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Thor sat in the bar, drinking with a gloomy expression.
The bustling crowd and the alluring bartenders couldn't capture even a sliver of Thor's interest.
Thor had suddenly become incredibly depressed, a far cry from his former cheerful and wild demeanor.
The flickering lights made his eyes ache slightly. He instinctively wanted to shout a reprimand, but then remembered he was merely a common mortal, and so he glumly drank on.
He drank large mugs of beer, one after another.
For Asgardians, being able to fight was important, but being able to drink was equally important!
Thor, the god of thunder, as the offspring of God-King Odin and having constantly waged war across the Nine Realms, was naturally a heavy drinker. He could easily blend in with any common soldier.
Jane, fierce yet kind-hearted, softly comforted him nearby, feeling a pang of heartache watching the rapidly diminishing beer.
"That's all money!"
She now somewhat believed Thor was the god of thunder. The world-destroying scene that night truly couldn't be explained by physics. The condescending black-robed figure, like a god, had left a deep impression on her.
Afterward, she was horrified to discover that the black-robed man was Tony, who had disappeared from public view for a long time, the true power behind A.R.G.U.S., and also her superior.
All it took was a comparison of faces, putting Tony's old photos taken by others side-by-side with the real person.
"You don't need to be so down," Jane comforted, her dark eyes fixed on the beer glass. "Didn't Tony give you a second chance? As long as you possess that... 'King's Heart' thing, you can get your Mjolnir back."
"That's *my* Mjolnir, yet I need to gain someone else's approval?" Thor muttered, mocking himself. He gulped down another large mug of beer, slamming it onto the table with a *thud*, and roared, "Another one!"
Under the bartender's strange and respectful gaze, a new mug was filled.
"You said yourself Tony is the Sorcerer Supreme, a guardian of our world. It's not something hard to accept that he can lift your Mjolnir, is it?"
Jane stared at the new beer, unconsciously biting her lip, her face etched with heartache.
To put it plainly, she was still quite pained by the money spent.
At Thor's rate of drinking, even the cheapest beer would cost several hundred dollars a night; it was terrifying.
"I will speak to the master of Kamar-Taj—" His words cut off midway, making Thor even more depressed.
The relationship between Kamar-Taj and Asgard was very poor. Moreover, a thousand years ago, Thor had participated in the Great War against the Celestials and the Ancient One. He lost both battles, barely preserving his life.
His Mjolnir bore the blessings of the divine power of god-kings from various pantheons, its might soaring. This once made him immensely proud, believing himself invincible, that no one but a few god-kings could stand against him.
But reality had struck down his confidence.
A millennium later, Tony had delivered another harsh blow to the chest of the proud god of thunder.
"I'll pay for all his drinks. Bring out your best."
A clear female voice drifted over. A tall, beautiful woman appeared naturally by Thor's side, leaning in to observe him closely.
Jane's eyes had originally lit up; the offer to pay for the drinks sounded like heaven to her, given her tight finances. But seeing the woman brazenly staring at Thor, for some reason, her heart filled with jealousy and intense displeasure.
"Who are you? Go away! I can afford his drinks! He's not the kind of person you think he is!" Jane snapped, feeling a pang of jealousy, especially when she saw the woman's ample bosom and shapely posterior, which made her even more uncomfortable as she cursed inwardly.
She thought this woman was interested in the strong and handsome Thor and wanted to flirt with him.
The woman glanced at Jane with a smile. Being over a hundred years old herself, to her, Jane seemed like an immature child.
"I've heard tales of the god of thunder since I was a child, but seeing him in person is somewhat disappointing. Is *that* the god of war of Asgard, a decadent, numb drunkard?" The heroic woman slid her fingers across the bar counter. Her slender fingers picked up the glass the bartender presented, and she took an elegant sip.
Thor turned his head, seeing the charming woman. A hint of admiration flashed in his eyes, but it was mostly surprise. "You know me?"
"Not *know* you, but I know *of* you. In fact, this is our first meeting." The woman smiled, extending a hand politely yet gracefully. "My name is Diana, from Paradise Island, daughter of Zeus."
"Zeus?" Thor looked up in astonishment, gazing at the impressively heroic woman.
Although he no longer possessed divine power, his discernment remained. This woman also gave him a sense of danger.
"Daughter of Zeus?!" Jane also gasped, completely flustered, her mind a complete muddle.
She felt like she was going insane.
Look at Thor, then look at Diana.
Well, then. One claimed to be the son of Odin, the other the daughter of Zeus.
Jane had a delusion that this bar was actually a gathering place for the offspring of gods, and only she was an outsider.
"Or perhaps this place is full of con artists..." Jane muttered, her gaze dull.
Her worldview was severely shaken by reality.
"How do you prove you're the daughter of Zeus? I met Zeus back in the day; you can't fool me if you're lying," Thor said in a deep voice, having somewhat regained his composure.
"Does it matter? What significance does my identity hold for you now?" Diana took a sip of wine, her alluring red lips leaving a clear crimson mark on the glass.
