Chapter 161: Loki Stabbed with a Sword

"This is bad. The powerful weapon fell into the enemy's hands," Clint Barton said.

"This place is Malekith's territory, and Thor and the others are isolated and without support," Natasha Romanoff said. "I doubt Thor can make it back alive."

"And they came here without Odin's support, meaning they have no reinforcements, no rescue. They can only rely on themselves," Bruce Banner added.

"It's not surprising that this result occurred. When we learned that Thor devised this plan, we should have been prepared for failure," Stephen Strange said.

Everyone thought that Thor's attempt to destroy the Aether would fail, and he might die in the Dark World. However, what happened next was beyond their expectations.

Malekith just turned around and left!

Not only did he not make a move to kill Thor, he didn't even utter a threat. He left as cleanly as if he and Asgard were not enemies at all.

It was absurd.

Regardless, Malekith showed no intention of killing anyone, so Thor managed to save his life. At this point, he should have hightailed it out of there.

However, instead of retreating, Prince Thor of Asgard swung his hammer and started fighting against Malekith.

Malekith paid no attention to Thor and, instead, a cursed warrior pulled out a strange bomb and threw it towards them.

The bomb was peculiar; when it exploded, it created an unparalleled suction force, dragging people into a black vortex.

Jane Foster was quickly pushed aside by Loki and wasn't affected by the bomb's force. However, Loki himself didn't manage to escape; he was slowly pulled towards the dark vortex in the sky.

Seeing Loki about to be sucked in, Thor rushed over and pushed Loki aside, saving him from the bomb's suction.

At this point, Malekith was about to board the spaceship. Thor threw his hammer, aiming for Malekith.

Bang!

But just as he got close, he was struck back by a casual attack from a cursed warrior.

This time, the cursed warrior didn't throw a bomb but instead engaged Thor himself, pummeling him relentlessly. The cursed warrior's strength was far superior to Thor's, and Thor was constantly being beaten down.

On Loki's side, his "treatment" was inferior to Thor's. He didn't have heavyweight "servants" like the cursed warrior but just a few ordinary soldiers.

Loki's combat skills might not be as great as Thor's, but as a prince, he wielded a dagger with incredible finesse, easily dispatching the soldiers.

Loki achieved victory, but Thor was in a disastrous state.

He was lying on the ground, and the cursed warrior stood by his side, repeatedly punching him with fist-sized blows.

Puff!

As the cursed warrior was pounding Thor, suddenly a long sword pierced through his chest from behind—it was Loki.

Although the cursed warrior's chest was pierced, he seemed unaffected, slowly turning to face Loki.

To thank Loki for stabbing him, the cursed warrior hugged Loki, and the sword in his chest also pierced through Loki's chest.

"No!!!" Thor saw this scene and let out a heart-wrenching roar.

The cursed warrior threw Loki to the side and started walking towards Thor.

"We'll meet in hell, monster," Loki said to the cursed warrior.

At this moment, the cursed warrior felt something amiss. He looked down and saw a red bomb flashing at his waist.

He hurriedly tried to throw the bomb away, but it was too late. The bomb exploded with a bang.

A swarm of red energy surrounded the cursed warrior, and his body was gradually engulfed, eventually vanishing from this world.

"No, no, no." Thor ran over and held Loki. "You're so foolish. Why didn't you listen to me?"

"I know, I'm a fool. I'm sorry...," Loki's face visibly paled as he apologized.

"I will tell father about your bravery," Thor said.

"I didn't do it for him," Loki closed his eyes.

"No!!!" Thor yelled again.

The scene ended with Thor's shocked expression. The title appeared.

[Did Loki die?]

[A] He died.

[B] He didn't die.

[Correct answer! Reward distributed!]

"Not dead! Loki must not be dead!" Thor blurted out when he saw the options.

"I also think he's not dead. It's Loki we're talking about; he's no stranger to faking his death," Tony Stark said.

"Every time he fakes his death, he manages to fool Thor. It's quite strange," Stephen Strange commented. "The phrase 'once bitten, twice shy' doesn't apply to Thor at all."

