Loki suddenly felt as though his perspective had broadened.
Why cling desperately to the World Tree... this miserable place that had brought him nothing but pain... until death?
By stepping outside, he could see a far vaster world.
Beyond the Tree lay countless thriving civilizations and formidable beings like Dormammu.
Even Loki understood that if the World Tree were viewed as a single sphere of influence, it ranked among the most powerful in the entire universe. With so many sky-fathers holding it together, only a handful of organizations... like the Cosmic Council... could rival such an impressive lineup.
"I disagree! Loki, why would you even think that? You are the King of Asgard, the leader of all the Aesir. Where in history has there ever been a god-king who wanders the cosmos?!" Thor roared in anger.
"Keep your voice down. Just because those two are busy fighting and can't spare the time to deal with us doesn't mean they can't hear our conversation."
Loki shook his head, the corner of his mouth curving into a sly arc. "Besides, I'm not a god-king. I'm not even a sky-father."
For the king of the World Tree's foremost divine race to not even be a sky-father was indeed somewhat embarrassing if word got out.
In the long run, Loki had no confidence he could keep the entire World Tree in line. To say nothing of others, at the very least Adam... the man who had emerged from Midgard... wouldn't bother with him without some benefit involved.
The reason they had been able to ally this time was clear to Loki: Adam was interested in the bodies of the Frost Giants, and even more interested in Laufey himself as a sky-father.
What had been confirmed now was that Adam's greatest and most unexpected strength wasn't anything else... it was his ability to transfer his soul and consciousness. That meant as long as the nearby Xenomorphs weren't completely wiped out, killing Adam would be pointless.
The only unknown was the upper limit of that transfer distance. One planet? An entire star system? Or an entire galaxy?
Honestly, Loki was quite learned. He had studied for over a thousand years and absorbed all kinds of miscellaneous knowledge. Yet he had never encountered anyone like Adam.
Even sky-fathers each had their own specialized fields. It was normal for none of them to be all-encompassing. But Adam's ability was still extraordinarily rare.
Adam had prepared so extensively. He must be eager to taste a sky-father. At that point, he would only need to transfer his soul into the Xenomorph that burst from Laufey's chest. Loki thought.
Loki's mind was a mess. He gazed at the continuous bursts of light in the distance. In what seemed like an instant, countless suns had appeared across Jotunheim. He used Gungnir to block the aftershocks of the great battle, protecting the pitifully weak Thor.
"Thor, I just remembered something. A thousand years ago, you once defeated a dragon, right? Then that strange dragon fell to Midgard?"
Loki's head was filled with thoughts of Xenomorphs, Adam, soul transfers, and similar concepts when he suddenly asked the question.
"Yes, that happened. That black dragon was very strange. It gave off an extremely dangerous feeling, but when I casually hit it once, it actually collapsed…" Thor vaguely recalled the event.
In the past thousand years, the hot-tempered and battle-loving Thor had faced many opponents, but none had been as strange as that black dragon.
"I remember its skin and flesh were slowly writhing all over its body…"
Thor recalled that although it had looked incredibly powerful... its mere presence had made Thor feel a faint sense of dread... a single hammer blow had taken it down on the spot.
Loki's gaze drifted. Even Thor didn't know what his brother was thinking.
"The two of us should join forces. With Adam's help, we can definitely secure your position as king... I know you and Adam don't get along, but that's just a small conflict. There's no irreconcilable hatred between you…" Thor brought the conversation back to Loki's future, chattering earnestly.
Loki looked strangely at his brother. He suddenly realized that Thor had changed a great deal. The image of the hammer-swinging brute who used to roar "Follow me!" had faded into the distance.
It was both very interesting and deeply ironic.
"Right now, you are more suited to be a king than I am. I'll leave, and everything can return to its proper course."
"What nonsense are you saying? I angered Father, lost my divine power and Mjolnir... I'm not worthy of leading Asgard!"
"No, you are. I think Father feels the same," Loki said.
"Father? You… Father…?"
Thor followed Loki's gaze and turned his head.
Accompanied by the descent of the Bifrost, Odin's towering figure appeared in Jotunheim.
"Father? Is it really you? You were clearly… No, Loki... at a time like this, you shouldn't be creating illusions to deceive me! The two of us must join forces to face every challenge!"
