"The Bifrost Bridge is completely closed; Asgard accepts no outsiders."
Even though the aura radiating from Peter caused Heimdall to feel waves of alarm.
Heimdall still forced himself to speak his lines.
Looking at this flashy-looking big black guy, Peter didn't bother fighting him. He simply smiled and took a step to the side, revealing Sif behind him, and asked with a smile:
"Not even Asgard's own people?"
"Heimdall." Sif couldn't help but step forward, speaking with some agitation,
"The situation is urgent; I need to see the All-Father."
After two seconds of silence, Heimdall finally revealed the truth:
"The All-Father has fallen into deep sleep again. Currently, Queen Frigga is in power."
"Then let me see Her Highness the Queen!"
Sif's voice carried a heavy sense of urgency,
"Cul has broken free from his seal, and Earth is being attacked by The Worthy.
If Asgard continues to stand by and watch until Cul completely conquers Earth and restores his full strength, he will be completely unstoppable. You should know what that means."
Heimdall's fingers tightened half an inch around the hilt of his sword.
He naturally knew what was happening on Earth, but the Queen's order was...
"Let them in, Heimdall. Peter is an ally handpicked by the All-Father. I believe he will not pose a threat to Asgard."
A gentle yet unquestionable voice came from behind Heimdall.
Frigga appeared at the end of the passage, dressed in a golden gown, her face dignified yet weary.
The moment her eyes met Peter's, despite her exhaustion, she forced a smile for him:
"Long time no see, Peter."
Compared to Frigga's respect, Peter's behavior seemed somewhat rude:
"Rather than meaningless pleasantries, I would prefer to hear a reasonable explanation."
"Earth is suffering an unprovoked disaster because of your family matters, yet Asgard is ignoring it, even closing the Bifrost Bridge to play the coward!"
Hearing this merciless disparagement, Heimdall's fingers tightened instinctively on his broadsword.
He was about to rebuke Peter for his insolence when he heard a vigorous shout from behind.
"Hey, Peter!"
A powerful shout echoed from the direction of the palace.
Thunder God Thor strode down the palace steps, his long golden hair flying in the wind, a simple and hearty smile on his face.
"My friend! What brings you to Asgard? Could it be that Sif wanted to visit her home?"
Thor rushed to Peter in a few bounds, reaching out to give him a standard Asgardian bear hug.
But Peter pushed the fellow away with one hand, sending him quite a distance and even making him fall embarrassingly onto his backside.
"Damn, what on Earth did you grow up eating? Why is your physical strength so exaggerated!"
Despite losing face on his home turf, Thor showed no signs of anger.
It wasn't until he noticed that everyone present looked grim that he realized, belatedly, that something seemed wrong.
"What's wrong? What happened?"
"You don't know?" Peter asked back.
Thor shook his head with a look of utter confusion.
Frigga let out a long sigh and rubbed her brow helplessly:
"Let's go to the palace first."
A moment later, in the Palace Banquet Hall.
Frigga looked at the three young people in the room and slowly revealed the truth from years ago.
"Actually... your grandfather did not pass the throne directly to your father. Before your father became the All-Father, the previous All-Father was actually your uncle, Cul."
"When he first became the God-King, he was an enlightened monarch. But later, he became increasingly corrupt, wanting to rule the Nine Realms through fear and war!"
"All living beings in the Nine Realms suffered because of him. For the sake of peace, your father chose to turn against his brother and defeated him."
"But just as your father attempted to kill Cul... the World Tree stopped him and gave a prophecy."
Frigga's voice was soft, yet it remained exceptionally clear in the empty hall.
"On the day the Great Serpent breaks his chains, only the Son of Thunder can end him forever."
"But after killing the Serpent, the Son of Thunder shall also fall, after nine steps, to the Serpent's venom."
Thor froze in place.
"Son of Thunder..." he murmured the words, "Is it talking about... me?"
Frigga did not speak.
But the tears welling in her eyes already provided the answer.
"Is this why you sealed the Bifrost Bridge?" Thor's voice suddenly rose.
Frigga instinctively avoided her son's gaze:
"Your father's last words before falling into slumber were—no matter what, you must not be allowed to go to Earth."
An expression of indescribable complexity appeared on Thor's face.
Anger, shock, unwillingness, and then—those intense emotions settled down bit by bit, finally turning into a strange calm:
"So you would rather watch the people of Earth die one by one than let me fulfill my duty as a warrior?"
Frigga's tears finally fell:
"Loki cannot command respect and has disappeared, and your father is old and frail. Thor... you are the future of Asgard; the Nine Realms still need your protection."
Thor opened his mouth but couldn't say a word. Finally, he could only look to Peter for help:
"You came here to take me to battle, right?"
Peter shook his head:
"I came here just to get an explanation."
"The explanation is that Asgard will take responsibility for this!" Thor slapped his chest.
"Thor!" Frigga's voice became more severe than ever before.
But Thor was not afraid. He simply turned back and gave his mother an incredibly open smile:
"Mother, if this is the arrangement fate has for me—"
He paused.
"Then I should accept it with equanimity."
"Only a coward chooses to run, and I am Thor Odinson."
"I cannot allow the name of Odin to be stained."
Frigga's body was trembling.
She bit her lower lip hard, tears silently sliding down her cheeks.
Just as mother and son were at a loss for words...
Clap, clap, clap~
Peter once again broke the atmosphere of the scene:
"A wonderful tear-jerker, but it's time to end it!"
"Let's go, Sif! Although I didn't get the answer I wanted, it looks like we should be able to rely on that dead snake's head to ask for some extra compensation afterward."
Hearing this, Thor couldn't help but get anxious:
"Mother!"
Frigga let out a sorrowful sigh and finally spoke:
"Mr. Peter, please follow me."
As she spoke, she led Peter and the other two through another long corridor to an entrance sealed by a heavy magical stone door.
Frigga pressed her palm against the stone door; golden runes lit up, and the door rumbled open.
Immediately following, a wave of heat rushed toward them.
"This is the Forge of the Asgard... the birthplace of all divine artifacts."
"I am willing to give this place to you to help you Forge artifacts that can counter Cul."
"And I have only one request... I beg you, please make sure my child returns to Asgard alive!"
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