Loki

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...

The next day, with Jane's help, Thor drove west to find his Hammer. Ivan's secret assistance prevented Jane from running into Coulson, so S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't get her information.

Ivan stayed hidden, following them without being detected. His stealth skills were so good that even Heimdall couldn't sense him.

Thor barged into the S.H.I.E.L.D. base like in the original story and clashed with the agents. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't lift the Hammer and got beaten up by the agents. They didn't kill him, though, because they were unsure of his identity. Later, Jane bailed him out, and S.H.I.E.L.D. decided to investigate further, pretending to let him go.

Ivan watched everything from a distance, not interfering. Soon, Loki showed up and had a "pleasant" chat with Thor. Loki tricked Thor into believing Odin had died, leaving Thor heartbroken and filled with regret and sorrow.

Seeing Thor deceived, Loki felt a wicked joy. He prepared to return to Asgard, but suddenly, the surroundings changed, and a strange wave of energy alerted him. Blue light glowed in his palm, forming an icy chill.

"Long time no see, Prince Loki. I just enjoyed a good show. Your muscle-headed brother Thor fell for your trick. You still like playing such childish games, it seems."

Hearing the voice, Loki's alertness faded. The cold air in his palm dissipated, and he smiled. "Dr. Ivan, you caught me."

Ivan appeared, having cast a spell to hide their presence from others.

Ivan looked at Loki, then glanced to his left, smiling slightly without saying anything.

"It's annoying. My illusions can fool even Odin now, but not you. Dr. Ivan, your strength has grown," Loki said.

As he spoke, the first Loki vanished, revealing another Loki where Ivan was looking. The first was an illusion, one of Loki's favorite tricks. His skill in this area had grown so much that he even deceived Odin once.

"I've specialize in reality magic, so I'm quite confident in them," Ivan replied. He possessed the Reality Gem, which allowed him to alter reality itself. Even without focused practice, using the gem had naturally honed his illusion skills.

Ivan studied Loki, sensing a hint of powerful magic within him. "With your strength, you could challenge Odin and likely win, especially since he's old and often sleeps now. You could take control of Asgard and become the king of gods without resorting to deceit. So why trick Thor?"

Loki smiled disdainfully. "Once, I desired the throne at any cost. But after my trip to the fantasy world, I realized true strength is what matters. I can build another Asgard if I'm powerful enough. Besides, fighting for the throne would only sadden my mother, whom I care for deeply. I don't want to cause her pain."

"But that doesn't explain why you tricked Thor."

"I lied to Thor partly for my satisfaction. It irked me to give up the throne without a fight. But more importantly, I'm helping him. Thor needs to grow up. Odin can't protect him or Asgard forever. He can mature and become a worthy successor through pain and challenges."

Ivan rolled his eyes, skeptical of Loki's supposed good intentions, but couldn't deny the truth about Odin's nearing end. Odin's yearly sleep showed his declining strength, unlike the younger gods who didn't need rest. Odin was aging and couldn't escape the toll of time.

In the past, no matter what trouble Thor caused, Odin would always clean up his mess. Why was the punishment so harsh this time? He exiled Thor to Earth! In reality, Odin wanted to give Thor some tough love so he could truly grow up, allowing Odin to leave this world with peace of mind.

"Is that your reason? It feels a bit odd. Hey, wait a minute! You've changed. Your temperament is different from what I remember. I didn't completely erase your memories in that illusion world. You kept memories of your wife Sigyn and daughter Hela from that illusion, which stirred deep emotions in you. It's my fault you've changed."

"No, it has nothing to do with you. I insisted on keeping those memories. I feel great now, seeing through the world's essence and playing with the universe. This is what I want."

"Okay, as long as you're happy. But you want to be someone other than the king of Asgard? It means supreme honor, ultimate power, and you can do anything you want without anyone stopping you."

"When you put it that way, why am I suddenly interested? I'll turn the Asgard Palace into a theater when I become the king of gods. I'll have troupes perform at the highest point and invite you to watch."

"Uh! You can do whatever you want, but count me out." Ivan saw the madness and excitement in Loki's eyes and felt a chill. Loki was serious. It seemed the fusion with the evil god Loki had significant side effects.

"Really? That's too bad. I guess I'll have to entertain myself then." Loki shook his head, feigning regret.

Ivan's face turned a bit pale, and he quickly changed the topic. "I wish you success. Now, let's discuss other matters. If I remember correctly, you still owe me a branch of the World Tree."

