Those time travelers that year

"Now is the time to witness a miracle!"

234. Ether Particles (Part 2)

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

Loki tapped the floor with his Mind Scepter, and the gem on the scepter began to emit a deep blue light. Blue flames emanated from the gem and then spread forward as if they were alive.

“The space here is distorted.” Loki strode forward. “The entire space has become something like a maze, and these mazes connect to every corner of the universe, connecting to different worlds. This is the entrance to the sealed land.”

"Setting the entrance in Midgard?" Sharl asked as he followed Loki forward. "Is it because Midgard is less conspicuous?"

“That’s one factor. Of course, there wasn’t just one entrance, but the others have long been buried by the passage of time,” Loki replied. “The Asgardian gods tried to bury all of this, whether it was the dark elves or their artifact—the Aether!”

Ciel followed Loki forward without making a sound. Loki's words confirmed to him that their target was indeed the artifact that appeared in the Thor 2 storyline—the Aether. There were even rumors that the Aether was the Reality Stone among the Infinity Stones.

Walking up the stairs, passing through a desolate room, a gust of wind howled from somewhere. In this obviously enclosed factory, there was no musty smell, indicating that the air circulation was good.

After walking a short distance, Ciel and Loki stopped simultaneously, their gazes fixed on a corner. There, darkness dominated the space; peeling paint on the walls and broken, dirty glass gave it the feel of a haunted house. However, the two weren't afraid of ghosts here. One was the Asgardian god of deception, albeit only an illusionary avatar; the other was a sorcerer, an expert in manipulating souls.

Compared to the eerie atmosphere, what the two were more concerned about was at the end of this corner corridor.

Here, the light emanating from the Scepter of the Mind extended into the darkness, until it disappeared into a wall at the end.

“There!” Loki whispered. “At the end of this place lies another world, and that’s where the Dark Elf artifact—the Aether—is sealed.”

"Are there any traps or anything like that sealed place?" Charles suddenly remembered that in the movie Thor: The Dark World, Jane, Thor's Earth girlfriend, foolishly walked into the place where the Aether was sealed, and miraculously, she escaped without any danger until the end, absorbing the Aether into her body. The whole process was practically like falling off a cliff and finding a divine artifact.

“Of course! When I was in Asgard, I was idly flipping through ancient documents and learned that here…” Loki pointed ahead, “to prevent the dark elves from returning one day, defensive magic and traps were set up here.”

"If it were just an ordinary person, these traps would not be triggered... but if it were an individual with extraordinary power, then the traps here would be triggered."

"So it really is the same old story of falling off a cliff and finding a divine artifact!" Ciel thought to himself after hearing Loki's words. No wonder Jane in the movie just retrieved the Aether without any problems; it turns out it was a trap set by the previous Asgardian God-King, completely untargeted by ordinary mortals with no power, only those with extraordinary abilities.

"So now, how do we get in?"

“Of course, it’s this!” Loki raised his Mind Control Scepter and pointed it at the wall at the end of the corridor. “Didn’t I tell you? This is the key! The Master Key!”

*Whoosh!* Azure flames gathered on the Mind Scepter, and the next moment, a beam of blue light shot out from the gem on the scepter, striking the wall. However, the energy beam from the scepter did not destroy the wall; instead, it opened a blue portal, through which a scene resembling the depths of a cave could be seen.

"Let's go!" Loki set down his scepter and walked towards the portal first. Shire waved his hand, and the power of the abyss conjured a rat that remained in place. While there might not be any danger, leaving a location would provide a coordinate to return to in case of an emergency.

One after the other, the two walked into the portal of light, which then closed and disappeared completely.

……

This was a dark and deep cave, with massive rocks lying horizontally in mid-air, forming a network of interconnected stone bridges. Below lay a bottomless black abyss, illuminated only by a very faint light. However, this darkness posed no problem for Ciel and Loki. Ignoring the surrounding chaos, they both focused their gaze on another rectangular stone block standing on one end of the stone bridge they stood on, and on the dark red light emanating from its lower end.

"That's the Aether particle!?" Sharl said with certainty. "The Dark Elf's artifact, the power you mentioned that's beyond the 'script'."

