[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel":3,"chapter-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-240":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","My Life as a Mental Mentor in Marvel",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2322808,4544,"Chapter 240: The God of Deception","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-240",240,"\u003Cp>Chaos, darkness, cold—this was all Thor felt. After a pain that tore his body apart, he awoke, and when he regained consciousness, terror and agony drowned him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thor lay on barren ground, forcing his eyes open; before him was a hazy white fog, then a faint glow. He felt his lips cracked, his whole body aching, each breath heavy with the stench of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is Loki dead?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Loki… is dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen it with his own eyes: Loki struck by the rainbow bridge’s light, returning to Yggdrasil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had also seen his own divine office stripped away—meaning Loki’s physical form had truly been destroyed, and his final act before death had been to pour his office and divine power into Thor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thor lay where he was, feeling a blazing flame pulsing in his chest; he did not know whether it was Loki’s divine office or his own rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Loki was killed by the rainbow bridge—the most powerful weapon of Asgard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the one who controlled it was Heimdall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought made Thor’s soul ache as if it would split apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew better than anyone: Heimdall’s most vital duty was guarding the rainbow bridge; no one could activate it to attack Loki without passing him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heimdall killed Loki. Thor refused to admit it, but he knew it was the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What caused all this? Thor did not want to think about it, but he knew he understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thor had always known the people of Asgard disliked Loki—even despised and scorned him. They resented having to bow to Loki as dictated by the Allfather’s laws, for they saw him as a man without honor, unworthy of being an Asgardian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thor knew his brother was sensitive and suspicious, having felt resentment many times from being ignored by Asgardians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thor thought it was he who had allowed it all—allowed the endless suspicion and scorn toward Loki from others in Asgard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recalled Loki’s words to him: Could such behavior truly lack motives of power and ambition? Because he, Thor, was the future heir to Asgard, could they treat another prince—without succession rights—this way? Treating him as an enemy, constantly wary, interpreting his every move with the worst malice?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And did their admiration for him also carry selfish motives?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thor lay on the ground, his thoughts growing scattered, yet his mind kept connecting: If today it had been him choking Loki, would Heimdall dare activate the rainbow bridge against him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wouldn’t, Thor told himself. Heimdall would never dare—because he was Asgard’s future heir, while Loki was merely an unimportant prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the root cause of the tragedy. Thor closed his eyes, his breathing growing heavier. He thought: Asgardians disliked Loki, so they ignored him; Loki resented the Allfather and the others for their injustice. And what had he himself done?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had done nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the seed of conflict was planted, he was basking in honor and battle glory. When that conflict deepened, he was reveling in praise for his bravery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many people, many events played before Thor’s eyes: he had bonded with every peer in Asgard, always greeted with laughter, praised, brought fresh fruit and fine wine after hunts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thor’s vision flickered with the face of the Allfather Odin. In his memory, Odin had never expressed satisfaction, never praised Thor’s popularity among the Asgardians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps Odin had long known: too many praises in this world were insincere; to drown in them was to become arrogant, blind to all else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When had he begun to change like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thor began to recall: he had followed Odin into war, surrounded by the praise of subordinates and the admiration of elders, their voices growing louder, lifting his soul higher, making him feel invincible—and entitled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, were there any sincere praises? Perhaps there were—someone must have truly been proud of his valor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But was this true submission to his strength and leadership, or merely belief that his martial prowess would bring greater honor to themselves and their families? No one knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thor suddenly found it laughable: he had once been so addicted to such praise, like a dog chasing a bone. They needed only to move their lips, effortlessly manipulating his emotions, filling him with pride, making him ignore what he should not have ignored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Praise from subjects and soldiers could make a king smile—but Thor realized he had turned that smile into his ultimate goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid endless regret and sorrow, Thor’s consciousness was shrouded in black mist, slowly sinking deeper into darkness. Long after, a drop of cold rain fell on his face; the feather-light tickle against his cheek made him open his eyes from haze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His breath was faint. He heard a thin voice say: “He’s awake! He’s awake!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thor struggled to breathe, opening his eyes. Sunlight struck his face, bringing wave after wave of heat. Then a massive wing extended before him, shielding him from the sun. A bird’s face leaned close and asked: “You’re awake? Who are you? How did you end up here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thor recognized it as a common tongue from some distant star system, and he understood some of it. He said: “Where… is this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the edge of the Vormir Red Ring. How did you end up here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Vormir Red Ring… what’s that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, I get it! You’re a convict exiled here too? This is Sakaar, the main planet of the Taejo star system. Of course, people across the universe prefer calling it the Sakaar Scrapyard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sakaar?