"But even so, that won't change my mind,"
Hela said firmly.
"I can't stand that old man. I want to take back what should have belonged to me in the first place!"
Lucas sighed helplessly.
"And then what? All your people are gone. If you return and Asgard ends up with only you left, what meaning does that throne even have?"
"Are you going back just to fulfill Ragnarök?"
Hela's eyes flickered slightly, as if Lucas's words had struck a nerve.
"Ragnarök is caused by Surtur. What does that have to do with me?" she retorted.
"And if I return, with my strength, I might actually be able to stop Ragnarök!"
Lucas couldn't exactly say Ragnarök only happens because you go back.
So instead, he said,
"Do you really think the people of Asgard will submit to you when you return?"
Hela lifted her chin proudly.
"In this world, strength is absolute. As long as I'm powerful enough to suppress all of Asgard, they'll have no choice but to obey."
Lucas could only shake his head in resignation.
Hela was far too self-centered—she truly believed raw power could solve everything.
She had no idea how stubborn the people of Asgard had become.
In the end, even after reclaiming Asgard, it would still be destroyed alongside Surtur.
After a moment of silence, Lucas suddenly said,
"How about this—I'll take you back to Asgard, but you don't act immediately. Instead, you observe first and see whether modern Asgard is really as you imagine."
Hela considered his words for a while, then nodded.
"Fine. We'll do as you say. I'll observe first and see what Asgard has become."
Then she frowned slightly.
"But how exactly are we supposed to get back to Asgard?"
Lucas turned his gaze toward the massive space vortex hovering above Sakaar—the one known as the Devil's Anus.
As they had been flying while talking, they were already quite close to it.
"You're saying… that thing can take us back to Asgard?"
Hela asked, looking up at the colossal spatial whirlpool in the sky.
Even from afar, it was awe-inspiring.
Up close, the sight was utterly overwhelming.
Even someone as experienced and confident as Hela wouldn't dare enter such a place alone.
"Before that," Lucas said calmly,
"we need a ship strong enough. Otherwise, the spatial turbulence inside that vortex will tear us apart."
"But neither of us has a ship," Hela said, puzzled.
"Then we'll just steal one," Lucas replied cheerfully.
"Oh, right," Hela said in realization.
"I've seen plenty of spaceships on this planet."
Lucas immediately shook his head.
"No, those scraps won't make it through that vortex. We need something far more advanced and stable."
Before Hela could ask further, Lucas laughed.
"Don't worry. I know exactly where to find the ship we need."
He closed his eyes briefly, sensing with his energy, then smiled.
"See? Our generous benefactor has already delivered himself to us."
With that, Lucas took Hela straight to an ordinary-looking building.
With a casual wave of his hand, the outer wall exploded open, revealing—inside—the Grandmaster, staring at them in shock.
"H–How did you find this place?" the Grandmaster asked in disbelief.
Lucas shrugged.
"Your presence shines to me like a star in the dark universe. It'd be harder not to find you."
The Grandmaster was utterly confused.
What was this "energy" thing?
And since when was his presence that obvious?
"What do you want from me?" he asked calmly.
After countless ages of existence, fear was no longer something the Grandmaster experienced.
"I want your best spaceship," Lucas said bluntly.
"That's absurd! That ship is one of my most precious collections!" the Grandmaster snapped.
"Oh?" Lucas sneered.
"Then which do you think matters more—your collection, or this planet of yours?"
"You—You can't threaten me like that!" the Grandmaster gaped.
"What, no one's ever threatened you before?" Lucas teased.
To Lucas's surprise, the Grandmaster suddenly burst into laughter.
"Yes! That's it! That's exactly it!"
"You've finally made me feel something again!"
"Today, I experienced emotions I haven't felt in ages. Thank you for that."
He spread his arms dramatically.
"On this planet, aside from my own life, you're free to take whatever you want."
That response stunned both Lucas and Hela—but they understood.
When someone has lived too long and seen too much, emotions slowly fade.
Life loses its color.
That emptiness is far more torturous than death.
Soon after, under the Grandmaster's personal orders, his subordinates brought over his finest ship.
Compared to the flashy vessel Thor stole in the movies, this one was the real treasure.
It was an A-shaped spacecraft, its silver hull gleaming brilliantly, adorned with intricate golden patterns.
"These markings look familiar," Lucas murmured.
"They resemble the Eternals' ship."
"They're also similar to Odin's runes," Hela added.
"You're both missing the point," the Grandmaster said smugly.
"These patterns are the optimal formulas of universal energy laws—nothing surpasses them."
"Without understanding cosmic energy rules, no one could ever replicate them."
"How fast is it?" Lucas asked curiously.
"Speed isn't the point," the Grandmaster replied proudly.
"At maximum energy conversion, this ship can perform spatial jumps."
"Even a thousand light-years away—it would take just three jumps."
"Other civilizations can also perform jumps," he continued,
"but my ship can perform hundreds of consecutive jumps."
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
"And you're really willing to give this to me?"
"Of course," the Grandmaster said with a grin.
"I always keep my word."
"Though it's not entirely free."
"Oh?" Lucas asked. "What's the condition?"
The Grandmaster chuckled.
"I know I can't keep you here forever. So in the future, bring people back to visit from time to time."
"After all," he added, smiling,
"you should take care of a lonely old man like me, shouldn't you?"
_____
T/N:
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