American comic book: My Father is Superman, am I just an NPC?

Chapter 112 The Emperor of All Laws! This is a divine decree! [11.6k]

When Ian opened his eyes.

A strange smell, a mixture of sea salt and rosemary, immediately filled my nostrils.

He found himself sitting at a long table carved with Norse runes, with several marks on the surface that looked like they were from a battle axe, and a lot of sticky, old grime.

The whale oil lamp hanging from the ceiling swayed gently in the breeze, casting dappled light and shadow on the oak floor and illuminating the beer-bellied man who looked like Thor.

It was actually midday here at Marvel, but there was hardly any sunlight coming from inside the restaurant. At first, Ian thought he had stumbled into some kind of pyramid scheme.

"New customer! Really, how about today's special?" The beer-bellied man extended a warm invitation again, his voice deep and resonant like a muffled thunderclap inside a metal barrel.

"I'm on a diet, so I can't eat anything."

Ian glanced at the countdown below his field of vision. There were still about ten hours left, which would likely allow him to unlock the new class, [Entropy Lord], soon after he finished this Marvel adventure.

He felt like he was starving to the point of turning into a geoduck clam.

"I'll eat it again when I'm no longer on a diet."

Ian could smell the cooking in the air, and it smelled pretty good. The reason he was able to recognize the man in front of him as Thor was because the other man was cooking.

The burly bearded man was using iron tongs to stir-fry something, and the blue arcs of electricity dancing on the tongs were quite obvious. At the same time, a garlic smell wafted from the Thor's hammer hanging next to him.

Oh.

The hammer still has a hint of Sichuan peppercorn and rosemary scent, showing that it remains very important in this kitchen and that its user is unwilling to even wash it.

"You are Thor Odinson, the God of Thunder of Asgard, right?"

Ian made the final confirmation.

"Hahaha! That's right, it's me." The burly man's laughter made the silverware in the sideboard clang. "Looks like my 500 gold coins for appearing on the 'Food Hound' show really paid off!"

His identity has been confirmed.

Ian was once again deeply impressed by the new Marvel.

He had imagined Thor might be a blacksmith, a drunkard, or even an e-sports player, but what was this slovenly cook wielding a spatula with his apron covered in sauce?

"I highly recommend you try the Lightning Octopus Baked Set Meal."

Thor shook the cast-iron pot in his hand with a smug expression, still relentlessly trying to sell it. The sauce in the pot bubbled and splattered onto his soy sauce-colored chef's apron.

It's just like a thunder king trying to poison sentient beings.

"The spices here are all air-freighted from Asgard, purely imported, and of high quality at low prices." Thor's sales tactics also employed some psychological tactics reminiscent of the idea that "the grass is always greener on the other side."

He may not have realized a problem.

His restaurant may have good ingredients, but the environment is terrible. No diner could stand it, so the location was definitely a mistake.

This restaurant should be located in India, across the ocean. Only Indians would appreciate such a clean and hygienic dining environment.

"No thanks."

Ian had just stood up.

But then Thor burst out of the open kitchen, giving off a menacing vibe, like he was about to rob someone if he couldn't make a sale. Of course, the burly man was actually just trying to keep Ian as a customer.

"You must think my ingredients aren't fresh. Come on, let's go take a look. I guarantee you'll understand how conscientious I am. The giant octopus was fighting the Kraken just three hours ago."

Thor attempted to abduct children, and his strength was truly immense. Even with Ian's current physical abilities, it seemed he couldn't overpower the future king of Asgard.

“The ingredients are still alive the moment you put them in your mouth.” Thor enthusiastically pulled Ian’s arm, lifted the animal-skin curtain, and led Ian into the incredibly spacious backyard. The landlord’s foolish son was really rich, able to live such a luxurious life in New York, where land is so expensive, as if he were running a farmhouse in the countryside.

In the middle of a spacious open-air courtyard.

There is a "swimming pool" that is comparable to a small lake. The huge pool is piled with ice and spice jars, and an octopus that is bigger than a truck is lying in it, barely alive.

It is indeed big enough.

However, claiming that it can fight the Kraken is probably a case of false advertising.

"Look at this huge suction cup! Perfect for teppanyaki!" Thor, unaware of Ian's opinion, excitedly pointed to the circular indentation on the octopus's tentacle, which was as large as a wheel, and began his introduction.

