God of Trickery

Chaos, darkness, and cold—that was all Thor felt. After a pain that seemed to tear his body apart, he awoke, and when he found himself conscious again, he was overwhelmed by terrifying despair and agony.

Thor lay on a barren field, struggling to open his eyes. Before him was a hazy white mist, followed by a barely perceptible halo of light. He felt his lips were cracked, his whole body was in excruciating pain, and his breath carried a heavy, metallic taste of blood.

Loki is dead?

Loki... is dead.

He witnessed Loki being struck by the light of the Bifrost and then returning to the World Tree.

He also witnessed his divine authority being stripped away, which meant that Loki's physical body was indeed destroyed, and his last action before death was to transfer his divine authority and power into himself.

Thor lay there, feeling a raging fire burning in his chest. He didn't know if it was Loki's divine power or his own anger.

The Bifrost, Asgard's most powerful weapon, killed Loki.

The person who manipulated him was Heimdall.

The thought of this fact made Thor feel as if his soul was about to split open.

He knew all too well that Heimdall's most important job was to guard the Bifrost, and that no one could possibly cross it to attack Loki.

Heimdall killed Loki, Thor was unwilling to admit it, but he knew it was the truth.

Thor didn't want to think about what caused all of this, but he knew he understood.

Thor always knew that the Asgard disliked Loki, and could even be said to despise and loathe him. They were even dissatisfied with having to obey the All-Father's rule to bow to Loki, because they felt that Loki was a person without any sense of honor and was not worthy of being a member of Asgard.

Thor knew his brother was sensitive and suspicious, and had felt resentful several times for being ignored by the Asgard.

Thor thought that he had condoned all of this, condoning the endless suspicion and contempt Loki from the rest of Asgard.

He recalled Loki's words to him: were these people truly not driven by a desire for power and profit? Just because he was the future heir to Asgard, did they think they could treat another prince without a right of succession this way? Treating him as an enemy, constantly on guard against him, and harboring the utmost malice towards him?

Does their self-promotion also stem from a utilitarian motive of seeking personal gain?

Thor lay on the ground, his thoughts beginning to wander, but at the same time, he started to imagine: if he had grabbed Loki by the neck today, would Heimdall have dared to activate the Bifrost to attack him?

He dared not, Thor told himself. Heimdall certainly wouldn't dare do that, because he was the future heir of Asgard, while Loki was just an unappreciated prince.

This is the most important reason that led to all these tragedies. Thor closed his eyes, his breathing becoming heavier and heavier. He thought, the Asgard are dissatisfied with Loki and therefore ignore him. Loki resents the All-Father and the other people in Asgard for their injustice. And what has he done?

I did nothing.

When the seeds of conflict were sown, he was basking in the glory of his honors and military achievements; as the conflict deepened, he was basking in the praise of others for his bravery.

Many people and many things played out before Thor's eyes. He became sworn brothers with all his peers in Asgard. They always praised him with smiles, went hunting for him, brought him fresh fruit, and served him Fine Wine.

Thor saw the face of Odin, the All-Father, in his eyes again. In his memory, Odin had never expressed satisfaction with this, nor had Odin ever praised Thor's reputation among the people of Asgard.

Perhaps Odin knew all along that there was too much insincere praise in this world, and that once one became addicted to it, one would become arrogant and conceited.

When exactly did he start to become like this?

Thor began to recall how he followed Odin on his campaigns, surrounded by the praise of his subordinates and the compliments of his predecessors. The voices grew louder and louder, lifting his soul higher and higher, making him feel omnipotent and entitled.

Are there any genuine praises among these people? Perhaps there are; some must be proud of his bravery and skill in battle.

Whether they truly submitted to his military might and leadership, or believed that such military prowess would bring them and their families more glory, no one knows.

Thor suddenly found it somewhat laughable. He had once been so obsessed with such praise, like a dog chasing a bone. They could manipulate his emotions with just a few words, making him complacent and causing him to ignore many things he shouldn't have.

The praise of his subjects and subordinates could bring a smile to the king's face, but Thor found himself making that smile his ultimate goal.

Accompanied by endless regret and sorrow, Thor's consciousness was shrouded in a layer of black mist, and then slowly sank into deeper darkness. After an unknown amount of time, a drop of cold rain fell on his face, and the tickling of a feather brushing against his cheek made Thor open his eyes from his daze.

His breathing was very faint, and he heard a high-pitched voice say, "He's awake! He's awake!"

Thor struggled to breathe, opened his eyes, and saw sunlight streaming down his face, making him feel waves of Heat Wave wash over him. Just then, a huge wing stretched out in front of his face, shielding him from the sun, and a bird's face approached him, asking, "You're awake? Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Thor heard it speaking what seemed to be the Common Tongue of some peripheral galaxy, but Thor could understand some of it. He said, "Where... is this?"

"This is the edge of the Vokkar Red Ring, how did you end up here?"

"What is the Vokkar Red Ring?"

"Oh, I see! You're also a criminal who was exiled here, right? This is Planet Sakaar, the main planet of the Teyo System in the Furnace System. Of course, people in the universe prefer to call this Sakaar junkyard."

