Chapter 57: Loki’s Scheme

He carefully placed the Casket of Ancient Winters back into the safe-like metal box and tucked it securely in a corner of his enchanted storage bag.

Only then did Sebastian step out of the Mirror Dimension, returning to the cozy house he rented in Puente Antiguo.

Even if this trip to Puente Antiguo yielded no other rewards, the entire plan would still be a roaring success. It was more than enough to have claimed the Frost Ring, a prize beyond measure.

The Sebastian of today was no longer the wide-eyed newcomer who first stumbled into this world. He now possessed a solid grasp of magical common sense and a wealth of basic knowledge about this realm's arcane ways. Naturally, he understood the immense worth of a magical artifact infused with even a sliver of authority's power.

Of course, the crystal ball that Ancient One carried off contained roughly three or four times the ice authority packed into Sebastian's ring, but who could fault Sebastian for not mastering the Casket of Ancient Winters on his own?

Fortunately, with the Frost Ring now in his possession, Sebastian could slowly unravel how Ancient One had teased out and harnessed the power of authority. The next time he faced such a relic, Sebastian would be ready to tackle it himself, no longer stumped by its mysteries.

While Sebastian mulled over these thrilling possibilities, he suddenly sensed a colossal surge of energy radiating from the northwest, a pulse that shook his very core.

Sebastian instantly recognized that the Rainbow Bridge of Asgard had flared open once more, but he couldn't tell if it heralded the arrival of Asgard's Three Warriors and Sif or foes dispatched by Loki's cunning hand!

At the same moment, as Sebastian prepared to dash off and discover who had crossed into Earth, Loki materialized in Jotunheim, standing boldly before Laufey, the towering King of the Frost Giants.

"Odin's… son?" Laufey's voice dripped with biting scorn, especially on the word "son."

There was endless mockery in Laufey's words, particularly when he sneered "son." Before, when Thor and his allies stormed Jotunheim, Laufey had glimpsed Loki's true nature during the fray. He knew full well that Loki was a Frost Giant like them, transformed into an Asgardian by Odin's mighty magic.

"Laufey, I'm here to strike a deal with you this time," Loki said, his tone slick with intent.

"Deal…" Laufey regarded Loki with a calm, piercing stare and said, "Just like what you did before, deliberately letting two of my people into Asgard and then killing them?"

"That was not my intention," Loki replied smoothly. "My intention was to sabotage my foolish brother's ceremony and prevent the Nine Realms from falling into his reckless arrogance."

"What is your purpose for coming here?" Laufey demanded, his voice like grinding ice.

"I will tell you where the Casket of Ancient Winters is," Loki declared. "After you retrieve it, I will open the Rainbow Bridge for you. You can take the Casket to Asgard and slay my father, Odin. I think you're burning to reclaim the Casket or kill my father Odin, aren't you?"

Hearing Loki's words, Laufey slowly rose from his jagged throne, his massive form looming.

Just as Loki had predicted, whether it was seizing the Casket or slaying Odin, these were desires that had haunted Laufey's dreams for thousands of years.

The Casket of Ancient Winters held a vast reservoir of ice authority. Only by reclaiming that icy power could the Frost Giants truly embody their name. And only then could Jotunheim rise again to its ancient, glacial glory from millennia past!

"Asgard boy, I accept your deal, so now you can tell me where my Casket of Ancient Winters is!" Laufey's voice rumbled with hunger.

"The Casket is now on Earth, that is, Midgard, the human world!" Loki revealed with a sly glint.

"Humans… those puny, frail insects?" Laufey growled. "Odin actually hid my icy treasure in Midgard?"

Loki naturally wouldn't admit that Sebastian had wrested the Casket from his grasp. He merely smiled and continued to address Laufey: "Laufey, don't forget that Earth harbors a Supreme Sorcerer. This generation's Supreme Sorcerer is called Ancient One, a formidable foe even my father struggles to match. So my advice is to seize the Casket swiftly and avoid stirring up trouble. There will be no good outcome if you provoke the Supreme Sorcerer."

