Seeing the Guardian Sword, Thor didn't have time to wonder why such an important artifact was discarded in a corner.
It was covered in dust, clearly having sat there for some time.
He stepped forward, grabbed the sword, and plunged it into the central pedestal of Himinbjorg.
He twisted the blade.
The Bifrost channel emitted violent spatial fluctuations as a beam of rainbow light pierced the night sky, extending into the unknown void.
Two minutes later.
The warriors stationed in Jotunheim began emerging from the Bifrost.
Two captains in silver armor knelt on one knee, their auras thick with battle intent.
"Prince, why have you summoned us back?"
Thor pointed toward the sky outside, shouting to boost morale: "The Dark Elves have launched a massive invasion! I need all garrisons assembled. War has begun!"
Hearing their home was under attack, every warrior panicked.
This was their land.
Fury filled the eyes of the two captains.
"Highness, we must join the fight immediately! Please, continue to summon the rest of the garrisons!"
Thor knew the Guardian Sword couldn't be handed over to just anyone; if the Dark Elves seized it, the disaster would be total.
Thus, he had to stay and summon the rest himself.
"Go! Hold them back while I bring our brothers home!"
"Yes!" The warriors shouted in unison, rushing out of Himinbjorg with the resolve to defend their home.
With each turn of the sword by Thor, a steady stream of Asgardian warriors stepped out of the rainbow bridge.
...
The war between the Dark Elves and Asgard lasted for two full days and nights.
The fires of battle burned through every corner of the realm.
Aside from the palace core protected by the shield, almost every other structure in Asgard was leveled.
The gorgeous, celestial architecture vanished, scorched into a wasteland by Dark Elf lasers.
Though the Asgardian warriors were brave, their losses were catastrophic.
From a population of over 30,000, only about 16,000 remained after the carnage.
Not only were the losses heavy, they actually lost the war.
After two days of fierce fighting, Thor initiated a surrender, handing Jane over to the Dark Elves so the fleet would leave.
Many Asgardians couldn't fathom why Thor would surrender.
A brave warrior should prefer death to dishonor; they had the courage to sacrifice themselves rather than yield.
Surrender was the ultimate insult.
But with Odin absent, Prince Thor was the acting King.
No matter how much they disagreed, aside from muttering curses behind his back about his perceived cowardice, no one dared to openly challenge his decision.
In Odin's absence, Thor was the strongest.
The warriors believed in strength and had no choice but to trust their Prince.
However, that fragile trust evaporated when Thor broke Loki out of prison and both princes vanished.
The people of Asgard completely lost faith in their seemingly incompetent Prince.
With Queen Frigga and King Odin missing, and the two princes gone, Asgard fell into a state of leaderless chaos.
Harvey kept a very low profile during these two days. The butterfly effect was growing massive.
The disappearance of Odin and Frigga was particularly shocking.
In the original plot, Odin had shown great power during this invasion, destroying countless enemies.
But now, with so many dead, the All-Father was nowhere to be seen.
Harvey suspected the old fossil was hiding behind the scenes, working some kind of scheme.
To watch his people be slaughtered without intervening meant there was a greater interest at stake.
He even suspected Odin might have discovered his presence long ago.
"Could it be that simple?"
The thought made Harvey's blood run cold.
If everything he had done recently was under Odin's nose...
Then why hadn't he stopped him?
He had literally turned Heimdall into a pile of ash.
If Odin watched his trusted confidant be murdered without acting, the man was a monster.
Such a person had to be brewing an even larger conspiracy!
The uncertainty kept Harvey from resting.
Especially when a seemingly ordinary black crow suddenly fluttered over his head.
Harvey's gaze sharpened, staring intently at the crow circling over Asgard.
He appeared calm, but a tempest was raging in his heart.
"Legends say Odin has a crow as his eyes and ears to watch over all things... could it be...?"
A chilling dread rose from his soul.
If he hadn't secured the Reality Stone yet, Harvey would have fled right then.
With an old schemer like Odin, who had lived for thousands of years, who knew what he was planning?
"To sit back and watch his people be butchered by Dark Elves... he must be planning something massive!"
Harvey's mind raced through theories.
But with so few clues, guessing Odin's true intent was nearly impossible.
Eventually, he settled on a few possibilities.
Perhaps Odin had been affected by the butterfly effect and died early in his Odinsleep.
But that was unlikely.
According to the info he'd pried from Iden, Odin should be able to wake one more time.
Or perhaps he was letting the slaughter happen on purpose to force Thor to grow into a King capable of standing alone.
A simple-minded brute of a prince taking over a warlike race—who knew how that would end?
So, with his life ending, Odin might be using radical means to mature Thor as fast as possible.
Aside from those, Harvey thought Odin might have his eye on him.
That wasn't narcissism.
With Ragnarok approaching, if Odin wanted to break the curse, the only variable might lie with Harvey.
After all, even the Ancient One had said she couldn't see his future.
"Speaking of Ancient One, could these two Skyfather-level powerhouses be teaming up to trap me?"
The more he thought, the messier it got. Too many possibilities, too little info.
Harvey's expression flickered as he glared toward the depths of the palace with deep wariness.
He wanted to investigate Odin's condition personally but feared causing an even bigger ripple.
"Forget it. Everything stems from a lack of strength. I'll get the Reality Stone first."
With that, Harvey calmed down, waiting patiently for Thor to return with the stone.
What will be, will be.
No matter what Odin planned, as long as Harvey increased his power, every scheme was just white noise.