"Complete speculation? Or is there a basis for it?"
Su Ming mounted the horse, pulling both of them onto its back. The Eight-legged Celestial Horse was capable of bearing the weight of three people; it was like a limousine among horses.
"Some basis from Earth's mythology... Have you heard of the Eddic Epic?"
Monac sat behind Su Ming, while Gin was in front of Su Ming. The Magic Floating Cloak curled up a corner to nudge the mage, as if to greet him.
"I know Homer's Epic, Virgil's 'Aeneid', and John Milton's 'Paradise Lost'. I've even heard of the epic 'Manas', but what's the Eddic Epic?"
Originally, Deathstroke's memory held some literary knowledge, but it wasn't comprehensive. Adding Su Ming's own memories, it was rather incomplete.
The three headed straight toward the capital of Warnerheim. In the village, only the elderly and children peeked out from behind doors, and Gullveig's palace was now poorly defended.
He let the Celestial Horse run freely; here the prairie stretched as far as the eye could see, with no roads at all.
"As the name suggests, it's also a long poem recording history, mainly describing how Odin gathered materials, overcame countless difficulties, and had Dwarf King Eitri forge Mjolnir, and then used it to kill the King of Frost Giants, Laufey."
Monac explained to Su Ming, breathing in the fresh air and feeling the wind whistling past his ears, his stomach felt much better.
"It seems the epic focuses more on literary value, as the recorded history isn't very accurate." Su Ming shrugged, holding the reins, while Gin's head snuggled under his chin. "Mjolnir was made by dwarves tricked by Loki, and Laufey wasn't even dead."
"'Troy' and 'Divine Comedy' were also considered epics in the past, I know. Stories are just stories, but some parts are true. For example, the material of Mjolnir, I believe what's mentioned in the epic is true."
Monac showed a refined smile, as if he had written the epic himself.
Su Ming rubbed his chin, recalling the origin of the Meow Meow Hammer. Generally, there are two theories regarding its material.
One theory is that the hammerhead part used the core of a dying planet, with extremely high density as a product of collapse. The dwarves forged it using a fixed star.
Another theory is that the hammerhead is made of Uru metal, forged by the dwarves, with Odin bestowing it with the Power of Odin.
Of course, both theories agree that the handle of the Meow Meow Hammer comes from the branches of the World Tree.
The handle was originally longer, but Loki's prank cut off a section. When Thor took it from Odin, he found it a bit awkward, so he tied it with a dragon hide strap, and got used to swinging it around.
"What does the epic say?" Su Ming asked.
"I don't have as good a memory as you, just remember the gist... In the poem, the dwarves used a dying fixed star to create a forge called the Heart of the Sun. Then in their world, Nidavellir, they used another fixed star to heat and forge the Uru metal into Mjolnir, with Odin bestowing it with the Power of the Immortal Palace."
Monac looked up at the sky, the jostling on horseback made it difficult to recall, and he told the story haltingly.
"I think I have a clue now, keep going."
The mage exhaled deeply, unable to recall when he last rode a horse. Honestly, he had ridden elephants more frequently:
"The hammer was successfully completed and given to Odin. However, the forge that cast Mjolnir was blessed by Odin, and was used several more times afterwards, casting other things."
"I get it... It's the Stone of Destiny."
Su Ming nodded slowly, and the Divine Artifact that shared the same origin as Mjolnir, which looked like a pile of small stones, was indeed the Stone of Destiny.
"Yes, in the epic it's called the Norn Runes, and you call it the Stone of Destiny. I believe they are essentially the same thing, and like Mjolnir, they possess the Power of Odin."
Monac rubbed his belly. Since Deathstroke already understood, there was no need to elaborate.
Su Ming pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing was one thing, but if Zemo now possessed the Stone of Destiny, that would be troublesome.
That item is more like a random cheat, which gives different superpowers to its owner depending on who possesses it.
In its usual form, it's a box of about a hundred small stones. When formally used, they need to be merged to form a stone the size of a fist.
The abilities granted by the Stone of Destiny to its owner vary, depending entirely on luck.
For example, basic abilities like flight, vacuum breathing, and disease immunity; or advanced abilities like telekinesis or mind reading.
The abilities obtained aren't unique, and one might acquire multiple abilities simultaneously.
The intelligence that Su Ming currently had was that in the "Siege" comic, Thor used the Stone of Destiny and the Power of the Immortal Palace to defeat a sentinel threatening to eradicate the heroes.
That was a brawl among brutes, without any strategy, trading blows directly, where strength determined the winner.
Monac, not being called the Magic Prince for nothing, had provided Su Ming with crucial information right away, explaining what the Frost Giants had stolen from the archive.
And that was the Heart of the Sun.
It contained the Power of Odin. Dwarf King Eitri had no right to keep it, and for any blacksmith, it was the ultimate Divine Artifact, an unparalleled small forge.
