Inside the dungeons of Asgard's palace.
The inside of every cell was brightly lit, while the cell doors were made of glowing Energy Barriers.
The prisoners in the cells were all kinds of beings. Some were covered in thick beards and dressed heavily, resembling ancient Viking pirates. Others belonged to different races with black skin, and there were even species that looked as though they were made of stone.
The number of extraterrestrial intelligent races visible here alone had already surpassed the number William had seen throughout the Main Universe's Milky Way Galaxy.
The cell near the dungeon's exit contained a comfortable bed, a low table, and a sofa. Loki, dressed in casual clothes, was lying on the bed and leisurely reading a book, seemingly planning to cultivate his mind and character for a while.
However.
When a new group of prisoners was escorted past the cell by soldiers, one of them, wearing a dark crimson mask, cast Loki a meaningful glance.
Immediately afterward.
The new prisoners were escorted into a cell. The soldiers opened the Energy Barrier, then left.
A short while later.
The prisoner wearing the dark crimson mask suddenly thrust his hand into his abdomen with a wet squelch, retrieving a black "stone" through his previous wound.
He stared at the "stone" in his right hand and hesitated for a moment, but then, as if he had made up his mind, clenched it hard.
"Sss~!"
In an instant, his body was covered by a substance resembling magma, while a black aura of corruption radiated from him./
"Boom~--!"
The black aura of corruption swept through the entire cell, knocking down all the other prisoners confined there.
After the impact, the prisoner crouched in the center of the cell in excruciating pain, pounding the floor with both clenched fists.