Ch: 281-290
Chapter 281 Loki VS Banner
On the arena stage, both contestants were in position.
Dr. Banner against Loki, the Nine Realms's foremost sorcerer.
The third battle officially began.
Unlike the previous two matches, the Asgardians in the audience were unusually quiet this time.
They didn't wave their arms and shout encouragement to Loki; it was as if they had suddenly learned proper spectating etiquette.
Even when someone occasionally discussed in a low voice, the topic only revolved around Kamar-Taj's current sorcerer—Banner.
They discussed how he looked very frail, even had a small potbelly, so his strength might not be that great.
Banner, the center of the discussion, noticed this.
However, he didn't care about the attention to his potbelly in the whispers.
Instead, he was imagining a grand drama of divine court intrigue in his mind.
The low whispers of the surrounding audience misled him.
He thought, even if Asgard was martial, and Prince Loki didn't look very strong, making him not so popular, there shouldn't be no cheers at all.
He looked around.
The surrounding audience was full of whispers.
Compared to the deafening cheers and shouts of the previous two matches, it was as quiet as a pot of boiling water suddenly freezing into ice.
Banner's internal thoughts instantly became rich.
In myths, even gods engage in power struggles.
In a situation like Asgard, where two princes coexist, they would definitely go to great lengths to contend for the throne of the God-King.
Thinking this, Banner felt that this second Prince of Asgard must have fallen behind in the struggle.
Otherwise, why would the people around him not even cheer?
It must be because they were unwilling to offend the powerful eldest Prince, Thor.
Banner even instantly thought of ancient emperors like Nero, Galba, and Otho.
His gaze towards Loki also involuntarily carried a hint of pity.
The outcome of failing in a power struggle isn't very good...
As Banner thought, he clasped his hands in front of his chest and performed a sorcerer's salute: "Your Highness, I am Bruce Banner, a Kamar-Taj sorcerer."
His etiquette was perfectly proper, so proper that even if the rigid Mordo were called to the stage at this moment to find fault, he wouldn't be able to find any issues.
But Loki, who had just been standing with his hands behind his back, looking at him with a proud yet wary gaze, suddenly became furious.
"What kind of look is that?!" Loki's eyes instantly turned fierce, and he suddenly bristled.
He arched his back slightly in anger, looking exactly like a large feline that had been hunting a buffalo with its family members, but was kicked in the head by a clumsy buffalo, losing all face.
Banner was slightly stunned, and his mind quickly raced with anxiety.
Oh no, oh no.
Banner thought, Prince Loki must be under immense pressure, stepping onto the stage against the odds and not being favored.
At this moment, his compassionate gaze must have wounded the other party's self-esteem.
Banner hastily apologized: "I'm sorry, Your Highness, I was just thinking, um, thinking... thinking..."
Banner paused, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead, and his palms, holding the briefcase, also began to sweat.
Oh no, what excuse should I find to explain that look just now?
Should I directly say I pitied him? Then the apology would truly turn into a provocation!
Banner was anxious but couldn't think of a reason, his cheek twitching from the strain.
Loki looked at this stammering Midgardian, and his own cheek twitched in exasperated rage.
He gritted his teeth and pointed at himself: "I! Loki, Prince of Asgard!"
He paused here, looked at Odin in the stands, and continued.
"Son of Odin! God of Mischief! Bearing a glorious mission!"
Loki took a step forward.
"Your victory ends here, foolish Midgardian!"
He gave Banner an arrogant smile, "You should feel honored, honored that you can cross swords with a noble god!"
The whispers in the surrounding audience stopped.
For Prince Loki, the Asgardians didn't like him as much as they liked Thor.
After all, in martial Asgard, Loki, who lacked a muscular physique and only played with cunning and illusions, was somewhat out of place.
But no matter how unpopular he was, Loki's words resonated with them.
Asgard, as the ruler of the Nine Realms, every Asgardian was proud of their identity.
The defeats in the first two battles made them doubt whether they were even awake.
Loki's arrogant declaration to Banner not only didn't offend them but instead made them all stand up, and the shouts rose again, one after another.
This was Asgard! The center of the Nine Realms, they were gods, it was impossible to lose!
"Loki! Loki!"
"Victory! Victory!"
A tidal wave of sound swept through every corner of the arena.
In the lounge, Tony stroked his chin, looking outside, his eyebrows raised high, wondering when Bannerwould unleash the big guy inside him.
In the stands, Leon smiled and teased Odin: "It seems Prince Loki is very confident in his strength. My previous accidental injury didn't affect his condition, did it?"
Odin's gaze lingered on Banner, somewhat silent.
"It's fine," he said faintly.
On the arena stage.
Loki spread his arms with a brilliant and excited smile, welcoming the surging cheers from all directions, as if victory was already destined.
Banner stood opposite, scratching his cheek.
Looking at the green figure with outstretched arms in the sunlight, he felt a bit lost, suddenly having the illusion that he was an audience member invited onto the stage at a concert.
However, he also breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed Loki no longer cared about his previous compassionate gaze.
"Um, excuse me..." As Loki was enjoying the cheers, Banner raised his briefcase and asked weakly.
"I am a Beast Master. Inside are a few magical creatures that assist in combat. Can I bring them out with me?"
Before Loki could look over, Banner added: "I know fighting with magical creatures is ganging up, so if it's not allowed, I'll just put the briefcase down below the stage..."
Even amidst the noisy shouts, Loki clearly caught what Banner said.
He looked at Banner contemptuously.
A Beast Master? What kind of beasts could this Midgardian control?
A foolish sorcerer from a backward place, probably controlling a few hyenas was his limit.
How dare he show off in front of him, the Nine Realms's foremost sorcerer.
"Use whatever means you wish. In front of me, any of your actions will only be futile struggles."
Loki lowered his arms, clasped them behind his back, and tilted his chin up.
"Instead of embarrassing yourself here, why don't you just kneel and surrender?"
"Isn't this what you all want? To be conquered, to be enslaved."
"The so-called challenge is nothing more than an attempt to curry favor with Asgard."
"Since that's the case, why not just surrender outright?"
Loki looked at Banner mockingly.
He had been somewhat worried that the other party would be as outrageous as the previous two Midgardians.
But since the other party was a Beast Master...
A Beast Master, ha, what a novel term.
Loki already saw his victory.
Chapter 282: Magical Beasts Show Their Skills
"Ah? I can fight with the Fantastic Beasts? You agreed?"
Banner was pleasantly surprised: "Thank you, thank you so much! I told those kids before that I would bring them to fight the Gods, and now they will definitely be very happy."
Loki frowned. Banner's words made him feel offended, as if he was being watched like a rare animal.
He was about to mock him again.
At this moment, Banner placed the suitcase on the ground and opened it with two clicks.
He half-squatted on the ground, one hand reaching into the leather case, and looked up to ask, "Then… shall we start now?"
Loki, with his hands behind his back, couldn't help but shake his head, a smile playing on his lips: "As expected, foolish mortals. Knowing you can't win, you still try to show off and make yourselves look pathetic. I really want to see what kind of disgraceful spectacle you'll make."
Banner looked up at Loki upon hearing this, his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
This Loki's mouth was truly foul.
He used to think the Stark brothers were the epitome of foul-mouthedness, but he didn't expect there to be an even greater master in Asgard.
Banner did not retort Loki.
Having long contended with anger, he rarely got upset by others' words anymore.
He leaned over the leather case and shouted inside, "Hey! Everyone come out! The battle has begun!"
Everyone's gaze turned towards Banner's leather case.
They were all curious what his so-called Fantastic Beasts looked like.
A few seconds of silence fell over the scene.
In the silence, Loki's posture remained unchanged, but two daggers silently appeared in the palms of his hands, which were clasped behind his back.
He also looked at Banner's leather case: "If your so-called Fantastic Beast is just a leather case, then you…"
Before he could finish his sentence, a loud cry of an eagle suddenly came from the leather case.
The next second.
A huge gray Hippogriff head burst out of the leather case.
Following closely were its massive wings, two Talons, and then its horse-like lower body.
This was a Hippogriff from the Hogwarts World!
The Hippogriff's enormous body spread its wings in the air.
Banner exclaimed, "Aha!" and was nudged onto its back by its head.
Its wings, several meters long, flapped powerfully, and the man and beast, stirring up a gale, shot into the sky.
Loki was blown by the strong wind, his eyes half-closed, and the latter half of his sentence then blurted out: "You really did make me laugh…"
But the next moment, Loki's expression froze.
Banner, riding the Hippogriff in the air, arced through the sky.