Thor forced himself to be more alert, widening his eyes slightly. He looked at Diana seriously and said in a deep voice, "No matter what I become, I am still the son of Odin! I have a duty to uphold the dignity of Asgard."
Diana swirled her glass, the red liquid revealing a crystalline luster under the lights, incredibly beautiful, mesmerizing like a crystal.
"If you don't answer me, or if your answer holds no meaning, *then* I would look down on you," Diana said with a smile, the corners of her lips curving upwards.
*That* was more like the god of thunder.
Diana suddenly turned her head and called out to the crowd, "Since you're already here, why don't you join us for a drink?"
After a moment, Wong, a stout man in robes, squeezed out from the crowd with some difficulty, his face grim – his small eyes and stern expression always made him seem sullen wherever he went.
Thor and Jane looked confusedly at the suddenly appearing Wong.
Thor asked Diana, "Do you know this man?"
"Of course. I think you need to get to know him too." Diana smiled, then asked the newcomer, "Since you're here, why aren't you drinking? Why just stand there?"
"I'm broke!"
Thor suddenly felt a surge of goodwill towards this straightforward person. He was a frank individual himself, and this stout fellow managed to declare his lack of money with such righteous confidence that it made the now-improved-mood Thor feel like he had met a kindred spirit.
Thor truly needed kindred spirits. Diana, as a fellow daughter of a god-king, was a kindred spirit by status, and now he had one by temperament as well.
"Welcome, my friend! Since you're Diana's friend, you're my friend too!" Thor said with a laugh, the gloom over his head seemingly dissipating quietly.
"First, let me introduce myself. I am Thor, the god of thunder, son of Odin, and almost the king of Asgard!" Thor proclaimed with a hearty laugh.
Among kindred spirits, one always felt at ease, especially Thor, who had been suppressed for so long.
"Oh," Wong said, downing a glass of wine in one gulp and placing it on the table, his face looking a bit better. He continued,
"I am also a king—the King of Kamar-Taj!"
---
Note: Great Luo Heaven is an independent minor world, the Heavenly Court's headquarters, and the residence of immortals. This is a Marvel Comics original setting, not something I made up. In the DC Universe, Odin, Zeus, Jade Emperor, and their ilk are all Old Gods, unique beings, who uniformly reside in a world called 'Heavenly City' within the Sphere of the Gods.
This book's grand worldview, such as the Omni-Sphere World and the Sphere of the Gods, is derived from the DC worldview, while the Yggdrasil (World Tree) system adopts the Marvel setting, establishing Odin and other deities as multiversal beings, and deleting 'Heavenly City' from the Sphere of the Gods.
(end of chapter)
The bustling crowd and the alluring bartenders couldn't capture even a sliver of Thor's interest.
Thor had suddenly become incredibly depressed, a far cry from his former cheerful and wild demeanor.
The flickering lights made his eyes ache slightly. He instinctively wanted to shout a reprimand, but then remembered he was merely a common mortal, and so he glumly drank on.
He drank large mugs of beer, one after another.
For Asgardians, being able to fight was important, but being able to drink was equally important!
Thor, the god of thunder, as the offspring of God-King Odin and having constantly waged war across the Nine Realms, was naturally a heavy drinker. He could easily blend in with any common soldier.
Jane, fierce yet kind-hearted, softly comforted him nearby, feeling a pang of heartache watching the rapidly diminishing beer.
"That's all money!"
She now somewhat believed Thor was the god of thunder. The world-destroying scene that night truly couldn't be explained by physics. The condescending black-robed figure, like a god, had left a deep impression on her.
Afterward, she was horrified to discover that the black-robed man was Tony, who had disappeared from public view for a long time, the true power behind A.R.G.U.S., and also her superior.
All it took was a comparison of faces, putting Tony's old photos taken by others side-by-side with the real person.
"You don't need to be so down," Jane comforted, her dark eyes fixed on the beer glass. "Didn't Tony give you a second chance? As long as you possess that... 'King's Heart' thing, you can get your Mjolnir back."
"That's *my* Mjolnir, yet I need to gain someone else's approval?" Thor muttered, mocking himself. He gulped down another large mug of beer, slamming it onto the table with a *thud*, and roared, "Another one!"
Under the bartender's strange and respectful gaze, a new mug was filled.
"You said yourself Tony is the Sorcerer Supreme, a guardian of our world. It's not something hard to accept that he can lift your Mjolnir, is it?"
Jane stared at the new beer, unconsciously biting her lip, her face etched with heartache.
To put it plainly, she was still quite pained by the money spent.
At Thor's rate of drinking, even the cheapest beer would cost several hundred dollars a night; it was terrifying.
"I will speak to the master of Kamar-Taj—" His words cut off midway, making Thor even more depressed.
The relationship between Kamar-Taj and Asgard was very poor. Moreover, a thousand years ago, Thor had participated in the Great War against the Celestials and the Ancient One. He lost both battles, barely preserving his life.
His Mjolnir bore the blessings of the divine power of god-kings from various pantheons, its might soaring. This once made him immensely proud, believing himself invincible, that no one but a few god-kings could stand against him.
But reality had struck down his confidence.
