The Asgard under the curtain of the night was an incomparably dazzling city of gold. The rainbow light of the setting sun at the edge of the sky shone on the closely packed high-rises. Looking down from the top, the classically styled arches cast dense comb-like shadows under the setting sun. The Viking style patterns and sculptures seen everywhere added a wild and passionate flair to this city.
The tavern owner leaned on a barrel, dozing off, when a large man beside him took off a helmet adorned with bullhorns from his head. The slight noise it made upon contact with the tabletop awoke the tavern owner. He tugged at his braided large beard and looked up to see the gleaming sunlight streaming through the narrow door frame, sharp like a resplendent knife.
Outside, a horse-drawn carriage flew low in the sky. The neighs of the sky horses echoed through the streets, causing many to open their windows and watch the royal insignia-branded carriage kick up a cloud of dust.
Upon reaching the bridge leading to the Fairy Palace, tall guards clad in golden armor, each wielding an ax taller than the archway, would cross their weapons blocking the gate when someone approached. Two palace guards knelt on one knee and presented a salute.
Loki stepped out from the carriage, and as the two palace guards knelt on one knee and saluted him, the clashing sound of their armor mixing with their deep voices echoed, "Prince, welcome back."
Loki nodded, descended from the carriage, and then passed through the archway of the bridge.
The bridge leading to the Fairy Palace stretched endlessly. Looking down from the top, Loki's figure seemed insignificantly small compared to Asgard's towering buildings. He passed through one archway shadow after another, and before the light faded completely, he found himself on the steps of the Fairy Palace.
He ascended flights of steps, the spray from the fountain carrying the chill of the night brushed subtly against his cheeks. Elves from the fountain on the landing platform flew out and saluted Loki.
The laughter of the goddesses echoed in the distance. These goddesses, who showed their bravery on the battlefield, were now weaving wreaths from laurel branches. Seeing Loki ascend, one of them greeted him and said, "Prince, the Father of All Gods has asked you to go directly to the reception hall on the highest floor."
The goddess, attired in a pristine long skirt, approached Loki and whispered, "The Supreme Magician from Earth is here too. The Divine King has asked you to change your clothes before going there."
Loki smiled at her, nodding his head. His handsome appearance caused the faces of the goddesses nearby to blush, and one by one, they giggled and hid behind the fountain.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the Fairy Palace, the two armor statues at the main entrance stirred upon recognizing Loki and returned to their calm state.
He entered the hugely spacious and splendidly radiant hall, where dozens of pillars extended forward in succession. The glass facing the setting sun was covered with golden grids, casting fragments of golden shadows on the ground.
Loki traversed the hall, turned right and walked into the corridor, where two rows of green plants were placed. He passed through the passage, and after he ascended through a pointed archway, the floor began to rise.
Loki, standing in the elevator, looked out from the transparent elevator cabin to see the courtyard of the Fairy Palace, where several Asgardian warriors were competing in martial arts.
As the night slowly fell, sizzling roasted meat was served on trays, the goddesses balanced baskets filled with bread and fresh fruits on their heads, children clutched water bottles filled with spring water, and as the bonfire was lit, the noise grew louder. Despite the distance, the lively atmosphere there was palpable.
The recent busyness had kept Loki from staying in Asgard for quite a while. Upon his return, he felt as though everything was the same, yet different at the same time.
The elevator gently shook, and the door in front of Loki slowly opened. He stepped out, the sound of his boots striking the polished floor echoing lightly.
Upon arriving at the entrance of his bedroom, two court guards held the door open for him. Upon entering his room, which hadn't changed at all, he surprisingly found himself feeling somewhat relaxed.
It was unclear when he had started to despise his life here and desperately sought thrill. Nor when he had started to miss the peaceful life in Asgard again.
When he emerged from the dressing room, Loki had changed out of his dusty travel clothes and put on his robe.
Asgardian clothing was always imbued with elements of armor. Even the robe had a light armor top and bottom, with an overcoat and cloak covered in elaborate patterns.
Loki hesitated for a moment. He picked up his magic wand, but left his helmet behind as he stepped out of his room.
Once again taking the elevator to the top of the Fairy Palace, the residence of God King Odin, he encountered Queen Frigga.
The queen was dressed in a blue ceremonial gown, her long hair tied up with golden ornaments. Loki went over and greeted her. Frigga took Loki's hand and said, "The Supreme Magician from Earth has arrived, and several Dimensional Lords will also be here shortly.
"Your father will officially introduce you to them. I think you should know what to do. Oh…" Frigga glanced at Loki and asked, "Where is your helmet? Why aren't you wearing it?"
"Forget it..." As if realizing something, Frigga told Loki, "Your newly crafted crown has been made, I'll have it sent over later."
