Talk is cheap.
Claiming all Asgardians are brave and fearless.
But once they faced the lunatic Hela, the Goddess of Death, it still caused a massive panic, and the surviving Asgardian refugees were forced to flee on a starship.
They eventually fled to Norway on Earth to build a "New Asgard" village.
So Iden's words were simply too naive.
But Harvey couldn't be bothered to debate her.
Good advice cannot save those destined to die; respecting the fate of others is the ultimate truth.
"I was just speaking casually; don't take it to heart. It's getting late; I must return to the Bifrost."
"I hope you truly mean that, Heimdall."
"Goodbye."
...
After bidding Iden farewell, Harvey returned to Himinbjorg, sitting on the high platform and pretending to survey the Nine Realms.
The task of stealing the knowledge of the Runes was a long and difficult one, not something to be completed quickly.
He had already prepared for a long-term study plan.
For those ten thousand books in Asgard, Harvey planned to use magic to copy the majority of them first and read them slowly later.
Certain high-level grimoires recording the Runes might be impossible to copy.
He would read those through entirely, forcing the information into his memory to study when he had the time.
Once he had gutted the entire library, Harvey wouldn't have to be so cautious.
As for the Aether, he also had a plan.
There were still a month or two before the plot reached the point where Thor defeated the Dark Elves and gave the Reality Stone to the Collector for safekeeping.
A month was enough for Harvey to gut the library. At that time, he planned to strike during the trade between Thor and the Collector to snatch the Aether away.
Once he had the Reality Stone, he planned to travel the universe to look for the Power Stone and the Soul Stone.
With any luck, this trip to the Realm of the Gods might yield three Infinity Stones.
"Skyfather-level is only the beginning. To reach the peak of the magical path, I still need to keep working hard." Harvey stared at the Bifrost channel, lost in thought.
Late at night, the Royal Palace of Asgard.
The unconscious Jane lay on a luxurious bed.
Thor stayed by her side without leaving for a second, terrified her condition would worsen again.
The light from the wall lamps cast the shadows of the ill-fated couple onto the pale palace walls.
Everything around was silent; aside from the faint sound of the palace guards on patrol, there was no noise.
An ink-black crow, appearing as if merged with the darkness, fluttered into a side hall deep within the palace.
Odin Borson, the All-Father, lay with a peaceful face on a platform made of Uru metal, its surface carved with a massive number of Runes.
When the black crow landed on the gilded rectangular windowsill, it signified that this God-King, currently in the Odinsleep, was actually observing everything in Asgard from the shadows.
——————————
One month later.
Jane's life force was draining faster and faster. Thor watched helplessly as his girlfriend aged day by day.
In just one month, she had aged ten years.
Thor, frantic and desperate, went to the dungeon to ask his brother Loki for help.
Clearly, when Loki has a chance to cause trouble, something is bound to go wrong.
Meanwhile, Harvey, following the principle of keeping a low profile, had acted as a "nobody" in Asgard for a month.
Besides Iden, no one knew that the personality of Heimdall, the guardian of Asgard, had undergone a drastic change.
Over the past month, Harvey had gone to the library every day to get close to Iden and absorb magical knowledge.
He now possessed copies of the vast majority of the magical books in the library. As for the high-level ones he couldn't replicate, he had them all memorized.
Clearly, his plan was a total success.
At this stage, he only needed to wait patiently for the Dark Elves to invade, for Queen Frigga to be killed, and then for Thor and Loki to storm the Dark Elf realm.
Then Thor would successfully save Jane, and finally hand the Reality Stone to the Collector.
The time for that was not far off.
Today, even though Harvey had gutted the library, he still went there as usual toward sunset to study.
He walked into the Omniscient Library with practiced ease.
Iden wore a green gown as thin as silk, sitting by a glazed window, reading quietly against the backdrop of the sunset reflecting off her delicate face.
However, she kept peeking at the palace entrance out of the corner of her eye, seemingly waiting for someone.
When Harvey arrived as scheduled, Iden's face instantly broke into a smile. She had dressed up beautifully just for this moment.
"Which book on the Runes do you want to read today?"
Harvey shook his head; after a month of reading, he was nearly sick of it.
"I came specifically to visit you today. Guarding the Bifrost alone is too boring, so I wanted to come and chat with you."
Over the past month, Harvey had spent every day in the library, nearly maxing out the favorability of this simple Asgardian goddess.
It was just that Iden was not good at expressing her feelings, and since Heimdall already had a wife, she always buried her growing affection deep in her heart.
Speaking of the boredom of guarding the Bifrost, Iden couldn't help but complain.
"Staying in the library every day is also very boring. Ever since I heard the exciting stories you told about Midgard, I've really longed to go and visit."
She lowered her voice and said sneakily, "Can you take me to Midgard for a little while in secret?"
It seemed this Goddess of Youth had long grown tired of the boring days that remained unchanged for centuries.
But Harvey was an impostor; he couldn't use the Bifrost for transport. If Iden spotted a flaw...
"No problem. But we cannot use the Bifrost; people would find out."
Iden pouted and asked, "Without the Bifrost, how do we get to Midgard?"
Harvey smiled mysteriously, putting on an air of being in complete control as he said: "Do you think the books I've been reading for a month were for nothing?"
"I've learned a type of Portal magic. Using this high-level teleportation magic, we can reach Midgard safely."
The well-read Iden asked in shock, "Could it be that you've learned the teleportation magic of Kamar-Taj?"
Harvey's heart skipped a beat, but he asked without showing it, "You even know about the magical sanctuary of Midgard, Kamar-Taj?"
Iden explained nonchalantly, "I've read nearly every book in the library."
"Although many of the more obscure magical books were beyond my understanding due to my talent."
"I know far too much about the ancient history and hidden knowledge of the Nine Realms."
Iden enjoyed showing off her erudition in front of Harvey.
"Kamar-Taj is a magical sanctuary that has been passed down for thousands of years. The current Sorcerer Supreme is a female sorcerer named the Ancient One, who has lived for five hundred years..."
Harvey listened quietly, not interrupting her long introduction.
Once Iden finished recounting the history of Kamar-Taj, Harvey said with feigned amazement, "I didn't expect you to even know the origin of Kamar-Taj. Truly enviable."
"It's nothing. I just like reading, so I understand these more obscure bits of knowledge."
Though she acted humble, there was an uncontainable joy in Iden's eyes; clearly, she enjoyed the praise.