Chapter 157: The Difference in Mentality (Third Update)

Asgard – This time, Thor really had it tough.

Thor used to be a man who would face every problem head-on. With his high attack power and thick defenses, he believed he could do anything he wanted.

That was until Odin took his powers away, forcing him to experience life as an ordinary person on Earth. Only then did he begin to think things through.

This time, though, his performance was quite challenging.

Still, it’s always the honest man’s deception that’s the hardest to guard against. Loki, who had spent his whole life deceiving others, never expected his foolish older brother to have a backup plan.

And Frigga being gravely injured truly hit Loki's sore spot. It was one of the few things that touched his humanity.

When Thor revealed his plan to use the Aether to lure Malekith out and kill him, Loki agreed without much hesitation.

Of course, agreeing to help was one thing; teasing his good-natured brother along the way was another.

When Loki saw Thor sneaking around, he became interested. Using his illusions, he first transformed into an Asgardian general on patrol and then provocatively turned Thor into Sif.

“Oh! Brother, you look stunning in a dress. I thought you’d just use brute force to carve a path through and take me out.”

“That’s enough, Loki. Even like this, I can still deal with you.”

“Oh? Maybe I’ll turn into your new friend.” Loki then transformed into Captain America, mimicking his tone, looking every bit as punchable.

But for once, Thor, who usually lost at verbal sparring, struck back with a fatal blow: “I’d prefer if you turned into Kratos.”

Thor had suddenly become an expert at roasting Loki.

Loki’s Captain America face immediately froze in disbelief.

This brought up some painful memories for Loki.

Too far!

They had an agreement not to bring up walking nuclear weapons!

Seeing Loki’s frustration, Thor felt great inside, strengthening his resolve regarding his “insurance.”

Meanwhile, Sif took the opportunity to knock out the guard delivering food to Jane, leaving Jane completely stunned.

“Jane, have you eaten?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Good! We’re leaving now. Thor needs you.”

Jane Foster didn’t hesitate. She knew well enough about Thor’s relationship with Sif. When it came to important matters, Sif would never let Thor down.

What she didn’t know was why Sif briefly glanced at her chest, as if recalling something.

It was a brief moment, and before Jane could react, Sif added, “We’ll need Loki’s help this time. If he tries anything, you can always use that hairpin.”

At first, Jane was confused, but as a top student, it took her less than a second to figure out that Kratos and Thor must’ve reached an agreement.

She nodded firmly.

In the palace corridors, she finally saw the man she had been longing for—along with the loathsome Loki.

As much as she hated to admit it, gods like Thor weren’t known for their gentle tempers.

As soon as Jane saw Loki’s smug, devil-may-care expression, her anger boiled over, and she rushed forward to slap him.

With Loki’s reflexes, how could he not dodge it?

But he didn’t. Or rather, he gambled that this mere mortal wouldn’t dare to strike him.

He was wrong.

Slap!

The crisp sound of the slap wasn’t physically painful, but the humiliation was immense.

Loki glanced at his older brother, and with his usual playful demeanor, he wore an expression of mock pain, letting out a delayed and exaggerated, “Ouch! But I like her spirit!”

“That’s for New York!” Jane snarled.

To Thor, her fierce attitude was adorable. It was exactly this strength and defiance that he admired.

As for Sif?

She was too meek.

However, none of the three noticed Thor’s shift in attitude.

As Thor led Loki onward, Sif suddenly grabbed Loki’s shoulder with bone-crushing force, glaring at him. “If you betray Thor, I’ll kill you!”

Having known Sif for thousands of years, Loki wasn’t the least bit intimidated by her.

Sometimes, you just have to play along.

Loki, with feigned politeness, replied, “Sif, it’s a pleasure to see you.”

With a smirk, he subtly dismissed her threat.

Sif, along with the Warriors Three, knew deep down that if Loki really decided to betray them, there wasn’t much they could do. Without the safeguard that was Kratos, Sif would probably just have to rely on empty threats and hope Loki wouldn’t cause too much trouble.

Thinking of that hulking figure, Sif couldn’t help but feel reassured. Yet, she also couldn’t shake the curiosity about what lay beneath that mask.

But there was no time to dwell on it.

Meanwhile, the ever-dutiful Heimdall was fulfilling his vow: to report any treachery to Odin.

He called Odin to the Bifrost Bridge to inform him of a betrayer—himself. He knew of Thor’s plan but didn’t report it immediately. It was a matter of honor; he believed Thor’s plan was better. But he also couldn’t allow himself to betray Odin, so he both helped Thor and reported himself to Odin, luring him away from the palace.

There was no choice. Such was the paradox of duty for this adorably rigid guardian.

Thanks to the help of Heimdall, Sif, and the Warriors Three, Thor commandeered a Dark Elf ship, using it as a distraction to draw most of Odin’s forces away. Then, aboard a small Asgardian boat resembling a dragon ship, they used Loki’s secret passageway to slip right into the Dark Elves’ lair.

A dark planet under a lightless sky.

The ground was covered in yellow sand, littered with the remains of Dark Elf motherships, towering over the landscape like silent tombstones.

Their twisted, shattered forms allowed the wind and sand to pass through the gaping holes in their hulls.

This was a stark reminder of the brutal war between Asgard and the Dark Elves.

Even a warrior like Thor couldn’t help but reflect on the carnage.

Now, with only himself and an unreliable Loki at his side, he was all that stood in the way.

Despite his nerves, Thor steeled himself. If he wanted to keep the people of Asgard safe from war, this strategy was essential.

Thor was sure that those cursed Dark Elves, like rats smelling cheese, would surely crawl out of their holes.

And sure enough, when they crested a hill, they saw a massive cross-shaped mothership descending from the sky, with a glaring red light in its center, like a sinister eye watching their every move.

(End of Chapter)