Chapter One: Asgard

Atanis sat cross-legged, suspended in midair, engaged in his daily meditation. Ever since arriving in Midgard, whenever the temple mages began their morning exercises, he would meditate in his own room as well.

The bell sounded, and Atanis slowly descended to the ground, bringing his practice to an end. Today was the day to attend the ceremony in Asgard, where Odin would pass his throne to Thor. As the ambassador of the Star Empire to Asgard, he was obligated to be present.

Because Asgard was guarded by Odin’s enchantments and only accessible via the Rainbow Bridge, Atanis needed to leave Kamar-Taj and head to a clearing in the outside world.

"Master Ancient One, I shall take my leave now." Stepping out of his room, Atanis unsurprisingly found the Ancient One waiting for him. "Please convey my greetings to Odin," he said. The Ancient One nodded with a smile and opened a golden portal to the outside world for him.

Passing through the shimmering gateway, Atanis arrived in Antarctica, a place far from humanity and out of reach of satellites—a prudent location to summon the Rainbow Bridge.

"Heimdall," Atanis called out into the empty snowfields. As the ambassador of the Star Empire, Heimdall would naturally respond to his summons.

A rainbow arced down from the heavens, and Atanis found himself at the entrance to the celestial palace. "Thank you, Heimdall. I’m not late, am I?" Atanis greeted him with a smile.

"No need for thanks, esteemed guest. The ceremony has yet to begin; you are right on time," Heimdall replied, standing vigilant at his post. As the gatekeeper of the Rainbow Bridge, he could not leave his station.

Atanis crossed the Rainbow Bridge and entered the halls of Asgard, which had been newly adorned for the occasion. The crowds gathered, celebrating the soon-to-be-crowned new king.

Guided swiftly into the main hall, Atanis addressed the god-king. "Your Majesty Odin, Atanis, Executor of the Star Empire, comes to offer congratulations." He bowed to Odin, who replied, "No need for formalities, ambassador. Please stand to the side and observe." Following Odin’s gesture, Atanis took his place as the fourth on the left, awaiting the ceremony.

Standing at the foot of the steps, Atanis soon witnessed the arrival of the ceremony’s central figure—Thor.

Odin sat upon his throne. To his left sat Queen Frigga, his younger son Loki, and the Valkyrie Sif. To his right were Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg.

Amidst the jubilant cheers, Thor entered, holding the hammer of thunder aloft, acknowledging each of his subjects as he walked.

Finally, he knelt on one knee before Odin’s throne, winking at his friends and kin to either side.

As Odin stood, the eternal spear struck the ground with a resonant thud, and the lively hall fell into silence.

Atanis focused intently—this was the most important moment of the ritual.

"Thor Odinson, my child..." With Odin’s words, the ceremony officially began.

Meanwhile, within Odin’s vault, a group of Frost Giants had slipped in quietly...

"Do you swear to safeguard the Nine Realms?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to uphold peace?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to renounce selfish desires and devote all you possess to the welfare of all beings?"

"I swear!"

"Then today, in the name of the All-Father, I declare you—" Odin’s gaze suddenly wandered, Thor’s smile faded.

"Frost Giants?!"

Odin, accompanied by his two sons, hurried to the vault. Atanis could only follow Queen Frigga to a side chamber to rest. The abrupt turn of events brought the ceremony to an untimely end.

"Your Highness, why did His Majesty Odin do this?" Atanis asked, voicing his confusion to the smiling Frigga. Why would Odin orchestrate such a scene at the coronation?

"Atanis, I understand your questions, but all of us are striving for ultimate victory." Frigga poured him a cup of tea and explained.

"Ultimate victory? I thought His Majesty Odin had already found a way to avert Ragnarok," Atanis said, sipping his tea, his doubts only growing.

"Indeed, but last time he discussed it with me, Loki happened to overhear," Frigga’s eyes betrayed a mix of resignation and comfort.

"He overheard?" Atanis was astonished. "It seems Prince Loki’s magic has truly reached mastery under your tutelage."

"Because he overheard, we had to explain everything to him. Loki is not like Thor; he tends to keep things bottled up. If we don’t clarify matters, he might develop even greater misunderstandings," Frigga sighed.

"So, now that he knows, what is this about?" Atanis asked, thoughtful as he sipped his tea.

"Loki knows, but we haven’t told Thor yet. With his temperament, he’s still too reckless," Frigga said with a smile, taking a sip herself.

"So you’ve decided to stage a drama. But if that’s the case, why invite me to observe?" Atanis, understanding that all this was meant to temper the heir, was puzzled as to why he was included.

"Because it involves the sacred artifact of your people—the Kaidarin Crystal," Frigga replied, smiling at Atanis.

"Sacred artifact? You’re finally willing to tell us about it?" Atanis grew excited, sensing that the hope of retrieving the artifact was at hand.

"You’ll see it soon enough," Frigga said, clearly unwilling to divulge more.

"Very well, I’m used to it. It’ll appear when its time comes. Even so, it seems we owe you a favor," Atanis said, somewhat helplessly, gazing at the queen before him. She was not only Odin’s wife but also a formidable sorceress.

"Then I’ll leave you to your rest. You’ll likely be staying here for a while. Enjoy yourself," Frigga winked and left Atanis’s chamber.

After bidding Frigga farewell, Atanis found himself unable to fully relax. Gazing at the Rainbow Bridge in the distance, he wondered: Would he remain in the realm of the gods for the duration? Wasn’t the Rainbow Bridge capable of taking him back to Midgard?

At that moment, Atanis noticed the Rainbow Bridge had been activated—someone was leaving the realm.

Meanwhile, in the vault, Thor and Odin had a brief quarrel. Odin was disappointed that his son, who moments earlier had sworn to protect peace, was now eager for war. He rebuked Thor.

Angered, Thor, under Loki’s "advice," persuaded the Four Warriors of Asgard and, together with Loki, prepared to travel to Jotunheim to defeat Laufey and his Frost Giant followers.