Leo, completely defenseless, was escorted to a detention room — where he finally met Asgard's third prince, the infamous God of Mischief himself: Loki.
"Hey there, kid. Did you get caught too?" Loki asked, still oozing confidence. Despite the strange surroundings, he seemed calm, like he could leave whenever he wanted.
He didn't mind playing along with whoever ran this place. Mind games with the God of Mischief? Bring it on.
Leo, on the other hand, got an instant headache just looking at Loki's smug smile.
"Hello, Loki. My name's Leo," he said cautiously.
Loki froze for a moment. This mortal knows me? His reputation as the God of Mischief had clearly spread far and wide.
A thrill ran through him. He grinned, his excitement barely contained. "Hehe, kid, since you know me, I'll definitely take you with me when I'm done having fun."
Leo's mouth twitched. This guy still doesn't realize I'm a prisoner, does he?
But he wasn't about to crush Loki's ego just yet. Let the God of Mischief dream — the reality check could come later.
"Many thanks to the great God-King Loki, the God of Mischief!" Leo said reluctantly.
At those words, Loki nearly exploded with joy. "Ah! Finally! God-King Loki! It's been ages since I've heard that title!" His eyes sparkled. In this cage, he had found a kindred spirit. A relative! A true fan worthy of his attention.
Loki grasped Leo's hand tightly. "Kid don't worry. Once I figure a way out, I'll take you with me."
Don't be fooled by Loki's current helplessness. Magic and superpowers didn't work here — the Time Variance Authority only recognized physical strength. But even stripped of magic, Loki was still royalty of the Frost Giants. His physical constitution rivaled that of any Asgardian.
Leo, a mere mortal, grimaced, cheeks red from Loki's grip. Losing face wasn't an option.
And then… a voice echoed in his mind.
"Ding! Detecting host encountering main character. Destroyer System activated!"
"Ding! Detectable character: Loki, God of Mischief of Asgard. Host, do you wish to extract his genetic ability?"
"Extract! Extract!" Leo shouted in his mind. Politeness was not part of this plan.
"Ding! Host command received. Extracting now… please wait."
Leo didn't fully understand, but one thing was clear — the System had arrived. His golden finger of transmigrators had finally appeared.
Outside, Loki was surveying the room, still smiling, still calm. But Leo's attention was elsewhere: pure ecstasy.
"Ding! Congratulations, host. Loki's Frost Giant Physique successfully extracted. Merge?"
"Stop! System, will it hurt? I can't afford to scream and attract attention," Leo thought.
"Ding! Host concern acknowledged. Pain will be blocked. Sensory nerves suppressed; unconsciousness will prevent attention."
Relieved, Leo nodded. "System let's do this. Fortune favors the bold."
"Ding! Beginning Frost Giant Royal Physique merge… 10%… 20%… 50%… 70%… 90%… 100%!"
Under the System's intervention, Leo fell into a deep sleep. Bit by bit, the fusion was completed — painless, efficient, unstoppable.
When he awoke, Loki was teasing him with a smirk.
"Hey, kid, can't handle a small scene like that?"
Leo forced a weak laugh. "Uh… I must've just dozed off. Nothing happened."
He wasn't about to reveal he had just absorbed a Frost Giant's royal physique. Loki was an NPC in this scenario. Secrets were mandatory.
"Alright, get some rest," Loki said, stretching. "Now we wait to see what tricks they have up their sleeves."
Leo sank into the System's interface, eager to understand.
"System, tell me about yourself. Your existence, your function, and what I'm supposed to do."
"Ding! I have no records or memories of my own." the System replied. "I allow the host to extract or devour abilities and traits from others."
"Devouring requires putting the target into unconsciousness. After being devoured, the target loses the ability or item. Extraction or devouring has limits: one person per month for extraction, one per day for devouring."
"Extraction consumes System Points, depending on target strength. Devouring consumes bio-energy. The stronger the target, the more bio-energy gained."
Leo frowned. "Wait… how do I get these points? What about when I just extracted Loki's physique? I didn't have any points…"
The System remained silent.