Seeing Loki's dejected expression, Lucci calmly returned the Casket of Ancient Winters to its place.
He hadn't exposed Loki's origins out of malice. He simply didn't want Loki to fall.
But in Lucci's view, Loki's goal—living for the throne and competing for favor—was far too narrow.
With Frost Giant royal blood, and the best magic education in Asgard, Loki could have walked a unique path—an overlord of ice and shadow.
Instead, all his talent and mind were wasted on scheming against Thor and showing off petty cleverness.
"Your origin doesn't define you," Lucci's voice echoed.
Loki's empty eyes shifted slightly toward Lucci.
Lucci continued calmly:
"Frost Giant blood gives you the power to command ultimate ice. Its essence is 'stillness' and 'silence'—with limitless potential."
"And Asgardian magic—especially the illusions you excel at—are essentially deception and distortion between 'mind' and 'reality.'"
"If you push these two powers to the extreme, it's enough to stand at the peak of the Nine Realms."
Lucci paused, his deep eyes fixed on Loki.
"But what about you?"
"You only learned the surface."
"Using that shallow skin, you act clever, grow jealous, and compete for a throne."
"Loki—your road is too narrow."
Lucci's words struck Loki like a heavy hammer.
Loki jolted awake, and light returned to his eyes.
Yes…
What had he been doing?
He clearly possessed two powerful talents—completely different.
Yet every day he thought only about how to prank Thor, how to perform better before Father, how to sit on that golden chair…
Had he ever truly calmed down to study his own power?
Lucci's words cut through the fog of jealousy and obsession like lightning. For the first time, Loki began to examine himself.
Lucci nodded slightly and continued.
"You can remain the 'God of Mischief'—only capable of petty schemes."
"Or you can become the 'King of Ice and Shadow'—one who truly commands ice and illusion."
"The future path… is your choice."
After speaking, Lucci ignored him and continued observing the treasury's artifacts.
He had said what needed to be said.
Whether this seed withered or grew into a towering tree—that was up to Loki.
Loki sat on the ground in silence for a long time.
"God of Mischief…"
"King of Ice and Shadow…"
Those two completely different titles echoed repeatedly in his heart.
He remembered the endless terror when Lucci dominated him with the illusion Heart-Demon Labyrinth.
That was the first moment he realized how powerful illusions could become.
He also remembered Lucci's fingertips earlier—pure white, emitting an aura of absolute stillness.
That was the first moment he realized how pure ice could become.
And those were both his fields of strength.
He didn't know how long passed before Loki stood up.
He stared at Lucci's back, his eyes filled with unprecedented complexity—reverence, gratitude, and a trace of… unwillingness.
"I… will think about it," he whispered.
Then he fled Odin's Vault without looking back.
Lucci glanced faintly, expression unchanged.
He didn't care what Loki chose.
Because no matter what path Loki walked…
Lucci was fully confident in what Loki would ultimately become.
Before absolute power, all conspiracy was nothing but boring entertainment.
…
After Loki left, the treasury returned to peace.
Lucci's gaze swept across the displays until it stopped at something not far away.
A silver warhammer rested quietly on a stone pedestal.
Mjolnir—Thor's hammer.
Forged by dwarves using the core of a dying star, smelted from Uru, and enchanted by Odin himself with a "worthiness" spell.
"The power of storms and thunder…"
Lucci approached and gently grasped Mjolnir's handle.
Boom!
The moment he touched it, a violent storm of lightning erupted from the hammer, trying to blast him away.
But this "resistance" was meaningless before Lucci.
With a slight pulse of the Royal Authority, the storm power collapsed instantly.
The next moment, comprehension began again.
[You are observing Mjolnir's storm power…]
[You begin analyzing its energy composition and operating principle…]
[You comprehend the essence of "Force"…]
[You comprehend the essence of "Storm"…]
To Lucci, the thunder within Mjolnir was merely the high-speed movement and collision of countless positive and negative charges.
The so-called storm force was simply forced manipulation of airflow.
Everything was clear.
"Too crude."
In Lucci's mind, memories from his past life surfaced—methods of thunder beyond mere destruction.
Thunder was not just violent ruin.
It could also be heavenly judgment, the vitality of renewal, and righteous power that sweeps away evil.
Control of thunder.
Five-thunder rites.
Divine thunder…
Higher applications that contained "Path" and "Law" flashed through his mind.
[Through comprehension that defies the heavens, combined with concepts of "Thunder Methods" from past-life memories, you begin creating a new way to use thunder and lightning…]
[You reconstruct the Law of Thunder, taking "Judgment," "Vitality," and "Breaking Evil" as its core…]
[Naming the technique…]
"Draw the thunder of the Nine Heavens and enact the great might of divine punishment."
"This method shall be called: Ten-Thousand Sovereigns Thunder Art!"
Boom—
The instant this new thunder method took shape in Lucci's mind, the Mjolnir in his hand trembled as if it sensed an unbelievable heavenly power.
Its violent and uncontrolled storm energy, once raging, became extremely obedient—like a courtier kneeling before an emperor—before the Ten-Thousand Sovereigns Thunder Art.
Mjolnir let out an unprecedentedly cheerful, excited hum!
It no longer resisted Lucci at all. It floated lightly from the stone pedestal as if by instinct.
Then, like a puppy finding its master, it circled Lucci happily and affectionately, electricity flashing around its head as if expressing excitement and surrender.
It had found him!
Its true owner!
But faced with this artifact's "active recognition," Lucci only glanced at it calmly and shook his head in disgust.
"A hammer… is too bulky."
"It doesn't fit my fighting style."
"You… stay here."
With that, he turned and walked deeper into the treasury, completely ignoring the famous Hammer of Thor.
Bzzz…
Mjolnir's humming abruptly stopped.
It froze midair, and even the electrical glow on its head seemed to dim.
Was it…
Being hated?
Thor's mighty hammer, famous across the Nine Realms—was actually…
Rejected?
Mjolnir went blank for a long moment.
Then, as if unwilling, it accelerated with a whoosh and darted in front of Lucci, gently rubbing his arm with its handle like it was saying: Master, take me with you! I'm useful!
"Don't follow me," Lucci said without looking, flicking it away like swatting a fly.
Mjolnir refused to give up. It flew back and kept rubbing.
Soon, an absurd scene unfolded in the treasury—
Wherever Lucci went, the silver warhammer followed like sticky candy. Sometimes it cleared the path; sometimes it circled him; sometimes it even tapped his back with its handle…
Doing everything it could to win its new owner's favor.
Lucci finally felt a trace of irritation.
He stopped, turned to the floating hammer, and said calmly:
"If you follow me again, I'll throw you back into the forge and remake you."
Bzzz—
Mjolnir was so frightened its lightning nearly went out.
It could tell Lucci wasn't joking.
Under Lucci's indifferent gaze, the pitiful hammer could only sulk back to its stone pedestal, landing with a dull thunk like a clumsy child.
Lucci nodded in satisfaction, ignored it, and left the treasury after finishing his inspection.
The magnificent doors of the treasury slowly closed.
On Mjolnir's hammerhead, a faint spark flickered for a brief moment…
Like a tear of grievance.
…