Ch. 280 Wine Reflects One's Character

When Grendel and Knull first appeared, Russell had already guessed that the Thor in this world was stronger than the one in the movie universe.

However, after witnessing Thor easily dispel the Lightning Storm, he realized that he had underestimated Thor's power.

Seventh-level spells were not something you could find anywhere.

Not to mention their power, even learning them required a high level of expertise from a mage.

If Russell didn't have the magical talent that seemingly came out of nowhere, he might not have been able to master the seventh-level spell, Lightning Storm.

Not only Thor but also Loki's strength turned out to be greater than he had imagined.

Even though Loki had lost to him, it was because Loki hadn't used his full strength from the beginning.

If Loki had fought with full determination from the start, he would have still lost, but it wouldn't have been so quick. He could have at least held his own for a longer time.

After confirming that Thor and Loki were both stronger than he had imagined, Russell began to understand why Odin felt that his current strength was insufficient to protect the Space Stone.

With Thor and Loki as comparisons, his current strength didn't even come close.

A fully committed Loki could compete with him for a while, and Thor, who was even stronger, could at least engage in a three-to-seven or four-to-six battle with him.

If he got lucky, they might even reach a fifty-fifty situation.

What was more important was that Thor was still using Mjolnir, indicating that he had room for improvement.

For example, he could replace Mjolnir with Stormbreaker.

After comparing his strength with that of Thor and Loki, Russell felt that it was time for him to focus on intensive training.

With this in mind, he called Luna, who was waiting outside the palace gates.

He followed her to the nearest dining hall.

One needed to eat well to study effectively!

Although Maid Luna didn't know what Russell was thinking, she controlled her curiosity well and led Russell to the nearest dining hall with a respectful demeanor.

It wasn't yet time for dinner, but for the chefs in the Golden Palace, ensuring that they could provide food at any time of the day was a basic requirement. After all, no one could predict when Odin and others might decide to have an impromptu meal.

Russell had just arrived at the dining hall when the maids responsible for catering brought out the prepared food.

Looking at the food these maids kept placing on the long dining table in front of him, Russell couldn't help but think of the Hulk.

If the Hulk were here, he would surely love the food brought by the maids.

Leaving the taste aside, at least the quantity was up to the Hulk's standards.

After the maids had set the table with food in front of Russell, they respectfully bowed to him and left the dining hall.

Russell glanced at the food on the table and shook his head in resignation.

Although the food in front of him looked similar to what you would find on Earth, like roast chicken, lamb legs, and steaks, it tasted completely different.

In simple terms, these dishes were much more delicious than those on Earth.

Of course, this could also be influenced by psychological factors since it was his first real extraterrestrial meal.

As Russell enjoyed the exclusive royal cuisine of Asgard, on the other side, Loki was receiving treatment from Queen Frigga.

"You should be grateful that Russell held back; otherwise, your father would have to treat your injuries," Queen Frigga said as she operated a magical healing device with a distinct Asgardian style, addressing Loki, who lay on the treatment bed.

"Grateful? He used lightning to turn me into this!" Loki complained with a dissatisfied expression.

"You challenged him voluntarily, and you even used the Finger of Death!" Queen Frigga sighed and said, slightly exasperated.

Although she hadn't witnessed Loki using Finger of Death firsthand, as Loki's magic mentor and the most skilled sorceress in Asgard after Odin, her magical perception was not much inferior to that of the All-Father Odin himself.

Moreover, the Finger of Death emitted a distinctive, intense death aura, almost like a tangible substance. Not only Odin and Frigga but even someone with a basic understanding of magic could sense it.

"He used a seventh-level spell, the Lightning Storm! Of course, I had to respond accordingly!" Loki retorted, still dissatisfied.

"But you know more than just the Finger of Death among the seventh-level spells."

Loki was raised by her, and she could easily see through his thoughts.

Hearing Queen Frigga's words, Loki temporarily closed his mouth, his dissatisfaction evident from his hmph.

Seeing Loki's current expression, Queen Frigga sighed and continued, "This time, when you used the Finger of Death on Russell, I've already discussed it with your father. He won't punish you for this."

As soon as Queen Frigga finished speaking, Loki's eyes lit up.

"But don't think this matter is closed. Russell is also a sorcerer, and his mentor is the Sorcerer Supreme, Ancient One."

"After your treatment, you need to go and apologize to him and express your remorse."

Uh...

Loki's expression instantly fell.

"No bargaining. This is your father's personal request. If you don't do it, your father will personally talk to you."

Queen Frigga continued.

"Alright, I'll do it!"

Although he was a hundred percent unwilling, Loki agreed in the end.

As Loki contemplated how to apologize, Thor arrived by his side, saying seriously, "I'm going with you."

Looking at Thor, who volunteered himself, Loki couldn't help but roll his eyes.

He was quite satisfied with his brother, except for one thing: Thor sometimes didn't understand social cues.

He was supposed to apologize because Odin demanded it, not to socialize.

When Loki hadn't even had a chance to refuse, Thor earnestly patted his shoulder and started walking toward Russell's quarters.

At this moment, they didn't know that Russell was indulging in a hearty meal at a nearby restaurant, and Russell had no idea that Odin had forcibly requested Loki to apologize to him.

Inside the restaurant.

Russell displayed his superhuman digestion abilities granted by his Kryptonian physiology. He enjoyed the royal Asgardian delicacies in front of him, enough to feed ten people, while converting them into energy with his "Kryptonian stomach."