"Perhaps he really died?" Clint Barton offered a different opinion. "After all, it was the cursed warrior who attacked him. The cursed warrior who pinned Thor to the ground. Such a powerful enemy might have killed Loki for real, right?"

"Did he really kill him?" Stephen Strange countered. "How do you know the sword actually went through Loki's body? Remember, it's Loki; he can deceive your eyes effortlessly."

"That's right, Barton. Everything we see about Loki can't be taken at face value," Bruce Banner added. "Let's not forget that in the previous video, Thor's hand was seemingly chopped off, but it turned out to be fake! So, what we saw with the cursed warrior stabbing Loki might not have happened for real."

"What is Loki thinking?" Natasha Romanoff said. "He's not in Asgard but the Dark World. What's the purpose of faking his death here?"

"Maybe he doesn't want to go back to prison, or maybe he has other plans," Bruce Banner speculated. "By making Thor and Odin believe he's dead, he can hide in the shadows and further his own agenda."

"This time, I'm completely aligned with everyone's opinion. That Loki guy is not that easy to kill." Thor made his choice. "I choose B!"

[Correct answer! Reward distributed!]

The accuracy of the positioning increased again by 30%, reaching 61%, surpassing 50%.

"Loki indeed didn't die," Natasha Romanoff couldn't help but say, "Thor, with a brother like him, I really don't know how you grew up."

"There's a saying: 'If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.' Why do you stick with Loki every day and still remain so naive, not gaining any strategy from his influence?" Stephen Strange asked.

The video started playing again.

At first, Thor was flying majestically in the beautiful city of Asgard, then he landed with something that looked like a horn on his back.

"The crown of Surtur!" Thor immediately recognized the giant creature.

"Surtur? The fire giant responsible for Ragnarok?" Steve Rogers asked.

"That's him," Thor said. "I must have found Surtur in the future."

"But does Ragnarok necessarily involve Surtur? It seems like anyone who can destroy Asgard is referred to as Ragnarok," Natasha Romanoff said.

"That time Thor said Surtur was already dealt with; he must be returning with Surtur's crown," Stephen Strange said. "So the birth of Hela is not far off in the video."

"Yeah, not far," Thor's eyes remained fixed on the video.

"What the hell?" Just as Thor focused on the video, he was taken by surprise.

In the video, there was a towering statue of a man in Asgard, raising his hands and tilting his head slightly—a rather handsome pose.

Of course, none of this mattered; what mattered was the two curved horns on the man's head—it was Loki!

There was a statue of Loki in Asgard!

Thor looked bewildered in the video, wearing Surtur's crown, he continued walking forward. The area was crowded with people, all watching a play.

"Brother, I can't do it anymore. I'm afraid I can't hold on."

"Silly brother, you never listen."

"It's my fault."

"Sif, go get help!"

Thor found the lines in the play to be very familiar. As he squeezed his way to the front, he saw that the person lying on the ground on the stage looked exactly like Loki, and the one kneeling beside him was dressed identically.

It turned out the play was about him and Loki's story in the Dark World.

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault," Loki sincerely apologized in the play.

"It's okay; you must hang on." Surprisingly, the actor playing Thor looked quite similar to Thor.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have tried to conquer Earth." Loki apologized again, lying on the stage.

"It's a blessing for them to be conquered by you," the actor playing Thor replied. Loki must love hearing this from him.

"The Tesseract incident, I'm really sorry. I just can't control myself."

"I understand."

"I am a cunning and deceitful person."

"Yes, especially full of tricks."

"And that time I shouldn't have turned you into a frog."

"That was a great joke. You are Asgard's savior."

"For my deeds, make a statue in my honor."

"We will erect a massive statue for you."

"I want to wear a helmet with curved horns," Loki said.

"I will tell Father of your heroic deeds," Thor replied.

"I'm not doing this for him." Loki closed his eyes.

"No!!!" Thor roared again to the sky.

