As soon as Loki finished speaking, Shiller turned his head and gave Strange a look.
Then, Shiller turned back and looked at Peter who was sitting on the couch next to him. "Peter, I heard you're good at crafts. Can you make us a large lightning rod to put on the roof?" he asked.
"A lightning rod? Why do we need a lightning rod?"
Peter didn't catch on at first, but when his gaze swept across Loki and he thought about Norse mythology, he understood.
"Oh, right! A lightning rod! She might indeed need a lightning rod, but can a human-made lightning rod really withstand Thor's thunder?"
"If you think a regular lightning rod won't work, can you find a way to make one that can withstand the power of Thor?" Shiller patted Peter's shoulder, saying, "Stark always tells me you have a knack for this. I believe you won't let us down, right?"
Peter nodded seriously, stood up and said, "Alright, I'll go look into it. If there are any updates, I'll give you a call."
As he was getting up, Steve looked at the expressions on Shiller and Strange's faces. He also stood up and said, "I still need to deal with the mess those skulls and undead made. I need to visit Eddie and see if he can write an article to calm the public down. You guys carry on..."
With that, he also got up and left.
Once Peter and Steve were gone, Loki, who had been sitting upright in his chair, let go of her breath. She put on her hood, and once the halo behind her disappeared, she leaned back in her chair.
"Good, the morally untested ones are gone. Now it's our time," Shiller said, standing up and taking a bottle of sherry from the liquor cabinet.
Strange set out the clear wine glasses, saying to Loki, "The upright ones have left. You can tell the other version of the story now."
Most of Loki's face was hidden in the shadow of her hood, showing only her fair chin. She rested her hand on the armrest of the sofa, let out a small sigh, and said, "Really, what were you guys thinking? How did you let those two find me first? If they hadn't been there, I wouldn't have had to blabber on for so long."
"Stop complaining. The place where you caused a disturbance was too close to Peter's house. He was bound to investigate. As for Steve, where there is trouble, there he is, Captain America."
Shiller poured drinks for everyone while Loki leaned forward and took a cigar box from under the coffee table. As she was cutting the cigar, she said, "Thor, that fool who only grows in strength but not brains, he won't change anything just by going back to Asgard. So what if he has a new divine position? Was Odin not strong enough? But could he stop the Asgardians' destructive path due to their warlike nature?"
"So, what did you do?"
"I persuaded Thor to stay on Sakaar and save the slaves there. The funny thing is, he thought I had turned good. Actually, I just wanted to keep him there. I had things to do when I got back..."
"I thought your story was weird. How did you fall into the mines of Sakaar and manage to be teleported right to Hela's Realm of Death? You actually had a set target, right?" Shiller asked as he brought over an ice bucket and added ice cubes to the drinks with tongs.
"That's right. But the part about Sakaar is true. I don't know what Venom was thinking, trying to be in love. Even if he didn't consider that Sif would be the future Queen of Gods, I shouldn't have gotten too close to her, after all, she represents the warlike faction in Asgard."
Loki leaned on the sofa and sighed. "I've been on Earth for a while, and I've learned about your society. I found that Asgard and Earth society are almost the same. However, because we're all warriors, Asgard's society is entirely mounted on a chariot of war. It can't stop."
"We're getting there, too," Strange commented over a sip of his drink. "War is the best way to divert internal conflicts. Those who enjoy the benefits never care whether this will lead society towards its destruction."
Loki snapped her fingers, saying, "Exactly! That's exactly what Asgard is like. We've been at war for so long, those who reap all the benefits from the war simply don't want it to stop. Everything in our society serves the purpose of war. Only a fool would believe such a society could last."
"Every path towards destruction has an end..." Shiller raised his glass to Loki and said, "Endless entropy will eventually lead this universe to its end."
"Exactly, so in order to change the fate of Asgard, you must first stop this war chariot that has been moving for too long."
"But that's not so easy," Strange said with a furrowed brow. "If the part of the tale you told us about Baldur is true, who can say that Hela's initiation of the War of Destruction wasn't sponsored by those warlike Asgardians?"
"Odin is aware of this too. Hela's betrayal and Baldur's decline are the prices paid by the Father of All Gods in an attempt to reign in his war horse."
"But he was unsuccessful. The Asgardians still wish for a powerful new king who can lead them in their cosmic conquest. They would rejoice at the immense divine power of Thor, the new god," sighed Shiller.
"Thor already understands this, yet you can't expect him to understand the intricate relations between powers in Asgard, especially when his relationship with Sif is so delicate. It was clear that Sif represented them when she came to welcome Thor back," Loki added.
"I can hear that objectively, you don't hold much animosity towards Sif. Why is that?" Strange asked Loki.