After use, it had to be returned to Asgard. Odin placed it in the archive room.
Zemo had aimed for it from the start. He already had the Stone of Destiny, before acquiring the forge containing the Power of Odin and solar heat, and then snatched a section of the Destiny Threads from the Goddess of Destiny...
All the materials were prepared.
Zemo is about to start mass-producing the Stone of Destiny. Now, he just lacks a fixed star as an energy source and a few craftsmen.
.........
Gin silently listened to the conversation between the two. As someone from Asgard, she was the one who understood the situation best.
She knew about the Stone of Destiny, had seen it, and even touched it a few times.
But that thing had always been kept in the Golden Palace, usually in the giant brazier in the data room. Back then, Gin didn't know what was special about it; it just seemed like a decoration.
Like a fountain, or like fireworks.
When the flames burned, they surrounded the brazier like moths, flying up and down, much like countless planets orbiting a star.
But after hearing Monac's words, if they and Mjolnir were created one after the other, their value would be immeasurable.
But... who stole them and delivered them into Zemo's hands? Could it be the Great Serpent??
But if the Great Serpent entered Asgard, it would be impossible for no one to see it. That doesn't make sense.
"Why did Zemo come to Warnerheim? There are no excellent blacksmiths here." She questioned her boss while observing the surroundings.
It was very quiet; Warnerheim was now peaceful, just like decades ago.
All she could see were picturesque rural landscapes—green mountains, golden wheat fields, and clear streams.
A gentle breeze blew through, and the plants bent slightly like waves in the ocean, reflecting a glossy sheen.
"The Heart of the Sun is a casting mold, and craftsmen only need to pour melted materials into it. Each grain of the Stone of Destiny is very small, so compared to blacksmiths, goldsmiths are more suitable for casting them."
Su Ming answered Gin's question. He was already prepared to deal with Zemo and the Frost Giants, and he was also observing the surrounding scenery, adjusting his breathing.
The journey to the Netherworld had cost him a lot of blood, not to mention he suffered quite a few internal injuries while capturing the wolf.
His body and combat power were not significantly affected, but his bloodthirsty desires were stirring, and Su Ming was trying hard to calm them.
"The Stone of Destiny is a very powerful thing. It can be distributed to everyone or merged into one, giving the leader a terrifying range of abilities. It's just unclear why Odin would so casually toss it into the data room."
Monac shook his head and sighed a bit regretfully; it seemed like a case of Asgard's poor management.
Su Ming took the guns and ammunition out of his pouch and handed them to Gin.
She currently had no weapon or armor, but compared to other Valkyries, Gin knew how to use guns.
While continually arming her, Su Ming answered the mage's question:
"Because the Stone of Destiny contains the Power of Odin, Odin's own power source, it's extremely important... And pretending not to care is the best blinding technique. Everyone's eyes are on the treasury; who would know the treasures in the data library are more crucial?"
In the Golden Palace, everything is resplendent, and the treasures in the treasury are renowned throughout the cosmos. Who would think the dark furnace and a pile of small stones in the data room are treasures?
With no guards, the data room, where anyone can enter freely, is, in fact, a very secure place.
Don't count on Asgardians being interested in reading; the data room probably doesn't even have visitors.
The three discussed this as they traveled, but as the Celestial Horse rapidly advanced, they all noticed something was amiss.
"Do you guys feel... a bit hot?"
Su Ming asked the mage and Gin. He didn't feel it himself, but Strangulation was sensitive to heat.
"I don't feel the temperature, but I noticed a significant fluctuation in magic, right ahead." Monac raised his hand to point in a direction.
"Stay alert. We're heading over."
Su Ming patted the horse's belly, and Xiaoba immediately changed direction, galloping towards that side.
The target direction was a lava pool, abruptly appearing in the middle of the grassland.
The temperature was very high, and the air was slightly distorted. It was spreading at a steady rate, and the plants around it seemed to be swallowed by an invisible giant mouth.
"It's not an illusion. This lava pool truly exists. It's a flame projected through magic from another plane."
Monac immediately added, knowing that Deathstroke likes to act after having intelligence.
"Gullveig and Surtur's agreement has taken effect. Warnerheim will turn into a sea of fire." Su Ming immediately thought of the reason.
Although Gullveig was persuaded by Su Ming to lay down the weapons, the agreement wasn't nullified, and Surtur had now come to collect the debt.
"What should we do?" Gin looked down, and the Celestial Horse kept retreating. The lava pool was expanding rapidly; when they arrived, it was like a bathtub, and now in just a few seconds, it was about to become a pool.
"We must save Warnerheim, Holloway, prepare the magic."
Su Ming jumped down from the horse, approaching the lava pool, and the flaming pond soon spread to his feet.