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Hearing Odin's expectations for Thor, Arthur smiled but remained silent.
Perhaps every father believes his son will surpass him, right? Then he thought of himself and felt a blankness in his mind. Even if he wanted to reminisce, there was nothing to recall.
Memories… there were just too few of them.
"Let's go," Odin's voice broke Arthur's thoughts. "I'll take you to the treasure vault."
"Let's go!" Arthur immediately shook off his gloom, eagerly looking forward to it.
Odin put his hand on Arthur's shoulder and in the next moment, they arrived at the entrance of the Asgardian treasure vault.
"This move is really impressive!" Arthur exclaimed.
"During combat, it indeed makes it hard for people to notice," Odin said with a smile. "But it depends on your opponent. Your rich combat experience and the power you've gained from the Space Stone give you the ability to teleport instantly, which you've used well. However, you still need some practice to integrate these two powers into a single skill that truly belongs to you. I'm not entirely sure about the human way of practicing, but there are people who can help you."
"Hmm…" Arthur thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I just think this move would be really fast for traveling!"
"..."
Odin suddenly felt that everything he had just said was pointless.
With a resigned glance at Arthur, he was inexplicably tempted to just poke him to death.
Arthur chuckled. "But you mentioned someone could help me? Who is it?"
"We'll talk about that later."
Odin pushed open the massive door of the treasure vault. "For now, let's pick out what you want."
"Can I touch them?" Arthur asked.
"...Yes!" Odin took a deep breath, feeling like his heart wasn't getting enough blood. Who asks such a ridiculous question when choosing treasures?
Arthur, satisfied with the answer, followed Odin into the vault.
Inside the vault, the array of treasures was dazzling. Arthur touched this one and that one… In a short time, he had already found at least three purple-grade items.
But it wasn't quite what he had expected…
Moreover, he was torn between finding a piece of equipment that couldn't currently be disassembled but might offer high rewards, or a purple item that could be disassembled now.
The former seemed to have a higher cost-benefit ratio, but what if the Disassembler's level increased in the future and allowed more items to be disassembled? Plus, based on the previous "Please be cautious about the Disassembler's level" prompt, some items were clearly not suitable for a low-level Disassembler.
But there was also the question of what level of Disassembler was suitable for disassembling what kind of equipment. There were no standards at all!
As Arthur examined the treasures, he was torn, wishing he could take all the good stuff and disassemble it later… But Odin was right there, and there was no way he'd agree to let him take the entire vault. After all, Odin was old but not senile enough to be reckless with treasures.
While searching, Arthur suddenly noticed a frosty blue chest.
He reached out to touch it, but no Disassembler prompt appeared.
With a thought, he selected Disassemble…
[This item cannot be disassembled at the moment. Please upgrade the Disassembler level! Do you want to forcefully disassemble the magical item Casket of Ancient Winters (Purple)?]
[This item is very valuable. Please choose the Disassembler level carefully!]
Casket of Ancient Winters…
Arthur knew this was a treasure of the Frost Giant race, said to be the source of their power.
That level was indeed impressive.
But Arthur's gaze was fixed on a wall ahead, where a familiar aura seemed to be lurking. With a thought, he realized, "It's the Destroyer!"
As expected, after the Destroyer was smashed to pieces by Thor, it had indeed returned to Asgard!
But Arthur wasn't sure in what form it had returned.
"This one?" Odin looked at Arthur and asked, "If it's this, then it's fine!"
Arthur hesitated for a moment, scratching his head. "I'd like to look at a few more things…"
"..."
Odin nodded.
After seeing an unknown number of items, they finally stopped in front of a peculiar object.
It was called a pen, but it was actually a bone of an unknown lifeform, crafted to resemble a pen.
Arthur reached out to touch it, but the Disassembler didn't immediately provide a prompt.
With a thought, he selected Disassemble…
[This item cannot be disassembled at the moment. Please upgrade the Disassembler level! Do you want to forcefully disassemble the magical item Pen of Thoth (Purple)?]
