Thor, however, did not agree with his father's words and argued, "He will destroy us."
Odin dismissed the concern, "You overestimate those creatures."
"No, I value the lives of our people. If it weren't for Charles, Mother would have faced an unprecedented crisis this time."
Hearing this, Odin fell silent.
Thor continued, "I plan to ask Charles to join me in taking Jane to the Dark World, luring the enemy away from Asgard."
"When Malekith extracts the Aether from Jane, it will be exposed and vulnerable."
"At that moment, Charles and I will destroy them together."
Odin turned to Thor, asking, "What do you mean by 'vulnerable'?"
Thor replied, "The Aether."
"As long as I can destroy the Aether, Malekith's plans will fall apart."
Odin, hearing Thor's plan, couldn't help but feel amused. His son, while maturing and wise enough to invite Charles's help instead of acting alone, still misunderstood the nature of the Aether.
Thor had no idea what the Aether truly was, but Odin did. He knew it wasn't something Thor could destroy—it was the Reality Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones.
Thor simply didn't have the power to destroy such a force.
Odin rejected Thor's plan, "You don't even know what the Aether is, so how can you speak of destroying it?"
"Furthermore, you can't destroy the Aether. Your actions will only place the weapon in the enemy's hands."
Thor, confused by his father's refusal and his claim that the Aether couldn't be destroyed, asked, "What exactly is it that makes you think I cannot destroy it?"
Odin, holding the Eternal Spear, struck the ground and explained, "The Aether is one of the six Infinity Stones—the Reality Stone."
"Do you still think you have the power to destroy it?"
Hearing that the Aether was actually the Reality Stone, Thor was stunned. He had never imagined that this liquid-like substance is one of the fabled Infinity Stones.
Shaking his head but still determined, Thor asked, "So are we just supposed to sit here and do nothing?"
"Heimdall cannot see them, the palace's defense system is down—sitting idly by will only put us in more danger."
"Their fleet may be hovering over our heads as we speak, and we can't even detect them."
Odin, looking at his son's persistence, felt a tinge of helplessness. If it weren't for his need to suppress Hela, he would have more power to deal with Malekith.
Even with an Infinity Stone, Malekith was no match for Odin.
"When he comes, his forces will be crushed under the blades of tens of thousands of Asgardian soldiers."
Thor countered, "And how many of our people will we lose?"
Angered by Thor's defiance, Odin shouted, "However many it takes!"
At that moment, in Helheim, the real Odin, without the Eternal Spear in hand, was forced to draw more power to keep Hela suppressed.
This took a toll on his body, straining his ability to withstand the increasing power of the Odinforce.
As a result, the projection of Odin in the temple, reprimanding Thor, let out a groan, nearly dissipating.
Seeing his father's weakened state, Thor was momentarily confused, 'Is he injured?'
Before Thor could step forward, Odin spoke, "We will fight. We will fight until the last Asgardian falls. Until every drop of Asgardian blood is spilled."
Thor shook his head and said, "Then how are you any different from Malekith?"
Hearing Thor comparing him to Malekith, Odin laughed, "Hahaha."
"My son, the difference is that I will emerge victorious."
In Odin's mind, he had long surpassed his father Bor, and defeating Malekith was merely a matter of time.
Odin then turned around and walked away, focusing on stabilizing his energy form, unsure of what was happening to his true body in Helheim.
…
Meanwhile-
Back in New York-
Ginny received a report from Adam's squad and immediately arranged for Darcy and Ian to be brought back.
Darcy, accompanied by Ian, began touring Charles's base, momentarily putting aside thoughts of her good friend Jane.
After all, with Thor and Charles by her side, Jane wouldn't face any real danger—it was just a matter of time before she returned.
Ginny, after hearing Adam's report that Charles had likely gone to Asgard with Thor, simply shook her head and paid no further attention.
Asgard was too far, and she could offer no support from that distance.
…
Leaving the palace, Thor sought out Heimdall, intending to convince him to use the Bifrost to transport them, as even Charles's Merlin formation wouldn't be able to take them to the Dark World.
Facing Heimdall, Thor asked, "You didn't attend Odin's military meeting?"
Heimdall removed his helmet and placed it on the table, replying, "Your father ordered the Bifrost to be shut down. No one is allowed to enter or leave Asgard."
Thor nodded as Heimdall continued, "If I cannot see the enemy, then what use is a guardian like me?"
Thor, lowering his head, said, "Malekith will return, you know that well."
"I need your help."
Heimdall looked at Thor and said, "I cannot defy the king's orders, not even for you."
Thor raised his hand to stop him, "That's not what I'm asking. The Nine Realms need a strong, respected All-Father, regardless of the current circumstances."
"But he can't see the reality, Heimdall."
"I don't want the Dark Elves to breach Asgard again. We need to meet the enemy outside and destroy them before they threaten more of our people."
Heimdall considered Thor's words, replying, "The risk is too great."
Thor firmly said, "Every step we take from now on is filled with risk, but we have no other choice."
After a brief silence, Heimdall, recognizing that Thor was destined to be the future king, raised his head and asked, "What do you want me to do?"
…
Elsewhere-
Odin found Charles, who was healing the wounded soldiers. Upon seeing him, Odin once again expressed his gratitude:
"Thank you for your intervention—you saved Frigga and these injured soldiers."
Charles smiled, "It was the least I could do. If this had happened in your presence, you would have surely acted as well."
"Just like back in the Hell Dimension, when you stepped in to block Mephisto for me."
Hearing Charles mention that past incident, Odin couldn't help but feel gratified that he had chosen the right person to help back then. Charles truly lived up to being the successor of Merlin.