Absorb The Eternal Fire! Jean And Dark Phoenix Integrate?

As soon as he left the gate, Heimdall approached him.

"Wait! The Father of Gods has something for you."

Aaron looked at him suspiciously, and Heimdall stepped aside, revealing what was behind him.

It was a brazier burning with an intense fire.

There was no fuel in the brazier, and the flames flickered in the air, as if they were burning the very air itself.

The Eternal Fire!

Is this... being given to me?

How generous of Odin.

Aaron felt very strange.

Now that Odin knew he could absorb other energies, why give him the Eternal Fire to increase his strength?

Perhaps...

Was it because Odin realized that Aaron has the ability to absorb energy, so he gave him the Eternal Fire?

It's possible!

The uniqueness of the Eternal Fire was no secret.

Surtur had a big mouth and bragged about it daily.

Odin must have defeated and taken the Eternal Fire from Surtur because, at some point, Surtur had let slip the connection between the Eternal Fire and the crown.

Odin then took advantage of this weakness and defeated him in one fell swoop.

This time, Odin saw that Aaron killed Surtur and took the crown, so he probably thought about separating the Eternal Fire from the crown.

The best option? Let the Eternal Fire disappear!

As long as it disappears, Surtur won't be revived, and the twilight of Asgard might never come.

At the same time, it could win Aaron's loyalty—a two birds with one stone situation.

The more Aaron thought about it, the more likely it seemed. That old fox, Odin. He's too cunning.

It's also possible that they gave the artifact to others out of fear of Surtur's return.

Didn't Odin also send the Reality Gem to the Collector?

Was it to use the seemingly powerful Collector to keep the Infinity Gems safe from outsiders?

But they didn't realize that the so-called powerful Collector was actually weak. Compared to real threats, he was nothing.

Heimdall, too, was puzzled.

He didn't understand why Odin would give the Eternal Fire to Aaron.

In his opinion, the gifts Aaron had already received were more than enough.

The title of God of Magic, personal magic lessons, various privileges, and the Casket of Ancient Winters.

Although the Casket was technically given by Loki, Heimdall believed it was still a gift from Odin, as Odin had not taken it back.

So many rewards already—it seemed excessive to give Aaron the Eternal Fire now.

After all, everyone in Asgard takes pride in serving the King of Gods, even if it means sacrificing their lives. There's no need for further rewards.

But Aaron had already received so much, and it was beyond the norm.

Out of respect for Odin, Heimdall reluctantly explained, "In recognition of your achievements in killing Surtur and calming the Flame Titan, the King of Gods has specially rewarded you with his treasure—the Eternal Fire."

"He hopes you continue to contribute to Asgard and live up to his expectations."

The last sentence was Heimdall's own addition.

Odin wanted to show Aaron who had given him these gifts and remind him who he should remain loyal to.

But Aaron simply nodded. After understanding the situation, he immediately walked toward the Eternal Fire without hesitation.

"Is this the artifact of Surtur, the Flame Titan King? It doesn't seem any different from regular flames."

Sif looked at the Eternal Fire curiously, intrigued by the legendary artifact.

It was said to be a powerful titan's weapon capable of competing with the King of Gods.

She had never encountered Surtur or his artifact before.

"What are you going to do with it?"

"Absorb it, of course."

Aaron didn't hesitate and placed his hands on the Eternal Fire.

This time, unlike when he absorbed the Casket of Ancient Winters, the process was much faster.

Although the Eternal Fire contained immense energy, it didn't take much effort to absorb it, leaving only the empty brazier behind.

The energy was absorbed and transferred to his pocket space.

At that moment, Aaron's energy reserves were likely several times greater than Odin's.

Yet, from the outside, Aaron's aura hadn't changed much.

"Let's go first."

After absorbing the Eternal Fire, Aaron said goodbye to Sif and left.

Only Heimdall remained, staring at the brazier in disbelief.

The Eternal Fire... is gone?