[This item is very valuable. Please choose the Disassembler level carefully!]
Arthur thought for a moment and asked Odin, "What is this?"
"A very magical pen."
Odin thought for a moment, then took it and made a few strokes in the air. Suddenly, layers of power waves rippled through the void. "It can contain any kind of power and is used for writing and drawing! Any text or patterns written with it possess magic and cannot be erased by any force. Unless you write them in the void itself, once written, they will remain there forever. Of course, if you remove the entire piece of land, they will also disappear."
"That's it?"
Arthur was taken aback. The Disassembler wouldn't lie; if it said the item was very valuable, it must be as valuable as the Casket of Ancient Winters. But Odin's description of its function seemed a bit weak.
"That's it…"
Odin thought for a moment and said, "You can choose something else. This pen…"
"No!"
Arthur made his decision instantly. "I want this pen!"
He chose to trust the Disassembler's hint, believing that the pen must have immense value.
And even if it couldn't be disassembled for now, it would be useful for drawing teleportation circles, which was much better than bleeding every day.
Taking the Pen of Thoth from Odin's hands, he infused it with his colorless energy. The pen immediately glowed with a faint white light.
He nodded in satisfaction and looked at Odin. "This one is perfect!"
Odin's gaze softened with kindness, and he said with a smile, "I thought you would choose the Casket of Ancient Winters."
"Hmm… I was tempted," Arthur said with a chuckle.
Odin laughed heartily. "Excellent! You are even better than I imagined— unselfish and honest about your desires. I am even more excited about your future."
Arthur blinked. Unselfish? No, I'm quite greedy, actually. If this pen didn't have immense potential, he wouldn't have chosen it.
And for some reason, as he held the pen, Arthur had a strong premonition… this pen would be incredibly useful!
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 70 chapters on my patreon and I've also activated (date to date) subscription model on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/GGS6395
As long as I reach 200 dollars on my Patreon, I will post 10 extra bonus chapters per month in batches of 5 for that month. If I reach 300 dollars then I will post 15 extra bonus chapters in batches of 5 for that month. If I reach 400 dollars then I will post 20 extra bonus chapters in batches of 5 for that month. So come and support me.
After leaving the Asgardian treasure vault, Arthur began to twirl the Pen of Thoth in his hand. This little trick was something he had played with in school.
Odin glanced at him and smiled, "When Loki was younger, he loved to scribble and draw with this pen. His talent for mischief was innate."
Arthur held the pen and asked, "Where did he go?"
Odin shook his head and did not answer. Instead, he looked at Arthur and asked, "Do you… have an answer now?"
The last time they met, Odin had asked Arthur what kind of person he wanted to become.
At that time, Arthur had no answer, but now he smiled and said, "I want to become a free man!"
Odin gazed at Arthur, and after a moment of contemplation, he spoke, "Can the shackles in your heart be severed?"
"How will I know if I don't try?" Arthur smiled and said, "Of course, it's not about avoiding anything, just about being fearless."
Shackles form when the heart is burdened and cannot find release.
In the past, Arthur avoided many things, believing that surviving would gradually make him stronger, strong enough to face anything.
But the reality proved that such a choice only made the shackles in his heart heavier.
With so many burdens, how could one be courageous and diligent?
Therefore, severing the shackles in the heart, freeing oneself from inner constraints, and maintaining one's bottom line and desires without restriction would make one unstoppable!
After carefully considering Arthur's words, Odin suddenly smiled. "Well said. I hope you can achieve unity of knowledge and action."
Arthur blinked, and before he could speak, Odin continued, "There is someone who wishes to meet you. Would you like to go?"
"Your old friend?" Arthur thought for a moment and asked, "Will it benefit me?"
"My old friend is very interested in your spatial abilities and inherent strength," Odin said calmly. "If you're willing, they might offer you some guidance."
"Then I'll go!"
