Chapter 206 - Chapter 206 The Fool's Thoughts

Lin Huai was silent for a long time. Finally, he nodded solemnly and slowly at this respectable woman, this great Mother.This nod was a promise....Odin's funeral was held the next day at dusk.It was not a sorrowful funeral, but a spectacular and grand farewell for the Viking God, the all-father of Asgard.A large and magnificent golden Viking longship lay quietly at the dock outside the Golden Palace, a dock that connected directly to the starry sea beyond. The ship's hull was covered in complex, sacred runes, shimmering brightly. The bow featured a raised golden dragon head, as if ready to charge forth and carry the souls of the dead to Valhalla.Odin's body was placed in the center of the ship's cabin, covered by his favorite golden battle robe, surrounded by white flowers, glowing weapons, and countless sacrificial offerings brought by the Asgardians themselves.Frigga personally smoothed the last stray white hair of her husband, her movements gentle, her eyes filled with tenderness and memories. She didn't cry, just watched quietly, wanting to engrave this face, weathered by the Nine Realms, deep into her soul.Thor stood at the bow, clad in thick, solemn silver armor, his golden hair neatly tied back. The impulsiveness of his youth was gone, replaced by the steady demeanor of a king. He glanced at Loki, who was equally silent with complex eyes, and then at Lin Huai, Steve, and Tony, who were observing from a distance.Finally, he looked up at the galaxy made of stars.He said nothing, only raised mjolnir high in his hand."For Asgard! For the all-father!"From the other end of the Bifrost Bridge, Heimdall roared, using all his strength to plunge the great sword, representing guardianship and loyalty, into the control panel.Following his roar, all living Valkyrie Warriors, no matter where they were, raised their weapons and struck their chest armor forcefully with the hilt."Dong! Dong! Dong!"The synchronized impact echoed, loud enough for all of Asgard to hear.This was the highest salute to their deceased King.Thor took a deep breath, and Mjolnir in his hand drew down an exceptionally bright golden lightning bolt. The lightning tore through the sky, striking the golden ship with precise accuracy.Boom—!Sacred fire ignited, engulfing the entire ship.As everyone watched, the burning golden ship slowly left the dock and drifted towards the boundless starry sea. It transformed into a bright, warm star, drifting further and further away in their eyes, eventually disappearing into the deepest part of the galaxy, becoming another eternally shining legend in the river of time.After the funeral, everyone returned to the still dilapidated Golden Palace.In a relatively intact side hall, Frigga dismissed all servants, leaving only Thor and Loki, along with Lin Huai and the Avengers who decided to stay a while longer before returning to Earth."It's time I told you some truths."Frigga's voice was calm, but the content of her words stirred up a storm in the hearts of the two princes."Odin's death is not an end, but a beginning. A... beginning for the family to reunite."She looked at a bewildered Thor and a still wary Loki, enunciating each word clearly: "You have another sister.""What?"This news hit like a thunderbolt. Thor almost jumped up, his face filled with disbelief.Loki's mocking smile also vanished, his brows furrowed deeply, his green eyes filled with undisguised surprise and suspicion."Her name is Hela." Frigga's gaze drifted, as if piercing through time to a distant past. "She is Odin's first child, Asgard's former Executioner, and the Goddess of Death. She once followed Odin, conquering the Nine Realms for Asgard with iron and blood.""However, her ambition and power grew with each victory, eventually becoming uncontrollable even for Odin. Fearing she would destroy the Nine Realms, Odin personally defeated his daughter, using a lifetime's worth of divine power to seal her forever in Helheim.""And the key to this seal was Odin's own life.""Now... do you understand?" Frigga's gaze swept over her two sons' stunned faces. "Odin is dead, and Hela's chains are broken. She will return soon.""So... Father... he... he did it on purpose..." Thor's voice trembled; he couldn't accept this fact."No." Loki's voice suddenly rang out, his eyes chillingly cold, with a mocking tone that saw through everything. "Not on purpose, it was arranged. Just like the appearance of the Mentor, and this damn