Chapter 322

Loki's gender is fluid?

Doesn't matter—Hela's orientation is fluid too.

Originally, Hela was just chasing him for fun; after all, she was bored alone in Hel, and chasing this Asgardian prince into a frenzy was entertaining—a kind of twisted revenge against Odin.

But when Loki changed, Hela's temper flared.

Don't forget, Hela is a true-blooded Asgardian herself, and in her eyes, any Asgardian Ma Lei would utterly reject becoming female—she had seen plenty of that deep-rooted machismo.

She had no idea about Loki's strange position in Asgard or his delicate psychology; to her, this act was essentially saying: I'd rather eat shit than sleep with you.

It was a total rejection of Hela's personal charm and allure—no woman could tolerate such provocation, let alone a once-proud Asgardian princess—and so Hela erupted in rage.

You turned into a woman? Fine—I'll turn into a man.

So when the girl Loki met Hela again, she found that the figure across from her was no longer a seductive woman in a cloak, but a Ma Lei Lord of the Dead—clad in emerald-green armor, wielding a long spear, commanding an army of skeletons.

Though it slightly infringed upon Hades' domain, Hela didn't care; her mind was clouded by fury, and all she wanted was to kill Loki.

"An angry Lord of the Underworld brings immense trouble," Loki said, sitting on the couch in the reception room, helpless. "This won't be petty squabbles anymore—if he catches me, I'm dead."

Strange was speechless. "You really have no right to complain about Thor causing trouble every day—you're silent until you strike, and then you blow the roof off."

"So how are you going to escape the hunt?" Peter asked.

Loki's tone was utterly resigned: "I have no choice—I must use the divine power inside me to leave Earth and find a place where Hela can't follow."

"Thor's divine light energy within me has a natural guiding force—it will lead me to the place in the Nine Realms where death energy is thinnest. There, Hela cannot intrude."

"And the place with the thinnest death energy is where life energy is most concentrated—so I came near the World Tree…"

"The World Tree supports the Nine Realms—it's more like an abstract concept than an actual tree, with no fixed form, yet there is indeed a place called the Core of the World Tree…"

"There, a colossal tree, made manifest by concept itself, stands. Guided by the light energy, I reached its base—and when I arrived, I understood: this is a place Hela can never invade."

Loki sighed again. "But you know I can't stay trapped there forever—even if I hide for now, I can't hide forever."

The First Evolution

"As I approached the World Tree, I noticed another new branch growing from its limbs—brimming with unparalleled life and vitality. I knew it could help me resist Hela, so I broke off that branch…"

"Wait!" Strange interrupted. "You're saying you snapped off a branch of the colossal tree that supports the Nine Realms??"

"My god! Why didn't Odin strike you down with a lightning bolt?! Didn't you fear the Nine Realms would collapse?!!"

Loki glanced at Strange. "I'm not some magic apprentice who's barely learned a few days—I'm certain that branch was independent of the Nine Realms. Even if I broke it off, it wouldn't affect the structure of the universe."

"Then why do you say you caused a huge mess?" Steve asked, puzzled. "Isn't that the only thing that could count as a disaster?"

"After all, you and Hela never actually did anything, and she never truly invaded Earth—even if you had a chase, it's nothing to the whole universe, right?"

"That's exactly what I'm about to tell you—right after I broke off that branch, things spiraled beyond my imagination…"

In a misty, mysterious space, a towering tree rose from the ground, its boundless canopy filling the entire sky; countless branches stretched out, each leaf a tiny universe—this was the embodiment of the World Tree.

At the tree's roots lay a green meadow; to one side, springs and lakes shimmered. A black-haired girl reached out and snapped off a branch brimming with life energy.

Suddenly, the branch flew from the girl's hand; after a flash of white light, a handsome man in a white robe appeared before Loki.

He was shrouded in a hazy radiance. He bowed to Loki in an ancient Asgardian gesture and said: "Greetings. I am Balder, the God of Light. You awakened me—what do you want? …Wait!"

The man calling himself Balder stepped closer, staring at Loki. His tone grew puzzled: "…Familiar power. Are you that new God of Light?"