"And so, Loki, gravely injured, sacrificed his precious life. He valiantly fought against the evil spirits, bringing peace to the world," an actor dressed as Odin walked onto the stage, praising Loki.

"No doubt, this is all Loki's tricks," Steve Rogers commented, "Nobody else in Asgard would praise himself like that."

"Lying on the side, eating grapes while watching the play, that must be Loki pretending to be Odin," Natasha Romanoff said, "How could Odin watch something like this?"

"That's worth considering," Clint Barton said, "Loki openly changing into Odin in Asgard, how dare he? How did he succeed?"

"Unless my father isn't in Asgard, Loki wouldn't dare to pull such a stunt," Thor said with a serious tone.

"During the time Hela crushed Mjolnir, when you and Loki went to Earth to find Odin, Loki said he left Odin on the streets," Bruce Banner said, "So it's clear Loki was up to something when Odin wasn't in Asgard."

"Loki really has an inexplicable obsession with the throne," Natasha Romanoff said, "Killing you, tricking Odin, he's using every method he can."

"Romanoff, Loki doesn't actually care that much about the throne," Thor corrected, "He just wanted to get our father's attention."

"Getting our father's attention by killing his son?" Natasha Romanoff countered.

"In any case, the play is quite enjoyable," Stephen Strange said, "Especially the actor playing Loki, he looks strikingly similar to a Hollywood star."

"Many years ago, when I found you on the battlefield in the frozen land, I couldn't foresee that you would become Asgard's savior, no, I couldn't." In the video, the actor playing Odin was speaking to a blue-skinned child, young Loki, "At that time, you were just a blue-skinned ice baby, but you melted this old fool's heart."

Applause erupted in the audience, even the leisurely eating Odin stood up and applauded loudly, "Fantastic! Fantastic! Incomparable!"

"Father," Thor came to Odin's side.

"Oh, shit!" Odin was surprised to see Thor but quickly regained his composure and said to the audience, "My son Thor has returned! Welcome back, my son!"

"What's the name of this play? It's quite interesting," Thor asked.

"Asgard: Loki's Requiem," Odin replied and sat back down, "It's a profound tribute to him."

"They should indeed do that. I like the statue; it looks much better than when he was alive. Perhaps without that hint of cunning and deceit, and his hair isn't as greasy," Thor said, referring to the statue of Loki.

Thor handed Surtur's crown to the attendants and instructed them to keep it safe. Then he tossed Mjolnir into the distance.

"You know, nothing can stop Mjolnir until it returns to my hand," Thor stood behind Odin and playfully pinched the back of his head. "Not even your grumpy face."

"You're completely crazy! You'll be executed!" Odin sternly warned.

"Then let's meet in another world, brother," Thor revealed Loki's identity directly.

"All right, I surrender!" Seeing Mjolnir about to strike him, Loki shouted and quickly moved to the side. In the process, he transformed back from Odin to Loki.

"Where is Father?" Thor demanded.

"You got what you wanted, aren't you always seeking independence and freedom?" Loki taunted while Thor held Mjolnir close to his chest, "Fine, I know where he is."

The space darkened, and the video ended.

[Question 8 begins, be prepared.]

[When snatching Vision's body from Ultron, who did Ultron capture?]

[A. Iron Man Tony Stark]

[B. Hawkeye Clint Barton]

[C. Black Widow Natasha Romanoff]

[D. Captain America Steve Rogers]

[Correct answer grants mastery of gun-fu. Incorrect answer deducts one year of lifespan.]

"Gun-fu? What's that?" Stephen Strange was the first to notice the reward.

"It sounds like a combination of firearms and hand-to-hand combat," Steve Rogers suggested.

"It sounds quite practical," Natasha Romanoff commented.

"Wasn't there a reward for an infinite bullet gun before?" Bruce Banner said, "Too bad we didn't get it right then; otherwise, these two rewards would have complemented each other well."

"Indeed, they go well together," Clint Barton said, "But I use a bow, so I won't participate in this question."

"I'm not interested either," Tony Stark said, "This technique is of no use to me."

