Heart of the Universe

"I've already told you, you're no match for me."

Clang!

The sound of the longsword falling to the ground was exceptionally crisp.

At the heart of the World Tree, Thor, with his hollow eye sockets, stretched out his right hand, mysterious runes flowing across his arm. A power that Hela had never encountered before instantly shattered the attack of the current Queen of Asgard.

This force...

[Why...]

Hela, having escaped her predicament, landed smoothly with a backflip, her eyes filled with gloom as she looked at Thor.

Thor alone could not have made such a significant leap in such a short time, which means... Beckett's hope of opening that door has been destroyed by her foolish brother...

"Call..."

Hela closed her eyes, calming her rapid breathing. With her senses fully activated, she opened them again, and her foolish younger brother was already at the entrance to the core passage.

Judging from their posture, they seem to want to leave.

"I saw it all, all those things that happened back then."

Before leaving, Thor left behind a final message without looking back.

"I have no right to ask about or interfere in the grievances between you and your father."

"You Asgard, and so do I."

"But, as far as I'm concerned, my father shouldn't have died."

"Because he is my father."

Different perspectives make it difficult to judge right or wrong.

Having witnessed the historical changes of the Nine Realms since their birth within the core of the World Tree, Thor found it difficult to harbor any more murderous intent towards his sister.

Was Hela wrong?

Thor didn't think so.

She simply didn't want Odin to unite with the Frost Giant. In fact, it could be argued that if it weren't for Odin's character flaws, Hela wouldn't have taken these actions, which would have resulted in her being imprisoned in the sealed land for nearly two thousand years.

Moreover, two thousand years later, the Frost Giant have already shown Thor through their invasion that Hela was right to insist on not negotiating, and that Laufey and his group are a bunch of insatiable ingrates.

They received resources from Asgard, but they never appreciated it and were only thinking about accumulating strength to attack Asgard.

In fact, if Thor hadn't seen the history of that time in the core of the World Tree, he would have always thought that his father was a benevolent monarch who embraced virtue and comforted the people, and would never have known that Odin was originally a war-mongering and ambitious maniac who was even more warlike than Hela.

Thor initiated the War of the Nine Realms, using the power of Asgard alone to fight against the combined forces of several other great realms. At one point, Thor even began to doubt whether the Odin in the historical accounts was the father he knew.

"I will fight Beckett sooner or later, as long as we are both alive. Because he killed my father, and I must avenge him."

That's all.

Before he finished speaking, Thor's figure had already disappeared at the entrance of the passage.

"Etc!"

Hela was startled and rushed back to the entrance of the passage at lightning speed, only to see Menis approaching with a look of surprise on his face.

"Savior, you have already absorbed the power of the World Tree— "

"No, the power of the World Tree has already been seized by someone else." Hela interrupted Menis's joy, and the old Pharaoh's face stiffened.

"Was it taken away by your brother?"

Universe, Centaurus Galaxy, above the Dark Order.

Thanos, seated atop his floating throne, stared at his daughter-in-law's virtual communication image with an expression that was neither sad nor happy.

"I understand. In that case, you may leave." With a thought, the virtual image in front of Thanos disappeared.

"Thor..."

"I see..."

"Did people from two thousand years ago forcibly change history, at the cost of lives...?"

Looking up at the unchanging starry sky beyond the Dark Order, Thanos realized how much the middle-aged Thor, who had fought Beckett on Sakaar not long ago, had changed his timeline.

Without the guidance of the middle-aged Thor who had studied this extensively, the young Thor in this timeline would never have known how to absorb the energy from the core of the World Tree.

"Now that you're here, there's no need to hide anymore, the Grandmaster."

Thanos remained unmoved atop the floating throne, his gaze still fixed on the ancient starry sky beyond the Dark Order.

"Sound travels much faster than I can transmit it."

As soon as Thanos finished speaking in his defense, ripples appeared in the void, and a figure dressed in a white outfit with gold trim appeared before Thanos, accompanied by distorted spatial ripples.

The former ruler of Sakaar – the Grandmaster.

The reason I say "before" is because Sakaar was destroyed by Beckett not long ago.

"This is not a place for you, the Grandmaster." Thanos made no attempt to hide his disgust for the Grandmaster.

"I know, but unfortunately I had to come."

The Grandmaster Venerable spread his hands, indicating that he was also helpless.

"This war came very suddenly. The [Eternity] beings were all dragged into the endless battlefield. Only I, because of the destruction of Sakaar, was not targeted by those visitors from the other universe."

"So now only I can help you, Thanos."

The mischievous look in the Grandmaster's eyes gradually disappeared, and his face, unusually serious, revealed a hint of majesty.

"You... will help me?"

Upon hearing this, Thanos finally turned his gaze to the ancient god who had existed since the beginning of the universe.

"Indeed, there was some unpleasantness between me and your adopted son, but that was just an internal conflict between us."

"This universe is my eternal home and the source of my strength."

"If this battle is lost, I won't have a good ending either."

"Believe me, Thanos." The Grandmaster's expression was serious and sincere.

Now is not the time for infighting; this is a matter of life and death for him.

"Odin's son has lived on my Sakaar for two thousand years. He should have figured out how to absorb the power of the World Tree. If I'm not mistaken, your plan to use the power of the World Tree to help Beckett break through should have failed, right?"

Buzz!

On the floating throne, a long sword gleamed and emitted a soft ringing sound.

"But I have another way."

"Another way to help you, or your son, break through his limits."

The sharp blade halted just before it reached the Grandmaster's neck. Thanos, atop the floating throne, Thanos his hand, and the longsword returned to his side.

"[The Heart of the Universe]." The Grandmaster said the name with his hands behind his back and a serious expression.

Or rather, a metaphor for a kind of power.

That is the source of all chaotic forces at the beginning of the universe. If you obtain it, you can manipulate all the rules and energies in the universe at will.

Unfortunately, the "Heart of the Universe" has always remained just a vague and ethereal legend.

In his youth, Thanos also pursued the Infinity Stones, but ultimately chose the ones with a higher probability of existence.

"Once you obtain it, you will gain the power to fight against Darkseid and even surpass Darkseid."

"Once your son obtains it, he will naturally be able to use the power of the Heart of the Universe to eliminate the restrictions imposed on him by the rules."

"It can also defeat Darkseid."

As Thanos listened to everything being recounted in detail, the Thanos 'The Grandmaster composure and sincerity left him somewhat uncertain.

After all, the Grandmaster had no credibility with him.