The Princess of Light and the Shadowed Visitor

Frigga's garden returned to silence, with only the Eternal Light flowing soundlessly.

Thor and his friends left in disgruntlement, filled with shock and confusion, along with a sliver of wounded pride from being called "dazzling."

Frigga also needed time to recover from the mental impact of that evil soul's shriek and reassess the future.

Xiao Han welcomed the peace and quiet, occupying the brightest spot in the garden alone as he sensed the subtle enhancements brought by Asgard's light and his two new "toys."

The tranquility here truly suited him better than the noisy banquet downstairs or the Golden Palace's grand hall.

Just as he was about to sink once more into the self-forgetful state of drawing in energy, an extremely faint set of footsteps, nearly blending into the sound of flowing light, came from the garden's side corridor.

Their owner seemed to be deliberately moving softly, carrying a mix of curiosity and caution.

Xiao Han did not open his eyes, but his superhuman senses had already outlined the visitor—a young woman, slender and upright, wearing silver-white light armor unlike Asgard's usual extravagant styles. Its sleek lines made it seem designed for combat rather than ornamentation.

She had long silver hair woven from moonlight, simply tied behind her head to reveal a delicate yet valiant face.

Her eyes were a rare pale violet, and they were fixed unblinkingly on Xiao Han within the pillar of light, filled with scrutiny.

It was Angela. Odin and Frigga's eldest daughter, long separated from them and only recently returned to Asgard—Thor's older sister.

An Asgardian princess raised by the Angels in Heven since childhood, with superb combat skills and an independent, even somewhat rebellious personality.

She had heard the amusing tale of the Battle of New York and Thor being punched into a cliff, and she was intensely curious as to why her mother Frigga had so solemnly invited a man from Midgard.

At the banquet, she had only caught a fleeting glimpse of him. He had seemed lazy and casual, entirely unlike the world-destroying figure described in the rumors. Now that she had avoided the others, she wanted to see for herself.

She approached without a sound, like an elegant yet wary panther, studying the man bathed in Asgard's purest pillar of light.

He looked entirely ordinary, his aura restrained to the point of near-nonexistence, as though he were merely a statue in the garden.

Yet some beastlike instinct made her faintly sense unimaginable terror beneath that tranquil exterior, like a dormant star.

She stopped around five steps away from Xiao Han. It was close enough to avoid seeming discourteous, yet far enough for her to handle any sudden situation—or so she believed.

"You're that 'Sun's Son' from Midgard?" Angela spoke. Unlike Frigga's gentle voice, hers carried a trace of chill and bluntness, like an icy spring striking stone. "You don't look... like someone who could punch my idiot little brother into a wall."

Xiao Han still did not open his eyes, as though he had not heard her.

Angela frowned slightly. His disregard displeased her. She took another small step forward, trying to get his attention. "Hey, I'm talking to you. Are people from Midgard all this ill-mannered?"

Still no response.

Angela's competitive streak was roused. She was used to being the center of attention wherever she went. Whether as a warrior of the Angels or a princess of Asgard, she had never been ignored so thoroughly.

She took a deep breath. The power within her, a fusion of Angel and Aesir strength, began to circulate faintly, and an exceedingly thin layer of sacred yet sharp radiance appeared around her—an instinctive reaction carrying a hint of provocation.

The instant that faint glow appeared—

Xiao Han, who had been resting with his eyes closed, imperceptibly furrowed his brow.

It was not because the glow was powerful, but because of its nature.

That light possessed a peculiar sharpness and purifying quality. Though incredibly weak, it was like a tiny needle attempting to pierce the absolutely tranquil, absolutely self-contained energy field around him, disrupting his efficiency in absorbing the gentle light around him.

It was like tossing a small stone into a still lake. Though insignificant, the ripples were irritating.

At last, he opened his eyes.

There was no emotion in his black pupils as he calmly looked at Angela. His gaze paused for a moment on the faint sacred radiance around her.

"Light," he said. His voice was flat and calm, yet like a cold blade, it instantly cut off the circulation of power within Angela. "Isn't meant for stabbing people."

Angela's entire body suddenly stiffened!

She had not been attacked. Rather, the sacred radiance around her, born from the Angel power within her, seemed to have had its source forcibly extinguished by an invisible force the moment his words fell. It vanished without a trace!

It had not been dispelled or suppressed. It had been completely, fundamentally... silenced! As though she had never possessed that power at all!

Her pale violet eyes constricted sharply, filled with incredulous horror!

She tried to summon her power again, only to discover that the source of the Angel power within her had fallen into the deepest sleep. No matter how she called to it, there was no response!

Only her pure Aesir power remained in motion!

How was that possible?! Just one look! One sentence?!

"What... what did you do?!" Angela's voice carried a tremor she had not even noticed herself. It was the instinctive terror brought on by having her entire power system instantly dismantled by an unknown method.

She instinctively retreated half a step and assumed a defensive stance, though she knew it might be meaningless before someone like him.

Xiao Han did not answer her question. His gaze moved away from her and returned to the crystal above, where light gathered, as though he had merely swatted away a buzzing insect with an annoying glow.

"Your light," he spoke again, his tone carrying an objective, almost harsh assessment, "is too mixed, too chaotic. Like an uncalibrated searchlight. Other than dazzling people and making noise while I sun myself, it's useless."

Too mixed? Too chaotic? An uncalibrated searchlight?!

Angela's face instantly flushed red, with both anger and embarrassment. The power she took pride in, combining the strengths of two races, was so worthless in his eyes? Merely "dazzling" and "noisy"?

But the terrifying experience of having her power completely "muted" moments ago was like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing most of her fury and leaving behind only cold lingering fear and a trace of humiliation.

She finally understood a little why even her mother and Odin were so wary of this man, and why Thor had been punched into a wall. This was not simply a difference in levels of power. It was... a difference in dimensions!

She bit her lip hard. Expressions shifted across her valiant face, but in the end, every emotion turned into deep vigilance and an indescribable sense of defeat.

She no longer tried to provoke him, nor did she speak again. She simply stared at Xiao Han with those pale violet eyes, as though trying to see through every part of him.

But Xiao Han had already completely lost interest in her. To him, this Asgardian princess was no different from those Asgardian commanders, except perhaps more troublesome—her power came with its own "noise" effect.

He closed his eyes again, focusing all his attention on absorbing and transforming the pure Eternal Light. His aura became abyssally silent once more.

Angela stood there for a long time, until she was certain he truly would not pay her any more attention. Looking at the figure immersed in the light once more, she clenched her fists until her nails dug into her palms.

In the end, she said nothing. Just as silently as she had arrived, she turned and left the garden, her footsteps far heavier than before.

Asgard's golden light continued to gently fill the garden, nourishing its flowers and grass while bathing the Sun's Son from a foreign land.

Yet amid this peaceful brilliance, there now seemed to be a shadow belonging to an Asgardian princess, carrying shock, defeat, and icy vigilance.

And Xiao Han merely felt that his ears were finally quiet. Asgard's Eternal Light was indeed quite good. It was just that there were occasionally little bugs with built-in noise, and they were rather annoying.