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Once again, Frigga's words captivated Ivan. His knowledge of Frigga was limited to the movies, aware that she was killed during the dark elves' invasion in "Thor: The Dark World." The specifics of her abilities remained unclear. Now, it seemed she could discern truth and even predict the future. Ivan had sent the potion to Odin, hoping to earn favor from Asgard, anticipating it might be crucial in saving Frigga at a critical moment.
Odin, trusting his wife deeply, had fought for most of his life, with Frigga playing a significant role in his survival. While accepting the potion, Odin pondered Frigga's last words about the potion being likely used in the future. Though not formidable in combat, Frigga excelled in witchcraft and wielded significant influence. Odin respected her words as possibly inadvertent predictions, choosing to heed them.
The potion's function was revival, implying potential deaths in the future. However, its precious nature raised the concern of who would qualify to use it. Sensing an ominous feeling, Odin expressed his appreciation for the gift but offered something in return. He assured Ivan that any request, regardless of nature, would be fulfilled.
Ivan hesitated, considering a refusal, but mindful of Odin's status, he swallowed his objection. Struggling to make a request, he glanced at Odin, who had received a bottle of Phoenix blood medicine from the woman. Inspiration struck.
"Your Majesty, venerable God King, I must be honest. This potion is crafted using the essence extracted from the blood of a Phoenix mythical beast. Due to a fortuitous event, its bloodline is transforming. While this process is time-consuming, a shortcut exists. If Your Majesty possesses a ray of divine flame, it can serve as an initiation. As Asgard is the kingdom of gods, I wonder if you have such a divine fire. If so, I humbly request that His Majesty provide me with a spark to aid my Phoenix friends in completing their transformation expeditiously."
After a brief contemplation, Odin nodded, "I can offer you a wisp of the flame of eternal fire. It originates from the flame giant Surtur, constituting the source of his eternal energy. It will undoubtedly meet your requirements."
"Thank you very much for the generous gift from His Majesty, the God King. I appreciate your kindness on behalf of my Phoenix friends," Ivan expressed with gratitude. The unexpected rewards at the outset filled him with anticipation, believing that the wealth of knowledge in Asgard would not disappoint him.
Upon Odin's departure, someone escorted Eliot away. He would face punishment as a deserter, but Ivan refrained from commenting, recognizing it as an internal matter within Asgard.
...
Becoming a guest of Asgard due to the potion, Ivan received special treatment. Goddess Frigga arranged a luxurious residence for him and assisted a beautiful maid.
Seizing an opportunity, Ivan assembled a cross-space communication device using the backpack's parts. Consuming a space energy crystal, he sent a message to the Red Queen on Earth, explaining his situation and requesting her to inform Shaw, Kyle, Tina, and others not to worry. Ivan embarked on a new learning journey in earnest.
Dedicating himself to the vast ocean of Asgardian knowledge, Ivan aimed to acquire a new knowledge system from scratch. Although it was anticipated that he would take considerable time to acclimate, Ivan astonished everyone by surpassing the average Asgardian in just one month.
Besides essential activities like eating and sleeping, Ivan spent every waking moment studying. His refusal to waste even a minute left an impression of determination and, at times, evoked a sense of fear and awe. Initially, Thor's defeat had earned Ivan's disapproval from the four warriors and others. However, witnessing Ivan's enthusiasm for learning altered their perspectives. As Ivan once stated, he was a researcher and scientist, and those who ardently pursued knowledge were mutually respected to a certain extent.
Half a year flew by in the blink of an eye, and Ivan experienced a profoundly fulfilling time. Learning new knowledge daily brought constant surprises. The exposure to various technologies in Asgard widened his horizons. The Asgardians could not have foreseen that Ivan would assimilate such a wealth of knowledge in just six months.
In Ivan's assessment, Asgard's technological prowess revolves around two key domains: light energy technology and space technology.
