The Aesir Palace (Asgardian Palace).
Located at the heart of Asgard, it represented the cosmic nucleus, the supreme authority, and divine power. It also served as the exclusive residence and council chamber for the Asgardian Race.
At this moment, in the solemn and sacred Main Hall of the Aesir Palace, an elderly man with white hair sat on the godly throne. His right eye was covered with a golden lens, leaving only the deep and bright lone eye, shining with a faint mix of wisdom and majesty.
He wore a suit of golden armor, held a golden scepter representing ultimate authority, and a red cloak draped over his back. Despite his aging form, he exuded a towering divine aura that couldn't be suppressed.
Odin.
The Allfather of Norse mythology, the King of the Gods, and the ruler of the Nine Realms.
At this time, Odin sat on the throne, his gaze calm and steady as he looked down at the two sons standing side by side in the hall.
Thor and the mischievous god Loki.
One had a rugged countenance, and a robust physique, and was clad in golden armor, wielding his trusty hammer. His eyes sparkled with an aura as thunderous and domineering as lightning, and he was undoubtedly a warrior among warriors.
The other had a more delicate face, a leaner frame, and was dressed in a black robe, holding a staff that seemed to touch the realms of existence itself. His lips maintained a mischievous smile, an enigmatic air making him inscrutable.
"Thor. You have an audience with the King. Why do you present yourself so disheveled, without a care for your appearance or even a clean change of clothes?" Loki glanced at Thor, his tone calm but instructive.
"I returned from an ancient battlefield and rushed here immediately after exiting the Bifrost. I believe Father won't mind," Thor smiled, scratching his golden hair and addressing Odin at the same time as he did so.
"But…" Loki was about to say something more, when Odin coughed lightly, interrupting him. "Alright, you two brothers, you've been squabbling since childhood. Pay attention to the occasion now."
"Yes, Father."
Loki quickly bowed in reverence, while Thor reluctantly followed suit.
"I've called you both here to remind you. In about three or four years, I will pass down the throne of Asgard."
Odin, with his one eye, looked at Thor and Loki, his scepter striking the floor, resonating in the hearts of both gods. He spoke in a deep voice, "One of you will inherit this throne."
Three or four years, for the gods, was an exceedingly brief period.
Thor's face beamed with joy, his eagerness and impatience not hidden. He raised Mjolnir high and said straightforwardly, "Father, pass the throne to me! I swear to dedicate my entire life to Asgard, to tirelessly safeguard the peace of the Nine Realms with all my strength."
Loki's heart skipped a beat, his face remaining as calm as ever. His gaze lowered slightly, his thoughts impossible to understand by anyone.
Odin observed his two sons' reactions, remained silent for a moment, and then said in a solemn voice, "There's no rush. Over these next few years, I will observe your performances and select the new king without dispute."
"Very well, I will prove myself on the battlefield!" Thor declared cheerfully.
"I will not disappoint your expectations, Father," Loki said.
"By the way, Father, there's something I hope to gain your permission for."
Thor was just about to take this opportunity to mention Kyle's situation when, at that moment, a slight tremor ran through the palace.
"What's happening?!"
The look on Thor and Loki's faces changed. The earthquake not only showed no signs of stopping, but it was growing stronger, causing even the golden ornaments and artifacts to clang and fall to the ground.
Odin couldn't remain seated any longer. He rose from his throne, his lone eye casting a grave gaze over Thor and Loki, then turned his attention to the scene outside the grand hall's entrance.
Thor and Loki turned around together, and when they saw the source of the disturbance, they were struck with the same shock they'd felt upon hearing that the throne was about to be passed down.
Outside the entrance of the grand hall, a ten-meter-radius blaze surged upwards, soaring like a totem pillar, its fervent light reaching the cosmic ceiling.
The flames were tinged with gold and crimson, illuminating the vast sky in a fiery red. Even the myriad sparkling stars seemed dimmed at this moment.
This sudden upheaval caused all Asgardians to turn their astonished gaze towards the fiery spectacle linking sky and earth.
In an instant, the realm was illuminated by a blazing fire!
"That direction… the Hall of Heroes?" Loki raised an eyebrow, eyes widening. "Since the establishment of the Hall of Heroes, has there ever been such an extravagant surge of divine power?"
"As far as I know, no," Thor shook his head.
"Who says there hasn't been," Odin countered, gazing at the celestial blaze in the sky, pondering. "Back when Heimdall sensed the divine power, there were similar disturbances. But, this one is even greater."
Thor and Loki exchanged glances, their surprise matching that of when they heard the throne was about to be passed down.
Bifrost.
Heimdall, bearing two swords, suddenly opened his eyes. He gazed forward, seemingly ignoring the spatial distance and directly viewing the scene inside the Hall of Heroes.
"How is this possible, how can it be him?" Heimdall stared, his usually calm dark face showing a hint of shock for the first time.
Meanwhile, inside the Hall of Heroes.
Kyle's right hand rested on the orb, and the resonating pillar of fire expanded outward, encompassing Fieldre, a dozen Asgardian youths, and even the entire temple structure. The real yet illusory flames soared into the cosmic expanse.
"As expected, there's something here," Kyle muttered to himself. His constitution was drawing out the remnants of the fire god's power. He wondered which fire god it was that left something behind within this orb!
That something could only be retrieved by another fire god. It might be a personal treasury, something that hadn't been noticed for countless years after the god's fall.
"Now, it's my gain!" Kyle's thoughts settled as he used his own fire god's divine power to trigger the resonance, using it as a key to open the stored treasury. Slowly, he took something out.
Fragmented memories came together, forming a complete message in his mind.
In Kyle's Card Space, a card gradually shifted from being ethereal to tangible, emitting a dazzling purple light that stood out among the other cards.
[Forging Method of the Sword of Eternity]: The forging method of the Sword of Eternity. A Rare Purple Ability Card.
Materials Needed: World Tree Branch, Eternal Flame, Uru Metal, Magic Cube Fragments, Shattered Star Ingot, Divine Blood of a Celestial.
Must be forged in the Superstellar Furnace to possess the power of a Planetary Level Divine Weapon.
"So it's not an actual item, just the forging method for a Divine Weapon? The previous fire god could've at least left behind his Divine Weapon!" Kyle sighed inwardly.
The materials for forging the sword were precious and rare, and he lacked most of them. Some he hadn't even heard of. He could only collect them slowly in the future.
Satisfied with what he got, Kyle retracted his hand. The blaze gradually dimmed and dissipated, but a faint, transparent crimson flame continued to burn on his body. The potent divine power continued to seep out.
With a 'crack', the orb that had resonated with the fire god's power shattered, indicating that the internal divine power had been completely depleted.
Fieldre, in a daze, sat on the ground while staring at the orb which was now reduced to powder. He sucked in a sharp breath, looking at Kyle as if he were a monster, his voice trembling as he asked, "Wh-who… who are you, exactly?!"
(End of this chapter)
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