A millennium later, Tony had delivered another harsh blow to the chest of the proud god of thunder.
"I'll pay for all his drinks. Bring out your best."
A clear female voice drifted over. A tall, beautiful woman appeared naturally by Thor's side, leaning in to observe him closely.
Jane's eyes had originally lit up; the offer to pay for the drinks sounded like heaven to her, given her tight finances. But seeing the woman brazenly staring at Thor, for some reason, her heart filled with jealousy and intense displeasure.
"Who are you? Go away! I can afford his drinks! He's not the kind of person you think he is!" Jane snapped, feeling a pang of jealousy, especially when she saw the woman's ample bosom and shapely posterior, which made her even more uncomfortable as she cursed inwardly.
She thought this woman was interested in the strong and handsome Thor and wanted to flirt with him.
The woman glanced at Jane with a smile. Being over a hundred years old herself, to her, Jane seemed like an immature child.
"I've heard tales of the god of thunder since I was a child, but seeing him in person is somewhat disappointing. Is *that* the god of war of Asgard, a decadent, numb drunkard?" The heroic woman slid her fingers across the bar counter. Her slender fingers picked up the glass the bartender presented, and she took an elegant sip.
Thor turned his head, seeing the charming woman. A hint of admiration flashed in his eyes, but it was mostly surprise. "You know me?"
"Not *know* you, but I know *of* you. In fact, this is our first meeting." The woman smiled, extending a hand politely yet gracefully. "My name is Diana, from Paradise Island, daughter of Zeus."
"Zeus?" Thor looked up in astonishment, gazing at the impressively heroic woman.
Although he no longer possessed divine power, his discernment remained. This woman also gave him a sense of danger.
"Daughter of Zeus?!" Jane also gasped, completely flustered, her mind a complete muddle.
She felt like she was going insane.
Look at Thor, then look at Diana.
Well, then. One claimed to be the son of Odin, the other the daughter of Zeus.
Jane had a delusion that this bar was actually a gathering place for the offspring of gods, and only she was an outsider.
"Or perhaps this place is full of con artists..." Jane muttered, her gaze dull.
Her worldview was severely shaken by reality.
"How do you prove you're the daughter of Zeus? I met Zeus back in the day; you can't fool me if you're lying," Thor said in a deep voice, having somewhat regained his composure.
"Does it matter? What significance does my identity hold for you now?" Diana took a sip of wine, her alluring red lips leaving a clear crimson mark on the glass.
Thor forced himself to be more alert, widening his eyes slightly. He looked at Diana seriously and said in a deep voice, "No matter what I become, I am still the son of Odin! I have a duty to uphold the dignity of Asgard."
Diana swirled her glass, the red liquid revealing a crystalline luster under the lights, incredibly beautiful, mesmerizing like a crystal.
"If you don't answer me, or if your answer holds no meaning, *then* I would look down on you," Diana said with a smile, the corners of her lips curving upwards.
*That* was more like the god of thunder.
Diana suddenly turned her head and called out to the crowd, "Since you're already here, why don't you join us for a drink?"
After a moment, Wong, a stout man in robes, squeezed out from the crowd with some difficulty, his face grim – his small eyes and stern expression always made him seem sullen wherever he went.
Thor and Jane looked confusedly at the suddenly appearing Wong.
Thor asked Diana, "Do you know this man?"
"Of course. I think you need to get to know him too." Diana smiled, then asked the newcomer, "Since you're here, why aren't you drinking? Why just stand there?"
"I'm broke!"
Thor suddenly felt a surge of goodwill towards this straightforward person. He was a frank individual himself, and this stout fellow managed to declare his lack of money with such righteous confidence that it made the now-improved-mood Thor feel like he had met a kindred spirit.
Thor truly needed kindred spirits. Diana, as a fellow daughter of a god-king, was a kindred spirit by status, and now he had one by temperament as well.
"Welcome, my friend! Since you're Diana's friend, you're my friend too!" Thor said with a laugh, the gloom over his head seemingly dissipating quietly.
"First, let me introduce myself. I am Thor, the god of thunder, son of Odin, and almost the king of Asgard!" Thor proclaimed with a hearty laugh.
Among kindred spirits, one always felt at ease, especially Thor, who had been suppressed for so long.
"Oh," Wong said, downing a glass of wine in one gulp and placing it on the table, his face looking a bit better. He continued,
"I am also a king—the King of Kamar-Taj!"
---
Note: Great Luo Heaven is an independent minor world, the Heavenly Court's headquarters, and the residence of immortals. This is a Marvel Comics original setting, not something I made up. In the DC Universe, Odin, Zeus, Jade Emperor, and their ilk are all Old Gods, unique beings, who uniformly reside in a world called 'Heavenly City' within the Sphere of the Gods.
This book's grand worldview, such as the Omni-Sphere World and the Sphere of the Gods, is derived from the DC worldview, while the Yggdrasil (World Tree) system adopts the Marvel setting, establishing Odin and other deities as multiversal beings, and deleting 'Heavenly City' from the Sphere of the Gods.
(end of chapter)