"And the meat at the end of this tentacle is also very delicious. Which part would you like to eat? I can cut some for you to try first. Please support my restaurant business." Thor leaned closer to the giant octopus. He was about to cut some sashimi for Ian, which was definitely oversized and contained parasites. It was an octopus that was longer than a hundred.

"Wow~"

The giant octopus, which had seemed to be on the verge of death, suddenly sprang up, and one of its tentacles lashed out like lightning, wrapping around Thor's neck and pulling him into the water!
This is truly a lack of martial ethics and a sneak attack.

"Ugh!!"

Torton immediately let out a terrified scream. He sank into the water, gulping down several mouthfuls, struggling fiercely, but his struggles seemed completely chaotic.

He doesn't resemble the powerful Thor of Asgard at all.

"Oh no! It's kissing me!" Thor waved his hands above the pool and stomped his feet below, though he didn't seem particularly happy.

The Prince of Asgard.

At this moment, it was struggling like a tree frog that had fallen into the water.

Amidst the bubbling sound of bubbles.

He was crying out.

It's gnawing on my ear!

Thor, constantly bobbing up and down in the water, looked like he was about to cry from fright.

"It might just want to spread a little bit of its own R'lyeh Gospel to you—that's genuinely filthy stuff, I won't eat it, but you will."

Ian sighed softly.

He casually wiped the seawater that had splashed onto his face.

"help me!"

Thor has been dragged to the center of the pool.

The sound became intermittent.

"Take my hammer!"

The world may have changed, but he's still the same hammer god. Ian looked back and saw that Thor's hammer was still hanging by the kitchen door, showing no intention of going to rescue its master.

Ian understood perfectly. If he were to be Thor's hammer, hammering rosemary, pepper, and garlic every day, he would definitely pretend not to see Thor in danger.

"You're a hammer, it's normal that you don't have eyes." Ian found a good excuse for Thor's hammer, but in the end, he still helped Thor take the hammer.

It's not heavy.

There might not be Odin's [Inability to Erect] spell above.

"Give."

Ian threw Thor's hammer directly into the pool without offering any help. He still had a lingering confusion about the combat power of the new Marvel heroes.

Anyway, Thor definitely won't drown.

but.

The hammer traced a perfect parabola.

Thor broke free of the tentacles at the last second, leaping to catch the weapon. In an instant, the weather changed, and a torrent of lightning descended from the sky—then struck him directly. His golden hair was transformed into a stylish afro, and the black smoke he exhaled formed a small thundercloud in the air.

He looked like he almost electrocuted himself.

"Zizzizi~"

The aroma of grilled squid and grilled Thor wafted through the air.

Because it's an electric oven.

It lacks the unique aroma of charcoal grilling.

"Help……"

Thor floated on the water.

His eyes rolled back, making him look like a carp that had just been electrocuted. It was really puzzling; he could clearly generate electricity himself, yet after summoning a bolt of lightning that fell from the sky, he rolled his eyes back even before the giant octopus.

of course.

The giant octopus's health bar is clearly not as thick as Thor's.

The power of heavenly lightning is indeed terrifying.

The entire swimming pool was constantly flashing with countless electric arcs.

As the electric arcs continued to surge, the giant octopus was completely charred. Thor was still alive, but in bad shape; he was smoking and convulsing in the pool.

"Damn it, I didn't bring my camera. Otherwise, I would have definitely shown Mom that this guy is truly abstract." Ian thought as Thor was about to sink to the bottom of the water.

He finally rushed into the pool and pulled Thor out.

Berserker Experience +3

The residual lightning power could still harm Ian's body, something Ian had already discovered after snapping his fingers last time; he was no longer the invincible being he once was in this world.

It's just like losing its usefulness.

The employee suffered a severe pay cut from his company. However, the good news is that OAA might be a capitalist rather than an entrepreneur, so Ian still received some consolation money.

[Taking Control of Destiny]

Although there was no description of its effects, it did indeed appear silently in Ian's status bar after he entered the Marvel Universe.

Better than nothing.

"Huhuhu~"

After Thor was rescued by Ian, he lay flat on the ground, blowing bubbles all the while. His hair was frizzy, but his round beer belly was the real heavyweight.

"It's time to lose some weight."

Ian offered his well-intentioned advice.

The only result was Thor spitting a jet of water in his face.

My belly has indeed shrunk a tiny bit.

However, such behavior is clearly very impolite.

"Bah~"

Ian stomped hard on Thor's stomach, and Thor immediately spat out a large gush of water and several grilled fish. Clearly, there was more than one giant octopus in the pool that he had electrocuted.

"Thank you, strange sun god in the universe."

