RedX43
patreon
[Frog] Chapter 208: A New Crisis on Earth
🕑 Added 2024-12-11 16:57:28 +0000 UTCDeep in the cosmos...
Asgard’s palace.
By the edge of the Bifrost.
Heimdall's face was as grim as ever. Standing beside him was a dignified and noble woman—none other than Frigga of Asgard, Frigga, her heart heavy with worry for the safety of Odin and her two sons.
Raised by seeresses, Frigga possessed a unique sense of intuition. She felt that something dire was about to happen to her family, which is why she had come to Heimdall’s side, waiting anxiously for their return.
However, unlike Heimdall, she could not see the events unfolding far away on Earth.
Noticing the changes in Heimdall’s expression, she immediately asked, "What’s wrong? Have something happened to Thor and Loki?"
Heimdall hesitated, unsure how to respond, before truthfully replying, "The king... he seems to have been defeated."
Frigga’s face turned pale at the news, as though she couldn’t accept it.
Even Heimdall, who had witnessed it with his own eyes, found the reality hard to believe.
Though he had recently seen the unparalleled strength of the Emperor, he never imagined that Odin, the King of Gods, would concede defeat after just a single exchange.
This was Odin, the ruler of the Nine Realms for thousands of years!
Heimdall quickly added, "Rest assured, Your Majesty. They’re unharmed and will return shortly. However, the king’s condition may be worse than expected."
Just as he finished speaking, a beam of rainbow-colored light streaked across the cosmic expanse, landing on the shattered remains of the Bifrost.
When the radiance faded, Loki was revealed, supporting a weakened Odin with a guilty expression, while Thor remained seated on the ground.
The sight of Mjolnir, shattered, had evidently dealt Thor a devastating blow.
Frigga rushed forward, gently caressing Odin’s now visibly aged face. "It’s all over now, my love," she reassured him softly.
Odin managed a faint, weary smile in response.
"Mother, this is all my fault," Loki said, his voice laden with guilt.
Though Loki had often acted selfishly, most of his schemes were directed at Thor. In front of Odin and Frigga, he was comparatively more restrained.
Frigga nodded slightly at Loki, speaking in a calm tone. "What’s done is done. Stay in Asgard from now on. Promise me, no more mischief."
Loki was silent for a moment before nodding heavily.
Frigga then turned to Thor, who remained seated and silent. She crouched beside him, speaking gently. "Thor, it’s over. You’re back in Asgard now."
Hearing her voice, Thor slowly came to his senses and looked around, realizing he was no longer on Earth but back on the Bifrost of Asgard.
This broken bridge had once been shattered by his own hand, with the help of Mjolnir.
"My hammer... where’s my hammer?"
Thor’s mind flashed back to the moment the Emperor crushed Mjolnir with a single strike. He stood up, frantically searching for the hammer’s fragments.
"It’s still on Earth! My hammer is still on Earth!"
Overwhelmed with frustration, Thor turned to Odin in anger, demanding, "Why didn’t you bring my hammer back with you?!"
Odin watched his son, recognizing Thor’s inability to accept the loss of Mjolnir. Shaking his head with resignation, he spoke.
When he had crafted Mjolnir for Thor, it was meant as a tool to help him channel and familiarize himself with the power of thunder. As Thor’s strength grew, Odin hoped he would eventually wield lightning with ease and become an even greater king than himself.
But over the years, Thor had only grown more dependent on the hammer, neglecting the full potential of his own power.
To wean Thor off this reliance, Odin had once enchanted Mjolnir before sending him to Earth, only allowing Thor to lift it through his own perseverance and growth.
When Thor lifted the hammer again through his own strength, Odin had been momentarily relieved.
But now, it was clear nothing had truly changed.
Seeing Thor consumed by rage and helplessness, Odin said, "Thor, you must understand this: You are the God of Thunder, not the God of the Hammer!
"Until you grasp this truth, you will never be able to defeat the Emperor."
"Defeat the Emperor?" Thor let out a bitter laugh.
From their brief clash, he already understood how vast the gap between them was. To defeat such an opponent felt like an impossible dream.
"Even you were defeated by him. How could I possibly hope to succeed?"
In Thor’s eyes, Odin had always been the strongest, an invincible figure.
He had always strived to follow in Odin’s footsteps.
