The golden sparks dissipated completely in mid-air. Strange remained in the position of closing the portal, a fine bead of sweat appearing on his forehead.
The four had barely landed through the iconic round window of the Sanctum Sanctorum when they found the hall packed with people.
Leading the group was a woman wearing a high-cut green combat uniform and a yellow mask. Behind her were a tall, thin man in a black and white bodysuit, a wary woman in a leather jacket with black hair, and a muscular man with stubble in a brown jacket.
Behind the stubble-faced hunk was a girl reeking of sulfur, half of her body demonized; Doctor Octopus frowning at a tube of green liquid; Black Panther T'Challa, dressed in Vibranium Suit; and... Wong meticulously sweeping the floor in the corner.
Of course, the most eye-catching person was the young man standing at the front of the crowd, holding a thermos in his hand, with an unusually calm demeanor.
The moment Thor's gaze met that of the young man, a violent ripple stirred in the man's worldly-wise eyes for the first time.
He stepped forward, ignoring the equally powerful Strange and Silver Surfer beside Thor, and even glancing briefly at the deaths of the Endless.
He walked up to Thor, his voice trembling slightly. "I knew you wouldn't abandon me, Thor."
When that line came out, Thor almost lost his composure.
He looked at the Classic Loki in front of him, who was all smiles and trying too hard to be sentimental, rolled his eyes, and slapped the man's shoulder with his large, fan-like hand. The force was so great that Loki stumbled.
"Didn't you say you were going to help those dying Asgard in the multiverse? What are you doing in this godforsaken place?"
Thor bluntly retorted, "And what's with your outfit? Are you addicted to cosplaying Gandalf?"
The almost rough and familiar interaction between the two stunned everyone present.
Spider-Man Peter Parker and Jessica Jones exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.
They were on edge, thinking these mysterious, powerful figures were new enemies, but it turned out they were just here to reunite with relatives?
Strange covered his forehead. He could already sense that Thor was troublesome enough, and now Loki, who seemed to have a close relationship with him, had arrived... The peaceful days of the Sanctum Sanctorum were probably over.
Classic Loki grimaced as Thor slapped him, but a nostalgic smile appeared on his face.
He leaned close to Thor's ear and whispered quickly, in a voice only the two of them could hear, "I have already helped one hundred and thirty-seven Asgard on the verge of destruction."
"However, in the process of helping them, I discovered a pattern. Almost every universe is destined to experience the great event of ' Ragnarok,' like an inescapable curse."
"As I traced back through ancient texts and information from various cosmic civilizations, something always felt off. Later, I vaguely sensed that there was an entity sitting in the shadows, reaping the immense energy generated by ' Ragnarok.'"
"Then, just as I was about to grasp the truth, an unknown force that I was completely powerless against teleported me directly into this universe."
Upon hearing this, Thor frowned.
Feeding on the energy of Ragnarok?
A name instantly popped into his mind— the Those Who Sit Above in Shadow!
That ancient being, whose fate's loom was severed by his Rune King self, was banished back to his homeland.
Thor cursed inwardly, "Damn it! Since he can't fleece the Prime Universe, he's starting to target these weak Asgard in the multiverse?"
However, he quickly suppressed the thought.
Fighting one enemy is one thing, fighting two enemies is another.
The most deadly threat in this universe right now is the God of Symbiotes Knull, and a Zombie Phoenix whose whereabouts are unknown.
Thinking too much will only make your mind a complete mess.
You have to eat one bite at a time, and solve problems one by one.
Thor shifted his gaze from Loki to a woman standing quietly behind him.
She was an ordinary woman with long chestnut hair and gentle yet firm eyes.
"Your... girlfriend?" Thor's tone carried a hint of teasing and gossip.
After he finished speaking, he noticed that the Classic Loki in front of him had somehow used magic to make his wrinkled old face look exactly like it did when he was young, handsome yet with a touch of evil.
Well, this guy's vanity is truly ingrained in his bones.
When Thor asked him this, a rare hint of awkwardness appeared on Loki's face, but he still readily took the hand of the woman beside him and introduced her:
"Just as you thought. She's Lena Sigyn. Lena, and this big guy is Thor, a... Thor from another universe."
Lena Sigyn simply nodded politely to Thor without saying anything, but she gripped Loki's hand tightly in return.
Thor didn't feel anything when he heard the name " Lena," but when the surname " Sigyn " came out, his heart skipped a beat.
Sigyn?
In Northern Europe mythology, this is the name of Loki's legal wife.
He glanced at Lena again without making a sound, secretly scanning her with the dozens of laws he had mastered, confirming that she was just an ordinary mortal with an extremely strong will, without any trace of divine power or Cosmic Energy, before withdrawing his gaze.
Is it a coincidence, or... destiny?
Forget it, he's too lazy to think about these romantic issues; he's more concerned about practical problems right now.
"Alright, you can show off your love later." Thor looked at Loki, his expression turning serious.
"Tell me, what's up with that Phoenix? With you watching, how could she get infected by the other side?"
His question was quite impolite, almost pointing a finger at Loki and accusing him of incompetence.
After all, in Thor's mind, although Loki's direct combat ability was only so-so, when it came to scheming and the ability to save his life and escape, he was definitely the best in the Nine Realms.
Mentioning this, Loki's face darkened, and he sighed, his voice filled with frustration:
"That Doctor Doom is holding me back; his magic and technology are perfectly combined, making him incredibly difficult to deal with. While I'm dealing with him, nobody noticed that damn rubber band... Zombie Mister Fantastic, ambushed Jean."
Thor understood.
It's that piece of shit Reed Richards again. That guy is a troublemaker on Multiverse Level. Whether he's playing the good guy or the bad guy, he always manages to mess things up in some inexplicable way.
Just as Thor and Loki were exchanging information, Strange and Wong were whispering to each other, and the atmosphere had eased slightly, a voice that was somewhat timid but unusually firm suddenly interrupted them.
"Um... although I really didn't want to interrupt your reminiscing..."
Spider-Man Peter Parker mustered his courage and stepped forward from behind Jessica Jones. He glanced at Thor, then at Loki, and finally fixed his gaze on everyone present.
"But shouldn't we now discuss how to deal with the endless zombies outside, and... the even more terrifying entity behind them?"