Buying a bank just because the transfer process was too slow... Tony Stark was definitely the first person to do that.
But he was rich and willful. Money was just data to him—a number that jumped frantically every day.
[Still have to be careful of Odin. Don't be fooled by his current kindly appearance. Back in the day, he was the Iron-Blooded Monarch who conquered the Nine Realms. Better not attract his attention.
Besides, if I do too much, what if the Ancient One blocks my door tomorrow?
She wants to retire ASAP. If I affect the birth of her successor, the one hanging from a street lamp tomorrow won't be Tony Stark—it'll be me!
They say the demons she's killed could circle the solar system. She really is the Demon Slayer. Anyway, before she clocks out, I better keep a low profile!]
Lucas's diary updated.
Reading the first paragraph, Odin's eyelid twitched. Don't be fooled by his current kindly appearance... Iron-Blooded Monarch...
Okay, Lucas wasn't wrong. The description was accurate. That was indeed Odin.
The Iron-Blooded Monarch of the past, the kindly neighbor grandpa of the present.
Thor glanced at his father and thought about it. The description was spot on.
Usually, his dad looked benevolent. But when he was enraged—like when he stripped Thor of his power—that majesty was terrifying. Thor had never seen that side of him before.
"The Ancient One... Successor..." Odin read the rant in the diary and began to understand.
This was an angle he had never considered. Since he met the Ancient One, she had always been the diligent guardian of Earth. Later, she used forbidden arts to draw energy from the Dark Dimension, extending her life for centuries.
She had been the Sorcerer Supreme for hundreds of years.
Although she couldn't compare to the Aesir—who had genetically evolved to live for thousands of years naturally—she was far beyond ordinary humans.
The humans of her generation were long gone, their graves lost to time. But the Ancient One was still alive and kicking.
So Odin got used to her existence. He thought she would be the Sorcerer Supreme forever, until the end of time.
With her power and the Dark Dimension's energy, she could theoretically live as long as she wanted. Maybe even outlive him.
But now, Lucas's diary mentioned she wanted to retire.
Odin suddenly realized the problem. He lived long because of his Aesir blood and Odinforce. It was natural.
He was a long-lived species. Humans were short-lived. To live the same amount of time, the fatigue a human felt was unimaginable to him.
He lived for thousands of years, and generally, his friends and family were still there. He could enjoy life. But on Earth? One hundred years, and the whole world changed. Everyone you knew died.
The Ancient One had lived for centuries. The mortal world had cycled dozens of times. How many loved ones had she lost?
Even Odin felt tired now. And the Ancient One had to endure the constant erosion of Dark Dimension energy on top of the emotional fatigue.
Odin knew about Dark Energy. An ordinary person exposed to it would go mad in days or become Dormammu's slave.
The Ancient One holding on for centuries was a miracle of willpower.
So if she wanted to retire and train a successor... it made sense. Wasn't Odin doing the same thing?
He had suppressed Hela for so long, and he was exhausted. He wanted to hand the burden to Thor.
Thor read further down.
They say the demons she's killed could circle the solar system. She really is the Demon Slayer.
Thor sucked in a cold breath. Demons. Dimensional Gods.
Odin had taught him about them during his princely education.
Long ago, Earth birthed a host of Elder Gods. Most were destroyed or banished to other dimensions. They were the losers of Earth's ancient wars.
Odin had mentioned them once...
Among these demons, beings on par with Odin—Skyfather Level entities—were common. There were even some who surpassed Skyfather level.
At the time, Thor didn't know the term "Skyfather," but using his father as a benchmark, he understood the horror.
Any one of those demons escaping could cause cosmic chaos. Any one of them could severely damage the Nine Realms.
Very, very strong.
Fortunately, Odin explained, they were banished to other dimensions. To descend into the physical universe, they had to pay a heavy price. Their power would be severely suppressed. They couldn't manifest their true forms or peak strength.
Otherwise, if they all invaded at once, even with Odin guarding Asgard, they could barely defend themselves. Asgard might have to seal its borders and flee into deep space.
That lesson, though brief and lacking detail, left a huge psychological impact on young Thor.
It planted the seed of his respect for the Ancient One.
He knew that on Earth, he could be arrogant to anyone—except the Ancient One.
With her, he had to tuck his tail and be polite. If he really pissed her off and she killed him, even his father might not be able to avenge him.
The probability was low since they stayed in their own lanes, but it was enough to make him remember.
Don't mess with the bald lady.
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