“That’s right! That’s the Aether!” Loki said solemnly. “And, there’s more than just the Aether here…” Thump! Loki tapped the ground with his Mind Staff, and a series of lights flashed before them. These were various runes constructed of light, inscribed on the stone bridge beneath their feet, in every corner of the cave, and on every part of the stone that suppressed and sealed the Aether. “…And ancient runes!”

“Runic runes?” Charles looked at the runes that seemed to be drawn by light, and those runes were quite similar to the runic runes he didn’t know much about.

“No! Runes were obtained by Odin through a ritual at the Well of Wisdom, using one of his eyes…” Loki denied. “The runes here are even more ancient and primitive. You could say these are the predecessors of runes, or… older versions!”

Since he couldn't understand the function of these runes at all, and didn't have the time to use his extrasensory perception to analyze them, he simply asked Loki, "What are these runes for?"

“Seals, restrictions… and traps for outsiders—of course, mortals aren’t included,” Loki said. “And now, all it takes is this!” A light shone from the Mind Scepter, like a lamp. This light gently enveloped the two of them. “The power of the Mind Scepter is truly wondrous; you’ve probably experienced it yourself! However, using it for mind manipulation is just a minor trick. It can also powerfully amplify the user’s mental strength.”

"And now, I'm using the power of the Mind Scepter to conceal our signals and hide the triggering procedures of those ancient runes."

"What if there's no cover-up?" Charles asked curiously.

“You can give it a try!” Loki pointed ahead.

Charles stretched out his hand, and black abyssal power overflowed, then transformed into a raven with outstretched wings and flew away.

*Whoosh!* A white light flashed, and dozens of rays, each as thick as a little finger, swept across the runes formed by those light components. In just a moment, the crow was sliced ​​into countless small pieces and then evaporated by the high temperature.

“Can we go now?” Loki asked.

"Of course!"

Fourth watch!

235. The Ether (Part 2)

Runes composed of light were scattered throughout the cave. These runes, densely packed and capable of unleashing intense heat rays when triggered, meant that any unsuspecting intruder would be sliced ​​into countless pieces and reduced to ashes in the scorching heat. However, it seemed that when these traps were set, only dark elves were considered, with no thought given to ordinary people without any power. Thus, after using the Mind Scepter to conceal and alter their information, Loki and Shire, wielding the scepter, safely approached the rectangular stone block.

A massive boulder floated in the air, separated from the stone pier below by only a hand's width. Between them, a dark red light emanated. Upon closer inspection, the so-called dark red light turned out to be a pool of strange, flowing dark red liquid. This liquid seemed to be alive, flowing between the two rocks, but no matter how it flowed, it could not escape this area.

"This is—ether particles!" Looking at the flowing liquid trapped in the rock layers, Charles said with a conflicted expression, "Although I was mentally prepared, why does this look like—a puddle of menstrual blood!?"

“…Your idea…is quite novel, wizard!” Loki's face twitched, almost losing his wicked yet sophisticated smile. “Perhaps it's a problem with the dark elves' aesthetic sense; after all, they're a bunch of old fogies, maybe they can't keep up with the times!”

“…Alright! Before I reach in and touch this wretched thing,” Ciel turned to Loki, “can you tell me what I need to do next after I get the Aether?”

“Dark Elf artifacts possess immense power, but they also consume the user’s life,” Loki said. “However, that shouldn’t be a problem for you… But after all, this has been in the hands of those Dark Elves for a long time, so it’s hard to say that they might have ways to detect it.”

"Although they were defeated and fled to the dark realms of the Kinlunga Gap to eke out a living, they are capable of rising again once the Aether returns to their hands."

"So, just in case, once you get the Aether, I will use up the last of this illusionary clone's power and give you coordinates to get to Asgard."

"Go to Asgard to rescue you?" Sharl said. "And if there are dark elves, lure them to Asgard while we're at it?!"

“That’s right! Take advantage of the chaos to help my main body escape from prison…” Loki nodded and said, “And once released, go to the Fountain of Wisdom!”

"Aren't you afraid I'll stand you up?"