There was a slight tremor in Thor's voice. He wanted to believe it, but reason told him he shouldn't.
"Thor, you've grown." Odin appeared even older now, radiating a heavy aura of twilight. His first words made Thor's eyes widen, growing moist.
It was unmistakable. This was his father, the God-King Odin.
Father hadn't died? But what did that mean? During all this time…
Thor suddenly whipped his head around, eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at the expressionless Loki. "Was it you who hid Father's survival? You deceived everyone... the entire World Tree!"
"You really have grown. At least your mind is sharper than before. You know it was me, not Father and I working together."
A trace of mockery appeared on Loki's face. He slowly raised Gungnir, turned it horizontally, and tossed it to its original owner.
The entire motion was extremely natural, as if he had rehearsed it countless times.
Perhaps in Loki's mind, he had already simulated this exact scene countless times and prepared himself mentally.
Odin fixed his one remaining eye on his youngest son. His face showed a hint of complexity and reluctance.
"Why the grim expression, Father? That's not like you at all. Shouldn't you feel relieved by this scene? Thor has proven himself. He wasn't lacking potential. On the contrary, he used his actions to prove he has astonishing potential. Now he is qualified to be a proper King of Asgard."
Loki took two steps back, creating distance between himself and the pair before him, as if an insurmountable chasm lay between them. "As for his lost divine power, I'm sure you have a way, Father. The true God of Thunder shouldn't need to rely on a hammer to become a god."
"You're very clever, though you've made some mistakes... just like Thor once did. But that's fine. I'm not afraid of you making mistakes. What I fear is that you'll keep making them forever without realizing where you need to change."
Odin spoke slowly. His voice was deep and hoarse. Every syllable carried an unsettling weight. "Come back with me, Loki. With your brother."
"The matter isn't over yet. You want me to return halfway? Quitting midway isn't a good habit, Father. That's something you taught me repeatedly," Loki said, retreating another step.
At this moment, only the Casket of Ancient Winters in his hand brought him any comfort, resonating closely with the divine power within his body.
Thor's head was spinning, but he had begun to vaguely sense that when Loki said the matter wasn't over, he wasn't referring to the fight between Adam and Laufey.
He was referring to Loki's own future and fate.
"You orchestrated this war. You created the opportunity to conquer Jotunheim. Don't you want to return to Asgard and accept your people's cheers? No matter what, that is what you deserve… my son." Exhaustion was plain on Odin's face.
But he still wanted to bring his youngest son back rather than let him wander the cosmos.
Odin knew very well how dangerous the universe was. Carrying the identity of Odin's son, Loki would inevitably attract the attention of dangerous individuals wherever he went.
To say nothing of others, Loki's strength and divine bloodline would surely draw the eyes of those with ill intentions.
"Those cheers belong to Thor, not me. I have my own path."
Loki pointed toward the center of Jotunheim. Even from a great distance, one could faintly sense the bloody battle between those two terrifying figures.
"Besides, the current situation also bears Adam's handiwork. I've never seen anyone like him… I think since I'm destined not to get what I want in my original position, it's time to step out of the safe zone and live for myself instead of doing everything for the throne of Asgard like I did before."
"Then where do you plan to go?" At this moment, Odin seemed more like an old man in his twilight years. The former imposing authority and unquestionable tone had faded, replaced by a touch of gentleness.
"First, I'll go take a look at Midgard. I've thought of something very interesting. I imagine Midgard's Sorcerer Supreme won't try to kill me on sight, right?" Loki said.
Odin breathed a sigh of relief. "If it's Midgard, I'll contact the Ancient One."
What Odin didn't know was that Loki had never intended to remain in the World Tree for long.
He was filled with disgust for this world of gods.
"When they determine a victor and everything is settled, I will choose to leave," Loki said.
Odin replied, "Whether Adam wins or loses in the end, Laufey must die here. He did far too many things he shouldn't have while I slept. And he even tried to take my son. That is absolutely unforgivable."
A flicker crossed Loki's eyes, but it quickly faded.
The three father and sons watched the battle, each with their own thoughts. But they could all see that Laufey had fallen into a disadvantage.
