Light (Part 2)

The climate of Planet Sakaar alternates between extreme cold and extreme heat throughout the year. When summer arrives, hot winds blow from the scorched meteorite craters, over the red rocky mountains, past countless roaring mines, and over the huge arena, where the enthusiastic shouts are noisier than the wind.

The Planet Sakaar Grand Arena is one of the most famous arenas in the universe. This arena was not built by the modern New Sakaaran, but is a relic of the previous civilization. Therefore, it bears the imprint of ancient Planet Sakaar, appearing very rugged and possessing a wild beauty.

Log pillars overlapped above the solid columns, engraved with the magical patterns unique to the Sakaaran. Looking through the gaps between the pillars, the huge arena was filled with Heat Wave. The broken bricks and stones could no longer cover the entire arena floor, and the newly born Sakaaran were not capable of filling it in, so it looked very mottled.

On either side of the arena are two high platforms constructed of steel and machinery, which are the creations of the newly born Sakaaran. Standing on one side of the platform is the current ruler of Kallstar —the "The Red King" Anmo Yashan.

Two tall Kallstar Guardians stood behind him, holding spears to protect their His Majesty the Emperor.

On the opposite side of the high platform, opposite the Red King, stood the Grandmaster, renowned throughout the universe. Unlike the Sakaarans, his skin was not red; instead, it was a vibrant blue, and his forehead was covered with golden markings.

He sat in a special chair, and the guards behind him were not as tall as the Sakaaran, but they were all wearing robes and surrounded by magical power.

At this moment, two aliens were fighting in the arena. Calling them aliens wouldn't be accurate; it should be an alien fighting a strangely shaped beast. The insect looked just like the giant insect that pulled the red guy's cart back then. It was a unique alien insect from Planet Sakaar.

The gladiatorial combat on the field was in full swing. The alien facing this ferocious beast was already covered in wounds, while the Red King and the Grandmaster on the stage were watching with great interest.

Unexpectedly, at that moment, the alien feinted a roll to fool the giant worm that was not agile enough to turn around, and then cut off one of its legs. The giant worm was driven mad by the pain, and swept its tail covered with sharp scales backward, directly knocking the gladiator away. Then it turned around and bit off his head, and the gladiatorial combat ended just like that.

The Grandmaster and the Red King were somewhat dissatisfied, but upon seeing the death and bloodshed, the other spectators began to shout.

The atmosphere in the arena grew increasingly heated. Prince Ashan, standing behind the Red King, stepped forward and whispered a few words to his father. The guards behind the Red King crossed their spears, the metal shafts striking each other with a crisp sound, and the arena fell silent.

"... We all know that in this universe, there is a race that calls itself gods. They are powerful and warlike, and once ravaged the universe, striking fear into the hearts of countless civilizations..."

"Today, our powerful and distinguished guest, His Grandmaster, has brought us one of them, while my youngest son, the future heir of Planet Sakaar, your Prince, has brought us the other..."

The Red King raised his voice and said, "Let's see together how these Asgardian, who consider themselves the most perfect beings in the universe, will behave when they fight each other."

Below the mechanical platform are two large gates, which are the areas where gladiators prepare. Two gladiators will emerge from these two gates and enter the arena to fight.

Amid cheers from the crowd, the main gate on the Red King's side opened first, and Thor stepped out.

Just as the Red King was about to announce the entry of another gladiator, the Grandmaster cleared his throat and said, "He is no ordinary Asgardian. Please allow me to introduce him to everyone..."

The Red King showed no displeasure at being interrupted. He raised an eyebrow with interest and looked at his son, Prince Ashan was somewhat bewildered. He didn't know that Thor had any special identity, but the Grandmaster's words surprised him greatly. "The person in front of you... yes, it's him. You may not recognize him, but he is very famous. He is the son of All-Father Odin, the Prince of Asgard, and the most valiant warrior of Asgard!"

The entire arena fell silent for a moment, then erupted into a huge uproar. Clearly, this was a fact that shocked everyone, including the Red King and Prince Ashan.

Unlike the Grandmaster, a knowledgeable member of the Cosmic Elder Council, they were merely the royal family of this planet and had no connection with the major powers of the universe. Therefore, they had never seen Odin and the army of Asgard, and naturally, they did not know Thor at all.

More importantly, Thor was the noble Great Prince of Asgard, but now he was emaciated and haggard, no different from the miners and slaves who had been tortured in the mines for a long time.

He wasn't wearing the armor Prince Ashan had provided, not even the inner soft armor. His original clothes were already tattered, and he was only holding the spear in his hand, but it seemed as if he was using the spear to support his tired body.

Prince Ashan was initially shocked, then burst into laughter. The other Sakaaran on the field also started laughing, their sharp laughter echoing in Thor's ears.