"I hate that woman, but actually, the younger generation in Asgard is just as entrapped."
"We were born when the Father of All God's war path was nearing its end, during a time of peace. Yet, we were kidnapped by the previous generation to initiate a new war. That was not our own will."
"I often laugh at Sif and the Warriors Three for being foolish, but sometimes, we share an understanding. Because we all know that Thor, they, and I stand on the same side, only they are still entangled."
Loki took a sip of her drink, the atmosphere in the room turning solemn. Shiller smiled and said, "You narrating the story in your current form and voice is much more engaging than it was."
"Haven't you noticed, it's because of my voice?"
"Indeed, there seems to be a strange aura about you now. Even if I don't deliberately listen to your story, it worms its way into my ears." Strange looked at Loki with a puzzled tone, but Loki had no intention of revealing the secret, she simply said, "I prefer to tell a story in chronological order, how about you?"
"Alright, as you wish."
Loki cleared her throat and continued, "If Thor and I simply returned to Asgard, the situation wouldn't change much."
"I spent a lot of time thinking on Sakaar, and I believe that the key breakthrough still lies in changing the pattern of the Cosmic Sorcerers."
"I must admit, the system you guys set up has strengthened the connection between the Cosmic Sorcerers. Once the various fields, spaces, and dimensions become more and more closely connected, the entire cosmos will turn from loose sand into a cake ready to be devoured. I believe this is the opportunity for Asgard."
"As I said before, I sought out Hela, and Venom was indeed fascinated by the deathly aura of Hela. So, I pushed it along, deliberately attracting her attention."
"Fortunately, Peter and Steve don't know much about the nature of the symbiotes and the God Clan, otherwise, your earlier explanation would have been debunked," Shiller shook his head and said. "A symbiote can never force a God Clan member to do something against their will. Even if your race is not Aesir, the principle remains the same."
"More importantly, you're a major magician, your willpower and mental strength should be enough to control this alien symbiote. If you were unwilling, Venom would have a tough time carrying out its intentions."
"But why did you have to entice Hela?"
Strange turned to Loki, questioned with a lack of understanding, "She's not easy to provoke. The Supreme Magician told me that the Lord of the Underworld has a bad temper and many quirks, difficult to deal with. Even the Demon Gods who reside near Helheim don't dare to provoke her."
"Because Hela is a unique entity. She was once the princess of Asgard, and now she is a Cosmic Sorcerer. As I said before, I believe Asgard's opportunity lies within the pattern of the Cosmic Sorcerers, and she happens to embody both these identities."
"Yes, if you're looking for a bridge to connect these two, Hela indeed seems like a good choice." Shiller rubbed his temples and said.
"Maybe Hela was momentarily inflamed when she started the war, I don't think she's necessarily dumb. After being subdued and imprisoned by Odin, she must have reflected on whether the war was necessary and what it ultimately represented..."
"Yes, her and I had a long chat by the Styx," Loki's tone became somewhat self-deprecating, she said: "Like two stray dogs expelled from their home, we found a common resonance, our feelings for each other were not bad..."
"Well, there were some complications. I felt a sense of kinship, but apparently, Hela wanted to go further..."
"Did you agree?" Strange looked at Loki with a gossip-seeking expression.
"No, but Hela didn't want to give up. I don't know why, but she seems to be very interested in me, that part of the story I told earlier is true."
"Hela's interest in me is so intense that I had to change my gender. Who knew, she too, could change her gender."
Loki's voice was full of helplessness. However, Shiller said, "Let me guess, you must have been provoked by Thor's promotion to the new God. So, when you met someone who was willing to listen to your grand plan, you just vented all your wisdom..."
"Loki, have you ever considered that you might be just Hela's type?" Shiller asked with a sense of schadenfreude.
"I know now," Loki replied irritably.
Strange was a bit confused. He asked, "Why? How did you come to that conclusion?"
"It's very simple, Hela was once the distinguished princess of Asgard. The bravest Asgardian warriors were at her disposal to choose from, but she didn't see value in any of them. Doesn't it make clear what type she likes?"
"Alright, this isn't important. Hela can't possibly rush into Earth to kidnap me. As long as I stay here, I'm safe."
"Setting aside these romantic matters, what deal have you and Hela agreed upon?"
"I want to deepen the current pattern of the Cosmic Sorcerers, so I need an opportunity. Once Hela knew about my goal, she told me the story of Baldur and pointed me towards the place where I could find the former God King's eldest son…"
"You indeed omitted the key parts of the story." Strange smirked.
"So, what on earth are you planning to do?" Shiller asked.
Loki slightly shook her head and said, "Don't you feel that we are missing a person here?"
"You mean..."
Strange and Shiller exchanged glances, spitting out the same name together: "Nick Fury."