Blake's attempts to show off usually ended in failure, but this time, when faced with Thor, the big oaf, he easily gained his trust.
Especially when Blake mentioned how, when Thor was eight years old, Loki transformed into a snake. Then, when Thor picked up the snake to play with it, Loki suddenly turned back and stabbed him.
This was something only their mother, Queen Frigga, knew about—not even Odin was aware of it.
Blake, who had been masquerading as a fortune-teller ever since entering the Marvel timeline, finally succeeded in impressing Thor. He even got a little payback for the earlier "dog food" he had to endure.
"I also know that last night, Loki found you and told you that Odin is dead. He was lying. Your father is just in a deep sleep; he doesn't want you to return. You know, there can only be one king!"
These words lifted Thor's spirits. For him, the biggest blow wasn't being unable to lift Mjölnir but Loki secretly telling him that he had caused their father's death through his recklessness.
"I know Heimdall isn't responding to your calls right now, but as soon as you learn how to live as an ordinary person and complete your trial, you'll regain your lost powers. Plus, your friends, the Warriors Three, and your fiancée, Sif, the Goddess of Earth and Harvest, will come to Earth to find you."
"What? You have a fiancée?" Jane exclaimed, looking utterly betrayed as she loudly questioned Thor.
Even though they hadn't officially defined their relationship, there had been a spark between them ever since they first met. The atmosphere between them was filled with growing mutual affection, but before it could blossom, Blake violently tore a hole in it.
In truth, Thor had never given this much thought. For over a thousand years, he had always seen Sif as a comrade and a brother-in-arms. Before meeting Jane, he only knew that once he ascended the throne, he was supposed to marry Sif, but he had never really thought about it.
Now that Blake brought it up, Thor suddenly felt a jolt of panic he hadn't experienced before.
"Jane, listen to me. That was my father's decision when I was born. I've always seen Sif as a sister and never thought about marrying her or anything like that…"
"You don't need to explain to me. I'm just an ordinary mortal, but you're the God of Thunder. Your future wife should be some kind of goddess or something—that's what suits your status."
"The Goddess of Earth and Harvest!" Blake helpfully added from the side, mischievously.
"Yes, the Goddess of Earth and Harvest—that's who your future wife should be!"
"And thanks for the reminder!" Jane said angrily, picking up the glass of water in front of her and splashing it right in Blake's face.
She stormed off, fuming.
"Damn it! Why am I the one getting a face full of water?" Blake muttered, feeling more wronged than anyone in history.
"I'm really sorry. Jane didn't mean it, I'm sure. She just… I mean, I have to go after her, but I'll come back to find you. I still need your guidance on many things," Thor stammered apologetically to Blake. It was clear that he genuinely cared for Jane.
"It's fine, go ahead! Take care of your own matters first, then come find me. You know where to find me, right?"
Blake wiped his face and, with a sigh, assumed the demeanor of a wise master.
The big guy shot Blake another apologetic look before rushing off in the direction Jane had gone.
"Meeting you guys is like having the worst luck ever!"
But at least the system task was completed, earning him 500 points. Now, he was just 500 points away from unlocking the Level 2 store, which was a bit of a consolation.
After the big guy left, Blake grumbled to himself as he got up to leave.
However, before he could reach the door, a restaurant waiter stepped in front of him, blocking his way.
"Sir! That table hasn't paid the bill yet. Could you please settle it? Also, there's a broken glass that needs to be compensated for!"
"Oh! Those two damn idiots! Why did I have to pick this moment to find them?"
"I don't know them. I'm not paying. I just recognized them and came over to chat for a bit. I didn't order anything!"
Blake felt he was being ripped off and really didn't want to pay the bill.
"Sir, if you insist on this, we'll have to call the police."
"Fine! I'll pay with a card!"
...
Who knows how Thor managed to smooth things over with his girlfriend.
By the next afternoon, Blake still hadn't seen the big guy come to find him.
Instead, he received an invitation from Tony.
Tony, being a man of ceremony, sent the invitation through Stark Industries.
The invitation was for Blake to attend the Stark Expo, which would be held in New York in three days.
In this world, Stark Industries was undoubtedly the leader in the tech industry, and the Stark Expo was one of the largest technology exhibitions globally.
The massive exhibition area brought together the latest products from the world's most famous tech companies, and it lasted for an entire year.
Stark Industries chose to hold the expo at this time to showcase their various inventions and applications of new energy developed during this period.
Even without making weapons, they had the power to achieve significant advancements in other fields.
The expo lasted a year, so the opening ceremony was a big deal for Stark Industries.
In fact, Tony sent invitations to everyone in the Avengers group.
But the others were all serious agents with no time to attend the opening ceremony, and Dr. Banner was still tied to the military, making it inconvenient for him to show up publicly.
Blake wasn't particularly interested in the expo's opening ceremony, but when he thought of the long-legged, shapely girls who danced for Tony during the opening in the movie, he felt a bit tempted.
However, his recent progress in his relationship with Black Widow made staying put seem appealing, just in case there was an opportunity to take things further.
As Blake was still hesitating, Coulson walked in with his usual stern expression.
"What's going on?" Blake asked, seeing the constipated look on Coulson's face.
"A business card, with your name written on it." Coulson handed him the card.
Blake took a look—it was an ordinary business card, with the characters "Blake" elegantly written in calligraphy.
He flipped it over and saw an address: 177 Bleecker Street, New York.
Blake thought the address seemed familiar and asked Coulson, "Do you know what this place is?"
"Maybe you should watch this first," Coulson said, pulling out his phone to play a video.
The video showed the area where Mjölnir was being monitored. The site was empty except for the hammer, but suddenly, golden, rotating energy rings appeared in the air above the hammer.
As the rings stopped spinning, a portal formed, framed by the energy rings.
A business card gently floated down from within the portal.
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