God of Mischief and Lies, Loki

Asgard.

As the habitat of the renowned Asgardian in the universe, this place is not very vast.

Odin conquered the Nine Realms, leaving very little land behind.

It is a small planet, but to be precise, it is more like a continent floating in space, with an area roughly the size of the Old America.

This is a world with edges, where endless, surging seawater flows towards the edge of the world, plunging swiftly into an abyss.

As the light of the Bifrost flashed across the vast galaxy, Heimdall swung the golden divine sword, and the enormous torrent of energy gradually subsided.

A figure slowly emerged from the radiance.

It was Ben.

When Loki truly awakened his power, Odin, through divine connection, had a conversation with Loki in his consciousness, clearly stating that he would pass on his divine position to him.

"I never imagined that kid would actually inherit the throne of Asgard."

At that moment, amidst the rainbow's glow, another slender figure clad in silver armor slowly emerged.

It's Brunnhilde.

Upon learning that Loki was about to succeed to the throne of the God King, she returned from Sakaar to this long-lost kingdom.

Although she now serves the new king and can no longer serve the Asgardian, Loki is still a comrade-in-arms. As one of the most powerful warriors on Sakaar, it's not surprising that she came to offer her congratulations with Ben.

"Loki as the God King... I have a feeling something's off about that."

Ben said with a smile.

It just doesn't feel quite right.

He felt things weren't that simple, because Loki's goal was never to become king; he just wanted recognition.

As the two were talking, they looked up and saw Heimdall guarding the Bifrost.

This guardian was clad in golden armor, with a dark face and empty, lifeless, yet piercing golden pupils that seemed to see through the Nine Realms.

Welcome to Asgard, King of Sakaar.

Heimdall was very polite to Ben.

Because both he and Odin had witnessed Ben transform into Cosmigod using their divine power.

In their view, Ben might have originally been a part of the Divine Realm, someone recognized by the Yggdrasil.

"Aren't you welcoming me, Heimdall?"

Brunnhilde asked immediately.

Heimdall, as a veteran of Asgard, had lived for so long that he naturally knew this last survivor among the Valkyries.

"Odin Allfather, will be pleased to see you return home."

Brunnhilde simply smiled at this.

Asgard is no longer her home; her hometown is now called Saka.

Heimdall, being a man of few words, would find it difficult to deal with Brunnhilde. Besides, the Valkyries' entire army was indeed wiped out back then, and Odin had truly wronged them.

All of this left Heimdall speechless.

Fortunately, Loki arrived.

He rode in a flower-covered carriage, surrounded by dozens of fairies who moved forward with him, showering flowers from their baskets wherever they went.

Loki stood with one foot on the front of the float, chest raised, holding Mjolnir aloft in one hand. He was clad in gleaming silver armor, and a crimson Cloak billowed behind him.

It looks just like a sculpture.

He shouted as he went:

Loki has arrived!

"Your king has arrived!"

Thor stood by the roadside, looking at Loki with a complicated expression. He felt both resentful and happy for Loki, mixed with the bitterness of watching Loki recklessly play with his beloved hammer.

Isn't this a kind of minotaur?

The Asgardian Warriors and Sif were by his side, comforting him.

But many more people were cheering for Loki.

Seemingly sensing Ben's arrival, Loki flicked the reins, and the float immediately turned around and headed towards the Rainbow Wall.

When the float stopped in front of Ben, Loki looked at Ben with an arrogant expression and said...

"You've come."

"Feel honored! You are about to witness a legend!" Loki exclaimed, raising his arms in awe. "But for a mortal like you, simply coming to Asgard is already a tremendous honor!"

Clearly, after a few days of being surrounded by admirers, Loki got a little cocky and forgot who he was.

So much so that he now dares to be a little cheeky in front of Ben.

But Ben wasn't going to tolerate him.

"Get down! Don't force me to hit you when you're at your happiest!"

Loki:...

You're scarier than my dad!

Upon hearing his words, Loki shuddered, his imposing demeanor vanishing instantly. He shrank back and nimbly jumped off the float.

Then he coughed awkwardly twice in front of Ben.

Heimdall couldn't bear to look at his shameless behavior.

The thought that Asgard's future was going to be handed over to this shameless fellow filled Heimdall with despair.

So Heimdall simply closed his eyes.

"Sorry, I got a little carried away."

"But I'm serious, today you're going to witness the birth of a legend." Loki winked at Ben, then invited them to board the carriage.

