A Back View

"Where did that guy go?"

Seeing Loki suddenly disappear, Coulson couldn't help but ask Fang Mo, "Did he go invisible again?"

"No."

Fang Mo shook his head, "He went back."

"Back? Back to Asgard?"

Coulson was stunned.

But before he could finish his question, several technicians suddenly ran over, holding a large stack of documents and began reporting the situation to him.

Fang Mo listened for a moment. Apparently, their instruments had suddenly detected astonishing energy fluctuations. Analyzing the waveform and field state, it felt like a temporary channel formed by pure energy, which was very similar to the Rosen Bridge theory proposed by Einstein – using powerful energy to temporarily link two different spaces.

In simple terms, these technicians suspected that a spacetime tunnel had appeared nearby.

Upon hearing the technicians' report, combined with Loki's previous behavior, Coulson had begun to believe in the existence of Asgard.

However, the more this was the case, the more his inner unease grew.

After all, he had dealt with aliens when he was young. If things went wrong, it could be a crisis for the entire Earth. It seemed this matter had to be reported to the Director immediately.

"Since Loki has already left, there's nothing more for me here, right?"

Fang Mo said, preparing to leave the interrogation room, "Anyway, you guys can handle the mess here yourselves. I'm outta here..."

"Wait!"

Just as Fang Mo was about to leave, Thor, sitting in the interrogation chair, suddenly spoke.

"What is it?"

Fang Mo stopped and turned back to look at Thor curiously.

"Who... exactly are you?" Thor hesitated, then tried to make his tone as sincere as possible, "I'm sorry, I mean no harm. I'm just very curious about your identity, because... here in Midgard, mortals shouldn't know so much about Asgard."

"Mr. Fang Mo is a technical consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D.,"

Seeing that Thor was willing to speak, Coulson quickly interjected, "He is a powerful sorcerer from an ancient country of the East. Together, we are dedicated to protecting this world from harm."

"..."

Fang Mo glanced at Coulson silently.

Unexpectedly, Coulson also looked back at him, his eyes showing a pleading expression.

"...Alright."

Fang Mo shrugged. He really didn't care much about these titles. Besides, Coulson had a gentle personality and was easy to get along with, just like in the original story. It wasn't impossible for him to do Coulson a favor.

"You are a mage?"

Upon hearing this, Thor suddenly seemed to recall something, "My father once told me that although mortals in Midgard are weak, a few of them have mastered profound magic. For generations, they have protected Earth from the threat of interdimensional beings. The strongest among them is said to be called the Sorcerer Supreme, possessing the power to predict the future... So, are you the Sorcerer Supreme?"

"?"

Hearing this, Coulson also turned to look at Fang Mo with a bewildered expression.

He hadn't expected Fang Mo to be so powerful that even the gods of Norse mythology respected him.

However, before Coulson could be happy for long, Fang Mo's words plunged him back into bewilderment.

"What? Sorcerer Supreme?"

Fang Mo spread his hands and said, "Isn't the Sorcerer Supreme the Ancient One? What does that have to do with me?"

Hearing this, both Coulson and Thor were stunned.

The reason Thor was stunned was simple: in his opinion, Fang Mo knew a lot about Asgard.

And although Thor had lost his divine power, he could still tell that Loki was somewhat afraid of Fang Mo, which proved that Fang Mo's strength couldn't be weak. Perhaps he was the strongest among these mortals, the one he had heard of, the Sorcerer Supreme.

However, as for Coulson, he was now truly having a headache.

Initially, after hearing Thor's words, Coulson thought Fang Mo was the Sorcerer Supreme, but now it seemed he wasn't.

That was a bit troublesome. He hadn't expected such a powerful mage to be hidden on Earth.

Of course, according to Thor, this Sorcerer Supreme was also benevolent and protected the world. But the problem was, if this Sorcerer Supreme could hide himself, could some evil beings also hide themselves?

Moreover, S.H.I.E.L.D. had no idea what those interdimensional beings that the Sorcerer Supreme fought against were. What if this Sorcerer Supreme accidentally slipped up one day?

Thinking this way, Earth might not be as safe as he imagined.

Unlike Coulson, Thor hadn't thought that far. He said directly, "Even if you are not the Sorcerer Supreme, you must be a powerful mage."

"Your temper has improved a lot compared to before."

Fang Mo smiled upon hearing Thor's statement, "It seems being banished to mortal form wasn't entirely without its benefits. At least you've learned politeness."

"It's a shame I learned it too late."

Thor lowered his head sadly, "I have failed my father's expectations. Perhaps I am indeed not qualified to be a wise ruler of Asgard..."

"Well... there are many kinds of kings, you know."

Fang Mo thought for a moment, then said, "Some kings are valiant warriors who bring territory and wealth to their people. Some kings love peace, and their kingdoms are filled with song and dance all day long. So, kings aren't all cast from the same mold. Everyone has their own personality and ideas..."

"Actually, in my opinion, as long as a ruler is loved and respected by their people, and has been true to their subjects, they can be called a wise ruler."

"You're right."

Thor nodded. "I've already thought about it. Once war breaks out, Asgard's warriors are bound to suffer heavy losses. Like me, they have their own families and friends."

"The warriors of Asgard can fight and die to protect our home. We do not fear sacrifice, for it is filled with glory."

"But initiating war is shameful... My people would be fighting and dying senselessly for my personal desires. Their loved ones would be heartbroken. I have failed my subjects. My father was right; this is such a greedy and selfish act."

"...It seems you've changed quite a lot."

After hearing Thor's words, Fang Mo looked at him with surprise.

Honestly, he even suspected that if Thor tried to lift Mjolnir again now, he might actually be able to.

It seemed Loki had really messed up. His deceitful words to Thor were meant to push him further down, but he hadn't expected Thor to start reflecting on his own mistakes. He was not far from regaining his divine power now.

"It's a pity I changed too late."

Thor sighed, then dejectedly lowered his head. "My father is dead. I have no chance to prove my change to him..."

"At least you can still uncover the truth."

Fang Mo smiled.

"The truth?"

Thor looked up in astonishment. "What do you mean?"

"As the Allfather, do you really think Odin would die so easily?" Fang Mo asked. "Or, from another perspective, don't you find Odin's death very suspicious?"

"This..."

With Fang Mo saying all that, if Thor still didn't understand, he'd be an idiot. "You mean there's something wrong with my father's death? But... I've already been banished. What should I do?"

"You should ask yourself that question."

Fang Mo smiled. "If your friend made the same mistake as you and was banished here, what would you do?"

"One should atone for their mistakes, but I would visit my friend in private..."

Thor said it almost without thinking, but then he suddenly realized it and looked at Fang Mo in disbelief.

However, Fang Mo had already turned and left, leaving only his faint silhouette behind.