“You won’t, wizard!” Loki replied confidently. “I see the thirst for power in your eyes. You won’t give up an opportunity to seize the power of the Father, especially not a Father at his peak…”

"Who? Odin?!"

“No! Wizard, the target I need you to seize power from is—Surtr…” Loki said coldly, “the fire giant who is destined to burn down the World Tree with his magic sword.”

"Do you want to change Ragnarok?" Sharl asked seriously. "Change the myth you saw on Midgard?"

“Perhaps it’s not just a simple story!” Loki said meaningfully. “...Now, it’s your turn to act, wizard!”

“Alright! I’m very interested to know what kind of scheme you’re planning…” Charles said, reaching into the hidden compartment and toward the flowing dark red liquid. “I’m very interested to get involved in your scheme.”

"as you wish!"

The flowing etheric particles suddenly began to move violently when Ciel reached in. The etheric particles, which had been sealed here for countless days and nights, quickly flowed towards Ciel's outstretched hand after someone touched the seal.

"Hmph!" Charles grunted, then withdrew his hand. In an instant, the ether particles had seeped into Charles's body through his outstretched hand. Charles swayed, nearly losing his balance, as the ether particles surged into his body and began frantically draining his energy and life force. Even with the body forged by the Third Law, the frenzied draining of his life force by the ether particles caused him considerable discomfort.

If even someone as extraordinary as him is like this, it's no wonder that in the movie, Jane fainted and collapsed the moment she came into contact with him.

However, unlike Jane, the Shire possesses extraordinary power, now far surpassing even Malekith, the Dark Elf King, after losing the Aether. After all, even with the Aether, Malekith couldn't instantly defeat Thor, wasting the Aether, one of the Infinity Stones.

"This is the power of the Aether particles?!" The life force far exceeding that of ordinary people and the immense magical power granted Ciel enough to resist the evil power of the Aether particles that drained his life. Thus, the Aether particles themselves were directly and completely controlled by Ciel.

Without the sealed aether particles, the two rocks snapped shut with a deafening roar. Immediately afterward, the runes covering the caverns lit up, unleashing countless beams of intense heat from all directions towards the Shire and Loki. These beams were powerful enough to cut through most matter; even Loki and Thor, with their incredibly strong bodies, would be torn to shreds if struck.

"Disperse!" Facing the final means of sealing the aether particles, the array of runes used to kill the intruders, Xia Er, who could already control the aether particles, uttered a single word. The next moment, the world was distorted and changed. The rays that were about to touch the two of them were forcibly stopped in mid-air, and then disintegrated into countless white fragments of light that disappeared completely. Along with them, the ancient runes that filled the cave also disappeared completely.

The defense mechanism established by the previous Asgardian king to prevent the Dark Elves from reclaiming the Aether particles proved utterly fragile in the face of the Shire, who now controlled them. In an instant, it was completely and utterly destroyed.

"Is this the Aether particle?" Loki's face lit up with excitement as he watched the rune array being completely destroyed in an instant. "What is its power?"

"Change reality!" With his palm outstretched, a dark red flame swirled around it. As he felt the immense power within his body after absorbing the ether particles, he replied, "I can alter the rules of reality, realize any dream, all scientific laws, and all natural phenomena. Now, as long as I want to and have enough capacity to withstand it, I can completely and arbitrarily change them!"

“I can sense that you could easily destroy a planet right now!” Loki laughed. “Well then, it’s your turn to fulfill your promise. Go to Asgard…” With that, Loki tossed the Mind Scepter he had been holding over.

“I understand!” Grabbing the Mind Scepter, Charles replied, “I will help you escape as requested, and then… it’s about dealing with a Heavenly Father and the ‘script’ you mentioned!”

Penta kill!!!

236. Next stop – Asgard

A series of booming sounds echoed through the cave, accompanied by violent shaking and cracking noises as rocks scattered and crumbled in all directions. This sudden change immediately drew the attention of Ciel and Loki.

"What's going on?" Loki asked, looking at the cave that looked like it was about to collapse.

“This place is going to be destroyed.” A flash of twilight fire appeared in his eyes. With the powerful force of the ether particles, he understood what was happening with just one glance. “This is the final mechanism. It’s optional. It’s just that after those ancient runes are destroyed by humans, the entire cave will have a chain reaction and completely collapse, burying all the intruders who have entered.”