"It's not of much use to me either," Steve Rogers added.

"So let me answer. This gun-fu suits me very well," Natasha Romanoff said. "And I think the answer should be me. I was the one captured."

"First of all, Stark is the least likely to be captured. His armor can fly and has excellent maneuverability. It would be difficult to intercept him if he wants to escape," Stephen Strange said. "And then, Captain is the second least likely to be captured. After all, he's a super soldier with combat abilities far beyond an ordinary person."

"That's right. The most likely ones to be captured are me and Natasha," Clint Barton said. "After all, we both are just ordinary people, while the enemies were machines."

"Clint, so which one of us was captured?" Natasha Romanoff asked Clint Barton.

"It was me," Clint Barton said. "If we have to decide who's the unluckier one between us, your luck has always been good, so it must be my bad luck."

"That makes sense," Natasha Romanoff smiled, "but unfortunately, it's not you answering the question. I choose C!"

[Correct answer! Reward distributed!]

A flood of knowledge rushed into Natasha Romanoff's mind, and she finally understood what gun-fu was.

In simple terms, gun-fu was a form of martial arts that involved using firearms as weapons. Here, firearms were not just ranged weapons but were also utilized as close combat weapons, incorporating various gun-based attacking moves, making it a dazzling combination of martial arts and gunplay.

With Natasha Romanoff's professional eye, even using firearms as cold weapons made gun-fu formidable, not to mention its integration with long-range and close-quarters combat, becoming an incredibly powerful martial skill.

"Clint, I owe you one. Gun-fu is much more powerful than you imagined," Natasha Romanoff said with pleasant surprise.

"You owe me more than one," Clint Barton said, "So buying me a drink isn't enough."

The video started to play.

At the beginning of the scene, Steve Rogers and Li Cheng were present. Li Cheng was sitting on the ground while Steve Rogers used his clothes to press on her shoulder wound.

"He wants to upload himself into that body," Li Cheng urgently told Steve Rogers.

"Where is it?" Steve Rogers stood up, ready to find the body.

"The true power is in the Cradle. The Infinity Stone, its power is uncontrollable. It can't be destroyed by force," Li Cheng said breathlessly, "You must give the Cradle to Stark."

"First, I have to find it," Steve Rogers replied.

The participants in the quiz space recognized this scene right away. It was when Ultron realized that the Avengers were about to come, Scarlet Witch caused chaos, and after secretly ending Li Cheng's mind control.

Ultron killed all the experimental subjects, injured Li Cheng, and must have taken the Cradle and moved to another location.

Then, Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff appeared. Clint Barton was piloting the Quinjet flying over the city, while Natasha Romanoff was sitting at the computer, checking the situation in the city.

"Do you hear me?" Steve Rogers' voice transmitted through the radio to both of them.

"Received," Clint Barton replied while flying, looking down at the city.

"I found a private jet taking off from the other end of the city. No passenger list; that could be him," Natasha Romanoff said, "I'll fly the Quinjet closer."

"I've located a laboratory truck," Clint Barton already spotted the target from the air, "It's directly above you, Captain, on the elevated highway loop. There are three guarding the Cradle, and one in the driver's seat. I can take out the driver."

"No, no, no." Inside the truck, Ultron naturally heard the loud noise on the roof. He extended his hand, and an energy beam hit the back door, blasting it open.

However, Steve Rogers had a firm grip on the door and wasn't thrown out. As he leaned over to look, another energy beam came, directly blowing off the entire back door, and he was sent flying too.

But Steve Rogers managed to avoid being knocked down. The broken door remained half on the truck and half on the ground, acting like a bridge. Steve Rogers laid on this "bridge," moving along with the truck.

Ultron moved to the back of the truck, extended his hand, and a repulsive force sent Steve Rogers flying off the "bridge," crashing onto a car traveling behind.

It was evident that Steve Rogers couldn't be shaken off that easily. He grabbed onto a passing truck and swung up onto the roof of the truck.

(End of this chapter)

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