The scene suddenly became awkward, and a few people weren't quite sure what to do.
Actually, the solution was very simple: just remove the Aether from Jane's body. The key was how to extract it. If the method was wrong, it was highly likely to trigger an excessive reaction from the Aether. Ethan wasn't afraid of the shock released by the uncontrolled Aether; the main problem was that if the Aether drained too much of Jane's life force, it could directly cause her death—which would be a serious problem.
"Maybe... we should leave here first?"
Everyone remained silent. In the end, it was Darcy who broke the silence first.
"Why leave here? I'm not leaving. The phenomena happening in this place are incredibly miraculous, and I want to figure out what's going on..."
"The convergence of the Nine Realms is causing some places on Earth to experience strange phenomena, such as spatial overlaps, energy turbulence, and gravitational anomalies... There's nothing worth studying. Even if you bring all your equipment, you still won't be able to figure out exactly what's happening. At most, you'll just gather a bunch of chaotic data."
"The convergence of the Nine Realms? What does that mean?"
Not only did Jane not understand Ethan's words, even Thor didn't know what the convergence of the Nine Realms was.
Ethan wasn't very knowledgeable about it either, and could only give a rough explanation.
"I don't know if Thor's ancestors used some special method back then... or maybe they just discovered the natural connections between these spaces, which led them to include these 'Realms' in their dominion. In short, the spaces where the Nine Realms are located share certain special connections."
It was hard to understand with just words, so Ethan used magic to condense nine energy spheres, each slightly different in color for distinction.
"Under normal circumstances, these Nine Realms are located in different regions of the universe, but at specific times, certain special energies connect them, causing a degree of spatial overlap."
As Ethan moved, a portion of the nine irregularly floating energy spheres were 'marked', and at the same time, a special 'disk' appeared in front of the group, displaying the nine marked parts simultaneously.
"You can think of the place we're in now as being at this point of overlap."
When nine different cosmic regions overlap in space, all kinds of strange phenomena are bound to occur. So it's not surprising that odd things happen in this area.
"How is that possible?"
"Why not?" Ethan casually opened a portal, this time using the teleportation spell from Kamar-Taj. Standing there, they could clearly see the scenery on the other side of the doorway. "This kind of teleportation can also be considered a type of spatial overlap."
Watching Ethan's demonstration, Jane didn't know what else to say. With Earth's current level of understanding, it was impossible to fully comprehend these strange phenomena. At most, they could collect some data.
"Jane, now is not the time to study these phenomena. If the energy inside you isn't removed soon, your body won't be able to withstand it."
Thor was thinking of taking Jane to Asgard to use Asgard's advanced equipment to eliminate this strange power.
However, before that, he thought it would be better to ask Ethan. If Ethan was confident he could remove the power, there would be no need for the extra trip.
"Ethan, can you remove this power from Jane's body?"
Ethan stroked his chin. He had been considering this question the entire time.
"Although it's a bit difficult, it's not impossible."
Thinking about it, the only concern was that Jane's life force might be drained by the Aether before he could extract it, leading to her death. But the loss of life force wasn't really a big issue for Ethan.
"Is it difficult?"
Thor felt a bit relieved hearing that Ethan had a way to clear the energy. But the fact that Ethan said it was difficult meant there was still risk, and he didn't want Jane to take that risk.
"Perhaps I should take her back to Asgard."
"Going now?"
Thor nodded. "The sooner it's dealt with, the sooner I can feel at ease."
Just like that, it was decided Jane would follow Thor to Asgard. Jane Foster, independent and strong-willed, didn't even get a chance to voice her opinion before her next destination was decided.
"Hey, don't you guys know you should ask for my opinion first?"
Ethan looked at Jane, somewhat understanding why these two would eventually break up.
Jane was a woman with her own strong opinions, always doing what she wanted, and she didn't like others interfering with her decisions or making choices for her. Thor, on the other hand, also had a strong personality. He was busy every day and rarely around. The two could maintain their relationship when they were apart, but if they spent all their time together...
A similar example was Captain America and Peggy Carter. Many people regretted that the two didn't end up together. But in a parallel universe where Captain America wasn't frozen and actually got together with Peggy, the two didn't live happily ever after as people had hoped—they broke up quickly.
