Early the next morning, Noah crawled out of bed, rubbing his throbbing temples.
He glanced at the woman sleeping beside him, reached out to ruffle her hair, then quickly fled to the bathroom.
To be honest, this was the first time Noah had realized his alcohol tolerance was... embarrassingly low.
Without using magic, he had actually been drunk into a complete haze by Eric, Lawrence, and Kenn.
What made it worse was that he had gotten stubborn halfway through. Once Noah dug his heels in, even Hermione couldn't stop him.
The result was predictable.
He went down hard.
"Damn it," Noah muttered, staring at his reflection in the mirror with a wry smile. "If I bring this kind of tolerance to Asgard, won't I make a total fool of myself?"
"Then use magic, you idiot."
Hermione walked in, arms crossed, clearly unimpressed.
"Honestly, I couldn't even stop you last night. I really don't know why you thought you were so good at drinking."
How could he explain that in his previous life he'd never been good at drinking?
There was no way Noah was saying that out loud.
He still vividly remembered that time he'd had a late-night snack and a few drinks-only to wake up the next day as an infant.
Turning around, Noah gently pulled Hermione into his arms.
"Alright, alright. I get it. I'll use magic from now on."
"Not 'from now on.'" Hermione pushed him away lightly. "Start this time. Your health is important. And I need to wash up-don't just stand there blocking the way."
"Together?" Noah raised an eyebrow. "I need a shower anyway."
"As you wish."
...
After a considerable amount of tossing and turning, the two of them finally got ready.
Noah looked at the well-dressed couple reflected in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction.
For Thor's coronation ceremony in Asgard, there was no way he could dress casually, even if he wanted to. To better match Asgardian aesthetics, he'd chosen clothing with a slightly archaic, almost mythic style.
Rather than diminishing their presence, it only made Noah and Hermione look even more striking.
With a casual wave of his hand, a portal opened.
Noah had long since memorized Asgard's coordinates. The transition was smooth and effortless.
As they stepped through, Asgard greeted them with overwhelming liveliness.
Laughter echoed everywhere. Joy filled the air.
Despite the celebratory atmosphere, Asgard's security remained impeccable.
The moment Noah and Hermione appeared, a squad of guards rushed over-only to immediately halt and disperse once they recognized him.
"Honorable Sorcerer Supreme."
One of the guards bowed deeply.
"Welcome to Asgard."
"You recognize me?" Noah asked, slightly surprised.
He didn't recall having much interaction with Asgardian soldiers.
"Yes," the guard said with a smile. "Several years ago, during your first visit to Asgard, we fought together in the arena."
He straightened proudly. "My name is Ingersoll. It's an honor to meet you again."
The first time I came to Asgard...
Noah immediately remembered.
It wasn't exactly a pleasant memory-but it was unforgettable.
This guard really had been one of the elite Asgardian soldiers he'd faced back then.
Not appearing in the movies didn't mean he was weak. If anything, Noah suspected the most likely reason was that Ingersoll had been one-shotted by Hela.
"Ah, I remember now," Noah said, smiling politely as he extended his hand. "It's good to see you again."
"Likewise." Ingersoll laughed, then froze mid-sentence. "I didn't expect that somewhat creepy-ah-sorry, sir, I-"
He realized his mistake instantly.
His eyes flicked toward Hermione.
"Is this your girlfriend? I never thought someone like you would actually get a girlfriend."
Noah's expression darkened on the spot.
What was that supposed to mean?
Is it really that shocking that I have a girlfriend?
For a split second, Noah deeply regretted ever buffing Thor and Loki-or exposing Odin's arrangements.
Maybe Hela should've slapped this guy into the ground back then.
Suppressing his urge to respond, Noah nodded awkwardly at Ingersoll, then took Hermione's hand and rose into the air, flying toward Thor's location.
Hermione watched Noah with an amused smile.
She didn't ask what had happened back then.
She didn't need to.
She was far too perceptive not to piece it together.
Years ago, Noah had been completely obsessed with magic-someone who wouldn't be distracted by relationships. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stayed single for so long.
And he was good-looking.
A bit thin, perhaps-but immensely powerful.
It would have been stranger if Asgardian women hadn't noticed him.
Ingersoll's comment only confirmed it.
Which meant Noah had probably rejected more than a few advances.
Hermione found that... oddly amusing.
Noah, completely unaware that his girlfriend had essentially deduced the truth, focused on locating Thor.
It didn't take long.
Thor stood backstage with Loki and Fat Thor, clearly discussing something.
The moment Noah landed, all three turned toward him.
"Noah!" Thor grinned and stepped forward, pulling him into a bear hug.
"You finally made it, Sorcerer Supreme. I thought you were planning a dramatic late entrance."
"That's your job, idiot," Noah replied dryly, pushing him away.
He nodded to Loki and Fat Thor, then frowned slightly.
"What are you discussing? And where are my teacher and the All-Father?"
"They're outside," Loki replied with a shrug.
"Giving the younger generation some space. As for the topic-naturally, it's how to deal with our sister."
Noah blinked.
"What's there to discuss? Wasn't it already decided that I would deal with her?"
This had been settled long ago.
Noah would handle Hela.
Thor and Loki had grown significantly, but they still couldn't compare to a certified cheat like Noah.
A pay-to-win second-generation god still had trouble against a wall-hack player-unless the GM intervened.
And the GMs of this universe clearly didn't care.
At this point, Noah had essentially replaced Thor as the strongest god around.
Unless one compared him to the future Thor who had lost everything, the current Thor still fell short-at least in practice.
"The problem is..." Thor sighed.
"This is an Odinson family matter. Hela made it very clear-she won't accept an outsider deciding the line of succession."
"Oh?" Noah rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Then do you want me to..."
He drew a finger across his throat.
"...end it?"
The meaning was obvious.
Kill Hela.
The three stared at him in stunned silence.
With two Tenth Rank clones at the eighth sub-stage, plus a Domain of eight fused elements, Noah's power was absurd.
Even with Asgard amplifying her endlessly, Hela would still only reach the Tenth Rank-same level as Noah.
And at that level, raw power mattered less than mastery of laws.
Thanks to the system and that mysterious sphere of light, Noah's growth rate in understanding fundamental rules was terrifying.
Even killing Hela outright wasn't impossible.
After all, Gul'dan-another Tenth Rank existence-had once been reduced to just a head by Noah... back when Noah was only Ninth Rank.
"...Better not," Thor finally said, shaking his head.
"She's still my sister."
"But in our timeline, she destroyed Asgard," Fat Thor muttered.
"I don't think there's anything left to discuss," Fat Thor continued after a pause.
"I'll deal with her myself. Call it revenge."
"You?" Noah turned sharply, eyes widening.
Then he froze.
"...You actually recovered?"
"Of course!" Fat Thor patted his belly proudly.
"Otherwise what? I told you-this isn't cheese sauce. It's divine power!"
"Then why do you still look like that?" Noah pointed. "You look like a ball."
"First of all, I am not a ball!" Fat Thor snapped.
"Second, if it weren't to distinguish myself from this guy, I'd have restored my perfect muscles long ago!"