Thor was reborn and learned manners. He could certainly sense the power emanating from Ian's eyes, which was why he held onto Ian, preventing him from leaving.

A real chef.

They all have the ambition to make their restaurants famous throughout the world.

"Don't call me the Sun God."

Ian shook his wet hands clean.

"I'm afraid you'll pass on your bad luck to me."

He was truly amazed by Thor's performance.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it," Thor chuckled and scratched his head, pulling out a clump of charred hair. "I'm just too rusty when it comes to using divine power!"

“If I used the power of lightning more often, this wouldn’t have happened!” he declared righteously, brandishing his hammer. “It’s all my fault for lacking opportunities to train as a child!”

Judging from the way Thor wields his hammer, he may be a cross-world successor of the "Wind Hammer Technique," which is indeed vastly different from the Asgardian God of War that Ian imagined.

“Running a restaurant on Earth doesn’t seem like a good opportunity for training.” Ian wasn’t very good at rolling his eyes, and when he rolled his eyes until only the whites were visible, Thor was so startled that he took several steps back.

"The Nine Realms have been at peace for too long. People live and work in peace and contentment. Where would I find the opportunity to show myself?" Thor steadied himself and said in a sighing tone, "As the King of Gods, my father does nothing every day. What about a prince like me? I came to Earth just to find something to do."

"Isn't that diligent enough?"

Thor is like a huge, fat man who is thousands of years old and wants to be praised.

"Calculate."

Ian suddenly realized.

This is a second-generation genius who refuses to give up!

"How's business at the restaurant?" Ian asked knowingly. He looked around and noticed the dusty "Best New Store" plaque in the corner, dated 1997.

This medal must have cost Asgardian gold coins.

"It's alright, considering I've only been running this shop for sixteen years and am still in the early stages of being a novice!" Thor proudly puffed out his chest, the red stain that looked like ketchup on his apron particularly eye-catching.

The words "Odin's Son Restaurant" are embroidered on it.

There is also a line of small words below.

[Odin bears witness, there will be no shortchanging.]

Ian almost forgot that he was also someone who liked to rely on his father's connections, but he no longer cared about competing with others based on their fathers' connections, unless his father could one day do something to bring honor to the family.

"come on."

Ian gave Thor a word of encouragement.

“Okay, okay, I’m sure I’ll have a bright future. I’ve loved cooking since I was a kid, and I’ve recently spent a lot of money on marketing. Both ‘New York Foodie’ and ‘American Kitchen’ have accepted my money.” Thor was greatly encouraged. The way he counted on his fingers perfectly matched Ian’s stereotype of rich kids starting businesses.

"The future will definitely be better!" Thor concluded with a hopeful declaration, sunlight shining through his charred, afro-like hair, illuminating a few charred fish scales hidden within his locks.

"Yes, the future will be even better."

Ian had high hopes for Thor. He believed that once America's Lesser Vehicle School of Thought rose to prominence in three years—no, perhaps thirteen—Thor would surely shine on the stage. An alien with limitless potential had abandoned his noble princely status to become a restaurant chef in New York.

What is this called?
That's what you call a correct benchmark.

She could absolutely be used as a benchmark for America's winning strategies and promoted externally.

"Are you still the crown prince?" Ian asked casually, as he wiped his hands, seemingly casually referring to Odin's foolish son, Thor, as he prepared to assess Thor's potential for winning.

Thor wasn't wary of strangers enough.

"Of course! I am my father's only son! The ultimate heir to Asgard!" Thor puffed out his chest, his tone tinged with pride.

His words were packed with information.

Loki didn't become a prince in Asgard.

"Is it because the concept of the God of Stories is gone, so Loki's origin story naturally disappears as well, or is it simply that Tony Stark has once again inserted his own ideas into the new Marvel?" Ian still had many unknowns and confusions about this world, and just as he kept persuading his super brain to work a few more times.

"Want to become my advisor? When I ascend the throne, as my savior, I will appoint you as my Grand Tutor. But before that, you'll need to accompany me in the kitchen, killing fish for thousands of years." Thor suddenly extended an olive branch to Ian. His tone was sincere, and he didn't seem to be trying to run a scam or pyramid scheme.

however.

"..."

Ian felt that Thor's sincerity was far more ruthless than any scam or pyramid scheme. Even someone like RT-Mart, who kills fish for ten years, wouldn't develop any feelings for them; he couldn't imagine what he would become after killing fish for thousands of years.

"How about it?"

