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Ch. 275 Guardian of the Space Stone
🕑 Added 2024-01-26 16:00:11 +0000 UTCAlthough Heimdall's "All-Seeing Eyes" is different from conventional super vision and leans more towards magic and divine power, in terms of ability, "All-Seeing Eyes" is a formidable power not much inferior to Kryptonian super vision. The difference lies in their focus.
All-Seeing Eyes leans more towards the mystical domain, while Kryptonian super vision leans more towards the realm of reality.
It is said that "All-Seeing Eyes" can also "see through time and space" and glimpse into the future development of certain things.
For example, Heimdall could clearly see a legion on a distant planet, attempting to invade Asgard, and accurately predict that this legion would arrive in Asgard in two days.
Furthermore, Heimdall could clearly detect the fluttering of a butterfly's wings a thousand worlds away and establish contact with other Asgardians in the far corners of the cosmos.
This is also the main reason why he can respond to the summons of the Rainbow Bridge at any time.
Although the power of "All-Seeing Eyes" is formidable, it is not without ways to block its observation and perception.
As long as the right methods are found, there are many magical and divine arts that can block All-Seeing Eyes observation.
For example, Doctor Strange on Earth has dozens of ways to shield All-Seeing Eyes observation.
While Russell observed Heimdall, Heimdall, standing at the central control console of the hall, was also observing him.
After noticing that they were observing each other, Fandral came to Heimdall and said, "The king invited him."
"Yes."
Heimdall replied expressionlessly.
After receiving Heimdall's response, Fandral brought Russell to the outside of the Rainbow Bridge hall and mounted the horses that were already prepared.
"Let's go, don't keep the King waiting!"
Fandral took the lead in mounting his horse and turned to Russell.
"Alright!"
Although riding a horse was not the most efficient mode of transportation, Russell did not see any issues with it. If Fandral and the others had prepared Earth cars outside the Rainbow Bridge hall, he might have found it strange.
After mounting a horse that looked no different from an Earth horse in appearance but had a much longer lifespan and physique than Earth horses, Russell followed behind Fandral and galloped toward the golden palace at the end of the Rainbow Bridge.
The Golden Palace.
The most magnificent building in Asgard, the royal palace of the Asgardian royal family.
While still galloping on the Rainbow Bridge, Russell used the telescopic vision of his super vision to carefully observe the Golden Palace.
True to its status as a landmark of Asgard, the Golden Palace was indeed dazzling, magnificent, and resplendent.
Although Earth had many famous palaces, compared to the Golden Palace, they seemed somewhat lacking in grandeur.
To be precise, even those modern skyscrapers that reached hundreds of meters in height seemed less imposing compared to the Golden Palace.
The Golden Palace of Asgard exemplified the words "vast" and "grand" to the fullest extent.
If it weren't for the fact that Asgardians had a physique similar to Earthlings, the feeling the Golden Palace gave would be that of a giant's palace from myth and legend.
Especially when he arrived at the massive gate of the Golden Palace, which was tens of meters tall, this feeling became even more pronounced.
Russell and the others dismounted their horses, and the Asgardian guards in golden armor quickly approached, taking their reins.
After climbing the steps in front of the Golden Palace gate, a huge hall resembling a square appeared before Russell.
Gigantic pillars that required the strength of five or six people to encircle, walls resplendent in gold, and a ceiling adorned with exquisite oil paintings.
Russell had seen grand scenes before, but upon entering the Great Hall of the Golden Palace, he still felt the omnipresent luxury and opulence.
With Earth's current technology, it wouldn't be particularly difficult to build a structure as grand as the Golden Palace. However, what was truly remarkable about the Golden Palace was the sense of luxury and the aura of time that had accumulated over the years.
Russell had no idea how much time it had taken to build the Golden Palace. However, one thing he was certain of was that even in Asgard, a realm with magic, building the Golden Palace was by no means an easy task.
As the royal palace of the royal family, the Golden Palace undoubtedly used the best materials that Asgard could find. There might even be some materials specifically brought from the realm of the Frost Giants, Jotunheim, as well as from the realm of the Vanir Gods, Vanaheimr.
After walking for some time in the spacious hall, which was large enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people simultaneously, Russell finally saw the current King of Asgard, Odin, who was also known as the "All-Father."
Odin, at this moment, was seated on the throne at the end of the hall, dressed in golden armor, with a calm expression on his face. The famous Gungnir, was in his hand, and two seemingly ordinary ravens perched quietly on the back of the throne.
On Odin's left and right sides, Thor, the God of Thunder, stood with flowing golden hair, dressed in silver armor and a red cape, while Loki, with black hair and dressed in golden armor with a deep green cape, stood by his side.
In addition to Thor and Loki, on both sides of the steps in front of the throne, there were also two squads of Asgardian royal guards dressed in golden armor and wielding golden spears.
Although the number of people was small, it was clear that the level of this meeting was not low. Otherwise, Odin would not have specifically summoned both Thor and Loki, let alone sent the Warriors Three and Lady Sif to Earth to invite Russell personally.
Compared to the armored Odin, Thor, and others, Russell, dressed in a casual suit, looked somewhat out of place. However, Russell didn't think it was a problem. As an Earthling, it was normal for him to wear Earth's clothing when meeting Odin. Moreover, Odin had not specifically arranged for him to have traditional Asgardian clothing. Otherwise, Russell wouldn't mind putting on the typical medieval-style armor and clothing of Asgard.
