Ch. 276 Loki's Battle Invitation

While Russell had grown accustomed to the life of a decadent capitalist on Earth, he had no intention of slipping into a feudal and corrupt existence.

In this regard, he had principles.

Upon hearing his words, the several maids in white dresses inside the sleeping chamber looked at him with puzzlement.

Then, they bowed slightly and silently exited the chamber.

After these maids left the chamber, Russell, who stood on the balcony admiring the Asgardian scenery, sighed helplessly.

His impression of Asgard was quite favorable, but he couldn't adapt to the typical feudal hierarchy and mindset of Asgard so quickly.

However, he had no intention of promoting the idea of "equality for all" in Asgard.

This was Asgard's "family matter," and it was not his place to intervene as an outsider.

Besides, the Asgardians themselves had no objections, so he saw no need to say anything.

After admiring the scenery from the balcony for a few minutes, Russell turned back to the splendid sleeping chamber and changed into the Asgardian clothing provided by the maids.

Although wearing traditional Asgardian clothing gave him a feeling of cosplaying, it had to be said that items provided exclusively for the royal family were of high quality.

While the style of the clothing sent by the maids was different from the current fashion on Earth, the materials were no worse than those expensive custom-made garments.

Strictly speaking, they were even a couple of levels higher.

But when you thought about it, it made sense.

The average lifespan of an Asgardian was five thousand years.

With such a long life, an Asgardian could elevate ordinary tailoring to the level of art.

More importantly, compared to Earth, where true interstellar travel was still impossible, Asgard had been engaging in interstellar travel and trade with other planets and civilizations for a much longer time, surpassing Earth's entire history of civilization.

Trade between different planets and civilizations brought not only wealth but also technological and cultural influences.

Although Asgard currently appeared somewhat like a "backward" medieval feudal kingdom, in terms of civilization level, it was at least several levels above Earth.

Not to mention, Asgard's medical level was significantly higher.

On Earth, there were still many physical injuries and cancers that could not be treated.

In contrast, Asgard's medical level had advanced to the point of treating soul injuries.

While not many Asgardians could enjoy this high-end medical care, their upper limit had reached such a level.

However, from a standpoint of accessibility, Earth was much better than Asgard in this regard.

As long as there were moderately decent economic conditions, you could basically access the upper limit of Earth's medical services.

Unlike Asgard, where only members of the royal family could enjoy top-notch medical care.

After changing into the golden Asgardian attire, which somewhat resembled a warrior's robe, Russell stood in front of the massive floor-to-ceiling mirror in the sleeping chamber and assessed his new appearance.

Not bad!

At first glance, he now looked no different from other Asgardians.

In terms of looks, he was no less attractive than Thor with his golden hair or Loki with his black hair.

However, Russell soon realized that something was missing.

His personal weapons!

As a warrior nation, it was a daily habit for Asgardian men to carry weapons.

In more formal situations, they would even wear them like Thor and the Three Warriors of the Palace.

Russell's formal uniform, though inspired by Diana's battle attire, was not armor.

To be precise, he had never worn so-called armor.

After pondering for a few seconds, he retrieved the Lasso of Truth and the Sword of Athena, both specially given to him by Diana, from the system space.

After strapping the Lasso of Truth and the Sword of Athena to his waist on the left and right sides, he nodded in satisfaction.

On the left side of his waist was the Sword of Athena, and on the right side was the Lasso of Truth.

Except for the Sword of Athena, he now looked like a pure Asgardian.

After admiring his new appearance for a moment, Russell left the sleeping chamber.

After bringing him to the sleeping chamber and assigning him several maids, Thor left with the Three Warriors of the Palace and others.

Before leaving, he specifically told Russell that, except for certain special areas in the Golden Palace, such as Odin's sleeping chamber, Odin's treasury, the royal library, and other restricted zones, he could move freely.

As he pushed open the doors of the sleeping chamber, Russell saw the maids he had "dismissed" earlier standing guard on both sides of the entrance, as if they were protectors.

Uh...

Seeing these maids, Russell furrowed his brows slightly.

Then, he addressed them, saying, "I don't currently need your service; you can go for now."

"His Highness Thor has requested us to serve you, and without His Highness's orders, we cannot leave our duties," one of the maids quickly replied.

"Very well, then you may stay here."

"By the way, where is the training ground of the Golden Palace?"

Russell continued.

"Are you looking to go to the royal training ground, or the guards' training ground?"

The maid who had just spoken asked.

"The guards' training ground."

Although the royal training ground was of higher caliber, it was evident that only a select few could use it. In contrast, the guards' training ground was more suitable for observing the standard combat abilities of Asgardians.

"If you wish to go, I can lead you there."

The maid continued.

"What is your name?"

Russell looked at the young-looking maid who had answered his questions multiple times and asked slowly.

Since she had been the one answering his questions each time, she was likely the one with a relatively higher status among these maids.

"Your servant's name is Luna!"

Luna, who appeared to be in her early twenties but was actually several hundred or even over a thousand years old, replied respectfully.

"Luna, lead me to the guards' training ground, and the others can stay here."

Russell glanced at Luna and said calmly.

Although Luna appeared young, Russell didn't underestimate her as if she were just a recently matured Earth girl. Being a maid was not an easy task, especially for one with ambition and a keen eye like Luna.

Despite Luna's innocent appearance, Russell sensed a strong sense of "ambition" in her, similar to Ellie.

This maid had tremendous potential!

"Of course, Your Highness!"

Luna, with her golden hair, flashed a charming yet not coquettish smile and quickly replied.