His previously cold, distant expression softened instantly; his gaze toward Loki now held a tenderness and affection Loki couldn't comprehend.

Loki had no idea who he was. Before she could speak, Balder gazed at her and sighed: "I never imagined the new sovereign reborn with the Light's power would be the little princess of Asgard…"

"Have you heard my name, Your Highness?"

Loki shook her head. Balder let out a faint sigh. "I am your brother—the true eldest son of Odin, and the former God of Light…"

"But I am not Odin's biological son—I was a new branch he broke from the World Tree."

Balder's voice carried the cadence of ancient Asgardian speech, rhythmic and melodic, like reciting a grand epic.

"On the day Odin ascended the throne of Asgard, he promised his beautiful betrothed: on the day they wed, he would break a new branch from the highest tree as a gift to celebrate their union…"

"On their wedding day, Odin came before the World Tree and wished for it to grow a new branch as a gift for the goddess. The World Tree granted his wish—and so I was born…"

"He plucked me from the World Tree, adorned me with nine beautiful flowers grown in Asgard into a wreath, and placed it upon the goddess's head—symbolizing their unyielding love and shared duty and honor in ruling Asgard…"

"The goddess was deeply moved. She told the king: 'This wreath holds the Asgardians' blessings for love—it should be our first child.' And so Balder, born from the World Tree's new branch, became the king's eldest son…"

"I am the embodiment of the World Tree's life and vitality, representing the joy of spring and rebirth—and thus became Asgard's God of Light, presiding over all light and new beginnings."

Here, Balder's tone grew quieter, like a joyful melody nearing its end.

"Odin once promised me he would spread vitality to every corner of the universe, letting the World Tree's branches take root across the Nine Realms, bringing spring to all life."

"But as Asgard's wars multiplied, they brought not vitality, but destruction—vitality dwindled, destructive forces grew, and they slowly eroded me, weakening me…"

"The goddess was heartbroken, for she foresaw: the day Asgard crowned itself ruler of the universe would be the day I died."

"My weakening and the goddess's tears shook Odin—he began questioning the meaning of war and destruction, and so he halted his conquests, intending to rule the Nine Realms through peace."

"But he still could not prevent the final war."

"Hela—my sister, the princess of Asgard—had lost her mind in endless warfare, convinced destruction was the universe's only answer…"

"She waged a fierce war against Odin, and the destructive force of that battle became the final straw that broke me—I lost all power and reverted to a branch of the World Tree, returning to my origin."

"The king and queen were devastated. They could not explain to the people of Asgard where their beloved eldest son and heir had gone—so they imprisoned Hela and erased my existence."

"Only those untouched by Odin's divine power still remembered me—and you… after Hela, another princess of Asgard—you wield a power opposite to your sister's: a new form of Light."

"On the World Tree, I briefly felt the aura of this power—and when true Light touched me, I was awakened again."

"He who wields the Light must become the new king of Asgard."

"Once, I held the Light—and so I was heir to the throne. Now, you hold a new Light—therefore, you are the next divine king."

Loki stared into Balder's tender, affectionate gaze—and in that instant, she felt a sense of fate, as if everything had been arranged by design.

Once, Odin came before the World Tree, broke a new branch, and in the vibrant Asgard, Balder became the crown prince and heir, bringing vitality to the Nine Realms.

Then came Hela—the one who killed her brother—she became the opposite of life and vitality, embodying death and destruction.

Now, Thor, who wields the new Light, has become Asgard's true heir.

And I, through a chain of coincidences, became a princess—so now, must I, too, wield death and destruction to kill my own brother?

Why does everything feel like a destined cycle?

Why, whenever a position lies empty in this story, does a chain of coincidences push the right person into it?

Loki wondered: is endless rebirth and destruction truly Asgard's inescapable fate?

As Loki pondered this, Shearer spoke, interrupting her. "So—what exactly did you break?"

Loki spoke slowly: "Balder sensed the death energy Hela left on me. He thought Hela meant to kill me—so…"

The four seated on the couch all turned to Loki. Her voice was stiff. "The God of Light and the God of Death—because of me—went to war."

————Extratext————

Odin: o_O