And on the arena stage, Fantastic Beasts were still rushing out of that leather case!
A Fantastic Beast resembling a falcon, but seven meters long, entirely golden, with three pairs of wings of varying sizes on its back, flew out.
This was a Thunderbird!
It spread its wings and immediately caught up with Banner.
Its figure, like a sharp arrow, cut through people's vision, and a faint rumble of thunder echoed wherever it passed.
And after the Thunderbird.
Another cry and a roar came from the leather case.
Two figures, one large and one small, emerged one after another.
It was a red Phoenix, and a Norwegian Ridgeback!
The Phoenix flew into the sky, circling Banner.
And the giant lizard-like Norwegian Ridgeback staggered a few steps.
Then it scanned its surroundings, looked at Loki, who was shrouded in its shadow, and let out a deafening roar.
The strong wind, mixed with the smell of sulfur and bad breath, blew all of Loki's black hair behind him.
Even his taut cheeks were rippled by the wind.
"Gulp…"
Loki looked up at the ten-meter-long lizard dragon, then at the several figures flying in the air, especially the giant bird that could manipulate lightning, and swallowed hard.
"Oh, I hate lightning," he muttered.
The next second, Banner in the air shouted, "Attack!"
The Norwegian Ridgeback immediately opened its mouth, and scorching flames surged to engulf Loki.
In the air, the Thunderbird spread its wings fully, and with a loud cry, lightning descended from the sky, tearing through the flames to cover Loki.
For a moment, thunder and Fire intertwined.
The roar of thunder and the high temperature of the flames simultaneously swept across the arena.
The surging shouts from the audience seats receded like a tide.
Everyone stared blankly at the arena.
The door to the Asgardian Warrior's resting room was pushed open with a bang.
Thor, with disheveled hair, rushed out, shouting, "Loki!! Loki!"
In Kamar-Taj's resting room, Wong nervously held his wand and asked, "Is it over?"
Tony shook his head beside him. His glasses displayed data analyzed by Jarvis.
"No, based on Thor's data, this much thunder and Fire can at most give the opponent a trendy haircut," Tony said.
His previous magic attacks had an effect on Thor.
One reason was that they were targeted, and another was the enhancement of the Ten Rings.
It was probably unlikely for Banner to defeat Loki just with Fantastic Beasts.
In the stands.
Leon glanced at Odin beside him.
Odin silently closed his eyes.
Leon couldn't help but laugh out loud.
…
The Fire and lightning on the arena intertwined for several seconds.
Suddenly, a green figure rushed out of the sea of Fire.
"You! Mere mortal! How dare you be so disrespectful to a God!"
Loki's hair tips were smoking, his face was completely blackened, and he glared fiercely at Banner in the sky.
Aside from being a bit disheveled, Loki appeared unharmed; only the tips of his hair were singed.
The Asgardians in the audience collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
Banner, on the Hippogriff's back, was stunned for a moment.
He had expected Loki's defense to be strong, but not this strong.
"It looks like the energy attacks of the Fantastic Beasts won't be very effective, so let's try a physical attack!"
At this moment, rustling sounds came from the leather case.
Then more Fantastic Beasts rushed out.
Giant Erumptents, Graphorns, and Nundu emerged one after another.
Erumptent
Graphorn
As soon as they appeared, they either roared with heads held high or looked around for Banner's enemies, their terrifying presence startling Loki.
Banner seized the opportunity, calling out the names of several Fantastic Beasts and ordering them to attack Loki.
"Roar!"
The Norwegian Ridgeback immediately swung its tail.
The Erumptent followed, raising its deadly horn.
The Graphorn initiated a Death stomp.
And the Nundu, whose very breath was poisonous, bit Loki with lightning speed.
The Thunderbird and Phoenix in the sky were not idle either.
The two bird-like Fantastic Beasts attacked Loki's eyes with their sharp beaks and Talons.
The Fantastic Beasts used their various abilities, and the scene instantly became dazzling.
The Asgardians in the audience watched with a pang in their hearts.
But the most miserable, of course, was Loki.
He was first swept away by a dragon tail, then struck in the chest by an Erumptent's horn, and then trampled underfoot by a Graphorn.
Those multi-ton feet kept stamping on Loki's face.
A series of attacks followed one after another.
Loki hadn't even reacted before he suffered contusions, trampling injuries, bite wounds, poison injuries, and lacerations.
Although none of the injuries were severe, Loki's mind had gone blank.
This was a Beast Master?
Is this how a Beast Master controls beasts?
Loki's mind was empty; the only things he could think of were the Asgardians in the audience and Odinin the stands.
It's over.
He thought.
Now he would be disgraced throughout the entire God Realm.
Chapter 283 Loki is about to sound the clarion call for a counterattack
Loki felt that he could not be more miserable than he was now.
For a moment, he even felt that from then on, there would be no place for him in Asgard.
The Asgardians in the surrounding stands had indeed quieted down again.
But in his ears, it was as if an overwhelming tide of mockery was frantically drilling into them.
If he could do it again,
he would definitely kick Vandal or Hogan in the butt and send them into the arena.
Damn it!
That damned Kamar-Taj savage sorcerer was still letting this abominable beast step on his face!
Loki was furious, his skin from his neck to his cheeks a furious date-red.
He struggled under the Graphorn's feet, trying to find an opportunity to turn the tide.
Just then, Banner's suitcase began to stir again.
A moment later, a Niffler popped out.
It clung to the opening of the case, its tiny nose wiggling, and its eyes suddenly lit up.
The small Niffler flipped out of the case, and behind it, a string of Cornish Pixies flew out in a line.
These are mischievous little pixies, about twenty centimeters tall, with iron-blue bodies, who love to play pranks and are very naughty.
After they appeared, they scattered like elementary school students after school,
each one screeching and flying around to find targets for their pranks,
no matter how much Banner called for them to return to the case, it was useless.
Fortunately, the arena's energy shield blocked them.
However, they turned back and set their sights on Loki, who was being ganged up on by the magical creatures.
As for Banner, oh, they wouldn't bully Banner; after all, the green giant inside him was not to be trifled with.
A dozen Cornish Pixies quickly flew towards Loki, like a swarm of bees gathered together to attack a honey thief.
And before them, the Niffler had already rushed to the Graphorn's feet, its purpose clear.
This little guy immediately jumped onto Loki's shoulder.
It began to claw at the shiny things on him.
Loki was dodging attacks from other magical creatures when he suddenly felt a lightness on his head and realized his crown was gone.
He turned his head in surprise and saw a furry black creature next to his shoulder, holding a crown several times its size, gleefully stuffing it into the pouch on its belly.
"What kind of animal are you again... Wait, put down my crown!"
Loki laughed in anger, his hands swiftly reaching out to snatch back his crown.
But the Niffler was extremely agile, dodging left and right, and no matter how hard Loki tried, he couldn't get his crown back.
Loki, being attacked and having his crown stolen at the same time, felt his anger almost reaching its peak.
But this was not the end of his torment.
The Cornish Pixies also arrived.
They were best at causing mischief.
Some pulled Loki's hair, some tugged at his clothes, and some grabbed his mouth and pulled it from side to side.
Poor Loki was in a sorry state, struggling to cope.
Gradually, the rage burned from his heart to his entire body,
his face was fiery red, as if about to drip blood.
"Enough!!!"
He roared, his voice a collapsing hysteria.
On him, a divine power suddenly erupted.
Boom!
Green energy bloomed from under the Graphorn's feet, like a green missile suddenly exploding.
That energy simultaneously pushed away the Niffler, the Pixies, the Graphorn, the Norwegian Ridgeback, and other magical creatures.
The magical creatures on the ground.
Whether it was a dozens-of-tons heavy Fire dragon or a light and airy Pixie.
All were sent flying back as if struck by a giant hammer, crashing heavily to the ground.
In the center of the divine power explosion, Loki, with disheveled hair and clothes, stood up with red eyes.
"I am a god!"
"You, you ignorant, abominable, lowly, inferior creatures!"
His voice was filled with uncontrollable rage: "How dare you humiliate me like this!"
Loki only looked disheveled; in reality, his injuries were only superficial.
The bites, charges, and trampling of the magical creatures could not truly harm him (refer to Avengerswhere he took an exploding arrow to the face without a scratch).
But for him, whether he was injured or not no longer mattered at this point.
He only had one thought in his mind—
He must pull that damned Kamar-Taj sorcerer off that damned Hippogriff and then stab him a hundred times with his most convenient dagger!
Loki had never felt such strong animosity towards a single person.
He scanned the magical creatures lying on the ground,
then raised his head, his gaze fixed on Banner, his eyes filled with almost overflowing rage.
