Chapter 232: The Trickster God Ascends
"We need your help!" Lady Sif shouted. "Loki has become too powerful. We're short on manpower, and our strength is nowhere near his. We need more help…"
Gene paused mid-step at the mention of Loki. He tilted his head slightly, as if the name had sparked something in his memory.
Loki had stolen the power of Odin and was now drawing endless energy from the World Tree within Asgard's palace. The realm had fallen. The four warriors standing before Gene had no hope of defeating him. It would be easier to climb to the heavens than to challenge Loki now.
What they hadn't expected, though, was to encounter a Midgardian here in this barren wasteland of Jotunheim—and not just any Midgardian, but one with unimaginable power. The ancient frost giant, a creature even Thor could barely best in combat, had fallen in less than ten moves at the hands of this strange man. Even now, the giant's massive corpse still lay on the ground not far away.
Though they were reluctant to admit it, this man's strength clearly surpassed Thor's.
Even so, they couldn't believe that a mere mortal—no matter how powerful—could defeat Loki after he'd absorbed Odin's might. In their eyes, Odin stood as the god of all the Nine Realms, the pinnacle of strength. His divine power was overwhelming—crushing. Once Loki obtained that strength, he became unstoppable.
Still, if they could persuade this warrior to join them, it would only improve their odds.
"Summarize the situation," Gene said, the V-shaped visor on his helmet flashing faintly. The name "Loki" had stirred something within him.
"This isn't just about Asgard," Sif continued quickly. "Loki can't be stopped. He's seized control of everything. If he succeeds, the entire Nine Realms will fall under his rule—including your homeland, Midgard."
"Go on," Gene replied succinctly.
"It's Loki! Loki!" Volstagg bellowed. "He's the god of mischief in Asgard, Odin's adopted son, and Thor's brother. But in truth, he's a Frost Giant from Jotunheim. Odin sealed away his true form using the All-Father's power. Now, his heart is consumed by ambition and deceit… it's only gotten worse. He has become—"
"I know who Loki is." Gene waved his hand. The V-shaped visor on his helmet pulsed once more. "What I need are more details."
"It's all Loki's scheme!" Hogun growled, eyes burning with fury. "He deceived all of Asgard. While imprisoned in Asgard's dungeons, he secretly allied with the Enchantress, Amora. Then, while Odin was trapped in the Odinsleep, Loki and Amora escaped and stole the All-Father's power. With that power, he quickly seized control of Asgard, then launched invasions into the other realms. Jotunheim is already under his rule!"
"He's also sealed off the Bifrost," Fandral added grimly. "No one can return to Asgard without his permission."
Gene fell silent.
So Loki had stolen Odin's power… Unexpected, but it explained a lot. Back when he had set the trap for Amora, someone had shattered the magical barriers he'd placed using an overwhelming force from outside. At the time, Gene had been puzzled—why would Odin interfere?
Now, everything made sense. The person behind Amora was none other than Loki, wielding the stolen might of Odin.
This meant that when Baron Zemo had formed his little villain squad, Loki had already seized the All-Father's power. Since then, he had been systematically cleansing Asgard, conquering other realms, forming alliances with powerful beings—all in preparation for the celestial convergence. When that time came, the Nine Realms would align and merge into a single continent. And once that happened, Loki would rule everything.
Meanwhile, his dimwitted brother Thor had been busy dealing with mundane issues on Earth, oblivious to the chaos unfolding in Asgard. By the time he tried to return, Loki had already locked down the Bifrost. Only then did Thor realize something was wrong back home.
But now that Loki was the true mastermind, this tale was no longer just another cliché "villain conquers the world" story. No, for Gene, this had become personal.
And rightfully so.
Gene knew Loki well. Back when he'd gotten the scepter from Thanos, the trickster god had come to Earth full of ambition and dreams of conquest—only to be utterly humiliated by a Midgardian. If the Ancient One hadn't intervened, Loki would've been killed. Instead, he fled Earth like a whipped dog.
Knowing Loki's nature, there was no way he didn't hold a grudge.
In fact, Gene was amazed at how long Loki had waited. After acquiring Odin's power, Loki hadn't immediately come to Earth to settle the score. That kind of patience was… uncharacteristic.
"I understand. I'll help you," Gene said calmly. "But we're going to need a plan."
The Four Warriors of Asgard were overjoyed at his promise.
"We do have a plan," Volstagg said eagerly. "We want to go to the dwarves' homeland—Nidavellir."
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