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thor’s mind was foggy. After a long while, he remembered: he had once passed through here with the Allfather, which was why he understood some of the local tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened his cracked lips, gazing at the sky. The sky here was nothing like Earth’s—it was veiled in a faint green hue, and above hung a massive planet with rings. The sun appeared larger, its light more vicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun grew larger before his eyes, its white light blinding, gradually filling his entire vision, turning everything pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A click. The white light vanished. The bedside lamp switched off. Shieler sat beside the bed and said: “So why did you dump him on Sakaar?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because that place suits him perfectly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice came from the bed—but no body was visible. Disturbingly, Loki’s head rested on the pillow, his body a constellation of starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Starlight” wasn’t quite right—every star was stitched together by black slime. His body resembled a vast net woven from symbiotes, the black fluid straining, crawling, gathering the scattered starlight, reweaving it into a form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shieler held a cup of coffee. “I was going to pour you one, but you have no digestive organs, so forget it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shieler and Loki both looked at Loki’s body. Loki laughed. Shieler said: “You’re in the mood to laugh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course I am. I can already guess what that fool is thinking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He thinks he’s an idiot for believing the flattery he once received. He thinks he’s a clown, valuing the most trivial things so deeply.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Honor, honor…” Loki sighed. “Who grants honor to whom?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door creaked. Strange entered, glanced at Loki, and said: “If I’d known your plan was this reckless, I never would’ve brought Thor there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Reckless? It’s not that bad. I admit I took a gamble—but clearly, I won.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell me your plan from the start. I think you need a listener right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Loki smiled again, looking relaxed, then began his tale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thor’s greatest flaw is his obsession with fabricated honor and duty. He never understood one thing: who grants honor to whom?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Allfather sits on the highest throne. He grants honor, and whoever he names becomes Asgard’s bravest warrior. But Thor is the opposite: the people praise him as Asgard’s bravest warrior, so he believes it’s true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Aesir are a very strange race.” Loki’s tone held both mockery and lament. “They’re born warriors, yet refuse to admit their violent genes drive them to constant war.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So they cloak war in a false veneer—calling it honor and duty—when in truth, they’re addicted to the thrill of victory and conquest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A king who doesn’t understand this can never rule the Aesir. But clearly, the Allfather has mastered it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He treats war like a bone thrown to dogs, using honor and duty as chains and collars to drive Asgard’s warriors into battle, while they worship him as the wisest king, willingly serving him and reaping his victories.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Thor doesn’t understand. He chases the bone with the dogs, instead of being the one holding the chain and throwing it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If he continues like this, he’ll be fooled by honor into leading Asgard into the abyss of destruction.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His trust in the Asgardians rests entirely on their flattery. But the Allfather never needed their praise—he only needed them to fight for him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What was the Allfather’s ultimate goal in sending Thor to Earth? To teach him humility? To teach him kindness?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. No king needs such things. And though I often mock Thor, I must admit—he’s a good man. Kind enough, even too kind, making him seem foolish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Allfather wanted him to realize: every compliment from Asgardians, every claim of honor and duty, means nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Without sufficient strength or weapons, he’d be as helpless and destitute as an ordinary Earthling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only when he awakens from that false sense of honor can he truly walk the path of kingship.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why did he cause chaos in Jotunheim? Because he was anxious—fearing the ceremony’s turmoil would shatter his image among Asgardians, fearing they’d stop venerating him, fearing this accident would make him lose their loyalty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the Allfather’s authority has never relied on image, face, or ceremony. His dignity has never been questioned.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We all know this. Aside from Thor himself, many observers could see he’d inverted priorities. But perhaps this stems from his father’s education—Odin crafted a doctrine of honor and deceived his own son.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You wanted him to realize this, to awaken from these false honors—so you staged a self-harm scheme?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I don’t understand,” Strange said, looking at Loki. “How did you accomplish all this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was the easiest part. Sif and those three fools had no trust in me—only deep dislike. Heimdall appeared neutral, but I knew he deeply suspected me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I deliberately ran back and forth between several warehouses, knocking, hammering, acting suspiciously.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I grew up with Sif and the others. Frankly, I know they’re simple-minded, rarely think in circles. Surprisingly, they themselves don’t see me as a threat—perhaps only suspecting I’m pulling pranks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But their families are different. Sif’s two older brothers are deputy captains of the fleet. Two of the other three have senior relatives as close advisors to Odin’s throne; one is deputy commander of the Royal Guard…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’ve always watched me closely, because they can’t accept even a sliver of my potential to ascend. Everyone knows: if I ever took power, they’d have no wars left to fight. Asgard would take a completely different path.