Without the Casket of Ancient Winters, Laufey wasn't at his peak. On top of that, he had been viciously stabbed by Loki with Gungnir and was carrying an injury.
This already foreshadowed the outcome.
Sure enough, before long, the power Laufey could wield grew weaker and weaker. He was visibly suppressed by Adam, his space for survival being squeezed smaller bit by bit.
At this moment, the entire realm of Jotunheim was experiencing planet-wide earthquakes. Massive continental plates tore apart. It was as if the world itself was uttering the most terrible wail of agony over its cruel fate... or perhaps playing the final dirge for its king.
Boom!
Adam struck from both sides. He first swung Mjolnir and smashed it into Laufey's shoulder. The moment Laufey raised his hand to block, Adam used his other arm to swing a fist that slammed brutally into Laufey's face. The terrifying impact created a shockwave that spread across the world, rapidly turning into visible ripples. In an instant, it was as if all the visible snow and ice in the vicinity had been wiped clean.
It was like someone had pressed the delete key on the scene before them, erasing everything within sight.
Including Laufey.
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, Laufey fell like a shattered meteor, shaking violently as he plummeted from the sky. The divine power around him had been scattered by Adam's continuous heavy punches. His towering body fell uncontrollably.
"I won't end like this! I am the King of the Frost Giants... the future master of the World Tree! How could I lose to someone like you! If I hadn't lost my artifact and been betrayed by that traitor Loki, this wouldn't be the outcome…"
Laufey still refused to accept defeat. He rose angrily, feeling as though his towering body of ten-thousand-year ice was beginning to melt under Adam's assault.
Even the divine lightning strikes left faint scorch marks on his skin.
But the mere fact that marks could be left was proof enough. Laufey's weakening was terrifyingly rapid. Dragging his heavy body into battle against the fully powered Adam had left him utterly exhausted.
Otherwise, how could a sky-father be so easily damaged by lightning divine power?
Facing Adam... who burned with the vitality of a rising sun... Laufey was inevitably marching toward a twilight end.
It was as if a new king was replacing an old one.
"The reason is simple. I'll tell you. Your era has passed," Adam said, looking down at Laufey from above.
Truthfully, forcing Laufey to this point hadn't been easy. Even with thorough preparation, Adam had endured a hard-fought battle that had left all of Jotunheim in turmoil before finally suppressing him.
If the goal had simply been to kill Laufey, it would have been much easier. Unfortunately, Adam had no intention of doing that. He wanted to beat Laufey to the brink of death and then capture him.
Missing limbs were acceptable. Adam only needed Laufey alive. As long as his head and torso weren't destroyed, it was fine.
This god-king's magnificent flesh and blood should all become important nourishment for Adam's ascent to greater heights.
Laufey's face showed disbelief. He refused to accept it as he charged back into the sky, roaring as he clashed with Adam once more. Countless afterimages flickered across Jotunheim's skies. Every silhouette was a residual image left by high-speed movement, but each one looked wretched and battered by Adam's attacks.
Laufey's efforts still couldn't change reality. They only added more wounds to his body.
The increasingly alarming consumption of divine power pushed him step by step toward his end. The rumbling across all of Jotunheim was the final sound of this veteran sky-father's fall.
"You can only leave this world with a few howls, Lord Laufey… Accept the reality fate has given you. The moment you moved against Asgard, I already had my eyes on you."
Adam punched Laufey back down to the ground. He descended as well, planting both feet on Laufey's chest while swinging terrifying heavy fists that hammered repeatedly into the god-king's head.
The barrage left Laufey seeing stars. The intense weakness spreading through his body left him utterly exhausted. Laufey felt a sense of déjà vu from his battle against Odin years ago. But even in that fight... though he had ultimately been defeated and fled, losing the Casket of Ancient Winters... he hadn't fallen to this extent.
This veteran god-king opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but it ultimately turned into a long sigh.
Every inch of his skin was covered in wounds, with broken divine power lingering. Every cell in his body radiated pain intense enough to drive an ordinary person mad. Torn ligaments and rotting muscle served as a painful testament to the brutal outcome.
"I'm honored that I didn't hear you beg for mercy. If it had been Loki, he would have used every possible means to plead with me, then mustered what little courage he had to strike me with all his power when I wasn't paying attention... just to leave a negligible wound on me."