But today, Mjolnir was shattered.
And Odin had fallen…
In that moment, it felt as though the faith he had built over countless years had crumbled entirely.
Thor looked at Odin with a bitter smile, then at Loki…
Finally, he turned and ran off without a word.
“Thor!”
Frigga called out in worry, glancing at Odin. After receiving a nod from him, she quickly chased after Thor.
Loki, standing beside Odin, had always clashed with Thor.
But seeing his brother in such a state, even he couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret.
He hesitated, unsure whether to follow.
Odin noticed Loki’s inner conflict and said, “Go after him. In all of Asgard, you’re the only one who can persuade him.”
“Father, you know how much I despise him. Aren’t you afraid I’ll take this opportunity to kill him?”
Loki’s history of attempting to assassinate Thor wasn’t exactly a secret. The most dangerous incident occurred when they were eight years old, where Loki almost succeeded in ending Thor’s life with a single strike.
He believed Odin had always been aware of his attempts but had simply turned a blind eye. As a child, he thought Odin hadn’t noticed. Only later, as he grew older, did he realize that Odin might have allowed it intentionally.
“Loki, it’s fine,” Odin said.
“Go.”
“All your actions growing up, all the mischief—it was simply your way of seeking our recognition and attention.”
Odin’s staff trembled faintly as he spoke, a detail Heimdall immediately noticed.
It was then that Heimdall understood just how much the earlier healing spell had weakened Odin’s body.
Odin wasn’t just encouraging Loki—he was sending him away deliberately.
“Prince Loki, I also believe you’re the only one who can bring Prince Thor back,” Heimdall added.
“Because the place Thor is heading to now is the secret hideout you both used to visit as children.”
Hearing this, Loki glanced at Odin, then nodded. “I’ll go check on him.”
Without hesitation, Loki ran off in the same direction Thor had gone.
Before long, only Odin and Heimdall remained on the shattered Bifrost. Finally, Odin let go of his pretense of strength. His staff faltered, and had Heimdall not reacted swiftly, the mighty All-Father might have suffered the indignity of collapsing to the ground.
Odin chuckled softly. “It seems my life is nearing its end. Just a few more years…”
Heimdall said nothing, only suggesting, “My king, allow me to take you back to your chambers to rest.”
Odin nodded.
Heimdall carried him back to the royal chambers. Amidst the maidservants tending to Odin, Heimdall stood watch with a solemn expression.
Odin glanced at Heimdall and spoke. “I suppose you’re wondering why I conceded to the Emperor without even fighting.”
After a moment of silence, Heimdall replied, “I believe, with your power, even if you couldn’t defeat the Emperor, it wouldn’t have been as easy for him as it was with Mephisto.”
Odin smiled. “You’ve followed me for many years. You understand me best.”
“That was my initial thought as well, but later, it changed.”
“Oh?”
Seeing Heimdall’s confusion, Odin explained, “At first, I believed I could face the Emperor, holding him at bay while you led Asgard’s army to invade Earth.
That would have forced him into a dilemma.”
“That’s what you were thinking too, wasn’t it?”
Heimdall nodded gravely. He had been prepared for such a plan, only for Odin to relent unexpectedly.
“Because, in that moment, I sensed the presence of a divine being moving toward Earth,” Odin continued.
Heimdall’s eyes widened in surprise. “Who?”
Odin smiled, as though everything was under control. “One of the five primordial cosmic entities—Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds.
If I’m not mistaken, his target this time is… Earth.”
Hearing this, Heimdall finally understood why Odin had chosen not to fight. If Galactus’s arrival was imminent, Earth was doomed regardless.
Galactus, after all, was so named because his very essence was to consume planets. This served to maintain the balance of energy within the universe.
Over countless eons, the number of worlds devoured by Galactus was beyond measure, many of them teeming with life.
This had earned him infamy as one of the most feared entities in the cosmos.
“But Galactus couldn’t even defeat Mephisto,” Heimdall questioned.
“And Earth still has the Emperor protecting it…”
—(To be continued)—
Comments
Parmar Yagnik
Do you know the Ice Cream Man?
Lord Of the Mysteries
Do you know The Muffin Man ?
Parmar Yagnik
Have to wait 1 more chapter for *souvenir*