"You will definitely pay for what you've done, I swear," Loki said in a low voice.
He flung both hands out to his sides simultaneously, and two daggers slid into his palms.
After he gripped the daggers and took a step towards Banner's direction,
dozens of figures identical to Loki suddenly appeared on the vast arena.
They appeared without warning, standing in various corners without any sense of incongruity, looking completely like another real Loki.
Banner, riding the Hippogriff in the sky, was momentarily stunned.
It wasn't his first time seeing a clone ability.
The Kamar-Taj spell, Form of Ikonn, could create duplicates of the caster.
He just didn't know how to use that spell.
Banner instinctively began to think of ways to counter it.
But on the ground, the Lokis had already formed a encirclement around the magical creatures that had stood up again.
They unhesitatingly wielded their daggers, attacking the magical creatures around them, dozens of daggers reflecting a cold glint.
"Not good!" Banner immediately felt nervous.
It didn't matter if the Fire dragon and Erumptent, with their thick hides, were stabbed a few times.
But the Lokis were even attacking the Niffler and the Cornish Pixies!
Those little guys couldn't withstand sharp blades.
Besides, Banner didn't think Loki would only use daggers to attack.
After all, no matter how he thought about it, the prince of the Asgardians couldn't possibly only know how to attack with daggers.
"Quick, get out of the way!"
Banner directed the magical creatures on the ground to dodge, then called for the Hippogriff beneath him to lower its altitude.
He pulled his wand from his sorcerer's robe, preparing to cast a spell.
However, as soon as his wand was extended,
Banner saw dozens of Loki figures on the ground simultaneously pass through the bodies of the magical creatures.
The Norwegian Ridgeback trying to swat Loki with its claws, the Pixies flapping their wings and scattering...
Each magical creature collided with a dagger-wielding Loki, yet there was no physical contact.
Loki's figures passed directly through them.
Some Lokis stabbed once and then turned back to stab again, the blade passing through the Niffler, scaring the Niffler into flailing its limbs and squeaking wildly, but after a few cries, it touched its chest and found itself perfectly fine, even its crown was still half-stuffed in its pocket.
It turned out that all these Lokis were just illusions.
The magical creatures quickly discovered this problem.
Chapter 284 Loki: A mere mortal is still struggling!
The Thunderbird, having re-ascended, turned back to attack again, but its talons also grasped at empty air.
Banner, holding his magic wand, watched this scene with a puzzled expression.
He was confused by Loki's purpose in using the Shadow clone and was also wary of Loki's next move.
"Everyone scatter!"
Out of caution, Banner ordered the magical creatures to disperse.
The Phoenix and the Thunderbird also re-ascended, circling back to Banner's side.
Meanwhile, Banner leaned against the Hippogriff's back, observing the surroundings below.
Each of the Lokis below looked real, and each was "fighting" with the magical creatures.
But they were all illusions, all passing through the few animals, all fake.
"How are they all fake? Where is the real one?" Banner muttered to himself.
"Or is this also part of Loki's plan?"
Banner waved his magic wand at the ground.
He still remembered Professor Flitwick's teaching at Hogwarts.
A flick of the wrist, a gentle wave of the magic wand.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Hominem Revelio!"
"Aparecium!"
Banner continuously cast three magic spells.
He didn't know what type of magic spell Loki's Shadow clone belonged to.
In any case, using all the revealing spells was certainly not wrong.
Banner's spells covered the Lokis in the arena.
Dozens of Loki's figures all flickered, then solidified again.
Clearly, Banner's magic level was not enough to unravel Loki's illusion.
But it did have a disruptive effect.
Banner saw very clearly that every Loki flickered.
This meant that all the Lokis below were fake.
"How is this possible?" Banner somewhat doubted his own magic, "Is something wrong? If they are all fake, where is the real one?"
After all, Banner was a Dr. of engineering, and he quickly calmed down.
Loki's clones were clearly all illusions.
Although it was not yet clear whether they were optical illusions, energy constructs, or illusions created by invading others' minds.
But they all indicated that Loki had the ability to mislead other people's senses.
This meant that Loki might have used this ability to make himself invisible.
However, after he used the revealing spell, the illusion Loki was disturbed, but the real Loki did not appear.
Then Loki could only have left the arena.
"Either he left the venue, or he went underground, or he might be in…"
Banner deduced to himself.
Suddenly, Loki's voice came from his side, taking over his next inference.
"That's right, he's in the sky, to your left!" Loki's voice held a sense of triumph at his successful scheme.
Banner's eyes widened as he looked in the direction of the voice.
To his left was the circling Thunderbird.
The Thunderbird's back was empty.
But the next moment, Loki suddenly appeared.
He had climbed onto the Thunderbird's back at some unknown time, and after becoming invisible, he flew up with the Thunderbird!
"Caw!" The Thunderbird, hearing the sound, only then realized there was an extra person on its back.
It flapped its wings and twisted its body directly, trying to shake Loki off.
But Loki had already leaped up.
He jumped like Tarzan, raising both hands with a dagger straight forward, his eyes tightly fixed on Banner.
"As I said, you will pay the price!"
The distance of a few meters between the Thunderbird and the Hippogriff was covered by Loki in a single leap.
His speed was too fast, far exceeding that of ordinary people.
At this instant, Banner was so anxious that he could almost hear an alarm bell ringing in his head.
He wanted to dodge, but Loki was already in front of him.
"Expelliarmus!"
Tony's use of the 'Expelliarmus Cannon' to defeat Thor had left a deep impression on Banner.
He only had time to instinctively use Expelliarmus, knocking the dagger from Loki's left hand.
But the next moment, Loki's remaining dagger approached him with a cold gleam.
"No! Don't!" Banner shouted, "Don't do this, you'll let him out!"
Banner's voice carried a tone of admonition, and also a hint of pleading, because he wanted to fight with his own strength.
But this plea, heard by Loki, only excited the second prince, who had just suffered humiliation, even making his movements a bit faster.
The sneer at Loki's mouth became more exaggerated.
What he liked to admire most was his opponent begging for mercy in despair!
Pfft!
A blood flower bloomed on Banner's chest.
Loki, sneering, half-squatted in front of him, his right hand's dagger deeply plunged into that fragile chest.
"Mortals are ultimately mortals!"
Loki pulled out the dagger, bringing out blood, and licked his lips: "It's over, Midgardian."
He clasped Banner's shoulder with his left hand, swung the knife with his right, and stabbed into Banner's chest again!
Pfft!
Another blood flower!
What a wonderful sound.
Loki felt all his humiliation had been washed away.
The sound of blood splashing, in his ears, was like raindrops rolling off green leaves, fresh air blowing over him.
Loki seemed to already hear the cheers that would soon resound throughout the entire arena.
Cheer!
Cheer for him, people of Asgard!
He was the only winner of this challenge!
"No… no…" Banner's voice grew weaker.
His hands rested weakly in front of Loki, unable to tell if he wanted to grasp or push the other party away.
This display of weakness undoubtedly made Loki even more smug, so smug that he burst into laughter.
"Go, quick… go!" Banner, however, used his last strength to interrupt Loki's laughter.
This made Loki lower his head unhappily: "Heh, still struggling, still unwilling to surrender, foolish mortal…"
Thump! Thump-thump!
Before Loki could finish speaking, a strong and powerful heartbeat suddenly sounded from Banner's body.
The heartbeat was as powerful as a mammoth crushing a glacier.
And accompanying the heartbeat was the cheer from the surrounding audience, delayed by a second.
"Loki! Loki!"
"Thump-thump!"
The Asgardians, realizing that their second prince had defeated his opponent, cheered with joy.
Amidst the cheers, the increasingly heavy heartbeat was so low as to be almost inaudible.
But despite the faint sound.
The magical creatures in the sky and on the ground still caught this heartbeat.
At this moment, they all stopped their movements in unison.
As orderly as an army that obeys commands.
On the ground, the Fire Dragon and the Graphorn looked at each other.
The next second, they galloped quickly towards the leather suitcase, scrambling to get inside.
On the other side, the Niffler, who was trying to stuff the crown into its belly, paused.
Then it directly threw away its beloved crown and turned into a black lightning bolt, drilling into the suitcase.
The giggling goblins also stopped giggling, one by one they jumped in fright, huddled together, and rolled back to their old home.
The Nundu, Erumptent, and Phoenix were no exception.
Even the Hippogriff beneath Loki and Banner flipped over, shaking them off, and followed the Phoenix in fleeing back into the suitcase.
As it entered the suitcase last, it didn't forget to poke its head out and bite the suitcase lock, closing the box.
