's head to Asgard."

Heimdall swiftly grasped Thor. "What's your plan?"

Thor clutched Mjolnir, his enchanted hammer. "I intend to confront Hela and Rhodes."

Heimdall couldn't help but facepalm. It seemed Thor, the God of Thunder, had a penchant for rash decisions.

"You'll get yourself killed. God King Odin couldn't stand against Rhodes. You won't fare any better."

"Then what should we do?"

Thor furrowed his brow, pondering their next move.

Heimdall suggested, "We need to find something to enhance your strength, something that can give you a fighting chance against Rhodes. Like the Infinity Stones."

Thor appeared bewildered. "Infinity Stones? Where are they?"

Heimdall hesitated briefly but ultimately replied with information equivalent to nonsense, "I have no idea."

Loki had yet to launch his invasion with the Chitauri Legion at this point in time, so they remained unaware of the Tesseract's presence on Earth.

Heimdall and Thor were oblivious to this fact.

The two stood there, gazing at each other awkwardly, the atmosphere tensed.

"Let's investigate then. Since we don't know anything, I only have Mjolnir with me."

Heimdall reluctantly agreed to Thor's proposal.

...

Inside Asgard, in the Temple of Hela.

It had been a while since Hela had assumed the role of God King.

However, no other realms had made any overtures.

Apart from Asgard, Earth, and Niflheim, home to the Aesir, none of the other realms, including the Vanir, Light Elves, Dark Elves, Frost Giants, Fire Giants, and Dwarves, had sent representatives to celebrate.

This perturbed Rhodes.

Rhodes rose from his seat, addressing the situation, "What is the meaning of this? The news has been circulating for some time, yet none of these realms have come to celebrate. Clearly, they do not take us seriously."

Hela, beside Rhodes, sighed deeply, her expression somber. "It appears that they do not acknowledge me as God King."

Rhodes sneered, "In that case, I, Rhodes, will have to visit each of them personally for a chat."

"Among these realms, the Vanir are relatively strong."

Hela nodded, "Our Asgard and the Vanir are the two most formidable races in the Nine Realms. We've waged long wars against each other, with neither side emerging as the clear victor. The Vanir's strength is indeed noteworthy."

"Noteworthy? Very well, then I shall see for myself just how 'noteworthy' they truly are."

"Wait for me here."

Hela agreed with Rhodes' decision.

The Vanir resided in Vanaheim.

Rhodes extended his divine senses towards Vanaheim, swiftly pinpointing its location.

Rhodes teleported, vanishing from his current location. The next instant, he materialized within Vanaheim's territory.

Vanaheim, like Asgard, boasted an advanced civilization. However, its architectural style differed significantly from Asgard's grandiose and towering temples.

Vanaheim's structures featured a softer design, emphasizing bountiful harvests, seas, and sunlight. Consequently, many buildings in Vanaheim featured drawings such as wheat ears, arched waves, and radiant sunshine on their pillars and roofs.

Rhodes found himself standing before the Temple of the Vanir in Vanaheim.

A flight of stairs led up to the temple's entrance.

The Vanir warriors in their golden armor swiftly noticed Rhodes, who had appeared out of thin air. One of the Vanir warriors was surprised to see him wearing Asgardian armor.

They were intrigued and somewhat taken aback. How could an Asgardian warrior be present in the Vanir's realm?