Thor still looked at Ian with expectant eyes.

"As the crown prince of Asgard, instead of doing what a crown prince should do, you're just holed up on Earth being a lowly cook?" Ian felt he should correct Thor's incorrect thinking.

"what?"

Thor blinked his blue eyes, with bits of burnt charcoal still clinging to his eyelashes.

What should the Crown Prince do?

He seemed genuinely eager to learn.

In this regard.

Ian definitely has something to say. Tony only asked Ian to create the Marvel that Ian wanted, but he didn't say that Ian should recreate the old version of Marvel before the apocalypse.

“I am familiar with this matter. History teaches us about the duties of a crown prince. The son of Louis XIV of France spent his days partying at Versailles and dancing from dusk till dawn.”

"The Crown Prince of King Charles II of England is said to have changed three mistresses a day and could write poetry while drinking. The son of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh spent his days in the palace creating art and even built himself a statue bigger than the pyramids—you have to learn these things, they're much easier than learning a foreign language."

Ian spoke earnestly.

Thor was dumbfounded.

"Can a crown prince really do this?"

It was as if Ian had completely shattered his worldview.

"Yes, this is all in preparation for your ascension to the throne. Only when you have developed the habits during your time as crown prince will you be able to truly become a qualified monarch after you ascend the throne."

In the next ten minutes.

Thor experienced a spiritual shock even more profound than Ragnarok.

Ian talked about everything from the extravagant feasts of King Zhou of Shang to the locksmith workshops of Louis XVI, and from the Roman emperors' obsession with horse racing costumes to the founding history of Emperor Wuzong of Ming's Leopard House.

When Ian spoke eloquently about using the Rainbow Bridge as a transportation route to gather princesses from all over the universe and send all disobedient people to Pluto to grow lychees.

"Sigh~"

Thor gasped.

The hammer in his hand clattered to the ground.

"Wouldn't this be a bad idea?"

Thor's pupils were trembling.

"What's wrong?"

Ian gave him a deep look. The reason he said so much was not because he had nothing better to do, but to test whether Thor was still the Thor he knew. Teacher Tony had entrusted Ian to create this new world, and Ian naturally had to take it seriously and test Thor's kingly heart.

"Thor Odinson, you need to understand one thing: your father built such a great empire, if you don't squander it, wouldn't you be letting down his hard work and dedication?"

Ian countered with a barrage of questions.

This made Thor feel as if he had been struck by lightning again.

Is there such a saying?

He seemed to understand but not quite, his face showing surprise and uncertainty.

"Of course, think about it carefully. If you don't squander your wealth, how will you create opportunities for your children to work hard and achieve great things?" Ian asked forcefully, this time with a truly deafening tone. "Do you want your future children to end up like you, coming to Earth to sell local specialties because they have nothing else to do?"

He spoke to Thor's heart.

Yes.

It is because the great Father God governs the country so well that I have lost the opportunity to make progress. How can I bear to let my descendants waste their lives like I have?
"My God, Father God above, I think you're right. I've wasted so much time all these years." Thor seemed to have experienced a profound awakening.

A glint of awakening flashed in his eyes.

"Heimdall, open the Bifrost! I want to return to Asgard and reclaim my duties as crown prince!" Thor raised his hammer Mjolnir and shouted to the heavens.

The extraordinary power of this world remains strong, and Ian has managed to detect it. Amidst the surging energy fluctuations, a deep and ancient hum continuously resounds.

Like the roar of an engine.

Then, a crack appeared in the sky—not from the clouds, but from reality itself—and a dazzling pillar of light plummeted down from the heavens.

The Rainbow Bridge descended with a thunderous roar.

"Boom~"

Where the beam of light landed, the ground was instantly coated with a faint golden glow, and the stone bricks trembled and cracked continuously, as if they could not withstand the pressure from the center of the Nine Realms.

"Thank you for your guidance. Goodbye, and feel free to come visit me anytime." Thor's golden hair danced wildly as he sincerely thanked Ian. Taking a step forward, he was propelled upwards by the pillar of light. After a deafening roar, the pillar of light receded, ultimately transforming into a gentle golden ripple that carried Thor away.

In the blink of an eye.

Ian was the only one left in the backyard where the grilled octopus was.

“Something there.” Ian looked down at the ground beneath his feet and saw a shallow scorch mark, shaped like a perfect circle.

It seems to be a mark left by some ancient ritual.

"So, the extraordinary is still powerful, but there's no place for it to be used?" Ian got the information he wanted, and he also felt that he had really corrected Thor's life trajectory.