Planet Sakaar?

Thor's mind was a complete blank. After a long while, he remembered that he had once passed through this place with the All-Father, which was why he could understand some of the Common Tongue here.

He opened his chapped lips and looked at the sky. The sky here was completely different from Earth's, covered with a faint green layer. A huge planet with rings hung in the sky, and the sun seemed larger and the sunlight more scorching.

The sun grew larger and larger before his eyes, its white light becoming increasingly dazzling, gradually filling his entire field of vision, leaving everything in a pale white expanse.

With a "click," the white light disappeared, the lamp switch was turned off, Schiller, sitting by the hospital bed, said, "So why did you throw him onto Planet Sakaar?"

"Of course, it's because that place is really suitable for him."

A voice came from the hospital bed, but no body could be seen. Somewhat Shocker, Loki's head was resting on the pillow, while his body was surrounded by starlight.

Calling it starlight wouldn't be accurate, because all the stars within it were made of black Slime stuck together. His body was like the Web made of Symbiote, with the black Slime striving to climb and move, collecting the scattered power of those stars and weaving it back into his body.

Schiller, holding a cup of coffee, said, "I was going to pour you a cup, but since you don't have digestive organs now, I'll pass."

Schiller and Loki looked at Loki's body together. Loki laughed, Schiller said, "You actually have the mood to laugh?"

"Of course I'm in the mood to laugh. I can even guess what that idiot is thinking right now."

"He must feel incredibly stupid for believing the praise he received from those people before. He must feel like a Joker for taking the least important things so seriously."

"Honor, honor..." Loki said with a sigh, "Who bestows honor upon whom?"

The door hinge clicked, Strange walked in. He glanced at Loki and said, "If I had known your plan was this risky, I would never have brought Thor with me."

"Was it risky? Well, I admit there was a bit of gambling involved, but clearly, I gambled right."

"Tell me your plan from the beginning. I think you need an audience right now."

Loki smiled again, looking relaxed, and then began his story.

"Thor's biggest problem is that he is too obsessed with those fabricated feelings of honor and mission. He never figured out one thing: who really bestows the honor upon whom?"

"The All-Father stands on the highest throne, and whoever he bestows honor upon becomes a valiant warrior of Asgard. But Thor is the exact opposite. Everyone praises him as the valiantst warrior of Asgard, so he believes it to be true."

"The Asgardian are a very strange race." Loki's tone was a mix of sarcasm and wistfulness. "They are born warlike, but they are unwilling to admit that it is the violent genes in their bones that make them want to start wars at all times."

"So they tried to cloak the war in a veneer of hypocrisy, calling it an honor and a mission, but in reality they were just indulging in the pleasure of victory and conquest."

"A king who cannot understand this will never be able to rule the Asgardian, but clearly the All-Father did a good enough job."

"He treated war like a bone to a dog, and used honor and mission as chains and collars to drive the warriors of Asgard to fight for him, while worshipping him as the wisest king, willingly submitting to his rule and seizing the fruits of victory for him."

"Thor didn't understand this; he went with the pack of dogs chasing bones instead of being a man who held a chain and threw bones."

"If this continues, he will be deceived by honor and lead Asgard toward the Abyss of destruction."

"His trust in the Asgard was based on their praise of him, but the All-Father never needed the praise of the Asgard; he only needed them to fight bravely for him."

"What was the All-Father's ultimate purpose in throwing Thor to Earth? To teach him humility? To teach him kindness?"

"No, no monarch needs these things. Besides, although I often laugh at Thor, I have to admit that he is actually a good person, kind enough, even a little too kind, which makes him seem stupid."

"The All-Father wanted him to understand that any praise he received from anyone in Asgard, any talk of honor or mission, was meaningless."

Without sufficient power and weapons, he could only live a difficult and impoverished life, just like an ordinary Earthling.

"Only when he wakes up from that false sense of honor can he embark on the true path to becoming a king."

Why did he cause such a scene in Jotunheim? It was because he was worried. He was worried that the uproar at the ceremony might severely damage his image in the eyes of the Asgard. He was worried that the Asgard would no longer respect him as much. He was worried that this unexpected incident might make him unable to win over the people.

"But the All-Father never used any image, face or ceremony to win people over; no one has ever dared to question his majesty."

"We all understand this. In fact, apart from Thor himself, many bystanders can see that he has put the cart before the horse. But this may also be related to his father's upbringing. Odin concocted a set of rhetoric about honor and then deceived his son as well."

"You wanted him to realize this, to wake him from this false sense of honor, so you staged this self-inflicted injury?"

"But there's something I don't understand," Strange said, looking at Loki. "How did you manage all of this?"

"That's actually the simplest thing. Sif and those three idiots don't trust me at all, you could only say they hate me. Heimdall seems to be neutral, but I know he's very suspicious of me."

"I deliberately ran back and forth between several warehouses right under their noses, banging and knocking, behaving suspiciously."

"I grew up with Sif and the others. To be honest, I know they are simple-minded and rarely think in complicated ways. What's surprising is that they don't see me as a threat. They probably only think that I'm trying to play some kind of prank."