"That's it!" Loki said dismissively. "Even I'm confident I could survive in this situation. It can't just be a simple landslide, can it?!"

“Space collapse!” Xia Er replied. “This space has long been artificially locked. Once the ether particles leave the seal, and the runes used for defense and traps are destroyed, then the last line of defense will be a direct point-to-point spatial collapse, burying the intruders and ether particles in the chaotic spacetime.”

"Hahahaha, ruthless enough! But I admire this approach!" Loki laughed. "As expected of the previous God-King, he never hesitates to be ruthless when necessary. Even in death, he left behind a contingency plan!"

"However, this spatial collapse shouldn't be a problem for you, given your possession of ether particles!"

“Of course, the power of the ether particles probably exceeded the expectations of that deceased god-king.” Charles waved his hand, and then, in front of the two of them, space suddenly distorted, and then a hideous black rift appeared in front of them. Some dark purple withered arms stretched out from the other end of the black rift and grabbed onto the rift.

That's space being torn open!

"Leave the coordinates outside!" Loki glanced at it and immediately understood. "You're really cautious!"

“Same to you!” Charles said sarcastically. “Didn’t you also leave behind an unknown number of clones on Earth? Besides, if I’m not mistaken, once your original body dies, your soul will directly possess and be reborn through the bodies of mortals who have been implanted with your clones…”

“More choices, more paths!” Loki chuckled, ignoring the Shire's taunts. Then, golden light began to emanate from his body and gradually dissipated. “So, this illusionary clone of mine ends here. The power I leave behind will be the coordinates for a path to Asgard… Now, it's your turn to fulfill your promise!”

"Don't worry, I finally have a chance, I'm planning a trip to Asgard!" Loki's illusionary clone shattered and vanished completely before Ciel's eyes, leaving only a golden orb hovering above where he had stood. Ciel reached out, grasped the orb, and then walked directly into the torn space, stepping into the spatial rift and leaving the cave. After Ciel's figure disappeared, the spatial rift closed, and the entire cave collapsed with a thud, falling into the bottomless black abyss below.

……

Just as Xia Er left the place where the etheric particles were sealed, far away in another part of the starry sea, amidst a cluster of shattered meteorites, a massive, entirely black spaceship hovered. At that moment, dark red lights began to illuminate the previously pitch-black spaceship, which appeared to have been lost and abandoned.

Inside the spaceship, the pitch-black environment was accompanied by the sound of machinery. A red light faintly illuminated the dark surroundings, and a figure opened his eyes, struggling to awaken from hibernation and move his sturdy body.

Not only him, but also many other soldiers wearing pale masks who had been sleeping in complete darkness for countless years broke free of their hibernation devices and awoke from their long slumber.

"The ether particles awakened us."

"The convergence has begun!"

"Find the Aether, rebuild our kingdom..."

"I will make Asgard feel our pain, feel the humiliation of our defeat, and darkness will eventually shroud the Nine Realms!"

——————————Divider Line——————————

"Hmm!" Upon returning to the factory, Charles suddenly paused, then looked up at the ceiling. At that moment, the instant he stepped out, the etheric particles within his body began to emit a strange information, which instantly traversed the spatial gap and was sent to an unknown location.

However, at that moment, the scepter of the mind in his hand also lit up with a strange light. Then, with the surge of mental power, Xia Er immediately discovered the information emitted by the aether particles, and his consciousness followed this information, instantly crossing countless light-years, traversing the starry universe, and heading to another star field.

At that moment, Xia Er clearly saw that the spaceship, which was surrounded by darkness on the other side of the starry sea, gradually regained its vitality and began to start.

"The last vestiges of the Dark Elves!" Charles muttered. "Just as I thought! So it's Thor 2 again? But this time, there won't be any girls going home to meet your parents, Thor." After this brief complaint, Charles looked away. Those Dark Elves wouldn't be coming to Earth anytime soon; they had plenty of time to divert Charles's attention. Anyway, those Dark Elves would eventually cause trouble for Asgard, so it was better to deal with them sooner rather than later.