Chapter 163: Generous Thor

Chapter 163: Chapter 163: Generous Thor

"Sorry, I’m feeling a little tired. Would it be possible to arrange a room where I can rest for a while?"

Odin had intended to continue talking with Daniel, but Daniel gently cut in with his request.

Odin paused for a moment, a faint trace of displeasure crossing his face. Still, he quickly composed himself and nodded.

Daniel wasn’t trying to be rude. After meeting Odin and getting a sense of his strength, he simply didn’t feel there was much more they needed to discuss for the moment.

Odin had been friendly enough, but there was an unmistakable weight behind his words. Having ruled Asgard for thousands of years, he naturally spoke with the authority and experience of a king. Daniel could understand that, but it didn’t mean he particularly enjoyed being lectured.

He had spent so long standing at the peak of power that he was no longer accustomed to carefully weighing every word around people he had only just met. If he wanted to rest, he would simply say so. There was no need to force himself to remain in a conversation when neither side had anything important left to discuss.

It wasn’t arrogance so much as habit. Daniel had reached a point where he no longer needed to pretend otherwise.

Of course, with people he cared about, he would still make an effort to be considerate. But with someone he barely knew, he saw little point in putting on airs or forcing himself to maintain a conversation out of politeness.

Odin, meanwhile, couldn’t help feeling somewhat dissatisfied by Daniel’s abrupt departure. Nevertheless, he kept it to himself.

He would still need Daniel’s help in the future. Odin had spent thousands of years preparing himself for the possibility of Ragnarok, and although he had once believed it inevitable, things were different now.

For the first time, there was another possibility. And if Ragnarok could be prevented, Odin naturally intended to do everything in his power to stop it.

There had once been no hope of changing that fate. Now that a chance had finally appeared before him, who would willingly stand by and watch the legacy his family had spent generations building be destroyed?

Odin certainly wouldn’t.

"Then get a good rest. Tomorrow, I’ll have Thor give you a proper tour of Asgard. Don’t be shy, make yourself at home," Odin said with a broad smile, waving for someone to take Daniel to his room.

Now, those were words Daniel liked hearing, and a genuine smile spread across his face. "To end up in Asgard from the vastness of space... I suppose that’s fate. I really like it here, and Thor and I get along quite well. I’m sure we’ll become good friends in the future."

Daniel lied with a straight face without batting an eye. While he didn’t mind, Thor certainly didn’t enjoy chatting with him.

These days, the word ’friend’ was constantly on his lips. Having received so many gifts from various civilizations on his way back, Daniel had come to deeply realize that having more friends opened up more avenues. What was so good about all that fighting and killing anyway? Making money together in peace was the ultimate truth.

Daniel now had a goal: to make as many friends as possible. And when the time came, perhaps he’d have so many people sending him gifts that his hands would ache from accepting them.

He had already made up his mind. In the future, he was going to throw plenty of banquets.

What? Was that too much? It didn’t matter. Daniel had no reason to overthink it, if he wanted to host a banquet, he could simply host one. Ten or so banquets a year, each with its own occasion, shouldn’t be unreasonable.

Once for his birthday, a few for the holidays, and if he really couldn’t come up with enough reasons, there were always the children’s birthdays. He could send invitations to his "friends," exchange the usual pleasantries, and end with a casual remark.

"It’s totally fine if you can’t make it in person. Don’t worry about it. A gift alone is enough to convey your good wishes."

The more he thought about it, the more reasonable the plan seemed. He wasn’t getting any younger, either. He was already approaching thirty, so perhaps it was really time to have a child.

’Yeah, I should go back and have a proper talk with Susan,’ Daniel thought to himself.

Daniel had brought up marriage with Susan a few times before, but she had turned him down each time. In her eyes, Daniel still hadn’t reached the point in his life where she was ready to settle down. She wanted a stable, peaceful home, and she didn’t believe Daniel could offer that just yet.

Daniel, however, had never been entirely convinced by her reasoning. Part of him suspected that "stability" was simply the gentlest way Susan had found to put off the question.

Back in his room, Daniel lay on the bed, unable to sleep. Just now, he had used his Super Vision to sneak a peek into Odin’s vault, and the sight left him tossing and turning.

The vault was filled with all kinds of divine artifacts, and their quality was surprisingly good.

It wasn’t that he needed any of it. Most of the artifacts wouldn’t be of much use to him anyway. But they were fascinating to look at strange, ancient, and unlike anything he’d encountered before.

A talking mask, a dancing cloak, the Infinity Gauntlet, the Eternal Flame.

As he thought about them, Daniel couldn’t help but smile.

’Asgard really does have some incredible things.’ Then another thought occurred to him. ’If I want to see more of this place, Thor is probably the easier person to get along with. Odin sees through everything.’

Daniel glanced down at his Kree combat suit, and after a moment, he sighed.

"This really doesn’t fit the part."

He wasn’t about to walk into Asgard dressed like someone who had everything figured out. If he wanted Thor to treat him as a close friend, it wouldn’t hurt to seem a little less... well-off.

So, with a reluctant wince, Daniel tore a couple of small holes in his combat suit. He even considered damaging his boots, though that felt like taking things a little too far.

He then looked himself over and nodded, "Yeah much better."

He paused, then chuckled. "Now I at least look like someone who’s been traveling through space for years."

...

The next morning.

Bang!

Daniel was still deep asleep when Thor burst into the room.

"Daniel! Wake up! We’re going drinking!"

Daniel opened his eyes with considerable effort, while Thor was already grinning from ear to ear.

"We should celebrate! Yesterday, under my leadership, we defeated an elite squad of Lava Warriors!"

"My father finally let me out, haha!"

Thor had apparently remembered the battle a little differently than everyone else. Daniel stared at him sleepily, seriously considering whether punching him would be worth getting out of bed.

Thor continued before he could decide.

"I even managed to get a keg of Father’s finest wine, so come on!"

He grabbed Daniel and hauled him off the bed. Daniel was just about to protest when Thor suddenly stopped.

"Hm? What happened to your clothes?"

Daniel looked down as though he’d only just noticed.

Thor frowned, and said, "Your armor is damaged. That’s no good. I’ll find you something better in Father’s vault. There are plenty of spare sets in there."

Daniel lowered his hand and glanced down at his worn suit. He hadn’t expected Thor to notice it so quickly.

"These? It’s nothing. They’ve seen better days, that’s all."

Thor frowned slightly. "You need proper armor."

"Really, it’s fine. I’ve been traveling for years, so I know how to make things last."

Thor waved him off.

"Nonsense. My family has more armor than we know what to do with. I’ll give you a few sets."

Daniel hesitated for just a moment.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! We’re friends, aren’t we?"

Daniel nodded slowly.

"Then... I suppose I won’t refuse."

Thor laughed and pulled him toward the door. "Good! We’ll drink first, then I’ll take you to Father’s vault."

As they walked, Daniel glanced down at his torn suit. He had to admit, things were working out rather nicely. Still, he wasn’t going to make it too obvious.

"You really don’t have to give me anything too expensive," Daniel said, trying to sound reluctant.

Thor glanced at him. "Why not? I insist."

"Honestly, even one set would be more than enough."

Thor waved him off. "I said it’s fine! Don’t worry about it."

Daniel sighed, giving in at last. "Well... if you insist, I suppose I won’t refuse." He paused for a moment before adding, completely straight-faced, "I’ve gotten pretty good at making things last, though."

Thor burst out laughing at Daniel’s remark, while Daniel merely smiled to himself, quietly pleased with how smoothly things were going. Sometimes, having a generous friend really did make life a lot easier.

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