A Gaze from Asgard

"Well, we'll talk about this project later."

"For now, your goal is to uncover every secret hidden within this body."

"In short, Professor Connors, this lab is yours from now on. Remember, no one else is allowed in. If anyone tries to force their way in, call for me immediately."

This lab was important to Peter, so he spoke to Connors with great seriousness.

"Oh, and if you need any equipment or materials, just tell me. Even if you need the Statue of Liberty, I can have it moved here for you right away."

After saying this, Peter walked slowly toward the metal door, lifted it back open with one hand, but didn't close it again—after all, Connors would need to come and go from the lab from now on.

"Damn it, here I am, a billionaire, the world's greatest genius scientist, reduced to this."

As soon as the door opened, Peter heard Tony muttering under his breath while cleaning with a tool.

Ignoring Tony's complaints, Peter left Connors behind and slowly lifted off the ground, defying gravity as he prepared to leave.

"Hey, this guy actually forgot to close the door!"

While continuing to clean, Tony stole glances with his peripheral vision at the frozen monster's body inside the lab.

"Tony Stark, make sure to tell the others—no one is to go near that lab except Professor Connors. Otherwise, you'll face the consequences."

Just as Tony was secretly plotting to sneak into the lab while everyone else was resting to get a look at that monster's body, Peter's authoritative warning shattered his fantasy.

Bang!

The next moment, the metal door of the Ice Cave slammed shut again, and a faint sonic boom echoed from outside.

"What the hell is that guy having this Connors work on in secret?"

Watching Connors arrange various lab equipment according to his own habits inside the lab, Tony's curiosity only grew stronger.

"Hm? Someone's watching me?"

At that moment, Peter, flying rapidly through the air toward home, suddenly felt a gaze upon him.

He stopped mid-flight instantly, scanning his surroundings with Super Vision, then looked up at the sky.

"Not a satellite. Then what?"

Almost immediately, Peter ruled out the possibility of being monitored by human high-tech.

"Could it be... that bald woman?"

Suddenly, Peter recalled a certain powerful being on Earth who sported a hairstyle exclusive to big shots.

"But what reason would she have to watch me? Even if I've disrupted the universe's Sacred Timeline, it should be the TVA coming after me."

"Forget it. Even if it is her, so what? I'm not some Superman who can be easily beaten by a simple spell."

As a Superman with no weaknesses, Peter's magic resistance was now just as absurdly strong as his physical resistance.

With that thought, Peter stopped worrying and instantly accelerated.

He flew a long loop through the air, passing several countries, and didn't feel that sense of being watched again.

Meanwhile, in Asgard, the realm of the gods, one of the Nine Realms alongside Midgard.

Heimdall, the guardian of the Bifrost, quickly withdrew his gaze that could perceive all things across the Nine Realms.

"This human... such keen perception. When did Midgard produce such a powerful being?"

But now, his already cold expression grew even more grim.

"Heimdall... my friend, are you still there? Open the Bifrost for me!"

Just as Heimdall was pondering when such a powerful being had appeared on Earth, a voice suddenly rang out beside him, interrupting his thoughts.

The next moment, without hesitation, Heimdall thrust his silver sword into the Bifrost's activation mechanism.

Instantly, silver lightning illuminated the entire device.

On the Bifrost bridge connecting all of Asgard, a dazzling radiance burst forth. Colored energy swirled within, like a rainbow ribbon spanning the entire galaxy, converging at the bridge's end.

A colossal surge of energy erupted from the beak-shaped device at the Bifrost's terminus, forming a pillar of light that pierced straight through the vast Nine Realms.

Whoosh!

As the Bifrost successfully opened, several figures appeared in Asgard, bathed in its colorful glow. Along with them came the corpse of a massive monster.

"Haha! The warriors of Asgard are invincible!"

The moment they appeared, these men raised their bloodstained weapons and cheered wildly.

That enormous monster's body was clearly their trophy.

Among them, a burly man with a silver-winged helmet, silver metal armor, and long golden hair, walked slowly to Heimdall's side, clapped him on the shoulder, and asked with some confusion, "Heimdall, you hesitated just now. Why?"

"I saw a powerful new god emerge in Midgard."

Facing Odin's Son, the heir to Asgard's throne, the mighty God of Thunder—Thor—and of course, Heimdall's best friend.

Heimdall did not conceal anything he had seen.

"A powerful new god has appeared in Midgard? How is that possible? I was there just a few hundred years ago, and the humans there were utterly feeble."

"Even as a child, I could have easily taken down hundreds of them!"

Arrogant as he was, Thor naturally refused to believe Heimdall's words.

"And what's more, back then, those ignorant fools worshipped me as the great God of Thunder, and they still do!"

Gripping his silver Mjolnir, Thor scoffed at Heimdall's claim.

It wasn't that he looked down on humans, but compared to the warriors of Asgard, they were indeed far too weak.

To humans, the mighty Asgardians seemed like all-powerful deities.

"Thor, it's been hundreds of years since the All-Father Odin forbade us from setting foot in Midgard."

"The human realm has undergone earth-shattering changes. They've rapidly advanced their technology and mastered some kind of devastating weapon."

"They no longer believe in gods, and they no longer need our protection."

Heimdall had witnessed all of humanity's rapid progress firsthand.

"And recently, a being of immense power has emerged among them. All humans call him—the God Among Men!"

Heimdall's expression was grave. There was one thing he left unsaid: in that human, he had sensed power rivaling that of the All-Father Odin.

"The God Among Men?"

Thor repeated the title, his face brimming with fierce fighting spirit.