"It's a relief that nothing went wrong, that's really great."
As Artoria stepped onto the ground of the Old Attilan City, she felt a sense of fortune. She looked up at the Hyperion, and after confirming there were no ruptures, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Her backup plans wouldn't need to be implemented, and nothing made her happier than that; she could relax quite a bit now. Artoria watched the women around her wandering happily in their spacesuits, and she felt a lump in her throat that she couldn't quite voice. It felt as if she was the only one worrying unnecessarily while everyone else was carefree, as if all her concern had been for nothing.
"Artoria, give us a smile."
Just as Artoria was feeling mentally exhausted, she heard Morgan's voice. She turned around and gave Morgan a'smile,' but it was more of a forced, skin-deep expression. She didn't know why, but Morgan seemed to have become obsessed with cameras lately, spending all day taking photos of everything around her. This behavior baffled Artoria; how could someone who had lived for hundreds of years still act like a child? She should be cultivating more mature hobbies, like reading. Instead, she was snapping photos of this and that all day. Morgan didn't care about the reactions of those around her, but Artoria was worried, fearing that one day she might turn into a paparazzi like a certain unscrupulous Tengu. That would truly be terrifying.
"In this suit, if your camera can still capture my face, I'll take your last name."
A white light flashed before her eyes. Artoria looked at her hands, her fair skin covered by the thick spacesuit. Artoria was full of the urge to complain, especially seeing Morgan put away the camera with a satisfied look. Artoria couldn't help but mutter a comment, then she looked up at Earth. From the Moon, the Earth looked so beautiful it made one realize how lucky it was to be born there. Especially for Artoria, who had visited other Planets and witnessed their harsh environments, she could truly appreciate Earth's goodness. She could also understand the mindset of those guys who wanted to conquer Earth—they must be incredibly envious!
"Alright, that's enough looking. There's nothing particularly attractive on the Moon; it's just that it's closest to Earth. The Inhumans used to live here, but now they've moved to the ocean, which counts as a perfect Great Migration."
After waiting for the women to have their fun, Artoria began summoning them back to the Hyperion. What Artoria said was true; besides seeing the beauty of Earth, there was nothing particularly interesting here. There were no transformers; if there were, the Inhumans would have dug them up and melted them into scrap iron long ago. Artoria didn't expect any Transformer weapons to cause significant damage to Black Bolt. At Artoria's call, the women obediently returned to the Hyperion. Before long, the Hyperion powered up and flew off into the distance.
"Jane..."
Thor roared heart-wrenchingly, but he couldn't bring his girlfriend back. He could only watch helplessly as Jane left. Although he could fly, Jane had already said she didn't want to see him again. He didn't have the courage to fly to her now, let alone force her to stay. Doing that would make him no different from a bandit or a robber. So he was conflicted and in pain. He had never experienced how to date a woman; this was his first time. He had no idea where he had gone wrong or how he had angered his girlfriend into leaving in tears.
"Heh... cough! I think you should go after her right now."
Loki, who had been watching the show with a smile the whole time, almost laughed out loud. But eventually, he calmed his joyful mood and started giving Thor bad advice. He wanted to keep watching the show, to see his foolish brother groveling before this Midgardian woman like a dog. That sight gave Loki an inexplicably pleasant sense of satisfaction. Indeed, one's happiness should be built upon the pain of others, especially the pain of one's 'enemy.' This sense of satisfaction was doubled, reaching straight into his soul.
"Go! Bring her back, and I'll return to Asgard with you."
Seeing Thor's indecisiveness, Loki spoke with a 'kind' expression. His 'it's for your own good' attitude left Thor a bit stunned. When did you become so nice? My God! Has Loki really changed for the better? Though Thor was simple-minded, he wasn't a complete fool. He knew the saying 'it's easier to change mountains and rivers than a person's nature.' How could a guy like Loki, who was rotten to the core, be so good to him? Although he wanted to believe in his brother's change, he secretly remained on guard against Loki's mischief. After all, an impression of someone doesn't change in just a day or two.
"First you do this, and then here..."
The clever Loki naturally knew Thor was wary of him. But so what? This time he wasn't playing a hidden conspiracy but an open one. It wasn't a hidden plot, but an overt scheme. He wasn't afraid Thor wouldn't take the bait; as long as it aligned with his stupid brother's thoughts, he would just wait to be played! At the thought of his handsome face being given two black eyes, Loki wanted to kill his brother right now. But considering he was no match in a direct fight, he noted this grudge. Once he had a plan, he would definitely let Thor taste the flavor of a beating. He now hoped that Midgardian woman would be effective, at least enough to let him get some revenge. Even if he couldn't finish Thor off, making him miserable would be good enough.
"Really? Can this really succeed?"
Thor looked at Loki suspiciously. The method seemed feasible, but since the advice came from Loki, he needed to doubt whether Loki had dug a pit for him. This matter had to be carefully weighed, or falling into a pit would be very painful, especially regarding his lifelong happiness. He was now torn about whether to listen to Loki. After careful consideration, he gritted his teeth and prepared to follow Loki's words to win back his girlfriend. But Thor! Did you forget your little brother is also a perpetual bachelor? How could one bachelor teaching another bachelor how to chase girls ever succeed? Only someone like him would believe Loki's nonsense.
"If you like her, follow our Asgardian way: duel her. Directly strike her throat or head, and she'll immediately follow you obediently. If a man pursuing a powerful, strong woman can't even do that, how can he win her over? Have you forgotten how Asgardian warriors woo the women they love? We must uphold tradition. Although Asgard is gone, as long as we are alive, this tradition can continue."
After this string of words, even Loki almost believed himself. Most importantly, seeing Thor's eyes grow brighter and brighter, he knew he had convinced him. He looked forward to Thor implementing this unique Asgardian proposal method. He wondered if Thor would punch that Midgardian woman to Death. Thinking about the physical constitution of ordinary Midgardians, Loki felt the possibility was high. Although some Midgardians were strong, that certainly didn't include the woman Thor liked.
"Brother, I look forward to your victory!"
Loki tricked Thor, even suppressing his disgust to put his arm around Thor's shoulder and congratulate him. Fortunately, Odin was busy opening a new space right now; otherwise, he would have surely used gungnir to slaughter these two sons. One was incredibly naive with a head full of muscles, and the other was full of lies and malice. At a time like this, they were still chasing girls. Thanos was already nearing the solar system, especially the clones on his ships.
"My God, Thanos."
One by one, tall and sturdy Asgardian God clones, wearing tight black battle suits, knelt before Thanos. They wore strange helmets on their heads; it was unclear whether they were for protection or control. But looking at their fanatical eyes, they seemed like zealots whose brainwashing was complete. Thanos looked at the kneeling clones with satisfaction. Although their potential and vitality had been sacrificed, their physiques were much stronger than the Chitauri. While they couldn't compare to Corvus Glaive and his peers, they were quite good. Now, his chances of taking Earth were even greater.
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