C306

The starry sky of the universe was magnificent and spectacular, but after a few days, Betty began to find it a little boring. Every time she woke up, the same scene loomed overhead. No matter how beautiful the stars were, seeing them constantly became dull over time.

Fortunately, after several days of drifting through space, the Red Queen had detected signs of a life-bearing region, and Kain and the others had now arrived nearby.

"It looks like something's happening. Could it be Asgard—the top realm among the Nine Realms?"

Kain's expression darkened slightly as he observed more and more spaceships appearing on the radar. This was the downside of roaming the universe without coordinates—he felt like a headless fly, wandering into who-knows-where.

Before long, hundreds of oddly shaped warships surrounded Kain's spaceship. They hadn't attacked yet, but their posture was clearly unfriendly.

A trace of worry flashed across Betty's face as she asked, "Kain, are they going to attack us?"

"It's fine. I can protect you," Kain reassured her gently.

Just then, the spaceship received a communication request. Kain accepted it, and the Red Queen projected a hologram of a figure. Judging by their attire, they appeared to be an Asgardian—just as Kain had imagined.

"Outsider, where are you from? What is your purpose in approaching Asgard?"

Kain responded calmly, "I'm a human from Earth. I arrived here by accident through a space jump."

"Earthling?"

The Asgardian looked both confused and surprised. "Since when does Earth possess space-jump technology? Are you truly from Earth?"

"There are only twenty-two people aboard my ship. Before we departed, a hammer that no one could lift suddenly fell to Earth, in the state of New Mexico."

Upon hearing this, the Asgardians paused. They clearly knew about Thor's exile.

Kain observed their reactions and guessed that Odin was probably not in power at the moment—most likely in his Odinsleep.

After a long silence, Kain spoke again. "Have you made a decision?"

Prompted by Kain, the Asgardian finally replied, "Come with us, Earthlings. The King of Asgard wishes to summon you."

'Summon us? What an arrogant tone. Sounds like Loki to me,' Kain thought to himself with a smirk. He then set the ship's flight path forward, escorted by the Asgardian warships.

Despite flying through space, the distance to Asgard wasn't far, and they soon arrived.

Asgard wasn't a planet—it resembled more a massive continent floating in space. It was a spectacular sight. Betty, seeing it for the first time, was stunned. The magical landscape overturned much of what she thought she knew about the universe.

The main entrance to Asgard was the Rainbow Bridge, guarded by Heimdall, a powerful god. Without crossing the Rainbow Bridge, one would have to fly slowly through space to enter.

The Nine Realms were extremely far apart—often separated by dozens of galaxies. Without exact coordinates, travelers could easily end up like Kain, lost and wandering.

Escorted by the warships, Kain and his crew landed in an open area. He wasn't afraid of the Asgardians—this was Asgard, after all.

"It seems you really are from Earth," said the Asgardian who had spoken earlier through the projection. "We haven't heard anything from Earth in decades. Your technology has progressed so quickly."

He glanced at the clothes Kain and Betty were wearing. To him, they clearly bore the marks of Earth. No other race would wear such impractical clothing—it offered no protection.

"My name is Heywell, an Earthling. And you?"

"Kain Pent," Kain replied with a smile. "Earth has always progressed quickly. We might even become the apex civilization of the universe in ten years. Who's the King of Asgard now?"

"I didn't expect you to know so much about Asgard."

The Asgardian glanced at Kain, then said in a low voice, "Loki is currently ruling Asgard. He's the one who summoned you."

"Oh."

Kain nodded at the news. Loki was easy to understand—ambitious, but still clinging to the idea of familial bonds. If he were more ruthless, Asgard would have long been under his complete control, and he could've commanded the entire Asgardian army with ease.

But Loki only claimed he wanted to be king. In practice, he hesitated, lacked resolve, and couldn't fully commit. No wonder Thor kept overthrowing him again and again.

Hywell's gaze fell on Kain's twenty guards, and he asked with a hint of suspicion, "Kain, your guards don't seem any weaker than Asgardian warriors. Did you hire them from other races?"

"They're Earthlings, but their bodies have been enhanced. If you're interested, you can spar with them. It's their first time leaving Earth and encountering people from other parts of the universe."

As they walked, Kain spoke to Hywell, who seemed to be a captain in the Asgardian ranks. He was likely strong—ordinary Asgardians already had three times the physical strength of humans, and elite warriors were even more formidable.

But Hywell, being a captain, had to be above average. Still, Kain and his guards had physical capabilities beyond even Spider-Man, and they were trained in genetic primordial power. They might not be so easily outmatched.

Before long, Hywell led Kain to Asgard's central palace. After a brief walk, they arrived at the grand hall's gates. Hywell gestured that he could go no further. He pushed open the doors, allowing Kain to step inside alone.

Betty and the Umbrella guards had been arranged accommodations elsewhere, in the guest quarters of Asgard.

As Kain entered the hall, he saw a young man seated on the throne, holding a scepter and wearing a double-horned crown. There were no guards nearby. Kain appeared before Loki using a short-range apparition spell. Then, with a quick use of transfiguration, he created a chair identical to Loki's and sat directly across from him.

A flicker of surprise crossed Loki's face—he hadn't expected that. Then he let out a short chuckle and said, "Earthling, you're bold indeed. Standing before you is the King of Asgard, Ruler of the Nine Realms—His Majesty Loki."

"I know," Kain replied with a calm smile. "I know more about the universe than you think. But Lord Loki... how long do you think you'll remain in that seat? Odin is merely asleep, and Thor is still on Earth. If either of them returns, you'll be kicked out in an instant."

Loki narrowed his eyes as Kain continued.

