Su Yi was still holding the bruised and crumpled form of Loki—more like pressing him into the metallic ground of the Bifrost Bridge—when Thor finally rushed forward. The thunder god had been momentarily paralyzed by shock, watching a mortal deliver such a comprehensive, humiliating beatdown to a Prince of Asgard.
"Enough, mortal! That is my brother!" Thor cried out, dropping to his knees to check on Loki.
Su Yi released his grip, stepping back with a satisfied stretch. Loki was alive, but barely conscious, his mask of regal mischief shattered, replaced by raw, infantile despair. The God of Mischief had been physically and psychologically pulverized, not by an equal, but by an exasperated superior.
Thor was about to unleash a storm of indignation, demanding to know what right Su Yi had to assault royalty, even a treacherous one. But the words caught in his throat.
A profound silence descended upon the shattered bridge. The air, heavy with ozone and the scent of pulverized ice, suddenly felt dense with ancient authority.
Without any flash of light or sound of transportation, a figure simply was there. The King of the Gods, Odin, had arrived.
He stood by the ruined control panel, his eye piercing the lingering smoke. He was clad in simple but imposing robes, his features etched with the frailness of age and the weariness of a millennium of responsibility, but his presence was absolute. He commanded respect without needing to show anger; his simple presence was the ultimate judgment.
Odin appeared beside his younger son. Loki, who had just been brutalized by a mortal and whose perfect plan lay in ruins, instantly teared up. He was not crying from the pain of the beating, but from the searing wound of catastrophic failure.
His carefully constructed plot—to orchestrate a threat, save the Allfather, and emerge as the Savior King—had been ruined by this maddening, disruptive mortal and his idiot brother. Moreover, Su Yi had even run over and brutally beaten him, a 1500-year-old child who only wanted his father's love.
Loki lay on the Bifrost Bridge, feeling incredibly wronged, the final dregs of his ambition turning into bitter self-pity.
"Father," he choked out, the word barely a whisper, "I just wanted to prove to you that I am more capable than Thor. I wanted to be worthy."
Odin looked down at Loki with a benevolent expression, his single eye heavy with sorrow and understanding. "Whether you are capable or not, you are my child, Loki. You don't need to be perfect, but you must do what is right." He placed a hand on his son's bruised forehead.
"This time, you have made a grave mistake. You have courted darkness and nearly brought about the end of three realms."
Loki clung to the small comfort, his voice desperate. "I wanted to gain your approval, I wanted to help lighten your burden... I knew Thor would only seek war, and I was trying to secure the peace you craved."
Odin gently comforted him. "I know. The path to greatness does not lie in deception or destruction, my son. It lies in truth, and in sacrifice."
Facing Odin's tolerance and unconditional forgiveness—a forgiveness that proved his own destructive actions were entirely unnecessary and counterproductive—Loki could no longer bear the crushing weight of his shame. His perfect lie was refuted by his father's perfect love. He chose to escape the unbearable reality.
With a sudden, desperate surge of strength, he squirmed, intending to roll over and throw himself from the Bifrost Bridge's shattered edge, exiling himself from his failures and his family.
By the time Odin and Thor noticed the suicidal desperation in his eyes, Loki had already begun his action, tumbling toward the edge.
"Loki!"
Both father and brother cried out, reaching out to grab him, but they were too far.
Just as he was about to fall into the abyss, a hand shot out and clamped around his ankle. Su Yi, moving with simple, practiced speed, had anticipated the melodrama. He effortlessly pulled the struggling, thrashing, hysterical figure back to the floor.
Loki's mentality completely collapsed.
This Su Yi was truly persistent, the immovable obstacle in the way of every single one of his designs. All his plans, his betrayals, his triumphs, and now, even his dramatic, self-pitying exit, had been utterly ruined. This mortal had beaten him, exposed him, and now, denied him the dignity of self-exile.
Su Yi smiled down at the screaming, clawing Prince. "Loki, you wouldn't think you could get away like this, would you? If I let you run, what if you come back to cause trouble? Besides, you make a terrible impression on guests."
