Authors Note-
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Ivan stood on the sand, looking at a huge circular pattern beneath his feet, adorned with numerous mysterious runes. This was a remote town in Mexico.
Two days ago, when Ivan heard Red Queen report detecting a powerful energy fluctuation and a hammer that no one could move, he knew Thor had arrived.
However, he was busy with research and only had the time to investigate now. The Rainbow Bridge left the pattern.
As evening approached, Ivan turned to look at the brightly lit town nearby. A smile appeared on his face, and he hurried.
Upon entering, Ivan immediately used his powerful mental abilities to scan the town. He quickly located his target and strode towards a restaurant.
"Welcome! What would you like to eat?" A plump woman greeted him as soon as he entered.
"Bring me a super hamburger and a glass of beer. Oh, and please send the food over there to my friends," Ivan said, pointing to a table not far away where four people sat talking, unaware of his arrival.
"Okay, please wait a moment!" The woman turned to prepare his order without asking further questions.
Ivan walked straight to the group of four: two men and two women. One man, in his forties or fifties, had an intellectual aura, clearly a researcher—Eric Selvig. The woman with brown hair, a delicate face, and big, intelligent eyes was Jane, Thor's future girlfriend. The other woman was Jane's assistant, Daisy. However, these people were not Ivan's primary concern; his focus was on the last man, a burly blonde: Thor.
Thor's presence suggested that Loki might not be far away. Despite the significant changes Loki had undergone due to Ivan's actions, Ivan believed that the world's self-correcting nature would bring the original plot to fruition. Loki still owed Ivan a branch of the World Tree, and this was a perfect opportunity to settle that debt.
"Long time no see, Thor. How did you get to Earth... uh, Midgard? And it's strange, why has your strength become so weak? It seems to be sealed. Who has the power to seal the God of Thunder?"
Thor was overjoyed to hear someone call his name. Finally, someone recognized him and mentioned Midgard. He quickly stood up and said, "Sage Ivan, it's great to see you here. I've been unlucky; no one here recognizes me, and they don't believe my identity. Can you help me?"
Before Ivan could respond, Jane asked, "Thor, who is this person? Is he your friend? And what's this 'sage' business?"
Thor, fond of Jane for her kindness, immediately explained, "He's a friend. Ivan studied in Asgard for half a year. As for the sage, in Asgard, that's a title for our top wise men, equivalent to a scientist and researcher on Earth."
Jane chuckled and said, "What's so great about scientists? Many scientists are on Earth; do you need a special title?"
"No, no! Many scientists may be on Earth, but we don't easily call someone a sage in Asgard. My father told me that Sage Ivan is one of the top scientists on Earth, and he's the only sage recognized by Asgard."
"Really?" Jane, Daisy, and Selvig were surprised, staring at Ivan. Despite his youthful appearance, they couldn't tell his age.
"You're not mistaken? He looks so young," Jane asked in surprise.
"Young? He's over a hundred years old. According to Earth standards, he's an old man."
"What!" Daisy exclaimed.
"God, this handsome guy! Can you teach me your secret to staying young? I'd even be your daughter..."
Jane interrupted Daisy before she could finish. "Okay, stop joking. If he's that powerful, why have I never heard of him? He should be famous. Is he an alien?"
Ivan wanted to save time explaining further. "Alright, don't worry about those details. Just treat me as an ordinary person who happens to be friends with Thor," he said.
Jane, however, needed help to convince. With her naturally curious and straightforward personality, she asked, "Since you said you're friends, can you explain why he appeared in that energy storm the night before last?"
"You're referring to the Rainbow Bridge. It's a teleportation method used in Asgard. Think of it like a space gate or a small wormhole. In scientific terms, it's an Einstein-Rosen Bridge," Ivan explained, casually mentioning several related formulas.
Thor looked confused, as the details were beyond his usual focus on fighting and honor. However, Jane, Daisy, and Selvig were shocked. They were knowledgeable in their fields, and the formulas Ivan mentioned aligned perfectly with the data they had observed.
The casual formulas Ivan shared benefited them greatly, making Jane, Daisy, and Selvig begin to believe that Ivan might genuinely be at the pinnacle of the scientific world.
When Ivan paused, Jane and the others were still eager to hear more, but he had already wasted too much time on them. His primary purpose was to talk to Thor. Although Ivan knew Thor had been punished and expelled to Earth by Odin, he couldn't reveal his knowledge directly.
"Because I got into trouble, I was expelled by my father. Now, my power is sealed, and I lost my weapon, Mjolnir. I'm just an ordinary person now, so my priority is to find my hammer," Thor said.
The pain of losing his strength was driving Thor crazy. Since arriving on Earth, everything has gone wrong. First, he was hit by a car, then subdued with a tranquilizer in the hospital. Thor, who had lived for over 1,500 years, had never felt so humiliated.
"I know where your hammer is," Ivan said.
"What! You know? Tell me where it is, and I'll return it immediately." Thor nearly jumped up in excitement.
"Mjolnir is 50 kilometers west of here, but I don't think you can get it back right now. If your father, Odin, set the seal himself, you will unlikely break it without proving yourself worthy. You must understand why your father punished you, correct your mistakes, and become the true Thor. Then the hammer will come to you on its own."
Unfortunately, Thor was too eager to listen to Ivan's advice. Learning the hammer's location, he couldn't wait any longer and turned to leave.
Ivan quickly grabbed Thor's arm. "Hold on. You can't just run 50 kilometers even if you want to go. You need to get a car, at least."
Thor sat back, slightly embarrassed. "Well, can you take me there?"
"Of course, but the area is blocked by the army. If you go in, they will likely arrest you, and you might not be able to get out."
"No one can stop Thor from reclaiming his weapon. Once I get Mjolnir, my strength will be restored, and everything will be fine."
"It seems you won't give up unless you try. I have other things to do and can't take you myself, but here's a compromise."
Ivan handed a signed check to Jane, Daisy, and Selvig. "Please take care of my friend and get him to his destination. This check is your reward."
Jane, Daisy, and Selvig had been engrossed in studying the formulas Ivan had provided. Hearing his request brought them back to reality. They were shocked by the amount on the check.
"Mr. Shaw, this is too much. The formulas you gave us are already a huge reward. Take the money back."
Ivan appreciated Jane's integrity. He still placed the check in her hand. "Please accept it. I'm not optimistic about Thor's plan. You might need to take care of him afterward. He shouldn't keep spending your money."
Leaving the check with them, Ivan turned and left the restaurant, disappearing into the night.
Ivan stayed in the town. After leaving the restaurant, he found a hotel and checked in. He was there for a specific purpose: the Destroyer. The battle armor guarded Odin's treasure house, which was said to have been created to stand against other gods. Odin could face the gods at his peak while wearing the Destroyer armor.
In the original plot, Thor's hammer smashed the Destroyer Armor, but Ivan didn't mind. Even fragments would suffice. With his abilities, he could recreate it given some time. The battle with the Destroyer Armor also inspired him to understand the equipment of the Celestials. Ivan hoped to uncover its mysteries through the Destroyer's armor.
Without realizing it, Ivan fell asleep in the hotel. He had already planned his goals: first, to obtain the Destroyer's armor or at least its fragments, and second, to collect a debt from Loki by acquiring a branch of the World Tree.