The magical creatures completed their escape within three seconds.
Their movements were swift and experienced.
Loki, who had fallen off the Hippogriff's back, was still bewildered at this moment, a smile still on his face.
Only, before he hit the ground.
He vaguely saw Banner, whose chest was covered in blood, with green lines rapidly spreading beneath his skin, and wherever they passed, his body swelled at a visible speed.
Does this mortal still have some bluffing trick?
Loki frowned slightly, rolling several times on the ground to absorb the impact.
Chapter 285 The smile on Loki's face froze
At this moment, only Loki and Banner remained on the arena stage.
Loki patted himself down and elegantly stood up.
Across from him, Banner, who had fallen, kicked up a cloud of dust.
Dust enveloped Banner, and in the sunlight, only a shadowy figure could vaguely be seen standing up.
Loki spread his hands, then gripped two daggers again.
"I've truly had enough. As a sorcerer from Midgard, all your struggles are futile."
Loki gritted his teeth: "If you don't want to suffer more severe injuries, you'd best do so now..."
"ROAR!!"
Loki was still spouting threats when a roar more terrifying than a Norwegian Ridgeback suddenly echoed throughout the arena stage.
This roar even drowned out the cheers from the crowd.
Across from Loki, a tall green figure tore through the dust, roaring forth!
The massive foot of that figure stomped on the ground, leaving behind shattered craters and deafening rumbles, and the entire person crashed into Loki like a train.
The next second, Loki was sent flying like a meteor, slamming heavily into the energy shield with a thud, then bouncing off the shield and falling to the ground.
At this moment, Loki was just like Thor in the first battle.
The cheers from the crowd instantly turned into gasps of surprise.
Hulk's enormous body stood in Loki's previous position, his hands powerfully pounding his chest.
He roared to the sky: "Hulk!!"
In Kamar-Taj's lounge, Tony clenched his fist upon hearing the sound: "He's finally out! Nice job, Hulk!"
Beside him, Mordo and Hamir exchanged glances: "It seems we won't need to go on stage."
"As long as we win, it doesn't matter whether we go on stage or not," Old Wang said with a shrug, indifferently.
"Hey! Of course it doesn't matter to you, you're a substitute, Archmage, I'm a starter!" Pietro was the most anxious one.
Just when Hulk came out, Pietro was still holding his head and pacing in circles, exclaiming: "No! Don't!"
"I also want to fight those gods from myths..."
Pietro regretfully prayed for Hulk to lose the match.
Everyone else burst into laughter.
"Then you can give up, look outside, Hulk is angry, he'll end the fight very quickly," Tony pointed outside.
Inside the arena stage.
Loki lay on the ground, incredulously staring at Banner, who had suddenly transformed into a green muscular man.
His face was filled with shock; he couldn't understand how that scrawny middle-aged mortal could become so big and fierce.
But then, an unconcealed annoyance and anger showed on his face.
Even if he changed his appearance, it didn't change the fact that the opponent was a mortal from Midgard.
How dare a mere mortal humiliate him time and time again to this extent.
Loki slammed his right hand on the ground, then abruptly stood up, covered in dust.
"I've had enough, I've had enough!"
He repeated in a low voice, gripping his dagger tightly again, then pointing the sharp blade directly at Hulk.
"This is my final warning to you, mortal!"
He shouted loudly: "Not just anyone is qualified to insult me! I am a noble God!"
Across from him, Hulk looked down at the disheveled God, frowned, then suddenly let out a scoff.
Loki couldn't take it anymore.
He charged at Hulk with his dagger, and with every step, a dozen or so illusory clones appeared around him.
When the Lokis charged in front of Hulk, the arena stage was already filled with hundreds of Lokis.
The shadows beneath those Lokis extended, coiling around Hulk's shadow like ribbons.
Under the scorching sun, large clusters of shadows surrounded Hulk.
This was Loki's Shadow magic.
When those shadows bound Hulk's shadow, they would imprison Hulk, making him unable to move.
"Hm?" Hulk clearly felt the sense of restraint on his body.
He twisted his arms left and right, but couldn't even make a tiny movement.
"Hmph, struggle, struggle like a dying fish, it's all futile!" Hundreds of Lokis spoke simultaneously.
As they spoke, they surrounded Hulk, raising their daggers high, gleaming with a bloodthirsty cold light.
Hulk stopped moving, slowly turning his head.
As the Lokis approached him, he snorted disdainfully through his nostrils, then suddenly his entire body's muscles bulged.
"Hulk!!"
Hulk roared, his arms instantly breaking free from the restraint of the Shadow magic.
Amidst the Lokis' astonished gazes.
Hulk's roar continued, and he suddenly swung his hands forward, clapping them together in front of him.
Bang!
Immense power collided between his palms, pushing the air aside with a mountain-toppling, sea-overturning force.
A hurricane-like blast of air erupted in front of Hulk, strong enough to blow away several tons of boulders.
If it were Thor in front, he would have been blown away by now.
But none of the Lokis in front of Hulk swayed in the slightest.
They were all illusions!
Hulk was momentarily stunned.
The next moment, all the Lokis in the arena vanished.
Only the one true Loki remained, raising his dagger behind Hulk.
Loki, realizing that Shadow magic was useless against Hulk, voluntarily canceled the magic.
But he had also moved to the position from which he truly intended to attack.
"It's over, Midgardian! Now you will pay the price for your presumption!"
The dagger held inverted in Loki's hand glowed with an illusory light, extending from a dozen centimeters to dozens of centimeters.
Then, with a cold and arrogant smile, he fiercely plunged the blade into Hulk's waist.
It was a dagger forged from Uru metal; even his brother had been powerless to resist when stabbed by it.
A mere mortal, what could changing his appearance do?
(Thor and Hulk's physical defenses are similar, if Thor gets stabbed, then it's reasonable for Hulk to get stabbed too.)
Loki had once again revealed a victorious smile.
He exerted force with his hand, about to pull out the dagger and stab again.
But suddenly, a huge green hand directly gripped both the hilt of the dagger and his hand tightly.
Loki looked at the large hand in front of him,
and then felt a shadow fall over him from above,
the smile on his face slowly froze.
He slowly raised his head,
and saw a large green face filled with anger,
with angry puffs of air spraying from its nostrils onto his face.
He pursed his lips.
Things, it seemed, were not going as he had expected?
"If... if you're willing to surrender now."
Loki subconsciously swallowed, tilting his head back,
"I wouldn't be unable to... Ahhhhhh!!"
Hulk gripped Loki's arm and hand, pulling out the dagger stuck in his waist.
He grinned, then suddenly lifted this green guy in front of him.
Hulk, as if playing whack-a-mole with a Mjolnir,
gripped Loki's arm and instantly slammed the entire person from mid-air into the ground.
Amidst the violent impact.
The flat ground was instantly shattered into jagged rocks, forming a human-shaped crater.
Inside the crater was a bewildered Loki.
But this was just the beginning.
Hulk picked Loki up again, flung him into the air, and then powerfully slammed him down towards the other side!
Bang!
Another powerful throw, like a brick flying.
Another jagged, human-shaped crater.
Hulk, having slammed him twice, was now in his element.
He picked Loki up again, and slammed him again!
Pick up again, slam again!
Chapter 286: Such a Weak God
Bang, bang, bang!
Loki was slammed onto the ground like a storm.
This Loki was slammed a bit lighter, bang, creating a deep pit.
That Loki was slammed harder, bang! Creating a big deep pit.
The ground around Hulk was all smashed into Loki pits.
One pit connected to another.
Around Hulk, a circular deep pit with a radius as long as Loki's height was formed.
Bang!
Hulk made his last slam and released his hands.
He glanced at the Loki below him, snorted lightly through his nose, and disdainfully spat.
"Such a weak god."
After saying that, Hulk turned to look at the surrounding audience, thumped his chest a few times.
He roared: "Hulk!!"
And by his side.
In the deep pit, Loki lay with one hand on his chest, one hand limp above his head, and his eyes devoid of spirit.
Loki's eyes were so hollow at this moment.
They had lost all their luster.
Lost all vitality.
But they were also so peaceful.
Like a person who had just died.
At this moment, even if a priest in black robes, carrying a cross, walked up.
And made the sign of the cross on his chest, said "Amen, rest in peace," and sprinkled a handful of Earthon Loki, there would be no sense of incongruity.
If one had to say there was incongruity.
Then having the priest shout "By Odin, may Loki enter Valhalla," would perhaps be more appropriate.
The scene was silent.
Everyone was stunned by Hulk's wild and brutal slamming.
The first to react were the companions from Earth.
