Chapter 2215: Late Autumn in the Golden City (Part 15)

"Magic only ensures that the seeds can grow vigorously in harsh environments, and it will not remain in the plants, nor will it cause any impact on the human bodies of ordinary people. The plants just perfectly grow the best medicinal effects, and perhaps the parts beneficial to the human body are also enhanced."

"A medicinal herb that only grows on the snowy plateau, possesses excellent therapeutic effects, and has a scarce yield—after being certified by authoritative institutions, it is not excessive to sell it at a high price."

"In our East, there is an extremely vast market. They obviously want these villagers to make money more than we do. So perhaps we can talk to the leader among them. The production process and effects are completely unafraid of any inspection."

"It looks like you don't need my advice," Loki smiled and said. "You have already absorbed too much experience from the immortality factor industry."

"This is completely different," Strange waved his hand and said. "The medicinal herbs are all real goods, and the effects are very good, because magic can shorten the growth cycle and make the effective ingredients in the herbs more abundant, rather than something out of nothing."

"I don't think the immortality factor can be counted as something out of nothing either," Loki rested his face on one hand, picked up a piece of pastry with the other and threw it into his mouth, saying, "The patients in the Arkham Asylum owned by Shiler almost 100% believe that they have obtained the effect of slowing down aging, or even returning to youth, from the immortality factor."

"That is only because the environment of Shiler's asylum is very good, and he is tirelessly doing psychological examinations for the patients and solving their emotional problems. At least 40% of aging belongs to psychological aging. Doesn't solving this count as delaying aging?"

"So this is not completely cheating either; it's just buying a package, and what is truly useful in the package is not the immortality factor."

"Consider them lucky," Strange snorted coldly and said. "Nick paid a large sum of money for Shiler's regular psychological assessments, and Stark is the same. And the first batch of people who bought the immortality factor enjoyed Shiler's treatment almost without any effort."

"If the whole universe knew Shiler's level and his asking price, the Nine Realms would be full of people lining up."

"Then the whole universe wouldn't have a moment of peace," Strange took a sip of tea and said. "Shiler's treatment doesn't just include sitting face-to-face and asking you questions; it also includes a whole grand plan aimed at you. This is the key to his cure-all. So for the sake of universal safety, not too many people can have contact with him."

"Do you know that Thanos is studying psychology?"

Strange frowned slightly, but he still said, "Anyone can study psychology. The textbooks are right there. Don't tell me you haven't read them."

"But he seems to have received some guidance from Shiler, and is quite talented?" Loki lowered his eyes, placed the teacup back in its original position and said, "I will pay attention to him again because it is obvious that Frigga has listed him on a certain list."

Strange squinted at Loki and said, "Why exactly is your mother so anxious? Relative to your lifespans, isn't the frequency with which she urges you about your marriage equivalent to humans urging ten times a day?"

Loki did not show an impatient expression. He said calmly, "Frigga is overly eager to change my current status, either by going to live in a place that values me more, or by bringing back a sufficiently powerful existence to make them value me more."

"Why exactly is it necessary to obtain the regard of the Asgardians?"

"Actually, it's not important," Loki sighed and said. "It doesn't have any impact on me either, but you Earthlings have a saying: 'A person lives for a breath of air.'"

"Frigga firmly believes that Odin owes me, because one of his sons got the throne, and I didn't. If it were just this, that would be fine, but the discrimination against me by the Asgardians, both openly and secretly, is what she sees most clearly. So she thinks I must win back my dignity."

"And then she didn't pin her hopes on you, but on your future partner."

"Because she knows I have no hope," Loki shook his head with a smile and said. "Once upon a time, this was a problem for me, but now it isn't."

"But she still can't forget it," Strange took a deep breath and said. "My father still believes to this day that New York is a hell for me, that everyone living here is a demon, and that one day I must make them pay for their contempt."

Loki laughed, because this kind of statement is really interesting. Then he looked away and said, "Frigga believes that a person who truly loves me will definitely find a way to heal my wounds or compensate me after learning about my past, and I will definitely be healed by him."

"She doesn't believe that you healed yourself."

"She doesn't want to believe it."

"Because she feels this is really too unfair to you," Strange also placed the teacup back in its original position, rested his face on his elbow and said, "You possess too little, but have done too much. No mother can accept her child suffering such hardship."

"Then what do you think yourself?" Strange asked. "Do you think it's a good thing for someone to compensate you for this past?"

"It doesn't need compensation," Loki shook his head and said. "When I recall it, I will first think of Thor, and then think of the time we spent together. I think this cannot be called a regret."

"Then how do you plan to refuse?"

Loki bit the tip of his thumb and said, "If possible, I don't want a husband or wife, but I want a child."

"Give birth yourself?"

