Asgard's Invitation

The Malibu sunshine was as generous as ever, warming the terrace with a pleasant glow.

Xiao Han occupied his exclusive lounge chair, carrying out his daily, unfailing photosynthesis. Beside him, the stock of Tony Brand ice cream cones in the cooler was steadily dwindling.

As usual, Happy dutifully played the role of a silent guard in the shade.

The shriek of an engine drew nearer, but unlike Tony's flamboyant style, this sound carried a heavier force, as though it came wrapped in wind and thunder.

A gold-and-red figure landed on the beach. It was Tony. But the moment he stepped out of his armor, another strange sound came from the sky.

It was not the roar of aircraft engines, but the hum of a more ancient, more majestic energy.

Against the azure sky, the clouds seemed to be stirred by an invisible hand, slowly turning into a vortex.

A seven-colored pillar of light did not crash down violently. Instead, it descended like a staircase, carrying a sense of solemn restraint as it fell upon the beach some distance from the villa. Its energy fluctuations were clearly far more subdued than last time.

A tall, burly figure strode out of the pillar of light. Golden armor, a red cape, flowing blond hair—it was Thor.

The anger and embarrassment from when he had been punched into a cliff last time were gone from his face.

In their place was a complicated expression mixed with gravity, awkwardness, and a trace of barely perceptible nervousness.

Mjolnir was still in his hand.

But the hammer hung downward, without any hint of provocation.

Tony had just removed his helmet when he saw this, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"Whoa, Asgard's delivery service got an upgrade? This time you even know how to handle things gently?" His tone held more teasing than vigilance. After all, Thor had been beaten badly enough last time.

Thor ignored Tony's mockery and fixed his gaze directly on the relaxed figure on the terrace.

He took a deep breath as if reciting lines he had rehearsed countless times. His voice was loud, but somewhat stiff.

"Xiao Han! Mighty warrior of Midgard! I, Thor Odinson, God of Thunder of Asgard, formally invite you to Asgard by order of Odin, Father of the Gods!

"Asgard shall hold a banquet in your honor, to thank you for your... contribution to the peace of the Nine Realms!" He said the last two words somewhat reluctantly. After all, that "contribution" had mainly involved beating both him and his brother.

Xiao Han did not even raise his eyelids. He merely reached into the cooler, took out a fresh ice cream cone, and leisurely tore open the wrapper.

Tony crossed his arms, looking as though he were enjoying a show. "An Asgardian feast? Does it have ice cream? If not, I doubt this gentleman will be interested."

The muscles in Thor's cheeks twitched. Clearly, he had not prepared an answer for that question. He forced himself to continue, "Asgard has Golden Palace wine, thousand-year delicacies, and..."

Xiao Han cut off his list, taking a bite of his ice cream cone. "Is this how you people in Asgard invite guests? Making such a fuss?"

Thor was left speechless. The hand holding his hammer tightened, then relaxed. He recalled his mother Frigga's warning—"You must remain polite and patient. That mighty warrior's way of thinking... is different from ours."

Just as the atmosphere grew somewhat tense, an inconspicuous golden arm ring on Thor's wrist flickered faintly.

Frigga's gentle, wise voice reached Xiao Han's ears directly through a clever Asgardian spell, while avoiding Tony and Happy's hearing.

"Honored sir, please forgive my son's rashness. This invitation is, in truth, born of a little selfishness on my part.

"The scenery of Asgard differs greatly from that of Midgard. Certain wonders beneath the Eternal Light may perhaps benefit your... 'rest.'

"Furthermore, I have collected some little objects from throughout the Nine Realms that can subtly influence light and energy flow. Perhaps they may help relieve your boredom. Would you be willing to spare some time to come and see them?"

The transmission technique was superb. The voice rang directly within his consciousness, carrying sincerity and a temptation that was not unpleasant. Most importantly, the phrases "benefit your rest" and "little objects to relieve boredom" struck precisely where they needed to.

Xiao Han paused in the middle of eating his ice cream cone. He lifted his eyelids, and his gaze seemed to pierce through space toward distant Asgard before sweeping over the slightly uneasy Thor before him.

"Eternal Light?" He seemed somewhat interested. "Sounds better than Tony's beach, which is always getting blocked by dark clouds."

Tony: "..." What does that have to do with me?!

Xiao Han finished the ice cream cone in a few bites, stood up, and patted nonexistent crumbs from his hands. "Fine."

His tone was as casual as if he had agreed to sit at a café in the next neighborhood. "I might as well see whether this so-called Asgard has a sun worthy of its reputation."

Thor visibly relaxed and hurriedly raised Mjolnir. "Heimdall! Open the Bifrost! Receive our honored guest!"

This time, the Bifrost's pillar of light was much gentler, precisely enveloping Xiao Han and Thor. With a flash, the two vanished from the beach, leaving behind only a charred rune mark and faintly rippling air.

Tony stood where he was and scratched his head. "So he just... went to visit an alien planet? And didn't even bring a gift... Forget it. Happy! Write this down! He used up another one of my ice cream cones, and there's also the 'spatial wear-and-tear fee' for 'borrowing' my beach as a teleportation point! Same interest rate as always!"

Happy silently nodded and took out his little notebook to write it down. The boss's bills were always so creative.

Asgard, Golden Palace.

The Bifrost's light receded within the resplendent hall. Xiao Han and Thor appeared.

Odin sat upon the highest throne, his single eye examining Xiao Han below. His gaze was deep, carrying a god's majesty and a trace of barely perceptible wariness.