Especially the Mage trio.
They had already seen Hulk smashing people in the Hogwarts World.
Tony was the first to react.
This wealthy man from the U.S. West Coast, wearing blackout glasses and a yellowish-brown mage robe, clapped his hands and pushed the door open.
"Hulk! Well done!"
He raised his hands above his head and clapped.
Mordo and Wang followed him out, also clapping in unison.
Their scattered applause was particularly noticeable in the silent gladiatorial arena.
So noticeable that it was as if these distant guests from Earth were stepping on the host's face and loudly proclaiming that everyone present was trash.
Pepper, feeling it was inappropriate, quietly tugged on Tony's sleeve and whispered if they should be more low-key.
She didn't know that if she activated Double Star Mode, all the Asgardian commoners present would be one-punch-one-kid.
Tony, however, shook his head slightly.
He had wanted to do this ever since he learned that Asgard was the so-called ruler of the Nine Realms.
In his opinion, only Earthlings could be the Master of Earth.
He was about to say something.
Suddenly, scattered applause began to appear in the audience stands of the gladiatorial arena.
Then the applause grew louder and more numerous.
The Asgardians stood up one after another.
They clapped hard, shouting "Hulk!" at the top of their lungs.
"Hulk! Hulk! Hulk!"
Hulk's fighting style conquered these warlike Asgardians!
That brutal slamming, that wild roar, all struck a chord in their hearts.
As for Loki.
Oh, this weak Prince, his defeat was normal, wasn't it?
Look at that green Hulk, look at his massive chest muscles and arms.
This is a true warrior!
The Asgardians mimicked Hulk's earlier shouts of "Hulk."
"Hulk! Hulk!" Even from the Asgardian lounge, shouts were heard.
The few people looked over, and it was Thunder God Thor.
This guy was smiling guilelessly, pounding his chest with battle intent, responding to Hulk!
For a moment, the Earthlings were somewhat puzzled.
Are the Asgardians all so open and boisterous?
Tony suddenly felt that his previous fighting style had been too restrained.
Otherwise, he should be the one standing on the stage receiving the cheers at this moment.
And the simple Hulk, standing on the arena stage at this moment, was smiling brightly and raising his hands, loudly shouting his name to the surroundings.
The enthusiastic Asgardians made him feel as if he had suddenly returned to the enthusiastic Hogwarts.
On the podium.
Leon looked at Odin: "Can the results be announced, Your Majesty Odin?"
Odin, who had kept his eyes closed, slowly opened them, helplessly glanced at Loki in the pit, and nodded slightly.
"Is this Banner below truly a Mage?" Odin asked casually, "He looks very much like our Asgardianwarriors."
Leon shook his head: "He is not a warrior; he merely used our Kamar-Taj's characteristic magic."
Odin gave Leon a speechless look.
The characteristic magic of the Mage's holy land is to turn into Hulk and smash people, is that right?
Odin did not refute.
He tapped the ground lightly with gungnir in his right hand.
An invisible divine power rippled through the gladiatorial arena,
Carrying Odin's voice, reaching the ears of everyone present.
"The third match, Kamar-Taj wins!"
"This time, the sparring match between Asgard and Kamar-Taj…"
Odin's voice paused, and he looked at Leon: "Lord Leon, you have won three out of five battles, do you wish to continue?"
Although Odin said nothing, Leon still saw the human element in his eyes.
Leon thought for a moment.
Even if they didn't consider human feelings, they wouldn't run into trouble in Asgard.
But now, the two sides were still in a friendly alliance, so there was no need to go too far.
"Then let's continue. The legendary The Warriors Three don't seem to have appeared yet, and I also want to see the demeanor of these mythical figures."
Odin immediately smiled upon hearing this.
He nodded with a smile and tapped the divine spear again.
"The fourth battle will begin in thirty minutes!"
Both sides gradually left the arena.
Hulk exited amidst cheers, transforming back into Banner.
Banner, holding up his pants, picked up his briefcase and ran towards the lounge.
Prince Loki, who had "died," was also carried back to his lounge by Thor.
The gladiatorial arena slowly quieted down.
For the fourth match, Asgard sent out.
Vandal, one of The Warriors Three.
He was renowned as the First Swordsman of the Nine Realms.
However, after the defeats in the first three matches.
When this First Swordsman entered the arena, he was actually bowing his head, with a grim face, and a hunched back, showing a bit of lack of confidence.
And for Kamar-Taj.
Without Leon needing to give a hint.
Tony, Wang, Mordo, and Banner, the four-person team, exchanged glances.
Then they pressed the eager Pietro back onto the cold bench.
Next to enter was the substitute, Wang!
Old Wang tidied his clothes with great vigor, walked onto the arena stage with his head held high and chest puffed out.
Compared to the previous three.
Old Wang's magic was much more flashy.
Rings of Raggadorr!
Vishantis Holy Sword!
Winds of Watoomb!
Block! Attack!
And block again… Oh no, the opponent's swordsmanship is too strong!
Then—Mystic Art of Portals, Mystic Art of Portals, and still Mystic Art of Portals!
Old Wang conjured portals with a wave of his hand, making Vandal's sword hit himself.
He truly played with portals in a spectacular way.
Twenty minutes later, Old Wang, amidst enthusiastic cheers, walked back to the lounge with a draw, his face flushed with pride.
Although it was a draw and he hadn't used his full strength, the opponent was the First Swordsman of the Nine Realms!
Another half an hour passed.
The fifth battle saw Grandmaster Hamir enter the arena.
After a dozen minutes.
The Grandmaster narrowly lost to Volstagg, the "Lion of Heavenly Palace."
The challenge ended here.
Three wins, one draw, one loss.
Kamar-Taj won the challenge.
Asgard won one match, finally saving its last bit of face.
Although the challenge ended.
The last few matches completely ignited the atmosphere of the venue.
Everyone should have left to prepare for the evening banquet.
But Thunder God Thor, looking eager, jumped back onto the arena stage,
And invited Tony to fight another match.
Tony, who still had many tricks up his sleeve, curled his lips upon hearing this, and despite Pepper's shouts, he returned to the arena without hesitation.
Their battle this time lasted for a long time.
Beams of light and lightning flew, and the sound of clashing metal echoed from the sky to the ground.
After Thor gained experience, Tony's Expelliarmus lost most of its threat.
The two fought inextricably.
The cheers from the audience were ceaseless.
By the time the battle ended, it was already night.
Chapter 287 Dinner
Night fell, and the Asgardian Divine Realm was lit up with lanterns.
The Heavenly Palace in the center of the Divine Realm was brightly lit as usual, and in the blade-like architecture, every inch of the walls exuded a glorious history.
But compared to normal, tonight's Heavenly Palace was exceptionally lively.
To entertain the people of Kamar-Taj.
Odin specially set his great hall as the venue for the banquet.
Divine Realm handmaidens in printed robes and whalebone skirts welcomed Leon and his group into the great hall.
The two princes and the Divine Realm warriors were arranged on both sides of the great hall.
In the center was a long dining table, extending from the entrance to below Odin's throne, piled high with delicacies.
Odin first gave a speech in front of his throne, invited Leon to sit beside him, and then the banquet began.
The banquet was very lively; the warriors of Asgard were so enthusiastic that they almost brought roasted lamb legs to everyone's mouths.
At first, Pepper and Shirley were still very unaccustomed.
Because Leon said that this trip was just a fight and then a meal before returning home.
So, except for Tony and a few other combatants who wore mage robes.
Everyone else was in casual wear.
Actually, wearing casual wear was not a big deal.
But at this time, compared to the surrounding Asgardians, who were gorgeously dressed, with dazzling jewelry, and either graceful or exquisite.
Their family group truly looked like they were accompanying family members to freeload food and drink.
Fortunately, the banquet in Asgard was different from what everyone had participated in on Earth.
There were no businessmen in suits and ties, holding wine glasses, putting on airs, and feigning civility.
Every single one of the Divine Realm warriors was a drunkard.
After all, they were warriors; could someone who couldn't drink be called a warrior?
The Vikings would be the first to disagree!
As soon as the banquet began.
Thor squeezed next to Tony and Banner.
And started—
"Hahaha, Stark, Banner, come drink!"
"This is the best wine in our Heavenly Palace! Drink!"
"Come, drink again!"
"Stark, your physique isn't up to par, come drink!"
"Drink, drink, drink, drink, drink!"
Thor clinked glasses with Tony and Banner in turn—
One glass for Tony, one for him; one glass for Banner, one for him.
Every time he drank a glass, he would laugh heartily and smash it.
