The Nine Realms – Asgard
The legendary kingdom of the gods, home to the Aesir.
A mystical realm where magic and technology coexist.
For tens of thousands of years, under the rule of the former God-King Bor and the current God-King Odin, Asgard has conquered the dwarves, battled the Dark Elves, the Vanir, the Frost Titans, and the Flame Titans, achieving brilliant victories.
A thousand years ago, Asgard established its nominal dominance over the Nine Realms.
Since then, Odin has reigned as the first supreme ruler of the Nine Realms, feared and renowned.
After securing its dominance, the Aesir did not continue expanding outward, ushering in a prolonged period of peace.
Asgard's School of Magic
Although the Aesir have a long history of using magic—now present in every aspect of life—their passion for hammers, axes, and spears far surpasses their interest in the arcane arts.
This was evident in the latest enrollment of magic students.
In the spacious classroom, only a handful of students occupied the seats.
Among them, there was only one male student.
As the only man in the room, Aaron suddenly understood why Loki seemed so different—almost delicate—compared to Thor and the Warriors Three.
A classroom of magic apprentices felt oddly unbalanced in terms of masculine and feminine energy.
Watching the groups of women whispering among themselves, Aaron's lips twitched slightly. He wasn't in the best mood.
What did he just hear?
Some of the women were actually speculating that he had chosen magic because he was afraid of warrior training.
Warrior training is a mandatory military regimen for all Asgardians, encompassing strength enhancement and combat skill development.
Only those who complete warrior training can become honorable Asgardian warriors.
Failing the training means being reduced to an ordinary, powerless individual.
Aside from warrior training, learning magic is another path—though not a favored one.
At present, Asgardian culture glorifies raw physical combat.
A true man is expected to undergo warrior training, become a skilled fighter, and wield his blade to vanquish enemies.
Magic, on the other hand, has been relegated to a mere support role, primarily used for enchantments.
Most who turn to magic do so only because they lack the talent to become warriors.
For both men and women, if given the opportunity to become a warrior, they would never choose to be a magician.
There are two key reasons for this:
Magic is difficult to learn. The time required to master even a single spell could be better spent completing more warrior training and entering the battlefield sooner.
Magicians have a bad reputation. In the past, some reckless magic users caused severe incidents, leaving behind a negative stigma.
As a result, magicians are far less respected than warriors.
Of course, this didn't affect Aaron's decision to pursue magic.
As a time traveler, Aaron wasn't about to waste any opportunity to strengthen himself.
Thinking about his current predicament, he felt a heavy weight settle in his heart.
He had been lucky—after traveling to the Marvel universe, he wasn't just an ordinary human but an Asgardian with three times the physical density of a human.
At least that gave him some level of self-defense.
But this was both a blessing and a curse.
No matter how glorious Asgard seemed now, it would soon collapse.
When Odin dies, Asgard's illusion of invincibility will shatter.
At that time, Aaron's only concern would be survival:
First, he would need to avoid being slaughtered by Hela.
Then, he would have to escape Surtur's flaming blade.
After that, he would need to make it through Thanos' extermination of half of Asgard's refugees.
And finally, he'd have to find a way to survive on Earth.
Think that's the end of his worries?
Not even close.
Even if he somehow survives these three deadly events, he'd still have to gamble his life against Thanos' snap.
And after that? The God Slayer would appear.
Yeah… being an Asgardian didn't seem so great anymore.
There were just too many ways to die.
Looking at his options, even completing warrior training would only put him at the level of the Warriors Three—fodder that Hela defeated in seconds.
Even leaving Asgard wouldn't guarantee safety.
If he were exceptionally loyal and contributed greatly, he might earn Odin's blessing and reach the strength of a former Valkyrie.
Or, like Heimdall, he might learn one or two forbidden spells—enough to barely survive for a while.
But just for a while...
If he truly wanted to live well, he needed a better plan.
The only way Aaron could think of to improve his survival odds was to master magic.
Asgardian magic wasn't weak.
It was highly specialized and technical.
Whether in combat or for escape, its effectiveness was undeniable.
That's why Aaron had enrolled in the Magic Academy.
Rather than worrying about what the other students thought of him, he was focused on learning the few spells that could give him an edge.
At that moment, a woman in an ornate robe entered the room, walked to the podium, and scanned the students.
Her tone was serious and confident.
"My name is Irene. I will be your magic instructor, specializing in illusion magic."
"In my class, I expect you to set aside all distractions and focus. Otherwise, I will make you experience the endless darkness and bone-chilling cold of Hades!"
As she spoke, Irene snapped her fingers.
In an instant, the classroom transformed into a desolate wasteland. Thick fog obscured the surroundings, a cold wind howled, and an eerie chill crept up Aaron's spine.
This is magic?
Aaron's eyes widened.
At that moment, he realized that Asgardian magic wasn't as weak as it seemed in the movies.
While the films barely showcased Asgardian sorcery—even Loki, the so-called "greatest magician of the Nine Realms," was easily outclassed by Doctor Strange—this was merely a narrative choice.
Underestimating Asgard's magic would be a huge mistake.