Then, she bowed slightly to Russell and gestured in the direction of the guards' training ground.

While Luna was guiding him, she didn't walk ahead of Russell but followed behind him, keeping pace. Only when they reached a point where they needed to turn did Luna step forward slightly, align herself with Russell, and point out the correct direction.

Under Luna's "guidance," Russell soon arrived at the guards' training ground located outside the Golden Palace.

As soon as he arrived at the training ground, he heard the sounds of metal weapons clashing and the shouts of the palace guards as they engaged in their daily training. Not only that, he also heard special sounds, like energy discharges and energy shields blocking attacks.

Standing on the corridor next to the training ground, Russell observed the Royal Guards in their daily training from a vantage point.

Although it was considered daily training, most of the Royal Guards were wearing full armor and equipment, and from the way they sparred, it didn't seem much different from actual combat.

During their training, it was not uncommon to see some Royal Guards getting injured, their blood spilling as a result.

Upon witnessing this scene, Russell sighed quietly to himself.

Asgard, known for its warrior culture, seemed to train its guards similarly to how the Spartans did. While it might be slightly bloodier, it was undeniable that such training produced formidable guards with combat prowess.

Experiences gained from injuries and bloodshed were not easily forgotten.

While Russell stood on the corridor, observing the guards' sparring, Loki, who had changed into casual clothing, suddenly appeared next to him.

"The training methods of Asgard should be no less than those of warriors on Earth, right?" Loki asked, seemingly inquiring of Russell, but the tone in his words was far from inquisitive; it was a rather unabashed sense of pride.

"That's correct; warriors on Earth rarely use this type of training nowadays," Russell replied, turning his head to look at Loki. Although it was his second encounter with Loki, Loki's tone revealed a lot.

For instance, Loki still didn't know that Russell was not an Asgardian. Otherwise, he wouldn't display such obvious pride in his tone.

"Father has a high opinion of you, and you're also a sorcerer. Would you be interested in sparring with me?" Loki didn't beat around the bush and asked directly.

"Strictly speaking, I'm a warrior, and magic is just my secondary skill," Russell said, indicating the Sword of Athena at his waist.

This is...?

Seeing the Sword of Athena at Russell's waist, Loki couldn't help but furrow his brows. Although he wasn't a craftsman, as the Second Prince of Asgard, he had a basic understanding.

With a single glance, he could tell that the Sword of Athena at Russell's waist wasn't from Earth. The reason was simple; it bore clear traces of divine forging.

A weapon of the gods?

Recognizing this, Loki's confusion deepened. Although the crafting techniques of the Sword of Athena might not necessarily surpass the top weapons of Asgard, such as Odin's Gungnir and Thor's Mjolnir, it was evident that the Sword of Athena was not just any weapon that a random craftsman could create. In the eyes of the royal craftsmen of Asgard or the dwarves of Nidavellir, who were commissioned by the Asgardian royal family, the Sword of Athena was a weapon only fit for a king.

Such weapons were rare even in Asgard.

"Where did you get your sword?" Loki asked immediately.

"This isn't my sword; it belongs to my girlfriend," Russell replied simply.

Though this wasn't the answer he expected, Loki didn't press further; instead, he silently noted this information.

Loki could recognize the uniqueness of the Sword of Athena with a single glance, and Russell wasn't surprised. While Loki was known as the "God of Mischief" in the film universe, Russell remembered that in Norse mythology, Loki wasn't just the God of Trickery but also the God of Fire. And, coincidentally, the Sword of Athena he was wielding was forged by Hephaestus, the God of Fire among the Olympian gods.

From this perspective, Loki and Hephaestus, who forged the Sword of Athena, could be considered "colleagues."

Of course, whether this world's Loki could truly become a "colleague" of the God of Fire, Hephaestus, would depend on whether he could obtain the divine position and power of "Fire God."

"By the way, I forgot to tell you; I'm not just a sorcerer. I'm also a highly skilled warrior!" Loki declared with a proud look.

Strictly speaking, Loki wasn't entirely wrong. While his combat skills might not match up to Thor's, they weren't much different from the likes of the Warriors Three.

Moreover, in a warrior culture like Asgard, where melee combat was highly valued, Loki was one of the few individuals who combined close combat with magic.

In this aspect, he inherited his mother, Queen Frigga's, legacy.

"Is that so? Then it seems, Your Highness, that you are quite a versatile individual," Russell replied calmly.

While he phrased it this way, he didn't truly believe that Loki's combat skills were exceptional.

Rather than saying Loki had excellent combat skills, it was more accurate to say he had extensive experience in stabbing people in the back.

Especially when it came to stabbing Thor in the back!

"Since Your Highness said that, I'll play a few rounds with you!" Russell accepted without hesitation.

In reality, he also wanted to see just how powerful Loki had become in this world. This world was not the same as the cinematic universe he was more familiar with, which meant that Odin, Thor, and others might be more formidable than he imagined.

This was evident from Thor defeating the God of Symbiote Knull, which had possessed Grendel.

By sparring with Loki, Russell could not only gauge Loki's strength but also indirectly estimate the power levels of Thor and Odin.

While he couldn't make precise reverse deductions, it would provide him with a general idea of where Thor and Odin's strengths stood.

"Don't worry; you are Father's guest, and I will hold back," Loki declared confidently.

Hold back?

Upon hearing Loki's words, Russell shook his head with a smile.

In battle, it was indeed necessary to hold back. However, it wasn't Loki who needed to hold back; it was him.

He didn't want to severely injure Loki, the Second Prince of Asgard, on his first day in Asgard. That wouldn't be conducive to his future studies in Asgard.