One day, Thor brought Lynch to a special place in Asgard.
"This is Asgard's treasure vault. What do you want to see first?"
Thor turned and asked Lynch after they descended into a spacious area.
Lynch didn't respond, instead using his super vision to curiously survey the surroundings.
They were in a somewhat empty hall, where various uniquely shaped treasures were displayed on both sides. At a glance, most of the treasures were unfamiliar to Lynch, but a few looked familiar.
For example, the object closest to Lynch.
He moved over to stand in front of it.
It was an obviously incomplete, ancient stone tablet covered in unknown inscriptions and patterns. Lynch knew this object—it was called the Stone of Life.
The Stone of Life came from the Atlantis civilization and contained some kind of life evolution equation. Cracking this equation would lead to the ultimate evolution of life, granting infinite power and boundless wisdom.
Intrigued, Lynch stepped closer to the stone tablet and gently touched it, but nothing happened. Judging by its appearance and texture... it was just an ordinary stone tablet.
Lynch wasn't surprised. He never had high hopes for these things anyway.
"Are you interested in this?" Thor asked curiously.
"If you like it, just take it. My father said you could take anything you want."
Shaking his head, Lynch walked over to another treasure he recognized.
It was a giant, spherical object that resembled an oversized eyeball.
This item was even more interesting than the Stone of Life. It was called the Eye of the Warlock, a magical artifact used by sorcerers and wizards.
Not only did it possess mind-control abilities, but it could also dispel illusions, darkness, and even predict the future to some extent!
It had powers similar to the Time Stone and could even counteract the Reality Stone to a degree!
If it truly had the power it was supposed to, it would indeed be worthy of being called an artifact!
But... Superman doesn't use magic.
The most absurd thing is that his heat vision and freeze breath aren't considered magic damage...
Unless Lynch switched to a magic-based Superman template, he had no way of using this magical artifact.
So, naturally, he could only admire it from a distance.
After looking at the Eye of the Warlock, he continued walking and came to another magical treasure.
This one looked like a clock, with glowing hands for the hour and minute...
It was none other than the famous Eye of Agamotto!
A relic passed down by the Sorcerer Supreme through generations, including the Ancient One and Doctor Strange!
It could see the future and control time—a supreme magical artifact!
Of course, the one here was a replica, or more accurately...
It didn't contain the Time Stone.
So, even if this Eye of Agamotto had some of the power of the Sorcerer Supreme, it was far inferior to the one that held the Time Stone!
Feeling a bit disappointed, Lynch gave it a quick glance before moving on.
Now came the real highlight!
In a basin, a flame that never extinguished was burning brightly!
This flame was called the Eternal Flame, the source of power for the fire demon Surtur!
In Thor: Ragnarok, it was this very Eternal Flame, combined with Surtur's crown by Loki, that was used to summon the fire demon to defeat the all-powerful Hela!
In other words, this Eternal Flame was the key to the ancient Asgardian prophecy—Ragnarok!
However...
Lynch looked at the seemingly ordinary flame, deep in thought.
If he could claim this flame, Surtur might never be summoned, and Hela would have to rely on him to be defeated...
Maybe it's best to claim it first, and if things go wrong, I'll just return it...
Surtur probably wouldn't mind, right?
But how could he claim it?
He hadn't practiced any form of magic or sorcery, so this was tricky!
After pondering for a second, Lynch simply reached out towards the Eternal Flame in the basin.
Forget it—just do it!
Lynch's hand easily scooped up a small portion of the Eternal Flame, and surprisingly, he didn't feel any unbearable burning sensation.
Observing the flickering flame in his hand, Lynch noticed something unusual...
The Eternal Flame didn't carry the destructive energy he had imagined. Instead, it was brimming with life force!
This was strange, considering the Eternal Flame was Surtur's power source, the terrifying force that destroyed Asgard and fulfilled the prophecy of Ragnarok!
But...
Lynch couldn't feel any hint of destruction or death. Instead, a sense of renewal, like spring after a rain, emanated from the flame!
Eternal Flame...
Eternal!
So, that's the meaning of the Eternal Flame?
The "eternal" in the Eternal Flame didn't signify endless destruction but rather boundless life and vitality!
Realizing this, Lynch shook his hand and let the small flame fall back into the basin.
If that's the case, what would happen if the nearly indestructible Superman, with his super regeneration and solar-powered abilities, combined with the Eternal Flame?
"You should step back a bit," Lynch advised.
Thor, understanding that Lynch was about to try something big, quickly retreated a few steps, watching curiously.
After Thor stepped back, Lynch took a few deep breaths, his expression growing serious.
Suddenly, he opened his mouth wide, unleashing an incredibly strong suction force.
Whooosh!
A violent gust swept through the vault as Lynch's inhale created a mini tornado that blew the Eternal Flame toward his mouth.
What happened next surprised both of them!
How strong was Lynch's suction?
Within his controlled range, the wind was as powerful as a small tornado!
Yet, the Eternal Flame, though caught in the storm like an ordinary fire, didn't extinguish!
It simply stretched into a continuous line, being drawn into Lynch's mouth like a fiery thread!
Seconds passed, and Lynch had absorbed far more than the amount of flame he initially saw, but...
The Eternal Flame still burned brightly in the basin, showing no signs of diminishing!
It was incredibly strange!
No wonder it's called the Eternal Flame!
Lynch marveled, intensifying his suction.
Five seconds, ten seconds...
A full thirty seconds passed!
At this point, Lynch realized that even another half-hour might not make a difference. Growing a bit anxious, he thought quickly.
Just then!
The Eternal Flame suddenly trembled and, under Lynch's bewildered gaze, slowly entered his mouth.
Lynch closed his mouth and quietly focused on the changes in his body.
Thor, though incredibly curious, knew better than to disturb Lynch at such a crucial moment.
After a brief pause, Lynch finally spoke. "I'm done."
"How do you feel?"
Lynch smiled and said lightly, "This was a big gain!"
"That's great!"
Thor was happy for Lynch, as Lynch had helped him so much, and he had always wanted to return the favor.
"There's just one last thing."
Lynch looked toward the treasure he cared about the most in the vault.
It was an item placed alone, clearly indicating that Odin understood its power.
It was the Infinity Gauntlet, studded with fake Infinity Stones, meant to be worn on the right hand!
Lynch picked up the gauntlet and put it on without hesitation.
Unfortunately...
There were no real Infinity Stones yet, just an empty glove!
But there would be plenty of chances to gather the stones in the future!
For example, the nearest Infinity Stone—the Space Stone—housed within the Tesseract!
Thanos might be collecting the stones, but I'll just gather them all first!
Let's see how you snap your fingers then!