Chapter 618: Rewriting the Punishment

The Gods captured Loki's two sons, Wali and Nali.

Wali was taller and slender, his dark‑brown hair hanging over his shoulders; his face resembled Loki's, with a naturally casual gloom in his brows and eyes.

Nali was shorter and sturdier, his hair light‑colored as if faded by sunlight; his features leaned toward his mother's, gentle, meek, and a bit timid.

They had been seized by the Gods, their eyes filled with a deep, heavy resentment.

Wali lifted his head and looked at Loki, bound to the stone.

He clenched his teeth, the muscles on his cheek tight, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down:

"Father."

Loki lowered his head and looked at him.

His pale face showed no expression.

Wali inhaled deeply, as if gathering strength.

"Why did you do these things?"

"Why hurt everyone? Why kill Bader??"

Nali stood beside them, silent.

He only stared at Loki, his lips trembling, his eyes reddened, his hand clenched into a fist at his side, his nails digging into his palm, leaving a blood mark.

Loki watched them for a long time.

The corner of his mouth slowly curved into a faint, cold arc.

"In fact,"

he said, his voice calm, as calm as if speaking of something unrelated to himself:

"I never wanted to give birth to you; it was your mother's own wish."

He paused, his gaze shifting from Wali's face to Nali's, then away from Nali's face:

"So I don't love you, and besides, you don't love me, right?"

Wali's complexion changed.

The face, similar to Loki's, first went pale, then turned blue, then flushed, as if someone had a hand on its throat.

Nali's tears finally fell, streaming down his cheek, dripping into the water pools seeping from the cavern wall, mixing with the Water Droplets.

The Gods stood nearby, watching the scene, exchanging glances.

Thor scratched the back of his head, twirled his hammer twice in his hand, then stopped.

He looked at Loki, then at the two children, his brows furrowed enough to crush flies.

"He doesn't love his own sons," his voice muffled, echoing in the cave, shaking the Water Droplets on the walls to fall,

"If we kill them, it seems to have no effect on him?"

"Right."

A voice came from the cave entrance.

The Gods turned their heads.

Yu Lin entered from the entrance, his steps neither hurried nor slow, his feet on the damp stone slabs making a faint sound.

He walked to Thor's side, glanced at Loki bound to the stone, then at the two children, and gave the Gods a slight smile.

"How about we act directly on Loki; killing the two brings no benefit, but removing the two Loki dislikes might actually be good for him."

The Gods were silent for a moment.

But no one objected to Yu Lin.

Some even thought Yu Lin's words made sense.

For example, Thor.

Thor thought for a moment, slung his hammer to his waist, and nodded.

"Then we'll listen to you, Yu Lin,"

"We'll spare the two."

He bent down, one hand on each, grabbing the backs of Wali's and Nali's necks, lifting them like two small chickens.

The two were passively held.

Thor turned, walked to the entrance, raised his arm, and threw them outward.

Two silhouettes arced through the air, shrinking and receding, landing on a distant hillside, rolling a few times before stopping.

"Roll away! Stay far!"

The Gods no longer watched them, merely turned and walked back into the cavern's depths.

According to the original ending.

Wali would become a wolf and bite Nali to death, and Nali's intestines would be turned by the Gods into chains that bind Loki.

Now that the two have not died, the ending has been rewritten.

What follows differs little from the original fate.

They used rope to bind Loki to three sharp stones, chanting an ancient incantation.

The rope hardened and thickened under the spell, turning iron‑gray with a metallic sheen.

They transformed from ordinary hemp rope into steel‑like chains, pinning Loki's shoulders, waist, and knees firmly to the stones.

Loki just coldly watched them.

The chains dug into the Flesh, blood oozing from the wounds, flowing down the stone, dripping onto the ground and mixing with the water seeping from the walls, spreading a small wet stain.

Finally, a giant serpent was hung directly above Loki's head.

Its body was as thick as a water bucket, coiled on the cavern ceiling rock, its Scale black, emitting a cold glow in the darkness.

The snake's head pointed down, facing Loki's face; its eyes were yellow, vertical pupils, like two lamps about to go out in the dark.

The snake's mouth opened slightly, venom seeping from its fangs, drop by drop, falling steadily.

The first drop of venom fell on Loki's forehead.

Hiss—like a red-hot iron branding the skin!

Loki's body tensed violently, the chains clanking, but he clenched his teeth and made no sound.

The venom trailed down his nose bridge, over the corners of his eyes, over his cheeks, gathering at his chin, then dropping.

He closed one eye, the other open, gazing up at the snake above.

"Is that all?"

The second drop fell on his chest.

His body tensed again, the chains rang once more.

Blood seeped from the wounds on his shoulders and waist, trickling down the stone, faster than before!

The Gods stood to the side, watching his state.

They felt immensely satisfied, some even clapping and shouting approval!

Yu Lin stood at the back, leaning against the cave mouth, hands in his pockets, watching Loki inside.

Loki lifted his head, meeting his gaze.

On that face scorched by venom, a faint smile still lingered.

His lips twitched as if to speak, but another drop of venom fell on his forehead, his body tensed again, and that faint smile was twisted by pain into a strange expression.

Yu Lin did not move, merely watching him.

After a moment, he withdrew his gaze, turned, and walked out of the cave mouth.

Outside the cave, the night was dark, no moon, no stars, only wind blowing from afar, carrying the scent of pine resin and earth.

Behind him, the cave echoed with the chain's clinks—once, twice, again.

Then came the sound of venom dripping—hiss, hiss, hiss—like someone striking matches incessantly in the dark.

The Gods emerged from the cave one after another.

Each went their separate ways.

Only Loki remained in the cave.

And there was still that snake, and the endless dripping of venom.

"It really hurts!"

"Ah!!!!"

Loki could no longer hold back, letting out a cry of immense volume that triggered violent tremors in the ground, shaking mountains and earth!!

Just then, a figure appeared at the cave mouth.

Loki looked over and exclaimed:

"Siguen, what are you doing here?!"