But unlike before when he was mocked, he didn't let out a bull-like hissing sound and roar as he brandished his weapon, ready to kill these scum who dared to challenge him.

Thor simply stood calmly in the center of the arena, letting the malicious taunts and mockery surge towards him like waves. A sharp will almost burst forth from his eyes, transforming into a sharp blade of light surrounding him.

After the laughter and discussion gradually subsided, the Grandmaster spoke again, "And coincidentally, the Asgard I captured, a fool who walked right into my trap, was also Prince of Asgard..."

"They are not only Prince of Asgard, but also brothers." The Grandmaster smiled and said, "Therefore, you will not only see the struggle between the Asgard crown princes, but also brothers turning against each other and killing each other."

Upon hearing this, Thor finally reacted. His eyes widened, and he turned to look at the Grandmaster. The Grandmaster sneered, "That cunning brat set a trap for me and stole my bet. That damned faithless man, how could I let him get away with this?"

"However, I spared his life, precisely to wait until today..."

Then Thor saw the arena doors opposite him slowly open, and the figure emerging from the shadows was Loki.

Thor could hardly believe his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, then opened them again.

But that was indeed Loki.

Suddenly, Thor realized something, and an extreme anger ignited in his eyes. He understood. This was probably another damned prank!

But before he could vent his anger, Thor was stunned because Loki appeared in such a miserable state.

Loki walked slowly out of the arena, clearly trying to maintain his dignity, but his current situation was extremely miserable.

Loki had a shackle on his left wrist, and blood was dripping from the shackle onto the ground. His body was covered in wounds, with a deep, bone-revealing gash running from his left shoulder down to his right lower back, and blood had soaked through his clothes.

Loki's face was as pale as a sheet. He had just stepped out the door when he knelt on the ground, panting heavily. Thor's anger was burning inside him. He gritted his teeth and said to Loki, "You lied to me again, didn't you?!"

"... Did I lie to you?" Thor heard Loki's voice, which was strained and filled with pain.

"Was the attack on the Bifrost a hoax? Was the destruction of my body a hoax? Or perhaps..." Loki swallowed hard, coughing twice. Thor smelled a strong stench of blood, and he heard Loki say, "... the divine power and divine authority within you are fake?"

Thor was stunned.

Previously, he was so immersed in the despair and sorrow of Loki's death that he had not mobilized the divine power within him. But now, he focused his attention and felt the divine power and divine authority unique to the god of Fire God surging within him. Since being exiled to Earth by Odin, he had not felt such abundant power for a long time.

Loki can only have one divine office and one divine power. This is an unchangeable rule in Asgard. Now that the god of Fire God and his divine power are in his body, it means that Loki has lost all his power. In other words, he will no longer have the divine power to cast illusions or create illusions.

In other words... Thor strode up to Loki, and the instant his hand touched Loki's shoulder, he was certain that Loki's injuries were real. Thor gasped.

Loki had never been so badly injured.

All the mages of Asgard do not charge to the front lines; they usually stay at the rear of the lines, casting distraction spells. Loki has been on the battlefield, but he has never fought on the front lines, and therefore has almost no chance of getting injured.

Thor remembers that Loki's most serious injury was when he was ambushed by an enemy assassin who had sneaked behind the lines during a battle. An arrow grazed his arm, and the wound healed in less than two hours. However, Frigga was heartbroken for three whole days afterward, and Frigga kept talking about it for over five hundred years.

Thor felt dizzy and his fingers were trembling. The strong smell of blood emanating from Loki made him feel lightheaded. Thor had never imagined that a seasoned warrior like himself could feel dizzy from the smell of blood.

"Get out of here," Loki said.

"Loki ... Loki, tell me, what's going on?" Thor staggered back two steps.

Loki coughed violently twice, the trembling of his chest causing his wounds to reopen, but the Grandmaster and the Red King on the high platform were not satisfied with the two's "tender" conversation; what they wanted to see was a gladiatorial battle of mutual destruction.

The Grandmaster extended One Hand, and a flash of magical light appeared between his fingers. Loki let out a scream, and several magical halos appeared around his body.

Now Thor knows how Loki got that huge wound: the magical auras were cutting into Loki's body, causing him to scream in agony.

The Grandmaster said, "Attack him! Loki! This is the arena. Whoever he was before, whatever your relationship was, he is now your opponent..."

"If you don't attack him, you'll be the one who dies, understand?!"

The magical aura vanished, Loki fell to the ground, whereupon he lay motionless. Accompanying Loki heavy breathing was the faint sound of wind whipping up dust, a sound no one could hear.

That sharp willpower began to materialize, a small whirlwind rose around Thor's feet, Thor's hand holding the spear began to tremble.

Just as the Grandmaster and the Red King began to laugh at Loki's miserable state, a deep rumbling sound echoed from the far horizon of Planet Sakaar—

It thundered on this planet where it never rains.