Meanwhile, Odin sensed the loss of the artifact's energy.

He looked up. Even though a series of buildings separated them, he could still make out Aaron and the others.

"Does this mean Surtur has no chance of revival?" Odin murmured, shaking his head slightly.

Ragnarok was closely tied to Surtur.

But if Surtur couldn't be reborn, did that mean the future had changed?

In that case, even if Odin passed on, there would be one less worry.

As for Aaron's power... Odin didn't concern himself with that anymore.

He knew he couldn't suppress Aaron any longer.

Even without the Eternal Fire, Aaron's growth rate in Midgard suggested he could find other sources of power.

But Odin was still amazed by how quickly Aaron absorbed the Eternal Fire.

It was known as an infinite energy source, one that no one else could truly control—except for Surtur.

The flames couldn't be extinguished.

When Odin first learned about Ragnarok, he had intended to silence the Eternal Fire forever.

But despite many attempts, he failed. The Eternal Fire couldn't be extinguished, and no outsider could control it.

So, he had locked it away in his treasury to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

This time, he entrusted it to Aaron, hoping it would either work or, at the very least, be taken to Midgard, away from Asgard, where it might be safer.

Odin wondered why Aaron hadn't changed after absorbing the Eternal Fire.

There were no noticeable changes in his aura or energy levels.

If it weren't for the absence of energy fluctuations from the Eternal Fire, Odin might have doubted whether Aaron had absorbed any of it at all.

Suspicious, Odin called Heimdall to check.

Once Heimdall confirmed the Eternal Fire's complete disappearance, Odin's frown slowly relaxed.

"Father of Gods, why give such an artifact as a reward?"

"Even if he pacified Muspelheim, rewarding him with the Eternal Fire seems... excessive," Heimdall said, still puzzled.

"It's... complicated. Just know that this is the best course of action," Odin replied.

He didn't explain Ragnarok to Heimdall—it would have shaken his sense of stability.

Just as Odin had concealed Hela's existence, he kept such matters hidden from even his most trusted allies.

He looked up at the mural depicting Asgard's prosperity, where another secret lay hidden.

"Ragnarok resolved... now, what's next?" Odin sighed.

It had been so long—did Heimdall understand his philosophy?

After leaving the Golden Hall, Aaron contacted Amora and then took the two of them to greet Fandral and the others.

He told them to inform Thor and then opened a portal to take the two back to Kamar-Taj.

In Kamar-Taj, Jean awoke from a deep sleep.

Due to the intense battle, she felt soreness in many parts of her body, especially her waist.

But the fatigue had lifted.

When Aaron returned with the two, Jean was cleaning up the mess in the room.

She was stunned when she saw the two behind Aaron.

An irritable mood surged from within her, uncontrolled.

The Dark Phoenix, awakened by her emotions, began to stir.

However, Aaron was there.

Dark Phoenix didn't directly possess Jean's body to launch an attack as before. Instead, she shared the body with Jean in her mind.

At this moment, the two seemed to merge with different purposes.

"Aaron, you're back!" Jean said, pretending not to notice Sif and Amora. She ran over and hugged Aaron's arm, smiling softly. "I just cleaned the room, and now you're back. Who are they?"

"This is Fandral."

"They are Valkyrie Sif and the great magician Amora, my friends who came to Earth with me to handle some matters."

Aaron briefly introduced them.

Jean, at that moment, was clearly under the influence of the Dark Phoenix personality. Normally, she wouldn't be this bold and uninhibited.

Aaron had initially planned to act against the Dark Phoenix's influence, but seeing that Jean wasn't showing signs of breaking out, he temporarily refrained from intervening.

As long as the Dark Phoenix didn't completely suppress Jean's consciousness, it was a good sign.

Perhaps, over time, Jean could control the Phoenix Force, as Dr. Banner had learned to coexist with the Hulk's consciousness.

"Ah, so they're your friends! Then they're my friends too. Come, come, let me make you some coffee," Jean said, acting like a hostess. She poured two cups of coffee—without sugar.

