"So, in other words, if Asgard is gone, we might have to face the creatures from the other Nine Realms, right?" Tony Stark said.
"I don't know if there are aliens from other galaxies in this world, but since the Nine Realms exist, other inhabitants of the Nine Realms must exist too. Let's ignore the Dwarves for now—mythology suggests they aren't aggressive and are allies of Asgard. But the rest? Fire Giants, Frost Giants, Dark Elves... these are huge problems."
"Without Asgard suppressing them, will these Fire Giants, Frost Giants, and Dark Elves get restless? Will they try to conquer the Nine Realms themselves?"
Tony Stark didn't doubt it for a second.
As the saying goes: Only officials are allowed to set fires, but commoners aren't allowed to light lamps.
If Asgard relied on its strength to conquer, why wouldn't the others do the same?
The tiger's butt is touchable for you, but not for me?
You can unite the realms, but I can't?
Tony even had a wild thought: One day, when humanity is strong enough, why couldn't Earth unite the Nine Realms?
Was that a privilege reserved only for Asgardians?
Even in his earlier conversation with Thor, Thor mentioned he was banished to Earth for starting a war without permission.
Why would a prince, a future king, start a war out of nowhere?
Aside from Loki's instigation, it was because those worlds were indeed restless. They were nominally subservient to Asgard, but in reality, they had their own agendas. They were ready to rebel.
That was why Thor wanted to intimidate them. To make sure they didn't dare to prickle, didn't dare to cause trouble, and ultimately submitted to him.
If they dared to defy Asgard—a behemoth that had conquered them eons ago—then what about Earth?
Tony guaranteed that the moment Asgard fell, they would try to invade Earth.
The reason was simple: Weakness is the original sin.
White people knew this best.
Nowadays, they might wave the banner of "Democracy and Freedom" when invading countries. But back in the day? They didn't even bother with slogans. You are weak, I am strong, therefore I conquer you. That was enough.
Projecting their own history onto aliens: How did they treat the Native Americans? Skinning them, enslaving them, taking their women, stealing their land. Even now, the "Native American Issue" was a taboo topic in America—more taboo than racial issues involving Black people.
After all, Black people were brought over as slaves, while white people came as slave owners. It was a clear power dynamic.
But Native Americans were the original owners. Their culture had to be nearly wiped out for the settlers to feel comfortable claiming North America as their own.
"What do we do? What do we do?" Tony started pacing anxiously.
He couldn't manage aliens from other galaxies yet, but the probability of Nine Realms races invading Earth was high.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., create a new archive. Everything about the Nine Realms. Fire Giants, Frost Giants, Dark Elves, Dwarves, Aesir... create files for all of them. Collect every Norse myth, every historical document, every rumor. I want to know everything."
"Although myths aren't fully reliable, the writers outside the Fourth Wall likely used them as background settings, so they have reference value!"
"Yes, Sir. Archive created," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.
"Also, remind me. Next time I see Thor, I need to ask to borrow Asgard's database. I want all their intel on the Nine Realms. No, scratch that—I need to find a way to get all their data," Tony muttered. "Chinese military strategy says: Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. We can't fight them blind."
"Yes, Sir. Noted."
J.A.R.V.I.S. paused, then added: "Sir, biometric sensors indicate your stress levels are critical. Your anxiety is worsening. This is detrimental to your health. I suggest scheduling a session with a therapist. Shall I make an appointment?"
"No."
Tony shook his head.
He knew he was anxious. But he also knew where the anxiety came from. The more he knew, the more he worried.
Facing such a terrifying future, how could he not be anxious?
Sure, Lucas's diary said Tony saved the world and himself in the original timeline. But things had changed. The current situation was already deviating from the diary.
A small change could lead to a massive butterfly effect. He didn't know how the original Tony did it, so he couldn't just copy the answers.
Thinking about this, Tony's anxiety deepened.
Only by strengthening Earth's defenses at all costs could he find relief. Even if Earth died, he wanted to make the enemy choke on it.
"This Lucas... it might have been better if he never came. His arrival triggered my anxiety disorder!" Tony whispered a complaint.
Right now, he genuinely envied the ignorant. If Lucas hadn't appeared, Tony would be sleeping with models, inventing cool gadgets, and living a perfect life. Every day would be happy.
Instead, he was racking his brains, unable to sleep, waking up from nightmares.
It was hateful!
"By the way, did the one hundred million transfer go through?" Tony asked, trying to distract himself.
"Not yet, Sir. Due to the large amount, Citibank has been auditing the transaction for a long time," J.A.R.V.I.S. reported.
"Those stinking bankers!" Tony cursed.
When they wanted your deposit, they begged like grandchildren. But when you tried to withdraw money? Suddenly it was "procedures" and "security checks." In reality, they just wanted to keep the cash on their books for quotas.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., draft an acquisition plan. Check the top twenty banks in the US. See if any are available for purchase. I'm never looking at their faces again," Tony snapped.
"There is one, Sir. I recommend Silicon Valley Bank," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied calmly.
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