126

Chapter 126: The Ancient One Who Raised His Teacher

Do you want to spend your entire life as a coward, or do you want to be a hero, even if only for a few minutes?

Loki considered himself the latter, so…

He didn't become a hero even for a second; instead, he became a laughingstock for a few minutes.

The Guardian Sword hovered in mid-air, and Loki's body froze.

A slender hand extended from a circle of golden light beside him and pressed against his head.

"Who?!" Skurge shouted in alarm.

The Ancient One emerged slowly from the light, her expression neutral.

"Ah… I'm merely a gatekeeper. Please continue…"

Skurge hesitated, bewildered.

Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

Loki was disoriented, his mind a chaotic mess. Wasn't I in Alaska… No, Asgard? How did I end up in this dark place so suddenly?

Then, he saw a figure lying on the ground.

He approached cautiously, but the body began to change grotesquely. The figure's body expanded rapidly, and its green skin tore through its clothes…

Loki's eyes widened in terror. "What on Earth are you?"

"Roar…"

With a roar, the Hulk grabbed Loki's foot, lifted him high, and slammed him down onto the ground.

I fall, I fall again, I fall again…

After a brutal assault, Loki lay on the ground, foaming at the mouth, helpless.

Then, he saw a horde of Hulks rushing towards him…

At the entrance of Bifrost in Asgard, a bizarre scene unfolded. Loki was held motionless by a bald woman with her hand on his head, while Skurge swept the floor nearby with a broom.

Asgardian soldiers exchanged glances. Despite Loki's unreliability, he was still a prince, and the acting king must intervene. They moved forward, only to be stopped by an invisible barrier.

A blue circle of light appeared, and Thor emerged next to them, holding the Tesseract and Mjölnir. Upon seeing the scene, it became clear.

Originally, Thor had planned to confront Loki, but it seemed that words were more effective.

The Ancient One turned to Thor with a stern look, as if to say, "Do you intend to show off?"

Thor smiled sheepishly, shook his head, and said, "It's alright, Master. You can continue. I'll handle things after you're done!"

At this point, Loki's illusion had shifted from facing the Hulk to encountering waves of enemies, now replaced by an overwhelming figure with a massive chin.

"Hoo hoo…"

Loki, recovering from his recent ordeal, found himself in a world dominated by darkness. Although unfamiliar, the oppressive evil aura made him shiver. He looked up and saw a gargantuan chin, far more terrifying than the Hulk.

Loki nearly lost control of his bladder in fear.

"Wait! This… Big Chin, we can negotiate…"

A colossal hand descended from the sky, flattening Loki like a tomato, accompanied by a thunderous voice: "No, you are here to die!"

Loki was dead.

Then, Loki found himself alive again, facing the terrifying entity. He quickly shouted, "No, wait…"

This time, he was skewered by a dish with black spikes.

Next, a set of tentacles tore him apart…

And so it continued…

"Alright, he has been punished."

A somewhat resigned but authoritative voice spoke.

The Ancient One turned to Odin with an unyielding gaze: "It wasn't enough. He crossed the line this time."

Odin was equally troubled. Although the Ancient One's demands were high, and Loki's previous actions were severe, they had not caused significant damage before. The only line was the survival of human civilization.

If not for Odin's intervention, Loki would have faced countless deaths, each one a preview of his fate.

If this situation continued and Odin remained passive, the Ancient One wouldn't hesitate to end Loki's life.

Odin fell silent: "Alright, what do you want?"

What Loki did was indeed terrible, but the Ancient One's reversal of time was technically a major offense, which could be seen as either a serious or minor crime.

If the Ancient One had truly decided to kill Loki in anger, Odin would have had nothing to say. The Ancient One had legitimate reasons, and while Odin was still formidable, he had not enjoyed a peaceful life for years.

But the Ancient One was different. Despite her earlier demise, she was patient and fair. Odin could not bear to see her frustrations.

Since the Ancient One had not killed Loki, it was clear she sought to negotiate terms.

After all, though Loki was the primary instigator, Odin's influence was behind the Ancient One's actions, and things had spiraled out of control.

The Ancient One glanced at Odin, then turned to Thor. Drawing a circle, she threw Loki into it and said slowly, "Three conditions: first…"

"Oh, wait!"

Thor interrupted, "Why not just take Loki back and leave it at that?"

You bald head, don't make things complicated. You're negotiating with the old man—what do you think you're doing? Don't make trouble for yourself...

Odin: ""

The Ancient One looked at Thor with a fierce expression—what do you propose?

"Alright, tell me."

Thor replied reluctantly, "But let me make it clear: no conditions should deliberately make things difficult for me. Otherwise, I'll make sure the doctor who resembles Sherlock Holmes suffers."