To be king.

Become the crown prince.

Not enjoying life?
That would be better than finding a place to grow sweet potatoes. At least by choosing pleasure, you can enjoy yourself without being seen as a tyrant; at worst, you'd just be considered a foolish ruler.

What is this called?
It must be an imperial technique that can stabilize the lower limit!

"My knowledge base is still a bit too comprehensive." Ian was in a good mood after doing a good deed. He found a few takeout boxes, collected some grilled octopus, and planned to go find his followers.

however.

"Boom!"

Ian was just about to walk into the front hall.

The roar of the Rainbow Bridge echoed again from the backyard.

I saw.

The familiar lightning surged once more.

It was Thor's descent.

Accompanied by a muffled sound.

The Rainbow Bridge spit Thor out like watermelon seeds, leaving the Asgardian prince with a bruised and swollen face, looking like a golden retriever thrown into a washing machine.

"Paji~"

A cry of "Ouch!" echoed through the backyard. Thor looked truly miserable; he had been thrown heavily to the ground, his face bruised and swollen—the kind of look only someone who had actually been beaten would have.

Ian has never experienced it.

But that doesn't mean he wouldn't recognize him.

“My mentor, my Father God, he beat me up and told me to go back to Earth and open a restaurant. It’s clear that his aptitude is not as good as mine, and he can’t understand your wise words.”

"He actually hit me in the face with Gungnir! I only spent three hundred gold coins to get this handsome face on the cover of a weekly magazine!" Thor looked like he was about to cry.

He immediately lay down on the ground and hugged Ian's leg.

It was like getting a beating at home; all the rebellious spirit of a teenager was brought out. "..."

Ian never expected this day to come. He, the renowned creator of the "Entanglement" skill, was instead ambushed by Thor and had his mentor called upon.

She was not even fifteen years old.

She was unexpectedly entangled by the greasy guy below her!
"What goes around comes around," Ian said with a sigh. However, given his super intelligence, the creator of the skill naturally knew how to take countermeasures.

At the very least, you have to make sure you don't lose out.

"I can already sense your comprehension from the word 'mentor,' but if you want to receive further instruction from me, you must join the church I belong to."

Ian pulled his "chicken guard" out of his crotch.

That is, the Book of Demons.

"Sign here, and then, according to this prayer, praise the great, ultimate, invincible, final arbiter, emperor of all laws, Ian God." He was trying to trick Thor into reciting his real name and then converting him to the religion.

In this regard.

As the crown prince of Asgard, Thor still had some basic vigilance.

"This isn't a legitimate church, is it?" He wasn't fooled. Instead, he used his knowledge from childhood to see something strange about the Book of Creation that Ian had taken out.

of course.

That's all they noticed was something amiss.

“This is the cult of evil gods.” Ian used a term that Thor was completely unfamiliar with; the man, who was thousands of years old, had only heard the word “evil gods” in his mother’s stories.

"Are you the leader of this church?"

Thor was slightly afraid.

"No, I am not the cult leader, I am an evil god."

Ian made the corrections carefully.

The air froze for three seconds.

"No, are you serious? Who would call themselves an evil god? You are clearly the sun god!" Thor had lost count of how many indescribable shocks he had experienced today.

“Why can’t an evil god who likes to play with the sun be an evil god? Playing with the sun, don’t you think that sounds really weird?” Ian insisted on his remaining honesty.

He knew that honesty was the most important thing in missionary work.

"..."

Thor fell into a long silence.

“No, as the crown prince of Asgard and the future king of the gods, how could I possibly worship other gods?” He seemed to be seriously considering Ian’s suggestion.

After all, Ian had saved his life.

That sense of brotherhood and loyalty is still present in this new version of Thor.

"I can create new magic with ten thousand recipes, so that your dishes will not only taste good, but also glow. You can make whatever color light you want."

Ian attempts to demonstrate his persuasive abilities to Thor.

It's very effective.

"What a seductive evil god! Just like the story my mother told me... to shake the heart of the gods!" Thor seemed to have been hit where it hurt, and his whole body showed a look of great shock and panic.

"Fine, I surrender. I'll follow your evil god's church, but it's not because my willpower isn't strong enough; it's because I need to infuriate my worthless father god!"

Thor might be the truly filial son.

He had barely finished speaking.

Before he could even begin negotiating with Ian and setting conditions that would allow him to withdraw at any time, his soul suddenly felt itself bound by some kind of constraint.

