Chapter 77: The Skyfather is Gone, But the Fourth-Generation Thor is Already Poised for Action
Suddenly, Loki felt as if his perspective had broadened.
Why must he remain fixated to the death on a wretched place like the World Tree (Yggdrasil), which had brought him nothing but pain?
Clearly, by just stepping outside, he could see a much vaster world.
The outside world had many powerful civilizations and formidable beings like Dormammu.
Even so, Loki himself was aware that if the World Tree (Yggdrasil) were considered a sphere of influence, it would be extremely powerful on a universal scale. With a host of Skyfathers standing guard, such a luxurious lineup could probably only be matched by a few organizations like the Elders of the Universe.
"I disagree! Loki, why would you have such an idea? You are the king of Asgard, the leader of all Asgardians! What kind of God-King wanders the universe?!" Thor roared in anger.
"Keep your voice down. Even though those two are fighting, they just can't spare the effort to deal with us. They might still be able to hear our conversation."
Loki shook his head, the corner of his mouth curling into a sinister arc. "Also, I am no God-King, because I am not even a Skyfather."
The king of the foremost divine race of the World Tree (Yggdrasil) was not even at the Skyfather level. It was indeed a bit embarrassing if word got out.
In the long run, Loki had no confidence he could command the entire World Tree (Yggdrasil). If nothing else, Du Wa, who had come from Midgard, would not bother with him without some benefit.
Loki could see that their joint effort this time was purely because Du Wa was interested in the bodies of the Frost Giants, and even more interested in the Skyfather, Laufey.
What was now certain was that Du Wa's greatest and most unimaginable trump card was not something else, but the ability to transfer his soul and consciousness. This meant that as long as the nearby Xenomorphs were not completely wiped out, killing Du Wa was useless.
He just didn't know what the upper limit of the transfer distance was. A planet apart? A star system? Or a galaxy?
To be honest, Loki was a well-read scholar. Having studied diligently for over a thousand years, he had learned all sorts of miscellaneous knowledge, but he had never seen anyone like Du Wa.
Even Skyfathers had their own areas of expertise; it was impossible to be an all-rounder. That was normal, but Du Wa's ability was still exceedingly rare.
*After preparing so much, Du Wa must be eager to taste a Skyfather. When the time comes, he just needs to transfer his soul to the Xenomorph that chestbursts from Laufey,* Loki thought.
Loki's mind was in a mess. He gazed at the continuous flashes of light in the distance, as if in an instant, countless suns had appeared on Jotunheim. At the same time, he used the Spear of Eternity to block the aftershocks of the great battle, protecting the pitifully weak Thor.
"Thor, I just remembered something. A thousand years ago, you defeated a dragon, didn't you? And then that strange dragon fell to Midgard?"
As Loki's mind mulled over words like Xenomorph, Du Wa, and consciousness transfer, he suddenly asked a question.
"That's right, there was such a thing. That black dragon was very strange. It clearly gave me a very dangerous feeling, but I just gave it a casual hit, and it actually fell..." Thor vaguely recalled the incident.
In the past millennium, the irascible and bellicose Thor had faced many opponents, but none were as strange as that black dragon.
"I remember the flesh and blood of its skin all over its body was slowly squirming..."
Thor recalled that while it looked extremely formidable, and the thoughts it emanated gave Thor a faint sense of dread, it couldn't take a single blow from his hammer and collapsed on the spot.
Loki's gaze was evasive. Even Thor couldn't tell what his younger brother was thinking.
"If the two of us brothers join forces, along with Du Wa's help, we can definitely secure your throne—I know you and Du Wa don't get along, but that's just a small conflict. You don't have any irreconcilable hatred..." Thor brought the topic back to Loki's future, chattering on.
Loki looked at his older brother strangely. He suddenly realized that Thor had also changed a great deal. The image of the brute who charged forward yelling "Follow me!" with his hammer in hand was gradually fading away.
How very interesting, and how very ironic.
"The you right now is more suited to be a king than I am. I will leave and let everything return to its proper course."
"What nonsense are you spouting? I angered Father to death and lost my divine power and Mjolnir. I am not worthy to rule Asgard!"
"No, you can. I think Father thinks so too," Loki said.
"Father? You're... Father...?"
Thor followed Loki's gaze and turned his head to look.
With the descent of the Rainbow Bridge from the heavens, Odin's tall figure appeared on Jotunheim.
"Father? Is it really you? You were clearly... No, Loki, at a time like this, you shouldn't create an illusion to deceive me! The two of us must join forces to face all challenges!"
A slight tremble entered Thor's voice. He wanted to believe, but reason told him he shouldn't.
