"This…"
Seeing the sword Hela had thrown to Aron, Odin's eyelids twitched, and he almost blurted out: This sword must not leave.
"This sword… take good care of it."
"As Hela said, this sword belonged to my father, Bor."
"It was forged from Uru metal and, like my Eternal Spear, it has the ability to open the Bifröst on its own."
Odin looked at the sword in Aron's hands with concern.
In all of Asgard, there were three artifacts that could open the Rainbow Bridge.
His Eternal Spear, Heimdall's sword Hofund, and this one — Gram.
Looking at Gram in Aron's possession, Odin felt bitterness for a moment.
I should have hidden it elsewhere…
"Darling, take this with you too."
Just as Odin regretted not moving the sword, Hela's voice sounded again.
She lifted a ship, at first glance resembling a model, holding it in both hands and handing it to Aron.
"What is this?"
Aron instinctively tried to lift it with one hand.
But as soon as the weight pressed against his fingers, he was forced to use both hands.
The weight of this ship was incredible!
"Naglfar."
"The legendary ship of the underworld, built from the nails of the dead."
"Darling, don't you think this is the perfect vehicle for me, the Goddess of Death?" Hela said, but her gaze slipped toward Odin.
The moment Odin saw the ship, his expression changed drastically.
"Hela!"
"You know very well what this means."
"Gram, the Cosmic Cube, even any other treasure you may ask for… but this ship cannot be taken."
"It is part of the ominous prophecy."
Odin's voice was cold and heavy, rarely this serious.
In the prophecy, Naglfar — the great ship of the underworld, was the symbol of Ragnarök. Its appearance signified the end of the Age of Gods.
"Oh, please."
"Darling, don't listen to this old man."
"Prophecies are just excuses used by the weak. Lies."
Hela shook her head, completely ignoring Odin's concern. To her, the ship was a decisive weapon for what was to come.
"That's enough, darling."
"The rest… leave that broken stone. It was never of much use to us."
Hela boiled everything down to the essentials.
Gram and Naglfar — those were the true treasures in Odin's vault.
Still, Aron's curiosity lingered on the Cosmic Cube.
But taking so much at once, even to him, felt a bit excessive.
"Odin, that…" he began.
"Take it."
Odin sighed deeply.
If he were younger, perhaps he would fight. But now…
"This thing originally belonged to humans."
"If you take it, then it simply returns to its rightful owner."
Odin handed the Cosmic Cube to Aron.
For Asgard, having the Bifröst meant they never truly needed the Cube. On the contrary, it brought them unwanted attention from many cosmic forces.
Handing it over to Aron meant getting rid of the problem.
"Thank you, King." Aron smiled, but his gaze fell on the golden gauntlet in the corner of the hall. "By the way… that gauntlet—"
"Don't push your luck, boy."
Odin cut him off with a sharp glare.
At the same time, with a whisper akin to sound transmission magic, he added: "About your relationship with Hela… we'll talk when I return."
Aron only nodded.
No matter what, this harvest exceeded his expectations.
"Alright, darling, now we have what's most valuable."
Hela leaned in, kissed him in front of Odin, then turned to her father.
"Father… For thousands of years you kept me imprisoned in the underworld."
"Do you have nothing to say to your daughter?"
Now, after finishing securing Aron's treasures, it was time to get something in her own name. She had no intention of missing this golden opportunity to take more treasures from Odin's vault.
---
Meanwhile.
While Aron and Hela in Asgard tried to take as much treasure as possible from Odin's vault, anomalies began on Earth.
The city of Pacis, barely recovered from the aftermath of Ultron's crisis.
On the coast, near the harbor, out of nowhere a massive dark mountain appeared.
Without warning.
Fishing boats nearby were caught off guard and terrified.
After a long silence, the fishermen realized the sight before them was no illusion.
"What is that? Magma?"
Through binoculars, they looked at the enormous mass. It wasn't a mountain — it looked more like a gigantic black stone, whose surface shimmered with glowing cracks filled with lava.
"Do you smell that?"
"Sharp… like sulfur!"
Even from a distance, the air was saturated with the stench of scorched rock.
---
And it wasn't only New York that was affected.
In the heart of the former empire where the sun never sets, in the very capital of London.
On the bustling streets, a red figure suddenly appeared in the sky.
Like a meteor, it crashed straight into a crowded intersection.
Panic. People screamed and fled.
When the smoke cleared, the creature was revealed: horns like a goat's, hooves, red skin, and a black tail.
"It's a demon!!"
"The devil has come to Earth!!"
The crowd scattered, while the demon, terrifying as it looked, stood confused and trembling.
Bandages wrapped its head, hiding its eyes. It looked around in panic, speaking to itself:
"This is… Earth?"
"How did I… suddenly end up here?"
"It's over… It's over! The master will tear me apart!"
People ran, but the demon didn't dare touch them.
He wanted to. He could smell the scent of their souls. But… he didn't dare.
"Hey! Don't run!"
"Can someone help me get in touch with the great master Aron?!"
His shouts only caused even more panic.
---
Kamar-Taj.
In her chamber, the Ancient One was calmly drinking tea.
It was tea that Aron had brought last time.
"This boy… has finally learned what respect means."
But before she could take another sip, she felt unease.
The cup froze in her fingers.
"The dimensional barrier between Earth and Limbo… broken through?"
"So soon?"
She closed her eyes and sensed.
Anomalies all over the world.
Things from Limbo suddenly appearing on Earth. Living and non-living.
Likewise, many things from Earth ended up in Limbo.
Such as…
Her expression suddenly changed.
"Stephen… Where is Strange!?"
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