It felt like being gripped by an invisible hand.

Like the crushing of the heavens, like iron laws binding you.

This is not a conversion of faith, nor a surrender of spirit, but a more essential and irreversible connection. Deep within his soul, an imprint slowly takes shape.

It carries an irresistible sense of majesty and absurdity.

"What happened? How did we suddenly establish a soul contract?" Everything happened too fast, leaving Thor no time to react.

Caught off guard.

He then found himself becoming Ian's follower.

"I do not know either."

Ian was telling the truth.

"No, this contract is wrong, my God!" Thor was shocked after carefully sensing it. His future divine power was to contribute thirty percent to the boy opposite him?

"Is this the evil god?"

Thor was shocked by the blow.

It was far more terrifying than the false evil gods described in the stories his mother told him.

His voice was trembling.

“Yes, this is what an evil god looks like.” Ian was increasingly satisfied with his path to becoming a dimensional demon god, even though he didn’t even know what type of dimensional demon god he was.

And what kind of power does it possess?

"Fortunately, I can still unilaterally break the contract... Hiss, it requires half of my divine power?" Thor gasped as he sensed the contents of the contract.

My own power has regressed by a thousand years?

What kind of cosmic joke is this?!

This wasn't in the part Ian showed him earlier.

"This is what evil gods are like."

Ian sensed Thor's shock and began to patiently explain. He knew that because the people of this world were born so abruptly, they didn't have a very standard concept of evil gods.

"Where exactly are you from?"

Thorby was on the verge of tears when his own father beat him up.

"I'm from the Justice League."

Ian still couldn't forget that his father hadn't invited him to join the Justice League, so he decided to pre-join the Justice League and then figure out how to complete the formalities later.

"..."

Thor fell silent.

He only heard the name.

It feels like an organization disguised as an evil god.

"I won the bet again."

Ian looked up at the sky. Odin, the king of the gods, hadn't descended, but the adventure had still been quite rewarding. This wave of events had directly awakened his [Leader] class.

You have gained a wealth of leadership experience.

[The leadership role has been upgraded]

[The leadership role has been upgraded]

……

[Leader LV5 [13/160]]

Yes.

It went straight to level five.

Far exceeding Ian's expectations, he had thought that each kill would only count as one experience point, but unexpectedly, Thor directly brought him several hundred [Leader] experience points.

The rewards for high-quality believers are indeed quite substantial.

Although upgrading a regular profession doesn't lead to an increase in physical attributes, reaching level five in the [Leader] profession still grants Ian a skill bonus.

[Sharing: You can temporarily lend your power to followers. The power can be reclaimed at any time, but each time a follower uses your power, they will have to pay a certain price.]

This seemingly ordinary skill is listed in Ian's general skills list, and together with his Defense and Learning skills, it forms the triumvirate of a powerful individual.

Isn't this a kind of trinity?

Ian was delighted. Looking at Thor, whose happiness had been completely absorbed by him, he said in a lighthearted tone, "You can continue to call me mentor. I love hearing that title and I don't like putting on airs."

“Only true gods like to put on airs.” Ian, perhaps really quick to immerse himself in the role, said, “Now, I can teach you a supreme storage magic.”

He also knew that he should offer some benefits to appease Thor's emotions at this time.

"Don't teach me magic yet, I need to slow down." Thor plopped down on the ground, his 450-pound weight making the floor tremble, yet he still managed to look as aggrieved as a child.

"The Asgardians are incredibly strong. I can feel my magic power steadily increasing." Ian wasn't being provocative; he was genuinely praising them from the bottom of his heart.

"..."

Thor looked even more aggrieved.

"That's the magic tax I'm paying you. We Asgardians grow stronger every moment we live." He now realized that he might eventually lose thirty percent of his divine power for the rest of his life. No wonder his mother told him to stay home and be a hermit; the outside world is truly terrifying!
"Believe me, it's worth it."

Ian has discovered that he can even share his professional abilities with his followers. He is naturally very confident in his professional skills, and the high usage fees he can collect are well-deserved.

"Even so, let me catch my breath first," Thor mumbled, continuing to eat frantically, as if trying to fill the wounds in his heart with food.

See this.

Ian's high emotional intelligence also began to play a role.

"I'm going to check on another of my followers. Pray if you need anything." He knew it was time for him to leave, to give Thor some time to process this good fortune.

"There are still unlucky ones?"

Thor suddenly looked up, sauce still dripping from the corner of his mouth.

How many believers do you have?