"Thor, you have grown up." Odin seemed to have aged even more, exuding a heavy aura of twilight. His first words made Thor's eyes widen, and they became moist.
That's right, this was his father, the God-King Odin.
Father wasn't dead? But how could this be? Then this whole time...
Thor suddenly turned his head, his eyes wide in disbelief as he stared at the expressionless Loki. "Was it you who concealed the news about Father? You actually deceived everyone! The people of the entire World Tree (Yggdrasil) were deceived by you!"
"You have indeed grown a lot. At least your mind is sharper than before. You know it was my doing, and not a joint act between me and Father."
A hint of mockery appeared on Loki's face. He slowly raised the Spear of Eternity, turned it horizontally, and tossed it to its original owner.
The entire action was extremely natural, as if it had been rehearsed countless times.
Perhaps, in Loki's mind, he had already run through this scene countless times and was fully mentally prepared.
Odin watched his younger son with his one remaining eye, his face showing a trace of complexity and reluctance.
"Why are you making such a terrible face, Father? That's not like you at all. Shouldn't you be gratified by this scene? Thor is qualified. It's not that he lacks potential; on the contrary, he has proven with his actions that he has astonishing potential. He is now qualified to be a worthy king of Asgard."
Loki took two steps back, increasing the distance between himself and the two before him, as if a great, insurmountable chasm existed between them. "As for his lost divine power, I'm sure you have a way, Father. A true Thunder God shouldn't need to rely on a hammer to be a God."
"You are very clever, although you have also made some mistakes, just like Thor did in the past. But it doesn't matter. I am not afraid of you making mistakes; I am afraid of you continuing down the wrong path forever, failing to realize where you need to start to change."
Odin spoke slowly, his voice incomparably deep and hoarse. Every tone he uttered carried a disquieting, heavy meaning. "Come back with me, Loki, with your brother."
"Things aren't over yet, so why go back now? Giving up halfway is not a good habit, Father. This is something you taught me repeatedly." Loki retreated again.
At this moment, only the Casket of Ancient Winters in his hands could bring him a sliver of comfort, resonating closely with the divine power within his body.
Thor's head was a bit muddled, but he was already vaguely aware that what Loki meant by "not over" did not refer to the battle between Du Wa and Laufey.
It referred to Loki's own future and fate.
"You single-handedly manipulated this war and created the opportunity to conquer Jotunheim. Don't you want to return to Asgard and receive the cheers of your people? In any case, this is what you deserve... my son." Odin's face could not hide its weariness.
But he still wanted to bring Loki back, rather than let his younger son wander the universe.
Odin knew very well how dangerous this universe was, and with Loki's identity as the son of Odin, he was destined to attract the attention of some dangerous individuals wherever he went.
If nothing else, Loki's strength and Asgardian bloodline would inevitably be targeted by some ill-intentioned beings.
"Those cheers belong to Thor, not me. I have my own choice."
Loki pointed towards the center of Jotunheim. Even from a great distance, one could vaguely feel the bloody battle between the two terrifying figures.
"Besides, the scene before us also has Du Wa's handiwork in it. I have never seen anyone like him... I feel that since I am 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 sake of obtaining the throne of Asgard, like in the past."
"Then, where do you plan to go?" At this moment, Odin was more like an old man in his twilight years, devoid of his former unquestionable majesty, and instead possessing a trace of peace.
"I'll go to Midgard first for a look. I've already thought of something very interesting. I suppose the Sorcerer Supreme of Midgard won't try to hunt me down and kill me," Loki said.
Odin breathed a sigh of relief. "If it's Midgard, I will contact the Ancient One."
But what Odin didn't know was that Loki never intended to stay on the World Tree (Yggdrasil) for long from the very beginning.
He was filled with weariness for this world of the Asgardians.
"When they have determined the outcome, and everything is settled, I will choose to leave," Loki said.
Odin said, "Regardless of whether Du Wa wins or loses in the end, Laufey must die here. He did too many things he shouldn't have while I was in slumber, and he even tried to take my son. That is something that absolutely cannot be tolerated."
A fluctuation flickered in Loki's eyes, but it quickly subsided.
The father and two sons watched the battle, each with different thoughts, but they could all see that Laufey was already at a disadvantage.
Without the Casket of Ancient Winters, Laufey was not at his peak. In addition, he was heavily stabbed by Loki with the Spear of Eternity and was already injured.
This already foretold the result.
Sure enough, before long, the power Laufey could wield grew weaker and weaker. He was suppressed by Du Wa at a rate visible to the naked eye, his living space being squeezed bit by bit.
