With a thud, he landed on the ground.
Then he slowly climbed back up.
After getting up, he wasn’t flushed with anger or frustration, he simply adjusted his hair and staggered a bit.
“Wow, I hope you can go a little slower next time. I feel dizzy and a bit nauseous.”
“Alright, I’ll go slower next
Tao Yu nodded considerately, while Thor chuckled and wagged his finger.
Meanwhile, Loki stood nearby, utterly dumbfounded.
His brother—why did he feel like he didn’t recognize him anymore?
At this moment, Sif finished talking to Thor about some of their earlier discussions, which helped Thor recall the details.
“You know, now that you mention it… Heimdall really does seem to enjoy staring at the roots of the World Tree. This…”
Then he looked up in confusion.
“Is that a problem? I mean, who doesn’t have quirks? Maybe he’s seen too much stuff and got a sty in his eye… Should he rinse them out?”
“There’s also the chance he saw the thing polluting you. Heimdall might still have some sanity left and hasn’t been completely corrupted, but after witnessing the Abyss Aura triggered by the Big Boss, there might have been some kind of chain reaction,” Tao Yu shared his speculation.
Loki might truly not be lying!
Still, how would they send him to meet Thanos?
Tao Yu glanced at Loki.
If Thor wouldn’t send him, then I will…
Loki continued to feel amused and smug about Thor’s previous misfortune, but suddenly he shivered all over. Turning back, he saw Tao Yu giving him a subtle look.
For some reason, even though Tao Yu’s gaze appeared calm, it still made Loki feel uneasy deep down.
“So, are you planning to take us back to Asgard now? How do we proceed, exactly? And the passage you mentioned—if it was transformed by the World Tree’s roots, could Heimdall’s corruption mean there’s a problem with your World Tree itself?”
Tao Yu’s words stunned everyone from Asgard.
If the World Tree were to be destroyed, Asgard would be doomed—it was no laughing matter!
“Actually, I do have some knowledge about the World Tree. Let’s go check it out first…”
Tao Yu was traversing the path of becoming a god through the Kabbalah Tree of Life. While fundamentally different from the World Tree, Tao Yu’s unique code-deciphering methods might uncover shared traits between the two ‘trees.’
Even if not now, once he gathered six Infinite Gems and activated his new talent, it should become possible.
“Well, now that you mention it, I did feel something off when I arrived. It seemed kind of eerie,” Loki hesitated before speaking.
“So… should we still proceed? You don’t think it’s a trap I left behind, do you?”
“Definitely not, because if it’s a trap, I’d kill you first.”
Tao Yu extended his hand and grabbed Loki’s true form from what had seemed like an empty space, holding him by the scruff of his neck and placing him before the group.
As for the original Loki figure, it vanished like smoke.
This revelation made Tony and Minato Namikaze exchange knowing glances. No wonder Tao Yu had been so calm—it had all been an illusion!
This guy was ridiculously cautious.
“Alright, I wasn’t lying to you this time. Follow me…”
Tony actually wanted to visit Asgard and broaden his horizons. However, due to Anbrella facing a major reckoning, he preferred to clean up loose ends and eliminate lingering threats. Thus, he and Minato Namikaze stayed behind to sweep up the aftermath.
Tao Yu, meanwhile, joined the Asgard team and boarded Tony’s private plane, heading to Northern Europe.
“Fantastic. Last time I snuck onto a plane using illusions—it was kind of boring. I much better.”
Loki lounged in the plush seat on Tony’s private plane, sinking into it with a deeply contented expression.
This was exactly the feeling he liked—indulgence. He yearned to be a king.
Whether it was Asgard or Midgard, he could accept either.
It wasn’t that Loki was insatiably hungry for power; he simply enjoyed playing the game.
He craved people obeying his commands.
His whole demeanor seemed restless, as if he had a sore on his backside and couldn’t sit still.
Meanwhile, Tao Yu sat at the bar on the plane, sharing Tony’s fine liquor with Thor and Vostag.
“You mortals… Earth’s booze is really quite good. But we have excellent drinks in Asgard too—you’ll have to try them someday, haha!”
Thor roared with laughter and chugged an entire bottle of beer.
He loved the bubbly, refreshing sensation—something Asgardian wine didn’t offer.
If he could live here, Thor figured he could drink a pool of beer every day…
After spending some time together on the journey, the group’s camaraderie had improved significantly.
Most of the chatter revolved around Loki.
Tao Yu casually asked Loki for tips on his illusion techniques.
While Loki had likely kept some secrets, he couldn’t resist showing off and gave away quite a few useful tricks.
Tao Yu, already poring over two Divine Books, quickly grasped the essentials of Loki’s techniques.
“Impressive—these definitely have your personal touch. Very characteristic of you.”
Tao Yu casually used Loki’s illusion technique to transform into Thor’s likeness before reverting to his original form.
When he reappeared, he was already on Loki’s other side.
The rapid mastery and application of these techniques astounded not only Loki, who understood their complexity, but also Thor and the other magic-challenged onlookers, leaving them equally amazed.