Sif's Death

A few hours later.

Over a hundred council members crossed the Bifrost to Asgard Continent and entered the temple.

Odin's complexion had returned to normal. He showed no sign of injury.

Once the gods were seated, Odin rose with Gungnir in hand.

"Council members, we face an unprecedented disaster. An enemy from the Panlong Galaxy has invaded through a newly formed Wormhole. I need you to send every fleet you have to reinforce us."

The gods below immediately broke into discussion.

"Isn't the Panlong Galaxy somewhere near the Milky Way?"

"Right. How did they get here? Weren't all the wormholes closed?"

"What kind of enemy could force the God King to ask us for help?"

"Was the Panlong Galaxy's chief god killed? Why else would they invade us?"

"Impossible. How could we not have heard a thing?"

As the gods grew increasingly unruly, Odin struck the floor with Gungnir.

Thud, thud. Everyone fell silent.

Odin nodded in satisfaction and said, "Every council member must send ten small Spaceships and one medium Spaceship to reinforce Asgard."

He did not ask for large Spaceships because only Asgard could build them.

Any council member who built one in secret would be charged with treason.

The gods' expressions changed at Odin's command.

Ever since the Asgardians had taken control of the Milky Way and closed every wormhole, there had been no wars to speak of—only the occasional rebellion to put down.

As a result, everyone had decided it was better to spend their money enjoying life than building Spaceships.

Now that each of them was being asked to provide so many, perhaps only a handful could manage it.

Before long, the gods began pleading poverty.

"God King, my planet has always been impoverished. We have no resources. I can't provide that many Spaceships."

"Same here. I only have three old ships from a thousand years ago in my entire hangar."

"Your Majesty, I've truly had it hard. Those wretched commoners rebelled recently and destroyed all my warships."

"You're better off than I am. I can't even afford to build a palace, let alone Spaceships."

Hearing his subordinates complain, Odin frowned deeply.

A thousand years ago, any Asgardian who heard of an invasion would have immediately given everything they had to win the war.

He had never imagined that, in just a thousand years, the descendants of the Asgardians would become so corrupt.

Shaking his head, he struck the floor with Gungnir again. "If you cannot meet the quota, I'll send people to collect an equivalent amount of resources. This meeting is adjourned!"

He had originally intended to rally them and then grant them a few more planets.

Now he had abandoned the idea.

These council members had disappointed him too much.

After the meeting, he sent word to the subordinates who had escaped back, ordering them to flee elsewhere.

That would keep Thanos from learning the coordinates of Asgard Continent so soon.

Then, enduring the pain of his injuries, he went to Thor's palace.

Thor lay in bed, pale and unconscious.

Frigga stood beside him, holding her Staff in one hand while a soft white light shone from the other.

Healing spells were not Frigga's strength, but to save her son, she had chosen to treat him herself.

Thor's injuries were so severe that only someone of Sub-Skyfather level could heal him. On all of Asgard Continent, she was the only one with that level of power who also knew healing spells.

Seeing the sweat covering Frigga's forehead, Odin's heart ached.

He stepped forward and said with concern, "Why don't you rest for a while?"

He did not know when Thanos would arrive, so preserving their strength was paramount.

He did not want to lose a Sub-Celestial Father Level fighter before the battle even began.

Frigga merely gave Odin a cool glance. She said nothing and did not stop what she was doing.

To her, Thor was her reason for living. Odin was merely the man she had married for political reasons.

To outsiders, they seemed deeply in love, a model couple. In truth, there had never been love between them—only a bargain, and even a trace of hatred.

A thousand years ago, after the leader of the Witch Clan died, powers from the other eight realms had gradually begun carving up her people's territory.

Desperate to protect her people, she had eventually agreed to marry Odin.

But after she helped Odin rule the Nine Realms, he began suppressing the Witch Clan.

He had even sacrificed the Valkyrie Clan just to exile her eldest daughter, Hela.

All because Hela had awakened the Witch Bloodline, suppressing her Asgardian bloodline. Odin feared that her blood was no longer pure.

Frigga had been pregnant with her second child at the time, so she had swallowed her hatred and watched helplessly as her daughter was exiled to an Alternate Space.

When she married Odin, they had signed a Contract stipulating that she would be his only lawful wife for life.

That meant everything in Asgard would still pass to her child one day.

She only had to wait for Odin to die of old age.

Until then, she had to endure everything he did.

That was why she had turned a blind eye even though she knew he used to fool around with other women every day.

It was not that she had failed to notice. She simply could not give Odin an excuse to tear up the Contract.

Odin felt a surge of anger at Frigga's icy gaze, but quickly suppressed it.

With a powerful enemy approaching, this was no time for infighting.

But he had no such patience for Sif, who stood nearby.

His face darkened. He raised Gungnir and fired a blast of energy.

Buzz!

Sif had never expected Odin to attack her. Caught utterly off guard, she took the hit. A gaping hole opened in her abdomen, nearly cutting her in half.

Thud. Sif collapsed to the floor, blood pouring from her mouth.

Her lips moved soundlessly as she stared at Odin, as though asking why he had killed her.

Odin lowered Gungnir and said furiously, "Who gave you the authority to bring the flagship back? Do you know what your actions cost us? The front line fell, and over a million Asgardians died! You killed them! And under the law, anyone who flees a battle is sentenced to death!"

At his words, Sif closed her eyes in bitter resignation.

Damn it. If I'd known, I never would've saved that disaster of a prince.