603

Loki's Resurrection

Forseti returned to Asgard and hurried to the Golden Palace, where he found Loki's body surrounded by mourners, especially Thor, who wept uncontrollably.

Loki's corpse was in a tragic state, with a large hole torn through his chest, destroying his heart and most of his lungs.

"I'm sorry, Loki..." Thor murmured, tears streaming down his face.

Heimdall spoke with guilt, "It's my fault. I didn't monitor His Royal Highness Loki's situation closely enough."

During General Corvus Glaive's attack on Loki, Heimdall had been monitoring events across the Nine Realms but had failed to notice the danger to Loki.

"Don't blame yourself. Monitoring the Nine Realms is your duty," Odin said wearily, showing the weight of his years.

Forseti observed the grieving people and suddenly said, "Perhaps I can resurrect Loki."

"What?" Everyone thought they had misheard.

Frigga wiped her tears and shook her head. "Resurrection... How is that possible? As far as I know, only the universal gods have the power to bring the dead back to life."

"The universal gods? We could seek the aid of the World Devourer!" Thor blurted out.

Compared to other abstract gods, the World Devourer was more tangible.

Frigga shook her head again. "No, he wouldn't help. The World Devourer has no reason, rational or emotional, to assist us, and his own powers... are unpredictable."

Forseti clarified, "This isn't a straightforward resurrection. Loki must meet specific conditions, and there may be side effects afterward."

"What side effects?" Thor asked urgently.

"Potential moral decay," Forseti explained. "But it's only a possibility."

Forseti held Arthas's soulmark in his hand. Resurrecting Loki with it would naturally incline him towards moral decay.

"Save him!" Thor pleaded without hesitation, looking earnestly at Forseti. "You must save Loki."

Forseti looked to Odin and Frigga, their consent implied by their silent understanding.

"I'll check if Loki meets the resurrection criteria first," Forseti said, placing his hand on Loki. The holy symbol on his palm displayed Arthas's soul imprint.

As expected, there was a match.

Forseti nodded. "Yes."

Everyone was stunned as Forseti began the resurrection process.

Arthas's soul imprint merged into Loki's body, and then Forseti's fingertips radiated holy light, invoking the Lay on Hands ability!

In a dazzling burst of holy light, Loki's broken body swiftly returned to health.

Lost organs and blood were recreated, a massive chest wound healed instantly, and his pale skin regained a healthy hue...

"Loki!" Thor exclaimed joyfully, as did the others.

Within seconds, Loki's body no longer showed any signs of injury; all scars had vanished, and he appeared as if peacefully asleep.

A few more seconds passed, and his heart began beating anew!

With the return of his heartbeat, Loki's eyes shot open. It was as though he had awakened from a nightmare, sitting up abruptly, breathing heavily and drenched in cold sweat.

Thor cried tears of joy, hugging him tightly. "Loki, you've truly returned!"

"Returned?" Loki was still bewildered.

At first shocked, he then turned to Odin and murmured, "Father."

Witnessing his son's resurrection, Odin couldn't hold back his tears, wiping his eyes with a smile.

After a while, Loki finally calmed down and recollected, "I remember... General Corvus Glaive killed me?"

"Yes, but Forseti just resurrected you," Odin confirmed.

Loki couldn't believe it. "How is this possible?"

Forseti looked at him calmly. "It's true, but not without conditions."

Loki asked cautiously, "What do I owe in return?"

Forseti hesitated briefly, choosing not to disclose the potential side effects directly. "That depends on your choices. Remain in the light, and you won't owe anything. Descend into darkness, and everything may be at stake."

It wasn't easy for Forseti to articulate the potential consequences clearly, given the uncertainties.

"Loki, tread carefully. You now have inclinations towards filial duty. Don't let it turn into patricide..." Despite his cautious words, it felt like he was guiding Loki towards success.

After a moment, Forseti remembered something. "By the way, Thor, when you defeated General Corvus Glaive, did you notice what he was carrying?"

"What?" Thor was startled, then shook his head. "I didn't pay attention. Shortly after killing him, I returned to Asgard with Loki."

...

Near the S.H.I.E.L.D. meteorite base in New Mexico.

Absorbing Man got up from the ground, clutching his abdominal wound, gasping for breath.

In truth, his injuries were minor, but he had been too terrified to move until now, especially after witnessing Thor's thunderous rage.

Absorbing Man reflected on the events of recent months, finding them increasingly surreal.

He had escaped from prison, thinking he had exhausted all options, only to be rescued by Loki, who claimed to be a god, and granted superpowers.

Initially awed by meeting a towering, high-level god, his perception had since been shaken. For over three months, he had watched as Loki and the seemingly ordinary high school student, who had covered over 2,000 kilometers on foot, laughed and bantered together.

It wasn't that there was anything wrong with it, but today's events had turned everything on its head.

The god he had revered, Loki, was decapitated with two swords, and the seemingly ineffectual Donald had transformed into Thor in the blink of an eye, defeating General Corvus Glaive...

Absorbing Man had thought his life was exciting enough, but he never imagined that the legends of his first half of life would be eclipsed by the experiences of just a few months.

"This world... it's truly incredible," he sighed sincerely.

Suddenly, his expression changed. He hurried towards a nearby crater and peered inside, spotting two extraordinary items.

A uniquely shaped longsword and a mysterious scepter emitting a blue light from its tip.

Gazing at these objects, Absorbing Man's eyes gleamed with intrigue. Despite his injury, he clambered down into the crater and retrieved the peerless blade and the mind scepter.

It wasn't difficult for him.

As a man made of steel, digging and climbing through rock was child's play.

Though in pain, Absorbing Man struggled back to the surface with both items.

"Huff..." He exhaled deeply, catching his breath and resting.

But at that moment, several men in black suits and ties emerged from the nearby S.H.I.E.L.D. base, advancing towards Absorbing Man.

Their leader was a man with a serious yet refined and approachable demeanor, his receding hairline slightly more pronounced than usual.