Chapter 82 82: Odin Awakens
Bzzzz—
At the end of the Bifrost, Heimdall collapsed heavily onto the ground.
But—Thor and the others had returned!
Even if they had brought back two strange and powerful Midgardians—they had still returned.
The group emerged from the Bifrost passage one after another.
The moment Thor arrived, he saw Heimdall sprawled on the ground.
"Hurry! Get him medical treatment!"
Though the Warriors Three and Sif were all injured themselves, they immediately rushed over to support Heimdall.
"I need to find Loki! As for you two… do whatever you want…"
Thor originally intended to make arrangements for Qin Xiao and the Ancient One.
But after thinking about it, he realized that would waste too much time.
Better to let them roam freely.
As long as Heimdall survived and Odin awakened, these two wouldn't be able to stir up any trouble in Asgard anyway.
That was Thor's confidence.
His blind faith in Odin.
Whoooosh—
Mjolnir spun wildly.
Buzz—
Thor shot toward the palace.
The Warriors Three alternated carrying Heimdall away.
At the end of the Bifrost, only Qin Xiao and the Ancient One remained.
"This is my first time here. Asgard truly is magnificent."
The Ancient One gazed at the glorious golden palace in the distance and sighed softly.
Compared to this place, Kamar-Taj was worlds apart.
"So… we just wait here?"
Qin Xiao wasn't entirely sure what to do.
If he were alone, he'd already have followed the Asgardians around sightseeing.
No matter how much he pretended to be a "Demon Envoy," he was still fundamentally an Earthling.
This was literally another world.
He was excited as hell.
But with the Ancient One beside him, he had to restrain himself.
Sure, she looked harmless—but her damage output was absurd.
And even if you injured her, if she didn't want to die, she could probably just rewind herself with the Eye of Agamotto.
The Eye still hung around her neck, after all.
"There's no rush. They'll come back here soon enough."
The Ancient One remained perfectly calm.
Qin Xiao knew she truly had seen the future.
He himself had only glimpsed fragments of it.
Who knew how many futures she had observed?
"Um… Master Ancient One, can I ask something?"
Qin Xiao was bored enough to flirt with death.
"What is it?"
"Why did you choose this age?"
"This was the age when I officially began walking the path of a sorcerer."
"Oh, I see."
Qin Xiao nodded thoughtfully.
"Then… what made you decide to study magic at that age?
Back then, weren't women supposed to get married and have children instead?"
The Ancient One gave him a deeply strange look.
His meaning was obvious.
Back in that era, before magic became widespread, why weren't you settling down like normal women instead of studying sorcery?
Truly—Qin Xiao possessed an astonishing talent for provoking death.
"Heh."
The Ancient One didn't answer.
She merely chuckled softly.
That one laugh instantly made Qin Xiao's scalp go numb.
Right.
Better stop talking.
Clop. Clop. Clop.
At that moment, rapid hoofbeats echoed across the Bifrost.
A figure riding a white horse charged toward them.
"You again! Get out of my way!"
Loki spotted Qin Xiao instantly.
It was this bastard—this Demon Envoy—who had helped Thor destroy the Destroyer and ruin all his plans!
And now he dared come to Asgard?!
Absolutely outrageous!
As for the young woman standing beside him, Loki barely spared her a glance.
While still mounted, he raised Gungnir—the Eternal Spear inherited from Odin.
Magic flared brilliantly around it.
BOOM—!
A beam of energy shot straight at Qin Xiao.
Qin Xiao instantly transformed into lightning and flashed aside.
Loki's eyes narrowed.
This guy was troublesome.
But Loki didn't stop.
His winged horse galloped forward as he continuously launched blasts from Gungnir.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Several attacks even targeted the Ancient One.
In Loki's mind, Qin Xiao would surely move to protect the woman beside him.
Instead—the next moment nearly made his jaw hit the floor.
The Ancient One didn't move at all.
She simply raised one hand.
A fractured dimensional barrier unfolded before her.
Mirror Dimension.
Used casually as a shield.
And because Loki had been charging recklessly—he rode directly into the Mirror Dimension himself.
The Ancient One calmly closed the portal behind him.
Getting back out wouldn't be easy.
Inside the Mirror Dimension, Loki charged straight through the Bifrost control chamber—yet he couldn't touch anything.
At that moment, Loki was utterly horrified.
He recognized the Mirror Dimension.
But he himself had never learned it.
Even Frigga, despite being a witch, couldn't use such magic.
Who exactly was this woman?
How was she this powerful?
One careless mistake—and she had imprisoned him instantly.
What kind of monsters did Midgard produce?!
Just as Loki was trapped—Thor came flying back.
THUD!
He landed heavily.
"Where's Loki? Did you see Loki?!"
Thor looked frantic.