From another perspective, Asgardian armor had some similarities to Diana's battle attire and bore the aesthetic of medieval warriors.
After arriving at the base of the throne, Fandral and the others took the lead in bowing to Odin on the throne.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do, and Odin was indeed a decent person.
After Fandral and the others had bowed, Russell also slightly bowed and bent his waist, offering a salute to Odin.
Then, he looked up at Odin, who had a head full of white hair but didn't appear old in the slightest.
"Suddenly inviting you to Asgard, I hope it hasn't caused you any inconvenience!"
Odin glanced at Russell and said gently in his tone.
"Your Majesty is too kind," Russell replied with a smile.
Although he didn't yet know why Odin wanted to meet him, from the current situation, it seemed that Odin had no ill intentions.
Odin nodded kindly and continued, "You handled the situation with the Chitauri and Black Order invading New York quite well, preventing it from escalating into a planetary war."
"I am an Earthling, and protecting Earth from extraterrestrial invaders is my duty, without question," Russell replied calmly.
"Regardless, you handled the matter excellently. Otherwise, Asgardian forces, which haven't visited Earth in quite some time, would have had to make a trip."
"Since you are an Earthling, you should understand the impact it would have on the ordinary people of Earth."
Russell nodded to indicate his understanding.
Although the Battle of New York had made ordinary people on Earth aware of the existence of extraterrestrials, it didn't mean they were ready to accept that the Norse gods from mythological legends were also extraterrestrials. These were entirely different matters.
"Well, let's leave that aside," Odin said. "The main reason for inviting you to Asgard this time is to discuss the matter of the Space Stone."
Russell wasn't surprised that Odin brought up the Space Stone.
If it weren't for Odin, the Space Stone wouldn't have ended up on Earth in the first place.
In terms of ownership, the Space Stone was currently his private property.
However, it was evident that when Odin spoke of a guardian, he meant much more than mere ownership.
"I'm not quite sure what Your Majesty means?" Russell asked.
"There are many in the universe who are interested in the Space Stone, some of them quite powerful," Odin explained. "You should understand this."
Russell remained silent but nodded, indicating his understanding.
Seeing his gesture, Odin continued, "On Earth, your power is considerable, even among the top tier. However, when we expand the scope to the entire universe, your current power doesn't quite reach the top."
"If you wish to become the guardian of the Space Stone, you'll need to further enhance your power."
At this point, Russell had a rough idea of Odin's intent.
In simple terms, Odin didn't mind the Space Stone being in his possession, but he believed that Russell didn't yet possess the power to safeguard it properly.
"I haven't given up on improving my abilities, but Your Majesty must also understand that this is not something that can be achieved quickly, especially for someone like me, an Earthling," Russell replied truthfully.
He had never given up on the idea of enhancing his abilities, but it wasn't something that could be achieved instantly. Even if he were to "soak in the sun" on the sun itself, he wouldn't be able to significantly increase his power in a short period.
"I'm well aware of what you're saying, which is why I invited you to Asgard," Odin said.
Hearing Odin's words, Russell's eyes suddenly lit up.
Could it be that Odin...
As if he had already foreseen Russell's thoughts, Odin continued, "Yes, just as you're thinking. If you don't mind, I hope you can stay in Asgard for a while and continue to develop your divine power."
"Using your divine power solely as a source of magic is somewhat wasteful."
"While I don't know where you acquired your divine power, it's clear that it hasn't been fully developed."
"In this regard, Asgard has rich experience."
Divine power?
Upon hearing Odin's words, Thor and Loki, who stood on either side of him, both showed puzzled expressions.
They didn't doubt Odin's judgment; they simply couldn't understand why Russell, as an Earthling, would possess divine power.
You see, even in Asgard, there were few Asgardians who awakened divine power.
For example, apart from Odin, the only one who had truly awakened divine power in the hall was Thor.
Loki, the Warriors Three, and the royal guards of the palace, without exception, had not awakened divine power.
"Since Your Majesty has such good intentions, I certainly won't refuse," Russell replied with a smile.
Being able to stay in Asgard and further develop his inner divine power was beneficial and had no downsides for him.
Unless Odin had some hidden agenda, it was an opportunity he had no reason to doubt.
"Since you've agreed, then stay in Asgard for a while," Odin said. "Thor, arrange Russell's daily life and initial training."
"Of course, Father!" Thor replied without hesitation.
Seeing Thor's current behavior, Russell realized that this Thor was entirely different from the one in the movie universe.
If the Thor in the movie universe was an immature adolescent, then this world's Thor was an incredibly mature adult.
After giving instructions to Thor, Odin left the hall.
Once Odin left with the palace guards, Thor descended the steps and approached Russell, scrutinizing him carefully.
Although Thor was observing him seriously, he couldn't discern anything special about Russell.
"I am Thor Odinson," Thor introduced himself.
"I am Russell Bradley," Russell replied calmly.
"This is my brother, Loki, and like you, he is a sorcerer."
"They are the Warriors Three: Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg."
After introducing Russell to Loki and the others, Thor began leading Russell into the interior of the Golden Palace.
Inside a chamber within the Golden Palace.
Russell stood on the balcony of the chamber, gazing at the scenery outside.
After bringing him to this chamber, Thor left with his entourage.
Not long after, several handmaidens arrived with traditional Asgardian clothing to dress Russell.
"You can all leave," Russell said quietly when he saw that these handmaidens intended to help him change.
