Chapter 35 : Spider-Man Loki?!

The cave was silent.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly.

President Loki glanced back at the passage he had come from, blinking a few times as he calculated the distance in his mind.

Surrender? Never—not in this lifetime.

Loki was born to rule, not grovel.

Once this guy entered a deep meditative state, he would find his chance to slip away.

With this plan forming in his mind, he stole a glance at Russell, who was lying on the recliner. To his dismay, Russell was watching him with a knowing smile.

"Do you think I don't understand Lokis?" Russell asked, his tone laced with amusement.

President Loki plastered on a flattering grin, scrambling to explain. But before he could utter a word, Russell raised his hand.

The next thing President Loki knew, he was dangling upside down in the air, his wrists bound tightly and his mouth sealed with spider silk.

Russell nodded in satisfaction, finally settling into meditation for real this time.

Hanging helplessly, President Loki dared not make a sound. His eyes widened in shock as his mind raced.

What kind of Loki variant is this?!

Not only did this man command scorching flames, but now he was wielding spider silk?

Spider-Man Loki?!

What kind of monster did the TVA create?!

The Next Morning

Russell had an impeccable sense of time. He awoke at dawn, dispelling the magical spider silk with a mere thought.

President Loki hit the ground with a loud thud and grimaced in pain. Yet he dared not complain. Scrambling to his feet, he put on his most servile smile.

"Great Master," he began, "shall I take you to the suspicious locations in the caves or directly to the ruined city?"

Russell's silence was enough to send the Loki into a flurry of explanation.

"The caves have marks that might lead to something useful. As for the ruined city, it's a hotspot for dropped loot and tends to attract more Lokis."

He hesitated for a moment, then added, "I suggest we wait in the city during the day and explore the caves at night. What do you think?"

Russell regarded him thoughtfully.

No wonder this guy survived under Thanos' thumb. His groveling skills are truly unparalleled.

"Fine. We'll do it your way," he said at last.

President Loki beamed, looking as though he had been bestowed a great honor.

The Ruined City

Once above ground, Russell surveyed the moss-covered plains.

The sky was perpetually overcast, the desolation stretching endlessly. There wasn't a soul in sight, but Russell knew better. Lokis were always lurking in the shadows.

They reached the ruined city, a chaotic sprawl of crumbling buildings and debris. The air was thick with tension.

As they walked, Russell's spider-sense flared. He halted abruptly.

President Loki turned, confused. "What's wrong—"

BANG!

Five Lokis leapt from the shadows, landing theatrically in front of them.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" one of them sneered.

"It's been ages since I saw a Loki so boldly stroll into the ruins," said another, eyeing Russell's suit. "I like that outfit."

President Loki's face twisted with a strange mix of pity and amusement.

This feels familiar.

Just yesterday, another group had tried this—and they hadn't fared well.

But ever the sycophant, he stepped forward before Russell could speak.

"Which of you knows illusion magic?" he asked bluntly.

A green-coated Loki with a smug grin stepped forward.

"Ah, you've heard of me," he said, puffing his chest. "That's right—I'm a master of illusion magic! Now, beg for mercy!"

President Loki took a step back, a silent prayer in his heart.

Laugh while you can, idiot.

Turning to Russell, he bowed low. "Master, I have fulfilled my duty. I present one who knows phantom magic."

The five newcomers blinked in confusion before bursting into laughter.

One, dressed in a gaudy green sweater and a cartoonish gold crown, mocked him.

"Still playing lapdog, huh? First Thanos, now this guy?" he sneered. "Pathetic. Let me put your 'master' out of his misery."

With that, he drew twin daggers and leapt into the air, aiming for Russell.

The others hung back, confident in their leader's prowess.

He's an assassin, they thought. Steady, precise, deadly.

CRACK!

Russell swatted him midair like a fly.

The would-be assassin hit the ground, his head twisted at an unnatural angle.

Russell wiped the blood from his hand onto President Loki's coat, his expression unimpressed.

"What kind of assassin does a frontal jump attack on me?" he muttered.

The remaining four Lokis froze, their bravado evaporating.

When Russell's icy gaze turned their way, they snapped out of it.

"Run!"

"Retreat!"

"Revenge can wait!"

The four scattered, fleeing as fast as their legs could carry them.

Russell shook his head, familiar with the cowardice of Lokis. He raised his hand and mimed a pistol, locking onto each fleeing figure.

The system chimed in his mind:

[Frost Bloodline – Low Level (Green)]

A slight boost to physical abilities, with ice-blue skin patterns.

Russell sighed. More junk abilities followed, cluttering his loot list.

Finally, the system delivered a sliver of hope.

[Advanced Magic – Illusion Magic – Low Level (Green)]

Allows basic illusions and manipulation of magical constructs.

The system notified him that his proficiency had increased, but Russell wasn't pleased.

Proficiency increases are worthless. I need advanced entries or complete mastery.

In the following days, with President Loki's help, Russell encountered five more illusion-wielding Lokis. Yet all of them only added minor improvements to his proficiency.

His sole gain was the ability to conjure a dagger with illusion magic—a mere novelty for someone of his caliber.

Russell began to suspect that in this void, only Old Loki possessed truly advanced illusion magic.

Enough killing. Time to change tactics.

Russell devised a bounty system:

Spread the word—any Loki who finds a variant with advanced illusion magic will be rewarded with a set of Iron Man armor.

The promise of such a reward sent ripples through the Loki community.

In a dark underground cave, several Lokis gathered. Among them were Black Loki, Young Loki, Old Loki, and a crocodile sipping red wine from a can.

Black Loki broke the silence. "Have you heard about the bounty?"

Young Loki sneered. "It's probably fake. Even if it's real, I'll cut him down myself. I killed Thor, after all!"

The crocodile growled, earning a dramatic eye-roll from Young Loki.

"Fine, you killed Thor," he muttered.

Old Loki chuckled softly. "Why bother? If it's trouble, we can just move farther away. Crowds have never been kind to us."

The group agreed, planning to stock up on supplies before leaving the area.

But later that night, as they slept, Black Loki quietly slipped away.

The manhole cover creaked open, revealing him sneaking out—only to be caught in a flash of green light.

Old Loki and Young Loki stood there, crocodile in hand.

"I didn't think you'd betray us after all these years," Young Loki spat.

Old Loki sighed. "Loki is Loki. Betrayal is in our blood."

But Black Loki laughed darkly.

"Who said I was betraying you?" he said, his tone mocking. "And... isn't your teleportation on cooldown? You can't cast it again for five minutes."

-------------

To read chapters in Advance go to patreon.com/kibishi718

Read up to 70+ CHapters

Added 'All the Powers Russell has Till Ch 45' Auxiliary chapter do check it out.