Before Loki had a chance to say anything, Frigga took her leave around the corner. It seemed she had more urgent matters to attend to.
Loki considered following her but glanced back at the reception room. He decided to continue toward his original destination.
When he pushed open the door to enter, Odin and The Ancient One were the only ones in the reception room. Loki greeted Odin with a salute.
Odin, who had been talking to The Ancient One, stopped the conversation upon seeing his youngest son walk in. He nodded at Loki, which left Loki feeling surprisingly honored.
Odin carried the valiant persona acquired from his early years of battling across the universe. He was an awe-inspiring emperor and a stern father. His sons Thor and Loki seldom attained approval from him, especially Loki.
Loki was far from the typical heroic combatant that the Asgardians favored. Compared to Thor, he wasn't as robust or valiant. Although his handsome facade made him quite popular with the goddesses, he seldom captured the attention of the Father of All Gods in formal occasions.
Or to put it another way, when Odin was present, the two princes were always reduced to mere side characters. Talk of battle merits might bring Thor into the frame, yet these were merely instances of being part of the bigger picture. The focus of all gods was only Odin.
Loki had always believed that their Divine King was unjust, showing favoritism towards Thor. However, when Odin, the Father of All Gods in every sense, directed his attention towards Loki, Loki couldn't help but feel extremely nervous.
"Where is your helmet?"
Loki did not lift his head. Maintaining a respectful posture, he swiftly glanced at Odin's expression, slightly knelt and replied, "A new crown is being fetched by mother's aide. It hasn't arrived yet."
"A helmet is a symbol of honor for an Asgardian warrior," Odin finished and instructed a guard to fetch Loki's helmet.
Loki's hand that was holding the wand tightened. He felt a mixture of surprise and anxiety. It was the first time Odin referred to him as an "Asgardian warrior."
At that moment, the voice of The Ancient One came, "What's the situation in Andromeda?"
Looking up at Odin's expression, Loki found no trace of dissatisfaction. So he stood up and said to The Ancient One, "I just returned from there. The structure of Clint Planet is very peculiar; it has been morphed by those parasites into a prison."
"Too many symbionts reside there. If I intruded directly, I would have been detected. Hence, I found an opportunity to sneak in. That cage turned out to be very robust. The imprisoned God of Symbiotic Body, Nal, didn't show any signs of escaping."
"What about his power?"
"It definitely has overflowed. I tinkered with the cage, disrupted its stability to facilitate Nal's break out of power."
"You did very well."
Odin's voice reached Loki and made his heart beat out of his chest. He had never been complimented by the Father of All Gods before.
"You must have noticed when Nal's Seed of Power came in, right?" The Ancient One, standing nearby, asked Odin.
"When the symbiont carrying Nal's power entered the Nine Major Kingdoms, I originally intended to intercept it. But then I found that if he voluntarily opened up the channel to project his power, I could acquire more. So, I refrained from interrupting. Later on, when COSMIC Special Agents approached me, wanting to enter the Nine Major Kingdoms, I knew a fight was inevitable."
"I was thinking of severing the channel and seizing a part of the power after some of Nal's power was projected. But then, your student revealed a big plan…"
Glancing at The Ancient One, Odin continued, "Merely severing a channel and seizing power isn't enough to satiate our needs anymore."
"Things are progressing faster than I expected," The Ancient One remarked regretfully, "When I detected the direct attack on Earth's defense system, I had no idea who would dare to do such a thing."
"And then, I called you over," Odin chuckled, "Turns out it was an antiquity that had been in slumber for thousands of years. Guess only this kind would dare to strike here, right?"
"This happened at the right time." The Ancient One also laughed, "If it had happened before, my plan would be the same as yours, to cut off the channel after partially projecting the power."
Loki, standing down there, had rather vague understanding, but he didn't dare to ask. Suddenly, The Ancient One moved and took out a cell phone from her robe. She spoke into it, "Really? ... No, I'm fine. I'm in Asgard's Fairy Palace. Are you coming here? ... Never mind, you might want to come anyway."
Ending the call, The Ancient One said to Odin, "My student, Strange, is coming. Could you take the Rainbow Bridge to pick him up?"
About a few minutes later, the guard escorted Strange into the guest room. By the even more puzzled look on his face, Loki knew the automatic question machine had arrived.
"What's actually going on?" Strange glanced around, only to find the other three seemingly having everything under control.
"Loki, why don't you explain it to him?" Odin suggested.
Loki was taken aback, he intended to say he was too occupied running errands all this while, hardly knowing what the plan was.
But he had just received Odin's praise, he couldn't falter now, could he?
Hence, the brain of the God of Mischief started to function vigorously: Totem prosperity project, Nal's seed of power, Odin's order to investigate Andromeda, the arrival of The Ancient One...
Connecting all events, Loki quickly inferred an approximation.