Of course, Laufey was well aware of the Supreme Sorcerer's reputation, so he gave a slight nod, summoned his warriors, and began rallying them to march toward Earth.

Gazing at Jotunheim, now buzzing with frenzied preparations, Loki flashed a cunning smile and turned to depart. His intricate plan was already in motion, and now he needed only to wait for the players to take their places on the stage!

Buzz buzz buzz... The shimmering portal of the Rainbow Bridge hummed with celestial energy, its radiant glow slowly fading as it came to a halt. Loki strode out from the swirling vortex of the Rainbow Bridge and cast a glance at Heimdall, who stood steadfast at the gleaming control panel of the bridge. Without uttering a single word, he lifted his foot, poised to march back to the golden spires of Asgard's Palace.

But at this moment, Heimdall stepped forward, his towering presence blocking Loki's path, and spoke with a voice heavy with suspicion: "Loki, I can't see or hear what you did in Jotunheim. I don't know why you ventured to the realm of the Frost Giants?"

Loki's eyes glinted with cunning as he met Heimdall's gaze and countered: "Heimdall, you wield a mighty power that even few in Asgard can claim, but why do you choose to stand guard at the gates of Asgard?"

Heimdall fixed his golden eyes on Loki and answered with deliberate calm: "I once swore an oath to serve Odin, the Lord of Asgard!"

Loki's lips curled into a sly smile as he pressed: "Since you have pledged yourself to the Lord of Asgard, my father Odin is now deep in slumber. I have been entrusted by the Queen of Gods, Frigga, to wield Gungnir and temporarily claim the throne of the God King. Now you should bend your knee to me!"

After delivering this bold decree, Loki offered no further words, spun on his heel, and strode away from the Rainbow Bridge, leaving Heimdall's piercing stare behind as he returned to the opulent halls of Asgard's Palace.

Heimdall watched Loki's retreating figure, his mind racing, and after a moment's thought, he resolved to act. He began summoning the Three Warriors of Asgard and Sif. If he was to counter Loki's schemes, he needed to bring Thor back to Asgard!

Not long after, the Three Warriors of Asgard and Sif stealthily gathered at the Rainbow Bridge. With Heimdall's aid, they ignited the bridge's radiant power, opening a blazing portal to Earth to seek out Thor. Yet the bridge's activation unleashed a thunderous roar, its dazzling light visible even from the heart of Asgard's golden city.

Loki, now clutching Gungnir, the Eternal Spear, in his hand, stood in the palace and gazed at the rekindled glow of the Rainbow Bridge. His expression hardened, turning as cold as Jotunheim's ice. He pivoted and descended to the shadowed treasury beneath Asgard, where he invoked Gungnir's divine authority to awaken the Destroyer, a towering automaton of molten metal and dread.

Looking up at the Destroyer looming ominously before him, Loki issued a swift command, and the Destroyer lumbered out of Asgard's depths, its heavy steps echoing as it marched toward the Rainbow Bridge.

Heimdall faced Loki, who gripped Gungnir, the Eternal Spear, with the Destroyer trailing menacingly behind. Heimdall planted himself before the Rainbow Bridge, hands gripping his sword's hilt, and blocked Loki's path. "Loki, where are you taking the Destroyer?"

Loki's voice was sharp as a blade: "Heimdall, you defied my orders and sent warriors to Midgard without my consent. Now I strip you of your role as gatekeeper and your status as an Asgardian, and I banish you. Leave this place and do not obstruct my path."

Heimdall's eyes blazed with defiance. "You've stripped me of my duties and identity, so I no longer need to heed your commands, do I? There's something I've longed to do for ages!"

Before his words fully landed, Heimdall swung his massive sword in a gleaming arc, aiming straight for Loki's form.

But Loki had no desire to clash directly. His body flickered like a bursting soap bubble, vanishing and reappearing behind the Destroyer. As Heimdall's sword sliced through the air, the Destroyer seized the blade with one unyielding hand, utterly unfazed by Heimdall's fierce assault.

