The solemn atmosphere of the hall settled down, and Thor obediently shut his mouth and stood aside. The golden divine light flowing through the temple was gentle yet majestic, falling on Odin on the throne.
The old god-king's gaze was as deep as the sea, his single eye, weathered by time, staring silently at Rimuru. There was no surprise, no astonishment, only a calm that seemed to know everything.
"I have already seen the myriad phenomena of the Nine Realms and all living beings in the starry sea through Heimdall's eyes."
Odin's voice was deep and resonant, carrying an ancient and majestic aura, slowly echoing throughout the entire hall.
"Your existence exists outside of this world, not bound by the destiny of this galaxy. You are a disciple of the Ancient One, possessing knowledge of the secrets of time and foresight into future variables; you are the most unique outsider in this world."
He didn't beat around the bush; he went straight to the point.
From beginning to end, he was fully aware of Rimuru's special nature, his background, and his connection to the lineage of the Sorcerer Supreme.
My visit to Asgard today is not a spur-of-the-moment trip, but rather a purposeful one, a journey with answers to the future.
Now that Odin had revealed his hand, Rimuru was no longer bothered to pretend to be confused or hide anything. He straightened his expression and looked directly into the eyes of the God-King.
"Since even the God-King understands, I'll be frank."
"I've come to Asgard specifically to make a deal with you that could change the fate of the Asgard."
Rimuru spoke with certainty, each word clear and unvarnished.
"Your life is about to end, and your lifespan is nearing its end. Once you perish and the seal is broken, Hela who has been suppressed for so long, will immediately break free of her shackles and return to Asgard."
"At that time, Ragnarok will descend, the Asgard will collapse, the divine race will be destroyed, and the Nine Realms will be thrown into turmoil."
"You know better than anyone that Thor currently immature, impulsive, and inexperienced; he's no match for Hela at all."
"In all of Asgard, no one can stop her slaughter."
"But I can. I can help you completely avert the doomsday fate of Ragnarok, preserve Asgard, and safeguard your millennia-old legacy."
"Of course—there's no such thing as a free lunch. I need to be compensated for my actions."
After those words were spoken, the entire golden temple fell into a deathly silence.
The wind suddenly stopped, and the divine light froze.
Odin, seated on his throne, fell into a long, profound silence.
He didn't care why Rimuru could see the deepest forbidden prophecies of Asgard, why he could foresee his own impending death, or why he knew of Hela's existence.
At this moment, only one thought remained in his mind: he could resolve Ragnarok.
Thor, who had been listening to the whole thing from the sidelines, had his brain completely shut down on the spot.
He froze on the spot, his pupils dilated, and his face was filled with disbelief and bewilderment.
who?
Hela?
Lady Deathstrike?
Father's daughter?
He had lived for over a thousand years. As the rightful prince of Asgard, he had heard countless epics of the Asgard and studied the history of the gods since childhood, but he had never heard of this person before!
My family actually has an older sister who's capable of destroying the entire Asgard?!
The immense shock left Thor's mind buzzing, countless questions surging within him, and he was just about to open his mouth and ask all the doubts in his heart.
The Queen Frigga beside him gently raised her hand and pressed down on his arm without making a sound. Her gentleness carried an undeniable strength, and her eyes subtly signaled him to be quiet.
Some taboos are beyond his current ability to touch or understand.
Thor swallowed back all his questions, his face filled with frustration and confusion.
In the main hall, only Odin and Rimuru in a standoff.
After a long while, Odin slowly raised his eyes, his gaze deep and thoughtful, carrying the caution and hesitation of a god-king of millennia.
Ragnarok was never a simple war, nor a catastrophe that could be crushed by force.
That was the destiny etched into Asgard, the predetermined doomsday written in the timeline of fate.
It was their destined fate from the very beginning of the Asgard.
Throughout history, all the sages of the Asgard, all the prophets, and all the deductions have always led to the same ultimate answer—annihilation.
Destined to fall, destined to collapse, destined to Ragnarok.
Does this seemingly young and naive visitor from another world truly possess the ability to reverse the destiny of the universe and overturn the predetermined apocalypse?
Odin was filled with doubt.
Seeing this, Rimuru straightened his back, raised his hand, and spoke with complete confidence and utmost composure.
"Certainly."
"If even a special being like me can't reverse this fate, then there are very few in this entire universe who can."
He leaned forward slightly, looked directly into the God King's eyes, and asked with a confident tone.
"God-King, since you know this is a certain death, a doomed fate, then why are you afraid to gamble on this one and only chance?"
These words struck Odin's deepest, most vulnerable spot.
Silence, contemplation, weighing options.
Those few seconds felt like an eternity, encompassing his entire life.
Finally, Odin slowly opened his single eye, all hesitation fading away, leaving only a resolute determination to gamble everything.
He chose to gamble.
It was not rash or impulsive.
Rather, he had already left with no other choice.
He saw things more clearly than anyone else.
After his lifespan was exhausted, Thor was still immature and incapable of shouldering great responsibilities. He was too naive and immature to bear the fate of Asgard.
Loki is perpetually troubled by his origins, stubborn, rebellious, and cunning, forever remaining outside the Asgard, filled with resentment and anger, making him utterly incapable of standing shoulder to shoulder with Thor to protect the kingdom.
Neither of his two sons was capable of shouldering great responsibilities.
Only the god-king who personally sealed Hela away truly knew the terror she possessed.
They were ruthless and merciless, their combat power overwhelming the entire Asgard legion.
Once it is born, nothing can stop it; Asgard is destined to be reduced to ashes.
The predetermined future is 100% certain annihilation.
Rimuru's arrival was the only, however faint, glimmer of hope in this inevitable death.
Rather than waiting for fate to arrive, for the country to fall and the gods to perish, and for an everlasting legacy to be destroyed in an instant,
Why not take a gamble and use outsiders to defy fate?
Odin spoke in a deep voice, his tone carrying the weight of a do-or-die resolve.
"Speak."
What kind of compensation do you want?
Rimuru lowered his head and pondered for a while, remaining silent.
Odin thought Rimuru going to ask for an exorbitant amount or that he wanted something very precious.
Rimuru looked up, appearing conflicted and bewildered.
"I haven't decided yet. How about you let me go to the treasure vault first? Anyway, I'm definitely taking the Tesseract with me. You guys have the Bifrost, so you don't need it."
"Also, I need to talk to the Dwarf King and have a suitable weapon made for one of my friends."
Odin fell silent. That's it?
You've been agonizing over this for so long, I thought you were going to empty my treasure trove! Turns out you still haven't decided what you want. Is this kid up to something again?
Rimuru saw Odin's strange expression and comforted him.
" Odin, King of the Gods, rest assured, Thor and I are inseparable brothers and close friends. Those treasures are just sitting there unused; why not take them out and put them to good use?"
"Even if Asgard ultimately falls, I can still lead Asgard people to safety. Your Majesty, you wouldn't want all the treasures you've accumulated over the years to be destroyed like this, would you?"
Odin listened to Rimuru's words without much reaction, but something about them just felt off; there was something unsettling about them.