Chapter 688: The Infinite Event (IV) (Patreon)

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At the entrance of Stark Tower, Pepper stood with Helen cradled in one arm and a bag in the other. She handed Helen over to Sif, briefing her, "Helen isn't an ordinary human child. She should be able to consume what Asgard has to offer, though she's not fond of apple-like fruits—she does, however, enjoy orange juice..."

"And remember, don't let her consume too much sugar; it's unhealthy. Also, encourage her to read more and dissuade her from fighting. Goodness, she does love to brawl, which can be quite bothersome..." Pepper handed the bag containing Helen's necessities to Sif.

Lately, Sif had been honing her swordsmanship across various dimensions, which left her feeling somewhat weary. So, when she learned that Frigga wished to take Helen to Asgard, she volunteered to clear her mind.

Though Helen bore a striking resemblance to Loki, Sif adored children and had always yearned for a daughter. Helen filled that void. Sif reached out, patting Helen's head, imagining the moments they would share—gathering fresh flowers in Asgard's forests to weave into flower wreaths, playing by the fountain, and storytelling by the campfire.

With a blink from the Bifrost, Sif and Helen vanished from their spot. Upon their return to Asgard, Sif took Helen straight to Frigga.

Frigga showed Helen her bedroom, once inhabited by a young Loki. Despite the years, the room, once home to Frigga's favorite son and second prince of Asgard, retained its grandeur.

Polished tiles laid beneath fluffy rugs, and the bed, supported by thick logs in the primitive Viking style, held deep green canopies.

The bed seemed quite large for Helen, and Frigga, concerned that she might be scared on her first night, planned to stay with her. But when Odin suddenly summoned her, Sif stayed behind, taking on the duty of telling Helen bedtime stories.

Previously, Helen had been quiet, but perhaps because she had absorbed members of the Inheritor Family, inheriting their vampire traits, she became much more active at night.

"And so, the brave Asgardian warrior defeated the dragon, severed its horns, fastened its head to the ship's helm, fashioned armor from its scales, and set sail for new adventures..." Sif narrated softly from a storybook, but Helen propped her head up, blinked, and sighed.

"What's the matter? Don't you like this story?" Sif inquired.

Looking up with big eyes, Helen responded, "Rather than hearing stories of warriors slaying dragons, I'd prefer to slay one myself."

Observing Helen, Sif remarked with a sigh, "You're quite different from your mother... or, uh, father... Well, perhaps more like your mother..."

Bored, Helen gazed at the patterns on her blanket. After Sif told a few more tales, she tucked Helen into bed.

However, sleep eluded Helen. Bathed in the moonlight outside her room, she cautiously jumped onto the window frame, then onto the balcony.

She was about to use her magic to fly but remembered that, unlike Earth, all beings in Asgard were innately magical.

Using magic here would alert the guards. She might evade them but not Frigga or Sif, thereby crushing any hope of escape.

With this in mind, Helen peeked over the balcony, noticing a tall tree right below, its top level with the balcony.

Under the bright moon, the towering conifers surrounding the Celestial Palace, a hallmark of Nordic civilization, held a special place in Asgardian hearts. Nurtured carefully, their needles shimmered in a soft blue-green under the moon.

Suddenly, several trees near the Celestial Palace's walls rustled, startling birds into the sky.

Then, more trees began to sway, and with a "thump," Helen leaped from the outermost tree, dusting her hands, indifferent to the leaves in her hair.

After emerging from the forest behind the Celestial Palace, she found a drill ground to the left and a fountain garden to the right. Beyond the garden lay the library. After a moment's hesitation, Helen decisively headed towards the drill ground.

On her way, Helen had seen various Asgardian weapons and hoped to find an intriguing blade at the drill ground, as she lacked a suitable weapon.

However, upon arrival, she noticed a figure on the steps beside the ground. Helen hid behind a wall, peeking out at the person.

It was Sif, a longsword by her side. She sat on the steps, gathering her hair into a braid.

Wisps of white mist surrounded her, indicating recent exertion, confirmed by the scattered dummies across the drill ground. Sif was practicing through the night.

Realizing her plan was unlikely to succeed, Helen turned to sneak away, only to freeze when Sif spoke out.

"Are you awake?"

