Chapter 163
"Are you saying this was all Loki's scheme?"
After hearing Leo's rough analysis of the situation, Thor's eyes widened in disbelief.
His brother might enjoy lying and using illusions learned from their mother to prank others, but would he really go so far as to do something like this?
"Why would the Frost Giants suddenly decide to steal from the treasure vault specifically during your coronation? Without an insider, how did they avoid Heimdall's watchful eyes and enter Asgard from Jotunheim?
And think about it—given the strength of Lord Odin, would he really pass away so easily? You know how much your mother loves you; would she really agree to banish you indefinitely?
Who is the ultimate beneficiary of all this? It's your brother, Loki. He ascended to the throne that was originally yours, and everything you know comes from Loki himself, with no way to verify it.
Think carefully about your brother's nature—could he do something like this?"
Leo's barrage of questions seemed to overwhelm Thor's mental capacity, leaving him standing there with his mouth agape, looking incredibly dumbfounded.
After a while, he finally snapped out of it and angrily slammed his fist on the table:
"Damn Loki! If he really did all this, I swear I'll kick his butt when I get back!"
"You really do love your brother."
Hearing this, Leo immediately rubbed his forehead.
In most cases, when someone's brother plots against them and even stages a rebellion, they might at least imprison him for life, if not outright kill him. But for Thor, it's just a matter of giving his brother a kick.
"What do I do now? If I can't reclaim Mjölnir, I can't return to Asgard."
Remembering his failed attempts to lift Mjölnir all day and night yesterday, Thor slumped again.
Without Mjölnir or his godly powers, he was just a strong mortal, no match for Loki.
Leo tapped the table with his fingers, thought for a moment, and replied:
"From my observation just now, it seems there is a powerful spell on Mjölnir. But with my current strength, I can't break it. However, I suspect it requires a change in you."
"Me? What do I need to change?"
Thor looked utterly confused.
Leo raised a finger, pointing at Thor:
"You need to recognize your own mistakes."
"I already know I was wrong. When Loki came to see me last night, I realized it. Even though he was lying to me, I understand now that it was impulsive of me to go to Jotunheim."
Thor downed his beer in one gulp.
Leo shook his head:
"No, you just think you were impulsive, but you don't see anything wrong with waging war against the Frost Giants. You still think of solving everything with violence, and that's the real issue."
After speaking, he glanced at Li San, who nodded and handed over a few books he had bought from a nearby bookstore as instructed.
"*War and Peace*, *Les Misérables*, *A Farewell to Arms*, *Doctor Zhivago*, *War of the End of the World*."
"What's all this for?"
Thor looked at the stack of books on the table, his eyes showing a confused expression.
Leo smiled:
"To read, of course. Start reading these books from now on. If you can absorb the essence of these books, you'll understand the brutality of war and the value of peace.
Then you might be able to lift Mjölnir again and regain your powers as the God of Thunder!"
He wasn't some philosopher or a close confidant who could make Thor suddenly realize the error of his ways, but that didn't matter. The world was filled with literary masterpieces that depicted the horrors of war. He believed that after reading them, Thor might undergo some changes.
The next morning, fifty miles outside of Old Bridge Town at the crater.
"How did your reading go yesterday?"
Standing in front of Mjölnir, Leo asked Thor.
"Every general who advances history is merely a slave to history."
Thor stood there, his expression solemn:
"I finished *War and Peace* and *Les Misérables* yesterday. I feel like my soul has been cleansed, and many of my thoughts have changed.
My father was right; I still have a lot of shortcomings."
"Great, now try to lift it!"
Hearing Thor's words, Leo's eyes lit up; he felt there might be a chance.
Thor nodded, placed his hand on Mjölnir, and began to exert his strength:
"Mjölnir!"
With a roar, the hammer began to wobble slightly, as if it could be lifted at any moment.
However, after a minute, then two, then three, Mjölnir only trembled, and no matter how hard Thor tried or how loudly he yelled, he still couldn't lift it completely.
"Why? Why is it like this?"
Thor released Mjölnir, squatted down, and began drawing circles on the ground with a defeated expression.
Leo frowned as he looked at Mjölnir, then patted Thor on the shoulder:
"Before, it didn't budge at all. Now it's moving, which means there's some effect. Maybe you haven't read enough books yet. After all, you only read for a day and finished two books."
"Really? It's because I haven't read enough? You're not lying to me?"
Hope returned to Thor's face. Mjölnir had indeed moved just now.
"Yes, it's because you haven't read enough. Read a few more books, especially those that delve into philosophy and the contemplation of life, and eventually, you should be able to lift it."
Leo nodded affirmatively.
Thor immediately turned around:
"Alright, I'll go back and continue reading!"
"Wait, I have another method we can try first. If it doesn't work, then you can go back to reading."
Perhaps if Thor went back to reading for ten days or half a month, he might truly awaken and reclaim Mjölnir. But there wasn't enough time, as the Destroyer was likely to arrive soon.
"What method?"
Thor turned back again.
Leo took out the Elder Wand and cast a spell at Thor:
"Soul Extraction!"
A magical beam hit Thor, and his face immediately showed a blissful expression.
"From now on, you despise war from the bottom of your heart. You long for peace, genuinely yearn for peace. Your heart is filled with a sense of justice, and you protect the weak, even if it means sacrificing your own life. You are a truly compassionate god."
Leo delivered a series of ideological inputs to Thor, who nodded immediately:
"Yes, that's who I am, and that's who I must be!"
"Good, now go and pick up your hammer."
Leo ordered Thor.
Thor walked over to Mjölnir, reached out slowly for the handle, and then pulled hard. Astonishingly, he actually managed to lift the hammer off the ground.
"I didn't expect that to actually work!"
Seeing Thor lift Mjölnir, Leo's eyes lit up.
However, in the next second, a powerful surge of lightning erupted from Mjölnir, shocking Thor so severely that he foamed at the mouth and fainted, with the hammer falling back to its original position.
"Well, I guess that method doesn't work after all."