Adam looked down at the king.
Laufey sneered. "You and Loki prepared so thoroughly and planned every step of this battle. If begging would have worked, I would find that truly surprising. Or do you really think your juvenile Xenomorphs could successfully parasitize someone of my level while I still had strength left... rather than being killed instantly?"
"Of course not. I know the limits of the Xenomorphs clearly. Trying to parasitize someone of your caliber starting from the facehugger stage would likely result in their genetic material being crushed the instant it entered your body," Adam said.
"So you already know what I'm going to do to you. I'll make sure you don't even have the chance to commit suicide. I'll destroy all your ability to resist and let your consciousness sink into permanent oblivion. You won't be able to control this body. And if necessary, I'll tear apart every nerve in your body and sever every blood vessel that carries power, creating the perfect environment for my Xenomorphs to parasitize."
Using a god-king's body as an incubation nest naturally required meticulous preparation. If handled well, Adam would obtain a Xenomorph with sky-father level potential.
Laufey merely sneered coldly. He knew very well that even if he chose to commit suicide on a soul level, it would be pointless. All Adam needed was his body alive for a period of time.
Rip!
Wielding both divine power and stellar energy, Adam methodically shattered Laufey's limbs. Then every bone in his body would be dismantled.
This was undoubtedly torture... and for a sky-father, an immense humiliation.
But at this moment, no one would step forward to stop Adam. Every person or god who witnessed the scene fell silent.
Humiliation was humiliation. Beyond the rules lay another rule that everyone recognized: the victor had the right to decide the loser's fate. It was that simple.
"Odin, is this the result you wanted to see? In the end, you still won. You raised an excellent son! If not for him, I would never have lost so miserably!"
Laufey let out one final roar of unwillingness. His voice echoed across the entire World Tree. The fall of a god-king drew a response from the whole Tree.
Odin soon arrived, but he only brought Thor. Loki had already vanished without a trace.
Adam held the half-dead Laufey in one hand and glanced at Odin... the former strongest sky-father.
"So Loki has made his choice. It may not be the correct one, but I imagine it brings you some relief," Adam said. He continued cruelly tormenting Laufey to ensure the god-king was thoroughly crippled while speaking with Odin.
Seeing Odin, Adam's expression remained unchanged.
Odin was silent for a moment. "Every father hopes to raise the most outstanding offspring. Even if that offspring doesn't follow the path the father hoped for, if they show promise on another road, that is already very impressive."
"Exactly. I feel the same way whenever I cultivate powerful members of my race," Adam said, nodding in acknowledgment as he looked at the now utterly miserable Laufey.
Odin gripped Gungnir and thought for a moment. This seemed to be his first meeting with Adam, yet for some reason Adam acted as if they were already acquainted, as though they had spoken many times before and Adam had known in advance that he was faking his death.
If this had been in the past... when Odin was still an arrogant and hot-tempered god-king... he would never have tolerated Adam's casual attitude.
But things were different now. Overall, Odin's gaze toward Adam was relatively favorable.
To be honest, he didn't particularly like the Xenomorphs' method of growth. What kept him restrained... aside from his own weakening and limited time... was primarily Thor. Adam's actions had accelerated the development of a qualified heir.
Thor was more suited than ever before to become King of Asgard. His personality had changed. His wisdom, his decisiveness, and his care and love for his family were all highly appropriate.
All of this left Odin very satisfied. He had never expected that after a relatively short time on Midgard... less than a year... Thor would mature so quickly.
Whether Odin was willing to admit it or not, in his heart he knew Adam had contributed greatly.
"I had prepared for the worst, thinking Thor and Loki would turn on each other and that one would have to completely crush the other. I didn't expect this outcome. The one suited to inherit the throne stayed, while the less suitable one chose to let go of his obsession."
Adam looked at Thor, who wore a complicated expression, and said casually, "So, where did Loki go? Did you randomly send him to some corner of the universe? Like how you once banished Thor to Earth."
"No. I sent Loki to Earth as well," Odin replied calmly.
Adam nodded, not particularly concerned. At most, there would be one more trickster god on Earth. If he had to identify any impact, it might be that Loki could cause trouble if not watched carefully. But that "trouble" would only matter while Odin was still alive.
