Odin and the Ancient One

Asgard...

Asgard doesn't have Christmas, but today Thor came up and chopped down a Christmas tree, and because of the festive atmosphere on Earth, he casually put one in Odin's little study.

It's the little study where Xia Yu always comes over and has tea with Odin.

In his earlier years, Odin preferred to sit alone in an empty palace, holding the Gungnir, clad in golden armor, to demonstrate his majesty All-Father.

However, ever since the Hela incident, Odin has increasingly preferred to stay in his small study. Today was no exception; he sat alone in his study, dressed in ordinary Earth clothing, looking like an ordinary elderly person living alone.

In the center of the small study, a spark flashed silently through the air, drawing a circle in mid-air—the very portal used by the Kamar-Taj sorcerer.

Who else could have directly accessed Odin's study from Kamar-Taj- Taj, besides the Ancient One, an equally unfathomable being?

The Ancient One stepped out of the portal and was slightly taken aback by Odin's appearance. "You don't look like the All-Father today!"

Odin picked up the tea set, gestured for Odin to sit, and said without looking up, "You don't look like a Sorcerer Supreme today. You look quite badly injured. Did you go to duel Dormammu?"

The Ancient One seemed to be quite familiar with Odin, as she unceremoniously plopped down in front of Odin and poured herself a cup of tea.

"I couldn't see Xia Yu's future, so I used the Eye of Agamotto to try and forcefully see what would happen. The result was a backlash; I've never encountered anything like this before."

Odin laughed upon hearing this, "This is your greatest weakness, and also the biggest side effect of possessing the Eye of Agamotto. Because you constantly peek into the future, you always think you can control everything, not realizing that some things are already predetermined."

"As we both know, for a long time to come, Earth will be the center of the universe, and its fate will depend on it."

"And Xia Yu, this is both a variable and someone who stands at the very center of destiny, whose every move affects the future of the entire universe, and you actually dare to spy on him?"

Ancient One shook her head. "I'm not like you, able to peacefully choose to leave, even calmly watching your wife depart. The Aether is about to appear in the world; counting that, all five Infinity Stones will be on Earth. Odin, aren't you worried at all?"

"You call yourself the Sorcerer Supreme, and I am the All-Father of Asgard, but you and I both know that we are merely pawns in the destiny of this universe, supporting characters before the curtain rises. But whether we are the protagonist or the supporting character, we are all serving a pre-rehearsed play."

"Unlike others, you and I have the ability to see that this is a play. Now that a variable has finally appeared, we don't know whether the outcome will be good or bad, and we can't control it. Even if you see it, what can you do?"

"Since you can't change or control it, you might as well guide it more. There might be surprises in the future. The more you try to control everything, the less you can do. You might as well enjoy a peace you've never experienced before before before you leave..."

As the All-Father, Odin, in his long life, saw more of the universe and destiny than the Ancient One, and was far more detached from them. The ending was already predetermined; Xia Yu's appearance was an unexpected surprise. What more could one ask for?

Ancient One fell silent, and the two giants who had protected Earth for thousands of years quietly began to drink their tea.

On Earth, Xia Yu, having finished a hot pot meal without tasting anything, was dragged by Tony to take Aunt May and Spider-Man home. Instead of using a portal, the two decided to drive around to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere and also visit Happy was still recovering in the hospital.

Xia Yu and Tony took Spider-Man- Man home. Tony gave Spider-Man a transparent tablet computer that wasn't available on the market. It was connected to Tony's private database, and JARVIS set permissions for Spider-Man prevent him from seeing too many things he shouldn't be able to see right now.

Xia Yu bought Spider-Man a new mobile phone, but it was a common product with no special features; it was just a simple gift. He then bid farewell to the excited and shouting Spider-Man.

The two arrived at the hospital where Happy was. Happy seemed to be in much better spirits; at least he could speak with difficulty, but he still couldn't get out of bed and walk around.

Upon seeing Tony and Xia Yu, Happy began to ramble on about the hospital food. It was Christmas Eve, and he wasn't asking for a fancy meal, but at least some of his favorite Coca-Cola and fries.

Happy, who always loves high-calorie foods, is almost driven crazy by the hospital food lately. Helpless, Xia Yu asked Tony to stay in the ward with Happy while he went out to buy him something. There was a Coca-Cola in the ring, but it seemed there were no fries.

Xia Yu had just left the hospital and was heading towards an American fast food restaurant nearby that he remembered.

Just as Xia Yu reached the entrance of the fast food restaurant, he encountered the old man who had made cameo appearances in every Marvel movie in his previous life.

Old Master Li was wearing a Santa hat and a red scarf, looking very festive. He was holding a huge Coca-Cola and smiling as he bit the straw while watching Xia Yu.

The scene looked comical, but Xia Yu didn't feel like laughing at all. The moment he saw the old man, everything around him disappeared, just like when he saw the Supreme Intelligence last time, only this time the sensation was more direct.

Everything around him vanished instantly, turning into a vast expanse of white, leaving only the old man in sight.

"Grandpa, it's been a long time." A bead of cold sweat appeared on Xia Yu's forehead.

Old Master Li didn't respond to Xia Yu's words immediately. Instead, he took a deep breath, took a big sip through the straw until the Coca-Cola made a hollow sound, and then casually threw away the empty cup.

With a wave of his hand, a bench, a common sight in parks, appeared out of thin air on the ground. He sat down on it and patted the Xia Yu, gesturing for Xia Yu to sit next to him.

Xia Yu approached with trepidation, for no other reason than that he simply couldn't guess the old man's background. Just thinking about it was terrifying, especially considering that Xia Yu was actually an unregistered resident in this world.

As soon as Xia Yu sat down, the old man took Xia Yu's hand, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and then sniffed Xia Yu several times, saying, "Child, you've done quite well. Hmm, you smell like two gems now."

Xia Yu nearly fell off his stool. "Are you a drug-sniffing dog? Your nose is so sensitive! What's the smell of those two gems? I can't smell anything. You could have just spotted them directly, why did you have to sniff them? Aren't they scared being so close?"

Of course, Xia Yu only thought these words in his heart and certainly wouldn't dare to say them directly.

To everyone's surprise, Old Master Li's expression changed drastically, and he looked at Xia Yu seriously, saying, "Why aren't you saying anything? Are you cursing me in your heart?"

Upon hearing this statement...

Xia Yu's face was pale...