No one knew what Li Yue and Odin talked about, but after a full hour, Li Yue came out of Odin's palace with a smile on his face. His goal was basically achieved.
"Li Yue, how was it? What did you discuss with father? What was all those stuff about?"
Frigga and Thor didn't wander too far from the audience chamber, and Thor kept his eyes glued on the entrance. He immediately rushed at Li Yue when Li Yue stepped out, eager to know the details of Odin and Li Yue's conversation.
"I'm sorry, but your father told me to keep the content of this conversation secret. I can't reveal a word of it to you, but I trust that your father will tell you everything in the future!" Li Yue shook his head helplessly at the impatient Thor.
Thor felt a sharp squeeze in his heart. Li Yue's evasive attitude only fostered his curiosity, but since his father had asked Li Yue to keep it a secret, he couldn't really push any further.
"That's right, your father and I have reached an agreement. He agreed to my conditions and allowed me to pick a treasure from Odin's Vault," Li Yue said joyfully, a wide smile on his face.
Li Yue didn't expect that Odin would readily agree to his condition to take a treasure from the vault. He didn't even have to pay any price in return; Odin simply requested to guide Thor on the correct path to become a true king and help Thor when the God of Thunder was in trouble.
These conditions might as well be free for Li Yue. He had already planned to interact with Thor anyway...
"Really? My father agreed to let you enter the vault and take a treasure away?" Thor was taken aback. Even Thor, Odin's own son, had to accrue outstanding achievements before Odin allowed him to take the Mjolnir from Odin's Vault.
Yet Li Yue had been afforded the same treatment in exchange for some information. Thor felt somewhat indignant and glared at Li Yue with jealous eyes.
"Oh, right; your father also instructed you to take me to the vault. Please, lead the way!"
Li Yue's sentences only stoked the anger in Thor's heart. Not only had Li Yue been given the unparalleled privilege of taking a treasure out of his father's vault, but he also had to personally escort Li Yue. If Li Yue had not helped him before, he would've smashed the human with his hammer. How vexing!
However, Thor couldn't defy his father's instruction. He suppressed his violent thought and limited himself to glaring at Li Yue before storming towards Odin's vault, ignoring whether Li Yue could follow him or not.
Li Yue simply smiled as he followed Thor, who was throwing a childish tantrum. He thought to himself about what treasure he should pick. It was difficult to choose just one!
Thor and Li Yue walked in silence, keeping their thoughts to themselves. Only after Thor suddenly stopped in front of Li Yue that Li Yue realize the tall gate that they had arrived in front of.
The resplendent gate was more than ten meters tall. There were two guards guarding the gate, each of them almost two meters tall. They held silver spears in their hand and were clad in similarly gleaming silver armor, their imposing stature and sharp eyes discouraged others from looking at them.
"Welcome, Your Highness Thor! May I ask why you are here?"
The two guards bowed respectfully when they noticed Thor, the prince of Asgard, approaching them.
"Father has ordered me to bring him here and let him choose one treasure!" Thor replied in a deep voice after returning the guards' salutations.
The guards didn't say anything when they heard Thor's reply. They simply extended their hands and placed their palms on the door, slowly opening the massive golden door and revealing the somewhat gloomy hall within.
"This way, Your Highness!" The guard said to Thor, sparing no glances at Li Yue.
Thor walked into the hall without hesitation, and Li Yue hurriedly followed behind. This was obviously the first time that Li Yue had seen Odin's vault with his own two eyes, so he couldn't help but be curious.
The door slowly closed behind the two.
"Who was that guy? To think that someone had actually obtained Allfather's approval to take a treasure out of the vault!"
The two guards' expressions suddenly changed after the door closed behind them. Their intimidating faces were replaced by ones brimming with curiosity.
"I don't know; I have never seen that person before. He couldn't be one of us Asgardian. It's unthinkable what kind of contribution he had to make to be awarded a treasure. How enviable—if only I could go in and take a treasure myself!"
The other guard replied, whispering.
"Hah, wake up! It's still broad daylight!"
"Can't you let me have my dreams?!"
...
Within the vault, Li Yue discovered that the walls around him would light up with soft golden light. It wasn't very bright, but it was enough to properly illuminate the room.
"Damn, that's pretty hi-tech. Does it have proximity sensors?" Li Yue thought in his heart.
Li Yue then recalled about the two guards just now and asked Thor, who was walking in front of him.
"Thor, how come it is so easy to enter the vault? Why didn't the guards interrogate us?" Li Yue asked curiously.
In the TV shows that he watched in his previous life, all treasure vaults are always guarded tightly. Anyone who as much as approached the place must be carefully questioned, and there were many traps to deter intruders within. Take one wrong step, and they would be turned into a hedgehog by countless arrows.
But this place only had two guards, and they only asked simple questions before letting him and Thor through. Never mind an interrogation, they didn't even ask for any identifications or permits from Li Yue...
On the way to the vault, Li Yue realized that Odin had only given him a verbal promise to take a treasure from the vault without any physical proof. Li Yue couldn't help but suspect that Odin was tricking him.
He wanted to go back and ask Odin for proof, but they already walked halfway to the vault, so he could only continue to follow Thor. He didn't expect to get through the guards so easily.
"Why would they need to? This is Asgard. Nothing escapes from my father's sight in here."
Thor's anger toward Li Yue had already dissipated. He realized how childish his jealousy was.
"Any intruders that tried to invade this place would immediately be discovered by my father, who need only to send the command to the Destroyer... cough cough, anyway, nobody could hide from my father!"
Thor must've remembered that he was the one who destroyed the Destroyer Armor halfway through his sentences. Its wreckage was still stranded on Earth; he forgot to collect it. He awkwardly changed the topic.
"The vault is just down these stairs! Behold and be amazed at my father's prized collections!"
Li Yue didn't tease Thor and simply followed the God of Thunder down the stairs. What awaited him under the stairs made his eyes light up immediately!