The villa in Seville was quiet, the late afternoon sun casting golden light through the tall windows. Su Zhan stood in the entryway, holding the assembled Berserker Staff in his hand. The air in the room was tense, charged with the silent power radiating from the artifact. Across from him, Professor Elliott Randolph eyed the staff warily, his expression carefully neutral.
"What is this?" Randolph asked, feigning ignorance as his gaze flicked from the staff to Su Zhan.
Su Zhan offered a slight, knowing smile. "Professor Elliott Randolph, since I came all this way and brought you this, do you really want to keep pretending?"
Randolph hesitated, his brow furrowing. "Who are you?"
"My name is Su Zhan. I think we should have a proper conversation," Su Zhan replied, his tone calm but edged with certainty.
After a moment, Randolph nodded. "Alright."
He turned and disappeared into the bedroom. A few minutes later, a woman emerged, her expression clouded with annoyance. She shot Su Zhan a cold glance before leaving the villa in silence.
Su Zhan shrugged apologetically. "Sorry to interrupt your evening."
Randolph returned, pouring two glasses of wine. He handed one to Su Zhan and took a long sip from his own, trying to regain his composure. After a moment, he looked at Su Zhan with genuine surprise. "You… you're not affected?"
He had noticed that Su Zhan was holding the Berserker Staff with ease. Randolph, more than anyone, understood the staff's power. Even as an Asgardian, he could not wield it without being overwhelmed by rage. Yet Su Zhan seemed perfectly calm.
"If I were, I wouldn't have come to you," Su Zhan replied with a faint smile.
Randolph nodded, his curiosity piqued. "So, you know who I am. How did you find out?"
"I've been to Asgard. I've dealt with the Dark Elves. If you're well-informed, you should know the Dark Elves' spaceship is now mine," Su Zhan said, his eyes glinting with amusement.
Randolph's eyes widened in disbelief. "That's impossible! The Dark Elves are incredibly powerful. They've been lurking, waiting for a chance to strike. Unless they're all dead, you couldn't have taken their ship."
"Malekith is dead by my hand. There's only one Dark Elf left, and he serves me now," Su Zhan replied matter-of-factly.
Randolph stared, speechless. He took another sip of wine, then set the glass down and shook his head. "I… I need a moment to process this."
He walked to the window, gazing out at the city as he tried to collect his thoughts. After a while, he turned back to Su Zhan, his voice steadier. "It seems my information is out of date. You… what are you, really? No ordinary Earthling could defeat the Dark Elves."
"For me, nothing is impossible," Su Zhan answered, a hint of pride in his voice.
To prove his point, he summoned the etheric particles, letting them swirl around him before forming into his signature combat suit. Randolph's eyes widened further. "Those are etheric particles! So it's true… you really did destroy the Dark Elves."
He took a deep breath, then gestured to the staff. "Since you have etheric particles, the Berserker Staff shouldn't be of much use to you. So why bring it to me?"
Su Zhan's expression turned serious. "If I remember correctly, you were a blacksmith before you became a professor. I want you to help me reforge the Berserker Staff—turn it into twin blades."
Randolph was visibly startled. He had hidden his true identity for centuries, even from Asgard itself. "How did you know I was a blacksmith? Asgard believes I'm dead."
Su Zhan's smile was gentle but firm. "As long as you help me, I'll keep your secret. You should know I'm very familiar with Asgard. I can make things easy for you—or very difficult."
The implication was clear. Randolph considered for a moment, then sighed. "I'd like to help, but there's a problem. The material from the staff alone isn't enough for two blades. For a single blade, yes, but not a pair."
Su Zhan frowned, then suddenly had an idea. He reached into his system space and produced a piece of Asgardian armor. "What about this? Will this be enough?"
Randolph's eyes widened in recognition. "This is Asgardian armor! Where did you get it?"
"I told you, I'm very familiar with Asgard," Su Zhan replied with a small grin. "Can you use it?"
Randolph examined the armor, nodding thoughtfully. "Yes, Asgardian weapons and armor are forged from the same enchanted metal. With this, I should have enough material for two blades. But there's another issue—if I split the staff, the magic inside will be divided. The effect will weaken. The Berserker Staff's magic is simple: it stirs fear, which breeds anger, which in turn grants power. Unless you can find something to replace that magic, the twin blades won't be as powerful as the original staff."
Su Zhan sat on the sofa, setting the staff aside and sipping his wine. He pondered the problem in silence while Randolph waited, respectful of his thoughts.
After a while, Su Zhan spoke. "Actually, I have something that might work, but it's dangerous. Even for an Asgardian, it could be deadly."
Randolph's curiosity was piqued. "What is it?"
Su Zhan reached into his system space again and produced a small, orange crystal—the fear crystal, a fragment of pure, concentrated fear energy. It didn't look like much, but the moment Randolph saw it, he tensed.
"That's… unusual," Randolph said cautiously. "I can feel the power in it. It makes me uneasy. I'm certain it could kill me. But it's also… fascinating. I have an idea!"
He grew more animated as he spoke. "If you want twin blades, I can fuse this crystal into one of them. One blade will absorb fear, while the other retains the original staff's magic-channeling anger and amplifies your strength. The two together will be more powerful than anything I could forge from the staff alone."
Su Zhan's lips curled into a satisfied smile. "One blade for absorption, one for release. I like it."
Randolph nodded, already envisioning the forging process. "It will take time, and the work must be done carefully. The magic involved is volatile. But I can do it."
Su Zhan stood and offered his hand. "Thank you, Professor. I'll leave everything in your capable hands. When you're finished, let me know."
Randolph shook his hand, a look of respect in his eyes. "You're not what I expected, Su Zhan. Most who seek power are reckless. But you… you know exactly what you're doing."
Su Zhan smiled, his gaze steady. "That's the only way to survive in this world."
With the deal struck, Su Zhan left the villa, feeling a sense of anticipation. Soon, he would have weapons unlike any other—twin blades forged from Asgardian magic and the power of fear itself. The future was uncertain, but he was ready for whatever came next.