Chapter 102

In the vast, starry expanse of the universe, a group of ethereal shadows floated silently, blending into the darkness, nearly impossible to detect. Within the shadows, a thin, gray-skinned figure with Mediterranean-white medium-length hair hovered—his face devoid of a nose, his body slightly hunched. Ebony Maw. Before him sat Loki, his gaze distant, fixed in the direction of Asgard.

"Loki," Ebony Maw began, his voice smooth and manipulative, "I warned you when you contacted the Frost Giants. I told you your plan wasn't foolproof. And in the end, your father betrayed you. Everything you did for him, all your efforts, were in vain. His heart only holds Thor—his true son. And you..."

Before Ebony Maw could finish, Loki cut him off sharply. "Ebony Maw, spare me your cosmic black tongue. Your gift for lies and deceit doesn't work on me."

Ebony Maw clasped his hands, fingers steepled, his voice unperturbed. "Then, what will you do next? The one we serve does not enjoy waiting."

"Don't worry," Loki replied coldly. "Just give me that scepter. I'll deal with Earth and get you the Tesseract."

"Excellent," Ebony Maw said with a thin smile. "Let's go to the Titan. The lord has been waiting for quite some time."

…

Boom!

In the forest behind Asgard's palace, another deafening explosion rocked the area. The sound reverberated all the way to the palace, but the Asgardians within were unfazed, clearly accustomed to such disturbances.

Odin, seated with Frigga, enjoying their afternoon tea, sighed. "Frigga, what exactly are you teaching him? There are explosions two, sometimes three, times a day. Does he not fear injury?"

Frigga smiled gently. "Abel has been experimenting with the fusion of Rune magic and the ancient magical texts he inherited. Both systems are extremely difficult to control. Their mixed use often results in conflicts, hence the explosions. But that is the nature of magical research."

Odin took a thoughtful sip of his tea before speaking again. "So, he's mastered the Rune magic already?"

Frigga nodded with pride. "Yes, he has. I must admit, even Loki, when he studied magic with me, did not learn as quickly as Abel."

At the mention of Loki, a shadow passed over Frigga's face. Her sadness was palpable, as the weight of a mother's heartache surfaced. Even as queen, she wasn't immune to the pain of a lost child.

Odin, noticing her sorrow, placed a comforting hand on hers. "It'll take about six months to repair the Rainbow Bridge. Counting the previous half-year, Abel will have spent almost a full year here. What magic will you teach him next?"

"I'm thinking of introducing him to Asgard's natural magic," Frigga replied with a smile.

"Natural magic?" Odin mused, raising an eyebrow. "You mean the druid stuff?"

"Yes," Frigga chuckled. "I think Abel will be quite interested."

Odin shrugged. "I've no objection. It's your domain after all. He's been a great help to Asgard. Besides, he's been sharing his research in the library. He calls it an 'equivalent exchange,' but we mustn't forget his generosity and his contributions."

"Indeed," Frigga agreed softly. "He's a remarkable young man."

Odin smiled warmly. "Yes, a mere child, really. I almost forgot... Oh, by the way, the Supreme Master of Midgard reached out. She wanted to ensure Abel's safety. It seems Abel has a strong connection with her."

"Supreme Master?" Frigga's expression grew serious. "In that case, Abel must be warned. He should never accept the title of Supreme Sorcerer, nor should he delve into their core magic. Doing so would bind him—he would lose his freedom."

Odin nodded. "Of course. But don't worry, here in Asgard, no one from outside can meddle in what we do."

With that, Frigga stood, kissed Odin on the cheek, and made her way toward Abel's lab deep in the forest behind the palace.

Given the frequent explosions, Abel had chosen to set up a makeshift lab far from inhabited areas. It was now the seventeenth time he'd rebuilt the lab, as previous blasts had destroyed the structure repeatedly.

With a wave of his wand, Abel repaired the latest damage. Just as he was about to resume his experiment, he noticed Frigga approaching with four maids in tow.

He quickly cleaned himself up with a spell and greeted her with a smile. "Frigga, what brings you here?"

Following her request, Abel had long since dropped formalities, calling her by name instead of using a title.

"I came to see how your experiments are going," Frigga replied, her eyes warm. "How is your research into the fusion of the two magical languages progressing?"

Abel scratched his head sheepishly. "I haven't made any solid breakthroughs yet, but I think I've found a promising direction. I'll start focusing on that and see if I can find a way to merge the two."

Frigga smiled and handed him three books from her maids. "These are specially selected for you. They contain Asgard's natural magic, which evolved into what Midgard now calls druid magic. Start learning these after you've completed your Rune studies."

Abel took the books gratefully. "Thank you, Frigga. So, I'll still meet you daily for lessons, right?"

"Yes," Frigga confirmed with a smile before turning to leave. However, she paused and looked back at him, her voice soft but firm. "Abel, remember—be cautious of the Supreme Sorcerers. Do not accept their mantle, and do not learn the core magic from the 'Book of Vishanti.' Do you understand?"

Abel nodded, his tone serious. "Thank you, Frigga. I understand. I've stayed away from the 'Book of Vishanti' before, and I'll continue to do so. You don't need to worry."

Frigga smiled, reassured, before heading back to the palace, leaving Abel to continue his work.