Chapter 127: Father Has Come Home

Asgard was in an uproar due to Thor's return. After confirming with Loki that Odin was indeed on Earth, Thor, Quill, and the others took Loki with them, intending to travel to Earth to find the All-Father.

Odin was watching these developments, and so was Rold.

Rold was pondering a question: Did Star-Lord currently possess the Power Stone?

Even if he did, now was not the optimal time to seize it. It would be better to wait until Hela was released and Odin vanished; that would be the perfect moment to secure both the Power Stone and the Time Stone. With those, he would have four stones in his possession.

By utilizing the measures he had already laid out in Asgard and using the Eternal Flame to strike a bargain with Hela—helping her awaken her legions—Rold felt he would come out ahead, whether he ended up controlling Hela or simply collaborating with her. As for the Soul Stone, he would wait for Thanos to bring it to him—or perhaps it didn't even matter if he did. By then, the power at his command would be more than enough to fear no army Thanos could muster. Finally, by using Hela’s power to unify the Nine Realms, he would never be short of soul energy.

Earth. A residential neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York.

Odin had appeared here early in the morning and knocked on the door.

His eyes could perceive certain glimpses of the future, much like the Eye of Agamotto. Ever since he had seen the vision of Asgard’s Ragnarok, he had been searching for a solution. Though he had left Asgard to live in seclusion on Earth while keeping a watchful eye on Rold, Odin had never ceased monitoring Asgard, nor the situation concerning Loki and Thor.

This was why he hadn't stopped Rold when the latter stole the skull of the Fire Giant Surtur and the Eternal Flame. On one hand, he wanted to see if Rold might provide an opportunity to avert Ragnarok. On the other, allowing Hela to be released in this manner followed a natural order, sparing Thor from the necessity of triggering the Fire Giant’s appearance and the subsequent destruction of Asgard. Even if Rold controlled the Fire Giant, would it still be Surtur? At the very least, the fate of Ragnarok as it had appeared on the timeline would be altered, leading to a different outcome.

Even if Rold controlled Hela, as long as she existed, Asgard would endure. If Rold was eternal and Hela was eternal, then Asgard would be eternal, rendering the so-called Ragnarok non-existent. Even if Rold had his own calculations, he had no other choice. After all, reclaiming Hela was essential for Rold, and controlling the Nine Realms through Asgard was inevitable.

***

Odin stood at the highest macroscopic level, at the very edge of the atmosphere.

Through his eyes, he took a brief look at the future once more. He did not peer too deeply, and soon his gaze returned to normal. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He had seen the destruction of Asgard, but he had also seen its rebirth in another form. As long as Loki and Thor continued to grow, there was hope.

"A pity for Hela," Odin murmured to himself.

Stephen Strange, who had opened the door for him, looked perplexed. "Lord Odin, are you...?"

"Master Sorcerer, I can offer you a spell in exchange for a favor I must perform."

Strange hesitated, then understood. "Understood, Lord Odin. I shall await your good news."

"Then, thank you for your hospitality these past days." With a nod and a smile, Odin turned and walked away.

Having settled these matters, Odin prepared to release Hela and then go to "die." Once Hela’s seal was broken, the power he had used to suppress her would return to him, making him stronger in essence. His death would not be a true end, but merely a shift in his way of existence—a standard precaution for any powerful being. He would hide in the shadows, wait for events to ferment, and then emerge to settle everything with a single blow.

With this decided, Odin sat peacefully on a rock by the sea in Norway, waiting with a serene expression for the arrival of Thor and the others.

Not long after, a flash of light tore through the sky. A beam of light descended from beyond the atmosphere, striking the ground before Odin. In a few seconds, the figures of Thor, Loki, and the Guardians of the Galaxy appeared.

Looking ahead, they saw the white-haired old man sitting on the stone.

"Is that your father, the All-Father?" Rocket Raccoon pointed at Odin.

Thor and Loki looked up, clearly seeing the serene, white-haired man sitting on the rock.

***

"Father." Thor and Loki stepped forward simultaneously.

Thor, in particular, seemed to have a thousand words he wanted to pour out. He opened his mouth, hesitated, and then opened it again, but finding no way to express himself, he simply walked to Odin’s side and gripped his arm, his voice tight with tension.

"Quiet, my child." Odin raised a hand to signal Thor to calm down, then turned his gaze toward Quill and the others. "Thor, and who are these?"

Odin had been observing Thor, and he naturally knew the identities of these people, but he feigned ignorance.

"Oh, Father, they are friends I met on my journey."

"If they are friends, then let them sit." Odin gestured to the grass. "Thor, Loki, sit as well."

The old man’s demeanor was gentle, yet it carried a solemnity that made Quill and the others feel they could not refuse. Upon realizing this man was indeed Odin, they sat down obediently.

After a long silence, Odin emerged from his reflection and looked at his two sons and the others. "My children, do you know? Gods are not eternal."

Following this simple opening, Odin began to speak as an elder telling a tale. "Thor, Loki—whether it be we gods of Asgard or other high-dimensional beings, there comes a day when we vanish. You are still young, but I have no time left. From here on, Asgard is left to you both."

The bombshell announcement left Thor and Loki staring at their father in shock.

"What?"

They were astonished, completely unable to grasp why Odin was speaking in the tone of someone settling his final affairs.

"Do not be surprised. Life, old age, sickness, and death are the natural laws of existence; even gods cannot escape the judgment of fate. Before I depart, I have a secret to tell you both."

Amidst their shock, Odin dropped another startling piece of news.

"Before you two, you had an older sister."

"???"

Thor, Loki, and the others all wore the same bewildered expressions.