"But their families are different. Sif's two brother are both vice-captains of the fleet, and of the other three, two have elders who are close advisors to Odin's throne, and the other is the vice-commander of the palace guards..."

"They have always kept a close eye on me because what they cannot accept most is any possibility of me rising to power. Everyone knows that once I rise to power, they will have absolutely no wars to fight, Asgard will go down a completely different path."

"This group of Asgardian has violence and war ingrained in their bones. They will never accept such an outcome, so they will definitely instill this idea in their children: keep a close eye on me and don't let me pose any threat to Thor."

"Thor is the king they want, and I am not."

"Originally, this was a given, but recently, the All-Father's attitude has become somewhat subtle..."

"Indeed, he banished Thor to the mortal realm and then gave you a divine position, making you the first among your peers."

"I can imagine how they tossed and turned trying to figure out the mind of the All-Father, and just when they wanted to test him, the All-Father fell asleep."

"At this crucial moment, I sneak in and out of various warehouses, making it seem as if I want to plot against Thor. They will then unite like headless flies, discussing what I am up to and whether I will really threaten Thor."

"And so I attracted most of the attention of this group, including Heimdall, who was guarding the Bifrost."

"Heimdall is the One person in Asgard besides the All-Father who has the right to activate the Bifrost. Even Queen Frigga and the Grand Commander of the Royal Guard do not have this right."

"So you brought the Destroyer to Earth, and then pretended to kill Thor and his companions to lure the Bifrost to attack you. Aren't you afraid that the Bifrost will actually kill you?"

"That's why I say I have an element of gambling." A hint of madness flashed in Loki's eyes, but his tone remained calm. At this moment, he was more like the infamous God of Trickery.

"I know Heimdall a bit. He's a rather conservative type of Asgard. In other words, while he supports Thor, he only has some doubts about me, rather than strong opposition."

"To put it simply, he doesn't dislike me, he just thinks I'm not suitable to be the successor of Asgard. When I was running business in the universe recently, I frequently used the Bifrost, and he didn't say anything."

"So I'm certain that even if he remotely controls the Bifrost to attack me, he'll control the power and won't actually kill me; he'll just stop me from harming Thor,"

"But you performed the 'Death of Loki' in front of Thor."

"That's right, we have to thank him for this." Loki lowered his head and looked at the Venom in his body. Venom was busy and didn't have time to answer them, so Loki said to himself, "When this Symbiote came to me before, he said that he wanted to devour his kind, and his kind contained the most refined power of Knull."

"After adapting to my body, he began his plan, but he discovered that it wasn't so simple. The Symbiote called Riot, relying on Knull's power, was putting up a stubborn resistance, and Venom had no good way to eliminate it."

"If we go head-to-head, the final result will likely be mutual destruction. Riot will consume all the power that Knull left him, Venom will gain nothing."

"I understand," Strange sighed. "So you two were in cahoots?"

"It's a win-win situation. Venom put Riot into my body, and then when Bifrost attacks me, it uses it to absorb most of the damage. This weakens Riot's power and also protects me from the damage."

"How did you get into this state?"

"The Bifrost is Asgard's most powerful weapon. Even at its lowest output, it's enough to seriously injure me. But this effect isn't explosive enough and might not be enough to provoke Thor. I have to give him a real death scene."

"So, when Bifrost attacked me, I had Venom simultaneously attack Riot. The two Symbiote fought inside me. I don't know if you understand what their battle entailed..."

"I understand. In a mere second, they can launch an army-wide operation in every single cell of your body, with an effect roughly equivalent to detonating a giant nuclear bomb in every single cell..."

"That's right. The battle between Venom and Riot destroyed almost all of my body and also showed Thor a real scene of death."

"You must have other motives, such as your divine power and divine office?"

"That's right. Based on my previous investigation..." Loki sighed and said, "I've discovered that I might not be well-suited for the role of the god of Fire God."

"But the Asgard priesthood is a very magical thing. Once you choose it, you can never change it. An Asgard with a divine priesthood can hardly change his or her priesthood, except for one possibility: death, or being very close to death."

"In that instant, the Venom sealed my consciousness and then dissolved my body, which fooled the World Tree into thinking I was dead, so my divine power and divine authority were extracted from my body."

"When my consciousness returned, I voluntarily poured my power and divine authority into Thor's body, and I could then start over and find a more suitable divine authority."

"So, the two of you can obtain three divine powers and divine positions. How did the World Tree give birth to such a genius as you?" Schiller said with a smile.

Strange sighed, "The people of Asgard wove a web of lies for Thor with praise and boasting, and you, the God of Lies, died to expose that lie..."

"Well then..." The three of them exchanged glances and smiled.

"... Calculate the area of Thor's psychological trauma at this moment."

Yesterday, I saw that the reward for the monthly ticket event was an extra chapter. In order to avoid the extra chapter, I very decisively entered an impossible number (in my opinion): 10,000 monthly tickets.

When I woke up today, I saw that it was over four thousand.

Everything went black.