At this moment, a worldwide earthquake was erupting throughout Jotunheim. Huge continental plates were tearing apart, as if the world itself was letting out the most terrible wail in response to its tragic fate, or perhaps, it was the final dirge played for the king of this world.
Bang!
Du Wa attacked with both hands. First, he swung the Thunder God's hammer, smashing it onto Laufey's shoulder. The moment his opponent raised a hand to block, Du Wa used his other arm to swing his fist, fiercely striking Laufey's face. The terrifyingly heavy blow created a shockwave that spread across the world, rapidly expanding into a visible ripple. In an instant, it was as if all the endless ice and snow in the surroundings were instantly vibrated into nothingness.
It was as if someone had pressed the delete key on the scene before them, erasing everything within sight.
That, of course, included Laufey.
Boom!
With a loud bang, Laufey, like a shattered meteor, trembled violently and plummeted from the sky. The divine power around his body had been scattered by Du Wa's continuous heavy punches, and his tall body fell uncontrollably.
"It won't end like this for me! I am the king of the Frost Giants, the future master of the World Tree (Yggdrasil)! How could I lose to a guy like you! If I hadn't lost my divine artifact and been ambushed by that rebellious son Loki, this shouldn't be the result..."
Laufey still refused to concede defeat. He angrily stood up, feeling his majestic body, as solid as ten-thousand-year-old ice, now showing signs of melting under Du Wa's assault.
The divine lightning struck his body, actually leaving behind some scorch marks.
The fact that it could leave a mark at all already spoke volumes. Laufey's rate of decline was terrifying. Dragging his heavy body into battle against the most powerful Du Wa, he was now far too exhausted.
Otherwise, how could a dignified Skyfather be so easily injured by the power of thunder and lightning?
Facing a Du Wa who was as vibrant as the morning sun, Laufey was uncontrollably heading towards his twilight end.
It was like the changing of a dynasty, the new king versus the old.
"The reason is simple. Let me tell you, your era has passed," Du Wa said, looking down on Laufey from above.
To be fair, it was not easy for him to force Laufey into this state.
Even with thorough preparations, Du Wa had gone through a bitter fight, shaking almost the entirety of Jotunheim, before he finally suppressed Laufey.
If he just wanted to kill Laufey, it would have been much simpler than this. Unfortunately, Du Wa would not do that. He wanted to beat Laufey half to death and then capture him.
Missing arms and legs didn't matter. Du Wa just needed Laufey to be alive; as long as his head and torso were not smashed, it was fine.
The fine flesh and blood of this God-King should all become important nutrients for him to reach greater heights.
Laufey's face was filled with disbelief. He unwillingly charged back into the sky, roaring as he clashed with Du Wa. Countless figures flickered in the skies of Jotunheim. Each figure was an afterimage from high-speed movement, but every afterimage, in the eyes of the world, was exceptionally wretched, having been heavily wounded by Du Wa.
Laufey's efforts still couldn't change reality; they only added more wounds to his body.
The increasingly astonishing consumption of divine power led him step by step towards his end. The roaring of all of Jotunheim was the final sound before this veteran Skyfather's fall.
"All you can leave to this world are these few cries, Your Excellency Laufey... Accept the reality that fate has brought you. The moment you took action against Asgard, you were already targeted by me."
Du Wa punched Laufey back down to the ground. He himself then suddenly descended, his legs stamping on Laufey's chest, while he swung his terrifyingly heavy fists, continuously hammering Laufey's head.
This combination of punches made Laufey see stars. The intense feeling of weakness from within his body left him utterly exhausted. Laufey had a sense of déjà vu from his battle against Odin back in the day. But even in that battle, although he was ultimately defeated and fled, and Odin took the Casket of Ancient Winters, he had not been reduced to such a state.
The 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 scars, remnants of shattered divine power. Every cell in his body was emitting a pain intense enough to drive an ordinary person mad. The torn ligaments and rotting muscles were a tragic reflection of the brutal outcome of the battle.
"I am honored not to have heard words of begging from your mouth. If it were Loki, he would use all sorts of means to beg me for mercy, and then muster his scant courage to strike me with all his power when I'm not paying attention, just to create an insignificant wound on my body."
Du Wa looked down at the king.
Laufey sneered, "You and Loki meticulously prepared so much, planning out every step of the battle plan. If bowing my head was useful, that's what I would find incredible. Or do you think that with just your juvenile-stage Xenomorphs, you could successfully parasitize me while I still had strength, instead of being killed by me in an instant?"
"Of course not. I know exactly where the limits of the Xenomorphs lie. To try to initiate parasitism on someone of your level from the face-hugger stage, I'm afraid their genetic material would be easily crushed by the muscles in your body the moment it entered," Du Wa said.