Helen stiffened, maintaining her one-foot-up pose as she slowly turned around. Just as she was about to speak, she noticed a purple glow blinking around Sif, whose eyes seemed to be talking to themselves rather than looking at Helen.

Helen quietly approached the wall, poking her head out to listen to what Sif was discussing.

"Indeed, it has been a long time, and you should go home to check on things. How about this: tomorrow, I will make another trip to Earth, and you can search for a new host. By the way, where are your companions? Aren't they coming to pick you up?"

Just as Sif finished her question, another voice emerged from her mouth, "Thank you, Sif. Working with you has been a pleasure. You're the strongest and kindest host I've encountered..."

This was also a female voice, distinct from Sif's. As she spoke, a purple glow flickered incessantly around Sif. Helen frowned, watching carefully, recognizing the familiar twin beams of purple light. It seemed to be the symbiote she'd previously seen on Peter.

"The situation for cosmic agents is dire right now. Civilizations near the Andromeda Galaxy are extremely hostile towards us. The forces that besieged Klyntar's star seem to have provoked Knull. He's becoming more active, and no one knows when he'll break free," the symbiote expressed with a tone of worry, to which Sif comforted her:

"Phantom, don't be too anxious. If trouble arises, I'll help you."

Meanwhile, Helen, hiding behind the wall, seemed to concoct a plan, her eyes spinning thoughtfully.

The next day, as Sif was about to activate the Bifrost to Earth, Helen stuck to her side persistently. Left with no choice, Sif brought Helen along, and together they returned to Earth.

Sif's mission was to find a new host for the symbiote, Phantom, within her. Ever since Sif was wounded by the destroyer brought down by Loki and Phantom symbiotically saved her, they had remained together. Sif and Phantom had trained together in arts and formed a deep friendship.

However, a few days ago, Phantom expressed a desire to visit her homeworld, Klyntar. But as a Valkyrie of Asgard with patrol duties, Sif couldn't abandon her post without orders, precluding a journey to the Andromeda Galaxy. Thus, the two had to choose separation.

Once on Earth, Phantom left Sif's body. Unlike other symbiotes, she had the advantage of being highly agile and could fly without a host, making her significantly more mobile. She didn't settle for just any host but planned to seek out a specific female nurse she'd bonded with before.

After her departure, Helen suggested they go shopping on Earth. Sif, recently frustrated by her stagnating power, welcomed the distraction. So, they ended up on a street near Times Square, planning to wander around.

As expected, with Spider-Man away from New York, their shopping was soon interrupted by the sound of gunshots. A robbery was happening at a jewelry store at the end of the street.

Sif wouldn't stand by idly. She turned her head, scanning the surroundings, and found a relatively peaceful coffee shop. She took Helen inside, seated her, and instructed, "Stay here, don't wander off. I'll be back soon!"

Obediently nodding, Helen jumped off her chair the moment Sif dashed out. Despite her short legs, she was quick, soon disappearing into the crowd.

Finding a secluded spot, Helen sniffed the air, catching a scent. She transformed into a streak of light, soaring over New York City's skyline.

Suddenly, she stopped mid-air, looking down. In a small alley not far from New York Presbyterian Hospital, a pool of purple slime was spreading along the wall.

Helen flew down, landing on the wall, and peered at the slime. The purple mass halted, retreating swiftly after a pause.

But Helen didn't grant it the chance to escape. In a flash, she pinned it down with her hand.

The symbiote, of course, wouldn't be trapped easily. Just as Phantom thought this, she felt a terrifying suction force. Something was absorbing her symbiote essence, leaving her powerless to resist.

In an instant, Helen absorbed all the symbiote material. Phantom, expecting to be consumed, was about to scream when she realized she wasn't in mortal danger. Instead, she was inhabiting Helen as she would with any host.

Phantom conveyed confusion, to which Helen replied in an innocent tone, "I saw Peter with a symbiote called... Red Bee? I found it interesting, so I wanted one too. What's your name?"

"I am Phantom. But, little girl, the cosmic agent code explicitly states we cannot inhabit underage beings. Even if you are an Asgardian, it's forbidden. Your undeveloped body could be greatly burdened by high-speed travel..."

"Eh?! How can you fly??? No, no, stop! You're overspeeding! Stop the car!!! Ahhhh!!!"

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