Returning to Asgard, Odin's win over Kamar-Taj

Aaron was still searching for a suitable target.

Considering the current situation, the most appropriate target was actually the second-level demons. The first-level demons, like the ancient gods, could be put aside for the time being. Their strength was far superior to that of second-level demons. Even if they were not as powerful as top Dimensional Lords, such as Cytorak, they were not ones to be provoked right now.

It would be best to focus on them when Aaron's strength had increased further.

Also, some third-level demons, such as extra-dimensional beings, were among the most well-known, with Shuma-Gorath the beholder being one of them. That was something to avoid for now.

For these extra-dimensional creatures, even Kamar-Taj deemed them extremely dangerous and advised not to engage with them.

The best options were undoubtedly the usual demon lords of Hell or some necromancers who ruled over small dimensions.

Certainly, Lords of the Underworld could be a good choice.

Given these constraints, Aaron had narrowed the field down to a few candidates.

For example, Tok the Hell Demon, who ruled the underworld; Dibor, the sixth-dimensional master; Velasco, the Hell border lord, and others.

Their strength was roughly the same as Mephisto, or perhaps even a bit weaker.

Since Mephisto and Dormammu had already been provoked, these were powerful existences among second-level demons. Aaron didn't mind provoking a few more—after all, there was nothing he could do right now.

If the enemy found a way to enter Earth, or traveled to other dimensions, then it would be a matter of who sought trouble first.

Just as Aaron was about to move on, he sensed Heimdall's gaze.

"Here we go again?" Aaron frowned slightly.

He hated the feeling of being watched. Even though he had detected Heimdall's gaze every time, it still made him uncomfortable.

During this time, he had caught Heimdall's gaze at least three times, and this was less than a day after he had left the mirror space.

This indicated how frequently Heimdall was monitoring him.

Although the rampage of Dark Phoenix was partially to blame, Heimdall's behavior made Aaron wonder if Loki had taken the top position and placed Heimdall lower down.

Who else hated Heimdall more than Loki?

Heimdall's presence didn't affect Aaron much; he could block his gaze at any time, creating an illusion to deceive him.

As long as he wanted, Heimdall could only see what Aaron allowed him to see.

Loki, on the other hand, was a different story.

Heimdall preferred Thor to inherit the throne. With Odin's blessing and his important role as the guardian of Bifrost, Heimdall held a lot of power in Asgard. He could even speak before Odin.

Moreover, Heimdall had already confirmed that Loki had once brought in a Frost Titan. Loki might be the one to overthrow Heimdall, which would lead to inevitable conflicts between the two.

With Loki's temperament, it would be easy to banish Heimdall.

However, expelling Heimdall would not be good for Asgard.

Without Heimdall, even Bifrost would be useless. It would be as if there were no target for the cannon, and enemies could easily cross the Bifrost line, invading the Nine Realms and even Asgard.

Given Heimdall's overly confident attitude towards his abilities, Aaron suspected that if an enemy sneaked in undetected, Heimdall would likely fail to notice.

His earlier warning to use the invisibility cloak had been futile.

Aaron didn't blame Heimdall too much. After all, he had been guarding Bifrost 24 hours a day, year-round.

He would never do it himself, but at least Heimdall was dedicated.

But then again, Loki must have seen Thanos acquire the Mind Gem by now, right?

Aaron had lost track of time, and his sense of it was fading. This might not be a good thing, but for someone with a long life—and possibly an infinite one—it was the best habit.

Only by forgetting time could one avoid losing themselves in its infinite passage.

Aaron shook his head slightly, trying to dismiss irrelevant thoughts.

Heimdall was still watching. It seemed Asgard was looking for him.

Aaron looked up, seemingly meeting Heimdall's gaze.

At that moment, Heimdall's deep voice echoed.

"God of magic, the Father of Gods needs your power!"

"Remain still, and I will use the dark energy bestowed by the Father of Gods to transport you back to Asgard!"

So Odin was looking for him!

This thought flashed through Aaron's mind before he rejected Heimdall's offer. "Don't bother."

Hearing this, Heimdall, who had been gathering energy, frowned.

The next moment, a portal appeared before him.

"Who is it?"

Heimdall quickly grabbed his Guardian Sword, Burgunter.

Anyone who appeared through the portal was considered an intruder and would be dealt with immediately.

No one dared invade Asgard in front of its protector.

However, it was none other than Aaron who stepped out of the portal.

"Relax, it's me."

Aaron greeted Heimdall before turning to observe Bifrost.

As he remembered, due to Thor's hammer, Bifrost had broken in the middle, and the remaining portion had sunk to the star's sea floor.

"When did you learn the interstellar teleportation ability?" Heimdall asked in shock.

Aaron's teleportation magic had reached this level?

Judging by his calm demeanor, it seemed easy to him.

Heimdall was stunned. He wasn't sure if Odin would have made it any easier, but he was certain he couldn't.

Even more so, Heimdall was far inferior to Aaron in this regard.

"Magic. You know."

Aaron casually remarked.