"It seems you are a clear-headed king, one who wouldn't easily lead your species into an inescapable abyss. The reason a creature like the Xenomorph receives so much attention is only because you brought them to a position they never should have been in."
What Du Wa knew, Laufey could naturally see as well. The Xenomorph was, after all, a peculiar race that plundered genes from ordinary creatures.
Once it tried to directly parasitize a high-level life form that possessed great power and the strength to resist, it would inevitably fail, being killed the moment of parasitism, destroyed at a cellular level.
Take Reynolds for example. Du Wa chose to parasitize Reynolds first, and then give Reynolds the Super Serum, which is why it succeeded.
If the order were reversed, it would definitely fail. A face-hugger would have no chance against a being on the level of Sentry; it wouldn't even be able to break through his protective golden energy.
"So, you already know what I'm going to do to you. I will leave you with no chance to even commit suicide. I will destroy all your ability to resist and make your consciousness sink into eternal slumber. You will not be able to control this body of yours. If necessary, I will even tear every nerve in your body, sever every blood vessel that transports power, to create a favorable parasitic environment for my Xenomorphs."
Using the body of a God-King as a Hive for incubation naturally required careful preparation. If operated well, Du Wa would obtain an Xenomorph with Skyfather-level potential.
Laufey just sneered. He was also well aware that even if he chose to commit suicide on a soul level, it would be useless. All Du Wa needed was his body, which only had to survive for a period of time.
Sssshla!
Driving his divine power and stellar energy, Du Wa shattered Laufey's limbs one by one. Following that, every bone in his body would be dismantled by Du Wa.
This was undoubtedly a form of torture, and for a Skyfather, a great humiliation.
But at this moment, no one would stand up to stop Du Wa. All the people or gods who saw this scene fell silent.
Humiliation was one thing, but beyond these rules, there was another rule that everyone recognized even more: the victor has the right to decide the fate of the weak. 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 absolutely would not have lost so miserably!"
Laufey let out a final, unwilling roar. His voice reverberated throughout the World Tree (Yggdrasil). The fall of a God-King elicited a response from the entire World Tree (Yggdrasil).
Odin arrived soon after, but he only brought Thor. Loki was nowhere to be found.
Du Wa held the half-dead Laufey with one hand, while turning his head to glance at Odin, the former strongest Skyfather.
"It seems Loki has made his choice. This is not necessarily the right decision, but I think it also brings you some comfort," Du Wa said to Odin while cruelly torturing Laufey, ensuring he was completely crippled.
Seeing Odin, Du Wa's expression did not change at all.
Odin was silent for a moment. "Every father hopes to raise the most outstanding offspring. Even if this offspring does not walk the path the father hoped for, if they can achieve something on another path, it is already very remarkable."
"That's true. I have a similar feeling every time I cultivate a powerful clansman." Du Wa looked at the now horribly disfigured Laufey and nodded in agreement.
Odin gripped the Spear of Eternity and thought for a moment. It seemed this was his first meeting with Du Wa, but for some reason, Du Wa acted with a sense of familiarity, as if he had spoken with him many times and knew beforehand that he was feigning death.
If this had been the past, when Odin was still an arrogant and irascible God-King, he would definitely not have tolerated Du Wa's casual attitude.
But things were different now. Odin's gaze towards Du Wa was, on the whole, quite favorable.
To be honest, he greatly disliked the way this Xenomorph creature grew. The only thing that kept him restrained, besides his own decline and limited time, was most importantly, Thor. Du Wa's actions had accelerated the cultivation of a qualified successor for him.
Thor was more suited to be the king of Asgard than ever before. His personality had changed; his wisdom, his decisiveness, and his care and love for his family were all very fitting.
All of this made Odin very satisfied. He himself had never expected that after a not-so-long period on Midgard, in less than a year, Thor would mature so quickly.
Whether Odin was willing to admit it or what he thought in his heart, Du Wa had definitely put in a great deal of effort.
"I had originally prepared for the worst-case scenario, thinking that Thor and Loki would fall out and one would have to be completely crushed by the other. But I didn't expect this result. The one suitable to inherit the throne remained, while the one less suitable chose to give up his obsession."
Du Wa looked up, glanced at the complex expression on Thor's face, and said casually, "So, where did Loki go? Did you randomly drop him in some corner of the universe? Just like you threw Thor to Earth back then."
"No, I sent Loki to Earth as well," Odin said in a calm tone.
Du Wa nodded, not paying it much mind. It just meant there would be one more God of Mischief on Earth. If it had any real impact, it might be that if not watched carefully, that fellow Loki would be a lot of trouble, but this "trouble" was limited to the time when Odin was still alive.