His tone carried a hint of probing.

Anyway, I've joined the cult of evil gods.

We should at least see how things go.

Thor asked for nothing else but that the other side's followers reach half the population of Asgard, so that when he returns and is stripped of his crown prince position, he can still stubbornly claim that he did it for freedom.

"Including you, there are two in total."

Ian is honest when he is an evil god.

"..."

Thor watched Ian's departing figure, his eyes gradually shifting from shock to bewilderment. This was more than just a hopeless future; he even felt that he might never be able to return to Asgard in his lifetime.

You'll laugh yourself to death.

More sublime than the starry sky.

[More ancient than the universe.]

[The all-powerful Emperor Ian, who wields hidden authority.]

You are the weaver of magic.

"You are the witness to history, the ultimate interpreter of the Marvel Code, where order and chaos intertwine..." Thor muttered the ten thousand-word prayer that appeared in his mind. He began to comfort himself, thinking that at least he could learn to brag from Ian, which could be considered a real skill?

"If he can lift my hammer, he must at least have the qualities of a leader." Thor looked at the hammer placed beside him and began his frantic self-reassurance.

They ate and ate to their hearts' content.

He seemed destined to grow into a 500-pound fat man—while, in the Asgardian royal court, an aged king sat on a golden throne.

Gungnir, the spear of eternity, leaned against the throne, a few strands of his afro still clinging to the spearhead. Odin, still with only one eye, seemed to have a gaze that could pierce through the nine realms and reach any place.

Odin witnessed the whole thing.

However, he did not make a move.

She just looked at her overweight son and sighed silently.

"Fools are sometimes lucky."

Slowly withdrawing his gaze, Odin remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a soft sigh. His murmur was barely audible, as if no one in this hall of revelry could hear it—the entire palace was filled with the glittering of golden goblets, the melodious sounds of stringed instruments, and the gods raising their cups to drink, singing and dancing, their joyous voices echoing like a tidal wave.

It looks like it will stay like this forever.

Ok.

It just looks like that.

……

The sun is high in the sky.

sunny.

Just like Ian's current joyful mood, the doors of the Sanctuary were kicked open by Ian, and the air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood and the residual energy fluctuations of magic.

“Surprise! My faithful believer, come and see what special things your God has brought you.” Ian’s words were cut short.

I saw.

Center of the hall.

Doctor Strange sat cross-legged, surrounded by golden magical runes. His face was ashen, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his red levitation cloak hung listlessly over his shoulders.

The whole person felt as if they had just experienced a soul-splitting pain.

He truly felt as if his soul was being torn apart, because what he was doing was severing ties with Ian, forcibly giving up half of his magic to break the contract with Ian.

"what you do?!"

Ian's eyes widened.

He suddenly felt his magical power surge again.

From a small well.

It turned into at least fifty or sixty small wells.

"Wow~"

Doctor Strange after the contract was terminated.

He fell from mid-air.

He weakly raised his head, looking at the evil god before him with unusual determination: "I, the Sorcerer Supreme, will never associate with a demon like you who has survived since ancient times!"

His voice was equally weak and feeble.

Yet it resonated deeply.

With a strong belief.

"Forehead……"

Ian began to admire Doctor Strange's pride.

He finally saw someone with the spirit of a superhero in the Marvel Universe. As for breaking the contract, Ian, who found that he hadn't lost any experience points, was naturally not angry.

He is an evil god.

Believers have always been given the right to choose whether to stay or leave.

This is not noble.

Rather, it is the basic quality of an evil god in a new era.

"If you are willing to wait for me to recover before the final battle, then..." Doctor Strange was so weak that he tried to get up from the ground several times but failed.

"You're still as good at negotiating as ever. This is the Doctor Strange I know." Ian kindly went over to help him up, but he didn't hear Doctor Strange say what terms he wanted to negotiate.

the reason is simple.

Doctor Strange crashed.

It wasn't because Ian was approachable.

"No! How could this be!" Doctor Strange's expression was unusually stiff. He pushed Ian away, stumbled back a few steps, and fell in front of the wall.

"Why do I have to offer you more magic power after I gave up the contract?!" He was genuinely shocked, his trembling voice filled with disbelief—although the contract had been severed, it seemed that the constraints of the contract still remained, causing forty percent of the magic power that Doctor Strange would cultivate in the future to flow to Ian.

This is actually increasing, not decreasing!

Previously, the magic tax only required a 30% contribution!
“Young evil gods need alimony, that’s how it is.” Ian’s explanation was always so patient; his one sentence plunged the entire Sanctuary into deathly silence.