"Of course, I've kept it ready for years. Today, I can finally get rid of it." Loki produced a small bag from nowhere and handed it to Ivan.

Ivan took it, opened the bag, and scanned it with his mental power. He sensed the inner space of the bag was hundreds of cubic meters, containing a branch over ten meters long. It radiated a strange luster, holding some spatial power.

Ivan nodded with satisfaction. "Very good. Our deal is complete. It's a pleasure doing business with you. I hope we have more opportunities in the future."

"Me too. Farewell!" Loki turned and left, shrouded in a cold mist, quickly passing through Ivan's barrier.

Ivan's eyes narrowed as he watched Loki disappear. Loki's strength far exceeded Thor's, yet he held back. Was it just for fun and pranks? Asgard faced the looming threat of the ice giants' invasion. How did Loki plan to deal with this crisis? Hopefully, he wouldn't cause too much trouble and regret it like the evil god Loki in the illusion world Ivan created.

Ivan got the branch and returned to the town. Not long after, Thor and the others returned together. Ivan had to wait patiently, as the Destroyer would soon arrive.

...

In a hidden cave in Asgard, Loki handed the tall ice giant a blue treasure box and said, "Alright, Laufey. Here's the Casket, as agreed. Now take it and never come to Asgard again."

The king of the ice giants, Laufey, took it with excitement in his blood-red eyes. Holding the treasure with both hands, he exclaimed, "Casket of Ancient Winters, the source of our power! It's finally back! Hahaha!"

After his laughter subsided, Laufey turned to Loki and said, "My son, you've done well. With Odin in a deep sleep and Thor exiled, Asgard is vulnerable. If we join forces, we can easily capture Asgard and unify the Nine Realms. Together, we will stand at the top of the world. Come, join me in this grand plan."

"Enough! I'm not interested in your grand plan. Take the Casket and leave. Because you're my biological father, I won't harm you. But don't push me."

"Loki, my son! I feel disappointed. Has Asgard's education clouded your heart? If so, I suggest you step aside. Let me go ahead. I won't show mercy if you dare to stop me, even as my son."

Loki stepped forward, staring defiantly at Laufey. Laufey's eyes gleamed with murderous intent. He conjured an ice spike and thrust it at Loki.

Prepared, Loki raised a shield, blocking the attack with a resounding crash.

Laufey snorted and conjured hundreds of ice spikes, launching them at Loki from all directions. But Loki remained calm. His shield split into four, spinning rapidly around him and shattering all the spikes, covering the cave floor with ice shards.

Laufey was genuinely shocked. He had used much of his strength in that attack. Despite having been weakened by the long absence of the Casket, he had once been a rival to Odin. Yet, Loki quickly blocked his attack, holding back most of his power. This meant Loki's strength had surpassed his own, and he had even tapped into the power of the Laws. But why had Loki never shown this before?

Laufey opened the Casket with a desperate heart, unleashing a wave of cold air. He infused the ice lances with this power and shot them out again.

"The once mighty Frost Giant King was reduced to using a weapon for power. How far you've fallen."

Loki took a deep breath and blew out a cloud of blue cold mist. As the mist enveloped the ice cones, they shattered into pieces, which were then absorbed by the expanding mist. The fog covered Laufey as Loki intoned, "Absolute zero!"

Laufey felt an unprecedented chill spreading through his body, a fear he had never known. As a Frost giant, he was suffering from the cold. Soon, his body stiffened, his mind dulled, and he was immobilized in a layer of ice.

After blowing out the cold mist, Loki's face paled. He endured the discomfort and stepped forward to retrieve the Casket. Looking at the frozen Laufey, he said, "I told you not to come to Asgard again. You may be my biological father, but you never fulfilled your duties as one. I have a mother who raised and loves me. If you dare to harm her, I will kill you, father or not."

Loki cast one last glance at Laufey before leaving. Half an hour later, the ice around Laufey shattered, and he regained mobility. Watching the direction Loki had gone, his expression changed several times before he burst into laughter.

"Odin, I may have lost everything in my life, but I've won in one thing. My son is better than yours. Hahaha!"

After laughing, Laufey also left the cave. Soon, Asgard's previously tense situation relaxed. The threat of an ice giant attack mysteriously dissipated, leaving everyone confused. But the goddess Frigga looked at Loki knowingly as if she had figured out what had happened.