Loki was reduced to a primal scream, realizing that his title as God of Mischief was a laughable farce; Su Yi was the true, frustrating, and utterly indomitable devil. "Let me go!"
Su Yi ignored him, hauling him up and presenting him to the Allfather.
"King of the Gods, Odin," Su Yi began, ignoring Loki's pitiful struggles, "I apologize for the rough handling, but your son was about to breach the integrity of my planet, and then he refused arrest."
Odin dismissed the apology with a wave of his hand, his eye still fixed on Su Yi. To think that such a powerful, controlled individual would emerge from a place like Midgard was truly surprising.
"Warrior from Midgard, you have earned Mjolnir's approval, and by that sacred law, you have gained my approval." Odin's voice deepened, imbued with royal authority. "I, Odin, as the King of the Gods, representing the Nine Realms, thank you for stopping this conflict and saving my son from himself."
"I will grant you a reward, one worthy of your intervention."
Su Yi was neither humble nor arrogant, meeting the Allfather's gaze. "King Odin, you have protected the Nine Realms for many years, and you have also protected Midgard; I deeply respect you."
"However, Loki still holds a grudge against me, and it might even affect all of Midgard in time. I hope you can restrain him and educate him on the consequences of seeking galactic genocide."
Odin's expression remained steadfast. "Your request, I have granted it. He will be imprisoned until he seeks the light."
Su Yi was very satisfied. "I have two more conditions, demands really, that I hope the King of Gods can agree to."
"What conditions do you ask of me?" Odin asked, intrigued by the mortal's boldness.
"The first condition," Su Yi stated, turning to Thor, "I hope to fight your son, the Thunder God."
Thor, despite his recent wounds and emotional turmoil, immediately adopted a pose of battle-ready honor. "I am not sure of my true strength," Su Yi explained, his tone conversational.
"And it is difficult to exert my full power in Midgard without causing catastrophic damage. Therefore, I hope to find a deserted place—perhaps Asgard's training fields—and have a match with Thor. A duel for honor and assessment."
Odin looked at Thor, and Thor was fearless, the challenge invigorating his renewed spirit. "I, Thunder God Thor, accept your challenge! You saved my life and restored my honor; it would be my privilege to test your might!"
Su Yi smiled internally, the first piece of the puzzle falling into place. The Challenge Card for a duel with an official Avenger was secured.
"And one more condition, King Odin," Su Yi continued, his voice becoming serious. "I hope to go and see... Hela."
The air pressure dropped. Odin's single eye narrowed, his ancient wisdom sensing the profound danger in that request.
"It was you who revealed Hela's whereabouts," Odin stated, his voice low and dangerous. "Why do you now wish to see her? You should know what her reappearance means for the Nine Realms."
Su Yi nodded, acknowledging the gravity. "I know, and I do not wish to release her prematurely. I hope Odin will send me into her prison dimension, and then release me when my task is complete."
Odin chose to refuse, his face hardening. "I can send you over, but you will not be Hela's match. She is the embodiment of war. If you are defeated by her, or even controlled by her rage, I cannot and will not release you. The seal, weakened as it is, cannot be undone simply for a mortal's whim."
Su Yi knew that Odin's current state—just emerging from the Odinsleep—meant his body was too weak to maintain the full seal and open the prison dimension freely. If the seal were fully undone, Hela could not be banished again.
"What if I am willing to use this drop of Water of Life as an exchange?"
Su Yi reached into his inventory and presented a small, shimmering vial containing a single, luminous drop of glowing liquid. It pulsed with a concentrated warmth that defied all the coldness of space.
As the King of the Gods, Odin was thousands of years old and not omniscient, but he was indeed one of the smartest beings in existence. Upon seeing this drop of liquid, his eye widened in utter disbelief.
"This life energy," Odin breathed, reaching out with a trembling hand. "It is pure creation. It can indeed help me extend my lifespan by a few years... It... it shouldn't be from this Universe."