"Is it true that distance makes the heart grow fonder?"
He wouldn't say this out loud. Whether the two stayed together or broke up in the end was their personal matter, and he didn't need to get involved.
While lost in thought, Ethan noticed Thor staring at him intently, which felt a little strange.
"Aren't you taking her to Asgard?"
Why are you still standing here spacing out? Shouldn't you run to an open space and shout, "Grant me strength! Heimdall!" And then a beam of light strikes down and takes the person away?
"The Rainbow Bridge causes too much commotion. I hope you can open a portal to Asgard for me."
So that's why Thor was staying put? He didn't want to cause a scene? He actually realized the Rainbow Bridge made too much noise?
Waving his hand, Ethan opened a portal. Thor took the somewhat reluctant Jane Foster and walked through it. Then, only Ethan and Darcy Lewis, the funny intern, were left.
"Now it's just the two of us."
Ethan waved at the woman who was looking at him with sparkling eyes, clearly scanning him up and down. "I'm leaving too. I suggest you don't stay in London during this time. If you have any relatives or friends, it's best to take them and leave."
"Is something going to happen in London?"
"Not necessarily, but during this period, all sorts of strange phenomena may occur. If you're walking down the street and suddenly find yourself on an alien planet, I can't guarantee you'll be able to walk back."
Though Darcy was a bit goofy, she wasn't stupid. Besides, Ethan had explained it so clearly. She secretly decided to go back immediately, pack her things, and leave London.
"Uh, thanks for the reminder. How about I treat you to a meal as thanks?"
"I'm leaving too. See you next time, if there's a chance."
Ethan opened another portal. This time, it wasn't to Asgard but to his residence in Los Angeles. Finally, after waving goodbye to Darcy again, he left the place.
Only Darcy was left standing in the vast, abandoned factory. She looked around, then decided it really wasn't a good idea to stay here, especially since it was getting late. So she called her intern Ian, and the two of them went back to pack their things, following Ethan's advice and leaving London.
Back at the mansion, Ethan appeared directly in his room and ran into a servant who was working. He asked about the others.
He learned that aside from himself, everyone else had gone out shopping and hadn't returned yet. Only Tony was still fussing over his appearance in the guest room—Ethan and Thor had already gone out and returned, yet this guy still hadn't finished getting ready.
Finding the guest room, Ethan waited outside the door. Fortunately, Tony had nearly finished and didn't keep him waiting too long. Soon, Tony appeared in front of him, fully dressed and with his hair neatly styled.
"Did I accidentally learn magic? Or did you cast a spell on this door?"
"Neither. I just got back."
"What? That fast?" Tony looked at Ethan, who didn't seem like he'd been in a battle at all. "Looks like you found Miss Foster easily and nothing interesting happened."
"Indeed, I found her quickly. As for interesting things..."
Ethan briefly explained the strange phenomena occurring in London. This top Earth scientist, like Jane Foster, was immediately interested and really wanted to go observe the phenomena in person.
"If you want to see miraculous phenomena, seriously study magic. You'll see far more of them." Ethan and Tony walked into the reception room. It was spacious and perfect for conversation.
"I'm seriously considering your suggestion. Once I finish with this busy period, I plan to study magic seriously."
Ethan nodded. Since Tony had made up his mind, he didn't need to worry about the rest. When he wanted to learn, both he and the Ancient One would be glad to teach him.
Moreover, with Tony's talent, he would only need guidance at the beginning. After that, he could handle most things through self-study.
"Back to the previous topic... you said there's a powerful energy inside Jane Foster?"
"Yes."
Tony wasn't Thor. His mind worked much faster.
"Do you know what it is?"
"Yes." Ethan had no intention of hiding it. "The Aether."
"The Aether? What's that?"
"The Reality Stone, one of the Infinity Stones."
Tony didn't recognize the name Aether, but when he heard "Infinity Stones," he immediately understood what it was—and what it meant.
"Do you think Thor will run into trouble?"
Ethan didn't even need to recall the plot of Thor: The Dark World to give a definite answer.
"That's almost certain. Interested in going to Asgard together?"
(To be continued.)