After a few rounds, the ground beneath their feet was covered in broken glass.
Only today did Tony Stark truly witness what it meant to drink like a champion.
The wine of Asgard was indeed excellent.
There was a strong malty aroma with a faint surge of strange energy.
Tony felt it was a bit like high-grade nutrient solution with alcohol added; after drinking it, his whole body felt warm.
It was just that this wine was a bit too nourishing, perhaps not quite suitable for an Earthling's physique.
Because Tony had already seen Pepper, after a few drinks, begin to stare at him, her eyes so full of moisture that they seemed about to overflow.
Subconsciously, he felt a sour and swollen sensation in his lower back.
"I can't anymore, I'm going to the restroom." Tony left the drinking champion, Thor, to Banner.
He slipped out of the great hall alone.
On the way, he passed Shirley and Yelena, who were munching non-stop.
The food of the Divine Realm was an absolute feast for them.
They were having a wonderfully comfortable, long-awaited Christmas.
Besides these two foodies, there was also Pietro, who was mingling with the warriors, and Mordo and Wong, who were quietly drinking alongside them.
Before leaving, Tony looked back again.
Natasha had actually become the center of the ladies' attention, accompanied by Wanda.
The Asgardian girls were amazed by Wanda's power, and Natasha took the opportunity to gather information.
"This is really lively enough." Tony wiped the moisture from the corners of his mouth and walked out of the great hall.
Outside the hall, there were still many Asgardians drinking and chatting.
Tony found an empty spot, leaned against the stone railing, and looked out.
The cool air sobered him up a bit.
Of course, he wasn't going to the restroom.
He just knew he couldn't drink anymore.
If he continued to drink, he didn't know how long Pepper would torment him when he got back tonight.
As Tony thought about it, he felt a little sad.
If it were before,
With such a good opportunity tonight, flowers, beautiful women, and overflowing enthusiasm.
He would definitely be embracing a few beautiful Asgardian girls and finding a place to talk about life.
But now, he could only pray that Pepper would be a little gentler today.
"Sigh… what wonderful girls."
Tony gazed at the distant, brilliant lights, letting out a sigh of regret and relief.
Asgard at night was also very lively.
Not much different from New York at night.
People's faces were filled with confidence and happiness, after all, they were the people of a kingdom that ruled the Nine Realms.
"Why did you run out alone to brave the cold wind? You're not looking for tonight's target, are you? Be careful if Pepper catches you, she'll make sure you can't get out of bed tomorrow."
Suddenly, a teasing voice appeared beside him.
Tony didn't need to turn his head to hear that it was Leon who had come over.
"I can't get out of bed? You'd better change the subject, otherwise, I'll think you're inferring my situation from your own embarrassment."
Tony was as stubborn as ever.
Leon leaned against the stone railing with him: "Is that so? I see Pepper seems very happy tonight. How about I deliver a challenge for you?"
"Cough, cough, cough…" Tony immediately couldn't hold back.
He coughed a few times to cover it up.
"What challenge, what kind of challenge? Don't try to sow discord between me and Pepper."
Tony changed the subject: "Wait, why are you out here too? You're not the one who ran out to find a target, are you?"
Tony looked suspiciously at Leon: "Which Divine Realm girl is it? Don't tell me it's Sif, the one who was on the field today."
"I'm out to find a target, but the target isn't a person." Leon shrugged.
"Old man Odin is too serious in formal settings; talking to him is boring."
Leon said, "I asked him to take me to the treasury first to see the spoils. They're all pretty good; he's already had someone pack them up."
"The casket of ancient winters and the Eternal Flame?" Tony asked.
"That's right, and an eye of agamotto," Leon replied.
Tony nodded, looking at the dim lights ahead, and suddenly thought of something else.
"Old Captain America, who came from the future, seemed to say that the Eternal Flame was the cause of Asgard's destruction and also the key to stopping that God of Death Hela, right? Is it okay to just take it away?"
"Of course, it's fine. I'll only use it for five years. Once I've thoroughly understood the laws within it, I'll return it. It'll be just in time for Ragnarok, so no time will be wasted."
"I thought you were planning to intervene and save them."
"We'll see then. This is their family matter; what right do we have to intervene?"
Tony nodded at his words. The ones who initiated Ragnarok were Thor and Hela, both Odin's children.
It was their own business if the siblings fought and tore down their home.
"I'm just a little emotional."
Tony pointed to the lively great hall.
"In nine years, the homeland of these folks who are hosting us will be destroyed.
Even the survivors will be massacred by Thanos, half of them.
And the two princes, the elder prince will lose an eye and become a decadent fat man.
The second prince, having just escaped Ragnarok, will be killed by Thanos.
This cruel future, compared to the current laughter, is somewhat lamentable.
Leon, we must protect Earth!"
Tony looked at Leon with burning eyes, his eyes reflecting the lights, full of determination.
Chapter 288 Odin: It doesn't matter, I will take action!
"Cut it out!" Leon didn't respond, but instead glanced at Tony.
"Suddenly getting sentimental here, what are you trying to do?"
Leon understood Tony; he could indeed be sentimental and sad.
But his sentimentality would only be internal, and his sadness would only be felt secretly, alone.
In front of others, even Pepper.
Even if Tony had a grand plan in his heart to save the entire World.
He would still raise an eyebrow and say, "What? You want me to save the World? That's the funniest joke I've heard today!"
Sure enough.
As soon as Tony heard the word "sentimental," he straightened his back.
"Was I being sentimental? Leon, if you want to ask me for tips on how to win over girls, you can just say so. Like Wanda, I think..."
Tony started rambling to cover something up.
"Stop, hold on!" Leon held up his palm.
"I know what you're trying to do," he said.
"You're still worried about Thanos, aren't you? You want to discuss it with me, to reveal future information to Odin, and have me and him deal with Thanos together, nipping the threat in the bud?"
"You said that yourself; I didn't express any opinion." Tony raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.
Leon gave him a look that said, 'I'm impressed.'
"I thought you weren't worried about this anymore... Don't worry, I can handle Thanos."
"Two of the Infinity Stones are with me."
"Last time, the Time Variance Authority even sent me a bunch of discarded gems."
"How do you think Thanos can still achieve his ambition?"
Leon pointed to the starry sky: "Remember that batch of Super Skrulls from before?"
"After they arrived in the Universe, they've been searching for the remaining Stones for me. Maybe they alone can take care of Thanos."
"Besides, if Odin acts now, he'll enter the Odin Sleep, or even accelerate his Death. Cooperating with him is useless."
Hearing Leon's explanation, Tony suddenly felt much of his anxiety disappear, replaced by a sense of relief.
In fact, Tony knew all the things Leon was talking about.
But it had to be Leon who said them for him to feel that sense of security, that the future was already decided.
The last time he learned about future intelligence, Leon's assurance had made him feel at ease for a few days.
But not long after, the anxiety in his heart began to sprout again, bit by bit.
Perhaps he was just someone who thought a lot and easily became anxious.
Only when he saw Leon could he relax.
"Alright, alright, I get it. Our Superman Clark will solve all problems." Tony smiled and patted Leon's shoulder hard.
He thought for a moment and said, "Then, for now, we won't inform Asgard about the future intelligence."
"We'll wait until Ragnarok, then consider whether to provide support based on the situation."
Tony actually held a certain level of vigilance towards Asgard.
After all, they were nominally Earth's rulers, and aliens at that.
"So that's what you were thinking?" Leon raised an eyebrow then, pointing to a nearby treetop.
"Then I'm afraid it's too late; Odin has been listening in from there for a long time."
"What? He was squatting in a tree?"
Tony looked over in surprise. On the treetop, where light and Shadow intertwined, stood a pitch-black raven.
The raven tilted its head, looked at him, nodded when their eyes met, and then flew far away.
"A raven?" Tony was stunned.
The norse mythology he had specifically memorized earlier subconsciously surfaced in his mind—
Odin had two ravens.
One was Hugin, and the other was Munin.
They were Odin's "eyes" that patrolled the Nine Realms.
"...God, we're having a secret discussion, and you just let Odin listen in?" Tony's mouth moved, unsure what to say.
"I thought you knew." Leon got up and walked back to the main hall. "This is Odin's territory; he knows everything that happens in the Heavenly Palace."
"...Of course, of course I knew, but couldn't you have given me even a hint?" Tony followed him.
As the two returned to the main hall, they happened to brush past a green figure who was leaving with his head down.
Leon took a few steps, then thoughtfully turned his head.
Loki's back gradually disappeared into the darkness.
No one present noticed the departure of Asgard's second prince.
He was alone, like a discarded miniature poodle.