Although he ate quite a lot, the results were evident.

The stamina and energy he had expended during his sparring session with Loki were rapidly recovering.

Moreover, Russell noticed that the Asgardian cuisine, which contained a significant amount of energy, was gradually enhancing his already remarkable Kryptonian physiology.

Is this possible?

While there were discussions on herbal remedies and supplements on Earth, Earth's food didn't provide such a noticeable strengthening effect.

Asgardian food, on the other hand, was extremely apparent in this regard.

At first, Russell was a bit surprised.

However, he quickly calmed down.

Asgardians already had physiologies far superior to Earthlings, and their daily food intake had to provide enough energy to sustain their daily energy consumption.

The higher the life form, the greater the demand for energy.

For example, the famous planetary devourer Galactus, who needed to consume entire planets to satiate his hunger.

Initially, Russell wanted to invite Maid Luna, who was standing nearby, to taste the food with him. However, Luna declined with a fearful expression.

Even if he had commanded Luna to try the food, she still chose to refuse.

Seeing Luna's instinctual reverence, Russell sighed helplessly.

When he had consumed about a third of the food in front of him, Thor and Loki appeared before him.

"Do you want to join us?" Although Thor and Loki were the hosts here, Russell still extended an invitation to them.

"Sure!" Thor readily agreed, mainly because he saw his favorite strong liquor on the table.

Thor quickly arrived at Russell's side, casually placing Mjolnir on the table. He then took the jug of wine from the table and poured himself and Russell a glass.

Just as Russell received his wine glass, Thor picked up his.

Then, they both raised their glasses and drained them.

Seeing this, Loki couldn't help but be intrigued.

As someone who loved drinking, Thor had a straightforward judgment: a person's character was reflected in their drinking. If someone could hold their liquor well, they were likely not lacking in character.

"Continue?" Thor asked Russell.

"Sure!" Russell replied with a smile.

Although he didn't know Thor's alcohol tolerance, he was the one who had turned the Hulk into a drinker, so his own tolerance was quite impressive.

Before pouring Russell a glass, Thor filled his own.

He didn't put down the jug but instead directly took a sip from his glass, casting a meaningful glance at Russell.

In fact, even if Thor hadn't given him a meaningful look, Russell wouldn't have refused. Just like Asgardian food, Asgardian liquor contained a significant amount of energy.

Although the alcohol content far exceeded what Earthlings could handle, Russell had no issues with it thanks to his Kryptonian physiology. He also had a slight anticipation that maybe he could experience the feeling of getting drunk again.

Simultaneously, Russell and Thor raised their glasses and emptied them.

Seeing this synchronized act between Russell and Thor, Loki quickly had an idea.

While Odin had forcibly required him to apologize to Russell, Odin hadn't specified the nature of the apology. If he could get Russell drunk, then apologizing to the inebriated Russell wouldn't be much of a problem.

After this thought crossed his mind, Loki didn't hesitate any longer and found a seat.

"Two people drinking is too monotonous; I'll join in!" Loki declared.

After saying that, Loki picked up the wine jug and poured himself a glass, seeing his favorite strong liquor on the table.

Thor couldn't help but show a trace of confusion upon witnessing Loki's action. Even though Loki had grown up with him, Loki had never liked drinking. His dining style was also completely different from his, lacking in extravagance.

When Loki was young, Thor often teased him about this.

However, no matter what he did, Loki never showed any interest in joining the party of hearty eaters and drinkers.

Now that Loki volunteered to join, the atmosphere in the restaurant became increasingly lively.

The food on the table disappeared before their eyes at a visible pace.

However, the alcohol on the table disappeared even faster.

To cater to their heavy drinking, Luna began instructing other maids to bring more wine.

Time passed bit by bit.

After a drink that lasted until nightfall, the Three Warriors of the Asgardian Palace, having learned that Russell and Thor were having a drinking contest, also rushed over and joined the revelry.

At first, Loki had planned to quickly get Russell drunk. However, reality proved him wrong.

Or, more accurately, he had underestimated Russell's alcohol tolerance.

Despite using various methods to persuade Russell to drink and even resorting to magic to keep himself sober, he was the first one to pass out.

In the midst of Russell and Thor's hearty drinking, the Three Warriors of the Asgardian Palace also began to get tipsy.

Eventually, one by one, they all passed out.

In the end, it was once again a drinking contest between Russell and Thor.

"You're the best Earthling drinker I've ever seen!" Thor patted Russell on the shoulder with one hand while holding his wine glass with the other, his face flushed from alcohol.

"I'm probably the only Earthling you've ever drunk with!" Russell replied with a smile.

Although his Kryptonian physiology significantly increased his alcohol tolerance, it didn't mean he was completely immune to alcohol. Moreover, the alcohol they were currently drinking was Asgardian royal liquor, far exceeding what Earthlings could handle.

"Do you know, when I first saw you in the great hall, I felt that you were a good person."

"Although I haven't seen what you look like in battle, just by observing your demeanor and expression, I can tell that you're a formidable fighter!"

After saying this, Thor picked up Mjolnir, which had been placed aside.

"Are you thinking of challenging me to a fight right now?" Russell asked with a smile.

"Of course not! Let me tell you something; there is a enchantment from Father on Mjolnir. Only those recognized by Mjolnir can wield it."

"As long as you can pick up Mjolnir, you have the qualifications to become the King of Asgard!"