"There was no such treaty before!" Doctor Strange's face turned pale and then red. Finally, he gritted his teeth and asked angrily in a voice that was almost squeezed out from between his teeth.

“This treaty was only added five minutes ago. You’re probably too busy breaking it to notice.” Ian lifted his shirt, revealing the Book of Creation that was tucked into his waistband.

"..."

Dead silence, still dead silence.

"This shouldn't have been the outcome."

Doctor Strange's facial muscles trembled, his cheeks puffed out like two walnuts in his mouth. His fingers gripped the edge of the levitation cloak tightly, his knuckles turning white, and his lips pressed into a thin line—this Sorcerer Supreme, who prided himself on his wisdom comparable to Sherlock Holmes, was using all his cultivation to control himself from crying.

“To be honest, I admire your backbone. That’s the kind of superhero I know.” Ian handed over the gift, the aroma of grilled octopus filling the air.

however.

Doctor Strange did not reach out to take it.

"No, don't admire me yet. You're admiring me too soon... Give me a chance. I want to enlist again. I was actually secretly bewitched by other demons before."

Doctor Strange wore a sincere expression, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty. Between dignity and the loss of magic, he chose to believe in his mathematics.

The difference between 30% and 40%.

He is still very clear-headed.

After all, I love reading Sherlock Holmes stories.

"What demon? Where did these other demons come from?"

Ian was surprised.

He has always been good at trusting others.

however.

Doctor Strange's "Sherlock Holmes" mind doesn't seem to want him to believe it.

"It's a demon... the kind of demon that looks really scary, uh... with big wings on its back, and a really arrogant laugh." Humans can never imagine things they haven't seen before.

at this time.

The value of this statement is proven in Doctor Strange's case. Since he hadn't accessed any real information on this topic, he could only describe it based on the movies he had seen.

"I believe it."

Ian nodded.

He demonstrated magnanimity.

"Come on, of course you can. The bed of the evil god has always been a place where believers can come and go as they please." As the saying goes, the evil gods of the new era all have some manners.

"Thank you."

Strange squeezed out a word through clenched teeth.

His Adam's apple bobbed laboriously.

Seeing Ian take out the book that should be the "main body," this seemingly very principled Sorcerer Supreme, who might actually just not want to cultivate for others, decided to endure the humiliation.

"What kind of karma did I create? One series of actions... and I lost half of my magic." Filled with immense grief, Doctor Strange pressed his new handprint onto the book.

The moment the contract took effect, a familiar binding force began to grow within him again—the deduction of magic income tax had indeed returned to thirty percent.

but.

He didn't even have time to breathe a sigh of relief.

"No!" Doctor Strange turned into a groundhog again, frozen as if struck by lightning, and exclaimed in disbelief in shock.

“The rest of the contract… it’s different from the last one!” Doctor Strange stared stiffly at Ian, who was smiling, his eyes shifting from horror to numbness.

"Is this what evil gods are like?"

He felt he already knew what Ian was going to say.

however.

“It’s like a second marriage versus a first marriage. Do you think there’s no difference?” Ian patted Doctor Strange’s stiff shoulder reassuringly, his tone light and confident.

"..."

Doctor Strange opened his mouth.

Ultimately, no rebuttal could be found.

Perhaps it was because Ian's fallacies were too impeccable that even this genius, who loved Sherlock Holmes since childhood, went on to study advanced medicine, and eventually became the Sorcerer Supreme, could not withstand them.

"So, demons really are this terrifying."

He could only mutter to himself with a blank, lifeless expression.

“I see you’ve bought a lot of Sherlock Holmes magnifying glasses. You’ll encounter this situation if you don’t use a magnifying glass to read the contract.” Ian was trying to teach his followers how to guard against evil spirits, but his good intentions did not earn him any gratitude.

The air grew even quieter.

Doctor Strange's breathing grew heavier.

Uncle Bruce gradually grew closer to Ian after he gave him too many drugs.

　I still owe 4000 words... There was an earthquake at 5 AM this morning, and another one this afternoon. My house is located between these two places, and the tremors were very noticeable in both. It kept me from sleeping well, and I had to run outside in fear, which took up a lot of my time. I'm still asking for monthly votes. Bonus chapters for monthly votes are still ongoing; 1000 votes will get you an extra 4000 words. If I get over 10,000 votes by the end of the month, I'll get an extra 10,000 words or more.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)