"So what do we do now?"
Algrim asked. If Feny were in Svartalfheim, they could simply march right over, but Asgard was clearly not a place one could easily infiltrate.
Malekith remained silent for a long while before finally looking at Algrim and sighing.
He had originally hoped that if the Aether was merely parasitizing a weak existence, they might be able to reclaim it in time without needing to transform Algrim. But under the current circumstances, that was clearly impossible.
Thus, just like in the original plot, Malekith formulated an invasion plan coordinated from both inside and out.
Meanwhile, Thor, looking filled with worry, brought Feny to find Jane, who had been dressed in Asgardian attire by Frigga.
"It's you!"
Seeing Feny, Jane showed a look of surprise and astonishment, while Frigga, standing beside her, greeted him with a smile, "Long time no see, Mage Feny!"
"It's me, Miss Foster!"
Feny looked at Jane first, then greeted Frigga with a matching smile, "Long time no see, Queen!"
"Actually, it hasn't been that long, has it?"
Thor, whose concept of time wasn't very precise, muttered softly before immediately explaining Jane and Feny's situation to Frigga.
"You were the one who sent me back to Earth?"
After listening to Thor's recount, Jane looked at Feny in surprise once more.
"I happened to be studying spatial anomalies there at the time. Because your friends and those children were present, it wasn't convenient for me to show myself. I just didn't expect you to be suddenly sucked in by the spatial rift."
Feny explained using his previous excuse, making Jane quite grateful as she said, "Thank you for saving me!"
Feny waved his hand dismissively. Jane truly ought to thank him; after all, if it weren't for him, Jane would have served as the host for the Aether, and her body and vitality wouldn't have held out for more than a few days.
"To think it's an artifact of the Dark Elves. They vanished a long time ago, and Asgard knows very little about their technology."
Frigga frowned. Her knowledge regarding the Dark Elves was actually extremely limited as well.
"Then Jane's body is alright, right?"
At this point, Thor was no longer considering how to help Feny extract the Aether; he only wanted to know if Jane had been affected.
"Rest assured, according to my observations, she is very healthy."
Frigga gently reassured Thor first, then turned her gaze back to Feny and asked, "And how are you doing now? Do you feel any discomfort in your body?"
"I'm alright. I have some abilities that can cope with it, so there shouldn't be any issues in the short term!"
Looking at the concerned Frigga, Feny explained, resolving in his heart that if the Dark Elves came, he absolutely could not let Frigga die like she did in the original plot.
Afterward, Frigga hoped Feny would go for an examination, and Feny gave her face by not refusing.
The group arrived at the healing room. After the Asgardian medical staff performed a series of tests, they could only state helplessly that there was a powerful energy substance inside Feny's body.
Jane was also re-examined along the way, and the results were the same as before--no issues at all, which relieved Thor considerably.
Although Feny had already stated that he would be fine in the short term, Frigga remained very prudent. She immediately chose to stay in the healing room to help research a solution, temporarily setting aside Jane, who might be her future daughter-in-law.
It was precisely because of this side of Frigga that she alone managed to elevate Feny's favorable impression of Asgard.
Frigga's departure allowed Jane, who had been constantly nervous and anxious, to breathe a great sigh of relief. While Odin's severity and disdain certainly made her unhappy, Frigga's gentle and understanding nature also made her feel a bit out of place.
Furthermore, in this completely unfamiliar environment with no acquaintances around, once the novelty wore off, she unconsciously felt a bit lonely. Feny's appearance unexpectedly alleviated this emotion.
Though her mood had eased, she quickly felt a bit awkward afterward. After all, she was not familiar with Feny, and the two had only met once before.
Thus, after leaving the healing room, the atmosphere among the three grew inexplicably awkward.
Sensing this atmosphere, Feny had no intention of playing third wheel. Moreover, upon further reflection, he still felt a bit uneasy, so he said:
"You two go ahead and chat. I just remembered I still owe Heimdall a matter that hasn't been completed, and I happen to have nothing to do right now anyway."
Rather than waiting passively, Feny felt it was better for him to keep watch at the Bifrost himself. That way, no matter what the Dark Elves planned to do, he could grasp the situation immediately.
Since Thor had a stomach full of sweet nothings he wanted to say to Jane, he didn't stop Feny, only nodding and instructing him to come back for an examination promptly if he felt any discomfort.
After Feny left, Jane immediately asked Thor about Feny with curiosity, "He doesn't seem worried about that Aether at all?"
Thor could actually see that Feny didn't look anxious in the slightest, so he couldn't help but nod and reply, "Feny is very powerful, and his abilities are very bizarre and strange. Plus, he seems to have a very formidable teacher, so perhaps he feels confident in handling it!"
Speaking of Feny, Thor couldn't help but say a few more words:
"He also has a very large dragon that Heimdall likes a lot. Feny says it's called the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. I want to find a mount too, but it's hard to find a giant beast in the Nine Realms that can compare to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon."
Speaking up to this point, Thor looked filled with regret. Influenced by Feny, he had gradually begun to feel that riding a horse lacked any imposing presence, and he wanted to find a more powerful fierce beast to use as a mount, but unfortunately, he hadn't encountered one yet.
But to Thor's surprise, after he finished speaking, Jane immediately agreed, "I know, I saw that dragon in a video, it really is huge!"
"A video!?"
Seeing Thor's bewildered expression, Jane immediately explained, "S.H.I.E.L.D. released the footage of your Battle of New York. Now the whole Earth knows about you, Thor Odinson of the Avengers. Next time you go to Earth, I guarantee a lot of people will ask for your autograph!"
"Really!?"
Thor grinned foolishly and scratched his head. He didn't really care about the Avengers or any alliance; it was mainly Jane's admiring gaze that made him feel walking on air.
As the conversation continued, their faces unconsciously grew closer, closer, and closer, until finally, they were as close as could be.
On the other side, oblivious to the pair's lovey-dovey moment, Feny arrived at the Bifrost once more.
Seeing Feny return not long after leaving, Heimdall was somewhat surprised and asked, "Why are you back?"
Feny shrugged, walked over to Heimdall's side, and explained casually, "I was bored and didn't want to be a third wheel to those two, so I came over to chat with you."
"How is your body?"
Odin had not avoided Heimdall when discussing the Aether, so he was also clear about Feny's current situation.
"There shouldn't be any problems in the short term!"
Feny explained casually, and then asked, "Has there been any unusual activity in the Nine Realms?"
In fact, Feny still couldn't be certain whether the Aether had actually awakened the Dark Elves. After all, no matter how he tried to communicate with the Aether, the other party simply ignored him.