"What... what did he say?"
Loki trembled, and Odin and Frigga looked to Arthur.
"He said he forgives you."
BOOM!!!
The words struck Loki like a thunderbolt, leaving him stunned.
"What does this mean? Loki, is there something you're hiding from us?!"
Odin glared at Loki.
"He forgave me... he forgave me... no wonder he wanted to kill me, no wonder he didn't kill me... he forgave me..."
Loki cried and laughed, then suddenly clutched his head and collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... brother, for over ten years, you came before me and I never even said sorry..."
Loki's cries echoed through the entire divine hall, filled with despair.
"Loki, tell me honestly, what exactly happened!"
Odin struck the ground with Gungnir, and a force entered Loki's mind, calming him.
Tears streamed down Loki's face. He got up, knelt on the ground, bowed his head in repentance, and confessed,
"Father God, back then... Thor's death was not an accident, but... I tampered with Mjolnir and caused his death."
Loki finally revealed the secret he had kept for over a decade.
"You... you beast!!!"
Odin flew into a rage and raised Gungnir to strike Loki down, but Frigga quickly restrained him.
"Stop, don't lay a hand on the child. We have already lost Thor, let's not lose Loki as well!"
Odin's anger remained, but he knew it wasn't the time to punish Loki. They needed to clarify everything first.
"Continue speaking. What... what else did he say to you after returning to Asgard?"
"When he returned, I was captured by Laufey. He kicked Laufey away and saved me. Then, he stepped on my chest. I could tell he wanted to kill me."
"Hmph, it would be justifiable to kill you. You caused his death back then, so it's only natural for him to return for revenge!"
Odin roared.
"But he didn't. He told me to leave all the enemies to him and to return and protect Mother.
"My child..."
Frigga choked back sobs. The thought of her child dying for so many years, only to return and still be concerned for her safety, moved and saddened her deeply.
"Then I returned, but his intent to kill me had been bothering me. During the banquet, I went outside, and he followed a while later. I asked him why he wanted to kill me, and he lied, saying I should protect the people of Asgard in the future."
Odin's gaze deepened, his heart filled with grief.
"You killed him, yet he returned to save you, save Asgard, and left Mjolnir for Arthur to inherit the power of Thor.
Our Asgard failed him, but he never failed our Asgard in the slightest. For over a decade after his rebirth, he continued to contribute to Asgard and save us..."
"Arthur, what did he say to you?"
Young Arthur, seeing his father look at him, quickly replied,
"He gave me the hammer and asked if I was willing to become Thor and protect Asgard, protect our loved ones. I said yes, and I received the recognition of Mjolnir.
He also said, before he left, not to let anyone see the hammer.
He also said..."
Fear flickered in Arthur's eyes, but he mustered the courage to speak.
"He said he wouldn't come back again."
The last sentence sent a chill into the hearts of Odin, Frigga, and Loki. Silence fell upon the hall.
"He won't be coming back?"
Frigga recalled Wan Lei's appearance, replaying the moments from the banquet in her mind.
Odin sat on the ground, devoid of his kingly majesty, like an old man.
After a long pause, a spark of wisdom returned to Odin's eyes, and he slowly said,
"Don't dwell on it too much. Though I don't know how he was reborn, the one now is Wan Lei, not Thor. He is merely a stranger with Thor's memories."
"But he is my son."
Frigga wept, looking at Odin.
"General Shang Liu has a way. We can borrow a spaceship from him and go to the Immortal Realm to see him."
"Nonsense! He asked Arthur to tell us only after he left, because he didn't want to acknowledge us.
He said he wouldn't return again because he wanted to sever ties with us, to break free from past entanglements. He returned Mjolnir and gave Asgard a new Thor, fulfilling his own wish. From now on, he is Wan Lei, not Thor.
Since the ties have been severed, let us not disturb each other. He owes us nothing; rather, we owe him a great debt.
Alas, let us bid farewell, and consider... that Thor has truly passed away."
Odin stood up, his gaze turning cold as he looked at Loki.
"Loki, you have committed such a great sin. Tell me, how should I punish you?"
"A life for a life."
Loki knelt on the ground, his head bowed, and replied.
Frigga quickly grabbed Odin's arm and pleaded,
"Don't kill Loki. He made great contributions in this great battle, and besides, Thor... didn't Wan Lei say he has forgiven Loki? Don't hold onto it anymore."
"A death sentence may be commuted, but a living one cannot escape punishment. Loki, you are banished to guard Thor's tomb for a thousand years to reflect upon your sins."
"Thank you, Father God."
Loki kowtowed deeply, then stood up and flew directly towards the divine mausoleum.
Immortal Realm, Five Elements Hall.
The spatial jump point opened, and spacecraft emerged, dispersing to their respective destinations.
The leading spacecraft spread its wings, carving a beautiful arc in the sky, and landed on the mountainside of Leifeng.
The members of the Thunderstorm team disembarked from the spacecraft, each returning home.
Wan Liuchuan and Xin'er returned to their homes, Huofeng and Ao Lie went to discuss demon cultivation methods with each other, the four little ones returned to the clouds, and the singletons like Yuanjun Qingwu and Kakadada had to return to the communal dormitory next to Wan Lei's house.
Wan Lei also felt a sense of relief. After disembarking from the spacecraft, he stretched and then kissed Little Yu妹妹 several times.
"Alright, alright, we're an old married couple now. Isn't this sickening?"
Fang Xiaoyu pushed Wan Lei away and walked into the courtyard, taking out a bag of fish food and scattering it to the fish in the pond.
Their pastoral courtyard, though small, had everything one could need. There were fish to keep, vegetables to grow, and a kitchen in the corner. If it were just the two of them dining, they could be completely self-sufficient. Fang Xiaoyu enjoyed feeding the fish when she had free time, while Wan Lei enjoyed fishing. Every time Fang Xiaoyu saw Wan Lei catch the fish she had painstakingly raised and then cooked them, her heart ached, but when she ate them, she found them truly delicious.