Asgardian nobles and generals in formal attire stood along both sides of the hall, including the Warriors Three and Sif.

They all studied this Midgardian with curiosity and reverence—the legendary man who had sent Thor flying with one punch and casually sealed the New York wormhole. The atmosphere was solemn and dignified.

By custom, Odin should have delivered a formal welcome before holding a grand banquet.

However, Xiao Han merely gave the magnificent yet somewhat oppressive hall a casual glance. His gaze lingered on Gungnir for less than half a second before he lost interest.

He turned toward the enormous archway beside them. Beyond it flowed Asgard's unique golden radiance, richer and purer than Earth's sunlight.

"The light here is decent," he remarked.

Completely ignoring Odin on the throne and the Asgardian gods filling the hall, he headed straight for the sunniest terrace outside, as though he were the master of the place.

The gods: "???"

Thor looked embarrassed and hurriedly explained to Odin, "Father! He... he may want to admire the scenery first..."

Odin's single eye twitched. His grip on Gungnir tightened, but in the end, he merely waved a hand, indicating that the banquet could wait.

He watched Xiao Han's back with a complicated expression. Frigga stood beside Odin and gave her husband a slight shake of the head, signaling him to endure it.

The banquet ultimately proceeded in an exceedingly strange atmosphere. Delicacies, Asgardian nectar, song and dance performances... Xiao Han only sampled some fruit, showed little interest in the wine, and could not even be bothered to lift his eyelids for the performances.

Most of his time was spent watching the eternally flowing golden light beyond Asgard's windows, as if comparing it to California sunshine.

The Asgardian gods stared in disbelief. Never had anyone treated an Asgardian feast with such neglect. Thor sat on pins and needles, forced to drink heavily to hide his embarrassment.

Only Frigga maintained her gentle smile throughout, though the light of wisdom flowed deep within her eyes.

After the banquet ended hastily, Frigga personally led Xiao Han away from everyone else under the pretense of showing their honored guest Asgard's collection of "curiosities." She brought him to her private courtyard deep within Asgard, filled with soft magical radiance.

The place was exceptionally quiet. Only the rustling of strange flowers and plants stirred by a magically simulated breeze could be heard, along with an even richer, gentler pillar of golden light gathered and cast down from special crystals atop the courtyard.

"Please forgive the tedious formalities earlier, sir." Frigga dismissed all the attendants, leaving only the two of them in the courtyard. The gentle smile faded from her face, replaced by deep worry and sincerity.

"Does this 'Eternal Light,' gathered and filtered through the crystals, suit your preference better?" Frigga asked softly. At the same time, she took several items from an exquisite hidden cabinet.

They were not weapons or precious treasures, but strange gemstones and crystals that could indeed subtly influence light and emit comfortable energy fluctuations. Among them was that dark metallic badge.

Xiao Han picked up the badge and sensed it for a moment, then nodded. "More pleasant to look at than Odin's serious face."

Frigga gave a faintly bitter smile. She took a deep breath, looked earnestly at Xiao Han, and voiced her request concerning the Dark Tide, the shadow of Ragnarok, her own fate, and her hope that he might offer Thor a little guidance or assistance if possible in the future.

Her voice was low and sincere, filled with the helplessness and deep love of both a seer and a mother.

Xiao Han toyed with the badge as he listened to Frigga's account, his expression unchanged. Only after she finished and looked at him with hopeful unease did he raise his eyes.

"Queen of the Gods," his voice remained flat, "your prophecy and motherly love are moving.

"But what is the price?" He shook the badge in his hand. "This little trinket barely counts as an admission ticket.

"Guiding that hotheaded son of yours is a long-term and troublesome job. It costs me energy I could be using to bask in the sun. Asgard... or you, what else can you offer?"

Frigga looked into those calm, rippleless eyes that seemed capable of seeing through everything and knew that empty promises and divine glory meant nothing.

After a moment of silence, she removed an extremely fine, nearly invisible silver chain from around her neck. Its pendant was a teardrop-shaped transparent gemstone, within which something like a nebula seemed to flow.

"This is my Starlight Tear." Frigga's voice carried a trace of reluctance, but even more resolve. "It cannot fight, nor can it defend. But it can record light... the purest light.

"If you wear it, then in places where you feel the sunlight is insufficient, perhaps you may draw from it a trace... of the source aura of Asgard's Eternal Light. It is faint, but enduring.

"This is the most precious price related to light that I can offer personally."

Xiao Han accepted the necklace. When his fingertips touched the Starlight Tear, he could clearly feel the pure light energy within it. Though not abundant, it was of extremely high quality, like solidified sunlight.

He put away the necklace with satisfaction. "Deal." His words were brief. "I'll take the items. As for your precious son... that depends on my mood. And on how long Asgard's 'Eternal Light' can keep me in a good mood."

Having said that, he did not spare Frigga another glance. He turned and walked toward the brightest spot in the courtyard, closed his eyes, and felt the filtered golden light, richer and purer than California sunshine, as well as the subtle benefits brought by the two new little trinkets.

Frigga remained where she was, watching him swiftly enter a state of "rest," her heart filled with mixed emotions. The price had been paid, and she had obtained an almost impossible promise.

She could not see clearly what the future held, but at least... she had left Thor a faint ray of hope that transcended Asgard's fate.

Asgard's golden light flowed on, and the courtyard was tranquil. Only the "Sun's Son" from Midgard continued his unchanging pursuit beneath foreign divine light—drawing strength and enjoying peace.

And Asgard's profound destiny seemed to have stirred with a faint, unpredictable ripple because of it.