Chapter 327 S:Glorious Big Event (VII) (Patreon)

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Strange walked on the bridge in front of Asgard, and the setting sun made the Asgardian buildings beneath him shine even more brilliantly. He passed the towering guards at the end of the bridge and climbed up layer after layer of stairs, reaching a beautiful square in front of the gate adorned with fountains and flowers.

Following the guiding goddess, he entered the spacious hall of the palace. The dozens of pillars inside resembled towering trees, supporting the elaborate patterns carved on the massive dome.

Strange followed the goddess into the elevator. The platform slowly ascended amidst a rumbling sound. Looking down from there, he could see the children playing and laughing in the square of Asgard.

Soon, the elevator stopped, and the doors in front of him slowly opened. After stepping inside, he saw two tall alien plants guarding the doorway. The Asgardian goddess in white turned around and said to Strange, "Cross this covered bridge and turn right. The tower there is where His Royal Highness resides. Without permission, no one can enter."

Strange nodded and said, "Thank you for guiding me. By the way, can I ask how Loki is doing now?"

The goddess in the white robe shook her head and turned back towards the elevator. Strange sighed, already imagining Loki's miserable condition.

He followed the instructions of the goddess and continued walking forward. This covered bridge was located right behind the palace door. On the left side was a corridor of the palace, behind him was the elevator, and on the right side were railings and pillars. As he kept walking forward and turned right, he could see the tower the goddess mentioned—an independent structure separate from the palace.

Strange walked over, and the tower's door connected directly to the covered bridge. There were two metal door handles on it. Strange took one of them and knocked on the door. Loki's voice came from inside, "Come in."

Strange paused and asked, "How do I enter?"

"Push the door, what else?" Loki replied.

Taking two steps back, Strange examined the door. Only then did he notice that there were no protective magic circles on it. In fact, as he had just knocked on the door, a small crack appeared.

"The door isn't locked?" Strange widened his eyes in surprise. He walked forward, grabbed the door handle, and pulled. The door opened directly.

The interior scene was completely different from the dark cell Strange had imagined. It was a circular tower with corridors surrounding the walls, and in the center was a garden with a Viking atmosphere.

Many of the plants inside resembled those on Earth, like ancient versions of Earth's plants. There were also several slightly damaged statues in the center. Loki stood beneath one of the statues, reading a book. Strange quickly walked over to him and asked, "Are you okay?"

Before Loki could speak, Strange continued, "Is your mind intact? You know Odin would be furious and want to kill you. Yet you dare to return to Asgard. Isn't that walking into a trap?"

"I'm fine now, aren't I?" Loki raised his eyes, his voice somewhat cold. Strange looked around and said, "Where are we? Is this how advanced Asgard's prisons are?"

"Who told you this is a prison? This is our Royal Ancient Garden Ruins, preserving the traces of our era on Earth. Upstairs is the archives and the library of books. I usually love staying here."

"Hasn't Odin punished you? You caused a huge catastrophe this time."

Loki sighed and said, "I'm surprised too..."

Then, Strange heard from Loki the events that had occurred before his arrival.

The Norse gods in Norse mythology originated from Earth. They belonged to an ancient civilization and, like most ancient civilizations on Earth, had various forms of punishment.

The most severe was exile. In theory, Asgard had no death penalty, but exile was not much different. They would send people who committed grave offenses randomly into a dark universe. As for how they would survive there, no one cared.

Next was banishment, which was different from exile. Banishment meant one could go anywhere as long as they didn't stay in Asgard. In more severe cases, they were not allowed to enter the Nine Realms. As long as they didn't come here, others wouldn't bother them.

In the original comics, Thor had been banished from Asgard by Heimdall. Although he eventually returned, it was still considered one of the more severe punishments in Asgard.

Then there is corporal punishment. Asgard practices corporal punishment, and the reason why it ranks third in severity is because Asgard's punishment does not involve human whips. Instead, they use a whip made of thunder, formed by the divine power of All-Father Odin. Even when this whip lashes upon the physically strong Asgardians, it can leave them bedridden for half a year.

The severity of this punishment lies in the fact that once someone receives a lash, they are unable to go to the battlefield for a long time and are confined to their homes. For the Asgardians, this is a devastating blow.

Before returning to Asgard, Loki already estimated that he would have to endure a lash. After all, the trouble he caused this time was quite significant.

He had provoked the previously rebellious princess, nearly breaking her seal, and had also managed to drag down the already returned prince of the World Tree, stirring up their new and old grievances together...

Not to mention throwing the Destroyer onto Earth earlier, and bringing Thor to Sakaar Star. Odin's thunder, which was still on the road, had already deeply moved Loki.