Once Odin died, if Loki dared to do anything again, and if he interfered with Du Wa, Du Wa would not show any mercy.
This unconventional great battle had come to a close.
At the final moment, the God-King Odin appeared and announced his awakening to everyone, which undoubtedly added some weight to this war.
The news of one Skyfather's death and another's survival, appearing one after another, truly shook the World Tree (Yggdrasil) to its core.
"Now I get it. No matter what happened between that Midgardian and Laufey, Laufey's fate was death, right? In the end, he would still have to face the powerful Odin."
"When did Odin become so sinister as to feign death to set up a trap for Laufey? The strongest and proudest God-King would actually choose to use feigning death to deal with a rival God-King?"
"This shows that Odin has also become extremely weak. He doesn't have much time left."
Gazes crossed vast distances, observing everything in Jotunheim.
After this great battle ended, many people from other worlds successively arrived at the post-war Jotunheim using various methods. Looking at this devastated world, they gasped.
Although the original temperature of Jotunheim was very low, it was at least a continent with a stable ecosystem. But at this moment, it had become extremely chaotic. Erupting magma and cracked earth could be seen everywhere. As far as the eye could see, there were numerous bottomless craters. The sky full of ice and snow had long since stagnated, accumulating into layers of ice that would not melt for eons.
Far too many native giants were frozen in ice.
If it weren't for the continuous roaming of Asgardians and Xenomorphs on this continent, quickly destroying the ice layers and freeing these pitiful fellows, it wouldn't take many years for every single one of them to freeze to death.
It was too tragic. The price Jotunheim paid for this battle was truly great, far more than just losing a God-King.
"After this battle, who knows how many years it will take for Jotunheim to recover. It's unknown how many years it will take to even repair the most basic ecosystem."
Returning to Asgard, Odin suddenly lamented.
"This is war. Although I have experienced far fewer wars than you, I think the essence is the same."
Du Wa felt no guilt for Jotunheim's miserable state, only a look of taking it for granted.
If he had to express any emotional fluctuation, it would only be joy and anticipation for capturing Laufey.
Jotunheim? Alright, it was indeed tragic, but so what? At least the people of this world were still alive. At least the various giant factions had not been exterminated by Du Wa. They would just have to periodically suffer the cleansing and capture by the Alien Army, that's all.
At least they still existed. Since they could continue to live on Jotunheim, wasn't it only natural for them to periodically offer their fine bodies as breeding grounds to their conquerors?
If it were the other way around, and Du Wa was defeated by Jotunheim, every single one of the Xenomorphs would not be able to escape. They would be hunted and captured by a large group of giants. It would be the same.
Moreover, putting other things aside, even just looking at Universe 199999, the escaped Hela slaughtered the Asgardians, leaving their home world's population at only a thousand or so.
Subsequently, the Fire Giant King Surtur, with a single slash of his sword, completely destroyed all of Asgard. The world itself was obliterated by Surtur.
And that was just Universe 199999. In some other universes, the destruction caused by Skyfather-level battles was even more astonishing.
Therefore, for Jotunheim, a world that relied on the World Tree (Yggdrasil) for its existence, to still be standing intact was already a show of Du Wa's mercy.
"The defeated have no rights. This is the most fundamental rule of the universe," Du Wa said with a very cold expression.
Thor had been silent for a long time. Now, he spoke in a low voice, "Loki went to Midgard. If possible, I hope you can give him a hand if he runs into trouble."
Du Wa looked at Thor in surprise. "Are you sure? You should know that it was your brother who first came to Earth to cause trouble. A restless fellow like him, you actually want me to help him? If he really gained some power, he might come after me."
"Not to fight you, but to compare. He is now single-mindedly focused on surpassing you, on putting you under his heel," Thor said.
Du Wa pondered with great interest. He could only say that any small ripple on the temporal plane would inevitably trigger an unexpectedly huge storm on the infinitely long timeline.
From what Thor was saying, had Loki's way of thinking changed?
But why go to Earth again?
But it didn't matter. Could it be that he was going to defect to the Ancient One, and just like a Loki from some parallel universe, go to Earth to become the Sorcerer Supreme?
If that were really the case, Du Wa would only laugh out loud, finding it very interesting.
"Then let's not consider Loki's matter for now. He has personally chosen the path he wants to walk. I think we should first talk about the matters between us."
Du Wa played with the Thunder God's hammer in his hand. "First, I believe this hammer should permanently belong to me. I will find a new master for it. You can also call that person—the fourth-generation Thor."
(end of chapter)