Once Odin died, if Loki dared to do anything that interfered with Adam, Adam wouldn't show mercy.
This extraordinary great battle had finally come to an end.
In the final moments, God-King Odin's appearance and his announcement of his awakening to everyone undoubtedly added significant weight to the war.
The death of one sky-father and the survival of another... these two pieces of news in quick succession shook the entire World Tree.
"I finally understand. No matter how the fight between that Midgardian and Laufey turned out, Laufey's fate was always death, right? In the end, he still had to face the mighty Odin."
"When did Odin become so cunning? He actually faked his death to set a trap for Laufey? The strongest and proudest god-king actually chose to use the method of playing dead to deal with an enemy god-king?"
"This shows that Odin has also grown extremely weak. He doesn't have much time left."
Countless gazes crossed vast distances, observing everything in Jotunheim.
After the great battle ended, many people from other realms arrived at the devastated Jotunheim through various means. Looking at this scarred world, they drew in sharp breaths.
The original Jotunheim had been bitterly cold, but at least it possessed a stable ecosystem. Now it had become extremely chaotic. Erupting lava and fractured earth could be seen everywhere. Within sight lay countless bottomless craters. The skies full of snow and ice had stalled, accumulating into ice layers that wouldn't melt for billions of years.
Far too many native giants had been frozen solid.
If not for the constant movement of Asgardians and Xenomorphs across the continent, rapidly breaking the ice to free these pitiful beings, they would all have frozen to death within a few years.
It was too brutal. The price Jotunheim had paid for this war was enormous... far more than simply losing a god-king.
"After this battle, it will take Jotunheim who knows how many years to recover. Even restoring the most basic ecosystem will take ages."
Back in Asgard, Odin suddenly sighed.
"This is war. Although I've experienced far fewer battles than you, I imagine the essence is the same."
Adam felt no guilt over Jotunheim's miserable state... only a perfectly natural expression.
If he had to describe any emotional fluctuation, it would be the joy and anticipation of having captured Laufey.
Jotunheim? Well, it was indeed tragic. But so what? At least the people of this world were still alive. At least the various giant races hadn't been exterminated by Adam. They would simply have to endure periodic cleansing and capture by Xenomorph armies. That was all.
At least they still existed. They could continue living in Jotunheim. Wasn't it only natural that they periodically offer their magnificent bodies as incubators to their conqueror?
If the situation were reversed and Adam had been defeated by Jotunheim, every last Xenomorph would have been hunted and captured by hordes of giants. It would have been the same.
Moreover, to say nothing of other universes, even just looking at Earth-199999, the freed Hela had slaughtered Asgardians until corpses littered the ground. The main population had been reduced to mere hundreds.
Then the Fire Giant King Surtur had brought his sword down, completely destroying Asgard itself. The world had been wiped out by Surtur.
And that was only Earth-199999. In some other universes, clashes between sky-fathers caused even more shocking destruction.
So the fact that Jotunheim... this world supported by the World Tree... still stood intact was already Adam's mercy.
"The powerless have no rights. That is the most fundamental rule of the universe," Adam said, his expression hard.
Thor had remained silent for a long time. Now he spoke in a low voice. "Loki went to Midgard. If possible, I hope you'll lend him a hand if he runs into trouble."
Adam looked at Thor in surprise. "Are you sure? You should know that at the beginning, it was your brother who went to Earth looking for trouble. He's such a restless guy... yet you want me to help him? He might gain some power and come after me."
"Not after you... to surpass you. To step on you," Thor said.
Adam pondered with interest. One could say that any tiny ripple on the timeline, stretched across infinite time, would inevitably trigger enormous unforeseen storms.
From what Thor said, it seemed Loki had shifted his thinking?
But why go to Earth?
It didn't matter. Was he going to seek out the Ancient One and become the Sorcerer Supreme like in some parallel universe?
If that were the case, Adam would only laugh with delight, finding it very interesting.
"Then let's not worry about Loki for now. He chose his own path. I think we should talk about matters between us first."
Adam toyed with Mjolnir in his hand. "First, I believe this hammer should belong to me permanently. I will find a new master for it. You can call that person... the Fourth-Generation God of Thunder."
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