"The tenth." After thinking for a moment, Tohka decided to reveal the matter. To be honest, Odin's earlier words had startled her. She had thought Odin was also a time traveler, but quickly dismissed the idea. After all, Odin wouldn't have asked her that question if that were the case. If she remembered correctly, the Norse mythology talked about the World Tree, not the Kabbalah Tree of Life.
"Kingdom? Follow me." After hearing Tohka's words, Odin pondered for a moment and then walked up to the two of them. Then, he lightly tapped his staff on the ground, and they vanished from the golden hall.
"This is... the Kabbalah Tree of Life?" When Tohka opened her eyes again, she was stunned by the sight before her. In front of her stood a towering giant tree. It wasn't exactly a tree, but it gave her the feeling of one. From the canopy to the roots, every section had a point of existence, and each point felt completely different. The one that caught Tohka's attention the most was the lowest point, the root, which had an aura identical to hers. Moreover, as she approached, the crystal within her body began to spin wildly. It seemed like it wanted to absorb this tree, but an array between them blocked her.
"You see it now, right? This tree... it's called the Kabbalah Tree of Life by you and the Jewish people, and we in the Heavenly Palace call it the World Tree. But, it's more appropriate to call it the Tree of Origin." Seeing Tohka's astonished look, Odin wasn't surprised at all and continued, "You should know that all the top forces in the universe are aware of the terrifying nature of the Infinity Stones. And the Tribunal of Life once imposed a huge restriction on the Infinity Stones: they can never be gathered together. You can imagine the terror of these things, but the origin of the Infinity Stones is widely debated. The most plausible theory is that before the universe was born, these six stones were once a singular entity, possessing near-infinite energy. But it was alone, and it was the entirety of reality. This entity grew tired of itself, tired of loneliness, and attained self-awareness. As for who that entity was, we cannot know. But we call it the 'Goddess of Vengeance,' a deity far older and more powerful than the eternal, the infinite, and the other primordial gods. (MMP, I won't say more. Let's define it this way; Marvel's setting makes me want to throw up, but this is Thanos's original quote.) Each stone represents a point of power... but that's enough, there's still no accurate definition, and no one has been able to truly harness this power."
Alright, Odin stopped at this point, noticing that Tohka's brain was on the verge of crashing, her eyes starting to swirl. These concepts had reached a philosophical level, and the abstract power involved exceeded Tohka's comprehension. In short, Tohka couldn't untangle these so-called powers. Of course, not only Tohka—Thor was also a bit confused. While he knew about the Infinity Stones, he didn't know this much detail. Now, hearing Odin's explanation, even he was left dumbfounded.
"Forget it, I'll stop talking about the Infinity Stones and instead focus on the Tree of Origin." With a helpless glance at Tohka, Odin stopped discussing the stones and began to introduce the massive tree before them. "Compared to the birth of the universe, this tree represents life. It can be said to be the origin of all life; it is a divine entity that existed before the birth of the universe, representing life. Even that one entity, which was everything, was an independent life form. Our Nine Realms, from the top representing the crown of Asgard with its dominion, all the way to Jotunheim, where the Frost Giants live, all evolved from the original World Tree. That's why those born here are generally stronger than people from other worlds in the universe. Also, each point of existence has its own guardian. And you, as the foundational point of the World Tree, do not belong to any one realm. You are the guardian of the Nine Realms. You may not be the strongest, but you have the greatest potential among all the guardians. Only you can bear the power of the entire World Tree."
"...."
After hearing Odin's words, Tohka fell silent. It wasn't that she was weighing the pros and cons, but more that she was stunned—what in the world was all this? It made her head spin. In her past life, she was just a regular human; how could she be connected to something so powerful? Still, she figured something out: she wasn't the only a spirit born. "Um, I'd like to ask, what about the other guardians?"
"Well..." After hearing Tohka's question, Odin fell silent. After thinking for a moment, he continued, "We don't really know. Based on the information passed down from our ancestors, it's true that guardians will be born, but you are the first to appear here. As for where the other guardians will appear, we don't know. They could even appear in other universes completely unrelated to this one."
"Ah, I see. So, why did you bring me here? Don't tell me you just came here to give me a lecture." Tohka didn't believe someone like Odin would be so kind as to give her a lecture.
"You see, the World Tree is powerful, but it's of no use to us anymore. Moreover, our world is stable, and the World Tree has been in a dormant state for an unknown period. Even if it awakens, it is beyond our control. Currently, only you can control the World Tree, or the Kabbalah Tree of Life. If you agree to one request, I will give this tree to you. As for what kind of power it will unleash in your hands, that depends on you." With a glance at the confused Tohka, Odin finally revealed his purpose. After all, he was a cunning old fox, not a young Thor, and he could never do those saintly things.
"Speak. What's your request?" Looking at Odin, Tohka immediately became alert, as she sensed that Odin certainly had no good intentions.
"My request is simple: marry Thor, to be our queen, the future queen."