Sif and Amora sipped the coffee but then immediately set it down, exchanging looks. They could both sense the displeasure in each other's eyes.

A man from Asgard was about to be claimed by a Midgardian woman! How could they allow this?

Recalling the queen's advice, Sif realized it was wise not to let their "prized" men slip away, and said, "Aaron, we should locate the Space Gem as soon as possible, bring it back to Asgard, and repair Bifrost."

"I agree!" Amora echoed.

"You're going after the Space Gem? I'll go too—maybe I can help," Jean offered enthusiastically, though she had no idea what the Space Gem was.

"No!" Sif immediately refused. "This is a major mission for Asgard. You're a Midgardian—this is dangerous, you could be hurt."

"You think I'm ordinary?" Jean's power surged, and the coffee cups on the table turned into particles that scattered across the ground.

"Enough, Dark Phoenix!" Aaron said softly, a bit disapprovingly.

Although he spoke quietly, it still made Dark Phoenix halt. She looked at Aaron and immediately softened, smiling at him tenderly. "I'm fine. I won't cause trouble."

Aaron took her hand, carefully sensing her condition. After confirming Dark Phoenix hadn't further eroded Jean's mind, he released the hold.

Sif and Amora exchanged glances, stunned by the decomposed coffee, realizing they had no idea how Jean did it.

That power—completely different from magic—seemed to have the ability to decompose matter, similar to Aaron's.

And it looked so easy!

The Midgardian man, Aaron, was no ordinary individual!

No wonder Queen Frigga would personally speak with her. It seemed the women around Aaron were more special than they'd thought, maybe even stronger than them!

At that moment, Sif and Amora realized they needed to join forces. They were unsure of Jean's origins, and only by cooperating could they compete.

Aaron, however, trusted Jean.

He was confident that as long as Dark Phoenix didn't completely dominate Jean's consciousness and body, he could suppress it.

After all, Dark Phoenix was just one fragment. Before it could fully awaken and absorb more pieces of the Phoenix Force, its strength wouldn't be overwhelming.

Aaron wasn't afraid. He was more concerned about Dark Phoenix's dark instincts, which might do something unacceptable.

But there were pros and cons.

As long as Jean and Dark Phoenix could coexist for now, perhaps, in the future, they could reach a balance, much like Dr. Banner did with the Hulk, and finally integrate fully.

Then, they would both become much stronger.

Aaron then explained the current situation on Earth to Sif, but avoided mentioning the Space Gem's whereabouts.

He knew exactly where it was. It was time to speak to the mother about Fa Kexia.

At the same time, in the District of Columbia, at the Trident Building.

Nick Fury sat in his office, enjoying a rare moment of peace.

Due to Aaron's arrival, many things had changed. Today, S.H.I.E.L.D. had received strong backing from the Security Council, with funds and resources flowing in more freely than ever before.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had grown by half in size compared to a year ago.

The Avengers plan was now underway, with the green titan, Iron Man, and the long-frozen Captain America already on board.

Nick had also established a deeper connection with Dr. Charles through his growing influence.

He could even call on the X-Men to assist the Avengers whenever needed. They were essentially non-staff personnel now.

Nick Fury was quite satisfied with the current situation.

But in the back of his mind, there was still a lingering sense of unease.

Despite the Avengers' growing strength, it paled in comparison to the power Aaron and Thor had shown at the start.

The Avengers' greatest combat power came from the green titans, but could the Hulk really defeat the Asgardians?

Nick Fury had doubts.

That's why they still needed more power—especially the Rubik's Cube, full of endless potential.

Thinking of it, Fury couldn't shake the ominous feeling that hovered over him.

The Tesseract had been in Asgard's treasure vault before being lost on Earth after the battle with the Frost Giants.

The secret of its whereabouts remained known only to S.H.I.E.L.D. and some other select agencies.

It was important to keep it within their reach—just in case Asgard ever grew too powerful.