"My dad and mom have been wanting to meet you for a long time."

The float turned around again.

This time, Loki swung the reins, urging the white winged horses to gallop through the air. The winged horses' footprints left behind an arc of rainbow light in the air.

On both sides of the arc of light, flowers bloom in abundance.

Their destination was the magnificent palace of the Asgardian.

The entire palace appears to be made of a metal similar to gold, its majestic appearance resembling rows of elegant orchestral instruments.

When the wind blows through the Asgard, it seems to play a melodious tune.

As soon as the float landed, Ben and Brunnhilde received the highest level of hospitality in Asgard.

Queen Frigg arrived first with countless fairies, draping Bant in a white veil and adorning him with a garland of life and vitality, and blessing him with their magic.

Next, she thanked Ben for taking care of Loki on Sakaar.

Then he showed loving and compassionate care for Brunnhilde.

Even Brunnhilde harbored no resentment towards Frigga; the problem stemmed from Odin himself.

The endless expansion of the divine kingdom and the ceaseless slaughter had long since driven Hela mad.

Odin could have stopped her himself, but instead he forced the Valkyries to their deaths one by one.

Looking back now, it seems that back then, he probably already planned to bury this invincible army, along with his bloody and brutal history, along with his madwoman daughter.

Then he portrayed Asgard, and himself, as peaceful and loving, as if none of it had ever happened.

Brunnhilde didn't want to bring up the past; she was doing quite well now.

Although when she first established the Galactic Plumbers, she said that she would only be responsible for drinking and wouldn't care about anything else, in reality, apart from Caiera, no one cared more about the development of the Galactic Plumbers and Sakaar than her.

Watching a planet slowly revive from the brink of death is like watching her own wounded heart gush forth with Spring of Life from its wounds.

Immediately afterwards.

Ben and Frigga met with Odin together.

The meeting didn't last long, and Odin didn't seem to be in particularly good spirits; his aging body and ever-increasing divine power were causing him great distress.

Sensing that his time was coming to an end, Hela also began to restlessly challenge the seal.

This God King was very powerful, but he was already nearing the end of his life and had no time to spare for anything else.

Immediately afterwards, Frigga had the fairies Ben in magnificent attire, which resembled the clothing worn by the Vanir and was very similar to the attire of the Eldergod Ben, who had transformed into him.

Then the fairies led Ben and Brunnhilde to the banquet hall, where they enjoyed fine wines and delicacies, as well as performances presented by fairies and warriors.

As for Loki, he has long since disappeared.

After all, he's the main character today.

The king can't always dress like a soldier.

He had to remove his armor, put on a magnificent robe like Ben, and then, wearing his old crown, ascend the throne of Asgard amidst the praise of countless people.

Even after taking his seat in the VIP section, Ben still felt that today's coronation would not be peaceful.

Although Brunnhilde was originally from Asgard, there were hardly any familiar faces here now, and even fewer people recognized her.

Only occasionally did one or two people recognize the Valkyries pattern on her arm, marveling with surprise and astonishment that Valkyries was still alive.

So not long after, she went out and started drinking alone.

If there's anything in Asgard that she still cherishes, it's these fine wines that have been brewing for thousands of years.

Ben won't be old enough to drink until he's 21.

However, he is actually not interested in drinking.

Instead, let's watch the girls dance.

He just couldn't understand why there were dark-skinned fairies in Asgard. Odin, could it be that even you can't escape the proper punishment?

At the banquet, in addition to the Asgardian and Vanir, inhabitants from other parts of the Nine Realms also came to offer their congratulations.

Ben saw the Dwarf King arrive to offer his congratulations, wearing the crown he had forged for his new king.

At the same time, he also noticed that among the cheering crowds, there was one person who seemed very out of place.

The man was tall and burly, but now his shoulders slumped, his eyes were lifeless, and his head looked as if it were being shrunk into his neck.

It was Thor.

After the war ended, Thor was taken back to Asgard by Loki.

Through Odin's divine power and Frigga's magic, Thor was brought back to life.

Upon seeing Frigga and Odin, Thor first inquired about Loki's condition with concern.

Upon learning that Loki was not only unharmed but was about to become the King of Asgard, Thor felt as dejected as a bare tree that had lost all its leaves in winter.

An overwhelming sense of grievance welled up in my heart in an instant.

Thor had been born with a golden spoon in his mouth for over a thousand years, never imagined that one day he would actually lose his throne.

