Chapter 166: Odin’s Gift

Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Odin’s Gift

After another three jars of wine went down, everyone else was drunk except for Daniel.

Odin’s private collection of wine was indeed quite potent. A single jar weighed around ten pounds, and with seven of them including Daniel, each person had consumed an average of over five pounds of wine.

Daniel, Loki, and Sif hadn’t drunk as much. Thor alone had nearly finished off a whole jar.

This wine was aged for at least a century, a genuine hundred-plus years, and was infused with all sorts of rare fruits, so even though Thor and the others were physically powerful and possessed divine strength, they were almost passed out by the end of it.

"Next time, we drink again."

Thor couldn’t even open his eyes anymore, yet he was still shouting back and forth. Loki was still somewhat conscious, and he eventually dragged Thor back.

Daniel was feeling a little tipsy too. He turned down Hogun’s offer to take him back and flew to his room on his own.

It wasn’t even clear whether Hogun still remembered the way back, so Daniel certainly didn’t need him as a guide. When it came down to it, who knew who would be leading whom?

Some of the maids knew that Daniel had gone out drinking with Thor and the others. So, by the time he finally returned to his chamber, a wooden tub filled with steaming hot water had already been placed in the center of the room.

"Just right."

Daniel was very satisfied. He stripped off his clothes and jumped straight into the wooden tub.

"Taking a bath is great for washing away the smell of alcohol," Daniel said with a smile. "Too bad it isn’t hot enough."

The water in the tub was around fifty degrees Celsius, yet to Daniel, it felt no different from cold water.

"If only it were a few million degrees. Now that would actually be comfortable," Daniel muttered, more out of boredom than anything else as he soaked in the bath.

He missed the temperatures found at the hearts of stars, especially the Sun. Now that was what he called just right. Stepping into the heart of a star had always been incredibly soothing.

The only problem was that it was far too empty and completely lacked any human warmth. Daniel desperately wanted to find someone who would sit in a sauna with him in the middle of the Sun.

Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, he still hadn’t found anyone willing to share the experience.

Even Carol could barely manage the Sun’s surface. She couldn’t venture into its deeper layers unless she entered her Binary form, and even then, there was no guarantee she could stay there for long.

So Daniel could only sigh and give up on the idea of having someone accompany him.

It wasn’t that there was no one powerful enough to do it. The problem was finding someone who could actually tolerate the environment for an extended period of time without turning the whole thing into a battle for survival.

For now, it seemed like Daniel would have to enjoy his solar sauna alone.

....

Splash...

With the sound of running water still echoing through the room, Daniel stood up and stepped out of the wooden tub.

A beam of sunlight happened to stream in from outside, illuminating his flawless physique. His firm chest and well-defined abs looked as though they had been carved from steel, making it immediately obvious that tremendous explosive power lay hidden beneath his skin.

Daniel glanced down between his legs and nodded in satisfaction. His assets were massive.

After getting dressed, Daniel prepared to head out. Since Thor and the others were currently drunk, Daniel figured this was the perfect opportunity to go find Odin and ask about the Infinity Gauntlet.

There weren’t any other magical artifacts Daniel particularly wanted. The gauntlet was the only one he cared about because he needed it to properly use the Space Stone.

Technically, Daniel could activate the Space Stone without the gauntlet, but controlling its power was another matter entirely. The Space Stone governed the very fabric of space, and without a proper means of channeling that power, even a small mistake could send him somewhere he had never intended to go.

The Infinity Gauntlet changed things considerably. With it, Daniel could channel the Space Stone far more effectively, giving him much greater control over its power and allowing him to travel vast distances across space almost instantaneously.

As long as he could properly envision his destination, the possibilities were practically limitless. Now that was the kind of ability Daniel had been looking forward to showing off.

’When the time comes, I’ll have a villa on the Moon, another one on Mars, then Mercury, Venus...’

Just imagining it put Daniel in a fantastic mood. When he arrived at Odin’s palace, he found two fully armored guards standing outside the entrance.

"Halt."

"I’d like to see Odin," Daniel said with a smile.