"What's wrong?" Tony wondered why his brother had stopped. "Looking at beauties again?"
"Nothing." Leon turned to look at the divine throne in the main hall.
Odin was smiling at him from the throne.
"It seems today's banquet has a second half," Leon said softly.
He hadn't expected Odin to choose to believe and act immediately after hearing just a few words about the future.
.....
Asgard could use the Bifrost Bridge to open wormholes across the Nine Realms, enabling spatial teleportation.
But besides the Bifrost Bridge.
In the outlying areas of Asgard,
There were also some little-known hidden passages connecting to other star systems.
And Loki was currently using one of these passages to go to Jotunheim, the Frost Giant's kingdom.
He had left some hidden arrangements there to lead some Frost Giants into Asgard.
As for the purpose.
Initially, it was to disrupt his brother Thor's upcoming succession ceremony.
—Actually, Thor should have succeeded as the new God-King several months ago.
However, due to the challenge from Kamar-Taj, the ceremony was delayed.
Loki had made his plans a long time ago.
He wanted to prevent his brother's succession and, at the same time, use the opportunity to make his brother make a mistake and be punished.
Then he could seize the chance to show himself and prove his worth to his father and mother!
However, the arrival of the Kamar-Taj mages changed everything.
Those damned mages!
Especially that damned Beast Master!
Now, every time Loki closed his eyes, the Shadow of Hulk appeared before him.
That Shadow lingered in his heart like a nightmare, surrounded by countless mocking voices.
Mocking him, the second prince, unappreciated by his father and disliked by his people, who was indeed a useless schemer.
Thump!
The spaceship landed.
Loki stepped onto Jotunheim's glacier.
He walked to the cliff of the glacier and looked down at the sleeping Frost Giants below the cliff.
"No one can defile the honor of Asgard!"
Loki's face was hidden in the Shadows.
He already had a plan to disrupt the banquet, make those Midgardians pay, and ensure his brother was punished.
.....
"Is there anything you'd like to say, Your Majesty Odin?"
Leon and Odin stood side by side in front of the divine throne.
Below them, the banquet was in full swing.
But both their gazes were directed towards the same distant point.
They looked through many obstacles, towards the end of Asgard.
At the end, in the continuous mountains, a group of people emerged from a cave.
The leader was Loki.
As a guide, he was undoubtedly very competent, expertly leading the Frost Giants towards the Heavenly Palace.
"What does Sir Leon wish me to say? Ragnarok is inevitable, no need to say more about the future." Odin's face was serious.
"Then you're still letting Loki do foolish things? Wait, you're not planning to make me act, are you?" Leon felt it was entirely possible.
Odin was an old fox.
"Heh heh, please rest assured, I will act later." Odin smiled.
"You?" Leon was suspicious, thinking, 'You'll shut down and sleep as soon as you act. How will you act?'
And he had such an 'It doesn't matter, I'm here' look...
As Leon was complaining internally, his eyes suddenly widened slightly.
In the distance of the Heavenly Palace.
Loki and his group landed via a flying craft.
And in front of them, an Asgardian team carrying three gift boxes happened to be passing by!
Those three gift boxes were undoubtedly the spoils of Kamar-Taj.
And the Frost Giant's supreme treasure, the casket of ancient winters, was among them!
"You cunning Odin! You said you would act, and now you're not?" Leon was already rolling up his sleeves.
Chapter 289 Ice Box
Before Leon could act, Odin grabbed his arm.
"Please wait, Sir Leon. Loki may be mischievous, but he knows his limits."
Loki knows his limits? That's not a funny joke.
Leon observed Odin's expression.
The aging All-Father had deep wrinkles etched on his face.
Odin looked very old, always with a subtle weariness.
But beneath the tired expression, a weathered eye remained as sharp as a blade.
Leon knew that even though this old fellow claimed Ragnarok was unavoidable,
he would definitely try every possible way to leave hope for his children and people.
The warriors carrying the gift boxes, who detoured to the edge of Asgard, must have been arranged by Odin.
After all, no matter how you thought about it, the normal route wouldn't pass through there.
It couldn't be that delivering an artifact required circling Asgard to show solemnity, could it?
Asgard, where might makes right, had no need for such excessive ceremony.
As soon as Loki led the Frost Giants to arrive, Odin sent the casket of ancient winters over.
What did he want to do?
Leon looked towards Loki's direction again.
The scene unfolded clearly before his eyes—
The team transporting the gift boxes passed in front of Loki and his companions.
Loki stopped the Frost Giants, signaling them to remain quiet.
He planned to lead his people directly into the Heavenly Palace.
But the transport team hadn't gone far.
The bottom of one of the gift boxes, seemingly unable to bear the weight of the artifact, suddenly broke.
The casket, gleaming with cold light, fell to the ground with a thud and rolled a few times.
The casket exuded a bone-chilling cold, spreading rings of eerie ice-blue light.
An ordinary person might think it was just a glowing, square ice block.
But in the woods next to the transport team, more than a dozen Frost Giants were hiding.
"The casket of ancient winters!" The Frost Giants recognized the casket at first sight.
That was their treasure from Jotunheim!
The moment they saw it, the Giants' eyes changed.
They became greedy, they lost all reason.
"It's the casket of ancient winters!" One Giant, DiDi, stared at the casket and began walking out of the forest.
He was the first, but not the last.
At this moment, no Frost Giant could remain calm.
"What are you doing? Come back! Damn it, you few will expose all of us!" Loki was almost going crazy.
He lured these Frost Giants to Asgard under the pretext of helping them reclaim the casket of ancient winters.
But he only wanted these Giants to cause trouble in the Heavenly Palace,
and then provoke Thor's anger, leading Thor to attack Jotunheim.
But, but!
How could this casket of ancient winters just happen to pass by them?
And just happen to roll onto the ground!
Loki, hiding behind a tree, almost popped his eyes out.
The casket of ancient winters had little use in the hands of ordinary Asgardian warriors.
But if it got into the hands of the Frost Giants, it would be absolutely terrible!
Thousands of years ago, Frost Giant King Laufey had used this casket to freeze an entire Planet!
Loki broke out in a cold sweat from anxiety, feeling as if an insect was crawling up his spine towards his head.
While the Giants were still walking DiDi out of the forest due to shock and greed.
Loki gritted his teeth and rushed out of the woods.
"What are you doing!" Loki shouted at the transport team.
"Why is the casket of ancient winters here? And you actually let it roll onto the ground!"
Loki pretended to be gloomy, "This is an artifact from the treasury, why did you bring it out of the treasury!"
"Loki?" The transport team was actually a few guards who oversaw the treasury.
They recognized Loki: "His Majesty ordered us to send these artifacts to the Heavenly Palace; they are gifts for the mage holy land Kamar-Taj."
"Gifts? And for those mages?" Loki's gloomy expression no longer needed to be feigned.
"No, I disagree! Father has been deceived by those mortals; how can such an important artifact be given to the Midgardians."
Loki quickly crouched down, preparing to take the casket of ancient winters: "Now these items are under my control; I will return them to the treasury..."
"But..." The guards hesitated, but didn't stop him immediately.
They also disagreed with giving these valuable artifacts to Kamar-Taj.
But the Frost Giants, hearing Loki wanted to return the casket to the treasury, had already rushed out of the forest.
Now the guards didn't have to be conflicted.
"That's our treasure, that's our artifact, Asgardian, stop!"
Ice axes and ice arrows, emanating cold air, flew out of the woods like rain.
The guards were completely unprepared.
Who would have thought that after Asgard had ruled the Nine Realms for so many years,
and the star domain had been peaceful for so many years.
A group of blue-skinned Giants would suddenly burst out of the woods by the roadside in Asgard?
The armored and weapon-wielding guards were defeated in an instant.
Some were directly decapitated by ice axes, others were frozen solid with arrows in their chests.
Loki watched helplessly as the five people in front of him all fell to the ground in an instant,
his left hand, which was about to touch the casket of ancient winters, suddenly froze in mid-air.
"...Everyone." The cold air surging from behind made Loki not dare to turn around.
He was stiff all over, a strained smile on his face: "You were too impulsive; I was just deceiving them. Once I get the casket of ancient winters, can't I take you all back to Jotunheim?"
Loki slowly stood up, turning his head little by little, wanting to persuade the Giants.
"Listen to me, after these guards die, others will quickly be alerted. What we need to do is leave as soon as possible. I can take you..."
Crack!
Loki wanted to stall for time, and also continue to blend in with the Giants to find a way to take the casket of ancient winters.
However, he had only turned his head halfway.
A blue arm suddenly clamped around his neck.
