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Chapter 173: Playing Off! Loki, the Second Thor?
🕑 Added 2025-03-22 14:23:21 +0000 UTC"Wait, God of Magic!"
"The King of Gods wishes to see you, in Bifrost."
Upon hearing Heimdall's voice, Aaron raised his head. Separated by an unknown number of light-years, he used the magic network to locate Heimdall's position. After just a bit more meditation, he used astral projection to separate a soul from his body.
As the patron saint of Asgard, Heimdall was naturally exempt from being disconnected. When the magic network became widely used, he, too, became a part of it.
Initially, Heimdall hadn't wanted to connect to the magic network. After all, his position was crucial, responsible for monitoring the Nine Realms. Once connected, he could be easily monitored by others.
However, Odin insisted, reminding him that a patron saint who was weaker than the one they guarded wasn't really fulfilling their role. Moreover, there was no harm in it; everyone else, including Odin and Thor, had connected.
So, under Odin's order, Heimdall reluctantly joined the network. But in his case, he was so busy overseeing the Nine Realms that he had little time to absorb magic and increase his authority.
"God of Magic!"
"Aaron!"
When Aaron arrived, Heimdall and Odin greeted him in turn.
Aaron nodded casually and replied, "King, what do you want from me?"
Heimdall frowned slightly. The tone lacked any respect for the King of Gods. However, recalling the previous discussion with Odin, he realized that this great god-king, both in word and demeanor, harbored a certain fear and tolerance toward Aaron.
Perhaps this God of Magic had surpassed Odin in power! Although Heimdall was unwilling to accept it, in his heart, Odin had always been the strongest and greatest of the gods.
Now, it seemed like a cruel joke that Aaron, having only studied magic for a few years, might have surpassed him.
Still, sometimes, the unbelievable could become true. Heimdall regretted not noticing Aaron's growth under his very nose. Now, Odin had to yield to him.
Odin, on the other hand, didn't mind Aaron's tone. He had come to see the other as an equal. No, not just an equal—Aaron was someone Odin had begun to view as superior.
The magic network alone proved it. His tolerance for Aaron was limitless. At least the other still referred to him as "King"—that was enough to save face.
"Aaron, you must be aware of Thor's situation," Odin began. "But I ask that you refrain from interfering. This is my discipline and punishment for Thor."
Odin spoke with a somewhat pleading tone. If Aaron didn't agree to this and chose to sell out, then Hela wouldn't pose any real trouble. Thor wouldn't feel much pressure. Odin knew Aaron’s strength well, having imparted the sealing magic for Hela to him. Taking her down would be easy.
Aaron paused for only a couple of seconds before agreeing. "No problem."
He already knew from the magic network that Thor was facing Hela—the Goddess of Death, the eldest daughter of Odin, and Asgard’s first heir.
Aaron understood quickly that Odin had deliberately released Hela to test Thor. He realized the boldness and usefulness of Odin’s plan. Freeing Hela and making her existence known could tarnish Odin’s reputation.
However, if Thor managed to defeat her, he would not only prove his strength but also win considerable prestige, making him a more legitimate heir to the throne. Asgardians respected strength, after all.
Thor's victory over Hela would be viewed as a triumph, and Odin’s failing health didn’t make a high reputation useful anymore. Helping Thor gain glory was a better option.
Satisfied with Aaron’s agreement, Odin began to explain more about Hela’s existence. He knew he couldn’t hide everything and didn’t want to.
He hoped to instill his own ideas into Aaron, particularly to prevent him from supporting Hela. Despite her brutality—perhaps even surpassing Odin's own—Odin's words painted her as utterly unworthy of any allegiance.
Aaron knew Odin's goal was clear: to keep him from interfering with Hela. Despite her cruelty, she was no different from Odin in terms of strength and ability.
Hela's ambition and cruelty had been learned from Odin, and they had fought side by side in the Nine Realms, establishing the complicated political landscape ruled by Asgard today.
However, after Odin took control, he underwent a shift, becoming a more benevolent ruler, a change that Hela couldn’t comprehend.