Su Yi did not deny it. "I have the ability to obtain items from other Universes, King Odin. And in fact, I myself am not entirely from this Universe. My purpose here is simply to grow stronger and protect the innocent."
Odin hesitated. Opening the seal meant Hela would be unsealed prematurely, even for a short time. But if he could extend his lifespan by a few years, he could discipline Loki, train Thor, and perhaps even try his best to change the looming future of Ragnarök. Time was his most valuable commodity.
"This condition…"
Seeing Odin about to refuse, Su Yi quickly added, "King of Gods, you don't have to rush to refuse. I can wait a year or two before going to challenge Hela. I just need your word that when I am ready, you will grant me the passage."
Su Yi was confident. Even if Fate Points were harder to earn now, a year or two was more than enough time to raise all his current attributes by two or three levels. By then, with all attributes at an impressive Lv9 or higher, he should be more than a match for the Goddess of Death.
Odin paused for a long moment, weighing the benefit of years of life against the risk of the unknown. "Alright," he finally said, accepting the vial. "I agree to your challenge of my daughter, on the condition you wait a full two years, and only if I deem your strength worthy when that time comes. Until then, you are an ally of Asgard."
"Thank you for your cooperation, King of Gods. Please accept this drop of Water of Life."
Su Yi relinquished the precious commodity. As the drop touched Odin's aged lips, a soft golden light enveloped the Allfather. Thor and Loki watched in amazement as a subtle, positive change washed over their father. Although he still looked ancient, the lines of exhaustion around his eye softened, and he seemed to have at least a few more points of vibrant vitality coursing through him.
Simultaneously, Su Yi felt a familiar, internal flicker, the system reacting to the immense shift in destiny.
[System Notification: Significant Change in Destiny Detected.]
[Reward: 500 Fate Points acquired for the successful extension of the life of Odin, Allfather of Asgard.]
Su Yi smiled inwardly at the unexpected bonus. He hadn't expected merely helping Odin extend his life by a few years would yield such a generous return.
Odin, feeling the profound change and the immediate surge of renewed vigor, decided to give Su Yi an additional, unrequested reward, a gesture of thanks from the heart of the Allfather.
"Warrior Su Yi, you are a blessing to Midgard and to the Nine Realms." Odin raised Gungnir, which had been retrieved from the ground. "In the name of my father, and all my ancestors, I bestow upon you Odin's Blessing!"
A radiant ball of pure golden energy flew from Odin's hand and surged directly into Su Yi's chest. Su Yi felt this gentle energy integrate into his core, an infusion of Odin's own divine power.
[System Notification: Odin's Blessing acquired.]
[Odin's Blessing (Rank: Cosmic): Provides a permanent link to the lifeforce of Asgard. Grants passive regeneration, enhanced combat abilities while on Asgardian soil, and the potential to draw limitless power from the realm. You have gained the innate qualification to safely wield Asgardian artifacts, including the use of Gungnir, as an authorized protector of the Nine Realms.]
This buff was truly formidable. Su Yi now possessed an inexhaustible, passive energy source, a constant supply of Asgard's immense power, allowing him to fight harder and heal faster than ever before. Furthermore, he was now officially sanctioned to use the most powerful Asgardian weapons—a crucial advantage.
"This buff is quite formidable," Su Yi murmured, highly satisfied. "Thank you for your bestowal, King of Gods."
Now, it was time to proceed with the final arrangement.
"I think," Su Yi said, gesturing towards the defeated Prince, "let's first lock up Loki. Then, my sparring with Thor can begin. I believe we both have a lot to get off our chests."
Loki, utterly defeated and speechless, with countless unspoken words of rage and profanity in his heart, could only stare at the man who had stolen his life and his dignity. Even his final escape had been denied by the relentless, infuriating hero. His fate was sealed.
The stage is set. Thor is renewed and eager; Su Yi is buffed and calculating. The fate of the Bifrost and Loki's future now rests on the Allfather's mercy. The first great duel is about to commence. What strategies will Su Yi employ against the God of Thunder to secure his Fate Points?