In Odin's bedroom, after the two brothers left, Frigga's panicked expression quickly returned to calm. Odin, who had been lying on the bed appearing weak and frail, slowly opened his eyes.
He sat up and sighed softly.
Frigga stepped forward and gently patted Odin on the shoulder.
"Thor has matured quite a bit after his trip to Earth. Loki, on the other hand, feels troubled by his Frost Giant heritage, and he's always thought you favored Thor over him. He's lived in Thor's shadow all his life, so it's only natural that he's a bit rebellious. He'll grow up eventually."
The two of them spoke with deep concern, like any ordinary elderly couple worrying about their children.
Blake looked up at the sky in disbelief, then glanced at Loki, who was at the Bifrost, about to wipe out the entire Frost Giant race.
And this was just "a bit rebellious"?
He's about to commit genocide—of his own race, no less!
A famous quote from the internet in Blake's past life came to mind: "He's just a kid!"
Yes, a kid who's barely over a thousand years old—how could he have any bad intentions? He's only stolen his family's weapon, tried to kill his brother, and is about to annihilate an entire race.
The Ancient One glanced at Blake's expression, clearly knowing what he was thinking. She gave a disdainful look at Odin and Frigga in the mirror and said, "Their vision is too narrow. Loki has royal Frost Giant blood. Odin doesn't have many years left to live, and if the Frost Giants still existed, Thor's throne wouldn't be secure."
With the Ancient One's knowing look, Blake suddenly had an epiphany.
He used to think that Odin knew everything and just let the two brothers cause trouble.
But now it was clear—this was part of a grand scheme by a cunning old fox.
By deliberately neglecting Loki, Odin provoked him into proving himself. Loki not only killed Laufey but also nearly wiped out the entire Frost Giant race.
Even if Thor stopped him, the Frost Giants would still be on the verge of extinction.
More importantly, Loki would forever lose any potential support from his birth race. Instead, they would hate him, turning from a possible ally into a sworn enemy.
Then, Odin sent Thor to Earth to form alliances.
Blake remembered that in the beginning of the movie Thor led Asgard's army to help pacify rebellions across the Nine Realms.
Conquer, ally, destroy. Loki played the villain, and Thor the hero. With little effort, Thor gained the loyalty of most of the Nine Realms.
Compared to Odin's intricate calculations, Loki's so-called tricks as the God of Mischief seemed laughably weak.
It's true—anyone who becomes a king isn't likely to be a saint.
The Ancient One added, "You don't have to think too much about it. Odin, as the King of Asgard, has to act like one. He just isn't as good at being a father as he is at being a king."
"Come! Let me introduce you to this successful king and failed father!"
The Ancient One lightly tapped the image in the mirror, which instantly shattered, revealing a portal.
Before the portal even fully opened, Odin's voice came from within.
"Since you arrived in Asgard before Thor returned, why didn't you come see an old friend first?"
The title "All-Father" wasn't given to Odin for nothing. As soon as someone set foot in Asgard, he knew.
"Couldn't miss such a good show—I had to watch it play out," the Ancient One replied, unfazed that Odin knew her every move. If some powerful being entered Earth, she too would sense it immediately.
"Greetings, Ancient One!" Frigga clearly wasn't meeting the Ancient One for the first time. She smiled as she greeted her and nodded to Blake before leaving Odin's room.
"It's just the two kids fighting—what's so interesting about that? You didn't come all the way to Asgard just to watch me deal with family squabbles, did you?"
Odin waved his hand dismissively as he spoke.
Just as the words left his mouth, a thunderous explosion erupted from outside.
The aura around Odin suddenly changed, and he was enveloped in a brilliant golden light.
In that instant, Blake felt like the old man in front of him had turned into a sun—radiating not only light and heat but also an overwhelming sense of power.
It felt as if with a mere wave of Odin's hand, Blake could be obliterated.
"Damn it! The Bifrost!" Odin exclaimed, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished from the room.
The Ancient One pulled out a fan and began whacking Blake on the head, laughing heartily.
"Did you see that? That's what you call 'a miscalculation.' After all that scheming, Thor—being his overly righteous self—ended up smashing the Bifrost to stop Loki from destroying the Frost Giants. Odin definitely didn't see that coming! Hahahaha!"
The Ancient One showed no concern about being in Odin's realm and freely laughed at his expense.
Snapping out of the shock from Odin's intimidating presence, Blake pushed the fan away.
"Stop hitting me! You're just spouting nonsense now!"
After that outburst, Blake finally processed what had just happened.
"Wait, you're saying the Bifrost getting destroyed wasn't part of Odin's plan?"
"Of course not. He's just a cunning old fox. Who do you think he is? Even I, the guardian of the Time Stone, don't claim to see every future clearly. Odin merely plays mind games; there's no way he could control every little detail!"
"And even if he had seen it coming, what difference would it make? Some things are just destined to happen," Blake sighed.
"Oh?" The Ancient One leaned in, her bald head right in Blake's face.
"So, tell me, do you think us being here is destined?"
Blake glanced at the Ancient One's shiny bald head, took a step back, and replied nervously, "How should I know?"
Before the Ancient One could respond, Odin reappeared in a flash!
But this time, Odin didn't have the same calm and composed demeanor. Instead, his face was filled with worry and concern.
Without a word, he turned to the Ancient One and asked urgently, "Loki!"
Perhaps this was the fatherly side of Odin that the Ancient One had mentioned earlier. After all, having raised Loki for over a thousand years, Odin undoubtedly had feelings for his rebellious child.
"Relax, he's fine. He'll take a few hits and come back soon enough," the Ancient One said without hesitation, offering reassurance.
Odin took a deep breath of relief.
Then, as if he had only just noticed Blake, he turned to him and suddenly spoke:
"Throwing hammers all over the place? Family curse! Wife always on her period! Your handwriting's not bad, kid!"
Blake: (￣▽￣")
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