"Father, are you really going to battle that Midgardian?"
Loki couldn't help but ask his father, adorned in magnificent battle attire with a peculiar helmet resembling deer antlers atop his head.
"Yes, after this battle, regardless of victory or defeat, I may..."
At this moment, Odin gazed kindly at his adopted child, showing fatherly affection for the first time.
"So, regardless of the outcome, none of you should seek revenge for me."
"Loki, my dear child, I know you have an incredibly clever mind, but I hope you will use it for good in the future, to help your brother rebuild Asgard."
Odin's expression didn't show fear of impending death; he was only somewhat concerned about Asgard's future. After all, at this moment, neither his biological son Thor nor his adopted son Loki had truly matured. He didn't know how they would face his eldest daughter, whose seal was about to be broken.
"Father, I have a plan."
Suddenly, Loki, lost in thought, obviously hadn't listened carefully to Odin's instructions earlier. Instead, he excitedly spoke up.
"Father, we can unite with other powerful races in the Nine Realms, such as the Frost Giants and the Dark Elves. Haven't they all coveted Midgard's land before?"
"As long as we promise to hand over Midgard's territory to them after victory and then join forces with them to declare war on Earth..."
"Then, no matter how powerful that Midgardian is, they won't be able to protect all the weak humans on Midgard."
"At that time, blood will stain the land of Midgard red, and the entire Nine Realms will know of the might of Asgard. No one will dare to challenge us again..."
Loki laid out his entire plan and became increasingly excited as he spoke. He couldn't wait to personally join this battle representing the glory of Asgard.
"Furthermore, after our victory, we can use Midgard's territory to instigate war between the Frost Giants and the Dark Elves. By then, no other race will be able to threaten our position as rulers of Asgard in the Nine Realms..."
As the god of mischief, Loki almost instantly came up with this triple-gain scheme.
However, in his excitement, he didn't notice the inexplicable meaning in the gazes of his father Odin and mother Frigga.
"Oh, Loki, it's my negligence in guiding you that has led you to become like this."
Approaching death, Odin no longer treated Loki too harshly. In his loving gaze, there was a hint of regret.
"You should know, a wise ruler never initiates wars."
"Even if war truly comes, they will bravely face it head-on, not resort to schemes and deception... It took me a lifetime to understand this truth, but alas..."
Odin looked at Loki and slowly began to impart his wisdom, hoping to guide him back from the wrong path.
However, at this moment, Loki was like a rebellious child.
With anger in his eyes, he glared at Odin.
"Why don't any of you understand me? All of this is for you, for our Asgard, for the thousands of people living here!"
"Heh, it's probably because of Thor. From childhood to adulthood, you've only had eyes for him, as if I'm not his brother, your son!"
Angry Loki, pointing at Odin, vented the fire of not being valued from childhood to adulthood.
"Loki, enough!"
Frigga finally couldn't bear it and spoke up to stop Loki.
"Hmph! One day, I will personally prove that you are all wrong. I am more suited to inherit the throne of Asgard than that foolish brother of mine."
The next moment, Loki left without hesitation.
...
The great hall was completely silent.
A long while later, Odin finally spoke softly.
"How is Thor?"
"He is severely injured, but there is no danger to his life. In fact, the divine power in his body is continuously growing, healing his damaged body."
"Perhaps when he wakes up next time, he will become even stronger than before."
Frigga spoke of Thor's current situation.
"That's good. Unfortunately, I don't know if he can truly move on from repeated failures."
Odin was not worried about Thor's physical injuries, just concerned whether he could accept his own failure mentally.
"Fortunately, you are still here."
Odin looked at Frigga, as if entrusting something to her.
"Is there really no other way?"
Looking at her husband who once roamed the Nine Realms, Frigga's eyes were full of reluctance.
"I was once arrogant, fantasizing about completely conquering the entire Nine Realms, even the whole universe."
"For that, I was even willing to have the Dwarves forge a special weapon, preparing to collect the mysterious Infinity Stones..."
"Yet I soon woke up and realized my loved ones were what my heart was set on, the important things I must protect for life."
"But as I aged, that spark of passion in me was also completely extinguished."
"Sometimes, I even fantasized about just clinging on to life like this, hoping it could delay Ragnarok as foretold..."
Gazing into the void, Odin gradually sank into distant memories.
"But this time, I won't hide any longer. I will face death as the Allfather, bravely, to let the living beings of the Nine Realms once again feel the majesty of the lord of the Nine Realms."
"The glory of my forefathers eternally illuminates Asgard. The Hall of Valor representing the supreme glory will have a seat for me."
...
"Stubborn old man."
Leaving the great hall, Loki slowly walked onto the Bifrost Bridge.
Looking at the spacetime wormhole beneath the Bifrost Bridge leading to the cosmos, Loki suddenly had the urge to leave Asgard.
But the next moment, he dismissed the thought, continuously retreating from the edge of the Bifrost Bridge.
He directly turned around, preparing to leave the Bifrost Bridge.
"That's right. Since none of you acknowledge me, I will use everything I have to protect all of Asgard."
But the next second, Loki's figure paused as his gaze gradually became determined.
"I will prove to you that you were all wrong! Terribly wrong!"
Without hesitation, he turned and ran. At the edge of the Bifrost Bridge, he leapt down into the ten-thousand-meter abyss beneath.
Swallowed by the spacetime wormhole.
"Loki, no!"
Sensing Loki falling into the wormhole, Odin's face was full of sorrow.
Yet he was too late to stop him, and could not stop Loki's determination.
"Today really is an unsettled day..."
Odin slowly closed his eyes, struggling to suppress his emotions.
A few days later, above Earth, a figure crossed over from the Nine Realms.
Golden radiance covered nearly the entire horizon.
"Humans, I, the Allfather, ruler of Asgard, Odin, have come to fulfill my pledge!"
...
(End of Chapter)