But more importantly, it's about what he experienced during his time on Earth.

That's how people are; when he's alone, Thor can chew up all the bitterness and swallow it down, as if it were nothing.

But once you have someone to rely on, someone who cares about you, a simple sentence like, "You must have suffered a lot," can make all the difference.

That would make his strength as fragile as glass, easily shattered.

He complained about Odin while sobbing uncontrollably in Frigga's arms.

In the past, Thor wouldn't have shed a tear even if he bled to death, but things are different now.

He is no longer Thor; he's just an ordinary person.

He was powerless to do anything when his younger brother was in danger.

And what about his friends, those countless Asgard beings...? How will he face them?

He used to be the Child of Odin, the God of Thunder, and the most valiant and powerful warrior in all of Asgard. Now, he can't even defeat a teenage Asgard child.

Thor felt he had no face to face anyone.

Those pitying glances, when they fell upon him, stung him like blades of prejudice.

It was only at this moment that he realized the torment Loki had endured for over a thousand years.

He felt extremely uneasy, thinking that it would be better to let him return to the Midgard and live out his remaining days there like an ordinary person until he died.

That's not bad either.

Despite feeling a bitter taste in his mouth, like eating an unripe persimmon, Thor was still happy for Loki.

At least, unlike his useless brother, Loki was truly recognized by the Hammer of Thor, received the power of Thor, and became the one who deserved it.

So, when Loki, dressed in his dark green robe with gold stripes and mysterious patterns, and wearing a magnificent golden crown with curved horns, walked down the flower-strewn red carpet amidst the blessings of the fairies.

Thor mustered his courage and, under the watchful eyes of countless Asgardian, walked up to Loki with his wine glass in hand.

At this moment, everyone held their breath, watching the clash between the two princes.

After all, not everyone wants Loki to actually become the God King.

As Loki watched Thor approach, his expression grew even more smug. He proudly raised his head, like a goat, his golden crown held high, piercing Thor's pride.

"Congratulations, Loki..." Thor smacked his lips, the words of blessing seeming too hot to utter.

"Continue."

Loki shifted his body, preparing to enjoy his victory rewards.

Compared to Thor's current expression, the throne and the hammer are utterly insignificant.

Thor stood there for a long time, holding his wine glass, feeling the countless gazes around him burning like flames.

He felt as if his skin was being burned, but after a long while, he seemed to finally feel relieved and said:

Congratulations, you've now achieved your goal.

"Mjolnir has chosen you; you are worthy to be the King of Asgard..."

"Promise me you'll become a better king, okay?"

After saying all this, Thor seemed to have used up all his strength.

But Loki shook his head and said, "You still don't understand, brother."

"It wasn't Mjolnir who chose me; it was never the hammer that made me king."

Loki recalled everything Ben had said.

"I was once just as confused as you, but someone told me that it was just a hammer, and I should decide for myself what kind of god I wanted to become."

"For you, and for all of us."

"And my choice is..."

At this point, Loki suddenly smiled, and then, under the gaze of countless people, he turned around and looked at Ben across the distance.

In that instant, seeing Loki's smile, Ben knew what he was planning.

"Truly worthy of being called the God of Pranks."

Then Loki winked at him and put a finger to his lips.

Then, he passed Thor and came before Odin, who sat on the throne.

The God King, who had been leaning against something, stood up with the support of the Gungnir. He walked to Loki and looked at Loki, who was bowing before him, waiting for him to bestow the throne upon him. A complex pride appeared in his eyes.

Finally, he spoke.

The Skyfather's voice, like a resounding bell, echoed throughout every corner of Asgard.

In an ancient and mysterious ceremony, Odin raised the crown representing power and strength high, which shimmered with magnificent light under the sun.

"I, Odin Bor, today pass the God King to my son, Loki Odinson!"

"From this day forward, he shall be the supreme ruler of the Nine Realms, the Allfather, and the lord of all deities..."

"Everyone will love him as they love their own Father, and serve him as they serve their own Lord!"

Loki, with a solemn expression, removed the old crown from his head.

Thank you, Father!

So Odin himself placed the new king's crown on Loki's head.

"Clang!"

In that instant, the golden crown fell.

Loki's figure had long since twisted and vanished, leaving only the fallen crown rolling on the floor, as if mocking the pitiful God King.

"I knew it!" Ben laughed so hard he almost fell over.

Odin was so angry that his beard stood on end, and he slammed the Gungnir into the ground.

"Loki!"