In distant Asgard, the gatekeeper Heimdall stood atop the observatory, both hands resting on his great sword as he watched every movement across the Nine Realms. Earlier, to stop Loki from forcibly destroying Jotunheim, homeland of the Frost Giants, Thor had smashed the Bifrost apart with Mjolnir.
Under the impact of the enormous energy tide, the Bifrost fractured and shattered, plunging the Nine Realms into chaos and turmoil. For Asgard, the Bifrost forged ages ago held immense significance. It was itself a powerful strategic weapon, capable at critical moments of drawing upon vast energy tides to destroy an entire planet directly, just as Loki had attempted to exterminate the Frost Giants of Jotunheim.
More importantly, the Bifrost was one of the safeguards of Asgard's ruling status. With its advanced spatial transportation technology, Odin could extend his authority into every corner of the Nine Realms at any time. Should anyone dare challenge Asgard's majesty and power, expeditionary legions could immediately set out and crush every petty enemy in the cradle.
All things considered, repairing the Bifrost had become Asgard's highest priority. Heimdall saw war and slaughter almost every day. Without Odin's suppression, conflicts between the various races of the Nine Realms had erupted fiercely, showing signs of growing ever worse.
Only Midgard, once remote and backward, had instead maintained a rare peace. Those seemingly frail humans had, through science and knowledge, shed the old label of a barren land.
Had Thor not returned from his travels in Midgard, Heimdall would never have believed that that primitive world, where a brilliant civilization should never have been possible, was gradually rising and developing at breakneck speed in such a short time. Compared to the five-thousand-year lifespan of Asgardians, Earth's pace of development truly was brief.
The last time Asgard descended upon Midgard, they