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This Aesir race has violence and war carved into their bones. They’d never accept such an outcome. So they’ve indoctrinated their children: keep a tight eye on Loki, never let him threaten Thor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thor is the king they want. I am not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This was a fixed fact—until recently, the Allfather’s attitude grew subtle…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Indeed. He banished Thor to Earth, then granted you a true godly office—the first among your peers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can imagine how they tossed and turned, trying to decipher the Allfather’s mind. And just as they were about to test the waters, the Allfather fell into slumber.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At that exact moment, I crept in and out of the warehouses, appearing as if plotting to kill Thor. They became like headless flies, uniting to discuss what I was planning—whether I truly threatened Thor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In this way, I drew most of their attention—including Heimdall’s, the guardian of the rainbow bridge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heimdall is the only one in Asgard, besides the Allfather, with the authority to activate the rainbow bridge. Even the Queen Frigga and the Commander of the Royal Guard lack this right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you brought the Destroyer to Earth, then pretended you were trying to kill Thor and his companions, luring the rainbow bridge to strike you. But weren’t you afraid it might actually kill you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s why I said I gambled.” Loki’s eyes glinted with madness, yet his voice remained calm—now he truly resembled the famed God of Mischief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand Heimdall. He’s one of the more conservative Asgardians—he supports Thor, but only suspects me, not vehemently opposes me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Simply put: he doesn’t dislike me. He just thinks I’m unfit to inherit Asgard. When I traveled the cosmos recently and frequently activated the rainbow bridge, he said nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So I was certain: even if he remotely triggered the rainbow bridge against me, he’d control its power—not to kill me, but merely to stop me from harming Thor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you performed a ‘Loki’s Death’ in front of Thor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Correct. And I owe him thanks.” Loki lowered his head, gazing at the symbiote within his body. The symbiote was busy, ignoring them. Loki spoke for himself: “When this symbiote first approached me, he said he wanted to consume his kin, whose bodies carried the purest power of Nul.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After adapting to my body, he began his plan—but found it wasn’t simple. The symbiote called Riot, sustained by Nul’s power, resisted fiercely. Venom had no good way to destroy him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If they clashed directly, the outcome might be mutual destruction: Riot would exhaust all the power Nul had given him, and Venom would gain nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand,” Strange sighed. “So you two are in cahoots?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s mutual benefit. Venom let Riot enter my body, then used it to absorb most of the rainbow bridge’s damage—weakening Riot while shielding me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then how did you end up like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Rainbow Bridge is Asgard's most powerful weapon; even at its lowest output, it could severely injure me, but that effect isn't explosive enough to truly shock Thor—I must give him a real death scene.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, when the Rainbow Bridge struck me, I had Venom simultaneously attack Riot—two symbiotes fought inside my body. I don't know if you understand how their battle unfolded...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand—in just one second, they launched a full-scale army war within every single one of your cells, as if igniting a massive nuclear bomb inside each cell...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's right. The battle between Venom and Riot destroyed nearly all of my flesh, and allowed Thor to witness a genuine death scene.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You must have another goal, too—your divine power and divine office?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's correct. After my earlier investigations...\" Loki sighed and said, \"I realized I'm probably not suited for the godhood of fire.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But Asgard's divine office system is an extraordinary thing—once chosen, it can never be changed. A true god of Asgard can hardly alter their office, except under one possibility: death, or near-death.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In that moment, Venom sealed my consciousness and dissolved my body, deceiving Yggdrasil into believing I was dead—so my divine power and office were extracted from me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When my consciousness returned, I deliberately channeled my power and office into Thor's body, while I myself could begin anew, choosing a more suitable divine office.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So now, the two of you can gain three shares of divine power and office. How did Yggdrasil give birth to such a genius?\" Shi Le also laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yet...\" Strange said with a sigh, \"The people of Asgard wove a web of lies for Thor with praise and adulation—and you, the God of Lies, died to pierce through that lie...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then...\" The three exchanged glances and all smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Let's calculate the area of Thor's psychological trauma now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——————Extra Notes——————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yesterday, I saw the monthly ticket event's reward was an extra chapter; to avoid the extra chapter, I decisively entered an impossible target (in my own mind): 10,000 monthly tickets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, when I woke up, I saw over four thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My eyes went black.\u003C\u002Fp>",2654,"2026-06-20T16:39:20.726Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6f0214bbd8d46234f6fed4ede9e75a2ceb51e05e658a4cdc3b537a670a2a2230","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-241","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-239",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-cover.jpg"]