Heimdall's eyebrows twitched.

Magic, huh?

Teleporting across the galaxy seemed so simple to Aaron, but Heimdall knew it was far from that.

Asgard wasn't just anywhere. Its location was hidden by a magic shield, and it was almost impossible for someone to open a portal here without knowing the exact location.

And Earth was so far from Asgard. The energy required for such a transmission was immense.

What kind of incredible power did this magician possess?

Maybe it was truly best for Aaron to resolve these matters this time.

What Heimdall didn't know, however, was that Aaron didn't need a portal to reach Asgard.

With his upgraded teleportation ability, he could jump between dimensions without opening a door.

It was all about hiding his cards and confusing Heimdall and Odin. He didn't want to expose all of his abilities.

"Heimdall, what does the God King want from me?"

Noticing Heimdall's silence, Aaron spoke.

Heimdall snapped out of his thoughts and led Aaron toward the Golden Hall. He didn't mention the task directly, instead discussing the major events happening in the Nine Realms recently.

It was all about chaos. The Titan Surtur was preparing his army to break into Asgard and reclaim the Eternal Fire at any time.

There were also rebels in Vanaheim, eager to annex other realms and unify the divine domain.

Aaron only nodded occasionally, already piecing things together.

It seemed Odin wanted him to put down the rebellion.

Perhaps he was also testing his strength?

Aaron speculated about Odin's true purpose.

But wasn't Odin worried about Aaron overshadowing Thor?

Despite not having been to Asgard for over a year, Aaron's accomplishments had spread throughout the God Realm.

Among them was his record of defeating the "strongest" Magneto in Midgard. Thor's embarrassment could easily be hidden.

Despite Thor's success in defeating the Destroyer Armor—crafted by Odin himself, with immense power—the feat of defeating it was still more impressive than beating Magneto.

Aaron hadn't thought too much about that, though.

It was just a false reputation and not something worth bothering about.

"Aaron!"

"Hahaha, I finally see you again!"

A familiar voice sounded from a distance. Without even looking up, Aaron recognized the voice's owner.

Who else but Thor?

And of course, Sif and the Three Warriors were there too.

"Aaron!"

"Aaron!"

Everyone greeted him, with Sif giving him a hearty pat on the chest, saying, "Muscles are solid! Seems you haven't forgotten the daily training as a soldier while in Midgard. We should have a contest."

A contest?

Aaron was momentarily confused, but quickly realized what she meant and replied with a playful tone, "Always take care!"

"Yo, confidence is good! I like confident men!" Sif said, surprised by Aaron's boldness. But remembering Aaron's title as the God of Magic, she added quickly, "No magic allowed!"

"Definitely!" Aaron responded, unafraid.

With his godfather-like strength, even though his speed and strength still needed improvement, his enhanced physical fitness made him just as strong as Sif—or even stronger.

Sif was one of the top warriors in Asgard, but Aaron had the advantage now.

Unless, of course, he held back on purpose.

At that moment, Fandral whistled and teased, "So, our valkyrie likes a confident, muscular man like Aaron! You should've told me earlier. I'm quite suitable. How about considering me?"

"Go away!" Sif kicked at him, then added disdainfully, "I don't like men inferior to me, and you're inferior to Aaron! How dare you talk when you've been defeated by a magician in swordsmanship?"

Fandral wasn't ashamed at all. He'd already accepted that losing to a genius like Aaron was normal.

"Hahahaha, so it's Aaron you like? Or is it because he's more handsome?" Fandral teased, with a serious expression.

Thor glanced at Aaron, thinking about himself. Surely, he wasn't bad-looking either, right?

Although hesitant, Thor's confidence didn't waver as he stared at Fandral, "Are you doubting my handsomeness?"

"I didn't. You should ask Sif," Fandral replied, spreading his hands and winking.

"Alright! When this is over, I'll deal with you!" Thor said, and turned back to his serious expression.

A few coughs later, everyone had calmed down.

That's how it was.

Sif stared at Fandral, and then Heimdall blinked slightly.

Thor may not seem stable, but Heimdall believed he would be a good king eventually.

He was the son of Odin, heir to the most powerful bloodline, and destined for greatness.

Aaron nodded, intrigued by what Thor mentioned about Odin's reward.

It was rare for Odin to offer a high-level magic lesson, so Aaron knew it had to be important.

He suspected Odin had some powerful secrets hidden away.

He just hoped the magic was something he urgently needed.

Next, Aaron followed Thor to meet Odin.

Unlike before, Odin was not sitting on his high throne but standing in an open field.

"Aaron Manningson, you've arrived," Odin said, his eyes filled with a mix of emotions.

Reflecting on their last meeting, Aaron had been just a powerful magical force in Odin's eyes.

Though strong, Aaron had relied on strategy and bravery to defeat Odin's old enemies.

But now, in just a year, Aaron had grown beyond Odin's understanding.

Where would this path lead?

Thankfully, Aaron still seemed to have affection for Asgard.

Perhaps... Odin could still win him over.

He gazed at Aaron and Sif thoughtfully.