Layers of ice spread from that arm onto Loki, freezing him into ice with cracking sounds.
The frozen Loki fell stiffly to the ground.
The Frost Giants didn't even spare a glance for this Loki ice block.
They excitedly looked at the casket of ancient winters on the ground.
The leader stepped forward and lifted it with both hands.
That Giant raised the casket high.
The next moment, fierce cold air surged out, rushing towards the surroundings like a bursting dam.
Where the cold air spread, treetops, stones, and insects were all frozen into ice.
The frozen World reflected a faint blue light in the darkness.
The Frost Giants stared blankly at their surroundings, and after a brief silence, they cheered in unison.
"It's real, this is the real casket of ancient winters!"
"We must quickly take it back to Jotunheim!"
"To the spaceship we came in!"
The Giants, carrying the casket of ancient winters, quickly ran towards the passage they had come through.
Not long after they left.
Cracks suddenly appeared in the ice covering the frozen Loki, then it shattered abruptly.
Loki's eyes were tightly closed, and he appeared completely unharmed.
But on his body, starting from his neck where the Frost Giant had clamped him, ice-blue skin covered his head and arms.
He suddenly opened his eyes, which were also blood-red.
This was the skin color and eyes of a Frost Giant!
"Damn it!" Loki first realized that the Frost Giants had already left with the casket of ancient winters.
He quickly got up.
When he inadvertently looked down and saw his current appearance, he suddenly froze in a daze.
Then a sensation of the World spinning rushed over him.
Chapter 290 Odin's New Parenting Plan
Chapter 290: Odin's New Parenting Plan
Heavenly Palace, the steps below the divine throne.
Leon watched the Frost Giants leave in the spaceship they arrived in, and elbowed Odin.
"Loki really knows his limits, huh… Didn't you say you were going to make a move? Can you start now?"
Leon pointed in the direction the giants had left. "Go quickly, Your Majesty, if you don't act soon, the giants will be back home."
"At that time, Laufey will come to find Your Majesty with the casket of ancient winters, and might even poke out your remaining eye."
Odin's cheek twitched at the remark.
This Sorcerer Supreme really didn't know how to speak more pleasantly, considering his advanced age.
"Lord Leon, what do you think of Thor and Loki?" Odin seemed to want to evade the topic.
"I think they're both great! No matter who becomes the next God-King, they can definitely lead Asgardto greatness once more."
"…" Odin was speechless for a moment.
He was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly sighed softly: "Thor has courage and strength, but lacks consideration for responsibility. He seems mature, but is actually still an overgrown child."
"As for Loki…" Odin searched for his words.
Leon nodded: "I understand. Thor is still a child, and Loki is someone else's child, so neither of them will do, right?"
Odin was choked: "No, Loki also needs to grow."
"So? Aren't you going after those giants yet?"
Leon ignored Odin's remarks about 'Thor being foolish and Loki being cunning', and kept urging him to get going.
"Lord Leon, I want to say, this is a good opportunity for Thor and Loki to gain experience and grow," Odin said sincerely.
Leon frowned: "You… want my help?"
"Exactly."
"You clearly said before that—it didn't matter, you would make a move."
"Of course, I will make a move, but if I cannot defeat Laufey, I hope Lord Leon can lend a hand."
"The Odin, famous throughout the Universe, can't handle a mere Laufey?"
"It's just to prevent accidents… We are allies, aren't we, Lord Leon? Everything in Asgard can be shared with Kamar-Taj."
Odin was willing to offer everything in Asgard to form an alliance with Kamar-Taj.
This time, it was Leon's turn to be stunned.
A man of iron will like Odin would actually be so generous…
But then he thought about it again and found it quite reasonable.
After all, in nine years, there would be nothing left of Asgard anyway, so it might as well all be given to Kamar-Taj.
"How do you want to do it?" Leon and Odin tacitly skipped the details of the alliance.
Both sides were very clear.
The condition for the alliance was everything in Asgard.
As for what came after, whoever was stronger would hold the power.
The principle Odin adhered to in his youth was the supremacy of strength, and it hadn't changed in his old age.
"Come, Lord Leon." Odin smiled.
He pulled Leon up the steps, to the steps where the divine throne was located.
Then he turned to face the crowd below, his expression instantly changing from a smile to solemnity, and gungnir lightly tapped the ground.
Thud! Thud!
The crowd, whose faces were flushed from drinking at the banquet, quickly quieted down and looked at Odin.
This God-King indeed possessed supreme majesty in Asgard.
"People of Asgard, we are facing a war!"
Odin spoke bluntly.
"There is unfortunate news."
"The giants of Jotunheim infiltrated Asgard and stole the casket of ancient winters, a gift we were going to give to our allies!"
"They killed our warriors, gravely wounded Prince Loki, and are now returning to Jotunheim with the casket of ancient winters!"
"Everyone, we…"
Odin's pre-war declaration was not yet finished,
Suddenly, Thor below shattered his cup on the table and rose in anger.
"Father, how is Loki now?!"
Odin shook his head: "His life is not in danger."
Thor breathed a sigh of relief, but then immediately became enraged.
"Father, where are those Frost Giants? I will go and deal with them right now!"
"These Frost Giants must pay the price!"
Thor's neck, already red from alcohol, was now even redder.
"They want war, we'll give them war! Father, let's invade Jotunheim like you once did and make them learn to fear again!"
As soon as Thor spoke, the Asgardians, emboldened by alcohol, all rose in unison, roaring.
"War! War! War!"
Meanwhile, Tony and Banner's slightly tipsy minds instantly sobered up.
They looked at the fervent Asgardians and suddenly thought of Earth.
These people were preparing to make Jotunheim, one of the Nine Realms, fear today. Would they also want to make Earth fear tomorrow?
If it weren't for the reassuring look Leon gave them from in front of the divine throne,
Tony would definitely have stood from Earth's perspective and sarcastically said a few words to Thor.
At this moment, Odin angrily rebuked: "Thor! We have a truce with Jotunheim! You are thinking like a warrior, not a prince, a future King! Have you considered what war will bring?!"
"You are wrong, Father! They killed our people, gravely wounded Loki. If we don't fight back, then I am not fit to be the future King of Asgard!"
Looking at Thor, who was arguing with him from below the steps,
Odin's eyes showed a hint of disappointment.
If there wasn't a subsequent plan today, he would definitely have angrily rebuked Thor for not being worthy of becoming a King yet.
But now he merely sighed slightly: "Is that your thought? Are you sure you want to do this, and are willing to bear responsibility for all consequences?"
"I am willing! Father, I will surely return with victory!" Thor was so excited that he directly jumped onto a chair.
Odin looked at his son expressionlessly, and waved his hand weakly.
"Good, good, then go. Take whoever you want, go catch up with the Frost Giants, reclaim the casket of ancient winters, and then do what you want to do."
"Really, really?! Good! This is great! Father, I love you to death!" Thor jumped up.
He raised Mjolnir: "Everyone, quick! Follow me! I swear by Mjolnir, I will surely lead you to victory!"
The warriors in the great hall rubbed their fists, cheering and surrounding Thor as they left the hall together.
They didn't forget to invite Tony and Banner.
As if this was a spring outing and not a war.
Soon, the great hall was empty except for the Kamar-Taj party and Odin, with only a few women remaining.
"This is really impatient… Are you sure they will lose?" Leon still stood shoulder to shoulder with Odin, looking into the distance together.
"Whether they win or lose, Thor will pay a price." Odin lowered his eyes, "This is necessary for his growth."
Leon was speechless. This was about using the sacrifice of Asgardian warriors to force Thor to grow.
As expected of Odin, ruthless enough.
Tony walked over at this moment and looked at him strangely: "You two are being weird. Do you have a secret plan?"
"His Majesty Odin has a brilliant parenting plan, it has nothing to do with me," Leon said, spreading his hands.
Odin nodded slightly to Tony and said: "Thank you for informing me of the future, young man. Perhaps my past decisions were wrong, which is why Thor and Loki would face such an outcome in the future."
Odin had long had a series of plans to train Thor, and now he had only made a few temporary modifications.
Tony suddenly understood when he heard this. So it was the information about the future that changed Odin's mind.
No wonder Old Captain America didn't mention this war in Asgard when he told about the future.
He suddenly noticed that Leon and Odin were still looking into the distance.
"What are you two looking at?" Tony asked.
"Watching Thor swing Mjolnir… You want to see too? Alright, alright."
Leon tapped his head,
And cast a magic spell improved from the "Pensieve" in the Harry Potter World,
Sharing the scene he saw with the people from Kamar-Taj.