His little brother had caused catastrophic trouble.
He needed to stop him.
Yet after rushing all the way here—he found only two Midgardians standing around.
No Loki.
Not even his horse.
"I temporarily imprisoned him."
The Ancient One answered calmly.
"Im… imprisoned?"
Thor nearly stumbled over his own words.
How long had he even been gone?
Loki had already been captured?!
Was the Sorcerer Supreme really this terrifying?
"You captured Loki that quickly?!"
"Yes. Temporarily."
The Ancient One ignored Thor's shock.
"Now then, please take me to Odin. He should awaken soon."
"Father is waking up?!"
Thor exploded with joy.
At this point, he didn't even care about Loki anymore.
This was the best news he'd heard all day.
Odin's Odinsleep had begun unexpectedly.
Even Frigga didn't know whether Odin would awaken again.
Yet this Sorcerer Supreme from Midgard confidently declared that he would.
Thor didn't even question it.
Someone this powerful surely wouldn't lie…
probably.
Thor immediately turned and flew toward the palace.
Only midway did he realize he hadn't checked whether the two behind him could keep up.
When he glanced back—he saw Qin Xiao transformed into a silver bolt of lightning streaking through the air.
And Qin Xiao was actually faster than him.
Meanwhile—the Ancient One had vanished entirely.
"The hell… even flying isn't my advantage anymore?"
Thor muttered to himself.
"Asgard gave you an incredibly strong body, so you never learned to fully rely on elementalization.
Once you get used to it, you'll be able to fly even without Mjolnir.
Just like me."
Qin Xiao's voice echoed from the lightning beside him.
He still needed to guide Thor into developing the Rumble-Rumble Fruit properly.
Moments later, the two entered the palace.
The Ancient One was already waiting there.
Thor's heart tightened.
The Sorcerer Supreme truly was unfathomable.
Thankfully, she hadn't gone directly to Odin's chamber herself.
Otherwise unnecessary misunderstandings might have occurred.
"Sorcerer Supreme, please follow me."
Thor led them toward Odin's resting chamber.
Frigga immediately frowned upon seeing the two strangers.
"Thor, who are these people?"
There was clear reproach in her voice.
Odin was resting.
How could Thor bring outsiders here?!
Today had already been terrible enough.
Laufey himself had invaded Asgard.
Frigga had been defeated.
Odin had nearly been killed.
Then Loki arrived and "saved" them—only for it all to turn out to be Loki's own scheme.
Thor had fought Loki and both disappeared.
Now Thor had returned—bringing strangers into Odin's chamber.
Was he trying to kill Odin through stress?!
"Your Majesty, I am Midgard's Sorcerer Supreme. I came specifically to meet King Odin."
The Ancient One greeted Frigga respectfully.
"Midgard? Sorcerer Supreme?"
Now it was Frigga's turn to be shocked.
How could the Sorcerer Supreme be so young?
Odin had once described the Sorcerer Supreme as someone centuries old.
Yet this woman looked barely twenty.
Was she another long-lived race?
"Yes. I am Midgard's Sorcerer Supreme.
And Odin will awaken soon. That is why I came."
Another piece of good news.
Odin would awaken.
Almost immediately after she spoke—Odin's eyes slowly opened.
He sat up gradually.
His gaze swept across the room.
When his eyes landed on the Ancient One—his expression shifted noticeably.
He remembered that face.
Centuries ago.
But hadn't that face grown old?
Why was it young again?
Then his gaze shifted to Thor—and he was even more shocked.
Lightning surged powerfully around Thor.
Yet this wasn't merely Asgardian thunder.
There was another strange power mixed within it.
Still—he was Odin.
Even confronted with impossible things, he adjusted his composure instantly.
"I did not expect Midgard's Sorcerer Supreme to visit personally.
It seems my son caused considerable trouble on Earth."
Odin assumed she had come to complain.
After all, he and the Ancient One had maintained peaceful distance for centuries.
Now she had appeared in Asgard personally.
That hardly seemed coincidental.
The Ancient One shook her head slightly.
"No, King Odin. While your son's arrival did create trouble for Earth—it also broadened humanity's understanding.
It has encouraged Earth to look beyond itself and toward the greater universe.
From that perspective, his actions carried positive influence."
She spoke politely.
But Qin Xiao heard the hidden meaning clearly.
Beyond that benefit—everything else had been disastrous.
Thor's arrival triggered Loki's instability.
Then Loki invaded Earth with the Chitauri.
The battlefield became Earth itself.
And later—Hela's release would be another consequence.
As Earth's protector, the Ancient One absolutely had reasons to be dissatisfied.
Odin sighed slightly.
"Then this matter was indeed my failure.
Tell me, Sorcerer Supreme—why have you truly come?"