The reason Loki returned to Asgard was simple: he thought about dying early or dying late, but he couldn't escape a thunderous strike. So it was better to quickly endure the beating and go out causing trouble.

However, when Loki returned to Asgard, Odin was indeed very angry, so angry that even his nose was crooked. But when Loki knelt halfway in Asgard Hall, waiting for Odin's judgment, Odin simply ordered him to go back to his room for reflection. Loki was not allowed to leave the palace without his command.

Loki was confused when he knelt on the ground at that moment. He thought Odin hadn't finished speaking, so he didn't move at all. This made Odin even angrier, and the All-Father's hand trembled with anger. He pointed to the door with his arm and said, "Get out!"

So, Loki rolled his eyes in confusion and left.

Then, in the elevator, he saw Odin hurriedly putting on armor and grabbing weapons.

You should know that previously, while All-Father was still asleep, Heimdall had found the armor, and the weapons hadn't been polished.

Before Loki could figure out what Odin was up to, Frigga came into his room. After seeing Loki, she burst into tears, and Loki had to quickly comfort his mother...

As Frigga wiped her tears, she said, "Why are you so bold? Do you know that even All-Father Odin had to temporarily avoid Hela's edge? She is the true ruler of the undead. You've caused trouble with her, my goodness..."

"Are you injured? What happened to your divine power? What is that new divine power within you? Is it Thor's power? And where is he? Why didn't he protect his younger brother... his sister?"

The more Frigga spoke, the angrier she became. She said, "Thor is just like his father! All he thinks about is fighting. Every time he goes out, he disappears for hundreds of years without returning home, causing a heap of trouble. Only then does he rush back and make us clean up after him!"

"I used to refrain from reprimanding him because he is the future heir of Asgard. It's necessary for him to learn how to fight. But this time, he went too far! His brother is being pursued by the Goddess of Death, and he's still wandering around the universe?!"

Frigga's chest heaved with anger, and Loki approached her and patted her back. Frigga held his hand, touched his hair, and said, "Don't worry, I won't let anyone harm my children."

"Even though I haven't left the palace since I married your father and have never been to the battlefield, I was a first mage for nine eras, a mage god revered by the Nine Realms..."

Frigga embraced Loki, saying, "There's no need to be afraid. I will forever protect my family..."

"You know, in this atmosphere, how can I tell you that I've also angered Balder? In case Queen gets too furious, the All-Father might actually kill me." Loki sighed in the ancient garden, holding books and looking somewhat helpless.

Strange replied, "Now you should understand. Your parents love you very much. Although my relationship with my father is not good either, I think there's an example that can describe your current situation well."

"When a child scratches someone else's car, their father might get angry and give them a beating. But if a child blows up the White House, their parents will definitely find ways to protect their child."

"The bigger the trouble you cause, the more your parents will stand by your side, just like this time."

"And because you've been well-behaved before and never caused any trouble, Odin might think it's just an accident. He's more likely to be reminded of his past with Hela..."

"But this time, I'm starting to grow tired of these repetitive tests. The universe is so vast, and I'd rather find something to do elsewhere than hang out with these warmongers." Loki seemed a bit impatient.

"Now that you've come to your senses, when do you plan to return to the Sanctum Sanctorum? I've been nearly going crazy with work!"

Loki walked over to a nearby bench and sat down. She said, "Returning to Asgard is not just about testing Odin. What's more important is that I can get information about Hela here without having to meet him in person."

Loki looked around and found no attendants nearby. She lowered her voice and said, "When I was chatting with Hela in the realm of Death, I heard from her that the ancient garden used to be his favorite place in Asgard, and he left a mark here."

"As long as I stay here and observe the state of this mark, I can determine whether he has escaped from captivity. Once the mark shows a reaction, it means that war is about to begin."

"The mark? Is it the one we saw in that cemetery last time?"

"Almost, but it's slightly different. When Hela was in Asgard, she wasn't the Goddess of Death yet, but the general shape is the same. And once he escapes, the mark will display his unique emerald energy..."

"Emerald energy? You mean... that kind of energy?" Strange looked behind Loki and spoke.

Loki suddenly turned around and saw thick smoke rising from under a sculpture in the center of the garden. In a moment of screams and wails, most of the plants in the ancient garden were corroded by Death's energy, withering away and turning into ashes.

"Get out of the way!" Loki shouted.

Strange waved his hand, and a portal flashed. He and Loki disappeared together.

In SHIELD Director Nick's office, Schiller and Nick had just sat down when they heard a "sizzle" sound, followed by two "bangs." A portal appeared above the office, and then Loki and Strange fell down together.

Schiller held a glass of water and tapped the rim with his finger, looking down at the two of them. He turned his head to Nick and said, "It seems I don't need to say anything."

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