Odin’s failed parenting and the rift between him and Hela led to her being sealed for over 1,500 years. But to Aaron, the issue was simple: Odin wasn’t great at raising children. He had abandoned his original approach and turned to be more merciful, leaving Hela behind.
Of course, Aaron wasn’t interested in supporting Hela. She had no magic worth learning, and there was no room for transactions. Asgard had already been drained, and the foundation for Aaron’s goals had been set. He had no reason to change partners.
Thus, Aaron's attention shifted from Odin to Thor’s battle. What Odin said no longer interested him.
Meanwhile, Thor was still struggling with Hela's black sword attacks. While strong enough to penetrate his armor, they weren’t indestructible.
At least not in the face of Thor's thunder. Hela soon realized she couldn’t defeat him so easily. Her earlier attempt to crush his hammer had only made him angrier, and now he was fighting back without holding back.
Thor responded by venting magic power from the magic network, creating dozens of magic lightning bolts. Although the power was weaker than his thunder, the advantage was that he didn’t need to store power. He could keep attacking as long as he had enough magic.
Odin, watching from afar, was shocked. "This rebel!" What a waste of magic power. Thor wasn’t conserving his energy. He was using more magic to accomplish less. It infuriated Odin. "Doesn’t he know how to conserve magic?"
Odin suppressed his anger and continued explaining Hela’s backstory to Aaron. But Aaron had already figured it out—Hela was a tyrant, but not as bad as Odin had made her out to be. She was simply another version of Odin—powerful, cruel, and ambitious. Her eventual seal wasn’t a matter of weakness but rather an ideological clash with Odin.
Thor, on the other hand, still failed to learn magic properly. Despite his overwhelming power, he clung to thunder, which, to Odin's dismay, wasn’t enough. He could have used the magic network to launch a devastating attack on Hela, but he didn’t.
Odin grumbled, "Thor, you fool! Can’t you see the bigger picture?"
Then, with a final thunderous strike, Thor sent Hela crashing down. But even as he stood victorious, an unexpected twist occurred.
Suddenly, a golden portal opened behind Hela, and Loki appeared. He smirked, watching the defeated goddess.
"Loki, I finally found you! Come back with me!" Thor shouted, rushing toward his brother.
Loki’s eyes flickered toward Hela before casting a portal in front of Thor, causing him to fall through. "Enjoy your magic, my dear big brother," Loki said with a wicked grin.
As Loki disappeared with Hela through the portal, Thor was left stunned. He had won, but Loki had taken the final victory. Thor, falling into darkness, was caught in a free fall that would continue until he reentered another portal.
Aaron couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity. Loki’s trickery had been the real test for Thor. Meanwhile, Odin’s expression darkened.
"Where is Thor?" Odin demanded, looking toward Heimdall.
"He’s… he’s free-falling in a space…" Heimdall replied in disbelief.
"Let him fall. He’ll be out in thirty minutes," Odin muttered, his voice tinged with frustration.
He had used Hela to test Thor, but now it was clear that neither Hela nor Thor were the real winners. It was Loki who had emerged victorious.
"Spy on Loki and Hela. I want to know where they are," Odin ordered.
Heimdall hesitated. "Sorry, I can't do it…"
"Is Loki also connected to the magic network?" Odin asked, his tone becoming more urgent.
Aaron nodded. "He’s a Mage of Asgard, too, isn’t he?"
Odin reluctantly acknowledged Loki’s growing power. "Indeed, his magic has improved rapidly."
Aaron didn’t seem to catch the implication in Odin’s words. Loki’s ability had skyrocketed, and now he was manipulating events with a level of skill that even Odin couldn’t fully comprehend.
Odin’s curiosity about Loki’s rise was evident. How had Loki gained such strength, and how had he bypassed Odin's perceptions? But he knew better than to ask Aaron outright.
Aaron, seeing Odin’s thoughts, remained silent. "I’m leaving. You can handle it from here."
As he disappeared, Odin was left to ponder Loki's next move.