Loki sneered: "The Destroyer was forged by my father himself. It's folly to think you can challenge it!"

As Loki spoke, the Destroyer's visor split open, and a searing, fire-hued beam erupted from its head, striking Heimdall square in the chest. The blast hurled Heimdall backward, slamming him against the stone wall beside the Rainbow Bridge's entrance. His chest was scorched black, his armor shattered, and he crumpled, unconscious.

At this time, Loki still saw himself as an Asgardian, so he spared Heimdall's life. Of course, he also wished to avoid disappointing Odin. He knew Odin would awaken eventually, which fueled his urgency to carve out a legacy. He yearned to prove to Odin, before that day came, that he surpassed his brother Thor by countless measures!

He could vanquish the foes that Thor could not!

He could obliterate the entirety of Jotunheim and wipe out every last Frost Giant!

He could rise to become the new Lord of Asgard and the future God King!

Standing at the gleaming control console of the Rainbow Bridge, Loki activated its cosmic power, sending the Destroyer through its radiant portal. As the Destroyer vanished into the bridge's swirling light, a shadow crossed Loki's face, and he muttered darkly to himself: "Thor… Brother, please stay in Midgard!

Frost Giants and the Destroyer—even if our father favors you and cast Mjolnir down to Midgard alongside you, even if you stand a chance to reclaim your divine power, I wager you'll be helpless against the Frost Giants and the Destroyer!"

…

At the same moment on Earth, the Three Warriors of Asgard and Sif, freshly arrived through the Rainbow Bridge, reunited with Thor. They revealed the shattering truth: Thor hadn't killed Odin, and all was a tangled web spun by Loki's deceit.

At that very instant, a piercing ice-blue beam lanced down from the heavens. As ominous dark clouds churned and a howling blizzard swept in, Laufey, flanked by over twenty towering Frost Giant warriors, descended upon Earth, materializing just outside the town of Puente Antiguo.

Feeling the stifling heat of this alien world, Laufey scowled and waved a massive hand. Thick, brooding clouds blanketed the entire town. Fierce winds roared, and snowflakes as large as outstretched hands tumbled from the sky. In mere moments, a shimmering silver frost cloaked the town.

Such bizarre weather shifts spelled calamity for the townsfolk. When they spotted over twenty Frost Giants, each as tall as two or three buildings, striding toward their homes, they realized today's peril far surpassed mere storms.

Sebastian stood by the window of his rented house, eyeing the Frost Giants looming at the town's edge. He glanced at the townspeople scrambling into cars, fleeing with the aid of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Wisps of black smoke began to swirl around him, weaving into a hooded robe that shrouded his form in mystery.

I fretted I'd miss my shot to cross paths with Thor, but now fate's handed me the perfect chance, he thought, a spark of excitement igniting within.

Besides, Sebastian's curiosity about the Frost Giants burned fiercely. If he could, he'd love to claim three, four, five, six, seven, or even eight Frost Giant corpses—honestly, the more, the merrier. Though Frost Giants were intelligent, humanoid beings, they were also genuine magical creatures, brimming with untapped potential.

Sebastian wasn't about to let slip the chance to dissect and study a Frost Giant's corpse!

Of course, before diving into that, Sebastian planned to tackle this irritating blizzard first.

Raising his left hand, the Frost Ring on his finger blazed with a chilling ice-blue glow, and the pupil of his left eye shifted to a striking ice-blue hue. Within the ring's gem, a shadowy wisp began to spin wildly, fueled by Sebastian's surging magic. It reached out, wrestling control of the weather, forcing the raging, town-swallowing blizzard to weaken steadily until it fizzled out completely.

Seeing this abrupt shift, Laufey's face darkened like a storm cloud. He knew exactly why the blizzard he'd conjured had died. In other words, the one who now held the Casket of Ancient Winters was already wielding its cosmic power with alarming skill!