Firstly, light energy technology in Asgard is highly advanced, encompassing converting various light sources into energy, including cosmic rays.
Space technology, while less prominent, has seen development. According to Asgard's historical records that Ivan perused, Asgard initially focused on energy technology, and space technology evolved later. Ivan speculated that this development might be connected to the Tesseract.
The Tesseract, the Dragon's Treasure Jade in Asgard, is Odin's favorite treasure, often played with in his hands. Upon obtaining the space gem, Ivan hypothesized that they advanced Asgard's space technology by studying it.
The Rainbow Bridge is integral to Asgard's technology, serving as the pinnacle fusion of light energy and space technology. While primarily used for spatial transmission, the Rainbow Bridge is Asgard's most formidable weapon. When unleashed to its maximum potential, it transforms into a destructive force capable of annihilating planets and cutting through any celestial body at will, eradicating all life.
This formidable capability of the Rainbow Bridge makes it Asgard's most potent deterrent. It solidifies Asgard's reputation as the mightiest realm in the Nine Kingdoms, discouraging other races from provoking Asgard.
Moreover, Ivan stumbled upon intriguing information concerning the World Tree in Asgard's historical data. It was divided into nine realms, and the World Tree connects them through its immense height. Asgard, seated atop the tree canopy, reaps the most power, rendering it the most powerful and noble realm.
Initially dismissing the World Tree as a fantastical creation, Ivan was surprised to discover its existence. Although less colossal than envisioned, the World Tree harnesses space power, forming nine spatial nodes connected to the nine realms. These nodes create space distortions, establishing passages allowing individuals to traverse between planets.
The World Tree piqued Ivan's curiosity. The divine tree capable of channeling space power was a rare find. Contemplating the possibility of crafting a magic wand from its branches, Ivan conducted intentional or unintentional tests. However, he realized that Asgard valued the World Tree and would not permit harm. Reluctantly, Ivan temporarily set aside his aspirations, hoping for future opportunities or branches.
Unexpectedly, the opportunity arrived sooner than Ivan had anticipated. After a day of intensive study, as Ivan prepared to head to dinner, he encountered a figure approaching him with an unsettling smile on his handsome face – Loki.
Inwardly sighing, Ivan considered Loki the last person he wanted to encounter. Throughout the past six months of his studies, Loki had persistently sought to engage Ivan for various reasons, attempting to win him over. Ivan, however, was wary of Loki's intentions and desired to avoid entanglement in the struggle for Asgard's succession.
During these six months, Ivan used his studies as a pretext to distance himself from Loki, successfully reducing their interactions. Though Loki remained persistent, continually attempting to engage Ivan in conversation, he refrained from displaying the arrogant attitude often exhibited by gods towards ordinary individuals.
"Dr. Ivan, you remain diligent as ever, working hard all day. Are you heading to dinner now? I happen to have some free time. How about I invite you? I want to discuss something with Dr. Ivan," Loki spoke with a seemingly kind smile. While most people might be deceived by his demeanor, Ivan knew better. Although he could have refused, before uttering the words, Ivan's thoughts shifted, and he found himself saying, "It's truly an honor to be invited by Prince Loki. How could I decline such graciousness? I accept."
Loki displayed a momentary surprise at Ivan's swift agreement. Despite multiple previous invitations, this was the first time Ivan had agreed.
Quickly recovering, Loki maintained his composed demeanor and smiled, "Please, follow me. I've arranged a special Asgardian wine that I hope Dr. Ivan will enjoy."
Leading the way, Loki guided Ivan not to the usual dining spot but to Loki's private palace.
As the second prince of Asgard, Loki's palace boasted superior cuisine compared to Ivan's usual fare. A maid promptly served food and wine, after which Loki waved his hand, signaling for everyone else to withdraw.
With irrelevant individuals gone, Ivan and Loki were left alone. Ivan couldn't help but sigh inwardly, sensing that this meal might not be as palatable as it seemed.