As Thor finished speaking, an eerie silence fell over the room.
Everyone seemed to have been put on pause, with only heavy breathing echoing in the empty void.
The word "resurrection" carried too much weight, enough to crush the nerves of all of them who were stretched to their limit.
"What... do we need to do?"
It was Peter Parker who broke the silence.
His voice was somewhat hoarse, and his eyes beneath the mask were fixed on Thor, as if trying to detect even the slightest hint of falsehood in him. "Or rather, what are the conditions?"
Thor's gaze fell on the young hero; he admired Peter's resilience.
"That depends on how much you can contribute to my city."
Thor's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable certainty. "I have a specific set of standards, you'll see when you get there. Once you meet those standards, I can grant your wishes."
"So..." Peter Parker reacted quickly, raising his hand as if to answer a question in class, "It's like collecting all seven Dragon Balls to summon Shenron and make a wish? We work for you, earn enough 'contribution points,' and then we can make a wish, is that what you mean?"
Thor gave Spider-Man an approving look; the kid's analogy, while a bit... down-to-earth, was indeed quite apt.
"That's right, that's roughly the situation." He gave a slight smile. "Of course, I won't force anyone. Those who want to come with me can go; those who want to stay can stay."
"Hold!"
A rude curse rang out. Wolverine Logan scratched his messy hair with his undamaged left hand and said irritably, "I'll go with you. There's not a blade of grass to be found on Earth right now. Are we going to stay here and eat dirt?"
He looked Thor up and down, then changed the subject. "And, do you have alcohol there?"
Thor looked at the wild man and said:
"Never mind. However, as long as you have the ability, supporting yourself is not a problem. As far as I know, there are many 'yous' in my city who make money by fighting in arenas."
"Fighting?" Wolverine Logan's weathered face instantly broke into a ferocious grin, revealing a set of white teeth. "That's something I'm good at."
Magik and Black Panther T'Challa behind him exchanged a glance and nodded slightly.
The choice is obvious: there's no point in staying on this desolate planet. It's better to go to a place where the strong gather and seek new possibilities.
Strange and Wang huddled together and whispered a few words.
"Our duty is to protect the Sanctum Sanctorum, but now that Earth is gone, what are we supposed to protect?" The king's expression was very realistic.
Strange sighed, finally making his decision. He looked at Thor and said in a deep voice, "We'll go with you."
Needless to say, the Classic Loki was even more indifferent. He didn't even bother to speak, but simply unscrewed his thermos and took another sip, his eyes behind his glasses remaining calm and still.
He had long been Thor's helper. Although he felt that he, as a "veteran," was about to be squeezed out of the inner circle, following this "brother" whose strength was unfathomable was always the right thing to do.
His girlfriend, Lena Sigyn, an ordinary mortal, could not possibly survive in such a godforsaken place, so naturally she went wherever Loki went.
Black Swan Yabbat's icy red eyes lingered on Thor for a long time.
The scales in her heart had completely tipped.
Observing the apocalypse is certainly her mission, but the man before her is himself a "miracle" more worthy of observation than any cosmic end.
She felt it was time to change her bets.
"I need to go back and take care of some matters concerning the Order first." Black Swan Yabbat's voice was cold, yet carried an undeniable decisiveness. "I'll come find you after I've taken care of them."
As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her hand and made a gesture in front of her, and a spatial portal shimmering with a ghostly blue light appeared out of thin air.
Without the slightest hesitation, she stepped inside, her figure vanishing instantly.
Doctor Octopus and Ultron, a mad scientist and an artificial intelligence that once tried to destroy the world, are now working in perfect harmony.
They exchanged a glance, understanding each other's choice from the data streams and their eyes—to join.
For those who pursue knowledge and evolution, the power Thor has displayed is an unprecedented treasure trove.
In the blink of an eye, only Peter, Jessica, and Jean remained on the field.
Peter hesitated almost without a second thought.
When the word "resurrection" came out of Thor's mouth, his world was turned upside down.
Uncle Ben, Aunt May... those two kind faces lingered in his mind.
If there were even a one in ten thousand chance to make up for his greatest regret, he would be willing to pay any price for it.
"I'll join!" he said decisively.
Jessica Jones glanced at Peter beside her, whose eyes were filled with determination, and then at Thor not far away.
For the first time, a complex struggle was revealed on her usually icy face.
She spoke, her voice a few decibels hoarseer than usual. "Can someone who's long dead... do that too?"
Thor's gaze pierced through the void, as if seeing into the deepest, most hidden pain in her heart.
"You want to resurrect your parents, right?" he stated calmly. "No problem. As long as you have enough Contribution Points, you can resurrect anyone."
Jessica Jones's body jolted almost imperceptibly, her tightly clenched fists slowly loosened, and finally turned into a barely audible sigh.
"Good."
Now, all eyes are on the last person—Jean Grey.
She seemed somewhat lost.
Unlike Peter and Jessica, her life was cut short by the end of the world.
The students and teachers at Xavier Institute were more like familiar strangers to her, far from the kind of mutual dependence she felt for Peter and Jessica.
She slowly raised her head, her eyes, once consumed by black flames, now clear and resolute, staring directly at Thor.
"I have conditions."
Thor gestured for her to continue.
Jean Grey took a deep breath and said clearly, "First, you need to provide permanent shelter for Peter and Jessica. I don't care what they do in the future, you must guarantee their safety, and at the very least, don't let anything happen to them on your turf."
"No problem." Thor agreed without even thinking.
Just kidding, who would dare cause trouble in his Knowhere now?
Putting everything else aside, those three Kryptonian all their time Sun are enough to give trouble to any troublemakers.
Not to mention he now has an Superman brain— Batman— providing him with advice from behind the scenes.
Add to that Franklin and the Classic Loki, two monsters beyond compare, and Phoenix, whom he's about to win over... his backing is incredibly strong now.
Hmm... that lazy bum Death could barely be considered half a backer.
Thor completely ignored the slightly displeased look that Tetiyu was giving him.
Seeing his quick agreement, Jean Grey continued, "Secondly, I can help you, but our relationship is one of cooperation. You can't ask me to do things I don't want to do, and you certainly can't use Peter and Jessica to blackmail me."
"No problem." Thor nodded again. "Anything else?"
Jean Grey shook her head. "That's all."
Thor watched her with interest, then suddenly asked a question, "Don't you need to resurrect your parents?"
Jean Grey glanced at Thor, her eyes filled with an innate pride, and said calmly, "I can do it myself."
Thor smiled.
He liked the answer.
He extended a hand towards Jean Grey.
"Then, welcome to Frost City, Jean."
"I think you'll really like it there."