"How bold. How dare you address the All-Father by his name?" one of the guards immediately snapped.

Daniel looked at him with a displeased expression.

"Let him in."

Odin’s voice echoed from inside. Daniel then walked inside and found Odin waiting for him.

"What brings you here? Did Thor fail to entertain you properly?" Odin asked with a smile. "How do you suddenly have time to come see me?"

"Not at all. Thor and the others treated me very well. Everyone just went back to rest, so I came here to ask you for a favor," Daniel replied with a grin.

Odin kept smiling on the outside, but inwardly, he was cursing like crazy. Of course, they had enjoyed themselves drinking. How could Odin not know that someone had sneaked into his vault?

When he realized Thor had stolen a total of four jars of wine, Odin’s heart had nearly broken. He’d been cursing that useless son of his ever since.

"Oh?" Odin asked, pretending not to understand.

"I’d like to ask you to give me the gauntlet in your vault."

Daniel’s plan was actually quite simple.

He had no intention of sneaking into Odin’s vault or trying to take the gauntlet by force. If he wanted something, he preferred to ask for it openly.

After all, the Infinity Gauntlet was Odin’s possession. Whether Daniel could obtain it ultimately depended on Odin’s willingness to part with it.

"I heard about it from Thor. He mentioned that you had a gauntlet capable of holding six Infinity Stones."

Daniel paused for a moment before continuing.

"I have no intention of taking something that you aren’t willing to give. But I do have a use for it, so I thought it would be better to ask you directly."

His tone was sincere, without the slightest hint of coercion.

Odin studied him quietly. He hadn’t expected Daniel to be so direct.

More importantly, Daniel’s attitude made it difficult for Odin to find fault with him. He hadn’t tried to sneak into the vault, nor had he attempted to take advantage of Thor’s friendship with him.

He had simply come and asked.

Odin’s gaze softened slightly.

The gauntlet itself was not particularly useful to him anymore. But that did not mean it held no value.

It had been with him during his younger years, back when he had still traveled across the Nine Realms with his companions. It carried memories of a time that could never return.

For a moment, Odin’s thoughts drifted into the distant past.

’Those were good days.’

Seeing the faint nostalgia in Odin’s eyes, Daniel didn’t press him.

"If it has sentimental value to you, then forget I asked," Daniel said calmly. "I don’t want something that you aren’t comfortable giving away."

Odin looked at him for a moment before suddenly laughing.

"Hahaha... You really are different from most people."

Daniel smiled.

"Everyone has something they don’t want to part with."

"Indeed."

Odin’s smile gradually faded as he looked toward the direction of his vault.

Although the gauntlet carried some sentimental value for Odin, he also understood that keeping it locked away in his vault served little purpose.

More importantly, Ragnarok was approaching.

When that time came, Odin would need every capable ally he could find, and Daniel’s strength could very well become one of Asgard’s greatest assets. If giving him the gauntlet now could strengthen that bond and allow Daniel to make better use of the Infinity Stones, then there was no reason to cling to an artifact that had long since ceased to be useful to himself.

With that thought, Odin made up his mind.

"Since you have a use for it, I’ll give the gauntlet to you. I hope it proves useful."

Daniel’s expression became serious.

"You mean..."

"I’ll give it to you."

A smile finally appeared on Daniel’s face. He had come here prepared to accept either answer. He genuinely hadn’t expected Odin to agree so readily.

"Thank you."

There was no pretense in Daniel’s voice. He meant it.

Odin waved his hand casually.

"It’s nothing. Besides, Thor seems to think of you as a brother. If you truly intend to stand beside him in the future, then helping you now is hardly a loss."

"Thank you, I’ll remember this favor."

Odin laughed. "Then make good use of it."

Daniel smiled as well. After coming all this way to ask for it, he had finally obtained the Infinity Gauntlet.

-----------------------

Guys, don’t forget to leave your comments and reviews.

And if you want some extra Chapters, be sure to check out my Patron page, it’s 30 Chapters ahead of webnovel and the Chapters are also long so you can check it out.

p at reon . com / NovaScribe

(Just remove all spaces and then search)