The Ancient One stood before the seal, stroking his chin in deep thought, while Odin stood beside him, Gungnir clutched in his hand, his eyes fixed on the seal with a threatening glare.
He seemed ready to strike if the Ancient One couldn't come up with a solution, even if it meant a mutually destructive battle.
After a long silence...
The Ancient One suddenly grinned and snapped his fingers with a sharp *snap*.
"I've got it!"
"You said if I could solve this, I could have a Divine Throne Origin for him," Odin said dismissively.
"Then I'll stay and permanently guard the seal. As long as you live and Hela hasn't fully seized control of Asgard's core, I guarantee this seal will hold."
Odin's face lit up. This was a win-win: sacrificing a Main God Origin to gain a Supreme Mage was a steal.
But before Odin's smile could fully spread...
The Ancient One abruptly changed his tone.
"However, you know, old friend, I have great responsibilities. I can't stay here forever. So, this seal can't be fully repaired."
Odin's smile froze on his face. *If you can't leave, why even bother talking? If you can't offer a solution, it's better not to say anything at all.*
Gungnir began to glow.
"Don't get worked up! Listen to me!"
"Qin Xiao has absorbed the Source Rune. Once he's finished, his power will completely repair this seal chain. Combined with my own seal, there will be no problems for at least ten years. Ten years should be enough, right?"
Ten years. Should be enough, right? The Ancient One used "should," but it sounded like a statement of certainty.
The seal could keep Hela trapped in Helheim, but the real issue was Odin's control over Asgard's source power. The moment Odin's power ran out, Hela would automatically gain control of Asgard's source power, rendering the seal meaningless.
Odin understood what the Ancient One meant. He wouldn't live another ten years, and he knew it himself.
He could only blame himself for being too overconfident when Hela was born, directly granting her Asgard's source power.
The succession of Asgard's throne was, in essence, the inheritance of Asgard's foundational power. Much like company shares on Earth, once given away, they couldn't be unilaterally reclaimed.
Unlike company shares, however, the moment Odin lost control, this foundational power would automatically transfer to Hela—a transfer even Odin could not prevent.
In a way, Odin himself had sown the seeds of Ragnarok from the very beginning.
"Ten years... it's not enough. I doubt I'll even last that long," Odin sighed deeply.
"You forget, I'm not much better off than you. If I have to leave, I might go before you. But you forget—we still have a sliver of hope!"
The Ancient One raised a hand, and a mirror-like image materialized in the void, showing Qin Xiao engulfed in flames.
Qin Xiao had been suspended in mid-air for nearly twenty minutes.
Ever since the Source Rune entered Qin Xiao's body, Thor had felt the temperature in the vault rise steadily.
Before long, even Thor, with his Thunder God Physique, began to struggle against the extreme heat.
If not for the Ice Box's crucial moment of spontaneously emitting a bone-chilling cold to counteract the heat, not only Thor but the entire house would likely have begun to burn and melt.
When the Rune entered his body, Qin Xiao lost consciousness. He only vaguely felt the flames on his body merging with his own essence, a sensation like soaking in a warm spring bath during a sub-zero winter.
Comfortable, clear, all fatigue vanished without a trace—he even felt his own body fade away.
Only the sensation of a warm embrace enveloping him remained.
After an unknown period, Qin Xiao's consciousness slowly returned.
Congratulations, Host, on receiving the Thunder God's Earth Exile mission reward! You have absorbed the Eternal Flame and obtained the Divine Throne Origin of the Fire God, one of Asgard's Twelve Chief Gods. The Fire God Origin and the Eternal Flame have fused, awakening the Fire God's Power to its initial stage!
As soon as his consciousness returned, the System's voice echoed in his mind.
"Twelve Chief Gods? Initial stage awakening?" Qin Xiao asked in confusion.
The System then explained the lore of Asgard's Twelve Chief Gods to Qin Xiao, including Odin's sealing of them.
As for the initial awakening, it primarily manifested in Qin Xiao's control over flames. In this awakened state, he could conjure and manipulate flames out of thin air and launch ranged attacks within a certain range. The flames reached temperatures of around 1500 degrees Celsius.
In terms of physical strength, the System helped Qin Xiao merge the power of all the serums in his body. In simple terms, his current physical strength and defense were roughly 60% of Hulk's level, but thanks to the Asgardian Chief God's influence, his regeneration speed had become comparable to Hulk's.
Of course, the System didn't work for free; it charged 1000 points as a service fee. However, the 1000 points were well spent, at least doubling his physical strength.
"My body is decent, and having ranged attacks is a plus. From now on, I'll be a dual-class warrior and fire mage. But 1500 degrees Celsius? That's way too low! One of the twelve Chief Gods of Asgard, and not even as hot as the Extremis Virus? And I even absorbed the Eternal Flame?"
Qin Xiao complained to the System with dissatisfaction.
"The Eternal Flame's primary function is to help the Fire God Origin Rune restore its energy, allowing the host to immediately enter the initial Awakening state and gain preliminary control over flames. The Eternal Flame itself? That's a flame even the Fire God in his fully awakened state cannot fully control. You think you can wield such power now? You're dreaming, host!"
"However, as the host's control over flames improves, the Eternal Flame's true power will gradually manifest. The System Store will later add related items. As long as the host completes missions diligently, wielding the Eternal Flame's power will no longer be an unattainable dream!"
The System's explanation had the distinct feel of a TV shopping channel infomercial.
Since its power could eventually reach the level of the Eternal Flame, it meant this trip to Asgard hadn't been in vain.
Qin Xiao was quite satisfied.
He slowly opened his eyes and first saw the Eternal Flame, still contained within its vessel, but now reduced to the size of a soybean.
Previously, Qin Xiao had thought he'd somehow severed the Eternal Flame's connection, but now it seemed alright—at least a fragment remained. This was crucial for later awakening Surtur to destroy Asgard and take down Hela.
"The Eternal Flame can absorb cosmic energy on its own and gradually restore itself. You don't need to worry about that!"
"I wonder what Qin Xiao is thinking," Ancient One's voice came from beside him.
Qin Xiao turned to see Odin and Ancient One standing beside the Thunder God. He had no idea how long they'd been watching him.
"A bit late, haha! I took the kids out for some fun in the evening and got back late. My apologies!"
-----------------------
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