"Why not?"

Loki was obviously serious. He said, "Helen is very good, but I think she should live in a stable family environment. I have to admit, Stark would be a good father, and Pepper is also very knowledgeable about education. When they get married, a complete family will be formed."

"I can't always take the child away from them because of Frigga's needs. This seriously affects the continuity of Helen's education, and traveling back and forth between Earth and Asgard is also too exhausting."

"But Helen made me realize that if you have a continuation of life, you will look at this world in another new way—not aimed at me, but aimed at Frigga."

"If it were only me, her attention would be entirely focused on me. Those old events that can no longer be changed occupy most of her energy, making her feel angry, sad, and tired."

"But if there is a child, she can step into a new stage of life, just like when she was with Helen. And if this is a child that truly belongs to me, then it can have more time to stay with Frigga."

Strange nodded, thinking this logic was fine. The reason Helen wouldn't work is because Stark's side is also very strong. Loki couldn't possibly demand Helen stay with Frigga in a posture of snatching a child; this is not good for Helen, and it doesn't occupy the moral high ground.

But if Loki had a child of his own, then this child would belong entirely to Asgard. They would be very close, and naturally, they could stay together every day, because the mother is Loki; no one could criticize that.

"What about the candidate for the father?" Strange asked.

"The shortlist is unexpectedly long, and I am confident of success."

"Including me?"

"Including you and Shiler," Loki said something shocking. "Also including Thor, Tony, Steve, Nick..."

"Rabbits don't eat the grass around their burrows," Strange said irritably. "You are just the opposite, having gnawed through all the grass around your burrow."

"Your genes are excellent," Loki spread his hands and said. "This is the only problem I have to consider. As for the rest... as a human living in a scientific society, you should understand that we can completely skip all romantic processes and rely only on technology."

"But I think none of us are prepared to have a child."

"So when the time comes to truly decide, I won't tell anyone."

Strange frowned. He stared at Loki and said, "You have a way to get our genes?"

"I do indeed, but I would rather we cooperate."

"How to cooperate? If we know the child exists, then it will definitely become a moral burden..."

"Just know it exists, but don't know whose it is," Loki looked at Strange seriously and said. "Find a time to come together, and then there will be no problem."

Strange covered his face. He shouldn't have had such high expectations for the morality of this group of gods. What the myths say is indeed true.

"You know this is just a statement made in a fit of pique. Don't you know who the child will look like when born? The simplest way to distinguish it is skin color. You don't think that just because we are all white, there is no difference in lineage, do you?"

"Everything can be adjusted," Loki realized Strange's resistance, so he said, "This is just one way, not fully decided yet. I am still thinking about it."

"I suggest you go to a place further away," Strange said. "If meeting becomes difficult, then it's unlikely he will fight you for the child."

"You mean go to another universe?"

"What do you think of Batman?"

Loki hesitated.

"Undoubtedly excellent genes."

Strange heard the sound of Loki swallowing. Loki licked his lips and said, "If it were him, one could also consider a way that doesn't rely so much on scientific technology."

Strange rolled his eyes slightly and said, "This is purely lust, and Superman?"

"He is also quite good. Borrowing Seeing Natasha's words, if I were to die in bed, then I hope my blood could splash both of them at the same time."

"You can take Seeing Natasha with you; she will thank you for the rest of her life."

Loki's eyes grew brighter and brighter. He looked at Strange and said, "Do you think if I go to Shiler to act as a go-between, he would agree?"

"You don't mean to take him with you, do you? I advise you best not to have this thought. You know better than I do what the consequences of provoking him will be. I haven't performed surgery on the God race."

The expression on Loki's face obviously hesitated again, because he remembered a certain attribute of Shiler he learned when they went fishing together. If Shiler had an episode at that time, whether he got hurt was secondary; wouldn't it ruin his own good deed?

"Then he only acts as a middleman."

"You know how high his asking price is."

"If he charges by the time, I think we can pick more carefully," Loki touched his chin and said. "It's not entirely for me to give birth; it's fine if others are willing to give birth. That way our choices will be many."

Loki was already a bit unable to sit still, obviously wanting to practice this wonderful idea immediately, but Strange pulled him and said, "Wait a moment. After dealing with the matters here, then go find the fashion consultant. That professor is much pickier than the doctors we know. If you want to impress him, you must at least have an impeccable image."

Loki snapped his fingers and said.

"In human myths and legends, Odin is the King of the Wild Hunt. He leads elf hunters and the ghosts of dead nobles, galloping through the forest, chasing prey."

"This is a nightmare born from humanity's fear of the forest over the past century—deep ink green, floating pale blue fire, and the blood-red eyes of the raven. I have an idea." ===== CHAPTER 2216 =====