Ragnarok...
Ronan narrowed his eyes. He knew all about this.
At first, he thought it might be some major event. But wasn't it just Hela showing up and destroying all of Asgard?
Honestly, didn't this event still have several years left before it happened?
Oh, right. For these gods, a few years were like a few months for humans.
"Ragnarok is ultimately just a prophecy,"
"Though it exists on the timeline, it can be altered."
Facing Odin, the Ancient One didn't hide anything about the future.
After all, both of them could foresee the future, though they approached it in different ways.
Meanwhile, Thor, who had been listening, was completely dumbfounded.
"Father, what is Ragnarok?"
"Why have I never heard of this?"
Thor seemed quite agitated.
Ragnarok—just hearing the word didn't sound like anything good.
"Thor, listen to me."
Odin glanced at his unusually emotional son and then at the completely calm Ronan, sighing deeply.
Why couldn't his son be a bit more composed?
Even if this matter concerned Asgard, such a reaction was far from ideal.
What Odin didn't know was that Ronan was already thinking about what new phone he should get next.
It had to be the latest model, with a large, clear screen, so all those embarrassing photos would show up in perfect detail.
Especially Thor's!
Thor had smashed his phone—he had to pay for that!
Ronan was planning to capture 100 mortifying pictures of Thor and throw in an exclusive "embarrassment package."
"This matter comes from an ancient prophecy, known only to each reigning king of the gods, but now that Ragnarok is drawing near, I have no choice but to acknowledge it."
"I hope you will lend your assistance."
Odin looked toward the Ancient One.
However, she shook her head once more.
"I'm sorry, but the mission of the Sorcerer Supreme is to not engage in conflicts outside of Earth,"
"Our duty is to protect Earth from external threats. If we intervene elsewhere, it could bring more disasters upon Earth."
The Ancient One didn't hesitate, rejecting Odin's request for help.
And she wasn't wrong.
The Sorcerer Supreme was indeed powerful, but as an individual entity. Their responsibility was to safeguard Earth. Involving themselves in off-world battles would inevitably draw unnecessary danger to Earth.
If the enemies were all eradicated, that'd be one thing. But what if some escaped?
Wouldn't those enemies bring even greater catastrophes to Earth?
Thus, unless there was a direct threat to Earth, the Sorcerer Supreme usually stayed out of conflicts.
In fact, if humans could handle it, she would even choose to remain invisible.
"I understand your predicament."
Odin didn't press further. He understood the Ancient One's position.
After all, in his eyes, Midgard (Earth) was still incredibly fragile.
Asgard's warriors could face those enemies head-on. But if it came down to the humans, it would be pure devastation.
"Father, can't we take the initiative?"
"Why must we wait passively for that day to come?"
Thor couldn't hold back any longer.
From the way Odin spoke, it seemed like this was going to be a very serious matter.
Serious enough that the proud Odin had to ask for help, which was extremely rare.
Ronan, meanwhile, had some ideas, but he knew Odin would never accept his solution.
It was simple—evacuate all the Asgardian civilians now, relocating them to a safe planet.
However, Odin's pride would never allow such a thing to happen.
And the Asgardians wouldn't accept it either.
"Thor, you are not the King yet, so there are things you do not understand."
"This prophecy doesn't have a fixed date. As King, I can only sense it vaguely."
Odin sighed but didn't speak the full truth.
Both Odin and the Ancient One undoubtedly knew when that day would come.
However, revealing the exact date would lead to two outcomes.
Either the Asgardians would live in fear daily, consumed by dread.
Or they would prepare for battle wholeheartedly until that fateful day arrived.
Neither was an outcome Odin wanted.
This explanation left Thor speechless, his frustration mounting.
How could they prepare early when they didn't even know the exact date?
"Thor, now that you're aware of this, you must keep it to yourself."
"I forbid you from telling anyone else."
Odin's tone grew stern.
Thor instinctively nodded, unsure of what to say.
Then, Odin turned his gaze to Ronan.
"Master Ronan, since Thor broke your phone, it's only fair we compensate you."
"I will allow you to choose a treasure from Asgard's vault."
"Consider it Thor's compensation for you."
Upon hearing Odin's words, Ronan was utterly stunned.
No way!
A phone in exchange for an Asgardian treasure?
He hadn't heard wrong, had he?
While Hela might have dismissed most of Asgard's treasures as worthless, and many of them were fakes, they were still incredibly rare to someone like Ronan.
"Th-that's not necessary..."
I've got like ten more phones!
If you wait a moment, I can just go buy one!
Of course, Ronan could only say this in his head.
"It's fine, as long as you can take it with you."
Odin chuckled, then gave Thor a glance.
"Since Thor caused the trouble, he'll take you to choose."
"And while you're at it, Thor can show you around Asgard, as part of our hospitality."
Thor, suddenly named, was momentarily stunned. He turned to look at Ronan.
For some reason, Ronan could sense an ominous vibe from Thor's gaze.
"What about him?"
"Can he?"
"He's the Sorcerer Supreme's disciple, but not the Supreme himself. Surely, that wouldn't break your rules?"
Thor suddenly threw out a comment.
His gaze moved past Ronan, focusing on the Ancient One.
Clearly, he was addressing her.
"Chotto matte!"
"Pause for a second. I've got something to say."
Ronan raised his hand, cutting Thor off before he could say more.
As expected, Ronan's premonition was right—Thor wasn't up to anything good!
He was trying to trick Ronan into a trap!
"I believe, as the candidate for Sorcerer Supreme, I should start adhering to the Supreme's rules from now on."
"Kamar-Taj is my home, and I must always act in its best interest."
"What my master says is also my stance. The rules she follows are the rules I'll follow."
"So, I'm sorry, Thor. I'd really love to help you."
"But I can't do it!"
Help you for free?
What a joke! If you want help, you've got to pay up!