"Your understanding of power is shallow. You crave the title of king and Odin's approval, but in doing so, you've ignored so many other factors. You hesitate when it comes to dealing with your rivals. You lack loyal followers. You're trying to solidify your position through war, but most Asgardians don't even want war. So tell me—what can you really do now?"

"Shut up!"

Loki slammed his scepter to the ground, his anger surging. Kain's words had struck a nerve, nearly provoking him to act.

But he was king now—at least in name—and that position demanded restraint. Holding back his fury, he still glared at Kain and said, "You know nothing. Thor will never return. I am the rightful King of Asgard!"

Kain shrugged with a smirk.

"Then how about a bet? I wager that Thor will lift Mjolnir within three months—maybe even sooner. He still has plenty of friends here. Someone's probably already on their way to bring him back."

He looked at Loki with a calm, confident expression.

Loki, meanwhile, sat in silence—unsettled.

Loki snorted coldly and said, "It's a meaningless bet. The King of Asgard wouldn't waste his time on something so trivial."

"You're afraid," Kain replied calmly. "You think what I said might be true. Are you already considering sending someone to Earth to deal with Thor?"

"No?" Kain continued. "You don't have any loyal followers in Asgard. Are you planning to send the Destroyer to handle Thor? Forget it. Have you really made up your mind? If you can't do something like that, then don't force yourself."

"If you were truly determined, the first ones you'd deal with would be the former King and Queen. But you…"

Boom!

Loki couldn't bear to hear another word. Kain's words struck too close to home. Enraged, he stood and hurled his scepter straight at Kain's head.

But the scepter passed through him, smashing the chair behind instead. Kain remained untouched, as though Loki had just struck air.

"Phantom?" Loki growled.

"Not a phantom," Kain said with a calm smile. "It's a space ability. I can shift my body into another dimension before an attack lands. No matter how many times you strike, you won't hit me."

He leaned back slightly. "Besides, why attack me for telling the truth? Is the King of Asgard really so thin-skinned?"

Boom! Boom!

Loki attacked twice more in anger, but again, the strikes only destroyed the seat—briefly. Moments later, it reformed as if untouched.

"Come on, sit down. Let's talk," Kain said, still smiling. "Honestly, I'm glad you became king. If it were Odin or Thor, I wouldn't have much to say. But you and I—we're the same type of people."

He softened his tone. "I've come to the universe to open up a new front. Earth is nearly under my control, so now I want to expand into the wider cosmos. And you—you want to prove you're better than Thor. But why limit yourself to the Nine Realms?"

He leaned forward. "The Kree Empire. Xandar. The Sovereign. Even the Almighty City. If you conquer it, you'll be the new God-King. You won't need to prove anything to Asgard… or to Thor."

Loki's expression twisted into a faint sneer. "So you're arrogant too. Almighty City is where gods gather. The God-King is even more powerful than Odin."

Kain shrugged. "Maybe. But at least I have a plan—and I'm taking action. Stay here in Asgard, and you'll lose everything."

Loki sank back into the throne, silent. He was a little moved—not enough to decide anything, but enough to think.

What Kain said had weight. Loki had always wanted to prove himself but never dared to go far enough. There had been several moments when he could have truly become King of Asgard, but he had hesitated every time.

Now, even though he wore the crown, he had no real power. Few in Asgard truly supported him. The moment he tried to start a war, he'd been flooded with opposition.

Then, almost absentmindedly, Loki asked, "What do you think I should choose?"

He wasn't sure why he'd asked the question—especially not to a stranger, and an Earthling at that.

But maybe… just maybe, it was because Kain had seen the weakest part of him from the very start. And something in him couldn't help but ask.

"Is all of Asgard truly at peace? If not, then gather the warriors who crave battle and lead them to expand your territory," Kain said with a chuckle. "As for the rest, don't worry about them—leave them to your big brother, who's about to 'transform.' But before that, while you're still acting king, it shouldn't be a problem to secure some support."

Kain's tone shifted slightly, growing more serious. "Form an alliance with me. Together, we'll expand our reach across the universe. The Kree Empire, the Nova Corps, the Almighty City—they'll all fall under our rule. You name your prize, I want the profits. Isn't that a good deal?"

Loki nodded, a spark of excitement in his eyes. But then he frowned, narrowing his gaze at Kain. "You're from Earth. Are you telling me Earth has such a powerful civilization? Conquering the universe sounds like a joke."

"I'll show you why I'm confident."

As Kain spoke, his eyes turned into Mangekyō Sharingan patterns, and in an instant, Loki was transported into the Kamui dimension.

There, a massive aircraft carrier—larger than a city—hovered amidst the void, covered in intricate magical runes. It bristled with newly developed weapons powered by the energy of the Space Stone.

With the infinity Stones, Kain would gain access to an endless army and energy. Not even the universe could withstand it. Even if Thanos wielded the Power Stone, the swarm would eventually wear him down.

Loki stared at the overwhelming display—Kain's trump card. He hadn't expected someone from Earth to possess such terrifying power… or the Space Stone itself.

Shortly after they exited the Kamui space, Loki made his decision.

Following Kain's strategy, he realized he had to walk a different path—to prove to Odin that he was every bit as worthy as Thor.

As for Kain's mention of needing Thanos? That didn't bother Loki. He was the God of Deceit, a master of illusion. He was confident he could manipulate Thanos just as he'd deceived others before.

All they needed now was the Mind Stone—and with that, their conquest of the universe could begin.

After agreeing to the alliance, Loki and Kain performed the ancient Asgardian alliance ritual. Though there were no witnesses but themselves, the oath they made was real—and the first step toward something far greater.

…

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