Hela found it difficult to apologize, unable to lower her pride.
Thus, the situation remained at a standstill.
An awkward silence filled the room, and no one spoke to break it.
That was until Kino's voice rang out from downstairs.
Venom responded briefly, "Alright, little cuties, get ready to come down for dinner."
Venom then tossed a piece of Damian's clothing toward Hela.
"Put this on and come down to eat."
Hela glanced at Venom.
This place did not seem ordinary. She decided to observe for now.
When she finally descended the stairs, her body stiffened abruptly as her gaze landed on the red-haired woman seated on the couch.
An immensely powerful woman.
This was a presence she had only ever felt from Odin himself.
Could Midgardians truly produce beings this powerful?
Her heart filled with shock and doubt, and her expression turned unusually serious.
She continued scanning the room, scrutinizing each individual.
Each person radiated strength.
Then, her gaze locked onto one particular figure, and her brows furrowed deeply.
This person carried the aura of Hell.
A demon?
Yet, they felt weak.
Venom took Kino's hand and transmitted the recent memories to him.
The Goddess of Death—Hela.
How had she escaped?
Kino frowned, puzzled.
"Alright, everyone, wash your hands and get ready for dinner. There's plenty of delicious food tonight!"
Quickly setting aside his thoughts, Kino put on a warm smile and called out to the children. To his surprise, even Hela obediently followed.
Hela… behaving?
Kino found it odd.
"Oh! A feast!"
Xiaoyu cheered as she gazed at the lavish spread on the table, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Penny and Nina were no different. Being children, they had already forgotten the earlier unpleasantness.
As everyone took their seats, Dark Phoenix locked onto a giant plate of garlic crab, her mouth watering uncontrollably.
Jean, seated beside her, sighed and wiped her drool away.
"Let's eat!"
The moment Kino gave the word, Dark Phoenix eagerly grabbed two massive crab claws, devouring them with enthusiasm.
Watching her eat in such an unrestrained manner, Hela's eye twitched.
This woman was supposed to be on Odin's level?
Or was the food truly that good?
Hesitating for a moment, Hela reached for a crab leg, her movements slightly clumsy as she cracked it open.
The moment she took a bite, her eyes lit up.
Delicious!
Wasn't Midgard only known for roasting meat and stews?
Had things really changed so much over the millennia?
Astonished, she unknowingly began eating faster.
After a while, Hela picked up a drink and took a sip.
"Do you have any alcohol?"
She directed the question at Kino.
She had already determined that this seemingly weak man was the true master of the house—someone even that powerful red-haired woman deferred to.
"We have white liquor, beer, and red wine. What do you prefer?"
"Whatever's strongest."
"White liquor, then."
Kino retrieved a bottle of Wuliangye from Hell and handed it over.
Hela hesitated.
He freely opened a gate to Hell?
Was this man a Hell Lord?
Had the Sorcerer Supreme perished?
Xiaoyu, seeing that Hela was getting alcohol, wanted to try it as well. She raised her hand eagerly.
"I want to drink some too!"
"No."
"Why can she drink, but I can't?"
"Because she's an adult. Say one more word, and I'll call your Uncle Dragon."
Xiaoyu shrank back at that. She did not want to deal with her uncle's endless nagging.
Gwen and Pamela also gave Hela a curious glance when Kino handed her the alcohol.
Judging by her practiced drinking motions, she was clearly another long-lived being—just like Xi.
"This is strong stuff!"
Hela downed an entire cup in one go and instinctively raised it to smash it.
"Earth doesn't have the habit of breaking cups after drinking. If you do, be prepared to drink straight from the bottle."
Kino's voice was calm.
"Hmph."
Hela set the cup down and continued eating.
Penny, seated beside Venom, stared at the chocolate in her bowl. She liked sweets far more than regular food.
"Auntie Venom, can I have one?"
"Open your mouth. But little kids shouldn't eat too much."
"Mmm! So sweet!"
Kino noticed that Damian seemed absent-minded, still affected by his earlier defeat.
He leaned over and whispered, "Hela has lived for at least three thousand years. In terms of combat skill alone, even ten Ra's al Ghuls wouldn't match her."
"Three thousand years?!"
Damian looked at Hela, who was still drinking and eating heartily, his expression one of disbelief.
But he quickly regained his composure and resumed eating.
If she had lived for over three thousand years, it would have been truly odd not to lose against her.
That thought put him at ease.
Meanwhile, Xiaoyu noticed Kino was distracted and nudged Nina.
"Nina, block his view for me."
"What are you up to?"
Though confused, Nina still straightened her posture as requested.
However, their little scheme was laughably obvious to the enhanced individuals around them.
Curious, the others observed silently to see what Xiaoyu was up to.
She sneaked over to Hela and whispered, "Hela, can I have a sip?"
At this, Hela smirked mischievously and handed over her cup.
"Sure."
"Thanks!"
Xiaoyu took it, sniffed, and—finding the smell tolerable—imitated Hela, taking a large gulp.
"Urgh!"
Her eyes widened in shock.
Immediately, she shoved the cup back into Hela's hands and bolted to the bathroom to spit it out.
"So spicy!!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Hela burst into laughter, her voice carefree and uninhibited.
Seeing this, the rest of the table couldn't help but chuckle as well.
Only Penny and Nina remained clueless.
When Xiaoyu returned, she meekly clung to her fruit juice, vowing never to drink alcohol again.
Dinner lasted two hours.
By the end, only Hela and Dark Phoenix were still eating.
One had gone thousands of years without food, burning through her energy reserves quickly.
The other could simply break down the food she ate and keep going.
"Hela, you can do it!"
"Hela, you're amazing!"
"I want a stomach like yours!"
The three kids gathered around, cheering for Hela.
Even Damian came over, curious to see just how much she could eat.
Hela was already full, but the little ones wouldn't let her back down.
As a result, her stomach visibly swelled, though she maintained a composed expression.
Even conquering the Nine Realms hadn't been this exhausting.
Seeing a challenger, Dark Phoenix picked up her pace as well.
Finally, all the food was gone.
"Not bad. I'm about seventy percent full," Hela said nonchalantly, wiping her mouth.
"But Hela, your stomach's sticking out," Xiaoyu pointed out, poking her round belly.
"Urk!"
Hela instinctively puffed out her cheeks—but quickly concealed it—and swatted Xiaoyu's mischievous hand away.
"This is my backup energy reserve. For winter."
"But it's summer."
"I'm preparing in advance."
"Hela knows so much!"
Quote:
"Pride is a heavy burden, but hunger is heavier."
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