Arthur didn't hesitate too long. Odin's old friend was likely the one from Kamar-Taj.
He just wasn't sure whether it would be a bald woman or an old man with a white beard.
"A wise choice," Odin said. "This will help you address the most important shortcoming you have. When you leave, I'll have Heimdall send you directly to Kamar-Taj."
"Hmm?"
Arthur was puzzled, just about to ask what the shortcoming was when he heard Odin say, "I hope you can become friends with my son. He needs friends like you…"
With that, Odin's figure vanished.
Immediately, Thor jumped down from the sky with a hammer in his hand and said. "I think I just saw my father."
"The old man might need to rest," Arthur shrugged. "I'm about to leave soon."
"Why don't you have a drink then? We will drink before your departure!"
"Sure."
...
...
The wine in Asgard was quite impressive, far superior to the so-called 'rare wines' collected by Star-Lord.
Thor's personality was as bold as his appearance. The wooden goblets clinked as they drank, each gulping down a full cup.
Arthur had never been afraid of drinking, and Thor could hold his liquor as well. The two of them exchanged cups and drank for the whole afternoon, neither able to outlast the other.
"You're even more formidable than I imagined!" Thor said earnestly. "Although I never felt I needed protection, I still want to thank you for protecting me."
"When you get used to protecting others, you become indifferent to others' protection," Arthur smiled. "I don't intend to accept your thanks because your father has already given me something better."
With that, he took out the Pen of Thoth.
---
"This was Loki's favorite toy when he was younger. Every time, Father had to use his power to erase those doodles," Thor said with a hint of melancholy. "I don't really understand why this happened. Everything was fine before we went to Jotunheim. But now, even though only a few days have passed, it feels like centuries have gone by."
Arthur tapped his fingers lightly on the table and said, "Maybe something happened while you were away that you don't know about."
Thor sighed lightly. "Then I'll find him and ask him what happened."
Arthur blinked and thought, why not ask your father? But seeing Thor's expression, he knew it wouldn't make a difference. Once Thor had decided on something, he wouldn't change his mind.
With a grin, Arthur said, "I'm leaving now."
"Thank you!"
Thor raised his glass. "To my Earth friend."
"You'll have many Earth friends in the future."
Arthur tilted his head and turned to leave.
"Wait!"
Thor suddenly called out to Arthur, who turned back to look at him.
Thor's expression was troubled, and after a while, he awkwardly asked, "Who is that hammer blondie you kept saying? Does he look a lot like me?"
Arthur blinked, and after a moment of silence, he replied, "The hammer blondie is a fascinating person, constantly changing and often acting thoughtlessly. The things that happen around him always catch him off guard… In short, he's someone whom fate plays tricks on regularly! You and he… are similar in some ways."
Thor nodded seriously after hearing this. "I see…"
What a load of nonsense!
Arthur almost burst out laughing. It's so much fun to fool a god!
Putting on a serious face, he waved goodbye. "See you!"
"Asgard will always welcome you!"
With that, he thought for a moment and then stood up. "Never mind, I'll see you off."
---
From Asgard to the Bifrost Hall, the only mode of transportation was a horse… Of course, Thor sometimes preferred to use his hammer for faster travel.
However, for a farewell, speed wasn't essential, so he arranged a horse for Arthur. The two of them made their way to the Bifrost Hall.
At the entrance of the hall stood Heimdall, who had already restored his injuries and was waiting with his hands behind his back.
Arthur and Thor dismounted, and Thor said, "Heimdall, see our friend off to wherever he wants to go."
Heimdall nodded and then looked at Arthur. "Thank you for everything you've done for us."
"Don't mention it."
Arthur grinned.
Then the two of them looked at each other in silence.
Thor wondered what was going on. Finally, Heimdall spoke first. "The All-Father asked me to send you to Kamar-Taj."
Arthur nodded. "Yes, let's go then."
"So, return the Guardian Sword to me."
Heimdall looked helpless. "How can I open the Bifrost for you without the sword?"
---
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