Thunder roared in the world of consciousness.
Cassandra looked up at the dome, as if trying to see through it and get a glimpse of what was happening outside.
But she failed.
The chaotic visions that had overwhelmed others in the past were gone, leaving her vision blocked.
Lowering her head, she looked at the man standing before her and considered his earlier statement.
"Are you waiting for me?"
Cassandra raised an eyebrow, a hint of interest lighting her face.
"Interesting. So you let me in on purpose?"
Russell's expression was calm, unlike the panic in the real world outside.
He looked down at the crazed woman below and spoke seriously.
"You're wrong."
Cassandra almost laughed, spreading her hands and gesturing around the temple.
"Are you talking about this place?"
"I feel my power being suppressed, but... you're far too confident."
Russell shook his head.
"This may indeed be the tomb I prepared for you, but that's not what I meant."
For the first time, Cassandra was truly confused.
"I think my plan worked perfectly. The only surprise was that old Loki managed to resist me."
She paused, smiling.
"But that doesn't matter. Once we met, the outcome was inevitable. You... you even led me into the flames last night."
Russell stood still, waiting.
For in addition to the several Lokis present, there was someone else.
No-there was another God!
Thor!
In the Loki series, we see a glass jar buried in the dirt of a cave passage - a jar containing a frog wearing Thor's armor.
But it wasn't just any frog.
It was Thor himself, cursed and transformed by Loki!
All of his divine power was sealed, making it impossible for him to escape even the simplest glass jar.
When the jar shattered, the frog's body was instantly reduced to ashes.
But he didn't die.
The curse was broken, and his powers began to return!
Amid the raging fire, his scarlet flesh emerged from the charred remains and grew rapidly.
Then came a terrible roar:
"LOKI!!!
"This time I will slaughter your entire clan and enslave their souls in the underworld! Jotunheim will fall into eternal darkness and be forgotten by history!
"All nine realms will be mine! I will kill you all!!!"
But before the transformation was complete, Russell moved.
"Sorry."
"I freed you from the curse, but not so you could go on a rampage."
Amid the flames, Russell plunged a blazing holy sword into Thor's heart.
Had it been an ordinary weapon, it would not have worked.
But this sword, forged with the power of the Vishanti, was no ordinary weapon. Even a fully powered Thor would hesitate to face it.
Thor's angry screams stopped instantly.
The God of Thunder, still regaining his strength, died instantly.
He didn't even know who had killed him.
The plan had worked, and Russell sighed with relief.
Though it had only taken seconds to release the flames and kill Thor, it had been incredibly tense.
This was Thor, after all!
Fortunately, Thor's years under the curse had weakened him. His strength was slowly returning, and his senses were still dulled.
He didn't notice Russell hiding in the searing flames.
In the end, Russell had made the right choice.
And with high risk comes high reward!
The voice of the system echoed in his mind:
[Plundering has been complete.]
[Blood of the Aesir - Royal Family (Gold) This bloodline is blessed by the World Tree and grants the potential to awaken divine power. It also greatly increases physical strength.
> Increases the upper limits of Extremis Virus and Flame Blood control. Maximum temperature: 6,000°C.
> The Aesir are being watched by the ancient Shadow Gods. Use with caution!
Russell's expression darkened.
"Shadow Gods... aren't they the true cause of Ragnarok?"
This timeline with the cursed Thor may hold even greater dangers.
He frowned, deep in thought.
In the sacred timeline, Odin allowed Hela to escape and return to Asgard, leading to the eventual destruction of her realm by Surtur.
But why?
Odin could have easily prevented Ragnarok:
-By killing Surtur earlier and scattering his remains.
- By not storing the Eternal Flame in Asgard.
- By eliminating Hela in the past.
Yet he did none of these things.
It was as if Odin had deliberately steered events toward Ragnarok.
In the end, while Asgard was destroyed, the Aesir survived and rebuilt their legacy on Midgard.
It felt too deliberate.
Russell rubbed his temples.
"I hope I'm overthinking this."
The system's voice continued.
[Thor's Divine Power (Gold)
> This grants control over thunder and divine power. Though currently dormant, it can grow stronger.
> This divine power is imprinted on the soul. Insufficient soul power can lead to destruction by the power of thunder. Use with caution.
Grateful for khonshu's earlier gift, Russell didn't hesitate. He loaded both entries.
As for the Shadow God's Eye?
It was no different than loading the Spider Totem and being hunted by Morlun's family. He wasn't going to let fear stop him.
Power is everything.
In the end, it's still unclear who will be the predator and who will be the prey.
**BOOM!**
Thunder rumbled as divine power erupted.
In Cassandra's astonished eyes, the Soul Hall was transformed into the Temple of Thunder!