Ragnarok. All our lives are written in a grand script, aren't they?"He glared fiercely at Lin Huai, his eyes capable of murder.Lin Huai didn't answer, tacitly acknowledging it.A long, suffocating silence fell over the great hall.After a long while, Tony Stark broke the quiet."Alright, looks like your family drama is more complicated than an eight o'clock soap opera." He shrugged, turning to Steve. "Captain, it seems we can't help here. There's a ton of trouble back on Earth, HYDRA's mess isn't cleaned up yet, and I need to get back and prepare for a fight. Plus... who knows how many eyes are watching us from across the Universe."Steve nodded solemnly: "He's right. Asgard needs time to deal with its own family matters, and Earth needs us to protect it."Wanda and Pietro also agreed. After all this divine fighting they couldn't understand, they yearned to return to a place where they could feel at ease.Once decided, action was swift.After a brief farewell to Frigga and a conflicted Thor, Tony, Steve, and the Maximoff siblings returned to Earth via the Bifrost Bridge.In the vast side hall, only Lin Huai and the two brothers, still reeling in shock and confusion, remained.Lin Huai looked at them, offering no comforting words, simply turning and leaving the hall to give them some private space. He knew that some pain and cruel truths had to be processed by themselves.He walked alone to the highest observation deck of the Golden Palace.Days of continuous fighting, strategizing, and intense mental strain had left him utterly exhausted. Odin's death, Frigga's plea, Hela's imminent return, and the lurking threat of the Monarch of Decay... one after another, they weighed on his heart like mountains.He needed rest, and he also needed... an answer.Lin Huai sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.His consciousness plummeted, piercing through reality, falling into that boundless, yet familiar, grey-white mist.Sefirah Castle.He felt his feet heavier than ever. Step by step, he ascended the staircase made of distorted light, heading towards the densest part of the grey mist, towards the highest bronze throne representing the Fool.This time, he didn't see an empty hall.The scenery before his eyes rapidly shifted, finally settling on a modern study he was all too familiar with.Warm light spilled from the ceiling. Against the wall stood a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, packed with all sorts of books, from weighty historical tomes to physical editions of web novels. On the desk, a computer screen glowed, a steaming cup of black tea sat nearby, and several potato chip bags were strewn by the keyboard.The sleeping young man, now dressed in comfortable loungewear, sat in the gaming chair behind the desk, holding a book. He was startled when Lin Huai suddenly appeared before him, then offered a slightly shy but sincere smile, adjusting non-existent glasses on his nose."Yo, meeting again?" He smiled and greeted, casually closing the book and setting it aside. "You've been doing great lately, I've been following the updates all the way, though I feel a bit sorry for Odin.""Yes, he and his two children still trusted me greatly, but now, it's clear there's a rift between us."Lin Huai clicked his tongue and continued, "We must save Hela. Odin probably knows part of our plan. An old fox who has lived this long couldn't be so simple. To gamble with his own life, that's truly him."Zhou Mingrui's face also grew serious, saying, "Brother, our primary goal is for Celestial Worthy to regain humanity, then we can both clock out and go home. We must protect this Earth; it's like a second home! If we don't succeed, then we'll find a way for me to firmly suppress Celestial Worthy. At least protect our homes in both Worlds."Lin Huai raised his index finger. "There's another way: I gather all the Infinity Stones, and with the power of a Universe, I snap..."As Lin Huai spoke, the clear figure of Klein opposite him began to blur. He frantically waved his hand at Lin Huai."No more talking! That guy's checking in again! Hurry and go. The rest of the show, you direct it as you see fit! You're the director!"Before he could finish, the entire study shattered with a "boom," and Lin Huai's consciousness was violently flung back to reality by a huge force.Lin Huai looked at the starry sky before him and finished the unspoken words."Snap my fingers, let me and the Infinity Stones and Celestial Worthy explode, then you can clock out."